Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 358 Fanlou
That night.

The carriage clattered along the cobblestone street of Huangjianyuan Street.

As the carriage swayed slightly, streaks of streetlights shone through, casting flickering light inside the carriage.

Lu Beigu sat upright in the car, just passing by Donghua Gate, where the top scholars were announced yesterday morning.

After turning right from Donghuamen, he immediately felt the difference. Even sitting in the car, the bright lights from the north still shone through the curtains and windows, making it as bright as day, or at least dazzling.

The reason it suddenly lit up was quite simple: on the north side of this street outside Donghua Gate was the most famous restaurant in the entire Song Dynasty.

—Fanlou.

Fanlou, also known as Baifanlou, is a three-story building with five floors facing each other, all connected by flying bridges. It is magnificent and grand, and every night, it becomes a place for extravagant spending.

It can be said that any kind of pleasure you could imagine in ancient times can be found here; it is no exaggeration to call it the ultimate paradise on earth.

With a soft sigh from the coachman, the carriage slowly came to a stop.

"We've arrived at Fanlou."

Lu Beigu paid the fare, bent down and stepped out of the carriage. As soon as he stood up, he couldn't help but take a look at the scene in front of him.

The five three-story main buildings rise up like five magnificent golden mountains. Judging from their height, they are only slightly shorter than the gate tower of Donghuamen. It is estimated that they were built within the height limit allowed for private buildings.

The buildings are connected by flying bridges, whose railings, adorned with colorful lights, crisscross in the twilight, making them appear at first glance like pavilions in the sky.

Each building has thirty-six glass lamps hanging from its eaves, the special lamp oil inside which is blended by skilled craftsmen, and the flames glow with a faint golden-red hue.

These lights, refracted through the glass, illuminated the entire sky with dazzling colors.

The walls of the main building below are painted in vermilion, and the doors and windows are decorated with intricate lotus scroll patterns. A sandalwood plaque hangs high above the main entrance, with the words "Fanlou" prominently displayed.

The scenery on both sides of the main entrance is even more unique. In front of the jade steps, there is a life-sized jade Pixiu on each side, which glows with a green light under the lamp.

Although theoretically, jadeite rough stones can be over ten meters long and wide, in reality, it was extremely rare to find a jadeite rough stone as large as a stone lion in the Song Dynasty and then carve it.

These two jade Pixiu are clearly the signature items of Fanlou.

"Even if this thing is left here to be stolen, there's no way to take it away. Just knocking off a corner would make it worthless."

The thought had barely crossed Lu Beigu's mind when he glanced at the strong, muscular men and knew that no one would come to Fanlou to steal the jade Pixiu.

Upon seeing Lu Beigu, the head steward immediately said, "Scholar, Young Master Yan is already waiting for you at the Xiefang Pavilion in the West Tower."

"You recognize me?"

The steward probably saw him yesterday when he was parading through the streets on horseback, but this man was very eloquent. He gave a curt bow and asked in return, "Who in the world doesn't know you?"

Lu Beigu smiled and saw paper and pen on the table next to him, so he went over, picked up the pen, wrote a piece of calligraphy, and gave it to the steward.

The steward was overjoyed to receive the calligraphy and became even more attentive, personally instructing the waiter to escort Lu Beigu to Xiefang Pavilion.

Then, Lu Beigu followed the waiter into the hall.

The first thing you see is a six-foot-tall gilded bronze incense burner, with incense burning inside and wisps of smoke rising.

He didn't know what kind of fragrance it was, but it smelled very nice and seemed to have a calming effect. Before he knew it, he had relaxed completely.

The waiter led him through two halls, each with a different view.

The first section is a bustling general seating area, where dozens of rosewood wooden tables are filled with guests, their shouts and drinking games mingling together. The second section is a private seating area, with bamboo curtains half-rolled up and a winding pond with water flowing under the corridor, where golden-scaled red carp swim.

They finally reached the staircase of the main building of Fanlou. The staircase was in pairs, leading to the east and west buildings respectively.

As he climbed the stairs, Lu Beigu took a closer look and noticed that the handrails were intricately carved with patterns, and each step facing the direction of visitors was inlaid with seasonal floral designs, making it an exquisitely crafted piece.

