[Romantic Anecdotes of the Tang Dynasty Court] [07] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

In the seventh chapter, under the tea trellis, bitter rain disrupts good deeds; in the protector's tent, the cook's craving is satisfied. Hou Qing, facing a group of concubines, tells the story of Yang Su's elopement with Li Jing. The listeners are captivated, and the storyteller grows increasingly ecstatic. When the story reaches its climax, he drinks a cup; when danger is mentioned, he drinks another. Cup after cup, he unknowingly becomes drunk. He not only gets the wine drunk, but also captivates Jiao Na's eyes. Ever since Hou Qing embraced and kissed her under the moon, Jiao Na's heart has been captivated by him. Every word and smile of Hou Qing touches her heart; how much more so when she hears his story of Hong Fu and Li Jing, so tender and affectionate? How could a young girl not feel her heart stirred by such a story? Hou Qing also intended to tell his beloved.
After the banquet, Miss Jiao Na returned to her room, facing the solitary lamp, and thinking of Hou Qing's words, she compared him to Li Jing, and willingly became Hong Fu's concubine. She thought, "This is truly a tale of a talented man and a beautiful woman! Their story will surely be passed down through the ages."
Looking at herself in the mirror for a while, she couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. She thought, "How dare this woman, with her similar looks, go after her ideal man? I also have someone special, yet I don't dare to go after him." She recalled that moonlit night, feeling the warmth of his kiss on her lips, her heart already given to him. "I'll go ask him where he hid my heart," she thought. Hearing the quiet downstairs, she mustered her courage, stood up, and quietly left the room. Just as she reached the stairwell, her heart pounded, and she quickly went back into the room and sat down at her dressing table. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she thought to herself, "I'm not just any ordinary pretty girl. If I don't make a decision soon, and end up with a foolish man because of my parents' wishes, wouldn't I have wasted my life? Besides, I'm already deeply in love with my brother, and my heart has already been taken by him. How can I abandon him now? I'll discuss this with him when it's quiet at night."
She then mustered her courage and slowly made her way downstairs. She quietly entered Houqing's room and found him completely drunk. Houqing was overjoyed to see Jiaona.
He tried several times to sit up, but his mind was foggy, his vision blurred, and he could no longer struggle. He involuntarily fell into Jiaona's arms. The soft, warm embrace felt incredibly comfortable, and his senses became languid. Jiaona, shyly turning her face away at the first touch of a man's body, her breasts heaving and her cheeks flushed. Houqing had one arm under her head, and he was holding her hand. She watched him sleep soundly, his eyes glazed over. Jiaona couldn't bear to wake him, letting him sleep. Face to face, Jiaona finally mustered the courage to look at Houqing's face. She saw that he was handsome, with delicate features and a gentle smile; his cheeks were flushed red from the wine, like apples. Jiaona grew more and more enamored with him, and couldn't help but lower her head, pressing her own cheek against Houqing's face, feeling its burning heat. Jiaona gently helped him onto the pillow, covered him with the blanket, lowered the curtains, went to the table, lit the lamp, and added a handful of sandalwood incense, closing the box. Sitting at his desk, he casually flipped through the books when he suddenly noticed a poem written on a piece of floral stationery: "The sun's shadow lingers on the steps as I awaken from my slumber, wisps of incense smoke rise as the wind subsides; the jade flute has finished playing its Qin Lou tune, only the warbling of orioles and the cries of phoenixes remain!"
Jiao Na recited the poem aloud, knowing Hou Qing's anxiety, and nodded and smiled. After a moment's thought, she picked up her brush and wrote a poem on the back of the stationery: "Spring sorrow weighs heavily on my dreams, making it hard to wake; the sun returns, the wind flows, and the
night is still; the broken petals fall, unbearable to evoke at first, the sound of carriages at dawn on fallen branches." Having finished, she tucked the poem into a book, left the room, closed the door behind her, and tiptoed back to her own room to sleep.
