A Pawn's Passage

In the early days, when the Confucian School held power, it was particularly fond of supporting puppet emperors. That was because they were easy to replace.

During the Jin Dynasty, emperors frequently went mad. During the Wei Dynasty, emperors frequently drowned. As long as an emperor displeased the Confucian School, he could simply be replaced. In any case, there was no shortage of those with royal blood. Thus, apart from the first two generations of emperors, who retained some degree of freedom, later emperors were little more than birds trapped in cages.

However, this created another problem. If emperors were to be treated as puppets, they could not be allowed to attain cultivation levels that were too high. Otherwise, they would become difficult to control. Yet if the emperor was too weak, manpower had to be expended to protect him. After all, replacing emperors too frequently would create instability. If opponents of the Confucian School did nothing but carry out assassination attempts all day long, it would become a serious headache for the Confucians.

In fact, Elder Xu of the Daoist Order had done precisely this in his day. He had assassinated members of the Confucian School, the Daoist Order, and the Buddhist School, creating tremendous chaos.

Thus, once the Daoist Order came to power, it completely relaxed restrictions on the emperor. The Daoist Order also forcibly linked official rank to cultivation. The higher one’s status, the higher one’s cultivation. This eliminated much of the manpower previously required for protection.

At the same time, the Daoist Order established the ranks of the Spirit Guards. If someone like Elder Xu appeared and engaged in assassination campaigns, the Daoist Order would simply concentrate all its forces and eliminate him. When Wu Luo sank the Yinglong Warship and killed a Sage, she nearly lost her life at the hands of the Daoist Order. As for Chen Shuhua, she had done nothing except ascend to immortality without the Daoist Order’s approval, yet she was killed.

Had Elder Xu been born in this era, he would not have dared continue his assassination campaigns. Such a grave violation of taboo could very well prompt the Daoist Order to dispatch several Immortals to surround and kill him.

After all, one of Elder Xu’s greatest advantages in his era was that it was an age of chaos, when all forms of order were breaking down. In the present age, the Daoist Order constantly speaks of order and stability.

The Western Daoist Order simply followed in the Daoist Order’s example. It had imitated almost every aspect of the Daoist Order’s institutions. Therefore, the Western Daoist Order likewise placed few restrictions upon the Tawantin Emperor. Although he was not comparable to the Great Xuan Emperor, he was certainly no ordinary man.

If what Hun Ahau had said was true, and if Unulatu indeed harbored malicious intentions and wished to murder Emperor Manu Tancha, it would not be something that could be accomplished easily.

After overcoming a few complications, Qi Xuansu finally arrived in New Paititi. Unlike his previous visit, when he had kept a low profile, his arrival this time was highly publicized as it was in an official capacity.

Although the Beichen Hall branch maintained by the Daoist Order in New Paititi was not suitable as a residence, the Western Daoist Order had several Daoist temples. Tantai Ying had long since made the arrangements so that Qi Xuansu could stay at whichever temple he wished. He could even change temples every day if he so desired. The Western Daoist Order had assigned personnel specifically to receive him and had already informed the Tawantin Court of his arrival.

The Emperor attached great importance to the visit, so he personally planned to host a banquet the following day in honor of the Eastern envoy.

Faced with such sincere hospitality, Qi Xuansu had no choice but to agree.

As it happened, Huangfu Ji was also in New Paititi.

He had not come because of any particular case. Rather, he was here purely to discuss certain cooperative ventures. Upon hearing that Qi Xuansu had also arrived in New Paititi, he personally came to invite Qi Xuansu out for a drink, since the banquet would not take place until the following day.

The first thing Huangfu Ji said upon seeing Qi Xuansu was, “Tian Yuan, you and I have managed to steal half a day of leisure from our busy lives. Why don’t we go out and enjoy ourselves for a bit?”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Enjoy what?”

Huangfu Ji replied, “Something you can’t find in Jade Capital, of course. We can go to a brothel.”

