Chapter 60

Fortunately, we were not the only passengers on the boat. Besides the members of the flower boat, who were part of a troupe, there were about a dozen other passengers on board for various reasons, which alleviated the awkwardness of our situation.

This flower boat was not some rogue vessel wandering around aimlessly. It was a well-known old flower boat called Yunqing Workshop, which had once been home to a famous courtesan and had a venue and business on land as well.

It was said that this trip was at the request of the Jiangning Town Commander and the Jiangdong Inspector, to attend a certain event in Jianye. Therefore, the facilities and conditions were better than those of ordinary passenger boats.

We easily rented a cabin on the aft deck, which was specifically provided for passengers to stay temporarily or for short-term lodging. The cabin was fully furnished, and the thick cabin door ensured sufficient privacy.

The living quarters of the flower boat members were at a certain distance from us, avoiding the inconvenience of daily mingling. However, we could still see the colorful clothes and skirts hanging out to dry, or the various figures striking poses on the other side.

After tasting the level of pleasure that Shi Shi or Li Shishi could offer, the resistance to these temptations increased significantly, and our standards became more discerning.

Although we still had instinctive reactions to the occasional glimpses of bare skin or accidental exposure, it was merely a feast for the eyes without any real benefit.

In this light, Bo Fu, our guide, didn't seem so bad. The trip included meals and lodging, and even the benefit of a feast for the eyes. Although the fare wasn't cheap, staying on the boat for a day cost at least one string of coins.

Compared to his obscure nickname "Fierce Bird," the women on the flower boat preferred to call him "Weak Bird" because he had no interest in virtuous women and only liked to flirt with courtesans, reasoning that it was free of responsibility, free of psychological burden, and could bring some income or pass the time.

Therefore, he left behind a reputation for poor character. His agreement to guide and protect us might have been partly to avoid some trouble for a while.

However, apart from his enormous appetite and occasional loss of decorum when drunk, and his overly close interactions with the women on the boat, he was generally normal. He seemed like a good-natured uncle, and he was quite organized in arranging meals, daily routines, and night watches.

When he had free time, he liked to hang out with the women, tell some unfunny jokes, and then laugh to himself at the awkward expressions of the others.

However, his cheerful demeanor often made me tell a few jokes as well, such as the story of the umbrella fighting a bear, the sky being three feet high, and the grapevine falling down, to get closer to the other passengers.

Our public identity was that of an uncle and nephew visiting relatives. The relative was a guest in a southern place, and we were going to visit and mourn the death of an elder, so we didn't care much about money and were quite picky.

Although they were engaged in the well-known business of prostitution, they were officially a licensed troupe, and they had the corresponding skills and singing abilities.

In addition to the main members and the mostly female attendants who also served as backups, there were male musicians, singers, dancers, a clown named A Chou who performed military plays, a receptionist who greeted and entertained guests, and servants who did odd jobs and operated the boat. There were even some acrobats who earned their living on the boat.

Most of the other passengers were from the lower classes, including various craftsmen, short-distance tea merchants, and even a group of craftsmen who claimed to be from the same place and were returning home together.

However, there were also some interesting people to talk to, such as a group of hired guards led by a man surnamed Han, whose courtesy name was Liangchen. He didn't seem like a rough, uneducated person.

In a sense, he was a colleague of Bo Fu, but he was much more successful, having been on the Yangtze River route for seven or eight years and having a considerable reputation. When the boat docked, he could handle negotiations to avoid many unnecessary troubles.

He also had ways to deal with troublemakers and thieves.

We bought some wine and listened to him talk about the places he had been and the local customs, which was quite interesting. He was also interested in the small jokes I told and some obscure references.

For example, there was a painter on board, the guest who had been on the boat the longest, named Fang Qingxi, with the pseudonym "Light as the Wind." He was said to be particularly skilled in white-line drawing.

After becoming familiar with him, I saw the works he deliberately showed me, which seemed familiar. I realized it was just sketching, and then coloring it to create a simple three-dimensional image.

This white-line drawing was said to be one of the sources of the new art movement initiated by Liang Gong. Because it required only a piece of paper and a charcoal stick, almost anyone could easily get started, and over time, it became the largest group of painters.

Some traditional painters were ashamed to be associated with them and did not recognize them as part of the highbrow art world, calling them "painters" and lumping them with bricklayers and carpenters.

He didn't talk about his background, which suggested he was a wanderer and was ashamed to mention his hometown.

Only people with status or background would mention their clan or hometown.

