Chapter 326: Fu Xiao

The boat owner who was originally still just forcibly smiling, upon hearing this, the smile on her face just became countless times more sincere, “Eunuch is right, to be able to let wangye be happy is the number one most important task.” This way, it won’t just be her alone suffering a calamity. With a slew of people accompanying behind, they won’t be able to think about scheming against Louxie. In contrast, she perhaps can even plot something from within, and in the end, even if losing this head courtesan, she also won’t necessarily suffer a loss. “If this lowly one may be so bold as to suggest, can this matter be fully handed over to this lowly one to handle?”

“Naturally so, never mind that owner is more familiar with the various sides, we, as the servants, naturally need to be serving by master’s side at all times.” That bit of thought of the other party’s, Eunuch Mu expressed that he saw very clearly. However, what did this have to do with him? What he needed was just the results. ‘Waving the tiger skin as a large banner[1]‘ and what not, as long as one can have the matter handled beautifully, this is also just a small matter, needless to mind. “There’s one thing that I must warn owner, master likes cleanliness in all aspects. Billowing smokes and whatnot, absolutely can’t have. Master conducts himself fully based on his mood. He perhaps just purely want to listen to song and admire dance. That’s why, excessive things, it’s best to not do.”

“This lowly one understands.” When it comes to behaving according to someone’s face, there’s probably none more skillful than those in this profession of theirs, so they naturally don’t dare to be rash.

Eunuch Mu nodded, getting up to leave.

The boat owner naturally hurriedly got up to see him off. Once no longer able to see Eunuch Mu’s figure, she finally got up slowly, her expression difficult to guess. After standing still for a moment, “Someone come………….”

A little servant girl walked in, extremely deferentially, “Owner.”

“Return to the to the pavilion.” Jin Qinwang will be coming tomorrow. If it’s just her Louxie Pleasure Boat, it was still not a problem, in any case, as people doing business, their every day was just meeting those arriving and sending off those departing. At worst, it’s just clearing out the place, the rest all the same as usual. However, now they needed to combine ten, no, should be twelve, the twelve most competitive establisments.

There was no reason to have the last two excluded. When there’s ‘benefit’, everyone should earn together, no?

Speaking of which, all the well-known brothels in Chuanzhou Fu all have her pleasure boats. And in contrast, the well-known pleasure boats also have her pavilion buildings, the two sides inseparably linked. As for which side as the main owner, each establishment had their own specialty. Of course, for these two sides, if one is missing, then those were all ones that didn’t enter the circle.

Combining twelve establishments, the matters naturally will just increase by a lot. Coordinating from within was all a big headache. Although each establishment all have their own program, but they can’t completely have each go their own way. That way, never mind that it’ll appear disorganized, sometimes it won’t even be able to hold up to the occasion. Louxie Pleasure Boat’s owner although wanted to scheme against her opponents, she can’t have the matter messed up. Because she was in charge of coordinating, if something happens, getting condemned by Jin Qinwang, her Louxie Pleasure Boat will bear the brunt of the force. To injure the enemy eight hundred, to suffer a thousand in damage, this kind of folly, no one would do.

Not even halfway back, someone just aggressively came looking. Then again, having spent over ten thousand taels of silver to reserve the pleasure boat, and even just for half a day, yet arriving at the place, with no boat in sight, if it was just him alone, it was nothing much, but he just had to bring along a few ‘good friends’. Getting ditched was small, but losing face was big, so how can one not explode?

The boat owner rubbed her temples, originally not wanting to bother with, but on the principle of ‘amiability makes you rich’, this was also a pretty good opportunity to have tomorrow’s matter spread out. Although this was far from enough, some things nevertheless need to be taken care of step by step. She let someone have the person led in, politely and amicably having the person pacified, and then slowly explained the reason.

The person that was unable to restrain his anger, upon hearing Jin Qinwang’s name, this anger instantly just got extinguished. At present, all the officials of Chuanzhou Fu were grasped like dough in this one’s hand. As for those arrogant and domineering official family wastrels on normal days, for the ones whose home discipline were a bit more lax, they could still stroll around outside, yet absolutely didn’t dare to cause trouble. And a large majority have already not shown in their faces in half a month.

And for people like them, as people merely from a wealthy family, towards the imperial family, they further possessed a natural-born reverence.

“Jin Qinwang reserving the pleasure boat, although won’t be used until tomorrow, and according to reason, with gentleman’s reservation being for today, this lowly one ought to let the girls play the qin and sing for gentleman, keeping gentleman company, just Jin Qinwang didn’t just reserve Louxie alone. Louxie needs to coordinate with the other eleven pleasure boats, involving not only the pleasure boats allocation, but also the girls’ arrangements. Because the matter was sudden, this lowly one previously was also somewhat agitated, thus momentarily forgot about the matter of gentleman reserving the boat, asking to please forgive. The ten some pleasure boats under Louxie’s name, rather can separately allocate one for gentleman, just compared with the main pleasure boat, gentleman afraid won’t be satisfied. How about waiting two days? When time comes, this one will reduce the money by twenty percent for gentleman, what does gentleman think?”

Since there words were already said like so, one naturally won’t be relentless. Moreover, the other party was Jin Qinwang. Even if he was unable to reserve the boat, it wasn’t that he didn’t have face. Moreover, thinking again, reserving twelve at the same time, such big hand, in the past, has never happened before. Just based on this, the others all needed to move aside. “Owner is too polite.”

With the matter taken care of, the boat owner just politely saw them off. The time was pressing, so one can’t continue to delay.

“Since Jin Qinwang reserved the pleasure boat, then Miss Fu Xiao……..” One of the accompanying friend opened his mouth.

The others also nodded in agreement. Although they don’t have a chance, but watching the excitement was also not bad. However, looking at the current situation, afraid…………..