Qi Xuansu laughed. “Brother Huangfu, do you know what my first assignment was after being promoted to Superintendent of the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion? I was tasked to crack down on places like that.”

Huangfu Ji said, “That’s well in the past. Are you coming or not?”

Qi Xuansu was about to refuse when Huangfu Ji teased, “Tian Yuan, don’t tell me you’re afraid of your wife. Do you not have balls?”

The provocation itself was not particularly sophisticated. The key was who used it. It did not work when employed by someone of much higher status, nor by someone of much lower status. It was most effective when used by someone of roughly equal standing.

Qi Xuansu said, “Why would I be afraid of her? Not only am I not afraid, but I even dare to tell her directly.”

“I know. That’s called reporting, just like making extra requests for approval.” Huangfu Ji continued to tease him.

Qi Xuansu took out his Daoist license and contacted Zhang Yuelu. “Qing Xiao, I’m planning to visit a brothel today. Do you have any objections?”

Zhang Yuelu had first been besieged by a group of old Daoists, then lectured by the Heavenly Preceptor. Her new policies had also come to an abrupt halt, so she was in a foul mood. For Qi Xuansu to bring up such nonsense at a time like this was like pouring oil on a fire. Naturally, she had no patience for him. “Do whatever you want. What are you telling me for?”

Qi Xuansu was a little bewildered. “You don’t object?”

Zhang Yuelu replied, “Your Brother Huangfu invited you, right? He’s the only one with the nerve to do something like that. Since it’s a social engagement, how could I stop you?”

From Zhang Yuelu’s tone, Huangfu Ji had clearly been categorized as one of those questionable drinking companions and bad influences.

Qi Xuansu coughed lightly, unsure of what to say. He had intended to show off a little in front of Huangfu Ji but had nearly ended up embarrassing himself instead.

Zhang Yuelu could not be bothered to say more. “If there’s nothing else, I’m ending the call.”

Then, she ended the conversation.

Huangfu Ji clicked his tongue and said, “I’ve long heard that Qing Xiao has quite a temper. Having witnessed it today, I can see the reputation is well deserved.”

Qi Xuansu was silent for a long while before finally saying, “Well, she’s not usually like this...”

Huangfu Ji sighed. “The female Daoists of the Daoist Order are all tigresses. The better life gets, the harder women are to please. The Western Daoist Order is getting there too. Just look at Great Sage Tantai’s eldest granddaughter. She’s a perfect example.”

Qi Xuansu waved his hand. “Enough nonsense. If we’re going, then let’s go. Madam Wu, why don’t you come along as well?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Madam Wu appeared. She raised her chin slightly and nodded. “Sure.”

Establishments of this sort were not merely for romantic or sensual pursuits. They also served as social venues. Bringing a female companion generally conveyed one of two messages—one was interested in more unconventional entertainments, or one had no interest in such matters and was only attending because of a particularly insistent invitation. By inviting Madam Wu along, Qi Xuansu was naturally expressing the latter sentiment. He was attending out of necessity, not because he was pursuing women. Should any trouble arise later, Madam Wu could also serve as a witness.

Huangfu Ji said, “Tian Yuan, don’t you ever get tired?”

Qi Xuansu replied, “I got used to it.”

Huangfu Ji said nothing further. That was simply how things worked in the Daoist Order. If Qi Xuansu wanted to make his way to the top, he had to abide by its rules.

Qi Xuansu was not the only one Huangfu Ji had invited. Some of his attendants were coming as well, all trusted confidants and entirely reliable.

The group set out, and Huangfu Ji had already arranged a private courtyard for them.

These pleasure houses were masters of marketing. They deliberately restricted availability. Even though the courtesan’s stamina was perfectly sufficient, they would insist that she could only receive a few guests per night. It was much like the Westerners’ diamond trade. Despite having enormous mines, they released only a small amount each year to maintain scarcity and high prices. Through such tactics, the courtesan’s status rose, and her value increased accordingly.