After crossing the flying bridge, we arrived at the third floor of the west building, which was noticeably quieter than the main building's first-floor hall.

This place is all private rooms, and all of them are soundproofed. Unless the sound is coming from very close to the door, it is completely inaudible outside.

Moreover, the floor was covered with a thick carpet from Persia, which felt like walking on brocade and made almost no sound.

When they arrived at Xiefang Pavilion, the waiter stopped and knocked on the door.

It was Yan Jidao who opened the door.

"Top scholar, you've finally arrived!"

"I've been running around all day and just got back from Hongqiao. I'm so sorry."

Lu Beigu explained somewhat embarrassedly.

Yesterday was filled with the roll call, audience with the emperor, parade through the streets, and the Qionglin Banquet; there was absolutely no personal time.

This morning, he went to the Imperial College to pack his belongings and bid farewell to everyone there.

In the morning, after temporarily storing their luggage in the back warehouse of Chengmingzhai, other shop owners on the street came to congratulate them. Left with no other choice, he and Shen Kuo treated these people to a meal at a nearby restaurant.

After finishing his meal, it was already afternoon. He went to Sister Lu Nanzhi's house in Hongqiao, where he was surrounded by neighbors again. Some brought gifts, some asked him to write inscriptions, and some even asked him to name their children.

After all that fuss, as the sun set, Lu Beigu remembered that he had an important gathering at Fanlou that evening.

Having no other choice, we had to hire a horse-drawn carriage to hurry over. You ask why we didn't hire a donkey cart? Well, of course, donkey carts aren't allowed to stop on Fanlou Street!

Yan Jidao laughed and said, "Don't explain. You're late, so you should be punished with three cups!"

"Alright, alright! I'll punish myself with three drinks."

Lu Beigu picked up the wine pot next to him, poured himself a drink, and downed three cups in one go before he was considered to have passed the test.

After finishing his drink, he looked around the private room.

Elderly people like Ouyang Xiu and Mei Yaochen didn't come; all the attendees were middle-aged and young people.

Zeng Gong and Zhang Zai were just playing chess, while the Cheng brothers were admiring the landscape paintings on the wall. Su Zhe and Su Shi were also there, but for some reason, they were just sitting there doing nothing.

Although Su Shi was not a member of the Green Pine Society, he had met Yan Jidao when they saw Mei Zhi off, and the two had a good chat, so the Su brothers also received an invitation.

Besides them, several members of the Green Pine Society, as well as Yan Jidao's friends, were chatting idly.

He did arrive quite late.

Afterwards, he spoke with the others.

Zeng Gong said, "Let's have a good get-together tonight. After a while, we'll all go our separate ways, and it will be hard to see each other again in the vast world."

That's the truth. We really need to work hard to build relationships, because once the Ministry of Personnel releases the list of officials to be appointed, these people will have to go their separate ways.

Transportation and communication were already inconvenient in the Song Dynasty. As officials appointed by the court, they could not move around freely unless they had something to do or had been granted permission.

So it's sad, but it's practically impossible for these people to get together so neatly again.
Just then, Su Shi suddenly spoke up.

“Brother Lu, my brother and I have to go back to our hometown with our father. Do you have any letters or messages to send to your family? I can take them back for you on the way.”

"what?"

Lu Beigu was somewhat puzzled. Wasn't this just the day he passed the imperial examination with flying colors?
Su Zhe said with a somewhat somber expression, "I just received a letter from home today. My mother is seriously ill and cannot get out of bed. We must rush back to Meishan first. As for the matter of being granted an official position, we can talk about it later."

Lu Beigu's heart sank.

He had heard the Su brothers talk about it and knew the significance of their mother, Madam Cheng, to the Su brothers and even Su Xun.

She is a virtuous wife. As the daughter of a wealthy man in Meishan County, she sold all her dowry land to support Su Xun's imperial examinations. In recent years, she has devoted herself to being a good wife and mother, which is why the Su brothers have become so outstanding.

Before they could even hear the news of their success in the imperial examinations, Madam Cheng fell seriously ill. In any case, the Su brothers would definitely not stay in Kaifeng any longer; they would have to go back to see her to feel at ease.

