Chapter 167: Prosperity

Inside the inn, Chen Xin changed his clothes, listlessly sipped some tea, and heard someone knocking at the door. He opened it to find the fat monk hanging his head at the doorway; seeing Chen Xin come out, he immediately knelt.

Chen Xin hurriedly helped him up and said, "Silly Monk, what are you doing? There's no need for this. It wasn't intentional, but next time be more careful. When we get back, go learn to swim with the naval force — in case Mr. Liu ever falls into a river, you'll be able to save him."

Silly Monk mumbled, "This lowly one deserves death ten thousand times over."

Chen Xin laughed heartily, patted him on the shoulder, and offered a couple of words of comfort. This Silly Monk was also a thick-skinned, carefree sort, and he quickly returned to his usual foolishly cheerful demeanor.

Chen Tingdong was still sitting under the covered corridor. Watching this, he praised, "My lord's heart is broad and magnanimous; he leads soldiers as if they were his own sons. No wonder he can sweep across the Jianzhou Bandits."

Chen Xin cupped his hands in thanks. He had only ever swum in swimming pools, and his swimming skills were mediocre. After falling into the water, he had swallowed quite a few mouthfuls. The boatwoman had pulled him up with a bamboo pole. Soaked through and in no mood for anything else, Chen Xin had the boatwoman row to the Huaiqing Bridge, then returned to the inn to change clothes.

After sending Silly Monk back to his room, Chen Xin went to Liu Minyou's room, shut the door, and grumbled in a low voice, "What the hell kind of bodyguard is this? When we get back, replace him. Send him to farm."

"Silly Monk is fine. If it weren't for him, I'd probably be serving as a soldier in Yansui Garrison right now."

Chen Xin sat down huffily at the table. Liu Minyou laughed and said, "Weren't you being all magnanimous outside just now? All for show."

Chen Xin picked up the bowl on the table, sullenly drank a few mouthfuls of tea, and said fiercely, "That lecherous monk — I finally found the mood to go have some fun, and he ruined everything. And you too — wouldn't it have been better if we'd each taken our own boat?"

By now Liu Minyou had also figured out what had happened. He laughed instead and said, "You didn't explain yourself clearly. You wanted to make a fool of me, but ended up dragging yourself into it. It's still only morning, still very early. Shall we continue boating? Those boatwomen are still waiting by the river."

Chen Xin said listlessly, "I'm not in the mood anymore."

Just then, Chen Tingdong's voice came from outside: "Shopkeeper Tang, your proprietor has returned."

The shopkeeper's voice rang out: "Exactly. This is Mr. Zuo. I wonder if the General is in."

Chen Xin hurried out and saw Zuo Changhao dressed in scholar's attire, standing with the shopkeeper under the covered corridor. Behind him followed two fierce-looking attendants. Chen Xin cupped his hands and smiled: "Brother Zuo, you've finally returned. That hurried meeting months ago feels like it was just yesterday."

Zuo Changhao returned the greeting: "How fortunate am I, to behold the General's bearing again after only a few months. To think that three months ago we were on the brutal battlefields of the north, and now we meet again by the gentle Qinhuai River — truly the unpredictability of worldly affairs."

This second meeting between the two was already much more cordial. Zuo Changhao also exchanged greetings with Liu Minyou. Chen Xin introduced him to Song Wenxian and Chen Tingdong, then ushered Zuo Changhao into the room, while quietly instructing Song Wenxian to send away the boatwomen by the river.

After entering the room, Zuo Changhao looked around and said to Chen Xin, "The water, soil, food, and drink of Nanzhili are vastly different from Shandong. I wonder if the General is accustomed to the food and lodging."

"I haven't yet thanked Brother Zuo. The inn Shopkeeper Tang chose is on the Ten-Li Qinhuai; the scenery is quite lovely."

Zuo Changhao was about to speak when he noticed Chen Xin's hair was wet. A quick glance also revealed a pile of dripping clothes on the floor. Somewhat curiously, he asked, "Did the General fall into the water?"

"Nothing of the sort." Chen Xin pointed at the woman washing clothes across the way. "I saw those women washing clothes by the river and, out of curiosity, took a set of clothes to try it myself. As it turned out, water droplets splashed up and wet my hair."

Zuo Changhao laughed: "The General has refined tastes. Though you are invincible on the battlefield, in matters of washing clothes and cooking, I fear you cannot match those women."

