Chapter 134: Invitation

The next day, Lady Fan was arranging flowers in the courtyard with Seventeenth Miss. As they arranged the blossoms, the two chatted idly.

Lady Fan remarked, "When Father was traveling to his official post, he happened to pass through Luoyang, where the Prefect invited him to a flower festival. Father mentioned that the banquet halls there were entirely screened with flowers, right up to the beams, pillars, and arches, with bamboo tubes holding water everywhere, and blossoms pinned and hung about. Wherever one looked, there were flowers—truly a magnificent sight."

"Another day, I shall arrange a vase with peonies. Seventeenth, you have always loved peonies. How do you think a peony arrangement would look?"

Seventeenth Miss replied, "I love the peony precisely because it stands aloof from the world. In the past, when Empress Wu issued an imperial decree to tour the back gardens the following day, she wrote: 'Tomorrow I shall visit the upper gardens, send word quickly to tell Spring to awake; the flowers must bloom overnight, do not wait for the morning breeze to urge them.' Yet while all the other flowers bloomed, the peony alone lagged behind. In her fury, Empress Wu ordered the entire garden of peonies to be burned. Now, to have a cut peony branch placed among all the other flowers and crammed together in the same vase—is that truly the peony's original intent?"

Lady Fan laughed and said, "Mine is finished. What do you think?"

Seventeenth Miss smiled, "It is fine, but it would look even better arranged in an ancient bronze vase."

"Oh, you! You must always find a fault and pick a reason for everything. No matter how fine the vessel, you always manage to disparage it."

Seventeenth Miss giggled, "It is only because Sister-in-law spoils me. My flower arrangement has always been poor anyway. I won't do it anymore."

Lady Fan chuckled, "So there is finally something you cannot do."

Despite saying this, Lady Fan still instructed a maid to bring an ancient bronze vase for flower arranging.

As the sister-in-laws strolled through the garden, Lady Fan suddenly said, "That speech last night by the Second Brother that won Father's praise was not his own idea; he was merely borrowing someone else's words."

Seventeenth Miss asked, "Oh? Did Father notice?"

Lady Fan stopped, turned to look at Seventeenth Miss, and said, "Well, well! You keep secrets so tightly and never shared a word with me. Tell me, how did you figure it out?"

Seventeenth Miss smiled, "Good Sister-in-law, I will tell you. At first, I assumed Second Brother had indeed made great progress in his studies during the past half-year at the Imperial Academy. But when I looked at Second Sister-in-law's face, she was frowning deeply. She shares Second Brother's pillow and knows his scholarship better than anyone. Yet when Second Brother was praised by Father, Second Sister-in-law showed no joy at all. That planted a doubt in my heart. After what you just said, it all became clear."

Lady Fan said, "No wonder. Second Sister-in-law has never been on good terms with me. If Second Brother were to gain influence, she would naturally put on airs in front of me. You are certainly observant."

The two resumed walking along the lakeside path. The winding path by the Wu family's lake was lined with weeping willows, and as they walked, they frequently had to reach up to brush aside the drooping willow branches.

Seventeenth Miss said, "Sister-in-law, I must say a word about you. Second Sister-in-law isn't a bad person; she is simply a bit too aloof on ordinary days and reluctant to mingle with people in the estate."

Lady Fan replied, "I detest people like that. Besides, among sisters-in-law, is there ever such a thing as good and bad? It usually just comes down to finding each other grating to the eye."

Saying this, Lady Fan laughed, "Let us not speak of this anymore. Do you know whose words Second Brother was borrowing?"

Seventeenth Miss smiled, "Probably one of his fellow students at the Imperial Academy? But the way Sister-in-law puts it makes it sound as though I might know the person as well. I cannot guess."

Lady Fan smiled, "You cannot guess? Do you remember that young Master Zhang from when we crossed Xianxia Ridge?"

"It is actually... him..."

Hearing this, Lady Fan looked somewhat surprised. She turned back to look at Seventeenth Miss behind her, only to see her holding one hand up to shield her face from a drooping willow branch while lightly lifting the hem of her silk skirt with the other. Her eyes appeared lowered, fixed on the path, not daring to meet Lady Fan's gaze. Yet in the brief flash of expression across her face, which was fairer than frost, Lady Fan detected something unusual.

Suspicion stirring in her heart, Lady Fan led the way past that stretch of the path and into a pavilion to sit down.

