Sword Snow Stride Book 1 Chapter 7

Book 1 – White Horse Out of Liangzhou
Chapter 7 Wu Meiniang[1] Looking at The Top of The City Wall

Zijin Lou was famous, very famous, extremely famous, its fame so big. Rumor has it that when Bixia [His Majesty the Emperor] came down to Beiliang Wangfu on a summer holiday, he went incognito to have a personal visit to the Zijin Lou, just to catch a glimpse of Li Yuanyuan, the chief Queen of Flowers [famous courtesan], whose fully deserving, without any reservations – beauty spread across the four prefectures in Liang territory that year. _{Translated by foxs}

Of course, it was just unsubstantiated hearsay. After Li Yuanyuan vanished without a trace, the four prefectures no longer had any undisputed queen of flowers. It was merely like a hundred flowers striving to be the most beautiful, every single one of the beauties in the pleasure house racked their brains for schemes, vying for fragrance, competing in beauty, until one person appeared, Yu Youwei, a young girl who fell into windblown dust [vicissitudes of life/prostitution] due to her family falling hard into poverty.

Presumably women who degraded themselves would not use their real name, so Yu Youwei’s original name was unknown, but probably her real surname was Yu [余], which was a homophone of Yu [魚] .

Shizi Dianxia, the biggest benefactor of Zijin Lou, privately asked this most taboo question in a brothel. Yu Youwei smiled but said nothing, but Xu Fengnian was not too disappointed. She performed a splendid sword dance that had never been seen before, leaving Xu Fengnian dumbfounded. First, he was shocked, and then he was frightened. If it weren’t for the deaf and mute old freak in Beiliang Wangfu’s employment was standing guard outside the room, the afraid-of-death, not to mention scared-of-pain – Xu Fengnian would have bolted out early on.

After that, the number of visits to Zijin Lou became less and less, while the doubts in his heart became more and more intense. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Three Gongzi Ge riding on three fine horses, galloping like crazy along the main road of Lingzhou City, followed by a large group of bodyguards.

Li Hanlin laughed wildly, venting all his pent-up frustration. Without Feng Ge’er these past three years, his life could not be considered merry.

Yan Chiji, who had been dragged into the water countless times, already accepted misfortunes as decreed by fate, he tried to avoid pedestrians to the highest degree, to the greatest extend.

Xu Fengnian, the Gongzi Ge of the Four Prefectures of Liang territory, whose reputation reached the heavens, took the lead. He wore a purple gold [the same zijin as in the Zijin Lou] clothes, tying his hair with a simple jade hairpin, forgoing ornamental sword hanging on his waist, folding fan, jade ring, and so on, complicated, trifling and burdensome things, but he appeared even more dashing, suave and handsome extraordinaire. _{Translated by foxs}

They went straight to that tender town where gold was flowing, silver was dripping.

In the past, madame proprietress [laobao, see Chapter 2] of Zijin Lou herself was also a queen of the flowers with resounding reputation. These years, following Zijin Lou’s development [orig. the tide rises, the boat floats], unless there were distinguished guests, she was practically disinclined to show her face in public. But today, she hurriedly put on her best dress and went out in person to greet the three big young masters who could crisscross unhindered over the entire Liang territory.

The three men flew off their mounts together and handed the reins to the big turtle gentlemen [guigong, also Chapter 2] who had been waiting to go beyond their responsibilities for some tips. No need for Xu Fengnian to say anything, being familiar with the business, Li Hanlin took out a five-hundred-tael banknote and stuffed it into the collar of the middle-aged but still attractive, her charm surpassed the actresses on the stage – madame proprietress’s dress. Letting out a weird laughter, he said:

“Han Daniang [Auntie (polite address, not necessarily relative), older than one’s parents], this Gongzi has not tasted a woman of your age, how about making an exception today? Han Daniang, do you have the bed skill that can get you ten thousand taels of silver from here? This Gongzi heard that in the past, your yuren chui xiao [lit. jade person blowing Xiao (Chinese flute)] skill was also top notch.” [Note: dictionary also say that ‘blowing xiao’ is a slang for fellatio.]