"Good people are always protected by heaven. I hope it's just a false alarm," Lu Beigu sincerely comforted him.

The two brothers, Su Shi and Su Zhe, managed a forced smile.

Clearly, they weren't there for fun, but to say goodbye to friends they'd only recently met.

Lu Beigu immediately wrote a letter home, asking Su Shi to deliver it to his sister-in-law. After all, he had achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination, and it would be inappropriate not to inform his family, although the authorities must have had their own channels of communication.

After waiting a while longer, everyone finally arrived.

"Everyone's here, shall we begin?"

Yan Jidao said.

Before long, the two doors of the private box slowly opened, and six musicians walked in.

There is a special area for musicians to play music in the private box, which is behind the screen.

The musicians in the front row held a curved-neck pipa and a phoenix-headed harp; those in the back row held a staff drum, a jie drum, and a maoyuan drum; and an old man in the center played a seven-stringed jiaowei qin, who seemed to be the core of these musicians.

The old man began by testing the notes; with each stroke of his fingertips, a string of clear, melodious notes fell like pearls onto a plate.

Then, the music grew louder, and the ensemble of various instruments became extremely harmonious as nine dancers gracefully entered to the music.

The dancers all wore their hair in a high bun, with gold threads hanging down their foreheads. They wore embroidered silk skirts with gold trim, the hems of which were adorned with pearls that jingled as they moved. Their outer shawls were made of light gauze dyed in the color of flowing clouds, which shimmered with a hazy glow under the lamplight.

These dancers were well-trained and quickly took their positions.

Suddenly, the drum was struck three times in succession, and the dancers abruptly split into two lines.

Then a woman stepped out from the center, barefoot on the carpet, with nine bells tied to her ankles, each step in time with the drumbeat.

The woman's face was covered with a silk gauze, and only her eyebrows and eyes were outlined with gold powder in the shape of a flying phoenix. Her bracelets and bangles were all in the shape of snakes. Then she began to twirl and spin faster and faster. As she twirled, the bracelets and bangles on her body shimmered under the light.

"It's actually a sage tree branch!"

A man dressed as a young master nearby exclaimed in amazement.

Most of the people in the private room were ordinary scholars who had never been to such places before, so they naturally didn't know anything about it.

Only Yan Jidao's close friends from the second generation could truly understand the intricacies of this dance.

Several people whispered.

"I heard that this dance requires someone as light as a swallow, who can spin a hundred times without falling, to be considered worthy of performing on stage."

"good."

"I just don't know about these dancers."

"Pah! Stop thinking about those dirty things. Let's see if you can even afford the price."

At this moment, the music suddenly became more urgent, and the pipa was played with a rapid, heavy thud.

The lead dancer suddenly leaped up, stretching her body and dancing, her toes touching the ground a total of nine times. The dance movements were extremely large, yet her feet did not move at all.

The musicians plucked the strings of the pipa with swift, forceful strokes, the sound of which seemed to tear silk.

The lead dancer suddenly bent over backward, her hairpin came undone, and her black hair cascaded to the ground like an ink waterfall.

Immediately afterwards, all the dancers raised their hands in unison, and countless flower petals flew out. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be fragrant paper cut into the shape of plum blossoms.

The entire building was instantly filled with fragrance, mingling with the scents of the dancers, creating a luxurious and sweet aroma.

Everyone cheered loudly.

After the dance ended and the music stopped, the lead dancer led the other dancers in a gesture of respect, their pearl-embroidered skirts rustling softly.

Then, the food and drinks were served.

Each person's table has the same dishes. The first to be served are spring seasonal dishes: one is "Golden Orange Jade Plate," made from the tenderest tips of early spring bamboo shoots, soaked in honey-soaked golden orange juice and arranged in layers like jade steps; another is "Spring Snow with Lamb," lamb ribs that are smoked and roasted, with white broth embedded in the meat; and the third is "Floral Glow Soup," which is flower petals and tofu stewed together, served in a glass bowl like snow reflected in the glow of the sunset.

"Everyone should try Fanlou's cooking."

