Chapter 18: A Beauty Amidst Chaos

Young Master Pei was seated in a small tavern, humming a little tune and savoring his wine with great delight, while behind him stood Pei Fu and Pei Lu.

Watching Young Master Pei, so cheerful and carefree as he hummed, Pei Fu found himself quietly puzzled. Since their arrival in Jiankang, Young Master Pei had been indulging in the pleasures of the city's entertainments, visiting every notable establishment along the Qinhuai River in just a few days. The wine and merriment there were unparalleled, yet for some reason, in the past two days, the young master had taken a liking to this rundown little tavern, a place so humble even birds seemed to avoid it.

This was most unlike Young Master Pei's usual temperament.

"Young Master, this tavern is shabby and ill-kept, hardly a match for your status. Why do you favor drinking here? Is the wine here so much better?" Pei Fu ventured in a low voice.

Young Master Pei chuckled and replied, "How could a servant such as yourself understand the thoughts of your master? I come to this tavern not for the wine, but for the wine maiden who brews it over there."

Following his gesture, Pei Fu saw a strikingly beautiful woman tending the wine. Eager to please, Pei Fu said, "Young Master, your eye for beauty is unmatched—she is indeed lovely."

Pei Lu, however, was perplexed and asked, "Young Master, she is but a tavern girl, with no one to rely on. If you fancy her, why not simply take her? With your wealth and power, who would dare object?"

"You fool, always thinking of taking by force," Young Master Pei snapped. "Do you take me for one of those brutes who bully the weak?"

Pei Lu dared not say another word and quickly retreated.

"When I desire a woman, it is only right that she comes to me willingly," said Young Master Pei.

"Young Master, your character is above reproach; naturally, you would never stoop to such things," Pei Fu hastened to flatter. "Besides, with your charm and elegance, just a wave of your hand and she would surely come running."

Young Master Pei found himself increasingly pleased with Pei Fu. "At least you understand me. I do like you."

"Why don't I summon the tavern keeper so you might inquire about the wine maiden's origins?" Pei Fu suggested, eager to seize upon his master's good mood.

The tavern keeper, surnamed Wu, was an elderly man. Uncertain of the reason, he was brought before Young Master Pei by Pei Fu. Seeing the noble's fine attire, he spoke cautiously, "My humble tavern is unworthy. Might I have failed to serve you properly? I beg your pardon, sir."

Young Master Pei smiled warmly. "No need to be afraid, old man. I am no villain. I only wish to ask: who is the wine maiden over there?"

Wu, a seasoned man who had spent most of his life navigating the world, immediately guessed Young Master Pei's intent from his smile. He quickly replied, "Young Master has taken a liking to her?"

Young Master Pei nodded eagerly. "Exactly. Do you know her parentage?"

Wu grinned. "You may not know, but I am her foster father. If you favor my girl, you may take her to your manor as a concubine."

He added in a low voice, "Though, about the bride price..."

Pleased by the tavern keeper’s understanding, Young Master Pei said, "Rest assured, old man. Am I not Young Master Pei? Should I win such beauty, you will receive a most generous bride price."

After the tavern keeper left, delighted, Pei Lu could not help but ask, "Young Master, do you no longer desire the Wang family's daughter?"

"Of course I do. I want both."

But as soon as he uttered these words, Pei Lu's question struck a sore spot. Young Master Pei sighed, his expression turning woeful. "But what can I do? The Wang maiden simply refuses to see my merits. If not for that, would I spend my days wandering from one wine house to the next?"

He grew more despondent. "Do you think there is any real pleasure in those places? Ah, such shallow views. Is there any woman in this world with the grace of Miss Wang?"

He turned to Pei Fu. "You always have clever ideas. Tell me, why does Miss Wang ignore me?"

The answer was obvious, but Pei Fu dared not say it. After a moment’s thought, he smiled. "Young Master, with your charm and wit, there is no reason Miss Wang shouldn't be moved by you. I suspect it is that Master Zhang who has bewitched her. If you persuade him to leave her alone, surely she will come to you in the end."

"Brilliant!" Young Master Pei smacked his thigh and turned to Pei Lu. "Go at once and find me that false monk."

"But—"

"No buts," Young Master Pei cut him off, slapping the table. "If you fail, I'll break your legs. Now go!"

Pei Lu now regretted mentioning Miss Wang, feeling utterly helpless. “Jiankang is so vast—how am I to find him?”

The so-called false monk was none other than Zhang Chi.