The laobao stretched out a finger and lightly poked Li Hanlin, who was showing an evil look on his face, and said with a tender, enchanting smile:

“Oh! This time Li Gongzi coming back, you have a good taste. As long as you don’t dislike an old cow eating young grass [idiom: romance where one is significantly older than the other], Han Yi [auntie, younger than one’s parents] will use all eighteen kinds of martial arts; forget about jade person blowing xiao, even Guanyin [Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokitesvara] sitting upside down on the lotus, I am also very skilled.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Although she was flirting wantonly with Li Hanlin, all along the laobao’s eyes were lingering on Xu Fengnian.

Li Hanlin wrapped his arms around Han Daniang’s still slender and flexible willow waist, as he entered the Zijin Lou together Feng Ge’er and Yan Shuhui [book cabinet]; snickering softly, he said:

“Han Daniang, you know my taste. This time I sneaked out, I did not have time to bring a page boy with me. Do you have any well-trained xiao xianggong [young gentleman or male prostitute]? As for you, I suggest you hook up with Yan Gongzi, he is still a chick [lit. young bird, a rookie]. As long as you can torture him until his waist aches, his back hurts and his legs cramp that he can’t get out of bed, I will give you all the money I have, plus a five thousand taels credit; how’s that for business? Naturally you must not forget that afterwards, you should give Yan Gongzi a small hongbao [lit. red envelope, bonus payment, kickback] of sixty-six taels.”

The madame proprietress, who was not young anymore, but has not grown old and faded, spoke charmingly, “That does not hit the mark, Zhou Mu Daren [prefecture level government official] must not be allowed to seal my Zijin Lou. _{Translated by foxs}

As for xiao xianggong, there happen to be a few who are about to make their debut, more tender than girls. I guarantee that their skin will feel like Sichuan brocade and plain satin; a hundred satisfactions guaranteed.”

“Hey, hey,” Li Hanlin laughed mischievously and said, “The old rule is that Shizi Dianxia go to Yu Huakui [queen of flowers] over there, I, myself, am looking for some fun, and Han Daniang will find Yan Gongzi two pure maidens [orig. qing guan, pure/uncorrupted hired hand] skilled in chatting and dancing to the music.”

Pretending to have hidden bitterness, secret grudges, she said, “Li Da Gongzi, don’t you want to try the taste of Han Yi’s beauty’s tongue rolling a spear?”

Li Hanlin slapped her plump buttocks and said, “Next time, next time, after preserving and nurturing my spirit, I will have 800 rounds of battle against Han Daniang. I must thoroughly experience your eighteen martial arts skills.”

Xu Fengnian was unfazed by this strange sight, he went straight into the rear courtyard, and looked for a single gated private courtyard cultivated with single-colored Japanese bananas [Musa basjoo], he pushed the door and entered in.

Unlike the mustering-large-forces [idiom: to get a great number of people involved in carrying out some task] madame proprietress Han Daniang, the woman sitting in the courtyard staring in daze at a dilapidated banana plant was without any makeup. She only wore cyan-colored clothes. Today was no exception. She clearly heard the sound of Xu Fengnian’s light laughter, but remained motionless. She was different from those queens of flowers who strived for pomp and circumstance, there was no servant girl or a maid by her side, attending to her; even cleaning up the room and sweeping the courtyard, she did it herself. She was unconventional and independent. Looking across the powdered [face powder] door and carved railing [fig. brothel], she indeed stood up like a crane among a flock of chicken. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Crouching on the stone table was a white cat that was neither obese nor wasting away. Just like its owner’s enchanting figure, adding or subtracting any part would not look proper. The white cat with overflowing intelligence [used mostly for animals] had a pair of bright ruby-like eyes, when it stared at people, it gave people incredibly weird feeling.

The weirdest part was that this pet with body hair as thick as snow was nicknamed Wu Meiniang [see note on the chapter title].

Xu Fengnian sat by her side, he spoke softly, “Just returning to Lingzhou, I had a good sleep at a stretch, and immediately came out to see you.”

Yu Huakui stretched out her slender hand to gently caress and stroke Wu Meiniang’s head. Acting like a pouting little girl, she spoke softly:

“Youwei is just a windblown dust woman, how could she dare to expect more? The first time, she just roused her guts to make a joke about asking Shizi Dianxia for a status as a concubine. That was someone skilled in chatting at a banquet table continuously being muddleheaded. I slaughtered the big dragon since then. The second time was just a sword dance performance, that someone and the man did not dare to stay in this courtyard much longer. This time, what tiny moth will come out, that someone might not come again.” _{Translated by foxs}

The hardest thing to endure is a beauty’s kindness and battle cry.

