Moma Liangshan

Chapter 11 Stepping into Tokyo, Meeting Shishi

Ten days after returning to Liangshan, Wang Hao sought out Manager Han of Xiaofanlou, along with the three Ruan brothers, Ma Decao, Zhang Sangou, and several others, bringing six jars of fine wine, and headed straight for Dongjing City. The prosperity of Dongjing City far exceeded Wang Hao's expectations. The outer city stretched fifteen li from north to south and fourteen li from east to west, with thirteen city gates and seven water gates. A wide moat, over thirty paces wide, encircled the city. The Bian River, Cai River, Wuzhang River, and Jinshui River flowed through Dongjing City, connecting to the Yellow River and thus linking the entire country, making Dongjing City the "pivot of the world." Wang Hao and his companions entered the city through the east gate and then saw the inner city, within which lay the imperial city. From the four gates of the imperial city extended four "imperial roads," each three hundred paces wide, with Xiaofanlou located at the northern end of one of these roads. Dongjing City had one hundred thousand households and a population of approximately one million, and had abolished the curfew and the traditional market system. Therefore, Dongjing City was always bustling with activity, regardless of the time or place.

Wang Hao followed Manager Han to the entrance of Fanlou. Looking up, he saw five three-story pavilions rising from the ground, connected by flying bridges and covered corridors, with light and shadow intersecting each other. Manager Han called over a servant and ordered him to lead Ma Decao and Zhang Sangou to settle in first. Then he led Wang Hao into the east building. The four buildings, east, west, south, and north, had a largely similar layout. Each of the first floors had a high platform in the center, where chess games, storytelling, singing and dancing, and acrobatics were performed simultaneously. Several tables and chairs were set up around the platforms for guests to watch. The second floor consisted entirely of guest rooms, divided into front and back halls. The front hall was furnished with elegant tables and chairs for banquets and entertainment, while the back hall had carved beds and warm quilts for overnight stays. The third floor was the residence of the courtesans. Visitors had to present their name cards and receive the girls' permission before they could go upstairs. The central pavilion was where dishes were cooked and tea was brewed. Behind the five main buildings was a large courtyard with lower-class guest rooms, stables, and cattle sheds. Wang Hao stayed in a room on the second floor of the west building. The three Ruan brothers, Ma Decao, and Zhang Sangou were left unattended in the lower-class guest rooms. Manager Han, who had worked in Tokyo for many years, owned a courtyard house. After the arrangements were made, the three Ruan brothers each received ten taels of silver, and Ma Decao and Zhang Sangou each received ten strings of cash. Wang Hao stroked the ornate table and chairs and slowly said, “Upon arriving in Tokyo, no one should cause trouble. This small sum of money is for everyone's personal expenses. You are free to do as you please during the day, but everyone must return by evening. Please personally call me.”

As evening fell, Manager Han came to visit, saying, "I have already presented the fine wine to your uncle. If it's quick, it will be today; if not, it will be tomorrow. I will surely give you a reply." Wang Hao opened the window, looking at the singing and dancing below, and asked, "The dancers aren't from Song. Manager Han, can you tell their origins?" Manager Han walked to the window and said after a moment, "They should be Hu people from western Liao." Wang Hao said, "Is western Liao the Western Regions?" Manager Han replied, "I've heard some Hu merchants say that it should only be half of the Western Regions during the Tang Dynasty. The other half is west of Western Xia, and there was almost no interaction with the Central Plains." Wang Hao lightly tapped the window frame with his fingers and silently murmured, "Western Xia!" After a moment, he asked, "Between Liao and Western Xia, which country has a greater enmity with the Song Dynasty?" "?" Manager Han pondered for a moment and said, "As far as we common folk are concerned, the enmity with the Liao Kingdom was probably greater during the reigns of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong. Later, there was little fighting in the north, but there were frequent sounds of battle in the west." Wang Hao asked, "The Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun have always been in the hands of the Liao Kingdom. Do you yearn to recover them?" Manager Han chuckled and said, "His Majesty probably wanted to recover them, otherwise Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong wouldn't have sent troops out so many times. So recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun can be considered a wish of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong. But as for us common folk, living a good life in the present is what we should be concerned about. The Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun are north of Cangzhou, too far away, and we have no relatives there. Whether we recover them or not doesn't really matter!"

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. Wang Hao went to open it and saw a wealthy man of about fifty years old with two waiters outside. He asked, "May I ask what brings you here, sir?" The wealthy man smiled and said, "I presume you are Young Master Wang?" Wang Hao replied, "My surname is indeed Wang." At this moment, Manager Han came in and stood beside the wealthy man, saying, "This is my uncle, and also the owner of Fanlou." Wang Hao bowed and asked, "May I ask how you are addressed, sir?" The wealthy man replied, "In Dongjing City, everyone calls me Master Li." Wang Hao stepped aside and said, "Master Li, please come in."