Hou Qing had been ill from drinking for three whole days; Jiao Na had secretly visited him nine times, but all the words she had secretly thought of remained unspoken, until they finally met, when she was too shy to utter a single word. On the fifth day at dusk, Rong was playing cards with her three concubines in the house, and Houqing sat behind his aunt watching. He glanced around cautiously but couldn't find Jiaona, so he slipped out of the room and went to look for her in the backyard. He saw Jiaona leaning against the railing, looking up at the crescent moon hanging on the willow branches.
Houqing tiptoed up behind her and said softly, "The moon is bright and the wind is gentle; what a beautiful night!" Jiaona, startled by the voice behind her, turned around quickly, spat softly, and said, "Who do we have here? It's the brother who plays the jade flute!"
Houqing added, "It's the sister who's having trouble waking up from her dream!" The two laughed. Houqing rushed forward, took Jiaona's hand, and led her out into the courtyard. Through the moon gate into the garden, they saw that the fire-damaged wall had been covered with wooden planks. The two walked to the depths of the flower-shaded area. Houqing bowed deeply to Jiaona, saying, "I was drunk that night and failed to appreciate your kindness; now I thank you in person!" Jiaona pretended not to understand and asked, "What kindness?" Houqing said, "Who are you talking about, sister? Now it's just the two of us, facing this bright moon in the sky. Shouldn't we speak from the bottom of our hearts? To tell you the truth, I've been restless and unable to forget you these past few days.
I only regret that I got so drunk that night. You came, and I left you behind, returning to my room coldly. You must resent me greatly from now on, sister!
Please forgive me for this first time. I'm kowtowing to you now, please don't blame me!" After he finished speaking, he really knelt down on the grass with a thud. Startled, Jiao Na also knelt down, throwing herself onto Hou Qing's shoulder, sobbing, "Brother loves me so much, I can't care about anything else. From now on, my body belongs to you, whether I live or die! I won't complain even if it's water or fire, brother, please don't worry anymore." These words made Hou Qing so happy that he cupped Jiao Na's face in his hands, calling her "sister" a thousand times, and said, "I'd be willing to die in your place." As he spoke, tears streamed down his face. The two of them knelt facing each other under the shade of the tree, wiping away their tears; the moonlight made their faces exceptionally clear, and they whispered many vows of eternal love, then helped each other to their feet. Houqing hesitated, saying, "My back room is too close to my aunt's bedroom, and my sister is upstairs. If she tries to climb up at night, she might bump into something and make a sound, waking the maids, which would be terrible. What should we do?" Jiaona pondered for a moment and said, "Tonight, when it's quiet, brother, come here first and wait for me under the rose trellis; there are few people and many flowers here, so I will come to find you." Just then, they heard the head maid calling from the moon gate, "Miss, I'm looking for you!" Jiaona quickly shook off Houqing's hand, hurriedly agreed, and went to find him.
The Rong family had finished their card game, and dinner was being served. After a while, Houqing arrived, and everyone sat down to eat. Houqing had something on his mind, so he quickly finished his meal, then said he needed to go to bed early and went back to his room to keep watch. He straightened his clothes again, found a fresh shirt in his trunk and put it on. He looked at himself in the mirror one last time, then sat there blankly by the lamplight. He listened intently to the other room; the voices gradually quieted down. After the second watch, he became unsteady on his feet, standing up and pacing around the room. A while later, he lay out a book under the lamp, and between the lines, he seemed to see Jiao Na's smiling face. His mind was in turmoil, his eyes were blurry, and he couldn't concentrate on reading. He quickly closed the book, closed his eyes, and imagined meeting Jiao Na under the moon and flowers, and he couldn't help but smile. He stood up again, opened the window, and saw a bright moon in the sky, already covered by a thin layer of clouds; a wisp of wind blew against him, chilling his sleeves. He closed the window again, endured it for a while, then couldn't bear it any longer, and quietly slipped out of the room.
