Another Matter of the Li River

(Review failed, reposting. If anyone subscribed before, let me know. The chapter got swallowed—were the Qidian coins refunded?)

The Li River had become so prosperous that many old professions had vanished, while many new ones had emerged. Yet one ancient profession had endured all along.

That was—the brothel.

In this world, there would always be passionate young masters with deep purses. And so they would meet beauties in the spring breeze, vaguely recall three lifetimes, pine through summer days, unable to dispel their longing in a single day. Then they would fling away a thousand gold pieces in exchange for half a song from a lady's lips. Lifting the curtain, they found riches stirring their hearts; entering the feast, they found the land of drunkenness sheltering their souls.

Within places of pleasure, love seemed loveless, and heartlessness seemed affectionate. In any case, silver and gold rang out as the gathered beauties formed merry bonds with their guests.

Countless men entrusted their sentiments to taverns, chanting poems of seductive maidens; they heard songs in music halls and came to know the tunes of Nian Nu. Mandarin-duck prose and phoenix verse, gold powder and rouge, Yan maidens and Zhao girls—so long as a woman could be had, lanterns would blaze everywhere, flower-calling tubes would pass from hand to hand, and they would drink boldly until dawn. In the twist of a waist lay branches of soft jade sleeping thrice; in bodies offered together lay curtains that burned gold for five nights. Orchid causes and catkin fruits seemed to have roots from before. Powdered skin and rosy flesh were dearer than ordinary beauties; as a thousand gold vanished, a hundred charms were born.

It could be said that brothels had witnessed all this prosperity. From the Li River's savage age to these days