Chapter 529: I'll Teach Her a Tune
Lao Nanfeng’s mere mention of a courtesan house startled the nearby militia guards so much their "tipsiness vanished." "Absolutely not, sir, absolutely not!" one blurted out. "Courtesan houses are strictly forbidden in Gao Family Village. If the Heavenly Lord were to discover it, you'd face a five-tael silver fine and fifteen days in confinement!"
Lao Nanfeng waved a dismissive hand. "I know, I know! Relax, I won't be indulging in any... extracurricular activities. Otherwise, I'd have asked for a common brothel, not a proper courtesan house. See? I just want to sit in the main hall, enjoy some snacks, and listen to a few tunes. That won't violate any village rules, will it?"
The militia soldiers exchanged glances, weighing his words. Eating snacks and listening to music seemed innocuous enough. "Alright, then," they conceded. "Go ahead."
Guided by a few locals, the group soon found themselves at the entrance of the courtesan house.
Outside, the establishment boasted elegant couplets. The top line declared: "Slender fingers lightly pluck the moon beyond the goblet." Below it, "Tonight, too lazy to inscribe autumn in the painted hall." And emblazoned above the entrance was the name: "Spring Wind Pavilion."
"See, fellas, see?" Lao Nanfeng declared, gesturing grandly. "This is what a *proper* courtesan house looks like. Those couplets alone tell you it's a place of true refinement."
One of the militia soldiers chuckled softly. "This place certainly has an air about it. It makes me think of the couplets our old Gao Family Village brothel used to display. Compared to these, those were... a little crude, admittedly."
Lao Nanfeng's eyebrows shot up. "Gao Family Village had a courtesan house? What were the couplets? Come on, spill it!"
The soldier laughed harder. "The first line read: 'Business thrives, bedsprings groan.' The second: 'Wealth flows freely, belts come undone.' And the horizontal plaque? 'Joyful Red Chambers.'"
The militia soldiers all joined in the laughter. "But Brother Nanfeng," one piped up, "that celestial maiden you're so fond of, with her exposed arms and legs, she's hardly elegant either!"
Lao Nanfeng retorted, "You don't understand a damn thing! That's simply a matter of celestial fashion. The fairy maiden herself possesses an utterly pure and wholesome aura, utterly unlike those gaudy, cheap floozies you find in common brothels!"
The soldiers fell silent.
"Alright, enough about celestial maidens for now," Lao Nanfeng declared, already moving towards the door. "Let's head inside this courtesan house and see what it's all about."
The group ducked into the Spring Wind Pavilion.
Moments later, the madam of the establishment emerged to greet them. Despite her title, she was a woman barely in her thirties, young enough that in a later age, she might even be called a "Miss."
One look at Lao Nanfeng's bearing told her he was a man of some influence and means, and she swiftly ushered them inside.
The Spring Wind Pavilion was quite grand. Its spacious main hall held over a dozen tables, many already occupied by patrons who watched a woman dance gracefully in the center, accompanied by several musicians strumming zithers.
Most of the clientele, Lao Nanfeng noted, were salt merchants.
Merchants, always keenly observant of prominent figures, recognized Lao Nanfeng instantly. *Isn't that one of the bandit chiefs who accepted pacification alongside Xing Honglang?* they silently mused. *Damn, this man is not to be trifled with.*
They subtly lowered their voices, careful not to disturb Lao Nanfeng's enjoyment.
The madam, a lifetime spent perfecting the art of reading a room, immediately noticed the hushed tones that had fallen over the main hall the moment Lao Nanfeng entered. This man was clearly someone of immense importance. She redoubled her efforts to please him, dispatching all the finest snacks and delicacies directly to his table.
All the while, she chattered excitedly, "Sir, is this your first visit to the Spring Wind Pavilion? Would you care for me to introduce you to a few of our most enchanting maidens?"
"No, no!" Lao Nanfeng chuckled, waving her off. "I'm merely here to enjoy some snacks and listen to music. No need for any maidens, thank you, or the Heavenly Lord will have my hide when I return."