Under the dim moonlight, he groped his way out of the moon gate, circled the four-sided hall, and saw the rose trellis ahead. He sat respectfully on the veranda beneath it, his eyes fixed on the flower path. He listened to the third watch outside the wall, but Jiao Na still hadn't arrived. Lost in thought, he suddenly felt a cool breeze, making him shiver, accompanied by a heavy downpour. Fortunately, the dense shade of the flowers where he sat kept the rain from hitting him; however, the gusts of wind chilled him so much that he curled up into a ball, crossing his arms and clinging to his shoulders, stubbornly enduring the cold.
Half a watch passed, and the raindrops grew larger, especially those dripping from the flower petals, quickly soaking two large patches on the shoulders of Hou Qing's jacket. Poor thing, he was so cold that his teeth chattered. He heard the fourth watch being struck outside the wall, and he couldn't struggle any longer. He had no choice but to hug his neck and escape from the flower trellis. He was soaked by the rain all the way, the sky was dark, and the ground was muddy.
Returning to his room, he glanced in the mirror and saw he was a complete mess. He hurriedly took off his wet clothes and mud-stained shoes and socks, but fearing his aunt would see and question him, he crumpled them into a ball and stuffed them into his trunk, then found more clothes, shoes, and socks. Unable to bear the cold any longer, he burrowed into the covers and listened intently to the pattering rain outside the window, eventually drifting off to sleep.
When he awoke, he felt dizzy and feverish. Knowing he had caught a chill, he wrapped himself tightly in the blankets and went back to sleep. As dawn approached, his head remained heavy, and he couldn't sit up; it wasn't until his aunt, noticing his condition, rushed into the room and touched Houqing's skin, finding it burning hot. She said, "My son, what's wrong? This illness is quite serious! Quickly lie down and don't move." She then sent word to fetch a doctor immediately, and instructed the head maid to quickly brew ginger tea, which she personally served him. At this time, the six concubines and Jiao Na all entered the room to visit him. When Hou Qing saw Jiao Na, he remembered the suffering of the previous night and looked at her with teary eyes. Jiao Na, afraid of being seen, quickly turned her head away. After a moment, when no one was looking, she turned her face back and silently nodded to Hou Qing. When the doctor arrived, they all slipped away. Hou Qing's illness, caused by catching a chill, developed into typhoid fever, and he was ill for a full month before he could get up. During this month, Miss Jiao Na also secretly visited him several times. However, because the maids brought him soup and medicine, and Rong Shi came to visit him, there was a constant flow of people in the room, and Jiao Na, wanting to avoid being seen, dared not linger. The two met, exchanged only a few words, and then hurriedly parted ways.
Prefect Zhu had already returned home half a month earlier, frightening Jiao Na so much that she dared not approach Hou Qing's room. Prefect Zhu, however, often went to his nephew's room to chat and relieve his boredom: He spoke of Emperor Yang's recent canal construction, leading directly to Jiangdu, with palaces and villas built along the way for his travels. These palaces typically housed three palaces and six courtyards, selecting beauties from across the land, and collecting rare treasures, exotic flowers, and rare herbs to adorn the landscape. Xu Tingfu's trip south was for this procurement mission; however, the Emperor had appointed Ma Shumou to oversee the canal's excavation.
Speaking of Ma Shumou, the canal's supervisor, he had caused a major incident in Ningling County. Now the Emperor had sent ministers to imprison him and send him to the capital, where even his life was in danger.
It turned out that Ma Shumou, while supervising the canal construction, had used the offices of local officials along the way as his temporary headquarters, passing through major cities and towns. Upon reaching that remote mountain village, where there were no houses, they had to stay in tents. These tents, pitched in the open, were exposed to strong winds and torrential rain, and Ma Shumou inevitably caught a chill along the way. Reaching Xiama Village in Ningling County, the weather was unusually cold, with continuous strong winds and heavy rain for over ten days. Ma Shumou suddenly developed a severe headache. He was bedridden and unable to work for a month, causing the river construction to halt. Left with no other option, he submitted his resignation. Ma Shumou was a trusted minister of Emperor Yang, so how could he allow him to resign? The Emperor immediately issued an edict appointing Linghu Da to temporarily oversee the river construction, and dispatched a royal physician named Chao Yuanfang to Ningling overnight to treat Ma Shumou.
