Chapter 23: The Brothel

  Quanzhou, also known as Licheng, Citongcheng and Wenling, is located in the southeastern coastal area, facing Taiwan across the sea. It was the starting point of the ancient "Maritime Silk Road" and Quanzhou Port was hailed as the "First Port in the East" during the Song and Yuan dynasties.

  Ding Yunyi has come to Quanzhou for the first time.

  Entering Quanzhou, I feel curious everywhere.

  It's not bad to be in this era, the air is fresh and you can keep a sense of freshness at any time. At this point, Ding Yunyi had almost forgotten his own era.

  Zheng and Qin Yun were discussing how to cash in the jewelry they had brought, when suddenly Qin Yun shouted loudly: "Zhebai brother, where are you going?"

  That man turned his head and smiled: "It's actually Brother Xiao Jin, it's been a long time!"

  The man walked over, slightly older than Qin Yun. The two exchanged greetings, and Qin Yun introduced him to Ding Yunyi, then introduced the man to Ding Yunyi again.

  This person has the same name and surname as Eastern Jin general Xie Xuan, also known as "Xie Xuan", with the courtesy name of Zhebai, alias Mr. Wenmei, is a tribute student, originally can be directly promoted to Guozijian as a student, but for some reason he suddenly lost interest in traveling and studying, and instead turned to become a businessman who was despised by scholars.

  Qin Yun had traveled to Quanzhou and had met Xie Xuan before, so he recognized him at a glance.

  Xie Xuan looked up and down at Ding Yunyi for a while, exchanged a few polite words, but was secretly puzzled. Qin Yun had been interacting with him for some time, and he knew that this person had achieved success at a young age, was proud and arrogant, and wouldn't normally pay attention to ordinary people. So why was he now getting along with a small-time patrol inspector?

  "Where is Brother Bai going in such a hurry?" Qin Yun asked casually.

  "Qin Xieyuan was a famous talented young man, and in those years in the capital city, he gave up his future for a little girl. Could it be that such a big thing happened in Quanzhou and you don't know about it?" Xie Yan was very curious.

  Qin Yun smiled and said: "I've been a fisherman in Penghu for so long, how would I know what's going on?"

  Xie Xuan thought for a moment: "Does Brother Xiao Jin know the famous courtesan Han Xiaoxiao?"

  "Of course, I know." Qin Yun smiled: "In those years by the Qinhuai River, Han Xiaoxiao compared herself to Su Xiaoxiao of the Song Dynasty. With one zither melody and one poem 'Jade Hairpin Phoenix', she shocked all the talented scholars in Jinling City with her talent as an outsider, and took the top spot in the imperial examination, thoroughly suppressing the beauty of Qinhuai..."

  Ding Yunyi listened carefully and knew that the famous courtesans of this era were vastly different from those in his own time.

  The prosperity of brothels in the Ming Dynasty was unprecedented and unmatched by any that followed.

  Most of the "famous courtesans" were generally selling their art rather than their bodies, especially those famous ones from Qinhuai River, and men did not care whether they could get these famous courtesans' bodies or not.

  The definition of courtesans in the Ming Dynasty is not entirely the same as that of later courtesans. Courtesans in the Ming Dynasty, by Ding Yunyi's standards at that time, were equivalent to supermodels plus pop singers plus beauty queens...

  Ming dynasty courtesans were competitive with wives in many ways. This competitiveness was not only reflected in their appearance and clothing, but more importantly, it was also reflected in their cultural level. Due to professional training, Ming dynasty courtesans could not only play music and sing, but also appreciate poetry. Many courtesans were even able to write poetry and engage in poetic exchanges with customers.

  In such a situation, many men in the Ming Dynasty went to brothels, and it's not that they were there to satisfy their sexual desires, but rather to pursue "romantic love". After all, they got married at the age of 15 or 16, and with three wives and four concubines, they didn't lack "sexual resources". On the contrary, these men married their wives based on matchmakers' words, and many people didn't need to court their own wives in their lifetime, nor did they have the opportunity to do so.

  On the one hand, there is a need for "romance", on the other hand, in terms of appearance, talent, and fashion trends, they provide better options than women at home, no wonder men in the Ming Dynasty flocked to brothels.

  Those talented scholars, if they went straight to the famous courtesans' chambers, would only be met with contempt from most people. On the other hand, if they could engage in a poetic exchange with the famous courtesans and produce some good poetry, that would be a legendary tale for the ages.

  It is precisely because of this that in the Ming Dynasty, the "sex work" of famous courtesans was no longer a concern for anyone. Of course, this only applies to famous courtesans.

  Ding Yunyi knew that there were eight famous courtesans in the Ming Dynasty: Liu Ruzi, Gu Hengbo, Ma Xianglan, Chen Yuanyuan, Kou Baimen, Bian Yujing, Li Xiangjun and Dong Xiaowan. But this was the first time he had heard of Han Xiaoxiao.

  Qin Yun was halfway through speaking when he suddenly came to his senses: "Could it be that Xiao Xiao Han has arrived in Quanzhou?"

  "It's true." Xie Xuan was visibly excited: "The 'Lan Yue Lou' in Quanzhou has invited Han Xiaoxiao with a large sum of money, and she will be staying here for several months. Now, all the talented scholars from various parts of Fujian have gathered in Quanzhou just to catch a glimpse of Han Xiaoxiao's beauty."

  Ding Yunyi couldn't help but laugh inwardly, has Han Xiaoxiao finally "lost her footing"?

  "Has Xiao Xiao arrived in Quanzhou? That's great, that's great!" Qin Yun exclaimed repeatedly, looking like he couldn't wait to see Xiao Xiao immediately: "If such an opportunity is missed, I'm afraid it will be a lifelong regret. Inspector Ding, no matter what, today we must go to the Moon Embracing Pavilion."

  Seeing Qin Yun's expectant face, thinking that he had plenty of time in Quanzhou this time, Ding Yunyi nodded.

  Qin Yun couldn't help but let out a cheer, and his excited appearance was completely different from his previous calm and composed demeanor. The expectations of these Ming dynasty scholars for those famous courtesans were truly hard to imagine for later generations.

  Xie Xuan, being the host, led them to the Moon Embracing Pavilion, ordered a room, sat down, and paid for the tea. The young servant also knew that everyone who came today was here for Han Xiaoxiao, so he didn't ask if they were familiar with each other.

  Ding Yunyi's life: The first time he visited a Ming dynasty brothel, he was very curious.

  The reason why the brothels were so prosperous in the morning was entirely due to the credit of the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.

  It is said that Zhu Yuanzhang had an affair with a courtesan before he rose to prominence, and the woman even became pregnant with his child. Later, after Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor, she sent their son back to him. However, such rumors mostly originated from folk fabrications and are purely for entertainment purposes, and should not be taken as true.

  The only thing that can be true is that in the early years of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang once established a sixteen-story building on the banks of the Qinhuai River in Nanjing, and opened an official brothel. He even personally wrote a couplet for the big house and made a mobilization report. The emperor's encouragement to visit prostitutes is quite refreshing, and the object of the emperor's encouragement is "merchants" who are big spenders, under the name of increasing tax revenue for the country.

  With the support of the emperor, where is the reason for such an industry to be underdeveloped?

  As he looked at the "Embracing Moon Pavilion", it was already packed with people, each face filled with excitement and anticipation. Ding Yunyi found it strange, but she was just a prostitute, did she need to put on such an act?

  At this moment, a pipa sound started, and Ding Yunyi knew that the good show had officially begun.