Chapter 430 Li Shishi

In the middle of the wide space in front of me, there is a round high platform. On the platform, there is a girl playing the pipa and singing, and another girl dancing. These two have good looks, are about the same height, and have a soft figure. Their eyes are like water and flow inadvertently, and they sing, which is soul-stirring and full of charm.

Surrounding and spreading around are scattered tables. Although it is still snowing outside, it does not affect the enthusiasm here at all. In rainy and snowy weather, in such an environment, it always looks so poetic and picturesque. Talented scholars always have many feelings to tell others, so there are still many people gathering here.

No one is alone, all of them sit together in twos and threes. They look young, either scholars who have entered the school, or minor officials in Bianjing. Some are dressed gorgeously, but some are dressed shabby. Some are talking loudly with red faces, but some are drinking alone without saying a word, wandering outside this bustle. Those with loud voices are the loudest in the front row, and those with quiet voices are mostly in the back row leaning against the door.

Upstairs is the private room. Some people lean on the railing to watch the scene below. More people are unrestrained in the private room, hugging the talented women here and drinking. Although the laughter is noisy here, the official still heard it. He knew that the owner of the voice was very comfortable.

Looking at this scene, it is probably the same as in modern times. The seats in the front row are expensive, mostly rich people, and the seats in the back row are cheap, mostly coming to join in the fun and find ordinary women. The private room upstairs is the big room, which is a super high-spending group with some status and age who are unwilling to be with the young scholars downstairs.

The air is filled with the aroma of rouge, powder, wine and food.

And the smell of rouge, powder, is very familiar to Wang Yan, which is the cosmetics he made. The largest consumer group of his products is this brothel, and the women in the harem of dignitaries are second.

However, there are so many brothels in the world that his production capacity certainly cannot meet the needs, which also leads to its tight supply and difficulty in buying, and the price is naturally extremely high. That is the famous Yuxianglou, the brothel among brothels. The women here are of high quality and there are many wealthy patrons. This is why the originally elegant and light fragrance can blend with each other and fill such a large space.

This smell is not good, but not bad. Especially in such an addictive environment, it makes people more restless, their blood is hotter, and they are more nervous...

The opening of the door has no effect on the people here. There are only a few people who happened to look over here. Seeing the newcomer, they looked to see if they knew him and stayed their eyes for a moment. Before entering the door, the air was quiet. Everyone caught him and looked at him fiercely, whispering about whose son this was.

Standing at the door, Wang Yan looked up at the second floor opposite, where a woman was leaning on the railing and looking down. She was on a high place and saw the door open. Her eyes looked over here and met the eyes of the official who looked up.

What kind of woman was that?

She was wearing a green and yellow embroidered shirt and a white fox fur coat. The dark green hair was tied up, and the tassels of the golden hairpin swayed slightly with the movement. The almond eyes and willow eyebrows were together. Even if she didn't attract people, her eyes were full of charm. Her nose was straight, making her slightly bony face more three-dimensional. Her plump lips were slightly pursed, and a faint smile hung on her face, making her a beauty.

The reputation was indeed not undeserved, and Zhao Ji's aesthetics were indeed enough. I thought Jinlian was already a beauty, but now seeing this Li Shishi, she is even more beautiful.

Of course, it doesn't mean that Jinlian's appearance is much worse, but it is just that what is shown is not just beauty. After all, Li Shishi is proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, dancing and singing. She has a lot of knowledge and a foundation. What she shows is a kind of intellect. Coupled with her appearance, it feels really amazing.

And Jinlian, although she has worked hard to study in the past year, it is obvious that one year is not enough to enrich her heart. She is still beautiful but empty inside, and she is uneducated.

When it comes to other means of pleasing men, Jinlian is even worse. After all, as a prostitute, how can she not be proficient in the art of sex?

In any aspect except appearance, Jinlian is far inferior to Li Shishi, the world-famous prostitute...

Although Li Shishi is a prostitute, she has no worldly air. She looks very charming, but inside, she is cold and aloof. This contrast is quite tempting.

"Sir, that is Madam Li." Even though Wang Yan knew that he had guessed it, the old man still told him considerately.

Wang Yan waved to Li Shishi above, and Li Shishi nodded in response. Of course, she was confused, but since she became famous, many people have tried their best to get close to her, so nothing is unusual. It's just that Wang Yan's performance is really calm and natural, as if he really knows her. She is a little uncertain, so she nodded out of politeness. Of course, she would nod in anyone's place.