In a coming-to-the-aid-of-somebody-suffering-an-injustice tone of voice, Xu Fengnian spoke fiercely, “That someone can’t be considered a thing, his guts as tiny as a mouse, his degree of forbearance like a worm. Guniang, it’s not worthwhile for you to be angry with such a person. Next time you see him, just beat him on the head with a stick!”

The corners of Yu Youwei’s mouth curled up slightly, but she deliberately said with a straight face, “Oh? Then may I ask, Gongzi, where you are from? And your surname and given name?”

Xu Fengnian shamelessly replied, “Unfortunately, my surname is Xu, given name is Fengnian, the same surname and given name with that muddled egg [b@stard], but I am 108,000 li [infinitely; coincidentally, this was supposedly the distance the monk Tang Sanzang covered in the Journey to the West] better than him. No matter how Guniang, you, said you wanted to be a concubine, say no more, immediately the clamor of gongs and drums will reach the sky, a palanquin with eight carriers will take you home.”

Finally, Yu Youwei turned her head to meet Xu Fengnian’s gaze head on, but in this beauty’s sharp limpid autumn waters [trad. description of girl’s beautiful eyes] pair of eyes, there was not much pleasant surprise and excitement. She continued to look at the Japanese banana and said, “It’s too late. I’m going to Chuzhou tomorrow, that’s my hometown. Once I am gone, I won’t come back.”

Xu Fengnian cried out in surprise.

Yu Youwei withdrew her gaze, she stared at the mutually dependent for life [idiom] Wu Meiniang, and said bitterly, “It’s a regret for sure, but on earth, there is no medicine for regret that we can take.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Xu Fengnian remained silent, his brows were tightly knitted.

Yu Youwei leaned forward, resting her upper body on the stone table, she muttered, “Shizi Dianxia, Wu Meiniang is looking at the top of the wall.”

Xu Fengnian followed the white cat’s line of sight, he turned his eyes toward the not-too-high wall, there was nothing to see. Rubbing his cheeks, he said, “People walking outside the wall hearing the beautiful woman on the swing inside the wall laughing will feel helpless, but I am already inside the wall, you suddenly sneak outside, won’t you make people feel even more helpless?”

Yu Youwei smiled teasingly; making a face, she said, “Serve you right.”

Xu Fengnian stared blankly. Ever since he got to know her, he had never seen her this lively or putting on an attitude. In the past, she was always as calm as water, like an ancient well without any ripple, which made Xu Fengnian mistakenly believe that even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of her eyes, she would not make neither a word nor a movement [idiom: remaining calm and collected], plus all along he never felt that she could really be a beautiful concubine of a wealthy family. _{Translated by foxs}

She would be most touching when she was a floating duckweed, if she became a plump courtyard Japanese banana, she would lose her vitality.

Inwardly Xu Fengnian cursed himself that he deserved to die for being a culture snob [to pose as a culture lover], while doing his best to follow his Ol’ Dad, that disreputable soldier’s bad example. This old fellow specially placed a copy of ‘Ban Sheng Rong Ma Ji’ [memoir of half a lifetime on a warhorse], written by himself, at the Ting Chao Ting, which he placed among the famous classics written by the great experts on the art of war, in which he wrote about sentimental nonsense [orig. to moan about imaginary illness], without any sense of shame.

She held Wu Meiniang in both hands, hung her head down and asked, “Fengnian, do you dare to watch my sword dance with you for the last time?”

Xu Fengnian felt a sense of pride and ambition without any reason, “Why don’t I dare?”

Yu Youwei spoke softly, “There is indeed no medicine for regret on earth.”

Xu Fengnian laughed and said, “Even if I die, it’s worth it.”

After the time needed to drink a cup of tea, Yu Youwei came back, looking absolutely magnificent and beautiful. She performed the sword dance, her steps were very much like brush stroke to the side [in calligraphy], there was a piece of red silk wrapped around her hand and tied at the bottom of the sword hilt.

