BEGW C48

Chapter 48

After New Year’s Day, the entire Great Zhou court took a five-day holiday.

During this period, most officials left Xianyou Palace and returned home, but after some hesitation, Jiang Yuxun still decided to stay.

The reason was very simple: the Jiang family’s estate had not installed fire walls.

…

Over more than half a year, the small town outside the temporary palace had become increasingly prosperous.

Before noon, the riverside tavern was already full.

The shopkeeper set down a dish of boiled chestnuts and withdrew from the private room.

Once he had closed the door, Jiang Yuxun finally took out a flask of new wine and filled a cup for Zhuang Youli, who sat across from him.

…He had come today to bear brambles and plead for forgiveness.

“Youli, about that day I truly apologize. Perhaps I drank too much… and accidentally spilled out everything in my heart.” Jiang Yuxun offered a somewhat guilty explanation.

Peeling chestnuts, Zhuang Youli exposed him dryly: “You’re like that even when you don’t drink.”

Jiang Yuxun couldn’t help nodding in agreement: “…That’s true.”

Although his debuff only activated in front of Ying Changchuan, over time Jiang Yuxun had inadvertently formed the habit of speaking frankly.

—Once a person grows used to being straightforward, it’s hard to change back.

Hearing this, Zhuang Youli popped a chestnut into his mouth, then, with reluctant grace, lifted his cup for a sip while thinking aloud: “A single flask of wine won’t buy me off. Let me think—”

Before he finished, a commotion rose from below the restaurant.

The shopkeeper’s voice carried from downstairs to the ears of the two.

“Master Jie, please, this way!”

“Uh… truly sorry, but the Sky-character private room has already been reserved in advance.”

“How about the Earth-character private room—would that do?”

The room Jiang Yuxun was in happened to be the “Sky-character private room,” and upon hearing the voices outside, the two of them looked out the window in unison.

A soft sedan chair had stopped at the restaurant entrance, and beneath it stood a slick-faced young man.

The house-servant beside him had an exceedingly arrogant air: “Reserved? Who dares compete with our Master Jie for a private room?”

With that, he pulled a bit of silver from his sleeve and threw it into the shopkeeper’s hand, saying with utter arrogance, “Go, give this to him, and tell him to vacate the room for our young master!”

The shopkeeper, extremely distressed, cupped the silver. He was just about to say something when a soft exclamation came from Master Jie’s embrace: “Young master, we still can’t go in? I’m a bit cold.”

Only then did Jiang Yuxun notice that this “Master Jie” actually had someone held in his arms!

“Wow…” Cradling his wine cup, Zhuang Youli lowered his voice to gossip to Jiang Yuxun, “That one downstairs is a famous fop of Zhaodu, and the one in his arms is his newly acquired male favorite.”

“Male favorite?” Though long aware that male love was in vogue in this era, Jiang Yuxun had not yet seen it with his own eyes since his transmigration.

He fixed his gaze on Master Jie’s embrace.

—The male favorite looked about twenty, with features that could be called delicate, but they were shrouded beneath a thick layer of white powder, making his appearance startlingly uncanny at first glance.

“What’s with his face?” Jiang Yuxun asked instinctively.

Raised in Zhaodu, Zhuang Youli took a glance and said with jaded ease, “Oh, he’s wearing face paste. Male favorites in Zhaodu all dress like that.”

Jiang Yuxun couldn’t help furrowing his brow… all dress like that?

Did they really think that looked good?

On the banks of the Yi River, the shopkeeper, after much persuasion, finally returned the silver.

Prompted by Zhuang Youli’s reminder, Jiang Yuxun remembered—“face paste” in this era referred to lead powder. After prolonged use, the skin would turn red, dry out, spot, and age faster as a result.

The wind and snow picked up again by the Yi River. Who knew what the shopkeeper had said to Master Jie, but the latter finally, reluctantly, took the person in his arms and went up to the restaurant.

Once the outside had quieted down, Zhuang Youli, emboldened by drink, suddenly turned and looked at Jiang Yuxun: “Right, A-Xun—do you want to go have a look at the Water-Music House?”

…If memory served, this male favorite had been taken in by Master Jie from the Water-Music House.

Zhuang Youli had often heard people mention the place and had been curious for a long time.

But with a strict family upbringing, he had not only never gone, he had scarcely learned much about the rumors.

“…Water-Music House?” Jiang Yuxun murmured.

