Flower Scattering Pavilion Su Mu (Part 2)

At this moment, a group of young nobles and heirs were making a ruckus, while several women adorned in tinkling jade jewelry and a few imposing servants were busy placating them, "Miss Su Mu is currently meeting with an important guest. She will be over shortly." Opposite her sat a middle-aged man in brocade robes—it was none other than Hong Xuanji. "No matter where you go, you must respect the rules of that place." A woman of peerless beauty, possessing an ethereal and transcendent air, sat quietly. Of course, such gatherings were never held within the Marquis Wuwen's Mansion; Hong Xuanji had even submitted memorials to the imperial court several times, suggesting that the government ban pleasure houses like the Flower Scattering Pavilion to prevent corruption in official circles. In Yujing, idle nobles, scholars, and civil and military officials would frequently gather friends to hold small salons, whether to drink and make merry, discuss poetry and prose, or appreciate calligraphy and paintings. Indeed, the minimum consumption at the Flower Scattering Pavilion was hundreds of taels of silver; it was a quintessential den of extravagance. After all, the Flower Scattering Pavilion was the premier brothel in Yujing. Upon hearing this invitation, Hong Yi frowned, a strange feeling rising in his heart—a sensation stirred by the title of "Yujing's Number One Talented Woman." The Flower Scattering Pavilion was located in the east of Yujing; it was not merely a building, but a complex covering dozens of acres, filled with carved railings and jade masonry, featuring layers of five-story pavilions, with brightly dressed servants at the front and deep, winding floral halls behind. "What important guest could be more important than Princess Zhennan? Let's go and see." The group began to clamor again. "The Flower Scattering Pavilion, an invitation from Princess Zhennan? A salon with Su Mu, the number one talented woman of Yujing, to discuss profound principles and debate poetry..." "Go back and report to the Princess; I will tidy up and be there immediately." Generally, those who came to the Flower Scattering Pavilion arrived by sedan chair or carriage; someone like Hong Yi, who arrived on foot, was almost unheard of. With the invitation in hand, a boundless sense of melancholy welled up in his heart, and perhaps even a trace of inexplicable anger. Although this could not be strictly forbidden, if Hong Xuanji were to find out, he would surely be in for a severe beating. Although Hong Yi only had a few hundred taels of silver on him, and tipping four taels made his heart ache, he understood the principle well: wherever you go, you follow the rules of that place. The rule of the Flower Scattering Pavilion was to spend money like water; one had to tip when appropriate. One could not be stingy, or there would be many petty obstacles waiting for you. At this moment, she was surrounded by a crowd of young nobles who treated her like the moon among the stars. Hong Yi knew that the Flower Scattering Pavilion was managed as the most elegant of pleasure houses, where no physical trade took place. After several turns, a spacious floral hall appeared before his eyes, looking much like the main courtyard of a wealthy family, with bright pavilions and a wide courtyard gathering many young people. Such decor and atmosphere were enough to make ordinary commoners, or even those of modest wealth, shrink back in hesitation. Hong Yi spotted Luo Yun at a glance, dressed like a young dandy, holding a folding fan and wearing a jade pendant at her waist. However, these memorials had met with strong opposition, and furthermore, pleasure houses like the Flower Scattering Pavilion provided massive tax revenue to the court and had deeply intertwined connections, so even a figure as powerful as the Marquis Wuwen could not shut them down. But Hong Yi was dressed brightly and possessed the temperament of a scholar, so the imposing servants did not find it easy to turn him away. However, when Hong Yi produced the invitation to Princess Zhennan's salon, their expressions changed instantly, and they piled on smiles. "You are all too noisy; isn't the Dagan Empire supposed to be the most refined?" Luo Yun flicked her folding fan and shook her head, and the crowd immediately quieted down. At the same time, she saw Hong Yi, her eyes lit up, and she walked over to greet him. This was the outfit he had prepared for himself after passing the provincial examination. Since he was attending the Princess's salon and harbored thoughts of mourning his mother, he could not dress too shabbily. The family rules of the Marquis Wuwen were strict, and family members were strictly forbidden from entering such pleasure houses. In a secluded room within a five-story building to the east of the Flower Scattering Pavilion. Hong Yi did not know where this anger came from; perhaps it was a sense of injustice felt for his mother's plight. However, such places were far more profitable than brothels that traded in flesh. "Why hasn't Miss Su Mu come out yet? We have been waiting for an hour!" Hong Yi took the snow-white paper invitation and tucked it into his sleeve, then stood up to straighten his clothes. He put on a newly tailored silk brocade robe, changed into new thin-soled deerskin boots, and groomed himself neatly before heading out. When Hong Yi tossed two silver coins to each of them as a tip, the two servants' eyes squinted with joy, their backs bent low as they hurriedly ushered Hong Yi inside. Meanwhile. At such times, one needed the company of women to appear truly dashing, especially elegant women. Of course, the maids, concubines, or the "tigress" wife at home were not suitable. "Although the Flower Scattering Pavilion is a pleasure house, all the women there are 'pure' entertainers who only sell their art, not their bodies. Every woman inside is proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and they are stunning beauties with brilliant talent in poetry and prose. The nobles, officials, and scholars of Yujing often spare no expense, spending thousands of gold to invite these entertainers to their salons. It is an elegant pleasure house, vastly different from the brothels that trade in flesh." For every salon, to invite these entertainers—even the most aloof ones—cost hundreds of taels of silver. For the popular ones, thousands were not uncommon, let alone the number one talented woman of Yujing. But Hong Yi was already breaking the rules, so he steeled his heart. Hong Yi looked at the rows of deep, exquisite pavilions, the faint pink silk curtains visible on the rooftops, and the lingering fragrance. Even before entering, he felt the soft, fragrant atmosphere and the decadent music, which could make one's very roots rot away. "Eighteen years ago, my mother was also the number one talented woman of Yujing. But what use was that? Wasn't she still of lowly status? After marrying, she was treated worse than a commoner." When Hong Yi arrived at the entrance of the Flower Scattering Pavilion, two servants immediately came up to greet him, looking him up and down. Seeing Hong Yi take the invitation and head out, Hong Yu and Huang Yu exchanged a glance. One of them hurried toward the main residence, clearly to report to Lady Zhao. Inside were numerous long corridors, pavilions, gardens, ponds, and many side rooms, decorated even more luxuriously than those of wealthy families. At the entrance, many bright carriages, green-canopied sedan chairs, and pink lacquered small sedan chairs were being guided by servants in an orderly fashion, showing not a hint of chaos. The most suitable companions, of course, were these entertainers. "Should I attend or not? If my father finds out I went to such a place, it would be terrible. But I owe Luo Yun a favor, and to decline her salon like this seems very inappropriate. Never mind, a debtor doesn't worry about the number of debts. I might as well go and see what the number one talented woman of Yujing looks like." In truth, he knew that going to the Flower Scattering Pavilion was not for pleasure or to see a talented beauty; more importantly, it had stirred up memories of his mother. "Today is an invitation from Princess Zhennan; surely Miss Su Mu wouldn't put on airs?" With money in his pocket, his attire was exquisite yet not flashy—he looked like a standard scholar-official's son.