Dongdu Pavilion Case Record

Jinyuan Autumn Pavilion.

This is an exquisite attic with white walls and clear water tiles. Outside the pavilion is a piece of green bamboo. It is past the vernal equinox at this time, with lush green bamboos and the sound of birdsong.There are several stone benches in the bamboo grove, and a woman in an open-sleeve cardigan and a pea green tunic skirt is playing a pipa.Nowadays, women like to wear small shirts with narrow sleeves and open collars, long skirts that cover the chest, and a light skirt on the outside.But this woman is wearing ancient clothes, elegant and dignified, with a slender waist, very light and agile, quite like the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

"Vice Fangzhu Jiang is here." A maid came from afar to report and led Jiang Mei.

"Vice Fang Master Jiang." The woman saluted.

Jiang Mei sat on the stone bench, pushed back the maid and said, "Cuiyun, sit down too."

The woman raised her head, her eyes were smoky willow leaves, her nose was small, her lips were thin and sharp, her eyes looked lonely, and she seemed to be slightly sad.She moved her lotus steps lightly and sat down too.

Jiang Mei looked at the bamboo grove and said, "Your favorite courtyard has been assigned to you to live in. There are some luxurious courtyards where other oirans live, but there are no more elegant ones like this."

Cuiyun lowered her head and said, "Thank you, Deputy Fangzhu Jiang. The matter of Wenju... I underestimated the enemy."

Jiang Mei waved her hand: "You also tried your best, and the poem Qilu was also well written. It's just that the lady in Xifang took a slanted sword and won a lot of applause."

Cuiyun bit her lip and said: "After all, I am not as good as Lady Diewu..."

"Don't mention her soon." Jiang Mei spat, "What a talent, we must not look at short-sightedness, otherwise, our Dongfang has already overwhelmed other workshops in the past few years."

"What is the origin of the lady of Xifang Huakui?" Cuiyun asked, "She has already won the first place in the Wenju, if it is also in the art... then all the thoughts of Master Chu will be in vain."

"Hmph, you don't have to worry about that. When it comes to this art, the ladies in the north and south workshops are quite successful. The lady Furong in the north workshop is good at singing, and the lady Suxin in the south workshop is good at dancing. They are all authentic Yunshang workshop. But since you are better than them in Wenju, you don't have to worry about it. Your pipa is excellent, no matter what, you won't lose to them. The Xifang lady is good at singing and dancing." Jiang Mei said Lou looked contemptuously.

"Singing and dancing drama? Where did you come up with this idea? It's unrefined for the common people." Cuiyun said.

"That's right, I don't know why Xifang thought of sending such a person here." Jiang Mei said with a smile, "I've seen her before, she was dressed as the Tayao girl, and she was wearing a weird beard from that day on." Clothes, thick powder on the face, and theater makeup, crazy."

Cuiyun smiled lightly and said: "I heard that the song and dance drama "Treading the Ballad Lady" is about a lady and her husband arguing and crying."

"Although we are Lefang, we have established ourselves in a place with rich cultural heritage in the south of the Yangtze River for many years. This kind of unrefined skill can only be imagined in a wild place like Xifang." Jiang Mei said.

Cuiyun smiled and said: "I heard that there are many small countries in the Western Regions near Yizhou, and there are also many Hu people. Hu Feng is open and open, which is probably very different from here. No wonder the Xifang lady's words are also out of line."

"Hey, she's not too shy, she wrote in the words that she threw herself into the arms of a man, oh, it's really..."

"There is a bit of genuine temperament. Is the lady of Xifang really wearing the makeup all the time?" Cuiyun originally thought that singing and dancing dramas were not elegant, but when she heard that the lady of Xifang was playing the role of Ta Yaoniang, she felt a little bit confused. curious.

"Isn't that right, the powder is white, and there are heavy black shadows on the eyes." Jiang Mei said.

"Isn't that the same as a female ghost?" Cuiyun chuckled.

Jiang Mei shook her head: "Hey, don't tell me, her makeup is quite good-looking. From a distance, her eyes are extraordinarily big and watery, and her lips are not like we only smudge a little, but the whole lips are painted full, bright red Yes. It’s just that it can only be seen from a distance, but if you look up close, you still feel that the makeup is too heavy.”

"Hey, I heard that there is also heavy makeup in Beifang Kyoto. The women usually put on several layers of white | powder, and the oblique red flower tint is also extra bright. The lightest one is here in Jiangnan, and it has always been just a little thin powder. " Cuiyun said.

"Light makeup is always appropriate. The wife of the Guo State in the previous dynasty was the best in the six palaces with light makeup. It can be seen that there is a good way to be thick, and there is a good way to be light."

Cuiyun also agreed.

"Okay, it's getting late. Tomorrow is the art event. Practice your pipa again. Not surprisingly, this time the number one oiran scholar is from Dongfang, so Master Chu can feel proud." Jiang Mei commanded.

"Yes." Cuiyun got up and bowed gracefully.

In the bamboo forest, the sound of Linlin's pipa and the soft sound of bamboo leaves are long and pleasant.

Just after you hour, Cuiyun has already had dinner, because tomorrow is the performance, the four oiran ladies are all preparing to thank guests behind closed doors, no guests will come.Cuiyun had practiced her pipa all afternoon, and now she was quite bored, so she thought of Danfengbai, the lady from Xifang mentioned by Jiang Mei in the afternoon.A few days ago, she had met Lady Furong from the North Square and Lady Suxin from the South Square. Only this lady from the West Square had never been able to see her. It was too early for her to see her. Not far away, so I told the maid to go out for a while, then put on the veiled hat and walked to the Winter Pavilion.

The Winter Pavilion faces the water and leads to a long corridor.Cuiyun walked along the corridor for a long time before seeing the small building where the lady of Dongfang lived, and the candles were burning in the building.Cuiyun walked over, but there was no maid guarding the gate of the courtyard.She went upstairs by herself, looked left and right but still didn't see the maid, only heard the sound in the room.Cuiyun walked to the door of the room, knocked on the door twice, there seemed to be the sound of water inside the door, but no one answered.Cuiyun pushed the door lightly, but the door opened with a creak, but it was not locked. Inside, a woman was bathing in the bathtub with her back to her.

Cuiyun let out a soft "ah", and hurried out, just in time to meet a maid who was walking over, and asked, "Who are you? My wife is taking a bath, so you can't go in."

"I'm really sorry..." Cuiyun said, going downstairs quickly.

"Ah Qing, who is outside?" A woman's voice came from inside.

"My lady, it's a woman wearing a hood. She bumped into my lady and has already gone downstairs."

"Hurry up and find out who it is." The voice inside said urgently.

After a while, when Ah Qing came back, the woman who just took a bath had already dressed and was sitting in the room.Her skin is slightly darker, but her eyes are extra large and very vivid.

"Miss, the girl went out of the corridor to the east, and the slaves really didn't catch up." Ah Qing apologized.She is the maid brought by Dan Fengbai from Xifang.

"On the east side, there are only Qiuge where the lady from Dongfang lives and Xiage where the lady from Nanfang lives..." Dan Fengbai said to himself.

"Miss, apart from Sifang's oiran lady, all the ladies in Dongfang have guests today. I think it's your lady who won the literary test. I'm afraid some oiran lady wants to get acquainted with you." Ah Qing laughed.

"It's running fast, and it's not in a hurry to reincarnate." Dan Fengbai said bluntly.

"Young lady doesn't know what to say." Ah Qing sighed, "Forget it's getting late, it seems that I won't come again, my lady should prepare the things that will be used tomorrow."

Dan Fengbai sighed and sorted out the costumes and props for tomorrow.