The Rise of Handan as a Commercial Powerhouse

Following the reign of King Wuling, the Zhao state experienced unprecedented commercial expansion. Within three to five decades, Handan emerged as a thriving metropolis second only to Xianyang, attracting merchants, scholars, wandering swordsmen, artisans, and disgraced officials from across the warring states. Unlike the strictly regulated markets of Qin’s capital, Handan embraced an open trading culture where merchants could operate freely throughout the city. This commercial vibrancy, combined with Zhao’s cultural proximity to northern nomadic tribes, created a unique cosmopolitan atmosphere that made Handan the “Market of Humanity” to Xianyang’s “Market of Profit.”

The city’s prosperity was particularly evident in its entertainment districts, where establishments like the famed “Myriad Greens Homeland” operated with sophisticated efficiency. These pleasure houses, originating from Qi’s state-sponsored “green houses” established by Guan Zhong during the Spring and Autumn period, had evolved into private enterprises offering increasingly specialized services.

A Night at the Myriad Greens Homeland

The narrative follows the merchant Lü Buwei’s discreet visit to the exclusive Evergreen Pavilion within the Myriad Greens complex. Unlike the more conventional pleasure houses that offered either physical companionship (Left Pavilion) or artistic performances (Right Pavilion), the Evergreen Pavilion specialized in providing cultivated women of noble background – including displaced princesses from fallen states.

The transaction process reveals remarkable commercial sophistication:
– Three-tiered pricing based on social status and accomplishments (1,000 gold for accomplished foreign women, 3,000 for educated Chinese maidens, up to 10,000 gold for princesses)
– Detailed contractual procedures involving bamboo contracts, seal impressions, and copper wire authentication
– Strict privacy protocols ensuring complete discretion for both parties

The Political Economy of Human Commodification

This episode illuminates the complex social and economic dynamics of the Warring States period:

Commercial Innovation
The pleasure houses operated with business practices rivaling modern enterprises – standardized contracts, tiered pricing, quality guarantees, and sophisticated customer service protocols. The Evergreen Pavilion’s system of “initial meetings” allowing clients to evaluate merchandise before purchase demonstrates advanced market mechanisms.

Social Stratification
The meticulous classification of women (from foreign courtesans to displaced nobility) mirrors the period’s social hierarchies. The premium placed on aristocratic lineage, even among war refugees, reveals the enduring cultural value placed on bloodlines.

State-Commerce Relations
While officially sanctioned, these establishments occupied an ambiguous moral space. Lü Buwei’s internal conflict – his merchant’s appreciation for their efficiency versus his personal disdain for the trade – reflects broader societal tensions regarding commercialization of human relationships.

The Hidden Power Brokers

The most intriguing aspect emerges in the contractual seals – while Lü Buwei uses a standard merchant’s mark, the house employs an ancient Zhou dynasty script (zhòuwén) typically reserved for ceremonial bronze inscriptions. This detail suggests the establishment’s possible connections to:
– The exiled Chu merchant Yi Dun clan
– The legendary Qin widow merchant Ba Qing
– Or perhaps remnants of Zhou aristocracy

The proprietor’s refusal to meet clients personally and the use of archaic protocols hint at connections reaching beyond mere commercial interests into the shadowy world of interstate politics.

Legacy and Historical Significance

This vignette captures a pivotal moment in Chinese economic history when:
1. Commercial institutions achieved remarkable sophistication while operating in legal gray areas
2. The breakdown of old social orders created new forms of human commodification
3. Merchant elites like Lü Buwei began intersecting with political power structures

The Evergreen Pavilion’s operations foreshadow developments in imperial China’s underground economies, where pleasure houses often served as fronts for political intelligence gathering and elite networking. Lü Buwei’s transaction – ostensibly for personal purposes – occurs against his larger scheme to influence Qin succession politics, illustrating how commerce and statecraft became increasingly intertwined during this transformative period.

The survival of such detailed accounts in historical records provides invaluable insight into the lived experience of China’s first commercial revolution, reminding us that behind the grand narratives of unification lay complex human stories of adaptation, exploitation, and survival in a rapidly changing world.