In an instant, sword light filled the courtyard. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

During the last sword dance performance, she invited a qin ji [qin player female entertainer] to play the song ‘Qi Ma Chu Liangzhou’ [Riding Out of Liangzhou], but this time she personally sang the song ‘Wang Cheng Tou’ [looking at the top of the city wall]. This poem was circulated from the Shangyin Academy after the fall of the Western Chu Dynasty. It was not constraint by rhyme, every word was tragic and indignant, and it has been ranked at the top of the list of ‘elegiac poems’ of the present age.

In the Western Chu Dynasty, there was a woman from the Gongsun Clan, her sword dance performance moved four directions. The spectators were like dispirited mountain, the heaven and earth were depressed for a long time for this. The late emperor had three thousand maids, Gongsun Sword Dance was number one. The flags on top of Dafeng [great phoenix] city wall were lowered, only beautiful women stood on top of the wall. One hundred and eighty thousand people removed their armor at the same time, there was not a single man in the country!

Just now Wu Meiniang was looking at the top of the wall.

In the past, who was looking at the beautiful women standing on top of the city wall of that vanquished kingdom?

The song ended.

The long sword, carrying a burst of stern murderous aura, flew out at great speed, stabbing directly toward Xu Fengnian’s head. _{Translated by foxs}

She seemed to hear the ‘farewell words’ of those people who were about to die: Ten fingers peeling scallion, not able to lift up a sword, it should be much better than my conversational skill.

In that instant, the death warrior [person willing to sacrifice his life (for a good cause)] Yu Youwei’s delicate hands trembled slightly, but the sword had already been thrust out.

There is no medicine for regret on earth.

This poem ‘looking at the top of the city wall’, was a poem written by Yu Youwei’s father given to her mom. At that time, father and daughter were caught in the tide of refugees, looking back at the top of the city wall, there was only one fragile silhouette.

Not long after her father returned to Shangyin Academy, he died of depression. She, whose real name was Yu Xuanji, then took the long and difficult trek to Lingzhou. She first learned the most authentic Fengzhou accent, and then became a prostitute, the most unbearable among the three religions and nine schools [fig. people from all trades (often derog.)]. Fortunately, her appearance was outstanding, from the very beginning, intentionally or otherwise, she was cultivated to become the Queen of Flowers, hence she did not need to do the skin and flesh business that made her nauseous just by thinking about it.

Then, as a matter of course, she came across the loved-to-enjoy-the-beautiful-spring-scenery [idiom: to frequent brothels] Shizi Dianxia, most of the time they were only chatting or playing yi [chess, ancient name for Go]. This son of Ren Tu [mass murderer] was really not like his father; he did not know any martial arts, lecherous, but not horny, so much so that he did not even mind discussing a lot of poetry, which were all bought with money from scholars just to show off.

Yu Xuanji only had superficial knowledge of Gongsun Clan’s sword dance, which people everywhere were well acquainted with, but she had enough confidence to kill Xu Fengnian, provided that there were no hawks and hounds [fig. hired thugs] from Beiliang Wangfu standing outside the room. For the whole five years, she was still waiting for the opportunity. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

And then Xu Fengnian disappeared for three years, half a month later would be the anniversary of her Niang’s death, Yu Xuanji was ready to disregard everything and go to keep watch of the grave for the rest of her life, but he came back. Moreover, he did not have a personal bodyguard glaring like a tiger watching its prey nearby the courtyard gate. Could it be that there was really the Will of Heaven working in the dark [or underworld]?

She asked him if he dared to watch the sword dance. And he said even if he died, it would be worth it.

Assassinating Shizi Dianxia, the son that Da Zhu Guo Xu Xiao loved dearly, she would definitely die. After committing such act, no one in the world could continue living. That’s fine, she would have a companion on the way to the Yellow Springs [the underworld of Chinese mythology]. At that time, if he wanted to beat her or curse her, just let him. _{Translated by foxs}

Yu Xuanji could not bear to look.

‘Clang!’

A cun away from Xu Fengnian’s forehead, the long sword broke into two pieces. Yu Xuanji opened her eyes, she was dumbfounded. No one knew since when, but there was an additional person in the courtyard, a woman in white robe, even she had to sigh in praise, ‘What a beauty’.

