Chapter 37
As night falls and the palace gates are locked, the imperial city begins to sleep. But as you pass through the inner city's Qipan Street and step out of Zhengyang Gate, the outer city's Dashilan area is ablaze with lights, where the citizens' nightlife is just beginning.
If Qipan Street was a high-end commercial district exclusively for the powerful and wealthy, then Dashilan was a bustling commercial district with a strong local flavor. Especially at night, Qipan Street was under curfew (from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.), so Dashilan was practically the entertainment center of the entire capital.
Inside the Fugui Building, Wang Zhen had already instructed the steward to book a private room and invited many Jinyiwei officers to celebrate Shen Fan's victory.
Chicken, duck, fish, meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, accompanied by Jinhua wine, were laid out on the table in large bowls and platters. Wang Zhen sat at the head of the table, and the others sat in order of seniority.
As the superior and the host of the day, Wang Zhen began by praising Shen Fan, giving the Embroidered Uniform Guard face, and encouraging everyone to learn from Shen Fan. He also said that with the recent rampant spread of seditious books, everyone had been on high alert, investigating cases, which was truly hard work, and this meal was a reward for them.
When the superior gave a speech, everyone else, being subordinates, gave him face and responded in kind, while also drinking to express their determination.
They played drinking games and joked around. One person offered a bowl, another drank a cup, and the two jars of wine were quickly emptied. Wang Zhen was still not satisfied and called out, "Waiter, bring two more jars of wine."
Shen Fan immediately replied, "I'll go out and call someone."
Stepping out of the cubicle, the air was cool, but the noise around me was still loud.
As Shen Fan was walking down the corridor, a familiar figure suddenly came into view. Thinking he was seeing things, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, only to be greatly surprised.
The person who came was Zhao Lian, but to everyone's astonishment, he was dressed in women's clothes, with flowers in his hair, rouge on his face, and a round fan in his hand, clearly a woman's attire.
Shen Fan's eyes widened in disbelief. "My God, what did he go through?"
Shen Fan was very curious, so he followed behind Zhao Lian, but Zhao Lian was alert and noticed him.
"Hey, isn't this Commander Shen? What are you doing following me around so furtively?"
"..."
Why are you dressed like this?
Shen Fan bit her lip hard, trying to control her facial expression.
Zhao Lian walked in and laughed, "You're making a fuss over nothing. This is the fashionable style of men wearing women's clothing in Jiangnan. Haven't you seen it before?" His words were full of disdain.
Shen Fan shook his head, circling around Zhao Lian, and smacked his lips, "Does the Duke know you're dressed like this?"
He didn't want such a perverted and lewd brother-in-law.
Mentioning his biological father, Zhao Lian glared fiercely at Shen Fan and said angrily, "What I wear is my own business, what does it have to do with the old man? You'd better watch your mouth."
After Zhao Lian finished speaking, he turned and left, but Shen Fan, who was not only good at martial arts but also very curious, followed him, determined to find out what evil had possessed Zhao Lian.
Zhao Lian ignored him and went to a separate room. He turned around and smiled at him, saying, "Since you're curious, come in and take a look."
The door opened, and Shen Fan was immediately blinded by the light.
A dozen or so grown men, just like Zhao Lian, or even more extravagant, were dressed in red and green, their faces painted with makeup, looking as alluring and seductive as the women singing in brothels.
Shen Fan stared wide-eyed, frozen in place, before finally regaining her senses after a long while. "You, you guys... your souls have been taken away by ghosts and gods?"
Another man stood up and laughed, "There are no ghosts or gods, only gods among men. Since Commander Shen is here, why don't you join us?"
"We are a club called the Red Powder Beauty Club. The president comes from Jiangnan and is a scholar who has passed the imperial examinations. He is currently studying at the Imperial Academy. The club currently has forty members, all of whom are sons of noble families. Commander Shen is a relative of the emperor, so his status is considered to be among the first generation."
Shen Fan asked, "What does your club do?"
The man explained, "The initial purpose of the society was to achieve freedom—freedom to drink, freedom to dress, freedom to marry, and freedom in life. Those dogmas like 'preserve heavenly principles and eliminate human desires' and 'the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues' are all objects of our rebellion..."
That person spoke eloquently, introducing Shen Fan to a whole host of "trendy" ideas.
Shen Fan was amazed and listened in disbelief, perhaps because he had drunk too much and his mind was still reeling.
"Then what does this have to do with you wearing women's clothes?"
Seeing that Shen Fan still hadn't grasped the point, the man became increasingly agitated. "I said we have freedom of dress. We want to wear women's clothing, is there a problem?"
Shen Fan: "How can a man wear women's clothes?"
"If a woman can dress as a man, why can't a man dress as a woman?"
Shen Fan: "Absurd! There has never been anything like this in history."
"So we set a precedent by giving men who want to wear women's clothing a home, so that the world would no longer look down on us."
The man looked excited and opened his arms to Shen Fan, "Come on, Brother Shen, join us. For just fifty taels (100,000) of silver, you can have a group of like-minded people."
"..."
"What, we need to join the company with a bank account?"
This is robbery!
Shen Fan gaped, backed away repeatedly, and fled.
He thought to himself that this group of people was astonishing and comparable to the demons and monsters that Tang Sanzang encountered on his journey to the West. Why did Sun Wukong confiscate them?
When Shen Fan returned, he was surprised to find that the private room was empty in just a short while. He immediately sensed something was wrong and asked the waiter, only to find out that someone had gotten drunk and the guests had all left to go home.
"They're all gone, what am I going to do?"
Shen Fan stamped his feet in frustration.
