Chapter 2: Jiangzuo (II)

Huangfu Yun was utterly at a loss with this little maid. Seeing her loyal and protective demeanor now, he was momentarily stunned and swallowed the words that were on his lips.
Seeing Huangfu Yun take her words so seriously, Chi Su grew even more proud and haughty: “Whoever he is, if he tries to take advantage of the young lady, I won’t spare him!” As she spoke, she waved her fist to show how serious she was, not just saying it casually.
Just then, there was a creaking sound, and the ebony fan-door in the room was pushed open. Entering was a middle-aged woman dressed in a deep purple, floor-length dress. Her face was covered in thick foundation, her hair styled in a complex updo, with a flower pin between her brows. Thanks to her excellent maintenance, it was impossible to guess her true age at first glance.
She staggered over to Huangfu Yun, waving her fan nonstop. As a result, the foundation on her face rustled and fell off, causing Chi Su to frown and step back a few steps.
“Oh, my dear, why aren’t you ready yet? Prince Gaoyou is waiting outside. They’ve called three or four times already. If you still don’t show up, do you expect me to go and entertain guests and sing by myself?”
She was Sun Fangfang, the madam of Zi Mo Ge, who used to be a famous beauty in Yangzhou. Seven years ago, she lost in the competition among the four top courtesans and became disheartened, losing interest in performing as a prostitute. She had intended to open a cosmetics shop to engage in legitimate business, but the industry was too complex, and soon she ran into local gangsters who destroyed her shop.
After that experience, Sun Fangfang became truly afraid, so she used the money she had saved over the years to open Zi Mo Ge and return to her old trade. To put it simply, running a brothel is similar to running a bun shop—what matters most isn’t the exterior, but the “filling” inside. In a brothel, that “filling” are naturally the girls. A standout, beautiful girl like Hong A’gu could support an entire brothel, so Sun Fangfang couldn’t afford to neglect her. With her years of experience, Sun Fangfang bought Huangfu Yun, who was only fourteen at the time, five years ago.
It must be said that this woman could judge a woman’s worth at a glance. Huangfu Yun was the descendant of a convicted official, with an extremely elegant temperament and expertise in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The only thing lacking was her ability to interact with people. But wasn’t that exactly what brothels taught their girls?

After three years of training by Sun Fangfang, Huangfu Yun gradually became prominent in Yangzhou’s brothel world and last year claimed the title of the top among the four greatest courtesans. As a result, Zimo Pavilion soared from a second-rate brothel to the most popular entertainment venue in Yangzhou, and Huangfu Yun’s name became widely known among the nobility, reaching its peak popularity.

In fact, including Xu Jing’er, Sun Fangfang was only thirty years old this year. But in this world of pleasure, young men sought delicate girls—wouldn’t it be embarrassing for someone her age to meet clients?

“Yun’er, it’s not that I’m criticizing you, but the Prince of Gaoyou demands both wealth and beauty. Most importantly, he’s from the royal family. If you marry him, you’ll enjoy endless wealth and honor for the rest of your life.”

Normally, Sun Fangfang wouldn’t bother chatting idly with Huangfu Yun, but in the past two years, her status as the top courtesan had become her golden ticket and source of income. Who would want to mess with their money-making asset unless absolutely necessary?

Seeing Huangfu Yun turn away, Sun Fangfang grew slightly angry, but upon recalling the benefits promised by the Prince of Gaoyou, she quickly took a breath and said mockingly, “I know you have high standards and won’t settle for just anyone. I’m not forcing you either. How about this? Meet him and play a tune for him. I won’t pressure you on other matters. If you like him, I’ll cover the cost to free yourself. If not, the doors of Zimo Pavilion will always be open to you!”

Her words were utterly false. Even Chi Su couldn’t stand it and said, “Madam Sun, you can’t speak to the courtesan like that. My lady is grateful for your kindness and helps you attract clients, but that doesn’t mean you can treat her arbitrarily. She’s been so loyal to you—how can you push her into trouble?”

Despite her sweet words, it was impossible for Sun Fangfang to let her go. She had nurtured her own daughter for years, waiting for this moment. Now that her daughter was famous and highly sought after, her daily income would last her a lifetime. Letting go of such a money-making asset would be sheer madness.

Even someone like the Prince of Gaoyou couldn’t force her to free the courtesan. Even if things went south, Sun Fangfang would surely extract a huge sum from him.

