Translator – Xiao He Lian
This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.
Chapter 24.2
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After passing a dense forest, spanning about half a mile, you will find the nine alleys of Yangzhou Twenty-Four Bridge.
At the third quarter of you shi1(the period of the day from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m), Shen Zhen followed Lu Yan out of the carriage.
The alley is narrow and winding, and every inch of it was crowded. When the lights are hung at night, you can see hundreds of courtyards.
Thousands of famous prostitutes from Yangzhou gathered here.
Thousands of people…..
As the saying goes, the more corrupt a place is, the better this kind of business will be. Those high-ranking officials and nobles love the lewd and vulgar performances of prostitutes.
Every night, these prostitutes bathe in perfume, wash themselves, and then walk out of the alley to go to wine shops, teahouses, and poetry houses.
As long as someone passes by, they will try their best to pull them upstairs.
If one says that brothels in pingkang lane still pays attention to elegance and taste, the nine lanes of Yangzhou Twenty-Four Bridge are really mainly about flesh and blood business.
Has Shen Zhen ever seen such a scene?
She walked behind Lu Yan, her heart racing uncontrollably.
Zhao Chong’s place is not in a restaurant or teahouse, but in a boat.
Yangzhou’s dignitaries often hang out here at night, surrounded by colorful lights and wine and gently swaying on the water waves, which is indeed more wild and interesting.
As they were walking east, a boy came quickly to them.
“Is it Young Master Wei?” the boy asked.
Lu Yan nodded, “I’m Wei Huan.”
“This servant is here to show Young Master Wei the way. Please come this way.”
Soon, he brought Lu Yan and Shen Zhen to the waterfront.
The night dew was heavy, Lu Yan and Shen Zhen bent down and entered the boat.
Sitting in the boat were a man and a woman, one of whom was Governor Zhao.
There is another one who is one of the most famous prostitutes in these nine alleys and is also Zhao Chong’s confidante – Lady Huan.
As soon as Lu Yan entered the boat, Huan Niang said coquettishly, “Why didn’t Master Zhao say there will be guests tonight?”
Lu Yan pretended to be suddenly enlightened, cupped his hands and said, “Wei Huan greets Lord Zhao.” Shen Zhen bowed to the side as a woman.
Zhao Chong was very satisfied with his sense of judgment and laughed twice and said, “I have long heard about Young Master Wei’s talent. When I saw you today, it turned out that what people said was true.”
“My Lord, you are exaggerating.” Lu Yan said.
As soon as he opened his mouth, even Huan Niang, who had been groping among men all day long, couldn’t help but take a second look.
Zhao Chong stretched out his hand to motion for him to take a seat.
This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.
After Lu Yan sat down, Shen Zhen followed closely behind.
As soon as she took off her curtain hat, Zhao Chong’s eyes fell on her.
Zhao Chong’s expression lit up and he raised his brows slightly. He probably didn’t expect that Wei Huan’s concubine could actually be so beautiful.
He suddenly understood why Wei Huan would spend hundreds of copper coins to make her happy.
When a woman meets a woman, the first thing she looks at is her appearance. Huan Niang has never seen a woman more eye-catching than herself in Yangzhou.
She looked at Shen Zhen for a long time and couldn’t help but sigh: This little lady didn’t even apply makeup, but how come she is so fair?
After drinking for three rounds, Huan Niang got up to add to the fun. She picked up her pipa and sang a song called “Bi Yu Lou2(Jade tower)“.
Lu Yan and Zhao Chong were listening to the music and pouring cups of wine.
Halfway through the song, Huan Niang suddenly took off her jacket, revealing half of her white flesh for people to enjoy and appreciate.
Shen Zhen, a country bumpkin who had never seen the world, nervously clasped her hands together when faced with such a visual impact.
On the other hand, Lu Yan was very experienced, and the smile in the corners of his eyes was very much like that of a young master with countless wives.
Three parts uninhibited, three parts indifferent, three parts romantic, and one part lust.
