Causing a Ruckus During the Lunar New Year at Thirty-Two

The first day of the Lunar New Year is a time when every household celebrates. I wish you joy upon opening your door, wealth coming your way, meeting noble benefactors when you step out, hearing good news at home, and finally… hand over the red envelope!

"Today, we must trouble Miss Xiangyun to show my cousin the charm of our Jiangxi beauties."

After introducing the scholars present, Zeng Yuanshu ordered the restaurant staff to set things up. The Jingshui Pavilion had only three floors and was not particularly large. Although it was decorated exquisitely with carved beams and painted rafters, it was more about luxury than size. The third floor, where Wei Guangde was currently seated, was naturally the best spot in the house, though it was not partitioned into private rooms.

Zeng Yuanshu had booked the entire third floor for the day, so aside from his invited guests, no one else would be coming up. The area of this floor was, by Wei Guangde’s estimation, several dozen square meters—not tiny, but it was clear that tables and chairs were stacked behind a screen. Apparently, because of the private booking, the restaurant had moved the excess furniture to the corner and partitioned it off.

The madam signaled for her musicians to take their seats behind the screen, while she led Miss Xiangyun to toast the guests at the table. It was then that Wei Guangde learned the background of this group. The madam, surnamed Liu, was the proprietress of the Fanghua House, and the guests addressed her as Mother Liu. The young woman she brought, Xiangyun, was the star performer of the Fanghua House; they had been invited by Young Master Zeng to sing and provide entertainment.

Mother Liu led Xiangyun to toast each person in turn. As a veteran of the entertainment scene, she knew how to gauge the guests with a few brief words during the toasting process. When it came to Wei Guangde, she noticed his youthful, baby-faced appearance and realized he was still just a child. After glancing at his wine cup, she still signaled for Xiangyun to pour him a drink. This gave Wei Guangde his first real chance to look at Miss Xiangyun up close.

A beauty, truly a beauty, though she didn’t seem as breathtaking as she had from a distance. When Wei Guangde looked at her the second time, the initial sense of awe had vanished, which left him feeling rather curious. However, as Xiangyun raised her cup to toast him, he suddenly had an epiphany.

Since arriving in the Ming Dynasty, the only women he had seen were his own mother and a few local women in town. They were all dressed in plain, everyday attire, nothing like these women, who were fully adorned in formal dress, their hair heavy with pearl hairpins and jade rings. Ah, it was simply that Mother Wei didn't dress up, and her hair accessories were very simple, so Wei Guangde had never before witnessed the beauty of a woman in traditional costume. Even when they visited her parents' home during the New Year, Mother Wei hadn't dressed up intentionally. His cousin and her daughter had dressed up a bit, but it was very simple, with few ornaments in their hair. It was through Miss Xiangyun that Wei Guangde finally felt the aesthetic appeal of a beauty in Han-style clothing.

Thinking about it, it made sense; if they didn't pay attention to their appearance, their business would surely suffer. Once the musicians were ready, Miss Xiangyun began to sing to enliven the banquet. This was the first time Wei Guangde had heard the "popular music" of the Ming Dynasty. To be honest, in his own time, he had rarely heard music from the Ming or Qing dynasties. Although many songs marketed as "Chinese style" or "classical" claimed to be ancient, they seemed a far cry from what he was hearing now. Of course, it wasn't that the music of the Great Ming was better; in fact, he felt it wasn't even as strong as the guzheng performances he had heard in the future.

The musicians behind the screen were busy blowing, plucking, and singing, but Wei Guangde felt quite uncomfortable. Yet, he noticed that as the music started and Miss Xiangyun began to sing, the people at the table gradually stopped talking. They listened to the melodic and lingering song, looking completely intoxicated. At this point, Wei Guangde had to admit that while instruments had evolved over the centuries, modern sound quality and timbre were indeed more perfect and pleasing.

I just don't have the ear for this.

Wei Guangde sighed inwardly and then mimicked the others, pretending to be lost in the music. As he listened carefully, however, he made a startling discovery: the Ming Dynasty held Song Dynasty poetry in incredibly high regard. He listened as Miss Xiangyun sang two songs, both of which were lyrics by Liu Yong—love songs.

"Standing by the high tower, the breeze is faint. Gazing to the horizon, spring sorrow grows, dim and vast. Amidst the grass, the smoke, and the setting sun, who understands the heart of the one leaning on the railing? I intend to drown my wild spirit in wine; facing the song, forced joy is still tasteless. My robes grow loose, yet I do not regret; for her sake, I pine away."

The melody was nothing special, but Miss Xiangyun’s voice was quite good. Wei Guangde, from the future, judged silently, finding it hard to get used to these "pop songs." After Miss Xiangyun finished a song, Wei Guangde followed the others in clapping and cheering.

Just treat it as play, he thought. That was his mindset now; he couldn't show that he didn't like it, lest the scholars there think him a bumpkin who understood nothing of music.

In reality, he *was* a bumpkin who understood nothing of music. Regarding music, he could only judge it simply as "good" or "bad." Miss Xiangyun would sing two songs and then step down to rest for a while, eat a few bites, drink a cup of wine, and take the opportunity to invite the scholars present to visit the Fanghua House. Well, she was just soliciting customers; it was clear that the competition in the entertainment industry was fierce.

Just as Miss Xiangyun had rested for a moment and begun to sing again, a commotion broke out by the stairs. It seemed someone was trying to come up but was being blocked below. Wei Guangde knew this had nothing to do with him; it was only because his mind wasn't on the music that he noticed it. Before long, however, he could no longer ignore it. Someone was forcing their way up, and the restaurant staff seemed to be blocking the path but dared not refuse, constantly explaining and pleading. Yet the other party was a tough nut to crack, pushing the staff aside and moving up step by step.

"Liu, you woman! I go to your Fanghua House to hear Xiangyun sing, and you have the nerve to bring her out here to meet other men?"

"Don't push your luck... you didn't even give us a heads-up..."

There must have been quite a few people in the stairwell. Wei Guangde heard snippets of cursing. Surnamed Liu, Fanghua House—it was clear these people were here for Mother Liu. The noise in the stairwell reached the banquet table, and the guests heard it too. They looked over curiously, but once they heard the speaker, the expressions of those at the table soured.

Of course, it was only Zeng Yuanshu, Wu Dong, and the others whose expressions changed. Zeng Shengu and the two Wei brothers were still unaware of the situation, thinking it was just someone looking for Mother Liu. Xiangyun stopped singing and looked toward the stairs with an ugly expression. By now, Mother Liu had already hurried over.

Wei Guangde noticed the change in everyone's demeanor and guessed that there was definitely more to this. He no longer watched with the relaxed curiosity he had felt before, but instead kept a close eye on the every move of those at the table. He had heard his cousin Wu Dong say that the Zeng family was a prominent and influential household in Pengze County. The troublemakers downstairs couldn't possibly be unaware of the guests' identities; the restaurant staff weren't idiots, so they surely would have mentioned it early on.

But despite the commotion, the other party was still aggressively trying to come up. Even though Mother Liu had gone over and was whispering something to them, it was clear they had no intention of backing down. The motive was obvious: they weren't here for Xiangyun or Mother Liu, but for Zeng Yuanshu.

I’m afraid this won’t end well.

Wei Guangde thought to himself. Creating trouble on New Year’s Day—once the fighting started, looking at the table full of dishes, he feared they would truly be "shattered into peace."