Laughing, Wang Yan said, "Mrs. Li is indeed worthy of the title of the best in the world."

"Who says not?" The old man laughed and said, "Mrs. Li is like this, it's good to be able to take a look at her. Sir, would you two like to sit in this hall, or go to the private room upstairs?"

"There." Wang Yan casually pointed to a table in the outermost corner: "Neither of us has eaten dinner, just serve the good wine and food."

The long-servant sighed and threw a silver ingot of ten taels into the hands of the old man. The old man happily took the silver and weighed it, trotting over to wipe the table and chairs, and asked Wang Yan and the others to sit down: "Sir, wait a moment, the wine and food will be ready soon, soon."

After saying that, he left with his legs tightly tied.

Needless to say, the prices for food and drinks in this kind of entertainment venue must be much higher than outside. As for Mr. Turtle who opens the table here, he will naturally get a corresponding commission, and it is quite a lot. Catering profits are never bad.

Ignoring those, Wang Yan sat there, smiling at the geishas singing and dancing in the field, and listening to the discussions of the scholars around him.

It was obvious that these people were in no mood to sing or dance right now. Instead, he racked his brains in composing poems and lyrics, intending to write a masterpiece that could say a few words to Master Li.

Everyone in Bianjing knew that Master Li was Zhao Ji's imperial concubine and was not something they could approach. But this is a brothel, and Master Li is the mainstay here. When the mood gets better, he will also show off his face, do some talents to attract popularity, and keep his professional skills up to date.

And since Master Li could show his face like this, Zhao Ji must have allowed it. You, Zhao Ji, have already allowed Mr. Li to show off his talents, why can’t I just talk?

After all, the Song Dynasty and the scholar-bureaucrats share the same world, and the punishment cannot be imposed on the officials. It's just that some scholars are having affairs, and they don't think there's anything wrong with it. Although some madmen have died in the past, they deserved to be punished because they didn't count.

And after all, she is the emperor's woman, so it is impossible to say that she does not have some exciting ideas. If it really matters, it will be worth it if you think about it and leave a trace of romance in the history books.

It's that simple.

After a while, Mr. Turtle came over with wine in his arms, followed by two people carrying vegetables, and set up a table. Then, after saying that he would come back if you need more wine, he ran to other tables and asked if he wanted more wine. Serve the food and get busy.

As soon as the food was served, Wang Yan and Chang Sui started eating and drinking, watching their performance.

The singing and dancing gradually stopped, and a group of people applauded and cheered. The two geishas greeted Yingying with a bow, and walked away gracefully with lotus steps.

Another turtle came up to the high platform. He bowed his hands in greetings and shouted loudly: "Thank you all for coming. The singing and dancing are over. I am a talented gentleman. I have already finished the poem about praising the snow. I don't know which gentleman." Let me first describe his masterpiece so that Madam Li, the other ladies, and the gentlemen present can comment on it."

As soon as he finished speaking, a handsome gentleman in the front row said, "I'll come first." He stood up, walked around in a circle and stepped onto the stage, with hands held in all directions...

"This person is Chang Dingyuan, Suzhou. This autumn..." A person not far from Wang Yan introduced the star on the stage.

Most of the scholars at this time were open-minded and had no embarrassment. What's more, this is one of the best brothels and has always been a famous place. The three redundancies of the Song Dynasty are not a secret, everyone knows it. There are many dignitaries in Bianjing who have become famous here and participated in some celebrity poetry gatherings from time to time.

After all, reading is all about fame and fortune, and it has always been that way.

While Wang Yan was eating boiled lamb chops, his mouth was full of oil, and he was drinking wine, he raised his head and glanced at Master Li who had been standing there at the railing on the second floor. It's just that this look is incredible. Next to Master Li, he saw a fat little white man standing with his hands behind his hands, looking at him with a smile. Isn't it the Zhao Ji whom he had just met?

Immediately, he threw away the mutton chops in his hand, stood up, took a step back, and bowed to Zhao Ji from a distance.

Zhao Ji smiled and nodded, waving his hand to signal him to get up and continue doing whatever he was supposed to do. Wang Yan then continued to sit down to eat meat and drink, listening to the goings on on the stage with a very serious look.

Li Shishi paid attention to the man in the black fur coat for a while, and they still looked at each other when they first came in. She didn't see any other bad looks in the man's eyes, only the appreciation of beauty. This kind of look is rare in her body. Moreover, he was wrapped in a black fur coat, he looked tall, and he was sitting in the corner. He could be seen from above, and it was difficult for her not to notice.