The previous day, Zhang Chi had been recommended by the Wang family for a military post and was soon to assume his new duties. With a few days of leisure, he planned to stroll along the legendary, glamorous Qinhuai. But as soon as he stepped out of the academy gate, he was stopped by Pei Lu, weeping bitterly.

Pei Lu had indeed been on the verge of tears. Jiankang was enormous; finding someone here was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, he recalled hearing, during the caravan's dispersal, that Zhang Chi and his companions intended to visit the Academy of the Three Nothings. After inquiring all over the city, he finally found the academy, only to be barred at the entrance. Helpless, afraid to return empty-handed, he sat and waited outside, and by fortune’s grace, Zhang Chi eventually appeared.

As soon as he saw Zhang Chi, Pei Lu grabbed his sleeve and, near tears, pleaded, "Master Zhang, my young master invites you to a banquet. Please, you must come."

"And why must I come simply because your master invites me?" Zhang Chi asked.

Pei Lu, face drawn with anxiety, begged, "If you refuse, my young master will break my legs. Please, don’t make things hard for me—just come."

Moved by his distress, Zhang Chi nodded. Pei Lu led the way, and soon they arrived at the tavern where Young Master Pei awaited.

Young Master Pei, growing impatient, had been placated by Wu, who sent the lovely wine maiden to attend him. As Zhang Chi entered, Young Master Pei greeted him with a laugh and a show of courtesy. "It's been days since I last saw you, Master Zhang. I've truly missed your company."

"Young Master Pei, if you have business, speak plainly," Zhang Chi replied, straightforward as ever.

Young Master Pei, somewhat embarrassed, chuckled. "It's nothing, really, just a matter concerning Miss Wang. I was hoping you might help me."

Zhang Chi was puzzled. "I’ve already taught you poetry. What more can I do?"

"No need to pretend," Young Master Pei said, assuming complicity. "The Wang family is powerful indeed, and you must hope to curry favor with Miss Wang for wealth and status. But a noble family like the Wangs would hardly marry an ordinary man. Take my advice and spare yourself the trouble."

Then, confident in his own cunning, he continued, "Why not give up your claim to Miss Wang in exchange for money?"

But realizing this sounded crass, he added, "No, not money—three estates and a hundred acres of prime land. How about it?"

Such a fortune—surely Zhang Chi would be tempted.

Zhang Chi found Young Master Pei both amusing and endearing. "But Miss Wang is not mine to give. How can you or I make such a bargain?"

"Er..." Young Master Pei pondered. "Not to give, just to have you stop pursuing her."

"And if Miss Wang comes after me? Does that count?" Zhang Chi asked.

Young Master Pei scoffed inwardly; a woman like Miss Wang would never pay him any mind unless he sought her out. But aloud, he said, "Of course not, of course not."

"Can it be, Young Master Pei, that you cannot find another woman besides Miss Wang?" Zhang Chi asked, exasperated.

"Who do you take me for?" Young Master Pei protested. He pulled the wine maiden close, showing off. "See, here is my newly purchased concubine. Such a beauty, I wager you’ve never even tasted, Master Zhang."

The wine maiden, who had merely come to refill his cup, was horrified to hear she had already been sold as his concubine. She yanked her hand away and tried to flee, but was blocked by Wu the tavern keeper, who struck her hard and sent her tumbling to the floor. "Ungrateful wretch! A noble wants to take you into his household, where you’ll want for nothing, and you dare to run? If you don’t please this gentleman, I’ll break your legs!"

The wine maiden did not dare protest, but knelt on the ground, sobbing quietly—a clear sign she was often treated thus. Zhang Chi could not bear it. For women of the lower classes in this era, dignity was a luxury; to be bought and sold was common, their fate not their own.

Seeing her suffering, Zhang Chi's heart ached. As Wu raised his hand to strike again, Zhang Chi intervened.

"Young Master Pei, you want me to stay away from Miss Wang? Then give me the wine maiden in exchange."

Young Master Pei was stunned, hesitating between the two. The wine maiden, though tear-stained, remained strikingly beautiful, while Miss Wang was matchless in grace. He could not decide.

But as the saying goes, what one cannot easily have is the most desirable—especially true for privileged men like him. The wine maiden, though lovely, was of humble birth and easily won. Miss Wang, however, had always eluded him, making her all the more enticing.

He imagined, as long as this troublesome "fake monk" was out of the way, Miss Wang would soon be his. The thought brought a lascivious smile to his lips, as if he had already won her.

