As the sky over Jiangning City just began to darken, the thin mist shrouding the Qinhuai River crept up along the bluestone paths, blurring the white walls and dark tiles into an ambiguous haze.
However, the hottest topic in the city these past few days was not which top courtesan had changed her patron, but rather the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, which was tightly wrapped in black cloth.
The noble ladies who had originally been waiting to see a joke now felt as if a hundred cat claws were scratching at their hearts. Curiosity was a funny thing; the more one suppressed it, the stronger it rebounded. Although the entry fee of one hundred taels of silver was not an astronomical price, one's reputation was invaluable. If a dignified matriarch of a noble family was seen swaggering into such a den of extravagance, how could she ever hold her head high at tea parties again?
"A dead end. This is absolutely a dead end." In the inner courtyard of the Zhao residence, Madam Zhao held an ivory circular fan, fanning herself lazily, though her brows were locked in a tight frown. "That Xu girl has set the tone so high. If no one goes, I'd like to see how she manages to keep up this charade."
Yet, before the time it takes to drink a cup of tea had passed since she spoke those words, a new notice was posted over at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
As soon as this notice came out, the entire inner-courtyard circle of Jiangning exploded.
The notice didn't say much; it only drew one thing—a half-face mask painted with intricate patterns. Beneath it was a line of elegant, small calligraphy: "All who enter the pavilion must wear this mask. Carriages and horses will drive directly into the corridor, and the carriages will be locked and sealed. Even if the esteemed guest is the Emperor himself, once the mask is off, no one will recognize him."
Immediately after, people were surprised to find that a long, fully enclosed wooden corridor had been erected outside the main doors of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion at some unknown time. The corridor connected to the doors and extended all the way to the street corner. It was covered with thick tarpaulins, so much so that even when carriage wheels rolled in, people outside couldn't even catch a glimpse of the wheel tracks.
This was no corridor; it was clearly a tailor-made fig leaf for those dignitaries who still cared about their reputation.
...
The second floor of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
Xu Qinghuan stood behind the window lattice, looking through a gap in the black cloth at the newly completed corridor below.
"Daughter, will this really work?" Xu Youde was still a bit uneasy, repeatedly wiping the abacus in his arms. "Even if their faces are covered, can they really overcome the hurdle in their hearts?"
"Father." Xu Qinghuan turned around and casually picked up a fox mask painted with gold dust from the table, holding it up to her face. "The most attractive thing in this world has never been an open and honest trade, but rather the thrill of doing something in secret."
Her fingertips traced the cold edge of the mask. "If there is a mask that truly conceals one's identity, a normally dignified lady can become a wild temptress, and a master who preaches morality and justice can turn into a bloodthirsty beast. Because no one will know who they are. This mask doesn't just offer privacy; it is the key to unleashing the devil in their hearts."
Xu Youde listened, half-understanding, and smacked his lips. "You mean... we are giving these nobles a way to save face?"
"Not just a way to save face, but an excuse." Xu Qinghuan tossed the mask back onto the table with a crisp clatter. "Once this news gets out, believe it or not, within half an hour, those ladies will change their tune. They won't say they are coming to watch the spectacle. They will say, 'I am going to criticize this corrupting behavior. Since no one will recognize me, I might as well go and see what tricks the Xu family is playing.'"
As long as the excuse was justified, their feet would become exceptionally honest.
Sure enough, that very night, the side doors of several major noble families opened a crack by sheer coincidence. Those normally haughty senior maidservants sneaked into the black market one by one, offering high prices to purchase the special admission masks made by the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
...
Three days later, the grand opening was imminent.
In the main hall of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, red candles burned brightly, but instead of the usual cloying incense, the crisp scent of cedar filled the air.
The largest table right in the center of the hall, commonly known as the Number One Heaven Seat, remained empty. The location of this table was excellent, facing the high stage that had been transformed into something resembling an altar, and looking up, one could see the flying apsaras painted on the domed ceiling.
"Starting at one hundred taels?" A young gentleman dressed in dark brocade stood before the counter, waving a blank folding fan in his hand. He had a handsome face, but his brow carried the naive arrogance of someone who had never suffered the harsh beatings of society.
This person was none other than the Second Prince, who had left the palace in disguise under the alias of Young Master Huang.
He had originally intended to come to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion to catch them red-handed and convict the Xu family of defrauding the common people and inflating prices. But he never expected that upon entering, he would be angered to the point of laughter by the rules plastered all over the wall.
"Young Master, one hundred taels is just the starting price." Li Sheng stood behind the counter, not even lifting an eyelid, holding a weasel-hair brush and making marks in the ledger. "This Number One Heaven Seat is reserved for the patrons who support us with real gold and silver. If you think it's too expensive, go out the door and turn left to find a herbal tea stall. Two copper coins for a big bowl, and it will fill you right up."