The Water-Music House was a music house with a history of a hundred years, whose musicians were famed for their qin-playing and beauty.

Some had even left their names to history and were repeatedly mentioned all the way into the modern era.

Jiang Yuxun did not know why Zhuang Youli suddenly wanted to go to the Water-Music House.

But thinking of those future-era anecdotes, he could not help growing curious himself.

Seeing Jiang Yuxun hesitate, Zhuang Youli immediately pressed the advantage: “Accompany me to take a look around near the Water-Music House, and we’ll call off the matter from last time—how about it?”

Jiang Yuxun: “…Deal!”

Zhuang Youli had never been to the Water-Music House and only knew it was not far.

Once bitten, twice shy; after the last incident, whenever Jiang Yuxun went out he brought the Xuan Yin Directorate with him.

He did not know where the Water-Music House was, but the Xuan Yin Directorate knew like the back of their hand every stir and sigh along the banks of the Yi.

An hour later, under the guidance of the Xuan Yin Directorate, Jiang Yuxun and Zhuang Youli arrived in another nearby town.

Before they even entered the town, Jiang Yuxun heard the sound of qin strings.

“We’re here!” Zhuang Youli could not help becoming excited; he pointed ahead and said, “The Water-Music House is built in that bamboo grove!”

The Water-Music House’s guests were all wealthy and noble, and its everyday way of life prized the character ya—elegance.

Therefore it was not in Zhaodu, but built within a bamboo grove.

Before he had finished speaking, Zhuang Youli had already leapt down from his horse, and in high spirits said, “Come on, let’s go inside and take a look.”

“Alright.” Jiang Yuxun hesitated for a moment and then dismounted with him.

There had been several days of continuous snow along both banks of the Yi.

Though it was now noon, the weather remained cold.

Yet the doors and windows of the Water-Music House stood wide open, and through the windows one could see… the musicians inside wore outfits of ever more flamboyance one than the next.

Most importantly, they seemed all to have applied a layer of lead powder to their faces.

Before they had even reached the base of the building, Jiang Yuxun felt something off in the atmosphere. He stopped and asked in puzzlement, “Why is everyone here so exaggeratedly made up?”

They were musicians, yet they were dressed exactly like Master Jie’s male favorite…

“I—I don’t know either…” Having never been there before, Zhuang Youli lost his nerve as well.

Another cold wind came through, lifting the sheer curtains on the Water-Music House’s windows.

An uncanny fragrance from within, together with laughter, drifted in an instant to Jiang Yuxun’s nose.

Most importantly, he saw a musician forcing wine down the throat of a young gentleman…

Damn—it seemed the “Water-Music House” was not the sort of music house he had imagined at all!

Jiang Yuxun could not help stepping back silently.

The snow underfoot creaked softly at his movement.

He hesitated, then turned to Zhuang Youli: “Youli, how about…”

Let’s beat a retreat while we still can.

Before Jiang Yuxun could finish, five or six burly slaves came out of the building and aggressively blocked their way: “Hold it—”

Zhuang Youli started with a jerk: “W-what is it?”

The newcomers all had fleshy faces and fierce eyes, not looking at all easy to deal with.

They ran their eyes up and down over Jiang Yuxun and Zhuang Youli, then said coldly: “Do the two young gentlemen have calling cards?”

“Calling cards?” Jiang Yuxun looked at Zhuang Youli in confusion.

What was that?

His companion immediately shook his head like a rattle and couldn’t help asking, “You need a calling card to come here?”

“Of course.” As they spoke, they had already formed a line, blocking the path to the Water-Music House.

Their tone and actions were extremely discourteous.

But their appearance made Jiang Yuxun exhale in relief.

He quickly stepped back half a pace, grabbed Zhuang Youli, and slipped away: “Apologies, we truly don’t have calling cards. We were only passing by today and came out of curiosity to take a look—”

He then immediately yanked Zhuang Youli around and sped off toward the other end of the bamboo grove.

The toughs exchanged a glance as if they still wanted to interrogate further.

Before they could open their mouths, Jiang Yuxun lowered his voice: “Run!”

“Right—” Zhuang Youli bolted.

The Xuan Yin Directorate, who had come with Jiang Yuxun and were keeping watch not far away, likewise took to their heels among the bamboo.

In an instant dust flew and the scene was spectacular.

With the Xuan Yin Directorate present, the two at least did not stir up any major trouble.