"Guan, who was the one who saluted just now?"

"Oh? Master is interested in him?"

"It's just that with so many people here, it's strange that he is the only one saluting the official."

"Of them, some don't know it's me, and some know me but pretend not to know." Zhao Ji shook his head and smiled, and answered: "He is Wang Yan. He came to Beijing the day before yesterday and had lunch with me in the palace today. "

"Wang Yan?" Li Shishi asked confusedly. She had heard of this name in a daze, but she couldn't remember what it was for.

Seeing that she didn't think of it, Zhao Ji continued to speak thoughtfully: "That's Wang Yan from Yanggu County. The things you used were all researched by him. People say he is the reincarnation of the God of Wealth. Do you remember?"

"His name is so great, why can't I remember it? The officials don't know that the sisters of Yuxianglou spent their own money to buy the rouge and gouache at a high price. If the slave family hadn't been given it by the officials, I'm afraid it would have been I don't have much money left." Master Li smiled and said, "I originally thought that the God of Wealth was so special, but now I see that he is just an ordinary person, just taller and stronger, but too young. Look at his appearance. , I’m afraid it’s not yet the crown, right?”

"He was crowned eighteen, and his nickname is 'Zi Yan'. He is turning twenty this year." Zhao Ji touched his mustache: "He is not an ordinary person as you say. He was visiting the garden with me in the palace today. When I asked him, he learned how to call him He took snow as the theme, no matter whether it was good or bad, he just wrote a poem. While he was chatting with me in the garden, he was thinking about it, and when he saw a plum blossom in the snow, he wrote a limerick, saying, "...the plum blossoms will never be seen when you fly into them." What do you think?"

"The first three sentences are just a child's joke, but the second half is the finishing touch. With that artistic conception, even though it is a limerick, it is very valuable, and ordinary people may not be able to match it."

Zhao Ji continued with a smile: "After this incident, I asked him to compete with my guard's imperial belt. You may not know that those belts and imperial weapons are masters selected from the Forbidden Army. They are not accessible to others. As a result, Wang Yan accompanied my royal belt back and forth for nearly a quarter of an hour, and then kicked the royal belt away. He didn't blush and was out of breath. He was just there to tease me. Later, I asked again. Yudai, he said that if Wang Yan is serious about fighting, he can defeat him with three punches and two kicks, or even kill him. He is good at literature and martial arts, and he can also make money. This guy is awesome..."

"Wang Yan is so powerful, isn't it because he is used by the officials and is loyal to the Song Dynasty? He is also an official with a keen eye, knows people well and is good at assigning tasks. If it were not for the love and protection of the officials, it is not known whether Wang Yan could survive to this day, and how could he have such a great reputation? "Head." Master Li smiled and said, "Guanjia, let's not talk about Wang Yan. Come here at this time. I think I haven't eaten yet, so I will go back to the room with the servant and have some wine and meat. Later, I will ask the slave to massage you. You will spend the whole day. The affairs of the country are troublesome, and I will relieve my fatigue with you."

Zhao Ji laughed, hugged Master Li's slender waist, turned and left...

Seeing Zhao Ji leaving with Mei, Wang Yan shook his head and smiled, and went to talk to the turtle man from before. After eating and drinking, I directly found two oirans, one for my subordinates, and the other for myself. Even though he was here, Zhao Ji also saw him, so he couldn't just leave without doing anything.

Master Li, he is out of luck. Not only was Zhao Ji here, but he was not here, he came first in poetry, and when he had the chance to meet Li Shishi, he didn't dare to do anything. Someone must have reported Zhao Ji, and that was to cause trouble for himself.

After a night of fun, I got a feel for the power of the famous prostitutes of the Song Dynasty. Under the female clothes that he had served, he washed and showered, had breakfast, gave a tip, and settled the general bill, with the equally comfortable long-term escort. Leave and continue to wander around Bianjing City. He will have more walks to experience the scenery of the Song Dynasty.

He was in no hurry to leave. Before he came, he told Jin Lian that he would spend the Shangyuan Festival here, that is, after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, before setting off back to Yanggu. After all, you are here, this is the biggest festival of the year, you have to see everything. Besides, we don’t have many years to see such a scenery, so just take a look if you can.

