huayiqiao0111 (![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} huayiqiao0111) wrote,@ 2010-05-13 02:18:00 |
 |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hearing the Emperor's call, the others had pushed...
Hearing the Emperor's call, the others had pushed him forward
"What is that music outside?" Qian Long asked
After a while, He Jia came back to report: "Your slave made enquiries and learned that all of the famous courtesans of Hangzhou will gather on the West Lake this evening to choose what they call the 'Top Candidate of the Boudoir', as well as second, third and fourth ranking candidates
"How dare they make fun of the Imperial Civil Service Examinations in such a way!" Qian Long said, amused"Ridiculous!"
Seeing the smile on the Emperor's face, he advanced a step and added in a low voice: "I heard that the Four Beauties of Qiantang River will be there
"And who are the Four Beauties of Qiantang River?"
"Your slave was talking to a local just now who said that they are the four most famous prostitutes of HangzhouEveryone out in the streets is trying to guess which one will be the Top Candidate of the Boudoir this year
"The Top Candidate in the Imperial Examination is chosen by meWho chooses this Top Candidate of cheap replica rolex the Boudoir? Don't tell me there is an Emperor of the Boudoir as well?"
"I hear that each prostitute sits in a flower boat on which are displayed the gold and jewels presented by her customersThen the winner is chosen by some of Hangzhou's most eminent gentlemen
"When do they play this game?" Qian Long asked, fascinated
"It starts soon,"He Jia replied"As soon as it gets a bit darker, the judging will beginIf Your Highness is interested, you could go and watch"I'm afraid people may laugh at me,"he said"If the Empress should hear that I chose the Top Candidate of the Boudoir, she may have something to say about itHa, ha!"
"If Your Highness dressed up as a member of the common people, no one would know," He Jia suggested
"All right, we'll go and have a quiet look and then come backBut tell everyone not to attract attention,"said Qian Long
He Jia quickly helped Qian Long change into a long silk gown and a closely-embroidered jacket, the attire of a member of the gentryThen they left for the West Lake together with Bai Zhen tiffany heart charm toggle necklace and several dozen bodyguards
Once at the lakeside, a bodyguard steered a boat up to meet themMusic and singing could be heard coming from different parts of the lake, while the multitude of lanterns provided a sumptuous sightThey watched as more than twenty flower boats glided lazily back and forth over the water, each boat draped with silk curtains and lanternsQian Long ordered the oarsman to steer close to the flower boatsSome of them were decorated with flowers and animals cleverly constructed out of silk and lit with lanternsQian Long sighed in praise for the richness of life in the south of China with which the north could not hope to competeAs many as a hundred other small boats moved to and fro carrying well-to-do pleasure seekers
A gong sounded and the music from the boats ceasedOne rocket after another soared up into the air and burst in a dazzling array of colours before falling into the lake with a hissAs the firework display ended, the curtains on each flower boat were drawn apart simultaneously to reveal a christian dior china gorgeously-attired woman seated insideThunderous cheers and applause arose from every part of the lake
Servants produced wine and food for the Emperor to partake of while enjoying the sceneThe boat slid slowly over the lake past the flower boatsQian Long, who kept three thousand concubines in his palace, had seen countless beauties in his timeBut now, with the lanterns reflecting on the water, the splash of the oars and the slight waft of perfume, he was completely captivatedThey neared the boats of the Four Beauties of the Qiantang River, and saw they were different from the other flower boatsOne was decorated entirely with paper water lilies while the second was topped by two pagodasThe third was decked out as the Lunar Palace and lit with lanterns shaped as toads and hares, the animals which are supposed to inhabit the moon
Qian Long gasped in delightAs they glided towards the fourth, he saw it was decorated entirely with real bushes and flowers, the branches criss-crossing each other and covered with a thick foliage, as simple as nature, ladies vintage cartier watches and as beautiful as a paintingThe courtezan, dressed all in white, was seated with her back to them, but she had an air of other-worldliness about her, as of a goddess
Overwhelmed, Qian Long could not help but sing out a line from the opera, 'The Western Chamber': "Oh, will you not turn your face to me?"
The prostitute, hearing the snatch of song, did indeed turn and smiledQian Long's heart leapt: it was the girl he had met on the West Lake several days before, Beautiful Jade
He heard the tinkle of a feminine voice as the courtesan on the water lily boat began to singAt the end of the song, the crowd applauded and a pile of ingots, big and small mounted on the table in front of herThen the courtesan in the Twin-Pagoda boat picked up a pipa and lightly strummed a tune, following which the third played the fluteQian Long ordered He Jia to give her ten taels of gold
The pleasure launches then crowded round Beautiful Jade's boatShe opened her ruby lips, revealing her sparkling white teeth, and began to sing accompanied by a tiffany and co bracelets flute
Hearing the Emperor's call, the others had pushed him forward
"What is that music outside?" Qian Long asked
After a while, He Jia came back to report: "Your slave made enquiries and learned that all of the famous courtesans of Hangzhou will gather on the West Lake this evening to choose what they call the 'Top Candidate of the Boudoir', as well as second, third and fourth ranking candidates
"How dare they make fun of the Imperial Civil Service Examinations in such a way!" Qian Long said, amused"Ridiculous!"