In the small town outside the Water-Music House.

Collapsed guiltily over the table, Zhuang Youli looked at Jiang Yuxun and said, “Sorry, A-Xun. I didn’t know the Water-Music House was that sort of place.”

He then refilled the cup before the other man with tea.

At the same time, he muttered in a low, somewhat puzzled voice: “…Tsk, I hadn’t heard before that you need a calling card to go to the Water-Music House. If I had known, I would never have rashly taken you there.”

Just thinking about those strongmen made his heart pound in lingering fear.

“It’s fine, cough, cough…” Jiang Yuxun had gulped too much cold air while running; only after downing a whole pot of warm tea in one go did he catch his breath. “Let’s call it even between us, shall we?”

His voice was a little hoarse, sounding especially bedraggled.

“Even, even!” Zhuang Youli nodded quickly and then muttered in a low voice, “Mother was indeed right; the Water-Music House really isn’t a place I should be going.”

“Next time, listen to your mother.”

“Certainly!” Zhuang Youli patted his chest. “Good thing Mother doesn’t know about this, or I’d be done for.” At the same time, he turned his gaze toward the little town, trying to find some fresh matter to divert from the topic.

Zhuang Youli had only said it offhandedly, but hearing his words made Jiang Yuxun suddenly feel a twinge of guilt.

He tightened his grip on the teacup.

Only when the tea burned his palm did he come back to himself and set it down.

What was there to fear! No matter how formidable Madam Zhuang was, she could not control him…

With that thought, Jiang Yuxun finally settled his heart.

—The displaced people wandering near Zhaodu had now been gathered together to dig canals and open up farmland.

With no more beggars along the streets, both sides of the road looked much wider and cleaner, and the townsfolk were more at ease letting their children run about the streets.

At that moment, several children were playing cuju outside the teahouse.

As they passed the ball, they chanted something under their breath…

After listening to a couple of lines, Zhuang Youli’s eyes lit up: “Are they singing the Nine-Nine Song?”

The “Nine-Nine Song” was the nine-times multiplication table, which had been created hundreds of years before; gentlemen like Zhuang Youli had encountered it in childhood.

But he had never known that, without anyone noticing, the Nine-Nine Song had spread into the common households near Zhaodu.

Jiang Yuxun picked up his teacup again and said casually, “Mm. If they know the Nine-Nine Song, they’ll be better at doing accounts in the future.”

In the previous period, the Fulin Army had been opening fields near Zhaodu.

After months had passed, news of the government’s new-style farm tools had already spread throughout Zhaodu.

Thus, when the message went out that the government would rent farm tools and oxen to the people and have them open fields together, the nearby commoners all responded at once, fearing to be one step behind.

Farm tools and oxen were limited in number; those who obtained them in the first batch had already begun staking out land during the slack season.

Their children, with no one at home to watch them, were sent to the government schools to “attend class.”

The people had different levels of literacy, and the content and pace of the “literacy classes” differed as well.

At that time, children in counties like Lanzé were still learning the official speech, but schools near Zhaodu had already begun teaching the Nine-Nine Song.

Children always liked to show off new knowledge to their companions.

The “Nine-Nine Song” and other knowledge learned at school spread in this way—one to ten, ten to a hundred—gradually disseminating along the banks of the Yi River.

Before anyone realized it, it had become the most popular children’s rhyme.

Seeing this, Zhuang Youli could not help clicking his tongue in wonder: “After going to school, they really do look more obedient than before.”

Then he couldn’t help looking off into the distance; glancing at the wheat fields covered in heavy snow, he said with a hint of regret, “It’s a pity that on the first batch of cleared wasteland, there was only time to plant wheat.”

Jiang Yuxun’s hand tightened reflexively around his teacup.

The words he had heard in the Flowing Clouds Hall reappeared in his mind.

…What he wanted to find might well be in Zherou.

※

After the meal, Zhuang Youli returned to Zhaodu to reunite with his family.

Jiang Yuxun, who had been mooching heat at the Flowing Clouds Hall, did not hurry to rest, but chose instead to visit an official who had been to Zherou.

—He was not from Zhaodu, and therefore had not left the palace for these five days.

The eunuch brought hot tea. Jiang Yuxun held it without rushing to drink: “…To be frank, the reason this time for consulting Lord Tang is to ask what exactly you saw in the royal court back then.”