The physician prescribed a medicine made from steamed, young lamb mixed with medicinal powder. After three days of this, his illness completely subsided. From then on, Ma Shumou developed a craving for lamb, which became a regular habit. Every day, he would slaughter several lambs, season them with five kinds of spices, and cook them into a sweet, fatty, and indescribably delicious meal. This was given the nickname "Han Su Luan" (literally "Meat-Su Luan"). Since Ma Shumou was used to eating Han Su Luan every day, his cook began to buy it from villages and towns all around, preparing a place to do so; he could buy it anywhere, in cities or villages.
Ma Shumou's love for lambs spread far and wide. At first, he had to send his cook to buy them, but gradually people started offering them to him. Because Ma Shumou loved lambs and wanted to win over those who offered them, he encouraged them to offer lambs frequently, rewarding those who offered lambs double. Thus, word spread quickly. When the people heard that offering lambs could bring great profits, everyone came to offer lambs. However, while many offered lambs, few were produced.
Gradually, the sheep population died out in the area surrounding Ningling, a radius of one or two hundred li. Not only were the common people unable to offer sheep, but even Ma Shumou's cook, if he went three or four hundred miles away, couldn't find any to buy. Ma Shumou, unable to afford lambs for his three meals a day, was furious and often beat the cook. The cook, in a panic, went around trying to buy lambs from various villages and towns, which led to the rise of a gang
of bandits from Xiama Village. In Xiama Village lived the Tao family, with three brothers: the eldest, Tao Lang; the second, Tao Liu'er; and the youngest, Tao Xiaoshou. All were scoundrels, making a living through petty theft. They employed numerous skilled men, capable of scaling walls and leaping across rooftops. Regardless of whether the village was near or far, they targeted wealthy families, making them their source of sustenance. By divine intervention, the three brothers, despite a lifetime of thievery, never solved a single case. According to a feng shui master, a thieving dragon ran beneath their ancestral grave, ensuring their descendants would never run out of food if they became thieves. However, they couldn't kill anyone. If they did, they would immediately break the feng shui, and they wouldn't be able to make a living from Tao Yao. Relying on the auspicious feng shui of their ancestors, the three Tao brothers gradually became a family of thieves.
Unexpectedly, Emperor Chang of Sui was opening up the canal, and the canal was destined to pass right through the Tao family's ancestral graves. The three Tao brothers were in a panic, anxious day and night. They discussed preparing gifts to beg Ma Shumou to spare their ancestral graves from being excavated. But then they thought, with this canal-opening project, countless tombs of kings and nobles have been dug up. How could they possibly spare their family? If they relied on their strength to commit violence and obstruct the project, they would be no match for the power of the imperial court. They racked their brains but couldn't come up with a good solution. Suddenly, they learned that Ma Shumou loved to eat lamb, and the villagers all went to offer it to him. Tao Lang'er said, "Why don't we also steam a few of the best lambs and offer them to him? It's a small matter, but we can't keep offering them every day, until we've exhausted all our offerings and still haven't received any reward. If Ma Shumou is pleased, we can then tell him the truth and plead with him, and perhaps we can avoid it." Xiao Shou laughed and said, "Brother, that's wishful thinking! I've heard that Ma Shumou is insatiably greedy; hundreds or even thousands of people offer him lambs every day. Why would he care about our few lambs? Even if we don't accept the reward, how much are these few lambs worth? Would he really change the river course so easily if we just accepted them? I'm afraid there's no such easy thing in the world." Liu'er added, "Unless all the sheep in the world become extinct, and only our family has lambs, we can win his favor.