Seeing the smile on the Emperor's face, he advanced a step and added in a low voice: "I heard that the Four Beauties of Qiantang River will be there
"And who are the Four Beauties of Qiantang River?"
"Your slave was talking to a local just now who said that they are the four most famous prostitutes of HangzhouEveryone out in the streets is trying to guess which one will be the Top Candidate of the Boudoir this year
"The Top Candidate in the Imperial Examination is chosen by meWho chooses this Top Candidate of cheap replica rolex the Boudoir? Don't tell me there is an Emperor of the Boudoir as well?"
"I hear that each prostitute sits in a flower boat on which are displayed the gold and jewels presented by her customersThen the winner is chosen by some of Hangzhou's most eminent gentlemen
"When do they play this game?" Qian Long asked, fascinated
"It starts soon,"He Jia replied"As soon as it gets a bit darker, the judging will beginIf Your Highness is interested, you could go and watch"I'm afraid people may laugh at me,"he said"If the Empress should hear that I chose the Top Candidate of the Boudoir, she may have something to say about itHa, ha!"
"If Your Highness dressed up as a member of the common people, no one would know," He Jia suggested
"All right, we'll go and have a quiet look and then come backBut tell everyone not to attract attention,"said Qian Long
He Jia quickly helped Qian Long change into a long silk gown and a closely-embroidered jacket, the attire of a member of the gentryThen they left for the West Lake together with Bai Zhen tiffany heart charm toggle necklace and several dozen bodyguards
Once at the lakeside, a bodyguard steered a boat up to meet themMusic and singing could be heard coming from different parts of the lake, while the multitude of lanterns provided a sumptuous sightThey watched as more than twenty flower boats glided lazily back and forth over the water, each boat draped with silk curtains and lanternsQian Long ordered the oarsman to steer close to the flower boatsSome of them were decorated with flowers and animals cleverly constructed out of silk and lit with lanternsQian Long sighed in praise for the richness of life in the south of China with which the north could not hope to competeAs many as a hundred other small boats moved to and fro carrying well-to-do pleasure seekers
A gong sounded and the music from the boats ceasedOne rocket after another soared up into the air and burst in a dazzling array of colours before falling into the lake with a hissAs the firework display ended, the curtains on each flower boat were drawn apart simultaneously to reveal a christian dior china gorgeously-attired woman seated insideThunderous cheers and applause arose from every part of the lake
Servants produced wine and food for the Emperor to partake of while enjoying the sceneThe boat slid slowly over the lake past the flower boatsQian Long, who kept three thousand concubines in his palace, had seen countless beauties in his timeBut now, with the lanterns reflecting on the water, the splash of the oars and the slight waft of perfume, he was completely captivatedThey neared the boats of the Four Beauties of the Qiantang River, and saw they were different from the other flower boatsOne was decorated entirely with paper water lilies while the second was topped by two pagodasThe third was decked out as the Lunar Palace and lit with lanterns shaped as toads and hares, the animals which are supposed to inhabit the moon
Qian Long gasped in delightAs they glided towards the fourth, he saw it was decorated entirely with real bushes and flowers, the branches criss-crossing each other and covered with a thick foliage, as simple as nature, ladies vintage cartier watches and as beautiful as a paintingThe courtezan, dressed all in white, was seated with her back to them, but she had an air of other-worldliness about her, as of a goddess
Overwhelmed, Qian Long could not help but sing out a line from the opera, 'The Western Chamber': "Oh, will you not turn your face to me?"
The prostitute, hearing the snatch of song, did indeed turn and smiledQian Long's heart leapt: it was the girl he had met on the West Lake several days before, Beautiful Jade
He heard the tinkle of a feminine voice as the courtesan on the water lily boat began to singAt the end of the song, the crowd applauded and a pile of ingots, big and small mounted on the table in front of herThen the courtesan in the Twin-Pagoda boat picked up a pipa and lightly strummed a tune, following which the third played the fluteQian Long ordered He Jia to give her ten taels of gold
The pleasure launches then crowded round Beautiful Jade's boatShe opened her ruby lips, revealing her sparkling white teeth, and began to sing accompanied by a tiffany and co bracelets flute