The young official sitting opposite him, named Tang Yimeng, thought for a moment and answered:

“Beyond gold and jade and pearls, there were mostly fruits and vegetables I had never seen before. Those traveling with us briefly mentioned their names at the time, but it’s been so long that I’ve forgotten most of them.”

His tone brimmed with remorse; when he finished, he could not help heaving a heavy sigh.

The Great Zhou and Zherou could be called hereditary enemies.

At that time, the envoys—including himself—had all seen this tour as Zherou’s show of ostentation.

Not only had he kept a cold face throughout, he had not paid much attention to the items displayed in the tent.

“No matter,” said Jiang Yuxun, not presently concerned about the unfamiliar fruits and vegetables. He gripped his teacup a little nervously. “Might I ask, my lord—did you happen to see wheat?”

“Wheat…” Tang Yimeng mulled it over for a long while, then finally nodded seriously: “I did see it!”

Jiang Yuxun immediately pursued, “Do you remember what it looked like?”

Tang Yimeng bit his lip and said, “The Great Zhou has wheat too, so I did not look closely that day… I only remember that Zherou lands are barren and arid, unsuited for agriculture. Those wheat seeds were not planted in the ground, but were placed carelessly in one of the royal court’s chambers along with other rarities sent from the Western Regions.”

Though Tang Yimeng had not clearly seen what those seeds looked like.

At this, however, Jiang Yuxun could not help letting out a small laugh—Zherou was a truly nomadic nation; they did not understand how important wheat seeds were to the Great Zhou.

…The less Zherou valued those seeds, the more advantageous it was to him!

“May I ask how many days Lord Tang stayed in Zherou at the time, and whether you saw those hostages from the Western Regions during that time?”

At the question, Tang Yimeng suddenly sensed that something was off.

…Was Lord Jiang gathering this knowledge intending to send people to Zherou to observe the features of the Western Regions in detail?

Though he felt a bit suspicious, he did not show it outright.

Zherou was a treacherous, bitterly cold place; making a trip there was no easy matter.

Tang Yimeng answered honestly: “In answer to Lord Jiang, our party stayed at Zherou’s royal court for five days. We were watched, with very limited freedom of movement. We saw only Her Highness the Princess and her attendants—not a single person from the Western Regions.”

He thought that, after hearing this, Jiang Yuxun would completely abandon the idea.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing the words, the man sitting opposite merely gripped his teacup and murmured softly: “…Five days’ time.”

—Jiang Yuxun did not seem to have given up.

Since it was still the holiday period, Jiang Yuxun had no wish to disturb Tang Yimeng further.

Having learned what most aroused his curiosity, he returned to the Xuan Yin Directorate garrison.

The attack he had suffered once more sounded the alarm for him: he had to practice martial arts properly; he absolutely must not go at it with three days of fishing and two days of drying nets.

The Xuan Yin Directorate garrison was as busy as ever.

Yet after circling the grounds with a light sword in hand for quite a while, Jiang Yuxun still did not find the person he sought.

Seeing this, he finally could not help calling out to a member of the Directorate: “Where has Commander Qi Pingsha gone?”

“In answer to Lord Jiang, Lord Qi just married last year. The moment the New Year’s holiday began, he left Xianyou Palace to return home!” After answering Jiang Yuxun, the Directorate member could not help asking curiously, “Does Lord Jiang have urgent business? If so, I can send someone to fetch Lord Qi.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yuxun quickly waved his hand: “No, no. I only wanted to ask Lord Qi to practice sword with me.”

“I see…”

After a few beats, Jiang Yuxun’s eyes suddenly lit up: “Why don’t you teach me?”

Members of the Xuan Yin Directorate were all peerlessly skilled in martial arts; teaching him would be no problem at all.

“No, no, no!” The Directorate man quickly waved his hands and backed away. A bit embarrassed, he said, “Lord Qi said previously that we’re likely to go easy on you, and forbade us from interfering with your sword practice.”

What he said was not false.

Jiang Yuxun could not help sighing: “It seems I won’t be practicing sword today.”

With that, he weighed the sword in his hand and, regretful, prepared to head back.

A cold wind blew over his head, shaking the snow from the treetops down onto the ground.

A few flakes slipped into his collar, chilling the person beneath the tree.

“Tss…”

Just as the words left his lips, light footsteps came from behind.

Before he could turn to see who it was, a familiar voice sounded by his ear.

“It is a day of rest, and yet my beloved minister is still busy at this hour.”

