Chapter 20: Music and Songs (6)

Although Qiren Fang did not have as many luxurious residences as Chongren Fang or Guanglu Fang, it was still a prime location where every inch of land was valuable. It surprised the young man greatly to hear that someone was offering a three-section, three-entry mansion for 1,000 guan.

After riding for a while with his friend Chen Xiaoliu, the two arrived at the entrance of Qiren Fang. Li Kuo dismounted and handed Qingfeng to the officials in charge of the market, then strode inside.

After talking with the agent from the trading firm, the young man learned that the mansion was located in the northwest corner of Qiren Fang and had once belonged to Wu Xun, a former military officer of the Right Guard. After Wu Xun passed away in the sixth year of the Tianbao era, the mansion fell into disuse, with only a concubine and an old steward remaining. Wu Xun had three sons, but none of them worked in the capital. Due to lack of maintenance, the mansion was in poor condition.

Normally, after the original owner died, the eldest son should inherit the estate. Whether selling it or renovating it for residence, some explanation was needed. However, Wu Xun’s eldest son was serving as a county magistrate in Xiagui County, Huazhou, and had no time to take care of the mansion in Jingzhao, so the matter had been delayed. Recently, when the eldest son returned to the capital to report to the Ministry of Personnel, he took the opportunity to list the mansion and sign the necessary documents, determined to sell it before autumn. (Note 1) “Eighth Brother, how about it? I didn’t lie to you, did I?”

Walking along the broad streets of Qiren Fang, Chen Xiaoliu proudly raised his head. He had orchestrated this deal himself, earning a great deal of credit. Who said Chen Xiaoliu could only rely on his eighth brother? On his own, he could still handle things efficiently.

Didn’t the eighth brother say that in life, one ultimately relies on oneself?

“Hmm, this time I really need to thank you properly.”

Li Kuo smiled at his friend, feeling warm inside.

The agent from the trading firm was a young man in his twenties. Seeing Li Kuo’s handsome appearance and noble bearing, he became ambitious.

“Sir, since you seem like a kind person, I’ll speak a bit more freely. That Wu family’s eldest son is eager to sell the mansion. You shouldn’t seem too eager yourself.”

Desiring to please Li Kuo, the agent revealed all he knew, ignoring the seller’s feelings.

“Oh?”

Li Kuo was slightly surprised. “Young man, the Wu family’s son has already reduced the price to 1,000 guan. How could it possibly be lowered any further?”

The agent shrugged. “It’s impossible to lower the price, but maybe there might be some unexpected gains. You don’t know—before his death, Wu Xun doted most on one of his concubines. That concubine was extremely beautiful. Well, I bet even a man couldn’t resist her.”

The young boy smacked his lips and waved his fists, saliva dripping down from the corners of his mouth for a foot long, as if he could get himself a beautiful woman for free just today.
“That young lady was originally the most famous courtesan in a brothel. Colonel Wu redeemed her from slavery and she became his concubine in his household. Of course, she was overjoyed to be free from her lowly status. Moreover, Colonel Wu was a man who valued loyalty, so the two of them lived happily together, enjoying music and feasts night after night. But as the saying goes, good fortune and misfortune go hand in hand. Two years ago, Colonel Wu suddenly fell ill with a strange disease—he couldn’t speak or move, and yellow fluid oozed from his body. Despite consulting several doctors, nothing worked. And just like that, when Colonel Wu passed away, the young lady immediately became a widow. Worse still, she was just a concubine with no status or wealth. The eldest son of the Wu family had long disliked her and was planning to sell her taking advantage of the house being sold.”
The young boy finished speaking in one go and licked his lips proudly, as if there was no strange story in Chang’an that he didn’t know.
“Thank you for telling me this, young man. But why did you bring this up to me?”
Li Kuo listened patiently to the boy’s story and smiled slightly.
“Ah, sir, don’t play dumb with me. To be honest, if you want to take that young lady, just say so. The eldest son of the Wu family would be glad to get rid of her!”
The young boy, anxious, blurted out what was on his mind.
“I see.”
Li Kuo shook his head. “Not to mention that I’m already at an advantage, if I were to take advantage of the Wu family’s concubine as well, I would truly have no face left.”
“Look, look, this… Ah, Master Chen, please persuade this official. Once we pass this village, we won’t find another shop like it. Master Chen…”
Unexpecting Li Kuo to reject his offer, the young boy stepped over to Chen Xiaoliu and kept calling out to him.
“Damn it, do you think my seventh brother is as lustful as you?”
Chen Xiaoliu, annoyed by the boy’s persistence, snapped at him with a laugh.
“Ah, ah.”
Seeing that further talk was pointless, the young boy hung his head in resignation and sighed as he led the two of them toward the Wu family’s residence.
The Wu family’s house was located in the northwest corner of Qinren Fang. Though not overly luxurious, it was quiet and spacious. As soon as they entered, the old steward of the Wu household came forward to greet them.
“Must you be the new owner who bought this house?”
The old man must have been over sixty, with gray hair sticking out prominently. His washed-out, coarse cloth robe only emphasized the marks of time on his face.
“Old man, it’s indeed me.”
Li Kuo bowed to the steward and nodded slightly.

