Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 787 What does the Jiaofangsi look like?
Zhang Jinyu murmured and exclaimed.

The piece of meat in his mouth almost choked in his throat. How could he forget about Jiaofangsi? This was where the official prostitutes were.
All the women who were of a certain class or had a good background were included. As for the prostitutes outside, they might be some wild ones.
Therefore, those who could come to the Jiaofangsi to drink and have fun were all high-ranking officials in the capital. Even if they were not, they had money in their pockets, otherwise they would not be able to enter the door. If they met the ladies and girls from some mansion, the price would increase several times.
Look up at the outer courtyard.

Speaking of the Jiaofangsi, it has existed in every dynasty.

Fangsi is an official office that manages palace music, which originated in the Tang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, the outer court rituals and music were under the jurisdiction of the Taichang Temple, while the inner court was under the jurisdiction of the Jiaofang. Later, the officials changed their ways of playing with it, from rituals and music to brothels, and then to the place where the wives and daughters of officials who had committed crimes were placed. It gradually became the scale it is today. It is possible that they were good friends who served in the same court. If they committed a crime the next day, their wives and daughters would be sent here. In a nice way, it is called atonement, and in a bad way, it is like prostitutes in brothels.

As long as you are willing to spend money, even your former sister-in-law can accompany you for a night of fun. Therefore, most of the people who come here are children of officials and wealthy families. Even if ordinary people come, they don’t have money.

It is said that Jia She was a man who came here just to try new things. He would rather change the warmth than stay one more night, which not only saved money but also made him feel better. Later, he was impeached by the censors and gave up the idea. It really angered God and people.

However, Jia She from Rongguo Mansion did not come, and later Jia Zhen from Ningguo Mansion also came every few days, secretly, and no one knew which one of them liked!

But I have never been to the Jiaofangsi, and I would be lying if I didn't want to take a look. However, it was getting late and I still needed to mark the papers, so time was running out.
"My Lord, what is the Jiaofangsi? Why don't we go and take a look?"

The third prince opened his mouth and asked,

Only the eldest and second princes looked strange. How did they end up at the Jiaofang Bureau while talking? If the emperor and the queen mother knew about this, it would be troublesome.

However, they also wanted to go over and take a look, so the three of them turned their eyes to Luo Yunhou without saying much.

Zhang Jinyu stood there, wavering. The food in his mouth did not taste as good as the one he had just eaten.
"Ahem, I'm afraid it's a little late, but I can stop by and take a look. After all, I haven't been there either, so it doesn't hurt to take a look. But let me be frank, it's enough to just take a look. I still need to go back to the palace to mark the papers."

Just these words made the three of them nodded excitedly.

Zhang Jinyu didn't waste any time. He finished the biscuit in his hand in a few bites, clapped his hands, and walked along the south street.

What’s a little strange is that, logically, there should be a lot of people in a brothel, but when you get closer, there are actually fewer people. I don’t know why?

that's it,
When we reached the intersection of South Street and turned east, we saw a three-story attic. Although it was not high, it occupied a very large area. The open space in front of the door was already filled with carriages and sedan chairs from various mansions.

Good guy,
There is light at the end of the tunnel. There are many wealthy families, especially in the capital. As the saying goes, there are numerous noble families and gentry and wealthy families everywhere. Even if a stone falls down, it can hit a few of them. Therefore, these carriages in front of us are nothing!
Take a look at the building of the Jiaofangsi. It is located in the downtown area. Needless to say, it occupies a lot of land. There is a towering attic, and its appearance is magnificent, with carved beams and painted buildings, which highlights a strong local tyrant atmosphere.

Above the attic, the glazed tiles are shining like stars under the sunlight. Of course, the sky is dark now, and the little light can also reflect some golden luster. It can be seen that when the sun is out, it is impossible to ascend.
"Your Highness, take a look, it is indeed luxurious and grand. It is said that only the residences of high-ranking officials can be decorated with stone lions to protect the house, but here, the two white jade lions at the door are majestic and solemn. Who would have thought that this place would be the Music Bureau?"

Zhang Jinyu joked, it was really a fog, anything could happen, they even set off fireworks in a place like this, aren't they afraid of getting into trouble?

The three princes stared with their eyes wide open. After all, it was their first time here, so they were very curious. They looked at the courtyard at the entrance. Not only was the gatehouse huge, but there were also two stone lions, which looked really majestic. Prince Jin did not understand the meaning of it.
"My Lord, it is indeed inappropriate, but I don't know why these were placed there. Was it arranged by the Ministry of Internal Affairs?"