" The two brothers argued back and forth, while Lang'er just lowered his head and didn't argue at all. Liu'er asked, "Brother, why are you so silent?" Lang'er replied, "It's not that I'm silent, I'm just thinking of something." Xiao Shou asked, "Brother, have you come up with a good idea?" Lang'er said, "What you two say makes sense: if we don't offer the sheep, we'll have no way to get in; but if we do offer the sheep, how much are a few sheep worth? How can we ask him for such an important matter? I have an idea: Ma Shumou loves to eat lamb, he must be a gluttonous person; I've heard that..." "Meat tastes the best. Why don't we find a few three- or four-year-old children, behead them, remove their feet, steam them thoroughly, boil them until they're mushy, and season them exquisitely, then present them as lambs to him? He'll find it delicious, better than anyone else's, and naturally he'll want to come find us. After a while, once we've gotten to know him well, we can improvise, perhaps giving him more money, or using his weaknesses to ask him to protect our ancestral graves. Maybe then he'll have some hope." Liu'er and Xiao Shou clapped their hands in approval. Lang'er said, "We shouldn't delay. We must find the children tonight, arrange them properly, and present them to him first thing tomorrow morning, before anyone else, while he's hungry." The three brothers decided on their plan and ordered a few of their henchmen to steal the children. These brothers were all skilled in theft, so stealing children was a piece of cake for them; they were like turtles in a jar, easily caught. Not long after they left, they stole two plump and tender three- or four-year-old children, killed them alive, chopped off their heads and feet, removed their bones, cut them into square pieces, added five kinds of spices, and steamed them until they were fragrant and well-cooked.
The next morning, Tao Lang'er packed the meat into a plate and rode a fast horse to Ma Shumou's tent. After greeting the gatekeeper, he presented the meat. The gatekeeper ordered the meat to be taken inside and then produced a register, asking Lang'er to write his name on it. Then many more people came to present lambs, some live, some cooked. The commotion filled the tent. Just then, an official came out and loudly asked, "Who was the first to present steamed mutton?" Tao Lang'er boldly answered, thinking that Ma Shumou was being tricked! It turned out that Ma Shumou had just finished washing up when someone presented him with steamed mutton; his stomach was empty, and seeing the large plate of meat, he took it to eat, finding it fragrant, fatty, and exceptionally delicious. Overjoyed, he asked, "Who presented this mutton? How was it steamed? Quickly summon the person who presented it and ask them directly." So the official went out and summoned Tao Lang'er. Upon seeing Ma Shumou, Tao Lang'er hurriedly knelt and kowtowed. Ma Shumou inquired about his name and address, then asked, "How did you steam this lamb so deliciously?"
Lang'er replied, "This lamb was raised by my humble family; I'm afraid it's not fit for your palate." Ma Shumou was pleased by his flattery and ordered a reward of ten taels of silver, but Tao Lang'er refused to accept it. Ma Shumou said, "If you don't accept the reward, I'll be too embarrassed to ask you for more food." Lang'er said, "If you don't mind the humble food, I'm willing to offer it to you daily." He then kowtowed and left.
From then on, those bandits stole children every day, steamed them, and presented them to Ma Shumou for his enjoyment. Ma Shumou was so fond of this delicacy that he refused to accept any lamb offered by others, finding it too coarse and unpalatable. He only loved the mutton offered by Tao Lang'er. Tao Lang'er, because of the mutton he offered, went to Ma Shumou's camp every day and became acquainted with Ma Shumou, often talking with him. Because Tao Lang'er refused the reward, Ma Shumou treated him differently.