Several elderly maidservants had already laid out summer fruits and refreshing beverages in advance.

The stone stools in the pavilion had also been fitted with brocade cushions ahead of time.

Once seated, Seventeenth Miss calmly said, "Just now, I was accidentally grazed on the face by a few willow branches, and it stung a little. I still remember that Young Master Zhang the Third. He once remarked, 'Of all the troubles in the world, the hardest to deal with are those disguised as peace and tranquility, when in reality unforeseen calamities lurk beneath.'"

At this point, Seventeenth Miss smiled again, "Now, however, he seems to have changed to: 'Only by preserving the court laws and institutions can one thus repay the country.'"

Lady Fan also feigned ignorance and smiled, "Come to think of it, one statement is daring while the other is cautious. One never knows which words are true and which are false."

Seventeenth Miss said, "Father is the truly formidable one."

Lady Fan continued, "Last night, after Second Brother and Shilang entered the study together to speak with Father, Second Brother confessed the truth himself. According to Second Brother, among those studying in the same hall, this young Master Zhang is one of the youngest, and nothing else stood out about him. However, Second Brother mentioned that Young Master Zhang had proactively sought to befriend him several times..."

At this, Lady Fan thought to herself: Why would Young Master Zhang proactively seek to befriend Wu Anchih? Could it be...

As Lady Fan pondered this, she couldn't help glancing at Seventeenth Miss again, only to find her asking in an ordinary tone, "And then?"

Lady Fan said, "Then I am not quite sure; that was just what Shilang told me. Though Shilang also praised Young Master Zhang's scholarship a bit in front of Father..."

"Then... does Father trust my brother's judgment?"

"That I do not know."

"Oh, by the way, there is another rather strange matter."

"What matter?"

Seeing that Lady Fan was deliberately trying to keep her in suspense, Seventeenth Miss patiently sat and sipped her perilla drink.

Finally, unable to hold back any longer, Lady Fan said, "Father mentioned another matter in the study last night. He said that since he has some leisure time while in the capital to report on his duties, he wants Shilang and Second Brother to invite more of the capital's young talents to the estate for banquets. That way, once the two boys receive their hereditary official posts, they will have support in their official careers, and he can also observe the demeanor of today's rising generation..."

Seventeenth Miss paused, lowering her cup without drinking further.

Lady Fan feigned an air of casual indifference and said, "It is also rather strange. Why would Father take such a fancy to this? Besides, when it comes to the marriages of your several elder sisters, those were all decided by matchmakers' words. Families would come to propose, and Father would choose based on their family background and character. He never arranged anything in advance like this..."

"Sister-in-law, please... please do not say anymore..."

Lady Fan laughed, "It is rare to see you blush like this. However, when Shilang asked Father whether he meant selecting young talents who are not yet betrothed, Father severely scolded him. I suppose that makes sense; our Wu family... even if true... perhaps Father truly just wishes to catch a glimpse of today's talents."

"Yes, Father... must have had that in mind." Though Seventeenth Miss spoke thus, her face was already flushed red like wine.

It was a holiday at the Imperial Academy.

The academy students whose homes were in Bianjing all returned early, and even Huang Haoyi went off to amuse himself.

Zhang Yue had originally planned to study in his dormitory, but by evening, Liu Zu and Xiang Qi invited him out to visit a public bathhouse.

In the past, Zhang Yue usually washed by drawing well water in the bamboo grove. Hearing that they could go to a bathhouse for a proper bath, he was tempted and immediately set out with Liu Zu and Xiang Qi.

During the Han and Tang dynasties, the ward-and-market system was strictly enforced; ordinary people lived in residential wards, while all commercial transactions took place in designated markets, and the court strictly prohibited markets outside of prefectural and county seats.

However, the Song Dynasty broke down the barriers between residential wards and markets, and grassroots markets were officially recognized by the court.

The decline in tax revenue that people had previously worried about never materialized with the opening of the markets. Instead, the abolition of the strict ward system made commerce even more flourishing and trade more prosperous.

If Du Feng's poem *Meeting Li Guinian in Jiangnan* evoked the desolate sorrow of the magnificent Chang'an of the High Tang, then the prosperity of Bianjing in the Song Dynasty surpassed even that of the Tang, and even the capitals of the Yuan and Ming dynasties.

There was another thing nonexistent in the Han and Tang: starting from the Song Dynasty, the nocturnal curfew was also abolished.