…Ying Changchuan?

Jiang Yuxun’s breath caught. Together with the Directorate members, he immediately turned and bowed to the newcomer.

Having spent long enough at the emperor’s side, he reacted almost instantly—there was a hidden meaning in Ying Changchuan’s words.

He had been accompanied by the Xuan Yin Directorate all day; no guessing was needed to know that Ying Changchuan had surely heard about his trip to the Water-Music House.

Though it had not been his intention, and though he had been blocked before even entering the door.

Even so, facing Ying Changchuan at this moment, Jiang Yuxun felt a baseless guilt rise.

He could not help sneaking a glance up at Ying Changchuan.

Seeing the other still wearing that usual half-smiling look, Jiang Yuxun had no choice but to steel himself: “…Your Majesty flatters me.”

As soon as the words fell, he regretted it inwardly.

Aaaah!

“Flatters me”? What did he just say!

At that moment, he wished he could bite off his own tongue.

Luckily, perhaps because of the holiday, Ying Changchuan did not take issue.

He let his gaze fall upon the long sword in Jiang Yuxun’s hand and, after a few beats, said slowly, “Raise the sword.”

The surrounding Directorate members exchanged looks, bowed, and withdrew.

Ying Changchuan wanted to watch him practice?

There was no time to think; Jiang Yuxun, following prior instruction, gripped the hilt with the strength of his thumb and forefinger: “Yes, Your Majesty—”

In the next moment, Ying Changchuan stepped forward and, standing behind, slowly lifted Jiang Yuxun’s wrist which had begun to sag downward.

Finally, he chuckled lightly: “It seems my beloved minister has only listened to half my words; the hand has sunk again.”

In an instant, their bodies drew close.

At the very moment he spoke, Jiang Yuxun couldn’t help giving a little shiver.

With the movement, the soft crown of his head, without warning, brushed across the Son of Heaven’s chin.

A faint fragrance and slight tremor spread from that point through Ying Changchuan’s limbs and bones.

The Son of Heaven’s movement stilled.

“…Your Majesty?” Jiang Yuxun’s tone grew a little strange.

Seeing that he still did not speak, and not knowing what would come next, Jiang Yuxun suddenly felt ill at ease.

Facing away from the Son of Heaven, he did not see that, in that instant, a trace of unfamiliar emotion arose in Ying Changchuan’s ashen-gray eyes.

For once, the Son of Heaven was not so entirely at ease.

He suddenly stepped back half a pace, opening a slight distance from Jiang Yuxun: “…Begin your swings.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Jiang Yuxun couldn’t help breathing out, then began swinging the long sword, one stroke after another, as he remembered.

Perhaps the aura about Ying Changchuan was too powerful; this time, Jiang Yuxun finally remembered all the points he had been instructed on before. His sword swings became particularly standard, looking quite presentable.

Yet before he had swung a few times, Jiang Yuxun realized the morning’s matter would not pass so easily.

As if—how could Ying Changchuan let him off so lightly?

Outside the Xuan Yin Directorate garrison, the sound of hurried footsteps rose again.

Eunuch Sang’s voice came from beyond the courtyard: “Reporting to Your Majesty, the musicians have arrived—”

Musicians?!

Jiang Yuxun’s heart suddenly sank; the sword in his hand wobbled completely out of line.

“Leniency to those who confess, severity to those who resist”—the eight big characters flashed up from the depths of his mind.

But before he could open his mouth, Ying Changchuan had already said softly, “Enter.”

“Yes—”

Dressed in white, the musicians filed in. Jiang Yuxun, guilty to the extreme, did not dare raise his eyes for more than a glance; he saw only a mass of hems and the instruments in their hands.

All he heard was Ying Changchuan’s casual remark: “The finest musicians of the Great Zhou are all in the imperial court.”

Seeing that Ying Changchuan seemed willing to give him a way to step down, Jiang Yuxun hurriedly managed a stiff nod: “…Yes, Your Majesty.”

At the same time, he could not help setting down the long sword and looking toward the musicians ahead.

The slanting sun reddened the musicians’ pristine palace attire, and the orchids on their sleeves.

A light breeze passed; the wide hems fluttered, tracing the outlines of somewhat spare figures.

They were the very image of transcendent elegance.

At the instant their gazes met, the qin-holding musician standing opposite Jiang Yuxun slowly bowed with a smile.

