Volume 6, Chapter 32: The Taste of Rancid Mouse (1/2)
In the eighth month of the fourteenth year of Tongtai, the twenty-fourth year of the sixty-year cycle, the King held a royal wedding and conferred upon Lady Cai—the second daughter of the Minister over the Masses, Cai Kai—the title of Queen. On the same day, Noble Consort Lady Ji’s standing was confirmed.
On the eighteenth day of the eighth month, the King assumed the throne upon coming of age and ordered the royal palace to receive presents and congratulations. Blessing all inside and outside the palace, he did not behead criminals and pardoned all.
—Southern Chu Dynastic Chronicles, Biography of King Min of Chu
In the seventh month of the fourteenth year of Tongtai, a heat wave hit Jiangnan, the temperature sweltering. The river flowed east, the time noon. Even on the river, few vessels were sailing. But underneath a large willow tree by the river, a young woman in green clothes was sitting. Although she didn’t look to be in her teenage years yet, she was elegant beyond words. Her crystal clear, pearly eyes captivated people. The clothing she wore was the type of summer garment commoner girls of Jiangnan liked to wear, simple and unadorned. However, her shining eyes with a winning look and picturesque appearance made it obvious she was not a normal pretty daughter from a humble family. She sat on bluestone holding her knees, her limpid and luminous eyes gazing at the young man pacing up and down the riverside who was completely ignoring the scorching sun overhead, her eyes full of doubt.
The young man looked martial and handsome, around fourteen years of age. Although his appearance was tender and puerile, he already exuded a heroic presence. But right now, he was roaming the riverside and looking around, his face anxious and urgent.
The green-clothed young woman finally couldn’t restrain herself anymore and raised her voice, saying, “Second brother, didn’t you hire a boat? Why isn’t it here yet?”
The young man pulled a long face and replied, “I clearly said we would be meeting here today. I paid half the boat fee upfront, so how come they’re so untrustworthy?”
“It’s all your fault, forcing me to come with you to Shouchun to see my sister-in-law. And you didn’t tell Mother about it, otherwise we could’ve gone with stepuncle and wouldn’t be here baking in the sun,” the young woman complained.
Helplessness showed in the young man’s eyes, but he quickly hid it. “But you said Mother wouldn’t let us go to Shouchun. I had planned to go to Zhongli to see big brother, to go with him into battle and kill the enemy. If you hadn’t insisted on coming with me, I could’ve strutted off and wouldn’t have needed to hire a private boat here.”
All of a sudden, the young man pointed at the river and said, “Great, the boat’s here.” The young woman was overjoyed. She stood up and gazed at the river, seeing a small passenger boat sailing over the waves toward them. Not long after, it docked on the shore. The young man said to the middle-aged boatman standing on the bow, “Uncle, why did it take you so long?”
The middle-aged boatman answered, “Young master Lu, my third son suddenly got an upset stomach today and couldn’t work aboard the boat. This humble one can’t pilot the boat himself and had to find a nephew as a helping hand at the last moment. This is why I was late. Please forgive me, young master.”
The young man’s face relaxed. “So that’s the case. Is third brother all right?”
“It’s nothing. He probably ate something unclean. Please come aboard, young master,” the middle-aged boatman said with a smile.
The young man glanced at the stern of the boat. The youngster helming the rudder had bronzed skin, looking strong and straightforward. He looked back and said, “Mei’er, come aboard.”
The green-clothed young woman replied, “Okay.” She walked over. She may have been young, but she was graceful to the extreme. Although the middle-aged boatman had seen a great deal, he couldn’t help praising her under his breath. Putting down the gangplank, he allowed the brother and sister duo to board the boat. Neither the young man nor young woman noticed the helmsman lower his head a little, hiding the burst of light in his eyes.
After boarding, the small craft sailed upstream against the current, the sun blazing in the sky. The river breeze was scorching hot. The two boatmen piloted the skiff for over ten li,2 then turned into a small tributary. This river was wide, and wind came from all directions. The green willows on both banks created a shady shelter, the branches and leaves blotting out the sky and reflecting in the water. The envelopment formed a slice of cool, the best place for traveling boats to rest on a summer’s day.
At present, a dozen passenger ships, or perhaps cargo ships, both big and small were on the river. There was even a gorgeous pleasure boat among them, the blackwood gilded. The long and narrow, beautiful hull was shaped just like the slim body of a Jiangnan maiden. Many palace lanterns hung from the bow, and though they weren’t currently lit, the four large words of “Dragons Flying Phoenixes Dancing” could still clearly be seen. Catching a glimpse of it, the young woman intoned in a low voice, “The Dreamy Pleasure Boat.” Envy appearing on her face, she said, “Second brother, this is such a pretty pleasure boat. It’d be great if we could go aboard and look around.”
