Chapter Sixty-Six: Taboos

Chapter Sixty-Six: Taboos (Asking for monthly votes)

Laughter and playful teasing filled the small room on the pleasure barge. Soon, two heads were pressed together again, peering out the window. The golden sunlight of the setting sun poured over the distant crowd, and sure enough, Ning Yi’s figure could be made out among them, a little indistinct. Yuan Jin’er, sharp-eyed as ever, watched for a moment and then sighed in disappointment, “But it looks like his old nag of a wife is here too… Yunzhu, have you ever seen her before?”

Naturally, the companion walking with Ning Yi was Su Tan’er, followed by three servant girls. From this distance, Nie Yunzhu couldn’t make out the woman’s features, but she recalled the scene from the spring outing, when she had seen Su Tan’er and Ning Yi sitting together. She smiled and nodded, “I’ve seen her. She’s no old nag—she and Liheng make a fine pair…”

“Alright, maybe not so old. But Yunzhu, the way you say it, your sweetheart…” Before she could finish, her reckless tongue once again earned her a sharp tap on the forehead. Yuan Jin’er pressed her sore brow against Yunzhu’s shoulder, wriggling like a worm and muttering, “Jin’er knows she was wrong, Yunzhu, don’t be so rough…”

Nie Yunzhu pushed her away with a hint of exasperation, her expression turning serious after a moment. “There’s nothing between Ning Gongzi and me, Jin’er. Don’t joke about such things. It would be bad if someone overheard.”

“I know…”

Yuan Jin’er nodded, continuing to watch the scene outside. When those in the crowd drew nearer, she commented, “She really isn’t that old…” In truth, Su Tan’er was a beauty in her own right, no less than either herself or Nie Yunzhu; the only difference lay in their unique temperaments. Because she’d long been in charge of business affairs, Su Tan’er radiated a particular confidence, a quality that stood out even more as she approached. A group of people stepped forward to greet her, prompting Yuan Jin’er to sigh, “She has such a vast network of connections.”

The ones approaching were all prominent figures in the business world—this remark of “a vast network” was naturally meant for Su Tan’er. Among the group were Wu Qihao, Wu Qilong, and Puyang Yi, all major patrons of the courtesan contest. Of course, Puyang Yi, the wealthiest man in Jiangning, was there to support his favored courtesan, Qilan, but the others were still being courted by the various brothels—prime targets, making their gathering the envy of many.

“She really is impressive,” Yuan Jin’er observed, leaning on Yunzhu’s shoulder with a sigh. “Look, even though all those big bosses are greeting and chatting with Su Tan’er, their attention to Ning Liheng is just as high. Puyang Yi keeps trying to get close to him. For a man who’s married into his wife’s family, that’s quite remarkable…”

Having moved in such circles herself, Yuan Jin’er could see this clearly. Su Tan’er was their peer as a merchant, so it was normal for people to converse with her. For a husband who’d married into the wife’s family, he’d usually be a mere accessory—at best, someone would greet him out of respect for his wife, but his presence would depend entirely on her support. Here, though, things were different. Ning Yi, though he spoke little, stood at ease, and none treated him as an afterthought. Puyang Yi, in particular, made several attempts to draw him into conversation—this was clearly more than paying lip service to Su Tan’er.

“The number one scholar in Jiangning… Yunzhu, if he sat with us tonight, do you think I could win the courtesan crown?”

Nie Yunzhu smiled at her. “Where he sits is up to him and his wife. I can’t help you with that. Besides, isn’t it you who claims not to care about winning the crown? What are you scheming now?”

“That’s beside the point! Since he’s your… um, your good friend, of course he should sit with us and support me. If he did, I’d have so much face. If he and that Cao Guan got jealous and fought over me, I’d have even more face…”

“Vanity.”

“Hee…” Yuan Jin’er giggled, then suddenly exclaimed, “Ah, Yunzhu, look! Qilan’s coming out—how shameless! She’s cozying up to your… cough, your good friend. That’s too much! No, Yunzhu, let’s go out and cause a scene, we can’t let Ning Liheng sit with her!”

Down below, the white-robed Qilan had indeed arrived, introduced by Puyang Yi to Su Tan’er and Ning Yi, and was now engaged in conversation. Yuan Jin’er found this intolerable, hopping about in frustration. Seeing that Nie Yunzhu had no intention of joining her in the fray, she eventually returned, grumbling, “Look at them, laughing and chatting—women are so hypocritical… traitors, the lot of them…”

Nie Yunzhu laughed despite herself. “How did they become traitors now?”

“Of course they are! Since he’s your good friend, I treat him as one of our own. If he talks to the enemy, he’s a traitor!”

She sulked for a while, then glanced at Yunzhu’s distant expression. Though there was a faint smile on her lips, her eyes were complex. Yuan Jin’er pursed her lips and said softly, “Yunzhu, don’t be like that. Jin’er will always like you…”

Yunzhu smiled, hooking her finger under Jin’er’s chin. “Alright then. If you win the courtesan crown tonight, I’ll redeem you myself and make it a tale for the ages…”

“Mmm, Jin’er begs Yunzhu for mercy…”

Their words grew softer, gazes melting into each other’s. The distance between them closed, slowly, then stopped, then closed further—and suddenly, their lips met, pressed together in a soft and surprising touch.