And then… revealed a mouthful of missing teeth.

“…?”

Unlike the Water-Music House musicians, the person before him did accord with Jiang Yuxun’s image of a “musician”—save for the fact that he was nearly eighty.

Seeing Jiang Yuxun stun-locked in place, Eunuch Sang quickly lowered his voice and said, “Lord Jiang, this is the head of the imperial musicians. Whatever tune you wish to hear, just tell him.”

At this, the old fellow immediately clutched his zither and came up smiling: “Which piece does Lord Jiang wish to hear?”

He looked exceedingly eager, seemingly wishing to seize this chance to display the fruits of his life’s learning to the Son of Heaven and Lord Jiang to the full.

What did he want to hear?!

Jiang Yuxun’s mind went blank.

He had intended to name a classic piece.

But at this moment, everything—High Mountains and Flowing Water, Fisherman’s Evening Song—had vanished into the ninth heaven.

“I—I…”

Just as he was struggling to regain his composure—

Ying Changchuan had already slowly drawn his brows together and asked with slight puzzlement, “Does my beloved minister not wish to hear music today?”

Asking while knowing the answer.

The garrison fell silent in an instant.

Even the imperial musician sensed a whiff of tension and no longer hurried to display his art.

Cold wind poured into Jiang Yuxun’s sleeves. He shivered and confessed everything at once: “…In answer to Your Majesty, this minister did not go to hear music today.”

As he spoke, he clenched his palm tight.

The Son of Heaven narrowed his eyes and, smiling, asked the one before him, “Then what did you go for?”

Jiang Yuxun’s voice grew smaller and smaller as he spoke: “Zhuang Youli invited this minister to the Water-Music House, and… this minister himself wanted to see whether the musicians there were truly as the tales said—both talent and beauty combined—so I went along.”

When he finished, he did not forget to patch: “Before going there, neither this minister nor Zhuang Youli knew what sort of place the Water-Music House was.”

“Oh? What did my beloved minister think of the Water-Music House musicians’ looks?”

Ying Changchuan’s tone was no different than usual, but somehow the listener felt a heavy oppression…

Thinking of the scene he’d witnessed, Jiang Yuxun shook his head at once: “Perhaps others like it, but it does not suit this minister’s taste in the least.”

At that, Ying Changchuan finally lifted his brows.

As if hearing an interesting topic, he settled in with composure: “My beloved minister’s taste?”

He had never considered this question before.

Instinctively, Jiang Yuxun followed the line of Ying Changchuan’s words and began to think.

Naturally, nothing like those musicians with heavy makeup.

Apart from that… the most important thing was that the figure had to be good.

Oh, and height mattered too—definitely couldn’t be short.

As for the face—

At that thought, a strange feeling rose in his heart.

This description seemed a bit off.

He couldn’t help lifting his eyes to sneak a glance at Ying Changchuan.

No—why did it sound more and more like him?

Snow thudded from the trees to the ground.

With the soft sound at his ear, sensing danger, Jiang Yuxun finally steeled himself and unsheathed the ultimate move he had always wanted to use but never had—

He suddenly raised his hand and pressed hard upon his own throat: “Ugh…”

“Cough, cough, cough…”

Snow fell thickly; the garrison suddenly erupted with a heart-rending fit of coughing.

In the next instant, Eunuch Sang immediately led a group to crowd around him:

“Lord Jiang?!”

“Lord Jiang, what’s the matter, Lord Jiang?”

“Let go, let go, Lord Jiang!”

Footnotes:

1. Fire walls: Brick or masonry heat-retaining walls used to keep interior rooms warm in winter; estates without them could be uncomfortably cold.

2. Male favorite: A male companion in elite circles; here presented as a kept partner amid prevalent male-male patronage culture of the period.

3. Face paste/lead powder: Traditional cosmetic powder containing lead; historically associated with skin damage and health risks from prolonged use.

4. Calling card (拜帖): A formal visiting card presented to request admittance or announce a visit to elite venues or households in premodern Chinese etiquette.

5. Water-Music House: A storied “music house” set in a bamboo grove; in practice blending performance culture with illicit entertainment.

6. Nine-Nine Song: The traditional nine-times multiplication table used as mnemonic verse; taught to improve numeracy among commoners’ children.

7. Fulin Army and Xuan Yin Directorate: Government military-agricultural corps and an intelligence/security agency in this narrative; titles rendered functionally.