One day, Ma Shumou said to Tao Lang'er, "Ever since I ate your steamed lamb, I haven't been able to go a day without it. You steam it and send it to me every day, but you refuse my reward, which makes me feel very guilty. Why don't you pass on this cooking method to the cooks in my camp and have them make it the same way, so you don't have to run around every day?" Tao Lang'er refused to tell the truth, only saying, "My lord, you don't need to worry. I'm willing to steam it every day to show my respect to you." Ma Shumou said, "That's not a good idea. I'm currently dredging a canal in Ningling, so you can still send it to me; but in a few days, when I'm dredging elsewhere, how will you be able to send it to me then?" These words forced Tao Lang'er to tell the truth. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's not that I'm unwilling to tell you the method of steaming, but if I reveal it and the guards aren't careful, not only will I be at fault, but you, sir, will also be somewhat inconvenienced." Ma Shumou laughed, "It's just a recipe for steaming mutton, it's not like I'm killing or setting fires, why would it be inconvenient for me? Tell me then." Lang'er said, "Since you insist that I tell you, sir, please excuse us." Ma Duhu laughed and said, "Country bumpkins are so timid." He then turned his face away and said to his men, "Very well, you all go out and see what he has to say." The men, hearing their lord's order, hurriedly withdrew. Tao Lang'er blurted out, "I only know how to steam children's meat, not how to steam lamb!" Upon hearing the words "children's meat," Ma Shumou was greatly alarmed and hurriedly asked, "What? Steamed children's meat?" Tao Lang'er quickly knelt down and kowtowed, sobbing and crying as he said, "To tell you the truth, the first child I presented was my own son, only three years old this year. Hearing that you love lamb, I killed and steamed him, pretending he was a lamb to present. The children I presented later were all stolen from various villages. If you don't believe me, I have a book recording the names of the families who stole the children; even the children's bones and heads are buried together, you only need to send someone to dig them up to find out." Upon hearing this, Ma Shumou panicked and then asked suspiciously, "I have no prior acquaintance with you and we have no relation. Why have you done such a cruel thing?" Jia Lang'er replied, "My plight can no longer be concealed.
My clan consists of over a hundred people, all relying on an ancestral grave. If even a single scoop of soil or a single brick is disturbed on the grave, my entire clan will suffer disaster. Unfortunately, this ancestral grave is located right in the middle of the river's boundary. If it is dug up, my entire clan of over a hundred people will surely die. My clan has discussed this and intends to beg you, sir, but we have no way to do so. Therefore, I am willing to kill my youngest son and offer him as a lamb to save my life. Today, Heaven has taken pity on me and has been favored by you, sir. It is also the blessing of Buddha and Heaven. I only beg you, sir, to grant me the grace of Heaven and Earth and slightly alter the river's course by a few feet, which would save the lives of my entire clan of over a hundred ants."
After saying this, he kowtowed repeatedly. Ma Shumou thought to himself, "This man has used such cruel methods against me. If I don't comply, he's a desperate criminal. If he gets angry, he might harm people in secret, and it would be impossible to guard against him. I also think that the child's flesh tastes delicious. If I cut off his supply, he'll never be able to taste this delicacy again." Ma Shumou, because he was so greedy, readily agreed to this important matter of changing the imperial road. He also instructed him that the steamed lamb must be served every day. Tao Lang'er said, "Since you are so kind, sir, you are like a second parent! I will go through fire and water to find this steamed lamb to offer to you." Ma Shumou was overjoyed.
The next day, he secretly ordered the laborers to clear a path about five zhang (approximately 10 meters) away from the Tao family's ancestral graves along the river near Xiama Village. Tao Lang'er, seeing that the ancestral graves were safe, sent his brothers out to steal children as much as possible. At first, they only stole from nearby places, and when they ran out of those, they went to steal from further away. He would either ask the poor to steal and sell the stolen goods, or send people to buy them from all over the place. It was pitiful that from Ningling County to the area around Suiyang City, countless three- or four-year-old children were stolen by him; one family's son was missing, another's daughter.
Parents searched high and low, crying day and night. Later, they gradually learned that Tao Lang'er had stolen the goods to offer to Ma Shumou for steamed food. Everyone was furious, every family resentful. Some went to the county magistrate to file a complaint, others went to the prefecture to submit a petition; the strong and ruthless gathered a crowd and stormed Tao Lang'er's house. To find out what happens next, please read the next chapter.

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[Romantic Anecdotes of the Tang Dynasty Court] [07] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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