Nightfall

Many years later, standing along that lonely mountain cliff, Ning Que recalled the scene of meeting Mistress Jian for the first time. He still could not help but look back, and sighed for a long time, with a self-deprecating smile and emotion on his face.

At that time, he went upstairs with the hope that he himself was the so-called luckiest man of the night, walking all the way as if to see that top courtesan waiting for him. However, when a little maidservant pushed the red door and uncovered the bead curtain, he hadn’t thought of meeting such a woman, but rather a girl.

The old woman had very clear crow’s feet around her eyes but a perfect body maintenance, with plump breasts, a slender waist, and fat buttocks in a cloth gown. But she had an extremely wide forehead that was like an uplifted smooth dune on grassland—simple and kind eyebrows and eyes, as well as very thin hair under her straight nose and above the thick lips. She wasn’t ugly but could never deserve the title of a beauty in a million, let alone the top courtesan.

He was fond of the beautiful little girls of his similar age, slightly older ladies, and even charming mature woman over 30 years old. Nevertheless, Mistress Jian belonged to none of them, who was merely an ordinary woman over 40 years old with the man-like tolerance and calmness.

After a short time of hesitation, Ning Que immediately felt that he looked a little impolite, so he forced himself to calm down and put on a sincere smile, greeting a bow with hands folded in front to the woman, and then asked her, “What can I do for you, Mistress Jian?”

“Whose lad are you?” Mistress Jian asked, smiling at him.

Ning Que did not conceal but recounted his background.

“Although the applicants recommended by the Military Ministry aren’t few this year, you must be a talented one to have passed the preliminary test of the academy.”

The Mistress glanced at him with approval and continued, “Since you have come from the border town, you should have no idea of who I am. But my lad, it instead proves your stable character when you were able to calm down in our first meeting quickly.”

Ning Que tried his best to lower his head, deliberately not looking at her grassland-wide forehead or thin hair above her lips, and subconsciously tried to keep a low profile after listening to her.

Through the woman’s simple introduction and that little maidservant’s proud decorative narration, he finally knew why those people downstairs were particularly concerned about the name of Mistress Jian.

Thirty years ago, during the new reign of South Jin Kingdom, a song-and-dance troupe called House of Red Sleeves won the most applause in the ceremony, gradually broadcasting its reputation to the world. Just three years later, because of many Tang girls inside House of Red Sleeves, Tang Emperor specifically wrote a letter to ask it to move into Tang Empire, which the Emperor of South Jin Kingdom was not able to resist but only accepted.

Since then, House of Red Sleeves had been in Chang’an. For nearly two decades, they only danced in the Tang’s palace and court instead of other countries’ events, which caused their fame to vanish among the common people.

But for those high officials and noble lords, this song-and-dance troupe, which was specifically asked by the most powerful empire to perennially station in the greatest of cities, Chang’an, was no doubt still the best one in the world. Although there was no name for this brothel where they lived, it was and would always be the number one brothel.

As long as someone arrived in Chang’an—maybe the South Jin Kingdom envoy, or the Yuelun Kingdom officials came to pay tribute, or even the Tribe of Savages King on the grassland, one always came here to invite the House of Red Sleeves girls to sing and dance. It was said that Yan Kingdom Prince had spent the most difficult first two years in House of Red Sleeves, when he was sent to Chang’an as a hostage seven years ago.

Mistress Jian was not the world’s top courtesan.

But she was the leader of House of Red Sleeve song-and-dance troupe, having trained the world’s countless top courtesans.

…

…

“You’re just one little lad. Since you’re going to the academy, your future can naturally be promised. It’s unnecessary for you to learn from those stale scholars, who seem to try to be a celebrity by going to a brothel a few times?”

Mistress Jian’s smile seemed to be carved out by a knife. Regardless of her cold words or questions or persuasion, she always kept a calm and tranquil smile with many crow’s feet around the eyes.

But Ning Que felt the slight emotional change of the woman leader. Not being aware of her intention to call him to go upstairs, Ning Que sensed a suddenly stern tone from this woman after she heard that he was going to attend the academy entrance exam. And this stern tone was not hostile, but like some elders who expected something from the young.

This emotional change made him somewhat at a loss, so he explained it a little in a low voice after greeting a bow with his hands folded in front.

“I came from the Yuelun Kingdom but have been in Chang’an for more than twenty years. Of course, I know about the Tang men’s disposition, which is called generous for the excellent version or too passionate and face-saving for the bad version.”

Mistress Jian no longer smiled but frowned, looking at Ning Que who had a lad’s juvenile and energetic face. As if seeing one little scholar in an indigo robe who rode a small black donkey, cursed everything with his head up and proudly went into the Great Wall many years ago, she felt so disappointed and said angrily.

“Do you know the young man? That’s the most favored only child of Master Chu, one of seven elites in the Eastern Area. He has endless money to be generous. But what about you? According to the disposition of your Tang, you must offer a feast back in return if invited to a meal. Even if you’re short of money, you’d sell all book volumes at home to invite him back next time you encounter him. Am I right or wrong?”

Embarrassed, Ning Que scratched his head, secretly admiring this woman’s outlook. Although he was not a typical Tang, he still had some Tang tolerance in his character about this kind of thing.

Seeing him, Mistress Jian felt much more annoyed for no reason, suddenly throwing the ebony beads on her wrist to the couch, which caused a series of questions to come at him like a storm.

“You’re not old and strong enough for this seductive brothel. How dare you come in?

“You’re too poor to spend here. Are you ready for the academy fees?

“How about your academy entrance exam preparation? Any true test papers bought? Which of them were bought?”

…

…

With the thought of exclusively owning the top courtesan, Ning Que unexpectedly met the courtesans’ manager with a strong moral sense. He was criticized a lot by her, which only increased his miserable feeling. If under another circumstance, he might whisper in his heart, “Even if, Mistress Jian, your friends are all distinguished and highly respected, you have no right to teach me at our first meeting. After all, you aren’t my manager.”

But Mistress Jian did not put pressure on him but only nagged like an earnest and anxious elder, with disappointment shown on her forehead, eyebrows, and eyes. Therefore, he was embarrassed to refute a word, but stammered to answer.

“For the first time to Chang’an… I was just curious, so I had thought of secretly glancing at the house from the outside, never considering that the house’s sisters would make fun of me. I was hot-headed… to inexplicably come in.”

After a short hesitation, Mistress Jian turned to that little maidservant and loudly scolded her. “It’s a majestic event that the emperor will set a feast and open a ceremony for the returned princess. So I let those little, wicked girls take a rest for a few days to practice a good dance. It turned out that they all could not help, but even seduced a scholar lad!”

The little submissive maidservant did not dare to refute anything.

Mistress Jian rubbed her eyebrows in tiredness and looked up to glance at Ning Que, who stood honestly at the door, and suddenly recalled that she had occasionally seen around the hall and found a similarity between the lad and that man. Then she could not help but ask him to go upstairs for some questions, which turned out to be her mad interrogations for no reason.

However, what surprised her was that the lad did not argue or get angry, so well-behaved to accept her blame. She could not help but laugh and wave her hands, and said, “Since you’re curious, I’ll let someone show you around here. Don’t forget to go back home to rest after finishing.”