When friends gathered, Yan Jidao didn't pay much attention to etiquette. He would signal everyone to start eating before all the dishes were served.

Since the host has spoken, then everyone will naturally not stand on ceremony.

Lu Beigu tasted each one with his chopsticks.

"What do you think?" he asked Su Shi, who was standing next to him.

As a friend, he was also affected at this time and just wanted to find something to talk about to ease the other person's low mood.

After thinking for a moment, Su Shi replied seriously, "It looks very appealing and tastes quite good, but the sauce is a bit too sweet. The ingredients don't bring out their natural flavors and rely too much on the sauce."

For a gourmand like Su Shi, dishes meant for pleasing presentation were clearly less enjoyable than dishes that allowed him to eat to his heart's content.

"Wait a little longer and see what happens next."

Next, more people filed in carrying vermilion food boxes.

The first main course, "Camel Hump Grilled," is served on a silver platter. The camel hump meat is sliced ​​into cloud-like pieces, grilled over charcoal, and served with a sauce.

"This looks like a hearty dish, very appetizing," Lu Beigu thought.

He tasted it and found that the camel hump meat was tender and melted in his mouth. It was even more delicious with the sauce, and it was indeed much better than the three dishes that had been plated in front of him.

The second main dish, "Exquisite Peony Stew," features fish meat carved into the shape of a blooming peony.

"I order this dish every time I come here."

Yan Jidao pointed to the fish and introduced it to everyone: "The fish was caught after the Yellow River thawed. The meat was carved into twenty-four pieces and served with a secret broth, which is extremely delicious."

People in the Song Dynasty loved mutton and even more so, fish sauce. Although Lu Beigu didn't particularly like this dish, it was clearly very popular.

The following main dishes included "Xiao Tian Su," a dish of roasted venison and chicken slices arranged in the shape of Mount Kunlun, and "Zhu Tou Chun," a dish made with quail meat. The reason we knew the name of each dish was because someone would call out the name of each dish.

The last main dish was quite impressive.

It was carried in by four strong men; it turned out to be "Hun Yang Mo Hu".

This dish is the most remarkable. The sheep's belly is stuffed with glutinous rice and goose meat, the goose's belly is wrapped with squab, and the squab's belly contains black-shelled eggs. When the layers are cut open, an exotic aroma wafts out, and everyone at the table is amazed.

Each person received a large bowl. Lu Beigu tasted it and found it to be quite delicious. Moreover, the ingredients were clearly of high quality, as they were all fresh.

He was about to ask Su Shi how the main dishes tasted when he saw Su Shi engrossed in eating, probably trying to alleviate his sadness with the food.

"I wonder how much it will cost tonight?"

Zhang Zai was very curious at this point, so he asked.

Yan Jidao replied casually, "There are still quite a few games to play, which will add up to several hundred strings of cash in total."

Upon hearing this, Lu Beigu sighed inwardly that such extravagance was beyond the imagination of ordinary people; it was equivalent to throwing away half of one's house in one night.

Even if he owns shares in Chengmingzhai, a highly profitable and unique business, he still wouldn't be willing to spend money in a place like this. He might be able to grit his teeth and come alone, but inviting a group of people is simply too much for him.

In this light, it's no wonder that Yan Shu, as prime minister, left such a substantial fortune to his sons, yet Yan Jidao fell into poverty less than a few years after Yan Shu's death.

Given his spending habits, not to mention the gifts he gives to famous courtesans, even just visiting Fanlou every few days would be too much for any amount of money!

However, Yan Jidao's family background and upbringing determined that he was the kind of dissolute young nobleman who valued loyalty, extravagance, and was willing to spend money on friends and women.

Lu Beigu is attending the gathering at Yan Jidao's invitation, so it's not appropriate for him to publicly advise him and offend Yan Jidao.

Otherwise, given Yan Jidao's personality, they might not even be able to remain friends.

"Let's try to persuade him privately when Yan Jidao comes to Chengmingzhai later."

Just as everyone was enjoying their meal, a quarrel suddenly broke out in the aisle.

Although the private room was well soundproofed, the sound of arguing inevitably drifted in when the door was opened because someone brought vegetarian dishes and snacks.

(End of this chapter)