“Oh, please come in. Our eldest son is inside; he heard you were coming to view the house and has just returned from the Ministry of Personnel. He hasn’t even had a chance to drink his tea yet!”
The old steward bowed and gestured with one arm, leading the way to the living room inside.
The layout of the house was grand and orderly. Though there were no bridges, streams, pavilions, or towers, it had a main house, guest rooms, and east and west wing rooms, all well arranged.
The painted doors of the guest room at the front were wide open. The old steward hurried in, nodded, then returned to the door: “Sirs, my eldest son invites you in!”
“Thank you!”
Li Kuo bowed to the old steward and stepped inside boldly.
In the main hall sat a middle-aged man in his thirties, with three strands of beard beneath his chin, dressed in a dark green brocade robe, looking quite refined from a distance.
“Eldest son, this is the man who wants to purchase the house.”
The old steward bowed respectfully to Lord Wu.
“Mm.”
Lord Wu nodded and asked, “May I know your name, sir?”
“My surname is Li, and my given name is Kuo.”
Li Kuo did not dare to overstate himself and told the truth.
“Oh, Lord Li, you must know that I’m eager to sell this ancestral home, so I’ve set a very low price.”
Picking up a cup of tea, Lord Wu took a sip and said, “So the price can’t be lowered any further. I wonder if you’re satisfied after seeing it. But let me make it clear—I only accept cash.”
“Lord Wu, this ancestral home suits my needs perfectly, and the price is fair. How about we sign the documents today?”
Li Kuo didn’t want to delay matters any longer and straightaway took out his money bag. “As for the payment, Lord Wu, don’t worry. I certainly won’t shortchange you by a single coin.”
“Good! Lord Li truly is straightforward!”
Lord Wu was overjoyed. The young man’s straightforwardness confirmed his identity as a merchant. Although selling the ancestral home at a low price was painful, he spent most of his time in Xiagui and rarely returned to Chang’an. Keeping the house meant letting that wench benefit for free.
At the thought of that concubine, Lord Wu grew furious. She was just a prostitute from a brothel, yet she had captivated his father completely. She even tried to seize the Wu family’s lands north of the Wei River—without even considering her own status!
“Jin Bo, bring paper and pen! I want to sign the documents with Lord Li!”
Lord Wu stroked his beard and declared loudly.

Before long, Lord Jin brought over paper and pen. Young Master Wu dipped his brush in ink, thought for a moment, and began writing. In no time, he finished drafting the document for selling the residence and signed his name. After glancing through it to ensure there were no mistakes, he smiled faintly and handed the document to Li Kuo.
“Master Li, please take a look and see if there are any errors.”
After examining it carefully, Li Kuo said, “There are no issues I can see.”
“Good. Then please sign your name and pay the money. From today onward, this residence will belong to you.”
With that, Young Master Wu took a brocade box from the side, unlocked it, and placed the deed in front of Li Kuo.
Just as Li Kuo was about to sign, a young and beautiful woman stumbled into the hall.
“Sir, sir! Please, have the kindness to buy me as well.”
The woman wore a light blue silk dress, with an orange-red sash crossing over her chest, adding to her charm. Yet, in her panic, her complexion turned pale and disheveled, losing much of her grace.
“She must be…”
Li Kuo guessed from her age that she was Wu Xun’s concubine, but he hesitated to speak out.
Seeing the woman enter the hall, Young Master Wu frowned and said, “Who allowed you in?”
Only then did the woman realize her mistake. She quickly tidied her hair and said humbly, “Elder Master, Liniang knows she was wrong.”
“Hmph. I’m discussing important matters with Master Li. You had better leave first.”
Clearly unimpressed by this concubine, Young Master Wu waved his hand to send her away.
“Elder Master, please be merciful and let me go. I’m willing to follow Master Li and will never eat a single grain of food from the Wu family again!”
When Young Master Wu ignored her, Liniang panicked and turned to Li Kuo, kneeling and pleading, “Master Li, please take me. I can cook and sew, sing and play music. I can even… become your concubine. Please, you must take me. Otherwise, the Elder Master will sell me to the people in the north…”
As she spoke these sorrowful words, tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking her blue dress.