The boat owner naturally understood his meaning, “Tomorrow’s boudoir leaving ceremony naturally will be cancelled. The rest, all still uncertain.”

For something that was uncertain, naturally no one dared to carelessly make remarks about, especially given the other party’s status. One mishap, and the other party’s one finger and just have them crushed until there’s not even ashes left.

Once the customers were gone, the back curtain was lifted open, and a beautiful girl gracefully walked out. If carefully examining, she even carried a bit of impatience, “Aunt Mei, what you said just now, is it all true?” Her voice carried an unable to be suppressed excitement.

The boat owner lifted her eyes and glanced at her. What the other party was thinking, she was very clear. Once this matter becomes known by all the girls, the ones that will have thoughts definitely won’t be few.

The girl, seeing Aunt Mei not replying to her words, also knew that she seemingly had somewhat gone overboard. However, thinking it over, one will just know, this kind of thing can’t be faked.

The boat owner Mei Yi returned to the place where Louxie Fang[2] resided. It was Chuanzhou Fu’s not just in name but also in reality red-light district, covering the entire district, spanning several streets. In a certain sense, it absolutely can be considered the nightless city.

Under normal circumstances, this while, the girls in the building were just now getting up in succession. Of course, a small number of people’s schedule was still the same as an ordinary person’s, for instance, the head courtesan here, Fu Xiao. With one’s boudoir leaving ceremony near at hand, as long as one was a normal person, this mood certainly won’t be good. Fu Xiao was also the same. Although she didn’t have her feelings displayed on her face, but she has already not performed on stage in three days. This was the best explanation. However, Mei Yi also didn’t get angry. The girls under her, as long as they were obedient, she has always been relatively lenient.

Mei Yi first returned to her own dwelling, quickly writing eleven invitation cards, letting someone immediately send out, making sure to deliver into the hands of the person in charge. Shortly after, upon contemplation, she headed to Fu Xiao’s room. As the head courtesan’s bed chamber, the layout naturally won’t be small. There was an inner and outer room, the decorations exquisite, and also out of the ordinary. Those who were unaware would even think that this was the bedroom of some wealthy family’s young miss.

Under normal circumstances, this was her afternoon nap time, just at present, probably unable to fall asleep, ‘conscientiously’ playing the pipa in hand.

What kind of person was Mei Yi? She also was someone that walked out from this step. She similarly was a woman possessing both beauty and talent. Quite a few girls under her were all once personally taught by her, so how can she not make out Fu Xiao’s absentmindedness? Moreover, her fingers were just, because of familiarity, mechanically strumming the strings, not carrying the slightest emotion.

“If you don’t want to play, then don’t play.” Mei Yi neither lightly nor heavily opened her mouth.

Fu Xiao’s fingers stopped strumming, putting down the pipa, “Aunt Mei.”

Mei Yi sat down by the tableside. The servant girl serving at the side hurriedly went forward to pour a cup of tea.

Mei Yi didn’t go look at the teacup, just fixedly watching Fu Xiao, a never before seriousness. This was the most special girl under her. Originally, although not from an extremely wealthy and noble family, her life was still very rich. Unfortunately, fate was unfavorable, the path full of bumps. When she came under her, she was merely just twelve years old. Although wearing coarse clothes, she already manifested the magnificent grace of a beauty. Because of originally just having a foundation, in addition to meticulously instructing, she blossomed brightly. She was quiet and reserved, and regardless of what was taught, she would all learn, never opposing. But, even when learning how to serve men, she also didn’t have any sense of self either. Prior to fifteen, she for the most part didn’t let her show her face, and after fifteen, she also did her best to postpone her boudoir leaving ceremony. However, in the end, still someone of this profession, so can’t forever not leave the boudoir. Moreover, as her reputation spreads more and more, whether she leaves the boudoir or not already wasn’t something she, this boat owner, can have the final say in. Momentary later, she finally opened her mouth, “Tomorrow’s boudoir leaving ceremony has been cancelled.”

This originally was a news worth being happy over, but Fu Xiao’s eyes just slightly moved before returning to tranquility again.

“Not happy?”

“It’s just tomorrow getting cancelled, and not forever getting cancelled. A day sooner, a day later, isn’t the outcome all the same?”

“Not necessarily. Jin Qinwang has reserved the pleasure boat, and will be using tomorrow. If Jin Qinwang takes a fancy to you, and wants to take you away, even if not giving a single cent, I also can’t do anything about it, no?”

[1] So the original version of this idiom is actually ‘waving the banner as a tiger skin’ (拉大旗作虎皮), meaning to borrow a cause to scare people. In the author’s version I believe it means borrowing LHY’s name (the tiger skin) to scare people for a ‘great cause’.

Honestly it’s a bit weird to use here as it’s originally a relatively modern idiom by Lu Xun (1881-1936), one of the earliest and most well-known modern chinese writers, on the problems of the united front against the Japanese during World War I. I have to say Lu Xun lived through quite a lot during his time. He was born in the Qing dynasty, lived through the 1911 Revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty, lived through World War I, and if he lived a few years longer he could have witnessed World War II too.

[2] 舫 – Fang is a type of building built over water that imitates the structure of a large boat but is immovable. Their base is usually made from stone.

T/N: These pleasure boats are essentially just floating buildings and can be of varying sizes. Usually for these, they’ll have a main ‘building’ that’s docked and other smaller boats attached to it, which can be bridged together or detached. Nowadays a lot of these are used as restaurants and still can be reserved for parties.

And while I’m at it here’s a picture of the interior of a normal land brothel building. Although for the pleasure boat business, most would probably have a brothel built over water. In fact for Louxie, the name itself is just 楼(lou – multiple storied building) 榭(xie – building built over water).