A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 31.1

The birthday banquet was about to begin. The Cinian Hall was filled with court ladies and young misses of the noble families. The Old Princess Dowager was seated on the high platform, chatting and laughing with several madams.

A quick glance revealed a vibrant scene in the hall, with women of all types, like flowers of white plum and peach blossom.

Chen Liangyu entered the Cinian Hall with Xie Wenjun.

After greeting the Old Princess Dowager, she planned to retreat to an inconspicuous spot. She had already attracted enough attention in the dressing room and the waterside pavilion earlier, and she did not want to be the center of attention in front of the madams as well.

Xie Wenjun’s hand, holding hers, had not loosened. Chen Liangyu struggled slightly, failed to break free, and then gave up.

She let Xie Wenjun lead her to the Old Princess Dowager.

The Old Princess Dowager asked a few irrelevant questions, like her age, and Chen Liangyu answered them one by one. The Old Princess Dowager held her other hand, liking her more and more the longer she looked. She repeatedly praised He Yunzhou for raising his daughter well, then smiled warmly at Xie Wenjun, “The Princess has good taste; she is indeed outstanding.”

This statement sounded… very strange!

It was like a princess presenting a prospective consort to her elder for approval.

On another thought, Princess Jiangning must have spoken many kind words for her.

Chen Liangyu was very grateful that she was not being labeled “tyrannical and perverse, defying tradition” on such an occasion, which would cause her mother and sister-in-law to lose face.

The Old Princess Dowager disliked silk and string music, considering the music of Pu Shang to be unworthy of an elegant setting.

In the past, birthday celebrations only featured opera troupes, which would set up a stage and perform intricate, complete stories. However, for her seventieth birthday, she unexpectedly did not invite an opera troupe but instead invited a song and dance troupe.

The reason for everyone’s surprise was that this troupe did not come from the imperial music academy in the forbidden city but from the Yifeng Pavilion.

A royal brothel, a place of ill repute.

The difference between the two was considerable.

The imperial music academy was established during the Yingtong reign for the court and palace officials’ ceremonial music. The musicians and dancers there diligently practiced music and dance, performing at palace ceremonies and celebrations in the residences of princes and marquises. Although the performers were of a lower social class, they were still earning a living with their genuine skills.

What kind of place was Yifeng Pavilion? It was a place for enjoying the company of courtesans, a venue for lewd pleasures.

It was utterly inappropriate for a courtesan to enter a prince’s residence to sing and perform for the Old Princess Dowager’s birthday! If outsiders commented on this, wouldn’t it disgrace their own family name?

The Old Princess Dowager had a reputation for excellence all her life. What was the meaning of this move in her old age? Was she destroying her own good name and moral integrity in her later years?

As the music began, a giant-tailed red carp swam in the pool that connected the inner and outer courtyards of the prince’s residence. Upon closer inspection, the red carp was actually a dancer, gracefully dancing in the water.

People who frequented places of entertainment quickly reacted, “Underwater dance, the Carp Spirit.”

Qin Sensen, the top courtesan of Yifeng Pavilion, was skilled in underwater dance and was nicknamed the Carp Spirit.

Chen Liangyu was also a little puzzled; it seemed improper for a woman from a place of pleasure to appear at a prince’s birthday banquet.

Xie Wenjun, standing beside her, did not show any particular confusion, appearing calm and composed.

After the dance, the hall erupted in applause.

Immediately after, while Qin Sensen leaped out of the water to change her clothes in the guest room, the prince’s servants set up tables, laid out paper, and prepared ink.

Was this going to be a… literature contest? Or a poetry contest?

“Ladies and gentlemen!”

Everyone looked towards the source of the voice.

“We are honored by the presence of so many talented scholars and beautiful ladies today, which illuminates our humble abode! To enhance the occasion, Mr. Qi Xiu of Hanhong Academy will present a topic, and the two persons on either side of the table must each compose a ci (lyric poem) within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, to celebrate the Princess Dowager’s birthday!”

