Chapter Text
Jinshi would never pretend that he knew how the heavens and the earth moved to get him here, in this exact moment, but he did know of a certain game of go which lead him to, eventually, stand on the steps of the most prominent brothel in the capital’s red light district.
“Hey, mister!” a child’s voice called from the ground. Jinshi looked down curiously to see a little girl around four years old, wrinkling her nose at him. “Are you loitering? The guards are going to come get ya if you are.”
“He’s a customer,” Gaoshun interjected, not unkindly. “But thank you for your concern.”
The little girl shrugged and went back to her little wooden figure, and Jinshi walked into the building known as Verdigris House.
Verdigris House was famous for its three princesses, whose beauty and intellect could captivate the most unwilling celibate and the most fastidious scholar. Jinshi wasn’t there for them, though; not really. He was there to reserve the famed women for a meeting in one of the meeting rooms in the establishment with an important bureaucrat, who had been noted to favour courtesans, since he had married one. Jinshi hoped this would help land the deal they’ve been trying to get signed since last month. He was tired of revising his proposals. This wasn’t even the main part of his job, goddammit.
The inside of the building was as majestic as the outside, but Jinshi had no time to blink at the grandeur. He was used to even more splendour than that anyway, so he strode straight ahead to the counter and asked for the manager of the brothel. Right away, the doors to the public closed and an old lady popped up, clapping, presumably, to get the courtesans to line up.
Jinshi bowed to the woman. “Thank you for your hospitality, Madam,” he said politely. “It is much appreciated.”
The Madam nodded with a little smile, befitting a woman like her. “Thank you for the business, sir,” she said magnanimously. “The girls are just lining up now.” She inspected the row of woman in front of the stairs, and Jinshi turned his gaze to them too. Very noticeably, there was a gap between a very voluptuous woman and one who was… less so. The Madam seemed to notice this gap too, because she mumbled an apology in Jinshi’s direction and hobbled off to the bottom of the stairwell just as a loud crash resounded around the building. The sound of a child shrieking pierced the air, and before Jinshi could say or think anything, the screaming stopped and was replaced by angry yelling of a feminine voice.
Then, the door opened, and a young woman in green came out dragging a little boy by his ear. Her anger faded almost instantly when she saw the Madam at the bottom of the stairs, leaving Jinshi to wonder how much of it she actually meant. He watched the young woman toss the boy into another room before coming downstairs. “Sorry,” said that same voice that yelled not two minutes ago. “Chou-u was being a brat about taking his lessons.”
The Madam whacked her fan on the back of the young woman. “Stand up straight,” she scolded. “I didn’t invest in all that hasma for nothing. And Chou-u has been your charge for years now, how have you not managed to learn to control him?”
Jinshi listened as the young woman exhaled exasperatedly before begrudgingly making her way over to join the lineup. She didn’t end up getting to reply as scathingly as she looked like she wanted to. He kept his gaze on her; even as every other courtesan in line looked at him with some enthusiasm, she let her eyes fall to the ground. When the Madam corrected her, the young woman finally looked at him— and just as quickly looked back away once she realized his eyes were already on her.
Cute.
He gave a passing glance to the other girls in line, noting that some of them were in their later twenties, and some looked to be in their mid to late teens. When Jinshi looked at the young woman again, he noticed that she was probably the only girl who was actually close to his age.
The Madam clapped once, and everyone squared their shoulders, ready for inspection. “These are our district’s finest courtesans, ten of which are our own girls,” she purred. “I’ve hand-selected these beauties, sir. Some are virgin, if that is to your guests’ tastes. They can all dance, sing, play an instrument, and service whoever they’re tasked to.” The Madam seemed to take his lingering looks on the young woman in green, and smiled wider. “If you’d like to request a particular girl to service you personally, I’ll add her to your table free of charge, for a client as important as you, sir.”
Jinshi returned the polite smile, and looked at the rest of the women carefully before passing them and having the Madam dismiss them. He watched all of them disperse quietly, some going back to the tea room, and some going back upstairs. In particular, the young woman in green had disappeared off to another section of the building that no one else seemed to go into.