As Zhang Yue and his companions walked toward the bathhouse, they could not help but admire the night view of Bianjing, truly living up to the verses: "Night markets with thousands of lanterns illuminate the blue clouds; high towers are filled with red-sleeved guests coming and going. Tea merchants bustle by the water gate as evening falls, and wine drinkers wander the bridge markets all through the night."

Although it was not yet the peak hour of Bianjing's nightlife, a glimpse of its splendor was already visible.

Cargo-laden flatbed carts still waded through streets and alleys much as they did in daylight; waiters at teahouses and eateries stood by their doors welcoming patrons; and courtesans in the multi-storied pavilions already waved their red sleeves to entice passersby.

Upon reaching their destination, they saw a small kettle hanging outside the bathhouse entrance, flanked by two warm lanterns welcoming guests.

Once inside the door, attendants immediately greeted them: "Do honored guests desire tea or bathing?"

Bianjing bathhouses mostly featured a teahouse in the front and bathing facilities in the rear. To enjoy a scrub followed by a hot pot of tea was absolute bliss!

"Bathing first!" Xiang Qi declared with the air of an old hand.

Liu Zu smiled ambiguously at Zhang Yue and said, "Third Young Master, today we will broaden your horizons."

Zhang Yue thought to himself: Surely there aren't any other kinds of services, are there?

Behind the teahouse lay a winding, secluded path, branching off into two inner gates: one named "Dieluo" and the other "Canglang."

Standing some distance outside the gates, Zhang Yue could faintly hear the splashing sounds and joyous laughter of men and women echoing from within, leaving him utterly dumbfounded. Could the social customs of the Song Dynasty really be this open?

Seeing Zhang Yue's reaction, Liu Zu and Xiang Qi burst into hearty laughter.

Zhang Yue thought to himself: I cannot let them look down on me. Who fears whom? I shall just treat this as an adult coming-of-age ritual.

With that, Zhang Yue gave a cold harrumph and marched straight toward the "Dieluo" gate. An attendant nearby hurriedly intercepted him, saying, "Dieluo is the 'women's spring.' We are heading to Canglang."

Only then did Zhang Yue realize his mistake. He looked at Liu Zu and Xiang Qi, only to find the two of them clutching their stomachs with laughter.

Entering the bathhouse, the three of them stripped off their outer garments, each took a dry towel, and stepped into a massive pool.

The large pool was crowded with grown men lounging in it with expressions of utter enjoyment. Steam rose thickly from the water, stirred presumably by hot water being continuously piped in from outside the pool.

After washing himself, Zhang Yue stepped out holding his dry towel. Immediately, attendants stepped forward to ask if he wanted a back scrub or a pedicure.

Zhang Yue first inquired about the prices and heard that both back-scrubbing and pedicures cost five cash.

"Then let's have a back scrub."

As Zhang Yue enjoyed the service, a short ci poem by Su Shi drifted into his mind:

*When did grime ever cling to the water? Look closely, both are utterly clean. A word to the back-scrubber: you labor all day swinging your elbows. Gently now, gently now, this layman was originally spotless.*

After a thorough back-scrubbing, Zhang Yue felt completely relaxed all over, feeling too lazy to move a muscle. After resting for a good while, he joined Liu Zu and Xiang Qi in the bathhouse's teahouse to rest and drink tea.

After bathing and tea, Zhang Yue walked back to the Imperial Academy, taking the opportunity to ask Liu Zu and Xiang Qi about Wu Anchih's usual preferences.

Zhang Yue wondered if he could cater to Wu Anchih's tastes and thereby use him as a stepping stone to approach Wang Anshi.

Both Liu Zu and Xiang Qi shook their heads, saying they had never heard of Wu Anchih having any particular hobbies, other than the fact that he always seemed reluctant to associate with others.

Hearing this, Zhang Yue was not discouraged. Anyone had hobbies; he would simply continue to observe slowly once back at the Imperial Academy.

The next day, after returning to the Imperial Academy, to his utter surprise, Wu Anchih took the initiative to seek him out.

This left Zhang Yue pleasantly surprised—could his sincerity have finally moved the man?

Wu Anchih invited Zhang Yue to attend a banquet at the Wu family estate fifteen days later when the Imperial Academy took a holiday.

Although Zhang Yue was not the only one invited, as many other academy students were on the guest list, it was still enough to make Zhang Yue very happy.

For befriending Wu Anchih was the most crucial step in his future alignment with the New Policies faction.