When he heard the word "House of Internal Affairs", Zhang Jinyu's heart moved. It seemed that these were one of the properties of the House of Internal Affairs, which could be regarded as the business of the royal family. It might not be a bad idea to put two stone lions. He said,
"Never mind that. Whether there is one or not won't stop us from going in and taking a look. Let's go and see if there is any good food or wine inside. We can have a meal before going back."

"My Lord, that's great. Only when you are well fed and well-drinking can you have the energy to do things. What are you waiting for? Hurry up."

The second prince was extremely impatient. He came out this time just to fill his internal organs. He had just eaten the shortbread, which whetted his appetite. Now, if he didn't eat more, his stomach would growl again.

Several people were arguing, Zhang Jinyu covered his head and nodded in agreement.

"Okay, okay, I'll go in right away, follow me."

He ignored the three of them and walked directly into the yard.

The so-called courtyard is the place where many dignitaries park their sedan chairs. The sedan chairs are placed on the west side, and on the east side are side rooms with tables, chairs and benches. They are all full of people, providing a place for the servants who accompany them to rest. Not to mention, this is much better than the two brothels in the capital.

Take a few steps forward.

The first thing that catches your eye is the jade steps. When you step on the steps, you will find that the surface is polished to be as delicate and smooth as solidified fat.

The handrails on both sides are embroidered with cloud patterns. Walking towards the door railing, there are gauze hangings on both sides, which make you feel misty and cloudy.

There was no madam to greet people at the door.

"Interesting, there's not even a receptionist at the door,"

"Oh, my Lord, what reception do you need? Once you go in, there will be a waiter to greet you. My Lord, once you are inside, please give me more meat."

The second prince could not wait any longer and rushed in first. Everyone had no choice but to follow him.

In the attic,
There was no sense of strangeness. It was just a high platform in the middle, surrounded by three-story attics, in the shape of a Chinese character “回”.
The advantage of being rich is that as soon as you enter the door, the ground beneath your feet is soft and covered with a golden carpet. The high platform in the center is made of fine mahogany. On the platform, the sound of stringed instruments lingers in your ears, and a dozen dancers are dancing gracefully.
After a closer look, she is a girl from the Central Plains. She has fair skin, a hawk nose, a pretty face, and golden hair. Isn't she a girl from the Western Regions? How could she be here?
Everyone stood and watched for a while, then a middle-aged woman in luxurious clothes came over and looked at everyone. She had a remarkable temperament, dressed like a military officer, and even had armored soldiers guarding her. It was obvious that she was not simple, but she was very unfamiliar. She asked;
"Oh, you all look unfamiliar. I wonder where you are from?"

This question drew everyone's attention back.

Zhang Jinyu also looked at the woman who came. As the saying goes, middle-aged women still have charm and are the most feminine. It is absolutely true. And the clothes they wear are not like those madams in brothels. Not only do they wear flashy clothes and heavy makeup, but I don't know what kind of perfume they use. You can smell it from three meters away. It's pungent.

But here, she was wearing fine silk and looked very elegant. If you didn't know her, you would think she was the lady of some mansion.
"Why do you care so much? It's not like you won't pay for the meal. Find a seat on the second floor and serve some wine and food. Remember, only the expensive ones."

Seeing that the visitor was difficult to serve, the madam smiled and nodded.
"My Lord is right. Eat well, drink well, and have fun. In that case, please stay on the second floor. I am Yun Niang. Please be considerate of me, Lord."

He reached out and drew aside the curtain in the corridor, made a gesture of invitation, and pointed out that the entrance to the stairs was at the back.

Zhang Jinyu waved his hand, and two armored soldiers behind him went forward to investigate. After they found out that everything was fine, they gestured,

Zhang Jinyu then led the people in. Yunniang saw this clearly and was still wondering which dignitary could be so cautious. After thinking for a while, she still couldn't figure it out. When she saw everyone going up to the second floor, she let down the curtain and followed them.

As soon as I went up,

I saw that the hall on the second floor was extremely spacious. Each table was separated by a screen. The place was very large. There was only a door at the intersection. It was a quiet place. Even if you played tricks inside, you would not be disturbed by the outside world.
The key point is that before it gets dark, the palace lanterns inside are already lit, which is luxurious to the extreme.

"Gentlemen, would you like to sit at the entrance or go further inside?"