“Do you have your eye on anyone, sir?”
He jumped. The Madam had spoken to him from the side he wasn’t looking at, and Jinshi hadn’t even noticed how she got there. He tried to regain his composure as much as possible. “No, not yet,” Jinshi said, hoping his voice gained back its smooth consistency. “Though…”
The Madam’s eyes sparkled. “Yes?”
Jinshi tapped a finger on his clasped hands. “I was wondering about that girl who came last,” he admitted. “The young woman, I mean. The one in green and yellow. What can you tell me about her?”
The old woman’s demeanour shifted into one of pride, likely because she had lined up her girls in order of price, and the young woman in green had been fourth, the first one after the three princesses. She must’ve made the Madam a lot of money, for the old woman to boast such a look about her. “Her name is Maomao,” the Madam told him, seeming quite pleased. “One of my most prized girls. She’s of good blood, with a smart head on those shoulders. She specializes in herbs and remedies, and she always sends customers away satisfied. And she is, notably, our most expensive virgin. Suffice to say, sir, that you’ll find her quite to your liking.” And, as if sensing his intrigue, the Madam added, “Maomao is free to take tea today, with the starting price of seventy silver.”
Seventy silver... that sounds reasonable, probably. Jinshi nodded for Gaoshun to hand it over, trying not to look too excited as the Madam lead him over to a private tea room. For a moment, he was alone in the room, while the Madam had gone to get the young woman. Her name was Maomao. He liked the repetition.
The Madam whisked Maomao into the room with some grace before letting a young girl, maybe five or six, serve them tea and cookies on shining ceramic plates, edged in gold and reflecting the low light of the lanterns.
“Enjoy,” the old woman said finally, an unreadable smile still on her face, before closing the door behind her.
Sunlight filtered in through the crack between the closed doors, but the lantern provided enough light for Jinshi to study the young courtesan before him. Her hair was tied in intricate braids with small flowers and pearls tucked carefully in place. Her clothes were pristine, made with good quality fabric. Plain, but clearly expensive. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue he’d ever seen.
Maomao exhaled softly, parting her lips ever so slightly. They glinted in the lantern light. She righted the upside-down silver cups and poured some tea for the two of them. Jinshi made sure to bow his head respectfully as she did so, and maybe he was just imagining it, but she seemed to take note of that.
The young woman sipped her tea slowly, never taking her eyes off of him. She opened her mouth again, to ask a question: “Are you attracted to men?”
Jinshi blinked. He wasn’t really expecting that, but he tried to stay the course and shake his head no.
“A pity,” Maomao said, a small, calculating smile finally making its way onto her pretty face. “With a visage like yours, I know plenty of men would be happy to see you under them. Your looks could rival some of our princesses.”
Just as Jinshi was recovering from his last shock, he choked on his sip of tea. He coughed a bit violently, almost worried that she had poisoned the tea, but he was fine a moment later. “Thank you,” he said, trying not to choke again. “It sounds like a compliment.”
“It is.” Maomao offered him a handkerchief and he accepted it warily. “My apologies for making you cough. However, I have to ask you something, seeing as you are who you are.”
Jinshi tried not to let his eye twitch. Did she know that he was the Imperial Brother? Surely not…
“And who do you believe I am?” he asked cautiously.
Maomao cocked her head. “Some sort of bureaucrat,” she answered honestly, her eyes lingering on his clothes. Jinshi suddenly felt very naked. “A high position, from the clothes you wear and the task you’ve been assigned. You’re arranging a meeting with a businessman here, with the intent to strike a deal with him. If you have the power to strike a deal, you should be someone at least of mid-level authority.” A beat, and she straightened. “Am I wrong?”
Jinshi finally successfully swallowed his sip of tea, letting it warm his throat for a moment before he replied. “No,” he said. “Not really.”
