"Servants!" he shouted.

A senior bodyguard named He Jia, who had recently come to favour, hurried in. Hearing the Emperor's call, the others had pushed him forward.

"What is that music outside?" Qian Long asked. "Go and find out."

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 Hangzhou. Everyone 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 me. Who 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 customers. Then 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 begin. If Your Highness is interested, you could go and watch."

Qian Long smiled. "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 it. Ha, 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 back. But 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 gentry. Then 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 them. Music and singing could be heard coming from different parts of the lake, while the multitude of lanterns provided a sumptuous sight. They watched as more than twenty flower boats glided lazily back and forth over the water, each boat draped with silk curtains and lanterns. Qian Long ordered the oarsman to steer close to the flower boats. Some of them were decorated with flowers and animals cleverly constructed out of silk and lit with lanterns. Qian Long sighed in praise for the richness of life in the south of China with which the north could not hope to compete. As 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 ceased. One rocket after another soared up into the air and burst in a dazzling array of colours before falling into the lake with a hiss. As the firework display ended, the curtains on each flower boat were drawn apart simultaneously to reveal a gorgeously-attired woman seated inside. Thunderous cheers and applause arose from every part of the lake.

Servants produced wine and food for the Emperor to partake of while enjoying the scene. The boat slid slowly over the lake past the flower boats. Qian Long, who kept three thousand concubines in his palace, had seen countless beauties in his time. But now, with the lanterns reflecting on the water, the splash of the oars and the slight waft of perfume, he was completely captivated. They neared the boats of the Four Beauties of the Qiantang River, and saw they were different from the other flower boats. One was decorated entirely with paper water lilies while the second was topped by two pagodas. The 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 delight. As 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, and as beautiful as a painting. The 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 smiled. Qian 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 sing. At the end of the song, the crowd applauded and a pile of ingots, big and small mounted on the table in front of her. Then the courtesan in the Twin-Pagoda boat picked up a pipa and lightly strummed a tune, following which the third played the flute. Qian Long ordered He Jia to give her ten taels of gold.

The pleasure launches then crowded round Beautiful Jade's boat. She opened her ruby lips, revealing her sparkling white teeth, and began to sing accompanied by a flute.

It was the middle of the eighth month and it was already cool on the lake, but Beautiful Jade's voice suggested warm breezes and fragrant flowers.

"Such talent," Qian Long sighed.

To his great delight, Beautiful Jade's dew-drop eyes constantly looked over in his direction as she sang. Qian Long loved demonstrating his talents in art, calligraphy and poetry and his ministers, not surprisingly, praised everything he did. But for a beautiful woman to favour him not because of reverence for his position as Emperor, but because of his real worth meant she had recognized his ardour, good looks and talent. Famous courtesans are truly discerning, he thought. He immediately ordered He Jia to present Beautiful Jade with fifty taels of gold.

The boats of all the courtesans were piled up with gifts, especially those of the Four Beauties. Midnight approached and the judge began the job of inspecting the gifts. As with the imperial examinations, not only the courtesans, but also the spectators on the lake, were anxious about the outcome.

Qian Long said a few quiet words to He Jia, who nodded and hurried back to the Yamen. He returned a while later with a package.

The inspection over, the boats all clustered round the launch on which the judge sat to hear him announce the winners.

"The gifts presented to Miss Twin Pagodas are the most numerous," he announced. There was a roar from the other boats as some applauded and some groaned.

"Not so fast," someone shouted. "I will present one hundred taels of gold to Miss Water Lily."

"And I present Miss Lunar Palace with a jade bracelet and ten pearls," another wealthy gentleman called out. The crowd saw the green bracelet and the large round pearls sparkling under the lantern light and knew that they must be worth well over a hundred taels of gold. All concluded that Miss Lunar Palace was certain to be chosen at the Top Candidate for the years.

Suddenly He Jia called out: "Our master has a number of items he would like to present to Miss Beautiful Jade!"

A servant carried the package over to the judge, a man of about forty with a lean, handsome face and a wisp of moustache. He opened it to find it contained three scrolls. He turned to the old man on his left and said: "Master Fan, this is indeed a refined gentleman. I wonder what treasures he has presented?" He ordered the servants to unrill the scrolls.