In the afternoon, as soon as he returned to the inn, he saw Yang Jian waiting there with two eunuchs. He stepped forward and bowed his hands: "Wang Yan has met Yang Daguan. I didn't know that the senior official came today and asked him to wait for a long time. Really?" It's Wang Yan's fault, so don't blame the high officials."

"Okay, Ziyan, you and I are not outsiders, and we don't want to use polite words. I came here this time to deliver the decree on behalf of the official family." As he spoke, Yang Jian stood up and spread out the imperial edict in his hand: "To Wang Yan, the captain of Guo School." !”

Wang Yan was stunned for a moment, and quickly knelt down on one knee. Others in the room followed suit and knelt down, listening to Yang Jian reciting the imperial edict.

In fact, it was nothing, just to confirm his merits in making money and get promoted again. He was given the title of Captain Zhenwei, a rank-6 casual official. At the current level, even though he is a worthless casual official, it is not easy to be promoted further up. Moreover, Zhao Ji also had to consider that he would have to pay more money every year in the future, and it might be more and more every year. He would always have to keep it in case it was difficult to award the reward in the future. In addition, I was given a bunch of messy porcelain, silk cloth, tribute tea, gold and silver, etc., as well as the calligraphy and paintings I asked for earlier, all of which are quite valuable.

Apart from anything else, Zhao Ji still gave a lot of rewards for these messes, which was quite generous. Of course, compared to what he offered, it was somewhat worth mentioning.

After receiving the imperial edict, Wang Yan took Yang Jian upstairs to sit down, drink tea and chat.

Looking at the senior official playing with the tea set, Yang Jian said: "You performed well this time, and the official is very satisfied."

"You can see that the officials have spent so much money on so many rewards."

"Those are all the good things offered by various places this year. Even if you have money, you can't buy them. Even Cai Jing doesn't have as many things as you. You are the only one of the Holy Heart, so go ahead."

Taking the tea from Wang Yan, Yang Jian took a sip and continued: "I heard that Tong Guan posted a message for you?"

"The official is well-informed..." Wang Yan raised his head, glanced at him, and said, "I was invited to attend a meeting in Fan Lou today, but I declined."

"That's right. Zi Yan, you are still young and don't know the connection. Let me remind you, do what you should do and stay out of the rest. It's not that I'm afraid that you will side with Tong Guan. , it’s the officials’ side that can’t get through.”

"Wang Yan knows, thank you for the heads up."

"I cherish your talent. You have really helped me a lot this year. I can't bear to see you go astray. Okay, that's it for now. You can take care of yourself." After that, he put down the tea he had only taken a sip of and stood up. Leave.

Wang Yan said something symbolic, sent him downstairs, left the inn, and then returned upstairs to continue drinking tea.

Yang Jian didn't have such a good heart, and those words he said were testing him. After all, he had never left Yanggu County before, so he probably had little experience and didn't understand anything, which allowed Yang Jian to take advantage of it. But now, he has met Zhao Ji and felt Zhao Ji's attention, and his status is now different. He is not someone that Yang Jian can manipulate at will, and it is not someone that Yang Jian can use to serve Zhao Ji and apply eye drops at will. And the most important thing is that Yang Jian took 10% of the profit. The money is hot now, but he doesn't want to let it go, so he comes here to pretend to care about him.

But Yang Jian was narrow-minded and unconfident. Yang Jian didn't know that the money was nothing to the big official. Yang Jian must be waiting for him to express his opinion later, but he was not used to this habit. After all, Yang Jian knew that his status was different now, so why pretend? He would maintain it later, and let Yang Jian shiver for a while.

The big official didn't take any action. He drank tea and read alone in the room of the inn. When it was time for dinner, he went downstairs to eat a fairly rich meal, washed up and went back to the room to continue reading.

He blew out the candle according to the usual time. But he didn't sleep, but sat there neatly dressed. The hand on the table tapped the table again and again, waiting for the time to come.

After a long time, it was late at night, and it was estimated that everyone was asleep. Without disturbing others, he quietly jumped out of the window. I looked around the street, then controlled my steps, followed people, and ran towards Xihuamen...

There, is the Yuxiang Tower.

Who wouldn't love a beautiful woman...

Thanks to (Monk Perm Hair) and (Piyou Mantou) for your continued support.

I would like to thank the good brothers who voted for the monthly ticket for their support,

Thanks to the brothers who voted for the recommendation for their support,

Thanks to the brothers who read the book silently for their support.