隋煬帝之幸江都也，命司空楊素守西京。素驕貴，又以時亂，天下之權重望崇者，莫我若也。奢貴自奉，禮異人臣。每公卿入言，賓客上謁，未嘗不踞床而見，令美人捧出，侍婢羅列，頗僭於上。末年益甚。
隋炀帝之幸江都也，命司空杨素守西京。素骄贵，又以时乱，天下之权重望崇者，莫我若也。奢贵自奉，礼异人臣。每公卿入言，宾客上谒，未尝不踞床而见，令美人捧出，侍婢罗列，颇僭于上。末年益甚。
When Emperor Yang of the Sui made his progress to Jiangdu, he ordered Yang Su, the Minister of Works, to hold the Western Capital. Yang Su was proud and grand, and since the times were in disorder, he thought no one in the empire could match his power and prestige. He lived in luxury and took honours beyond those of a subject. Whenever ministers came to speak with him or guests came to pay their respects, he always received them sprawled on his couch, had beautiful women help him out, and kept rows of maids about him, much as if he were the emperor. In his last years it grew worse.
一日，衛公李靖以布衣來謁，獻奇策。素亦踞見之。靖前揖曰：「天下方亂，英雄競起，公為帝室重臣，須以收羅豪傑為心，不宜踞見賓客。」素斂容而起，與語大悅，收其策而退。當靖之聘辯也，一妓有殊色，執紅拂，立於前，獨目靖。靖既去，而拂妓臨軒，指吏問曰：「去者處士第幾？住何處？」吏具以對，妓頷而去。
一日，卫公李靖以布衣来谒，献奇策。素亦踞见之。靖前揖曰：「天下方乱，英雄竞起，公为帝室重臣，须以收罗豪杰为心，不宜踞见宾客。」素敛容而起，与语大悦，收其策而退。当靖之聘辩也，一妓有殊色，执红拂，立于前，独目靖。靖既去，而拂妓临轩，指吏问曰：「去者处士第几？住何处？」吏具以对，妓颔而去。
One day Li Jing, later Duke of Wei, came to call as a man without office and presented a remarkable plan. Yang Su received him sprawled on his couch as usual. Li Jing stepped forward, bowed and said, “The empire is in turmoil and heroes are rising on every side. You are a great minister of the imperial house. You ought to make it your concern to gather men of talent, and not receive your guests sprawled on a couch.” Yang Su’s face grew serious and he rose. He talked with Li Jing and was greatly pleased, accepted his plan and withdrew. While Li Jing was holding forth, one of the courtesans, a girl of rare beauty holding a red whisk, stood before them and looked only at him. When Li Jing had gone, the girl with the whisk went to the railing, pointed out an attendant and asked him, “That gentleman who just left — what is his place among his brothers, and where does he live?” The attendant told her everything. She nodded and went away.
靖歸逆旅，其夜五更初，忽聞扣門而聲低者，靖起問焉，乃紫衣戴帽人，杖揭一囊。靖問：「誰？」曰：「妾楊家之紅拂妓也。」靖遽延入，脫衣去帽，乃十八九佳麗人也。素面華衣而拜。靖驚。答曰：「妾侍楊司空久，閱天下之人多矣，未有如公者。絲蘿非獨生，願托喬木，故來奔耳。」靖曰：「楊司空權重京師，如何？」曰：「彼屍居餘氣，不足畏也。諸妓知其無成，去者眾矣。彼亦不甚逐也。計之詳矣，幸無疑焉。」問其姓，曰：「張。」問伯仲之次，曰：「最長。」觀其肌膚儀狀，言詞氣性，真天人也。靖不自意獲之，益喜懼，瞬息萬慮不安，而窺戶者足無停履。既數日，聞追訪之聲，意亦非峻，乃雄服乘馬，排闥而去。
靖归逆旅，其夜五更初，忽闻扣门而声低者，靖起问焉，乃紫衣戴帽人，杖揭一囊。靖问：「谁？」曰：「妾杨家之红拂妓也。」靖遽延入，脱衣去帽，乃十八九佳丽人也。素面华衣而拜。靖惊。答曰：「妾侍杨司空久，阅天下之人多矣，未有如公者。丝萝非独生，愿托乔木，故来奔耳。」靖曰：「杨司空权重京师，如何？」曰：「彼尸居余气，不足畏也。诸妓知其无成，去者众矣。彼亦不甚逐也。计之详矣，幸无疑焉。」问其姓，曰：「张。」问伯仲之次，曰：「最长。」观其肌肤仪状，言词气性，真天人也。靖不自意获之，益喜惧，瞬息万虑不安，而窥户者足无停履。既数日，闻追访之声，意亦非峻，乃雄服乘马，排闼而去。
Li Jing went back to his inn. That night, at the beginning of the fifth watch, he heard a soft knock at the door. He got up and asked who it was. It was someone in purple clothes and a hat, with a bag hung from a stick. “Who are you?” asked Li Jing. “I am the girl with the red whisk from the Yang household.” Li Jing quickly asked her in. She took off the coat and hat: it was a beautiful girl of eighteen or nineteen. Her face unpainted, in fine clothes, she bowed to him. Li Jing was astonished. “I have served Minister Yang a long time,” she said, “and seen a great many men of the empire, but none like you. The creeper cannot grow alone; it longs to cling to a tall tree. So I have run away to you.” “Minister Yang has great power in the capital,” said Li Jing. “What about him?” “He is a corpse with a little breath left in it. He is not to be feared. The girls know he will come to nothing, and many have left already. He does not try very hard to bring them back. I have thought it all through. Please have no doubts.” He asked her surname. “Zhang.” He asked her place among her sisters. “The eldest.” Looking at her skin and her bearing, her speech and her spirit, he saw she was truly a woman from heaven. Li Jing had never dreamed of winning her, and he was all the more delighted and afraid; in an instant he had ten thousand worries and no peace, and he went to the door again and again to peer out. After several days they heard that she was being searched for, but it did not seem pressing. So she dressed as a man, they mounted horses, pushed open the gate and left.