A Hong Lou is a kind of brothel.
In Shengdu, the capital of Great Song, in the pleasure quarter of Yangzhou, there stands such a brothel.
Its prices are steep. Even entering the building requires buying a ticket, and to hear a song, you have to pay even more. Yet even so, tickets are always hard to come by.
The women there are skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, flowers, and tea. They draw famous figures and extraordinary talents from all across Great Song. Look, no sooner have we mentioned it than two high-ranking officials are already fighting over the chance to meet the courtesan Churong.
Of course, besides its high prices, the place has some peculiar rules. If you want to marry one of its women, you could spend your entire fortune and still fail, because the women here have eyes only for their brothel's proprietress.
To have entered Zuimeng Brothel in this life, even if my name is disgraced in the annals of history, I have no regrets...
This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.