At last, steeling himself, Young Master Pei nodded. "Very well. I give the wine maiden to Master Zhang."

He grinned slyly, hinting at shared understanding. "So Master Zhang is a man of similar taste—fond of beautiful girls. Had I known, I’d have bought two beauties for you long ago."

"And what about my bride price?" Wu the tavern keeper interjected quickly.

Young Master Pei waved him off. "Rest assured, I am a man of my word. You shall not be shortchanged."

Wu, satisfied, retreated, leaving the wine maiden still kneeling and weeping.

For the sons of the great clans in the Wei and Jin dynasties, concubines were as numerous as cattle, and their status even lower. Zhang Chi accepted the beauty from Young Master Pei with a laugh, but felt no gratitude. "Very well, then I shall not pursue Miss Wang further. But whether you can win her heart depends on your own skills, Young Master Pei."

It cost him nothing, so why not agree?

"As long as you do not meddle, I am more than capable," Young Master Pei replied, shaking his round head with confidence.

…

After coming to terms with Young Master Pei, Zhang Chi led the wine maiden back to his quarters at the academy. She followed timidly, keeping her distance and not daring to speak.

Santong, seeing Zhang Chi return with a beautiful woman, remarked to Dao Xuan, "Why does Brother Zhang always attract beauties, while I never have such luck? Truly envious."

Dao Xuan, a monk since childhood and a few years younger, did not yet understand such things. "They’re just painted skeletons—what is there to envy?"

Santong knew better than to debate with a monk and said nothing more, but went to Zhang Chi, "Brother Zhang, Miss Wang sent a message: your appointment from the court has arrived. You are to prepare and report to the military office tomorrow."

Zhang Chi nodded, then led the wine maiden into his room. Only then did he take a good look at her. As he was about to speak, she dropped to her knees with a thud. "Thank you, sir, for saving me. You are a true gentleman. I wish to serve at your side, to pour your tea and water, if you would allow it."

She spoke so because, in the Wei and Jin era, the status of maids and concubines was abysmal—concubines ranked below livestock, and maids below even that. Now, as Zhang Chi's newly acquired maid, she could only kneel and beg. If her new master was indeed honorable, perhaps she could preserve her chastity.

Having lived here some time, Zhang Chi understood these distinctions. He smiled gently. "Get up. I did not bring you here for your beauty, but because I could not bear to see you humiliated. Besides, I enjoy good wine, and you brew it well. From now on, you shall be my brewer."

Still, she did not rise, as if she did not believe him. Zhang Chi sighed, "I am merely a refugee from the north, not a nobleman. Stay with me for now, brew my wine, and if ever you find another path, you are free to go."

His sincerity finally soothed her fears. She stood, hands clutching her sleeves, head bowed, silent.

The atmosphere grew awkward, so Zhang Chi asked, "What is your name?"

"I have no name," she replied respectfully. "Since I have always brewed wine, everyone simply calls me the wine maiden."

"Did your parents not give you a name?" Zhang Chi asked, surprised.

"I have no parents," she said, her voice faltering. "I, too, am a refugee from the north. I was still a child when my parents were killed by soldiers along the way."

"Any other family?"

She shook her head, weeping softly. "I once had a younger sister, but after we reached the south, she starved not long after."

Born in troubled times, what choice did she have? Zhang Chi could not help but feel sorrow.

"To survive in Jiangdong, I sold myself into servitude. Later, misfortunes followed and I was tricked by Wu the tavern keeper, who meant to raise me a few years, then sell me to a wealthy household. I refused, so he beat and cursed me every day. Without your help, I..." She could not finish.

Tears, long held back, now streamed down her cheeks. For years, she had suffered in silence, never daring to confide in anyone. Now, meeting Zhang Chi—kind-hearted and fellow refugee—she remembered her hardships, and the tears finally flowed.

To be born in a chaotic age is to have no control over fate. Whether she would end up behind silk curtains or in the gutter, only heaven could decide. Such a fate—how bitter it was.

What Zhang Chi could not abide most was a hero brought low, or a beauty shamed. To see such a lovely woman, who had known only suffering since childhood, pained him deeply. This was not the detached sorrow of reading about beauties lost in history books, but a reality he now faced himself.

He wanted to say something, but the words caught in his throat.

"Don't call yourself a servant anymore," he said at last. "My name is Zhang Chi. From now on, call me Brother Zhang, and I shall call you Wine Maiden."