Everything was just right.
In Shen Zhen’s heart. Lu Yan became the Magistrate of the Jingzhao Mansion at a young age, mainly because he had the status of the heir apparent of the Duke’s Mansion.
It was only today, when she watched him speaking with a skilled Jingzhou accent and chatting with Zhao Chong about the customs and traditions of the world, that she discovered that he had many outstanding qualities.
He seemed to be a completely different person and no one could tell that he was born in Chang’an and grew up in Chang’an.
Governor Zhao deliberately kept mentioning Jingzhou and no matter what happened, Lu Yan could handle it, especially the affairs of the wind and moon3(Love affairs).
Occasionally, he would say a few flirtatious and dirty words, which made Zhao Chong raise his glass and drink as if he were meeting his old friend.
One has to say that sometimes men are like this. You look at me and I look at you, with a pair of eyes. As soon as you see that the other person cut from the same tile as you, the relationship immediately takes a step closer.
After Lady Huan finished singing, Zhao Chong gave her a look.
Lady Huan quickly took out a jar of wine from a wooden box made of chinese rosewood.
She raised her hand to pour a glass of wine for Lu Yan, and said softly: “They say that Yangzhou’s Yunli liquor is as crisp as cake. This is the most famous liquor in Yangzhou. Young Master, would you like to try it?”
Lu Yan took it and drank it down in one gulp.
Noble officials and dignitaries have always been meticulous in their work and everyone’s every move is reflected in his wily eyes.
Only by taking the wine glass and drinking it without thinking can he let down his guard.
After Lu Yan passed this test, Zhao Chong said again: “I studied hard for ten years in order to get a good reputation. In order to support me, my mother went to the market to sell rice before dawn. I never believed the sentence, “The kings, nobles, generals, and prime ministers have the guts4(Are those who call themselves kings, marquis, and prime ministers nobler than us?” Using these words to stimulate people’s anger is a very rebellious sentence.)”, so I crawled desperately for seventeen years. Looking back now, I still don’t know whether I took the right step or not.” Such words are tantamount to a test.
Lu Yan said with a smile: “Life is short, poverty lasts a lifetime, and wealth also lasts a lifetime. In my opinion, with Your Excellency’s wisdom, your grand plans go beyond that.”
Lu Yan’s words touched Zhao Chong’s heart, and he couldn’t help but bring a smile to his brows.
His eyes were full of ambition and admiration, and he said to Lu Yan unhurriedly: “Brother Wei should have come to Yangzhou earlier.”
Shen Zhen thought that Governor Zhao would let down his guard this time, but unexpectedly, his eyes turned back to her.
Since he knew that Shen Zhen was not Lu Yan’s wife, Zhao Chong was not very polite when he spoke. After all, it is common for the rich and powerful to exchange their concubines for fun.
“Miss Qin is from the capital?” Zhao Chong said slowly.
Shen Zhen nodded, “Replying to My lord, I have grown up in the capital since childhood.”
Zhao Chong gave a vague “hmm” and then said with a smile: “There are still outstanding people in the capital, and even the girls are better than elsewhere.”
It is difficult to accept such praise, and it is also difficult not to accept it.
After all, the meaning behind these words is far more than what was actually said.
At this moment, Huan Niang poked Shen Zhen in the elbow and said quickly: “Master Zhao rarely praises anyone, why don’t Miss Qin quickly propose a toast to him?” After saying that, Huan Niang turned around and picked up a pot of wine in the corner and gave Shen Zhen a glass of wine.
All Lady Huan’s little moves fell into Shen Zhen’s eyes. Just now, she twisted the nozzle of the pot.
This is the yin yang pot5(The Yin Yang teapot, also known as the Two Hearts teapot, the Mandarin Duck teapot, or the Conscience teapot, is a table toy designed to help oneself drink less alcohol while also getting guests drunk. The Yin Yang teapot has two chambers that can simultaneously inject two different liquids. When in use, water and wine can be poured out separately according to needs. Many literary works have written it as a wine vessel for poisoning wine)
!