"You!" In all his life, this was the first time the Second Prince had ever been pointed at and told to go drink herbal tea.
The guard behind him was about to draw his sword, but the prince firmly held him down.
"What a case of bullying a customer because you run a big shop." The Second Prince laughed instead of getting angry. He tucked his folding fan into his waistband and reached into his robes.
He hadn't brought any jade pendants or gold medallions that symbolized his status today; he only brought one thing—money.
Smack!
A thick stack of silver notes was slammed heavily onto the counter, shaking the abacus beads so hard they jumped.
It wasn't just a few hundred taels; judging by the thickness, there were at least ten thousand taels.
The brush in Li Sheng's hand abruptly halted, and a drop of ink dripped from the tip, blooming across the ledger. He looked up, his small, focused eyes widening into circles for the first time.
"This is ten thousand taels." The Second Prince raised his chin slightly, a trace of mockery hanging on his lips. "Is it enough to buy your lousy seat?"
The main hall immediately fell silent. Several waiters who were wiping tables stopped what they were doing and stared dumbfounded at this wealthy sucker who had popped out of nowhere.
Li Sheng had seen his fair share of big waves, after all, and quickly composed his expression. He didn't immediately reach for the silver notes but instead took a deep look at this Young Master Huang.
There was a certain aura about this man. It wasn't the stench of money, nor was it the scholarly air of books, but rather an aristocratic nobility that belonged only to someone accustomed to giving orders. And mixed in with this nobility was a touch of naive straightforwardness.
"It's certainly enough." Li Sheng picked up the stack of silver notes, formally verifying their authenticity, and then pulled a brocade box from under the counter, pushing it in front of the Second Prince. "Since the young master is so generous, our Hundred Flowers Pavilion cannot be stingy either. These are the specially provided masks for tonight. Please choose one, Young Master."
The Second Prince opened the brocade box.
Inside lay masks of all kinds—there were hideous ghost faces, seductive foxes, and cold, ruthless wolf heads.
But this Young Master Huang deliberately reached in and pulled out a mask with an extremely bizarre style from the very bottom.
It was a round face with its mouth grinning from ear to ear and eyes curved into two crescents, conveying a sense of both comicality and mockery.
The expression seemed to be saying: I will just sit here quietly and watch you all pretend.
"I will take this one." The Second Prince slapped the mask painted with a comical smiley face onto his face, revealing only a pair of piercing, radiant eyes.
He looked through the eyeholes of the mask at the resplendent yet sinister hall, sneering inwardly: A shady establishment. This is definitely a ruthless den of thieves that swallows people whole, skin and bones. Ten thousand taels of silver just to buy a seat? I would like to see exactly what kind of tricks you have up your sleeves tonight. If there is no real substance here, this sum of silver will serve as my toll money to send you all to the execution block.
"This way, young master." Li Sheng stepped aside and made an inviting gesture, a professional, fake smile plastered across his face. "This comical mask actually suits your temperament... quite perfectly."
The Second Prince snorted. With a flick of his wide sleeves, wearing that ridiculous smiley face, he strode boldly and sat down imposingly in the most conspicuous seat of all—the Heaven Number One seat, which stuck out like a giant bullseye.
Meanwhile, the rumbling of carriage wheels echoed through the enclosed corridor outside the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
The first carriage, bearing no family crests but built entirely of precious purple sandalwood, slowly rolled into the dark tunnel.
A corner of the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a hand adorned with a jade ring. Immediately after, a mask painted with peony stamens peeked out, surveying the surroundings with utmost vigilance.
"So this is the rule of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion?" a low female voice spoke from behind the mask, carrying a hint of suppressed excitement. "Quite interesting."
With the arrival of this first carriage, the night in Jiangning City was thoroughly stirred into a murky chaos.
At the very top floor of the building, Xu Qinghuan was looking down at the seating chart that had just been delivered to her hands.
"The Heaven Number One seat has been sold?" She tapped the red circle with her fingertip. "For ten thousand taels?"
"Yes," Li Sheng bowed beside her. "It is a new face, extremely generous with his money. However, he does not look like a merchant. He looks more like he is here to... pick a fight."
"Picking a fight is good." A smile touched the corners of Xu Qinghuan's lips as her gaze fell on the mark labeled as the comical mask. "How lonely this play would be without a heckler to keep things lively. Since he spent so much money, we must make him feel that every single penny was well spent!"
She turned around and looked at the massive, tightly shut bronze doors behind her.
"Notify the backstage to prepare to serve the dishes."
"Let our generals go out and give this grand patron a proper loosening up."
