Chapter 274 The Courtesan Election

The moment the music started, the once bustling Wan Hua Lou fell silent.

Song Zhimian has now truly experienced what it means for the sound of a zither to linger for three days.

A semi-transparent screen covered the selection platform, and everyone could only vaguely see a woman playing the zither behind the screen. As for what the woman looked like, no one could see it.

Five girls took turns going on stage to perform their piano skills.

Those who can give scores below can only do so by listening to the music, and as for who gets the score... no one knows.

Soon, the piano skills competition ended, and the next skill competition was chess.

The chess competition wasn't about having the girls play in front of everyone; instead, Wan Hua Lou had already invited a famous chess master from Chongqing, who presented five chess puzzles that most people couldn't solve.

Five girls randomly selected a chess game to solve.

Whoever can solve the problem quickly and accurately will get a high score.

No one objected to this setup.

Maintaining a certain level of fairness within a certain scope is something everyone wants to see.

Soon, five chess positions were set up.

Song Zhimian, Princess Shou Kang, and Princess Yongxin all craned their necks to take a look...

Well, there wasn't a single chess game that the three of them could solve.

Song Zhimian initially felt quite embarrassed. After all, she was a fourth-rank palace maid, so she should know a little bit about it!

but……

Seeing that Princess Shou Kang and Princess Yongxin also looked surprised and a little confused, Song Zhimian felt relieved.

Everyone is the same; she's not the only one who's useless.

All three of them are from the capital... good-for-nothings!

The chess competition ended quickly. Although most of the onlookers couldn't understand it, it didn't dampen their enthusiasm!

Amidst rounds of applause, the courtesan election quickly moved into its third phase.

write!

Five women stood in a row, their faces covered by screens and veils, and each of them had the same writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone in front of them.

Five people copied a poem at the same time, and after a flurry of elegant calligraphy, five pieces of calligraphy were presented.

...

"Those characters are indeed well written; they must have put in considerable effort." Princess Shou Kang, who had been forced by the palace tutors to practice calligraphy to a considerable degree, nodded repeatedly after seeing the five pieces of calligraphy.

"Can you tell who wrote it better?" Song Zhimian asked.

Princess Shou Kang looked at it carefully.

“Well, each has its own merits and different feel. They are all well written, definitely better than the three of us!” Princess Shou Kang said.

Song Zhimian...

Well, I've been hit hard again. In these aspects, the three of them are indeed inferior to others.

After calligraphy, it's time for painting.

The five girls' painting skills are definitely better than Song Zhimian's and the others.

According to Song Zhimian, all five girls should be the top courtesan. No wonder everyone says that the girls of Wan Hua Lou are all exceptional in both beauty and talent!

This skill... truly puts most people to shame.

In Song Zhimian's opinion, wouldn't this be a typical art exam in modern times?

It's even harder than the art college entrance exam...

"Look, the next competition is all about looks. It's all about appearance now, isn't it?" Princess Yongxin tugged at Song Zhimian, who was lost in thought.

Song Zhimian quickly looked outside.

The screen had already been removed. Accompanied by the sound of string and wind instruments, five girls slowly descended the stairs.

They all wore the same clothes and jewelry, and their faces were still covered by veils.

With each step they took, it was as if they were stepping on the hearts of those present.

Almost everyone held their breath and watched the five women, afraid that even a slightly louder breath would blow them over.

After the five of them stood on the stage, they gently pulled off their veils...

The scene immediately fell silent.

After seeing the faces of the five women, Song Zhimian finally understood why the previous competitions were always behind screens or veils.

With only these five faces on display, who cares about talent competitions anymore? Everyone's too busy looking at their faces.

The five girls were either aloof, stunningly beautiful, or ethereal and charming...

In short, after seeing these five people, everyone subconsciously glanced at the girl next to them...

Ah, the five on stage are still the best looking!

Princess Shou Kang didn't even blink.

"They're all so good-looking, now I finally understand what it means to be an absolute beauty!"

"Sigh, seeing these five girls makes me want to be the emperor, and then take all five of them into my harem for nightly revelry..." Princess Shou Kang muttered softly.

Song Zhimian and Princess Yongxin both tugged at her.

Although her sister is the emperor, they are half-sisters, so it's best for her not to say such things.

If His Majesty finds out, Princess Shou Kang will most likely be locked up in the palace and forced to copy the palace rules a hundred times upon returning to the palace.

...

Those responsible for scoring immediately gave scores to the five people's demeanor, clothing, and appearance.

Song Zhimian glanced at the scores, but she couldn't see the scores for the four arts (music, chess, calligraphy, and painting), though she could see the scores for appearance. The scores for the five people were basically neck and neck.

Soon, after the final round of judging, the ultimate courtesan was chosen.

The girl named Qingwan won the title of the most beautiful courtesan in Wanhualou, a competition held only once every three years, by a narrow margin.

The other girls... also became famous overnight.

Miss Qingwan quickly came out to express her gratitude, thanking everyone for their support...

...

"What changes will occur after the courtesan is chosen?" Song Zhimian asked.

"I know that. Once you're chosen as the top courtesan, you can choose your own customers, and the Wan Hua Lou will guarantee the safety of every girl."

To invite the courtesan to drink with you, you need at least a thousand taels of silver.

The money was split 50/50 between the courtesan and the Wan Hua Lou (a brothel).

The other girls... are divided into three parts: 70% from the Wan Hua Lou (a brothel) and 30% from the girls.

"When the young lady wants to leave the brothel, she can take all that silver with her," Princess Shou Kang said with a smile.

Song Zhimian and Princess Yongxin both responded with an "oh," indicating that it wasn't too dark...

"That... young man who kept staring at Qingwan, the courtesan, must be the eldest son of the Xia family!" Song Zhimian asked.

Princess Shou Kang and Princess Yongxin glanced outside.

A young man, who looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six, was holding a folding fan and whispering something to the person next to him. The man's eyes never left Qingwan.

"Yes, that person is Xia Yuanheng, the eldest son of the Xia family."

"This man has always been a womanizer, with countless concubines at home. His uncle is the former Jiangnan Provincial Education Commissioner from Suzhou," Princess Yongxin whispered.

Song Zhimian glanced at Xia Yuanheng again.

This guy is our target; hopefully we can find out something about him in the next couple of days…

"Your Highness, would you please have Miss Qingwan play the zither for us?" Song Zhimian winked at Princess Shou Kang.

Princess Shou Kang immediately clapped her hands, and the servants outside rushed in.