The assassination failed?

Yu Xuanji did not know whether she should be grieved or rejoice, there was still a sword in her hand, with which she originally intended to kill herself to escape humiliation. She raised her hand to swipe on her neck, so that she would die cleanly. It’s a pity that Wu Meiniang was about to become a stray cat. That man had also said that when the ground was covered with heavy snow, standing on the king’s mansion’s Ting Chao Ting, one could see the most beautiful scenery. How beautiful was this beauty?

Xu Fengnian did not need to make a sound, but Yu Xuanji, who was determined to die, was caught by the peach blossom-like ‘woman’, who grabbed the as-thin-as- cicada-wing sword blade with one hand, snatched it away, and casually tossed it aside. It flew at an angle and cut off a large piece of the Japanese banana. If this wasn’t enough, he kneed Yu Huakui on her abdomen, sending this when-Heaven-saw-her, it-was-moved-with-pity beauty doubled-up in pain like a shrimp.

Xu Fengnian originally wanted to mutter something like why would a beauty bother to make things difficult for another beauty? But after seeing the arctic fox face’s ruthless technique, he tactfully shut up. Afterwards, when he saw the beside-herself Yu Youwei, even though Xu Fengnian was sure that he would not die here, he really wished he could curse her ‘stinky wh0re’ angrily, and then, directly and efficiently, rushed forward and sent seventeen, eighteen big mouthful words. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

But silently thinking about it, he could not bear to proceed with the big scheme of randomly sharing the bed, so he breathed out a mouthful of filthy air. Outside the four prefectures of Liang territory, Xu Fengnian would say that it was easier to die than to live, but within the Liang territory, it was much harder to die than to live. You, these assassins who were like helping sand perch crossing the river, really treated the Ol’ Dad, who was both the Great Pillar of the Kingdom and the King of Beiling, like an embroidered pillow!

Moreover, these past three years Xu Fengnian has experienced the miserable life of people at the lowest rung of society, his heart and mind had matured a lot. In the past, he was puzzled by the inexplicably dense murderous aura of Yu Huakui’s sword dance. Day in and day out he hanged out with his Ol’ Dad, as well as Yuan Zuozong and his group of top-notch martial art masters and god-killers who had walked down the battlefield. Shizi Dianxia did not know martial art, this was true, but even if you have never eaten pork, you should have seen pigs running around.

Upon his return to Lingzhou, he just made up his mind to risk his life, determined to find out what kind of medicine Yu Youwei was selling in her gourd. If it was an aphrodisiac, that would be best, he could carry her on his shoulder and take her home for a joyous fish and water [metaphor for an intimate (sexual) relationship] meeting. If she sold poison, then forgive me, I would still carry her on my shoulder. As for the end result, what else could a man with a bellyful of evil fire for three years do to deal with a beautiful tender woman who, even in his dream, he wanted to pounce? _{Translated by foxs}

The only surprise was probably it was the arctic fox face who made the move, instead of the master among the high and mighty martial art masters, the most powerful, the most overbearing, the most bullish – in the Mansion, as already agreed upon with his Ol’ Dad. Of course, depending on the situation, even though the arctic fox face was not that high, he stuck out pretty high.

Thickening his face, Xu Fengnian said, “Bai Hu’er Lian, is there any trick to make her lose resistance, such as sealing her acupoints or something?”

The arctic fox face nodded and said, “There is a simpler way.”

Forming his hand into a palm chop, he chopped the side of Yu Huakui‘s fair and clear neck, knocking her unconscious.

Xu Fengnian’s face stiffened, he rushed over and reached out to check her breathing. After confirming that she was not fragrance disappeared, the jade perished [dead], he let out a cold laugh, very pleased with himself. By the time he looked up, the arctic fox face already vanished without a trace, worthy to be the model of a martial art master’s style. Xu Fengnian put her tender body on his shoulder and just like that, he carried her out of the Zijin Lou. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

That day, a crazy rumor began to spread in Lingzhou City: “Shizi Dianxia had forced himself upon Yu Huakui.”

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[1] Wu Meiniang, nickname of Wu Zhao (624–705), also known as Empress Wu Zetian, the first and only woman emperor of China.