A man was indeed seated on the platform, but he wore a bamboo hat and veil, unwilling to show his true face.

A light veil separated the table, and two graceful women, their faces also veiled, were already seated on one side.

“Did you do this again?” Chen Liangyu asked.

Xie Wenjun raised an eyebrow, “What else do you know that I’ve done?”

After several years of not seeing each other, she had not only grown taller but also become more refined, charming in both laughter and frown.

However, the flow of her eyes seemed even more like a cunning deer.

“The engraving shops.”

The engraving shops in Jinshu Lane, and not just those in Jinshu Lane.

Xie Wenjun had not been idle at all during her three years at the Grand Monastery of the Supreme Emperor; she had placed a chess piece that extended the game three years into the future.

Since she discovered the anomaly in Jinshu Lane, she had been paying attention. In recent years, engraving shops had sprung up everywhere. In her conversation with Yan Nian, she learned that there were many new engraving shops in the three northern provinces and sixteen cities as well. These shops did not sell many books to the public, nor did they connect with regular bookstores. People were busy every day only hoarding ink sticks and Xuan paper, and printing the classics that scholars needed, but this alone was not enough to sustain a business. It seemed the shopkeepers were not operating these engraving shops for the purpose of survival.

The only explanation was that the backer behind these engraving shops was extraordinary, perhaps someone from the court, or even the palace.

Nülun (Women’s Discourse) quietly and suddenly became popular across the country. By the time the court realized that this former forbidden book had resurfaced, it was too late to prohibit it.

A simple two words conveyed everything that needed to be expressed to the other party.

Chen Liangyu was surprised that such a tacit understanding had developed between her and Xie Wenjun at some point. Even after thousands of days and nights apart, they still understood each other with just a few brief words, without the need for lengthy explanations.

Of course, the understanding was not limited to pleasant things.

“Are you thinking of saying again that I am deeply scheming and unworthy of friendship?”

Xie Wenjun wore a serious expression, looking at her intently, waiting for her answer.

Chen Liangyu rubbed her nose with a bent finger, “Bringing up old scores is not a good habit.” She then changed the subject, “How did you persuade the Old Princess Dowager to invite the music and dance from Yifeng Pavilion to the residence?”

Xie Wenjun gave a vague reply: “Appealing to her emotions and reasoning with her.”

Everyone followed the Old Princess Dowager and the Princess up to another high pavilion, where the view was better and they could clearly see the platform. Yao Jifeng presented the topic, and the two veiled women quickly took up their brushes to write, their works then copied by servants and presented to the Old Princess Dowager for review.

Although the butler did not explicitly state that this was a ci (lyric poem) battle, the setup clearly indicated a competition to determine a winner.

Among the guests were not only high officials and their wives but also some rising talents of the court. Competing in ci with talented women piqued their interest. Such opportunities to showcase their literary talents in front of beauties and to gain recognition from the Old Princess Dowager and various high officials’ wives were rare.

One after another, they eagerly stepped forward, full of confidence, and quickly someone accepted the challenge.

The Old Princess Dowager and the Princess were seated at the front. Chen Liangyu was beside them with Madam He and her sister-in-law. Further back were Madam Xun and Xun Shuheng. The rest of the madams were seated according to their status and rank.

Chen Liangyu moved back and sat next to Xun Shuheng.

One of the women on the stage had semi-dry hair; she was Qin Sensen, who had just performed the underwater dance.

“Who is the other one?” Chen Liangyu asked.

Xun Shuheng replied, “She is Grand Preceptor Gu’s granddaughter, Gu Xie.”

Chen Liangyu immediately understood. This was the famous talented woman of Cangnan, Yao Jifeng’s new wife.

She genuinely praised, “Her temperament is truly exceptional.”

Then her gaze fell on Qin Sensen.

This top courtesan and dancer from Yifeng Pavilion, seated side-by-side with a gentlewoman raised by a literati family like Gu Xie, did not lose out in charm or literary grace. Chen Liangyu had assumed she was a noble lady raised in a family as strict as Xun Shuheng’s.