Her eyes narrowed, and Jinshi felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Quiet power radiated from the young woman in front of him, like she knew she held all the power in this room, even if he was the one of a higher caste between the two of them. “So. Who do you work for?” Maomao demanded, and if Jinshi were any less of a performer, he would’ve shivered at her intensity. “Did that old fart send you here? Do you work under him? What does he want this time? Lunch? Tea? A passing sighting? What is it?”
… what? Jinshi composed himself. No, he couldn’t laugh. This woman looked equal parts terrifying and endearing as she stepped ever closer to berating him into submission.
“Tell me!”
He exhaled slowly. “I’m not sure which old fart you’re referring to,” Jinshi said, “but I’m an official working within the Board of Rites, in the department of diplomacy. The old fart I directly work under is at most forty years old, and is only a mid-ranking authority himself.”
Maomao sank back into her seat, looking a little relieved but nonetheless as on guard as she was the whole time they’d been in the tea room. “Then why are you here?” she asked, almost reluctantly. “Why did you ask the Madam to speak with me?”
“Because I took note of you earlier today, during the selection,” Jinshi replied, breathing a little easier now that they steered away from the details of his employment. “I thought you interesting. When I asked the Madam about you, she had spoken highly to your skills and competencies.”
The young woman snorted. “Of course she did,” Maomao said, scoffing lightly. “She’s trying to make a sale. No one buys damaged goods, sir. Her job is to make even the most rotten petal look like a flower in full bloom. You know she will lie as long as she thinks she’s saying what you want to hear.”
“And you?” Jinshi gestured towards her. “Why are you letting a stranger in on secrets that might cost the house my patronage?”
The calculating smile touched Maomao’s lips again, ever so slightly. “You seem intrigued.” She let the smile drop after a moment, and sighed, feigning regret. “Though, if all you’re looking for is a virgin with a brain, you might want to try someone else. I’m not losing my value just because some bureaucrat wants to fuck someone with an opinion, for once.”
Jinshi let himself smile his sparkly smile, though he wasn’t so sure it would work. “I have no intention of bedding you,” he said sincerely. Nothing in her stony expression shifted. “Believe me, I don’t have the time to get caught up in someone as I’m sure I would you, if given the chance. But I do want to get to know you.” He made the sparkles fade away, made the manufactured smile melt into something… smaller. Softer. As expected, Maomao’s aloofness disappeared with the mask he wore. “Just… hold a conversation with me for the remainder of the time we have together,” Jinshi insisted. “Indulge me, please.”
And she did.
Maomao didn’t especially look too enthused, nor did she open up immediately. Jinshi didn’t expect her to. But talking to her was involved using his brain to solve whatever riddle her words became, and yet felt like the least stressful thing he’d done in years. Jinshi was eighteen now, masquerading as twenty-two, and his life in the palace consisted of keeping other officials civil and endless piles of paperwork and an overall headache.
And when he left at the end of the evening, they agreed to talk again soon, as well as to have her service him personally during the banquet, for a multitude of reasons. Maomao had left, sweeping her dress behind her as she went, finally looking relaxed and like she was actually a bit disappointed that he had to leave. Well, if Jinshi wasn’t imagining it, that is.
He stepped back outside, blinking in the brighter light of the foyer, and called the Madam.
“Yes?” Her eyes gleamed. “Was she to your liking, sir? You were in there for quite a while.”
Jinshi nodded, a smile already fixed in place on his face. “I’ll take her during the banquet, if you can spare her,” he said. “Would a hundred silver be enough for her for the night?” She had said that it would be on the house, but Jinshi felt compelled to pay them both, anyway.
The Madam positively beamed when he asked, and thanked him for being such a wonderful customer.
Jinshi sank down into his office chair, exhaling long and slow. The smell of incense filled his nose, thick and intrusive and Jinshi really needed to ask someone to throw this batch out before he did it himself.
It had been an exceedingly long week.
As he closed his eyes, an image of a beautiful girl in green swam into view, and as quickly as they shut, Jinshi pried his eyes open again, and pulled out a brush, addressing the letter to a young lady named Maomao who lived in the red light district.