Then they would introduce the notion of compatibility at first sight. If the courtesan found someone pleasing to the eye, he could stay. Otherwise, he had to leave. This created enormous room for manipulation. If the courtesan selected one man and sent all the others away, did that not imply that this particular man was superior to the rest? The rejected guests effectively became props used to elevate her prestige. Men, especially in the presence of women, rarely let go of their competitive instincts. Everyone wanted to be the man chosen by the courtesan. At that point, whether intimacy was involved or whether she merely performed other talents became almost irrelevant. What mattered was the satisfaction of being the one who succeeded where other men failed. Under such circumstances, how could they not enthusiastically pursue her favor?

After all these tactics, those who knew the truth understood that the courtesan was simply entertaining patrons. Those who did not might have thought a princess was selecting a royal consort.

However, these methods were not foolproof. When confronted with real power and influence, they ceased to be effective.

Businesses in this trade usually had powerful backers, but there were still situations where even those backers could not resolve matters.

In such cases, they would have to obey if they wanted to stay in the business. Otherwise, they would have to pack up and leave.

Huangfu Ji was precisely that sort of person. Once he gave the order, notions of compatibility no longer mattered. They were expected to come over immediately.

The manager of this pleasure house was a member of the Tawantin royal family. Yet upon hearing Huangfu Ji’s name, he did not dare utter a single objection and immediately made the necessary arrangements.

Such behavior was far from elegant and rather spoiled the atmosphere.

However, Huangfu Ji was a brute who cared little for such niceties. As far as he was concerned, seeing Qi Xuansu suffer a rare setback and get rebuffed by Zhang Yuelu was already worth the trip. It was far more entertaining than watching any celebrated courtesan sing, dance, or play music.

The pleasure houses in the Tawantin Empire were quite interesting. From the outside, it appeared to be a traditional Tawantin building, but inside it concealed a unique design. One had to pass through the entrance hall and then cross a corridor running over a vast pool of water before reaching the main hall. The hall itself was shaped like a funnel. The outer ring was the highest point, descending layer by layer toward the center, which was also the lowest point. The star courtesans normally performed there. At present, however, it was empty, resembling the mouth of a well.

Everyone took their seats. Huangfu Ji, Qi Xuansu, and Madam Wu shared a table at the highest level, chatting casually.

Suddenly, the sounds of a guzheng and a pipa—instruments of the Central Plains—filled the hall. Qi Xuansu and the others stopped talking and looked toward the source.

A circular platform rose from the well-like opening at the bottom of the funnel, perfectly filling the gap. Seated upon it were two women dressed in relatively simple attire. One played the guzheng while the other played the pipa.

Qi Xuansu found it rather uninteresting.

At that moment, another group of women entered one after another and took seats beside the guests, regardless of whether the guests were male or female.

These women were there to accompany the guests in drinking. Their attire was relatively modest, making them seem to be nothing more than drinking companions.

Qi Xuansu waved his hand and declined the arrangement. He then asked, “Brother Huangfu, surely you didn’t invite me here merely to listen to music and drink wine, right?”

Huangfu Ji set down his wine cup. “As expected, I can’t hide anything from you, Brother Tian Yuan. The truth is that someone wishes to meet you but also wants to avoid attracting attention, so they asked me for a favor. After much consideration, I decided to host a gathering here and use music and beauty as a smokescreen.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the woman whom Qi Xuansu had previously turned away sat down beside him.

This time, Qi Xuansu did not refuse. He immediately understood that this woman was the very person who had sought Huangfu Ji’s assistance. Her status was certainly extraordinary, yet she had chosen to mingle among these entertainers in order to meet him.

Qi Xuansu glanced at the woman. “May I ask who you are?”

The woman replied softly, “My name is Masi. My Central Plains name is Huangfu Xi. Greetings, Sage Qi.”