"Very well, sir," the madam replied, bowing deeply. "Then this humble servant shall leave you to your leisure. Should you require anything at all, simply call, and I shall be at your side instantly."
"Go on, then," Lao Nanfeng said, waving a hand dismissively. The madam retreated to a discreet distance, though her eyes remained fixed on his table.
Lao Nanfeng surveyed the extravagant, pleasure-filled atmosphere around him, a wide grin spreading across his face. Delighted, he reached into his tunic and pulled out a hefty silver ingot.
Ever since his posting to Yongji Ferry, he had earned countless merits and received bountiful rewards—not just the mesmerizing song and dance videos of Cai Xinzhi, but also a wealth of material riches. He was, by all accounts, a very wealthy man now.
Lao Nanfeng slammed the silver ingot onto the table, his booming laughter echoing through the hall. "My good friends, brothers all!" he announced. "Tonight, the entire house's tab is on me!"
The salt merchants at nearby tables, flattered beyond measure, quickly cheered back, "Long live the General!"
"Such generosity, General!"
"From this day forth, I shall call the General 'Elder Brother'! I hope the General won't scorn such an address."
All this flattery confirmed it for the madam: this distinguished patron was a General! Incredible, simply incredible. She clapped her hands together, a wide smile spreading across her face. "Since that is the case, this humble establishment shall immediately arrange for the Spring Wind Pavilion's most celebrated maiden to perform a dance and sing a tune for all our esteemed guests, to further liven the mood!"
Moments later, the Spring Wind Pavilion's most acclaimed beauty appeared.
The maiden was indeed stunning, her features delicate and captivating. Clutching a pipa, she danced, played, and sang all at once, her solo performance breathing vibrant life into the entire stage.
The salt merchants below erupted in thunderous applause, thoroughly enthralled.
But Lao Nanfeng's brow furrowed. "Something's off!" he muttered.
The madam materialized beside him in a flash. "General, what troubles you? This humble servant will have her rectify it at once!"
Lao Nanfeng shook his head. "She's a beautiful woman, certainly. Her singing is fine, her dancing graceful. But that tune... it's just not pleasing to the ear. Too old-fashioned, far too old-fashioned."
The madam blinked, utterly bewildered. "Old-fashioned?"
Well, she supposed the tunes *were* a bit antiquated. In this day and age, there were only a handful of melodies, which courtesans played and sang over and over again. It was hardly a rich repertoire, unlike the endless stream of popular songs from later eras.
"Then what can be done?" the madam asked, a touch of embarrassment in her voice.
"Have her come down," Lao Nanfeng instructed. "I'll hum a tune for her. She can re-arrange it, then perform it for everyone."
Hearing this, the madam felt a pang of unease. She worried that this powerful, well-connected patron merely wanted the maiden to descend from the stage to take advantage of her, to spirit her upstairs. If that were to happen, the girl would no longer be considered an untainted courtesan, and her popularity would plummet.
Yet, this man was clearly not one to offend. The salt merchants' deference alone made it clear she couldn't risk provoking him.
With a heavy heart, the madam ascended the stage and whispered into the maiden's ear: "The gentleman wishes you to sit with him. He wants to teach you a tune. This patron... we dare not displease him. If he asks you to... ah... just accept your fate."
The maiden froze, her heart seizing with dread. Even the madam had told her to resign herself to fate—who *was* this man? With a forced smile masking her bitter apprehension, she clutched her pipa and moved to sit beside Lao Nanfeng.
Her heart pounded nervously, terrified that the moment she sat, his hand would snake around her waist, and she would be dragged upstairs to be subjected to "eighteen different postures."
Her trembling, cautious demeanor was not lost on the nearby salt merchants, who couldn't help but feel a chill of apprehension for her. *This General emerged from the ranks of bandits,* they thought, *one can only imagine...*
"I don't compose music, and I don't understand sheet music," Lao Nanfeng said, oblivious to her fear. "I can only hum the tune for you. Listen closely now."
Then, he began to hum, his voice surprisingly clear: "No answers, no answers, where is true love found? My love, my love, could it be him, truly...?"
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