“Ouch, ouch! You little brat, how dare you speak like that? I have no problem with you protecting your lady, but why shift all the blame onto me? What do you mean by pushing her into trouble? Look around this Yangzhou city—whose mother treats her daughter with such sincerity? If your mouth keeps being so nasty, I’ll give Old Xing a good lesson to you!”
Hearing this, Sun Fangfang flew into a rage. She raised her eyebrows, crossed her arms, and started cursing. She was polite to Huangfu Yun because she was her source of income—what was this maid anyway? She lived off her while still trying to harm her.
Chi Su was so scared that she stepped back and hid behind Huangfu Yun, shouting, “Lady, save me!”
Huangfu Yun shook her head and sighed deeply. “Enough. I’ll go see him as you ask.”
“Oh, that’s better. In this world, money is king—who would dare oppose it? Go put on some makeup, and we’ll head to the bamboo grove in the back yard later.”
Upon hearing this, Sun Fangfang’s face lit up. Ignoring Chi Su, she waved her fan and said, “Hurry up! The young prince is already getting impatient!”
With that, she swayed her hips and left the inner room, slamming the door behind her.
“Lady, how could you agree to her?”
Seeing her lady yield, Chi Su’s cheeks puffed up with anger.
“People like us never really have control over our own fate,” Huangfu Yun said with a bitter smile. “Help me remove my makeup. It’s not like we’re going to see him—what’s the use of me dressing up beautifully?”……
The biggest difference between Zi Mo Ge and ordinary brothels was its layout, which consisted of connected single-story buildings. Girls who were somewhat famous in the circle could have their own single-story building as a residence, while ordinary girls shared one floor among three or five of them.
In addition to the buildings for the girls, Sun Fangfang also creatively incorporated elements like flowing water, artificial mountains, and bamboo forests, turning Zi Mo Ge into a harmonious whole. Thus, despite its modest size, it gave off a fairy-tale atmosphere, making it especially popular among princes and nobles.
The bamboo grove Sun Fangfang mentioned was located in the northwest corner of Zi Mo Ge’s back yard.
After walking along a covered corridor for about half a cup of tea’s time and passing through another side door, Huangfu Yun entered the bamboo grove. (Note 1) Though prepared, Huangfu Yun still frowned upon seeing Li Yi, the Prince of Gaoyou, fanning himself in the pavilion.
“Lady!”
Chi Su pulled at Huangfu Yun’s sleeve, signaling that it was still possible to leave now, but Huangfu Yun shook her head and continued forward.
“Your servant greets Your Highness the Prince.”

Huangfu Yun walked into the pavilion and gracefully bowed to Li Yi. Li Yi, who was resting, suddenly heard the voice of the beauty from his dreams, which made his limbs feel weak. He quickly opened his eyes and smiled, saying, “It’s Yun’er! Come, sit down!” Hearing this, Huangfu Yun lifted the hem of her dress and sat on the stone bench opposite Li Yi, lowering her head slightly. Whether intentionally or by chance, Li Yi’s attire was particularly eye-catching today—a leather crown adorned with gold pins and red tassels, a red robe made of brocade, and a small multicolored jade pendant with dragon patterns. It turned out that the Prince of Gaoyou had come to the Hanyuan Hall of the Daming Palace today. Huangfu Yun despised those who flaunted their noble origins, and in her eyes, Li Yi had already lost many points with his behavior. Yet his status was so high that she couldn’t afford to offend him, so she forced a smile and said, “Your Highness seems to have a refined taste today, having come all the way to Zimo Pavilion.” “Ah!” Li Yi pushed his sleeves aside and said, “Last night, I happened to attend a birthday banquet at my seventh uncle’s place. This morning, on my way back, I passed by Zimo Pavilion and heard soothing music, which filled my heart with peace. That’s when I thought of Miss Yun’er. So, I came here without even changing my clothes, waiting for you in this bamboo forest.” Huangfu Yun nodded; it did sound plausible. Sigh, this Prince of Gaoyou was truly a spoiled nobleman. The moment he met her in Yangzhou, he seemed to lose his mind and refused to return to Gaoyou. With his status, it would be easy for him to acquire a residence in Yangzhou, but that would mean she would have to endure his harassment all year round—how annoying! “I heard from my mother that Your Highness enjoys music. What piece would you like to hear today?” Huangfu Yun smiled slightly and nodded. “Hmm, well…” Li Yi’s visit to Zimo Pavilion to see Huangfu Yun was genuine, but listening to music was just an excuse. “Let’s play ‘Crows Crying at Night’!” He came up with a piece of music on the spot and blurted it out while waving his fan. He was here to talk with Miss Huangfu Yun; there was no need to worry about anything else!… Note 1: According to the “Yangzhou Huafang Lu,” modern gardens all have main gates modeled after ancient designs. Inside, rooms, corridors, alleys, and other structures also have side doors, often designed in various shapes such as round, hexagonal, octagonal, ruyi, wansheng, or yifengshu—these were all what ancient times called doors. Ancient private gardens combined residences with gardens, and door designs were also diverse.