Volume 1, Chapter 6: Yong Envoy, the Prince of Qi (2/2)

As the Prince of Qi walked past me, he suddenly turned to look at me. I saw an icy cold light in his eyes. I quickly lowered my head and avoided his gaze. Although I had seen this kind of murderous look before, there was no reason to let him believe that I was unafraid. He seemed to pay attention to what I was doing. Had he received a report from Liang Wan? Great Yong was definitely powerful. A single Prince of Qi was so impressive. I wondered what kind of bearing the Emperor possessed.

That Li Xian noticed this young man was for one particular reason. He possessed a b.e.s.t.i.a.l instinct. While he was secretly conversing with Zhao Jia in the Imperial Study, he did not know why, but he felt apprehensive, as if someone was eavesdropping. But he also knew that there was no one within twenty zhang. For someone to be able to eavesdrop from beyond twenty zhang, then he must possess excellent martial arts. He knew that this kind of person did not exist in Southern Chu. Walking out the door, he paid particular attention to the officials and eunuchs waiting outside. He noticed that although there were a number of skilled martial artists, who were definitely Southern Chu’s top fighters, their positions would have prevented them from being able to hear anything. And though the several officials accompanying the king were far closer, clearly none of them knew martial arts. When Li Xian regarded Jiang Zhe and believed he wasn’t the eavesdropper, he was still startled. Although this young official was not too old, he possessed a poised bearing and had a calm expression. Li Xian knew the power of his own martial bearing. Once in Great Yong, an official had caused offense. Just as Li Xian's temper erupted, that official fainted from fright. All the other officials, civil or military, were all uneasy when greeting him. Even the crown prince was careful in his presence. Other than that person, Li Xian thought, since reaching adulthood, this is the first time I've seen someone so calm in my presence. Thinking of this, his gaze couldn’t help but become more threatening. Although that young official seemed to admit defeat by lowering his head and avoiding his gaze, Li Xian did not know why, but felt that the young official did not fear him.

Coming to this conclusion, Li Xian stopped and questioned, “What is your name?”

I observed Li Xian using my peripheral vision. Hearing his words and seeing his shoes stop right in front of me, I could only raise my head. I shot a glance at the king, using my eyes to ask for instructions. Smiling, the king said, “This is our Southern Chu’s most gifted scholar, the zhuangyuan of the imperial examination of the sixteenth year of Xiande, Jiang Zhe. The Queen likes his poetry the most.”

Suddenly understanding, Li Xin said, “So you are Jiang Zhe. Your poems are wonderful.

<blockquote cla.s.s=”Quote”>With transport easy and unhampered,</sup> has flourished in the three Wu areas since antiquity.

Flapping in the wind are numerous verdant portieres

Winds hurling up heaps of snowdrifts in the air,

Making a parade of their silk and brocade every household vie to show off their luxurious splendor.

Teeming with fascinating scented autumn osmanthus flowers,

Songs from water caltrop pickers through the night make a delight of the vesper,

Flaunting his official standard by a thousand escorting riders,

</blockquote>

“This poem, Gazing Out Upon the Tide, that you have written makes one yearn for the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan. This Prince has come as an envoy and hopes to bear witness to the scenery of Southern Chu.”

I stole a glance at the king’s gratified expression before modestly remarking, “This humble work is fortunate to acquire the Prince’s appreciation.” Li Xian looked at me deeply before departing with the king. My back was soaked with cold sweat, because that look was filled with a baffling madness that seemed to contain fiery enthusiasm. I suddenly wondered whether aside from loving beautiful woman, if the Prince of Qi also liked men. I s.h.i.+vered and determined to stay as far away as possible.

Who could know that the heavens cared little about a person’s desires? The next day, I received a royal edict commanding me to accompany the Prince of Qi during the time that he was in Southern Chu. Oh my G.o.d, the heavens are heartless, I hissed, gazing upward toward the heavens. I decided to ask Xiaoshunzi if he had the time to protect me. Hatefully, Xiaoshunzi coldly communicated, “I’m very busy. In any case, the Prince of Qi is handsome; you should just accompany him. Maybe the Prince of Qi will bring you back to Great Yong to live comfortably.” I nearly fainted from anger and made a firm resolution to protect myself to prevent the Prince of Qi from making such a horrifying thought a reality.

When I arrived at the official posthouse, I saw the Prince of Qi wearing light-colored robes. In the somewhat cold spring wind, the Prince of Qi was sitting in the courtyard laughing uproariously. At his side sat a beautiful young man in a dress that was as white as snow, gazing upon him affectionately. I almost turned and ran away. Thinking it over, I realized that this young man was more beautiful than even some of the greatest beauties. With a relatively average appearance, I, a mere Hanlin Academic should not have any problems. Therefore, I respectfully walked forward in greeting, informing the Prince that I had been dispatched by the King to lead him around the city.

The Prince of Qi’s bright eyes considered me for some time, before he declared, “Excellent! I have long heard that Jianye possesses many beauties. Who is the most famous courtesan along the Qinhuai River?”

My brow furrowed and I thought for some time before answering, “This va.s.sal does not know. Your Imperial Highness, please allow this va.s.sal to go and find out. I will definitely find out.”

His eyes filled with laughter, the Prince of Qi said, “Never mind. If you were to go to find out, pretty soon all of Jianye will know. Everyone will say that I only know to frequent brothels. If my Imperial Father were to find out, I would probably be reprimanded. Let us depart; accompany me tonight to take a look. We must definitely find the best courtesan.”

