Sunday, January 31, 2010 - "I'm afraid people may laugh at me," he said"If...
"I'm afraid people may laugh at me," he said"If the Empress should hear that I chose the Top Candidate manner which suggested there was still much he could tellWen had said there were two important pieces of evidence hidden somewhere and he wondered what the evidence could beHe was already almost certain he was a Chinese and not a Manchu, but what good could come of such knowledge leaking out?
He paced about the room, extremely angry that he, the Son of Heaven, should be out-witted by a band of brigandsIf they discovered his secret, would he be forced to submit to them for the rest of his life on pain of having the secret revealed? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he picked up a large porcelain flower vase and threw it violently to the floor
The guards and eunuchs waiting outside heard the crash clearly and trembled in their boots, not daring to enter
Qian Long passed most of the day in a state of mental confusionTowards evening, he heard the sound of gentle music drifting knock off chanel handbags in from outsideThe music moved closer and closer, passed by the gates of the Yamen then gradually recededA moment later, another musical troupe passed byHe had always been very fond of music, and hearing it now, his mood suddenly changed
"Servants!" he shouted
A senior bodyguard named He Jia, who had recently come to favour, hurried inHearing 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 best fake tiffany and co 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 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 gucci handbags discount 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 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 cheap chanel bags for sale 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 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 tiffany
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