I paid fifty coins for paper and ink and asked him to do a quick sketch of me and Bao Tou Dun. It was not very satisfactory, but Bao Tou Dun carefully kept it.

Since it was a flower boat, it couldn't be like a regular passenger boat with fixed schedules. With a group of various women, who were more troublesome than a thousand ducks, the boat often stopped for rest and business, which was somewhat annoying. However, there was also an advantage: various forces along the way rarely inspected or searched the flower boat.

On this short waterway, I saw at least seven or eight local forces with various banners. They lived under the flag of the Jiangning Army but had certain exclusive and autonomous rights in their territories and fields under the names of boat guilds and associations.

Within a specific range, they competed for various water and land resources and influence, occasionally leading to low-intensity, small-scale conflicts. Therefore, the flower boat we were on did not stop at night.

Despite this, we occasionally saw the flames of burning buildings on the shore or the bodies of people with their hands tied behind their backs, who had been thrown into the river and then released, floating in a twisted state.

The chaos in the southeastern region was evident in this short journey, but compared to the Huai region, it could be considered somewhat orderly and limited.

As we approached our destination, the women on the boat had a different mood. They seemed to have high hopes for this trip to Jiangning, filled with anticipation and excitement.

The two most common phrases we heard were:

"Do you think everyone has the fate of Xie Amian?"

"Being a Li Wa would be good enough."

Xie Amian was a legend from hundreds of years ago, a source of inspiration and an idol for these women of humble origins or those who had fallen into the world of prostitution. Her story had been told and adapted in countless versions.

Initially, she was a dancer in Xinfeng County during the Tianbao period, and because of her beauty, she was selected to enter the palace. It was the last years of the Kaiyuan era, a time of peace and prosperity, and the emperor recruited talented people from all over to celebrate the peace.

Xie Amian, despite her humble background, gained the emperor's attention and befriended famous scholars. According to her life trajectory, the best outcome would have been to become a palace lady or be assigned to a royal family member or a close minister, completing the final step of her rise to prominence, leaving behind stories like poems in the imperial canal, letters on red leaves, and hidden hairpins in winter clothes.

However, at the time, Yang Guifei was the emperor's favorite, and to prevent the emperor from becoming infatuated with Xie Amian, she adopted her as a foster daughter to cut off any romantic ties. This turned out to be the biggest turning point in Xie Amian's life.

Soon, the An Shi Rebellion broke out, and the emperor fled to Jiannan. Along the way, the soldiers became homesick and mutinied, demanding the execution of Yang Guifei to appease them.

At this time, Liang Gong led his troops to victory and used roasted wheat and lamb to quell the mutiny, saving the emperor. The emperor regarded him as loyal and appointed him the commander of the northern army, and both the crown prince and the grand prince befriended him.

Liang Gong, in gratitude for his rescue, requested to marry the princess of Yong, who had been raised in the palace, and because she was still young, the emperor bestowed Xie Amian as her substitute, to be given to Liang Gong, to show the imperial family's favor.

Later, as Liang Gong conquered the land, Xie Amian's status rose, and the nominal foster daughter became a true foster daughter. At the formal ceremony, she was a first-rank lady, the right wife, and the chief of the six ladies, leaving the palace with the adult princess.

Moreover, Xie Amian was known for her philanthropy, running famous women's camps and orphanages, and was praised for saving countless lives, earning the title of "Bodhisattva of the Dragon Lady."

Even the prestigious Xie family of Jiangdong recorded her in their genealogy, leading to ridicule.

Her story was even more popular than the tale of Chancellor Zheng Yuanhe and his wife Li Yaxian, who had a tumultuous relationship and eventually became a couple.

Li Yaxian, known as Li Wa, was also from a brothel in Pingkang. She was famous for her beauty and had many admirers. She met the talented scholar Zheng Yuanhe from Rongyang, who became infatuated with her and missed his exams. After spending all his money, he was expelled and disowned by his family, almost becoming a beggar.

Later, Li Yaxian found him, redeemed him, and lived with him, encouraging him to study hard. He eventually passed the exams and became a magistrate in Chengdu, then met a powerful figure who recognized his talent, leading to a rapid rise to the position of governor of Guannei. His family then tried to mend their relationship with him.

Chancellor Zheng Yuanhe, known as the "Renovating Chancellor," was also a protégé of Liang Gong and the Jian Nan region, who recognized his talent and promoted him. Therefore, his story was also well-known, but it was still overshadowed by the legend of Xie Amian.