Yunniang pointed to the place on the west side of the stairs. From this side, you can't see what's inside. You can only see it from the side of the railing.
After all, leaning against the brothel on one side, at a glance, the high platform below is in full view.
"No, this one is good, not too high, not too low."

The voice just fell,

The three princes walked in impatiently, found a seat to sit down, and stretched their heads to look down. After all, women from the Western Regions were rare in the Central Plains.

Zhang Jinyu followed and sat down inside, while Yunniang called the maid on the side and quickly told the kitchen to serve a table of delicious dishes.
"By the way, Yunniang, no wine, just food and a pot of good tea."

"Got it, sir, don't worry, I'll arrange it right away."

Seeing that the people around him were still in a daze, he broke into pieces.
"What are you standing there for? Bring us a pot of good tea first, and then tell the kitchen staff to bring in the cuttlefish that was shipped in from the west today."

"Yes, Mom." The maid was stunned for a moment, then immediately agreed and hurried to the kitchen. It was obvious that the visitor was no ordinary person. Cuttlefish is a rare thing, yet it was served.

After they left, a waiter came downstairs and brought a pot of good tea. Yunniang took the tray and carried it in herself.

Entered the screen,
She served tea and water smoothly, showing that she did a lot of waiting.

Zhang Jinyu sat down, took the tea bowl in his hand, and smelled it. The tea soup was golden yellow with a hint of black tea. It was almost the same as the eldest princess' tea.
I took a sip and it tasted okay, but not as good as your Highness's tea.

"The tea is good, but it's not from the Central Plains. It seems to be from the Western Regions. Also, the women dancing downstairs are not from the Central Plains. They are not as good as the Hu people. Where are these women from the Western Regions from?"

Yunniang happened to have just finished pouring the tea, and with a smile in the corner of her eyes, she praised;

"My Lord, you have a good eye. This tea is not from the Central Plains. It is the mother tree of the golden tea from Cheshi Country in the Western Regions. It was planted in the northwest. The originally golden tea soup has become like this, with red in the gold. It is not as good as the original one, but it is also the best."

He smiled, pointed at the dancer below, and continued to answer;
"As for the Western Region women below, they were all brought here privately by caravans from the west. It is said that only one out of ten survived, and they were extremely miserable. The officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs could not bear to see this, so they bought them all and did not allow others to buy or sell them privately. This was considered saving them."

Yunniang continued to fill Zhang Jinyu's teacup.

Only Zhang Jinyu laughed at him, isn't this just eating alone? Why are they trying to cover it up? Since people from the Western Regions can come, the goods from the trade routes should also be able to arrive. Even if only one in ten survives, the profit will go into the ocean. The key point is that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is in charge and the governor doesn't care. Isn't it that fat guy Wang Xiu who is in charge of these? Well, it's a profitless business.

"You talk so nicely, but they are still taken care of by a bunch of idle people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It's better to share happiness with others than to enjoy it alone. You are not afraid of riots in other places in the capital. Besides, how many days can you keep these women from the Western Regions?"

Let alone other things, even if the two princesses knew, I don't know what they would do. I think the Imperial City Department of the Heavenly Family is watching them.

All these properties had long been divided up and disappeared. That wasn't right. It seemed that Yang Hanyu in my house was not like a woman from the Central Plains. I hadn't thought of that before.

"Master, please keep your voice down. Don't say that."

Yunniang looked horrified and quickly advised that the officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs were not people who could be discussed by the prostitutes.

"What are you afraid of? These are just these people. If I hadn't seen them, I would have thought they were the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, colluding with the West Palace family to privately control the trade routes and conduct a monopoly business."

This sentence made the table suddenly silent, and even the three princes seemed to be thinking about something. The West Palace family was really so bold. If not, how did these teas and women come from?

But these words were spoken loudly, so they were heard. Although the person sitting next to me couldn't see clearly, he could hear it.

"My dear brother, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. If the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs hear it, I'm afraid you won't be able to leave. King of the West, even the court wouldn't dare to go too far."

The person sitting next to him was none other than Duan Wenyuan, son of Marquis Dongchuan and General Dingxi of the Beijing Camp. He was entertaining his friends here. Also present were the son of Marquis Yin Changsong of Yining, General Dingnan Yin Renchang, and the son of Marquis Huaiyuan and General Dingbei Hu Shoucheng.

After returning from a break in the Beijing camp, several people went to the Jiaofangsi to drink. They drank happily and did not plan to go back home at night. However, after drinking for a while, they heard someone talking nonsense on the other side of the screen at the next seat, so they could not help but speak out.