After everyone was seated, Master Li took a wine jug from his servant and asked, "Did you brew this wine, young master?" Wang Hao replied, "If this was a gift from Manager Han, then it must be my wine." Manager Han flattered, "Young master, you are truly talented; you will surely become famous throughout the land." Wang Hao waved his hand and smiled, saying directly, "Master Li should know the purpose of my visit to Dongjing. I wonder how confident I am of success?" Master Li said, "Although the person above often visits Fanlou, his status is still very high. Even if I arrange it myself, it will take considerable effort." Wang Hao said, "Presenting fine wine to the person above is to please him and give him what he wants. There's no reason for it to bring you any additional risks. I understand the importance of repaying kindness!" Master Li hadn't expected Wang Hao to be so insightful, nor had he expected him to speak so directly. If it were an ordinary commoner, when the emperor was involved, they would surely be filled with trepidation and dare not use ordinary thoughts to judge, but Wang Hao was clearly not one of them. After a moment's thought, Master Li said, "Young Master Wang has granted my nephew the exclusive sales rights in Kaifeng Prefecture. As the owner of Fanlou, I don't seek to surpass him, nor should I be too far inferior." Wang Hao shook his head and said, "Master Li misunderstands. My agreement with Manager Han is based on the matter itself, not on personal relationships. As long as I can present the fine wine to the Emperor in person, I will grant him the exclusive sales rights in Kaifeng Prefecture. Therefore, if this matter succeeds, how much benefit Master Li will receive depends on how much Manager Han is willing to cede. I will not receive any additional benefits simply because Master Li is involved."

Wang Hao's tone was calm, but his attitude was quite firm. His every word and action during the negotiation was remarkably mature, completely unlike the demeanor of a fifteen-year-old boy. Master Li and Manager Han exchanged a glance and said, "Young Master Wang is right! In my opinion, we should first help Young Master Wang present the fine wine to the person above in person, and then we can discuss how to distribute the benefits, is that acceptable?" Manager Han replied, "Uncle is wise, I agree!" Master Li said, "To see the person above, we must obtain Miss Li's permission. I will now have someone deliver the fine wine to Miss Li, and then wait for her response. If Miss Li requests to see you, then this matter is mostly successful. If Miss Li has no intention of helping, then we cannot force her. What do you think, Young Master?" Wang Hao said, "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, Master Li's insight is excellent."

Master Li looked at the waiter behind him and asked, "Does Miss Li have any guests today?" The waiter replied, "No, I haven't received any." Master Li said, "Present this pot of wine to Miss Li. If she doesn't ask, you don't need to say anything. If she does inquire, just say, 'The owner of the wine is already at Fanlou.'" The waiter obeyed and went straight to the third floor. An incense stick later, the waiter returned to report, "Miss Li invites Young Master Wang upstairs for a chat." Wang Hao stood up and said, "Excuse me. If Master Li and Manager Han are discussing the distribution of profits, remember not to damage the harmony. Harmony brings wealth!"

Li Shishi's room was extremely simple and elegant, yet adorned with a few sprigs of red plum blossoms. Wang Hao had originally thought that courtesans should maintain a pure heart amidst the glitz and glamour of life, but upon seeing Li Shishi's room, he felt a quiet elegance concealing a hint of passion. Li Shishi sat on a wooden chair, dressed in a red gauze dress, her head adorned with a gold hairpin and jade beads. Wang Hao gazed at the beauty before him, gently closed the door, and bowed, saying, "Greetings, young lady!" Li Shishi covered her face and smiled, asking, "How old are you, young man?" Wang Hao replied, "Fifteen." Li Shishi picked up a strand of her hair and said, "You are four years older than me." Setting the hair down, she suddenly looked at Wang Hao and asked, "Am I beautiful, young lady?" Wang Hao looked up, staring intently, and said, "Your face, upper body, and hands are extremely beautiful, but since you are sitting, I cannot comment on your figure at this time." Li Shishi gently stood up, sat down in front of Wang Hao, and gracefully turned around, asking, "Have you seen me clearly now?" Wang Hao replied, "Your figure is graceful." Li Shishi then asked, "Have you ever seen a woman more beautiful than me?" Wang Hao replied, "Not yet." Li Shishi chuckled and said, "You are very witty, more witty than even famous scholars like Zhou Bangyan."

Wang Hao asked, "Does Sister like novel things?" Li Shishi nodded and said, "What fun is there in living if everything is the same? It's interesting to meet different people, sing different lyrics, play different tunes, and see different scenery. Everyone says the fairyland is beautiful, but its greatest charm is that no one has ever seen its beauty." Wang Hao nodded in agreement and then asked, "Where's my wine?" Li Shishi replied, "Too strong, too spicy, I don't like it." Wang Hao was puzzled and asked, "Then why did you still meet me, Sister?" Li Shishi walked to Wang Hao's side and said, "Because I've never tasted such spicy wine. You can create wine that no one else in the world can, just as Zhou Bangyan can write lyrics that no one else in the world can, and the Emperor can write characters that no one else in the world can." Wang Hao asked curiously, "Sister, you are probably the first person in the Song Dynasty to be able to compare the Emperor to commoners." "One person," Li Shishi said. "The emperor is also human, and he also longs to be an ordinary person. Your Majesty is proficient in all the arts, but the busyness of state affairs is eroding your original nature. Your Majesty once said that although he is called the Daoist Emperor, if he were just a leisurely prince, he would probably have ascended to heaven long ago and become a true Daoist." Li Shishi then asked, "Do you know why Your Majesty loves the Flower and Stone Tribute?" Wang Hao replied, "I don't know." Li Shishi smiled mischievously and said, "Your Majesty said that he probably cannot ascend to immortality in this life, but Your Majesty knows what the fairyland is like, so he ordered the transport of the Flower and Stone Tribute to build a fairyland in this mortal world. At that time, I will sail on the Milky Way with Your Majesty." Wang Hao did not know how to answer, so he could only say, "Only your ethereal heart, sister, can truly appreciate the charm of traveling to a fairyland with the emperor."