The two chatted and laughed for a while, then Zuo Changhao got down to business. "Not long after I returned, I heard of the General's promotion. Through the chaos of the Jisi year, Wendeng Battalion became renowned across the land — even here in the Southern Quarters, your name resounds like thunder. General Chen is even hailed as a second Qi Jiguang."

Chen Xin said, somewhat surprised, "I'm that famous in Nanjing?"

Zuo Changhao said, "Our Lord Xu also holds the General in high esteem. As soon as he arrived in Yingtian, he inquired about the matter of meeting the General. After I reported back on everything, Lord Xu approved most of it. Only the matter of the money house is no small affair and remains undecided. At the time, we also didn't know whether the General could make the trip. Lord Xu said many times that not being able to meet the General would be a regret."

Hearing this, Chen Xin guessed that Xu Xinsu had already returned. Sure enough, Zuo Changhao continued, "Both Lord Xu and I only returned to Yingtian last night. This morning, when I went to the shop and learned the General had visited, I immediately sent word to inform Lord Xu. Today, my lord had already arranged to visit several friends, so he can only host a welcome banquet for the General tonight in the Southern Quarters."

Chen Xin thought to himself that this Xu Xinsu treated people just right — maintaining a certain stature without appearing cold. He smiled and said, "Lord Xu is too kind."

Zuo Changhao glanced at the sky and said to Chen Xin, "The General has come from afar and is a guest. I have nothing to do during the day, so please allow me to fulfill my duties as host to some small degree. Permit this humble one to accompany the General on a tour of the Southern Quarters."

"Many thanks, Brother Zuo."

"The scenery of the Southern Quarters consists first of the river houses, and second of the clear streams. General, shall we..."

"Mm. We are from the north — let's skip the boats."

As usual, Chen Xin left Chen Tingdong behind to wait for Nie Hong and the others. Zuo Changhao accompanied Chen Xin's group, following the same old road they had walked that morning, heading again toward the Old Court. Zuo Changhao had three guards with him; they looked very experienced, dispersing to walk ahead and behind, maintaining a cautious appearance.

By now it was nearly noon, and the road along the river was already quite bustling. The pedestrians were all in splendid attire — almost no coarse cloth garments — and appeared thoroughly at leisure. Zuo Changhao spent a fair amount of time in Nanjing and chatted along the way about the city's sights; his introductions differed from Chen Tingdong's.

Zuo Changhao said to the group, "The Old Court is also called the Southern Quarters. The romance of Qinhuai is famed throughout the world precisely because of the Southern Quarters — exquisite dances, clear songs, poetry, books, and elegance often make one linger and forget to return. It is also a pit that consumes gold. The households living nearby mostly earn a living helping out at the river houses. Through constant exposure, they have all become devoted to luxury and ease. Occasionally, anyone not dressed in brocade or silk becomes an object of ridicule."

Song Wenxian agreed: "This is what they call mocking poverty but not mocking harlotry. May I ask, Brother Zuo, are all the pleasure quarters of Nanzhili as refined as the Southern Quarters?"

"No. In the early Hongwu years, Nanjing built fourteen towers, where all the official courtesans of the Bureau of Instruction were housed. Later, more were built successively, totaling over twenty towers — a splendor of their time. Now, only three places remain: the Southern Quarters, the Southern Market, and the Pearl Market. The Southern Market is where coarse, vulgar prostitutes dwell, frequented by peddlers and laborers — best not mentioned. The Pearl Market mostly has shabby prostitutes; though occasionally there is a beauty, the atmosphere is far inferior. Only the Southern Quarters is supreme across the four seas. Men of letters flock there like ducks. The official courtesans on the music registers alone number around two thousand, not to mention the countless private prostitutes and maidservants — beyond counting."

Although prostitutes in the Ming dynasty were also looked down upon, brothels had not yet been branded with an ideological stigma. For gentlemen, visiting them was actually considered a refined affair, so Zuo Changhao spoke of it without the slightest sense of impropriety.

Chen Xin asked, "Then are there any in the Southern Quarters named Chen Yuanyuan or Liu Rushi?"

Hearing this question, Liu Minyou also listened attentively. These two were famous courtesans renowned in later generations. He was a bit curious too. Zuo Changhao furrowed his brow and thought for a long time before asking in return, "Are they famous courtesans?"

"Exactly."

Zuo Changhao shook his head and said, "Perhaps it is my own ignorance, but I have truly never heard of them."

