Chapter 110 — The Pleasure Quarter

Less than an hour later, the giant bird with black feathers and a crimson crest came racing to the capital. Shen Mu looked ahead, and his heart gave a small jolt; he had already seen Jiangling City and been deeply shaken by it, yet the capital before him shook him even more. Jiangling City was built upon the Jin River, its walls thirty zhang above the water, a magnificent sight.

This capital, by contrast, stood upon mountain ranges like giant dragons; and not one range, but nine.

Nine ranges crouching like dragons upon the plain, converging at the very site of the capital: nine dragons joining their courses, their heads meeting, and where those heads met stood the capital.

Such majestic momentum surpassed by far that of Jiangling City built upon the Jin River. No wonder Emperor Yanfeng paid no mind to the talk that the so-called New City of Jiangling had cut the dragon vein and built itself upon a dragon's head; the capital was already the sovereign of nine dragons, so why should it concern itself with the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping pressing down upon the single dragon of New Jiangling?

Nine dragons encircled the capital, and thirty li from the capital stood four military camps, each camp as vast as a city; twenty li from the camps lay eight market towns, and though they were called towns, they were the equal of cities. These eight towns were built beside a great river, the second greatest in Jingping, the Tu River, whose land and water routes made travel and transport exceedingly easy. The greatest river was the Yong, which rises in the Wasteland. Though only the second river, the Tu was known as the dragon vein of Jingping, the orthodox dragon vein; and as for the claim that the Jin River was a dragon vein, in truth many at court and in the countryside did not accept it.

Shen Mu gazed into the distance: the capital where the nine dragons converged had an extraordinary atmosphere, worthy indeed of the place from which the Son of Heaven ruled all under heaven. "The capital actually hides its soldiers in the mountains! " Looking out over the nine-dragon range, faintly discerning the qi of arms, he said in astonishment.

The several soldiers on the bird's back were just as astonished, and all looked toward him; one of them said, "Little brother, have you kin in the army? To know that troops are hidden in the mountains.

" Shen Mu did not answer. That he could make out the thousands upon thousands of soldiers hidden within the nine-dragon range was owing to his Heaven-Soaring Eye; among the Ninefold Heaven Gazing Art that the blind old man had taught him was the art of reading qi.

To read qi is to observe the fortunes of a place.

In a place like the capital, where troops were gathered on such a scale, the martial qi employed to suppress the fortune of the empire could not possibly escape his eyes. The mounted archers escorted them as far as the capital gate, then took their leave.

Shen Mu and Wei Yong showed their travel permits at the gate and entered the capital; beneath the Son of Heaven's feet, it was naturally prosperous to the utmost. Though Shen Mu had been to Jiangling City, and its prosperity had already opened his eyes wide, the capital was another scene entirely.

Here there was prosperity, yet not the haggling of merchants over every penny; here there was not only accumulated wealth, but something more: a deep cultural foundation. The houses and towers here had true flavor; the stone lions beside the streets were carved with great care; the couplets on the gates of great households were full of ingenious charm; and the door gods pasted upon every household's gate stirred a strange feeling, as though these door gods might truly come to life and block demons and monsters. From the small one knows the great; a single leaf tells the season, a drop of water tells the ocean.

Shen Mu observed all around him and understood well how fearsome this empire was.

The village headman and the others had once said that Jingping was a nation disguised as a sect; only now did he know how powerful that sect truly was. "Brother Shen, have you a place to stay?

" Wei Yong invited. "If not, why not stay a few days at the Duke's residence? When the Imperial Academy opens, we can go together to sit its examination. " Shen Mu hesitated, then shook his head.

"I have old acquaintances from my home village here in the city, and I mean to go to them. Brother Wei Yong, let us part here.

" Wei Yong had no choice but to let it be. "Once you are settled, send someone to the Duke's residence to let me know. " Shen Mu laughed. "I will.

By the way, Brother Wei Yong, where are the brothels? " Wei Yong's face turned strange.

"I would never have guessed Brother Shen was a man of such. .

.

such refinement, fond of that sort of thing. The capital's largest brothel is in Flower Lane.

Walk down Fenghua Street to the end, turn right, and after three more streets you will see Flower Lane. The finest house in Flower Lane is called the Rain-Listening Pavilion.

Cough, cough, do not ask me how I know; I have never been there.

.

. Take care of your health! " Shen Mu was puzzled. What sort of thing was going to a brothel? And what had it to do with his health?

The two took their leave.

Shen Mu went forward with Snow Fox, walking along Fenghua Street.

"This is not a brothel.

.

. " In Flower Lane, Shen Mu looked at the buildings on either side, doubt in his heart.

The roof tiles here were blue-green, but the buildings were vermilion, and lanterns hung before the doors.

"Young sir, come up and play!

" some young ladies called from the upper floors, waving to him.

"Master Mu, do you know them?

" Snow Fox asked doubtfully. "They are shouting so warmly! " "Last time I went to Crimson Dragon City it was the same; some sisters were very warm, and it was hard to get used to.

" Shen Mu walked deeper, reading the signboards along the way. Flower Lane ran deep, turning and twisting seven times over, and farther in it was no longer so clamorous. The girls here were reserved, leaning at the windows with pipa in hand, the pipa half hiding their faces, plucking softly, cool and plaintive.

Deeper still, low notes of the qin drifted out; Shen Mu looked through an open door and saw gauze veils floating in the courtyard, several young girls running to and fro among the gauze hangings, and a woman tuning her qin. Farther in, some girls practiced song and dance upstairs, laughter like crisp little bells drifting out now and then, very playful and lovely. And here the lane held fewer passersby; from the courtyards men emerged now and then, as though they were the masters of the houses, with gentle, modest women straightening their clothes for them and seeing them off with lingering looks. Yet the men who came out, catching sight of Shen Mu, all hid their faces, as if they feared being recognized. Shen Mu was puzzled: walking out of one's own home was no disgrace, so why hide one's face?

"City folk are truly strange.

" He walked to the depths of Flower Lane and saw a building bearing the words "Rain-Listening Pavilion.

" Its doors were locked tight, yet the courtyard looked deep and profoundly tranquil.

Shen Mu stepped up and knocked; after a moment he heard a tip-tap, tip-tap of footsteps, and a girl's soft, gentle voice came: "Coming, coming. " Inside came the sound of a door bar being drawn, then the door opened a crack, and a girl peeked out from behind it.

Seeing Shen Mu, she asked curiously, "Sir, whom have you come to see? " Shen Mu said courteously, "Is Fu Qingyun in?

" The girl opened the door halfway and smiled. "May I ask the young master's name, so that I may announce you?

" "Tell her my surname is Shen.

" "The young master has arrived?

" Voices of girls came from within, clear and bright, chattering like little spring birds talking in trees that had just put out tender buds.