Chapter 21: Listening to Music in the Pleasure District

The city of Chang'an gradually dimmed as the number of pedestrians on the streets dwindled. Certain parts of the city were under strict curfew at night and were off-limits to the public. The district where the Goulan brothels were located, however, was exempt from these restrictions—a privilege permitted by the imperial court.

The procuress bustled about, greeting the patrons with care, knowing these were not men to be trifled with. Fortunately, this establishment belonged to the Cui clan of Qinghe, which kept most people on their best behavior. As one of the five great noble families, the Cui clan held power comparable to the Wang clan of Taiyuan, who had clashed with Su Chen just a few days prior. Thus, most who frequented the establishment gave them face. The imperial court was a complex web of intricate relationships, and members of these influential families were embedded everywhere.

"Three young masters," the procuress said, "I know you well, and I certainly won't let you leave feeling shortchanged. This young lady from Gusu is said to be a refined woman of noble upbringing. She is only passing through, and she has declared that she will only receive guests for the sake of literature and art; nothing else will be permitted."

The brothels of this era differed somewhat from those of later times. Some were purely for refined gatherings, where guests would meet to compose poetry, exchange couplets, play chess, or practice calligraphy. Upon hearing that the lady from Gusu intended to engage only through literature, Cheng Chumo’s expression soured. Much like his father, Cheng Yaojin, he possessed no literary talent whatsoever. If the encounter required poetic skill, he figured he had no chance.

"What kind of literature? If it’s all about music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, then I’m just going to be sitting on the sidelines," Cheng Chumo remarked, his face clearly darkening.

The procuress could only explain the situation as it stood, repeating the same details to all the guests. "The young lady says she will provide a topic. Most will be asked to compose a poem. Whoever writes the best one will naturally be the one to converse with her tonight."

Beyond that, the procuress refused to say another word, adhering to the rules of the house. Since the lady had not yet met a single guest, she would reveal nothing more. After the procuress left, Li Huaren began to fret. "If we are asked to compose poetry, none of the three of us will manage. I think we should take advantage of the time before things start and send someone back to our estates to bring someone who can actually write poetry."

Li Huaren still had the foresight to consider this. If the three of them couldn't handle it, they would simply summon help. However, Cheng Chumo and Su Chen were clearly less enthusiastic. Su Chen felt it was unnecessary; having memorized three hundred Tang poems during his elementary school years, he wasn't worried about pulling one or two out of his sleeve to get by. As for Cheng Chumo, there were hardly any poets in his household to begin with.

"Forget it. It seems I'll have to rely on you two. There isn't a single person in my house with that kind of talent," Cheng Chumo admitted bluntly.

Li Huaren looked at Su Chen. The Su household should have had plenty of such scholars, yet he hadn't seen Su Chen send anyone home. "Brother, don't tell me you're afraid your sister and brother-in-law will find out, and that's why you don't dare call for help?" Li Huaren teased, laughing. He assumed Su Chen was terrified of his sister and the Crown Prince, fearing a beating if they found out.

But the reality was quite different. "That's not it at all. It’s just poetry. They haven't even announced the topic yet, and we’re already calling for backup? That seems... besides, I think we might be able to handle it ourselves."

Su Chen was naturally unperturbed, but his words left Cheng Chumo and Li Huaren stunned. Since when had Su Chen become so confident? Having played with him for so many years, they had never once heard him utter a line of poetry. They wondered if he had truly convinced himself of his own talent.

"Brother, don't tell me you're planning to answer this yourself? Don't tell me you learned how to compose poetry from Taoist Master Sun?" Cheng Chumo asked, his curiosity piqued.

Su Chen’s medical knowledge had already surprised them all. Of course, since Su Chen claimed he learned it as a child while staying with Sun Simiao—a fact no one could refute—the excuse had held up. But composing poetry was different from practicing medicine. Sun Simiao was not known for his literary works, so it was unlikely he had taught Su Chen that. However, knowing that his life in the Tang Dynasty would inevitably lead to actions that would puzzle others, Su Chen had long since prepared his excuses.

"Back when I was with Master Sun, there was a period when he went out to gather herbs. A fellow Taoist friend of his came looking for him, but he wasn't there, and I was the only one around..." Su Chen repeated the same story he had used at Li Jing’s house. Cheng Chumo was hearing it for the second time. It was this "Taoist Master Dong" who had supposedly passed his knowledge to Su Chen—not just medicine, but many other things as well.

"So, Brother, you really can do it? Let’s hear a sample, then," Li Huaren said, intrigued. Among their circle of noble youths, almost no one possessed such skills. Both men were dying to know what kind of poem Su Chen could produce.

Su Chen shook his head, seeing no need to perform just yet. "There’s no topic yet. Besides, poetry requires attention to tonal patterns and rhymes. It’s not something you just dash off without thought. Once the topic is set, one must ponder it carefully and select the right rhymes. As the saying goes, 'level tones and oblique tones must be balanced,' one cannot be careless."

His words left Cheng Chumo and Li Huaren completely baffled. It sounded professional enough, but they had never heard Su Chen speak with such authority, and they couldn't understand a word of it.

"Good man! So you really do know! I thought you were just bragging. In that case, we’ll leave it to you. We only need one of us to win," Cheng Chumo said. Both he and Li Huaren knew that since the three of them were together, they only needed one of them to win the contest to gain access. The mystery of the beautiful woman was what drew them; the more elusive the beauty, the more piqued a man's interest became.

"Still, there are many people here tonight, and there are surely some literary masters among them. We should have a backup plan just in case," Li Huaren insisted, sending someone to his estate to fetch a few scholars of poetry and song.

Just then, the music in the Goulan began to play. The classical melody was exquisite, its rhythmic layers leaving those around them entranced. Su Chen listened, appreciating the beauty of the music. It seemed the Tang Dynasty had quite a bit to offer; the composition was no less impressive than some of the music from his modern life.