Chen Xin and Liu Minyou exchanged a glance, both finding it very strange. Liu Minyou asked again, "Then what about Li Xiangjun, Gu... Gu something — the so-called Eight Beauties of Qinhuai?"

"There were once some busybodies who rated the Twelve Beauties of Jinling — twelve famous courtesans of the Southern Quarters. They are long gone now. I have never heard of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai. May I ask where you two learned of this?"

The two were stunned. So the Twelve Beauties of Jinling was something Cao Xueqin had plagiarized from predecessors. Facing Zuo Changhao's curious expression, Chen Xin could only fob him off: "I heard it last time from a merchant who came from Nanjing. Perhaps he was just boasting."

Only then did Zuo Changhao nod and say, "It must be so. Perhaps they were merely shabby prostitutes from the Southern Market, and he insisted on calling them famous courtesans."

The two only knew this much about the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai. What they actually didn't know was that the people they asked about — Chen Yuanyuan and the others — were now only a few years old and had not yet come to the Southern Quarters at all. Liu Rushi, moreover, was a famous courtesan from Wu County in Suzhou; even after she became famous, she rarely came to Qinhuai to ply her trade. All of them were only forcibly grouped by later generations as among the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai.

Zuo Changhao suspected nothing and led the group across the Wende Bridge, but instead of continuing along the riverbank, they went straight ahead to Chaoku Street. This was the Southern Quarters. Inside, there were food shops, inns, goods stores, and clothing shops — everything one could need. Of course, there were also some brothels. The streets were all paved with bluestone, very clean and tidy. Green trees lined the road, dotted with emerald bamboo. Clear streams and flowing springs ran through the channels on both sides — completely different from the chaotic filth of other places.

Zuo Changhao knew his way around well and led them into a small alley, entering a food shop. Because there were outsiders present, Hai Gouzi and Silly Monk were not qualified to sit at the same table with them, so they sat at a separate table with Zuo Changhao's several bodyguards.

Liu Minyou went in and looked around. Even this tiny food shop was clean and elegant. The bamboo blinds on the doors and windows hung halfway down. Outside, jasmine and bamboo had been planted. Inside the shop, a delicate fragrance filled the nostrils.

Chen Xin said quietly to Liu Minyou, "This is the authentic, original flavor of an ancient town." Liu Minyou nodded in agreement. Compared to large restaurants, he preferred this kind of fresh, small establishment. He just didn't quite understand: from the moment they arrived in Jiangnan, everything they saw was a scene of flourishing prosperity — food and clothing crafted with exquisite care, a life of elegance. Judging by the thriving commerce and cash crops, the commodity economy was also highly developed. It was utterly different from the desolation and decay of the north. Separated only by a river, it was as different as heaven and earth. Where was the appearance of an age's end?

Zuo Changhao ordered the dishes, and the shopkeeper soon brought out desserts, all served in small dishes — not much of each, but extremely exquisite. Liu Minyou asked, "Brother Zuo has also been to the north and must know of its ruin and desolation. Why are places like Jiangnan so prosperous?"

Zuo Changhao set down his chopsticks and said to the three, "You three only arrived yesterday and still know little of Jiangnan's prosperity. Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Yangzhou each have populations of around a million. Take Nanjing as an example. In truth, the Nanzhili region has been very prosperous since the time of the Great Ancestor. By the Wanli era, the households within the city walls numbered in the hundreds of thousands. There were ninety-five major trades and countless shops. According to my own investigations in idle moments, there were over thirty sugar shops alone, more than ten large marketplaces, and reportedly over five hundred pawnshops — from this, you three can grasp the general picture. Thus it is said that of the capital of commerce under heaven, Wu and Jinling account for seven-tenths, and Minzhong for three-tenths. Even the northern capital, Jingshi, cannot compare. With merchants connecting the whole realm, the profits of Jiangnan's silk and cotton are even greater. In places like Suzhou, Jiaxing, and Songjiang, nearly every household raises silkworms and weaves cloth, so naturally they are wealthier than the north. Moreover, the rural gentry here also differ from those in the north. Compared to commerce, the profit from land is already meager. Unlike the northern gentry who single-mindedly annex land, here those with means establish various workshops. The silk and cotton textiles of Suzhou, Songjiang, and Huzhou, the gold foil and book workshops of Hangzhou — the largest can employ up to several thousand workers. How could it not be prosperous?" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to come to (.) and cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)