Shen Zhen’s eyes widened.
Lady Huan was able to openly force her to drink, presumably because Governor Zhao had given her permission in advance.
In this way, she has to drink it even if she doesn’t want to.
Shen Zhen took it and drank it all.
Ever since she was little, she had been able to take a sip of fruit wine during the Chinese New Year. But this kind of strong liquor was really unbearable.
After one cup, her face turned red.
For an experienced person Zhao Chong, an unripe fruit like Shen Zhen is the best dish to go with wine.
With a smile on his lips, he asked Lady Huan to fill Shen Zhen’s glass.
Only then did Shen Zhen understand why Governor Zhao called her by name.
It turned out that he wanted to get her drunk.
If she says the wrong thing, it will turn into a disaster.
Although Lu Yan had told her to scratch at his palms when she couldn’t hold it any longer, she really didn’t want to hold him back.
Once their identities are exposed, it means they have to leave Yangzhou as soon as possible. In this case, she doesn’t know when she will be able to see Hong’er and An momo.
Shen Zhen thought for a moment and then pretended to drop a plate.
Afterwards, she picked up the shards when no one was looking.
Shen Zhen pricked her arm with a splinter from an angle that no one could see, and drew out blood to stay awake.
Zhao Chong saw that she was drunk and asked, “Where in the capital is Miss Qin from?”
Shen Zhen said: “I was born in Wannian County. I had no father or mother since I was a child. I was raised by my aunt.”
Zhao Chong narrowed his eyes and said, “You’re a pitiful person. What about your aunt?”
Shen Zhen nodded and said, “After my aunt passed away, my brother and sister-in-law threw me out of the Qin family. When I was homeless, it was Young Master Wei who helped me.”
Zhao Chong swung his wine glass and sighed with a smile, “A hero saving a beauty is really a good story.”
Most men have a savior mentality towards women with poor life experiences. After listening to Shen Zhen’s words, his fingers holding the wine glass became tighter and tighter.
After some time, the candlelight in the boat was about to go out. Zhao Chong looked at Shen Zhen’s swaying body, and a fire surged up.
He thought that such a delicate and easily drunk little beauty must taste special.
He didn’t want to take someone’s lover directly, so he changed to a tacit way, “Young Master Wei, what do you think of Lady Huan?”
Hearing this, Lu Yan put down his wine glass, curled his lips and said, “Of course she is beautiful and charming.”
When Lady Huan heard this, the stagnant water in her heart stirred up into waves.
Zhao Chong often asked her to accompany others, from the gentleman in the Governor’s Mansion to the county magistrate in the Yamen.
Every time, she had no choice, but this time, she was willing to do it.
Zhao Chong laughed several times and said very generously: “Brother Wei, if you like it, you might as well stay here tonight.”
Although Lu Yan’s expression remained normal, judging from the extent of his mysophobia, it’s most likely that he was already feeling uneasy.
Thinking back to the beginning, even if Shen Zhen touched him, he would wipe his wrist.
Not to mention staying in the same place as the brothel head courtesan.
He is not willing to sacrifice himself for the country to this extent.
After a moment, Lu Yan said word by word: “A gentleman does not take away someone’s lover. I appreciated Your Excellency’s kindness.”
Zhao Chong heard what he meant,
Although he was sorry, he didn’t want to create discord before forming an alliance, so he nodded in understanding.
The banquet ended.
Before leaving, Zhao Chong patted Lu Yan on the shoulder and said, “I’m on leave the day after tomorrow, if Brother Wei has nothing to do, you can come and visit the Governor’s Mansion.”
Lu Yan said: “I will definitely visit in person.”
After Zhao Chong left, Shen Zhen staggered when she stood up. Lu Yan immediately hugged her.
Only then did he realize that there were blood stains on the corners of her clothes.