I was overjoyed, thinking, Everything would be alright as long as you go find women. Being engrossed in such base desires will only serve to bury you; I couldn't care less if you decided to amuse yourself to an untimely death. I will definitely find the best brothel. Thinking this, I decided to ask the official supervising the posthouse. He would definitely know.

As dusk approached, I had already found the opportunity to learn everything there was to know about the Qinhuai River. If the Prince of Qi hadn’t wanted to travel incognito and prohibited attendants, I would have asked the official supervising the posthouse to bring us there. However, the prince did not introduce the white-robed young man, only saying that he was surnamed Qin and telling me to call him gongzi Qin. But no matter how I looked at the white-robed young man, he seemed to like a sheathed treasure sword, and could not be completely concealed.

This was completely different from Xiaoshunzi who seemed dispirited and downcast almost like a withered radish. I nearly believed that his martial arts were declining, but I did not think that this was possible. He seemed to become increasingly unpredictable. When I returned home the day before yesterday, I found him waiting in my home, saying that he was not on duty that morning and had gone to Wuxi, almost eighty li, to amuse himself. He had brought some local cuisine such as soup dumplings and duck blood soup to serve as a midnight meal. I froze when I found that both were still warm. Although there was a container keeping the food warm, they could only have been bought no more than two hours earlier. Thinking of this, I got angry again. The little b.a.s.t.a.r.d knew that the danger I was in and refused to protect me. The next time I cook, I definitely won’t leave a share for him.

I already had learned that Jianye’s best brothels were the Beautiful Scenery Pavilion, the Xiaoxiang Courtyard, the Red Harmony Pavilion, and the Floating Fragrance Pleasure Boat. The Beautiful Scenery Pavilion was known for its s.e.xual prowess, Xiaoxiang Courtyard for its song and dance; the Red Harmony Pavilion was a combination casino-restaurant-brothel; and lastly the Floating Fragrance Pleasure Boat was led by Qinhuai River’s number one courtesan, Liu Piaoxiang. As the Prince of Qi often frequented brothels and, as an imperial family member would not visit someplace too vulgar, he would definitely want to meet Liu Piaoxiang. Full of joy and expectation, the Prince of Qi declared, “Excellent! This Prince most definitely wishes to bear witness to Jianye’s top courtesan’s elegance.” I was p.i.s.sed off beyond belief. He was definitely messing with me. Otherwise, he would not have had me ask around.

Although the official charged with supervising the posthouse knew that it was the Prince of Qi who wished to go to the pleasure boat, he still looked at me with a dubious expression. h.e.l.l, I was still a virgin!

Footnotes:

<ol><li>武威, wuwei – martial prestige</li><li>殿下, dianxia – Your Majesty; used to refer to princes</li><li>吾家千里驹, wujiaqianliju – horses were beloved for their ability to travel great distances without rest; the Yong Emperor is using this term to praise his son’s abilities</li><li>长安, Chang’an – lit. everlasting peace; was the capital of China for hundreds of years; modern-day Xi’an</li><li>走马章台, zoumazhangtai – idiom, lit. to go to the brothel on horseback; to visit prost.i.tutes</li><li>鸡犬不宁, jiquanbuning – idiom, lit. not even the chickens and dogs are left undisturbed; causing a great commotion or causing pandemonium</li><li>贵国, guiguo – your esteemed state</li><li>休戚相关, xiuqixiangguan – idiom, lit. to share the same interests; to be closely related; to be in the same boat</li><li>本王, benw.a.n.g – this prince, referring to oneself in the third person</li><li>日暮西山, rimuxishan – idiom, lit. the sun sets over western hills; fig. time of decline; the end of an era</li><li>苟延残喘, gouyancanchuan – idiom, lit. to struggle while at death’s door</li><li>孤, gu – royal we used by kings and princes</li><li>千锤百炼, qianchubailian – idiom, lit. after hard work and numerous revisions; having experienced the vicissitudes (ups and downs) of life</li><li>丈, zhang – measure of length, ten Chinese feet (3.3 meters)</li><li>钱塘, Qiantang – refers to Hangzhou</li><li>三吴, sanwu – lit. three Wu; was used by the Eastern Jin Dynasty to refer to its most important territory around the area that is the southern bank of the Yangtze River Delta</li><li>This is a poem by Song Dynasty poet, Liu Yong. Ent.i.tled Gazing Out Upon the Tide, Southeast Advantageous Position (望海潮·东南形胜, w.a.n.ghaichao dongnanxingsheng)</li><li>江南, Jiangnan – lit. south of the river; refers to the geographic area south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River (southeastern China)</li><li>驿馆, yiguan – in the capital, the posthouse served to house visiting dignitaries; outside the capital, the posthouse served as a relay station akin to the Pony Express and as an officially run inn used by those traveling on government business</li><li>秦淮河, Qinhuai River – a river that runs through Jianye (modern-day Nanjing) and is famous for its many brothels and its courtesans/prost.i.tutes</li><li>寻花问柳, xunhuawenliu – idiom, lit. to enjoy the beautiful spring scenery; fig. to frequent brothels; to sow one’s wild oats</li><li>潇湘, xiaoxiang – another name for the Xiaojiang River in Hunan Province</li><li>飘香, piaoxiang – floating fragrance; Liu Piaoxiang shares her given name with her pleasure boat</li></ol>