A wry smile appeared on the lips of the young man. He wasn’t at all like his little sister who didn’t go outside the house and stayed indoors all day. On most days, he wandered around the interior and exterior of the city of Jianye, so he knew about the Dreamy Pleasure Boat. Embarrassed for a moment, he replied, “Mei’er, that isn’t a place you should go.”
Curiosity shone in the young woman’s eyes as she gazed at her second brother. “Second brother, you aren’t tricking me, right?” Doubt filled her expression.
The young man wanted to say he never tricked people in his defense, but he realized he couldn’t say it. After all, every nine out of ten sentences he said to his little sister were lies. He could only say in shame, “Mei’er, that’s the pleasure boat of the Most Popular Courtesan of Jiangnan, Liu Rumeng.”
The young woman may have been young, but she’d heard of Liu Rumeng’s reputation. Although she still didn’t understand romance, she did understand the significance. She blushed and wanted to hide in the cabin. Then a hauntingly beautiful melody being played on a flute drifted over from aboard the pleasure boat. The emotional music washed over people like cold water. The blistering summer day lost its might, following which a heavenly voice came from the pleasure boat.
“Planned to get together to pick blooming lotuses,
Budding duckweed go aboard the magnolia boats.
When they come to the confluence, dawn is breaking on their oars;
Done plucking, moonlight fills the towers as they return to shore.
Flowers are silent, water flows without emotion.
Every year, they willingly grieve over spring passing.
If a west wind blows strong the next day,
How can red faces stop autumn?”3
The young woman was fascinated by the music and said to the young man, “What a beautiful song, such a moving flute. Second brother, it’s rare to get such a golden opportunity these days. Can I go meet Lady Liu?” Longing glittered in her eyes.
Hesitation appeared in the young man’s eyes, but seeing the look in the young woman’s eyes, he softened. Eventually, he sighed, “All right. Lady Liu’s reputation reverberates through Jiangnan. As long as you just meet her, Dad won’t blame me too much if he learns of it.” He then had the middle-aged boatman drive toward the pleasure boat.
Soon after, the skiff docked with the pleasure boat. A pretty boatwoman aboard the pleasure boat gazed at the skiff and said in a distinct voice, “Little young master, is there anything you need?”
The young man sighed. Looking at his little sister’s pleading eyes, he said, “Please report to Lady Liu that Lu Feng and Lu Mei were passing through here, and upon hearing the lady’s ethereal singing, wanted to board the pleasure boat and meet her.” While he spoke, he squeezed his purse and thought about how he didn’t know if he had enough taels.
The boatwoman giggled. “Little young master, at your age, don’t be cracking jokes, please? What’s more, Her Ladyship is resting here and is not welcoming visitors at the moment.”
The young man blushed, glanced at his little sister, and replied, “To tell the truth, it’s actually my little sister who heard the flute song and was enraptured. Due to this, she wants to meet Lady Liu.”
The boatwoman smiled and looked at Lu Mei. A light sparkling in her eyes, she walked to the cabin door and said a few whispered words. Not long after, she walked back and declared, “Her Ladyship said that since you appreciate her talents, she is inviting you aboard for a respite.”
The young man, Lu Feng, was relieved and whispered a few instructions to the boatman before he brought Lu Mei on the pleasure boat. A pretty maid walked out of the cabin and pushed the bead curtain aside. The two siblings walked in, feeling a refreshing temperature greet them inside the cabin.
Lu Feng looked around and stared. The cabin was quite spacious, furnished in a simple yet elegant and sophisticated fashion. On one side was a rattan bed atop which sat a small square table. Silverware rested on the table, chilled watermelons on the plates. A basin of ice also sat in the cabin, explaining why it was so cool. A woman was resting at the table, wearing white clothes that weren’t at all made of fine silk. Her fine hair was black as ink and hung in front of her body. Although she only had light makeup on, she had a special type of charm and luster. There was also a man wearing dark robes in the cabin standing at the window. He was gazing intently beyond the bead curtain at the wispy willows on the riverbank. His black robes touched the floor, and a bamboo flute hung from his belt. He exuded an apathetic and dignified aura.
Lu Mei, on the other hand, wasn’t in the mood to appreciate the furnishings in the cabin. Taking a few steps to arrive at the rattan bed, she joyfully said, “Are you older sister Liu? You sang really well!”