Between the inner and outer city walls was Zhengyang Gate, jointly guarded by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Military Command. According to the imperial regulations, no one was allowed to enter or leave at night, but as long as one held a high official rank, had a superior to protect them, or entered or left in groups, they would usually be allowed to pass by with a bribe to the gatekeepers.
Wang Zhen was the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and everyone there was on his own, so no one dared to make things difficult for him. But it was a different story for him. Entering the city alone was risky; if he were reported, he would inevitably be punished.
It's all Zhao Lian's fault, Shen Fan cursed him in his heart. He planned to find an inn to stay in and go back tomorrow morning.
As he was going downstairs, coincidentally, he saw a familiar figure again, holding a woman's hand.
"father?"
Shen Fan rushed forward, surprised, and asked, "What are you doing here? And who is she?"
Upon seeing his son there, Mr. Shen was equally surprised. He quickly let go of his son's hand and, feeling guilty, asked instead of answering, "What are you doing here?"
"Father, am I asking you a question?"
Shen Fan scrutinized the woman with his eyes.
The woman glanced at Master Shen and, seeing his embarrassed expression, answered herself, "I am the woman your father kept in the outer quarters, a mistress, understand?"
The woman gave a soft hum, pushed aside the stiff bodies of the father and son, and went downstairs first.
Shen Fan stood there stunned. After his initial embarrassment, Old Master Shen ignored his son and went straight after the woman.
"Miao Niang, wait for me~"
Shen Fan: "..."
*
Master Shen's outer residence is located in a hutong in the southern part of the city (outer city). It is a large mansion with gardens and pavilions, and the environment is elegant.
When Shen Fan arrived, besides a few maids and servants, there was also a young man, about eighteen years old, with a slender figure and clear features.
Upon seeing Master Shen return, the man stood up, looked at them, and mainly looked at Shen Fan.
The two sized each other up.
Upon seeing this, Master Shen chuckled and said, "This is Song Zhao, Miao Niang's nephew, who is currently studying at the Imperial Academy." He then introduced Shen Fan.
Not knowing he was an illegitimate child, Shen Fan unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief and nodded slightly to Song Zhao as a sign of greeting.
Seeing that his son did not react excessively, Mr. Shen took their hands and said with relief, "You two have met now, and from now on you are all family. Get along well."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Shen Fan immediately pulled his hand away. Although his face remained expressionless, he felt nauseous, as if he had swallowed a fly.
Behind his wife's back, he secretly kept a mistress and treated her as family. Even the most composed and virtuous Shen Fan couldn't hold back for long.
His face darkened, and he directly questioned his father: "We're family, do you even acknowledge my mother?"
"You insolent brat, how dare you speak like that?"
Old Master Shen looked displeased and immediately reprimanded his son, "Do you think your mother doesn't know about this?"
Shen Fan stared wide-eyed at his father, speechless.
The father and son were locked in a verbal standoff when Miao Niang gave Song Zhao a wink. The two then made an excuse and went to another room.
After everyone left, Master Shen found a stool and sat down before saying, "If A Yao hadn't married Xu Xuan back then, Song Zhao would be your brother-in-law now."
Song Zhao's mother died early, and he was raised entirely by his aunt. After Master Shen took in Miao Niang, he treated Song Zhao as his own son, taking care of all his needs. Song Zhao was intelligent and diligent in his studies, and he always ranked at the top of his class in the Imperial Academy examinations.
It's less about supporting Miao Niang and more about supporting Song Zhao, the future son-in-law. It's just that Shen Yao had taken a liking to Xu Xuan because he was a third-ranked scholar, which is why Shen agreed to the marriage.
"But that doesn't give you a reason to keep a mistress?"
Shen Fan persisted, "I always thought Father was a virtuous and upright man who would never mess around with women or do anything sordid. I never expected this day... I've truly seen it all today."
Shen Fan's defenses were breached.
As the eldest son and only son in the family, he has always been pampered. He never expected that his father would support someone else outside the family. Although the other person is not his biological son, feelings of jealousy and resentment grow rapidly like buds.
A warm and harmonious family crumbled in an instant.
The father was no longer a role model, but had fallen from his lofty position and become an ordinary man who was greedy and lustful.
Chen Fan stood there, his face grim.
When Master Shen saw this, he was quite annoyed. "Alright, alright, it's no big deal. These days, which rich man doesn't have a bunch of women, especially those civil officials and scholars in the court? Don't be fooled by their constant preaching of Confucianism and Mencius' teachings and the fact that they only have one virtuous wife at home. They actually have more women outside than I do."
"I'm not afraid to tell you, this alley, and even this whole area, is full of mistresses of powerful officials in the court. It's like a pear tree overshadowing a crabapple tree. Some old men in the cabinet and the six ministries have slept with at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, men and women."
Who is it?
Master Shen glanced at his son and snorted, "You're getting on in years, about to get married. Keep your mind straight and don't gossip about things you shouldn't be asking."
Yawning, Master Shen was unwilling to say any more. He simply instructed the maid to prepare a room for Shen Fan, then washed up and went to make love with Miao Niang, leaving Shen Fan alone in the hall, conflicted.
The candle burned quietly, its wax dripping, and in the flickering flame, Song Zhao approached.
“You don’t need to be hostile towards us. Your father has other women besides your aunt.”
Under Shen Fan's shocked gaze once again, Song Zhao continued, "I will always remember Master Shen's kindness over the years, and I will repay it when I achieve success in the imperial examinations. Moreover, I will not threaten your position. Can you rest assured now?"
Shen Fan froze on the spot, his lips trembling as he stammered, "What... my father has another woman?"
Song Zhao laughed and said, "You know Hua Manlou, right? Your father kept a prostitute as a mistress. Oh, by the way, that woman also had a patron. Guess who it was?"
Shen Fan shook his head.
"It's the Duke, your future father-in-law."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