Their eyes widened. After a moment, they sprang apart—Nie Yunzhu frowned and covered her mouth, while Yuan Jin’er spat a few times, her lips flushed, her gaze confused. “Yunzhu, why didn’t you move away…”

“You really came closer…”

“I thought you would avoid it…”

Caught off guard, the two were flustered for a while, then burst out laughing. Yuan Jin’er sat before the bronze mirror to repair her lip color, while Nie Yunzhu, dressed as a man tonight, wiped the smudge off with tea and glared at Yuan Jin’er. Yuan Jin’er grinned cheekily and whispered, “Yunzhu, have you ever tried that with anyone else?”

“No.”

“Let me tell you, a couple of years ago I met a young master said to be from Yangzhou, looked just like a girl but definitely wasn’t. So shy and cute, my heart went thump-thump—really wanted to kiss him… but he only came once, then went to the capital for the exams, and I never saw him again…”

“Did you like him?”

“No, we hardly spoke. But just now… it was interesting. Why don’t we try again? I didn’t really feel anything the first time…”

“Go away.”

Thus, laughter and whispers filled the room. Outside, the sun cast its last splendid rays across the sky as the city’s crowds surged toward the river. As night fell, the final contest for the courtesan crown was about to begin.

Among Jiangning’s four principal courtesans, Yuan Jin’er was lively, Feng Xiaojing dignified, the newly risen Luo Miaomiao always vibrant, and the recently eliminated Lu Caicai was often likened to an orchid, skillful with the pipa but always melancholic, as though suffering from depression. As for Qilan, she was best known for her scholarly air and literary talent, sometimes even receiving guests in the attire of a scholar with feather fan and scarf—an affectation much admired in the brothels.

Rumors of Qilan’s interest in Ning Yi had surfaced from time to time over the past six months, and Su Tan’er had even teased Ning Yi about it. Yet, among the merchant circles, whether there was any truth to it remained a topic of debate. The two families closest to the Su family were the Xue and Wu families. Although Xue Jin had once tried to humiliate Ning Yi and ended up the butt of a joke, it didn’t make him any more interested in Ning Yi. These days, the Puyang family seemed the most intrigued by Ning Yi. Qilan, the star courtesan of their brothel, was said to be interested in him. Whether this was a rumor spread by the Puyang family to signal their desire to get close to Ning Yi, or Qilan’s own intention, was hard to say.

With Su Tan’er present, Puyang Yi had Qilan come out to pay her respects to Ning Yi, which meant they were now properly acquainted. Of course, there was no talk of poetry or literature on the spot. Qilan, gracious and composed, expressed her admiration for Ning Yi’s talent while also giving due respect to Su Tan’er. All present were masters of social niceties; the conversation seemed lively but was in truth without substance. Before long, Ning Yi and Su Tan’er took their seats in the front section, among the merchants closest to the stage.

“No surprise really—the courtesan crown is Qilan’s this year,” Su Tan’er observed as the sun sank and lanterns began to light up. The crowd was still pouring in, the hall abuzz with noise. She picked up a loquat from the table, peeled it, and handed it to Ning Yi, fulfilling the duties of a wife. Ning Yi took it without expression and bit into it.

“You say that from the start—what suspense is left? Sitting with you just ruins the fun…”

“For the past two years, the Puyang family has been building Qilan up, but always cautiously, not wanting to be accused of buying her victory outright. So she only won the runner-up spot before. Now, with the stage set, there’s little suspense left—this is her year.” Ning Yi’s tone might have sounded harsh to others, but Su Tan’er took no offense; she only laughed, peeled another loquat, and handed it over. “I just want to show off… But who else can I boast to, other than my husband? You should praise your wife more.”

“Alright, alright, Tan’er, you’re the most capable, the most discerning.”

“Hee… that makes me happy.”

Su Tan’er genuinely seemed delighted. Soon, other members of the Su family came over to greet the pair—Wending, Wenfang, and others—before making themselves scarce. Xijun Yu also stopped by to exchange greetings with Su Tan’er and Ning Yi, then found a seat at a round table slightly behind them—a mark of some status, as only the well-connected could dine at round tables here.

Old Qin and his two wives had arrived as well, joined by Kang Xian and others, seated among the notables. Before long, night fell in earnest, and the hall was packed. As the gentle strains of classical instruments drifted through the air, the audience grew quiet. The waters of the Qinhuai River rippled nearby, the night breeze pleasant. When the magistrate overseeing the contest gave a brief opening speech and announced the start of the competition, the music onstage slowly faded.

At the very moment the hall was stillest, a thunderous sound erupted—music burst forth, fireworks soared into the sky from beneath the stage, and Luo Miaomiao, the newly appointed runner-up, leapt into view on streaming ribbons of color. Like a phoenix spreading its tail, she soared, inaugurating the courtesan contest in the grandest and most splendid way imaginable, lighting up the city’s night.

Far from where Ning Yi and Su Tan’er sat, in the area reserved for Luo Miaomiao’s supporters, the crowd applauded enthusiastically. Amid the excitement, a young man named Gu Yanzhen clapped and smiled, but every so often, he would turn his head, surreptitiously scanning the audience—searching, among the sea of faces, for a glimpse of where Nie Yunzhu might be…

Just made it before midnight—asking for monthly votes!