Zhang Jinyu laughed out loud.

"I'm not asking you. Do you know the inner workings of a relationship? In that case, let me ask you, these are all from the Western Regions. Since they can be supplied to the capital when the trade routes are closed, there must be quite a lot of them. Where do you buy them from?"

At this time, Duan Wenyuan took a sip of wine at the other end, and did not answer, but asked in return;
"They are all here to have fun, why bother to be so serious? No matter where they come from, the Jiaofang Bureau can buy them, and their origins can be checked. There are so many wives and daughters of convicted officials, and there are also women bought from the public. If we have to check them one by one, we will not be able to handle it. If we delay the officials' fun, who can bear the consequences, right?"

"Ahaha, that's right, the cat cries over the rat in false sympathy. When playing with women, who would have thought that they were wives or ladies before."

"Worrying blindly."

Following Duan Wenyuan's words, Yin Renchang and Hu Shoucheng became polite and started talking and making jokes.

Zhang Jinyu didn't think much of it. What he said was correct. However, the three princes didn't think so, especially the eldest prince Zhou Ding. He immediately thought a lot. After all, the Xiwang Palace family was a big worry for his father.
"You are wrong. If everyone enjoys themselves like this and does not care about anything, then the court will be kept in the dark. If there is any disturbance in the future, the palace will not be able to hear or see it, right?"

A childish voice sounded,

This caused Hu Shoucheng to burst out laughing;
"Interesting, brother, you went to a brothel and brought a hairless person with you. You are so careless. You even brought the imperial court and the palace. You don't even look at what kind of place this is. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is supervised by a group of eunuchs. How could they not know? Whether the palace knows or not depends on those eunuchs. What does it have to do with us? As the saying goes, less trouble is worse than more trouble. Just eat and drink."

The eldest prince was indignant and wanted to say more, but was stopped by Zhang Jinyu.
"They are right. Why bother about it? Yunniang, bring the food up quickly."

"Yes, gentlemen."

Yunniang, who had been frightened to the point of not knowing what to do, quickly responded and went out to greet them.
Zhang Jinyu thanked him.
"Thank you all for clearing up my confusion. I almost broke a taboo!"

"No thanks, we're just having fun,"

I replied casually,
Then, Zhang Jinyu winked at Ning Bian.
"Go check who it is that knows so much, it must be someone in the government."

"Yes, Lord, I will arrange for someone to keep an eye on it."

Ning Bian nodded, turned around and sent a personal soldier back to deliver the message.

Only the eldest prince didn't understand why the marquis stopped him and whispered;
"My Lord, why are you stopping us? It's obvious that what they said is wrong."

"Alas, Your Highness, there is no right or wrong. What they said is correct. What if it was really arranged by the Ministry of Internal Affairs?"

Zhang Jinyu just tried to test the waters. The size of the Gong family can only support 200,000 soldiers. Now that the number of soldiers has doubled, the Gong family has used all their strength. Otherwise, they would have to hide and go around the Chamber of Commerce to make money.

The Emperor should have known all this a long time ago, or tacitly accepted it. If they really tried to stop it and seize the northwest trade route, the Western King would be unable to sit still and would either rebel or go out to fight. Unfortunately, both sides are not easy to deal with, and the Xianbei people are not pushovers either. There are so many military governors within the Great Wall, and even if the court does not send troops, the northwest is enough for the Gong family to fight. Just now, it was just that Zhang Jinyu couldn't stand the Imperial Household Department's arrogant attitude.

King Zhou Ding of Jin thought about it and thought that maybe it was true. He just felt that the officials in the capital were indifferent and indifferent, which was not necessarily a good thing.

After a while,

Servants came up one after another, carrying delicious dishes. In a moment, the table was set.

The three princes were attracted by the aroma. Seeing so many delicious dishes, they couldn't resist and started eating with their chopsticks. Zhang Jinyu did the same. Anyone who didn't eat the meat was a fool.

Only Yunniang looked a little embarrassed, waiting on the side.

"Master, do you want to order a top performer to have some fun? A prefect in the north committed a crime and his house was searched. His wife and daughter were sent to the Music Bureau. Now they have been trained. Do you want to order one?"

I almost bit my tongue when I took a bite of meat. What's wrong with this woman? Am I such a rude person? Am I blind?
"Well, call her up and let her sing a Kunqu opera!"

(End of this chapter)