The Oiran Contest, held every four years, is considered one of the more lively events in the capital.
The more famous brothels in the capital will focus on training an oiran during these four years, and then have them perform on stage to make their brothel famous.
The so-called performance is nothing more than singing a song, dancing, and playing a little tune.
Among them, singing and playing are what people pay the most attention to, and it is also what the top girls in major brothels must focus on practicing.
A good voice is one thing, but being able to come up with new words is also very important.
Every time there is a flower show competition, the major brothels will spend a large sum of money to find some well-known poets in the capital to write poems for their own top courtesans, and this year is no exception.
Zi Yan was known for her mastery of both zither and poetry, and she had some experience in composing lyrics. The lyrics written by ordinary literati and poets were not necessarily as good as hers, so Lanxiang Pavilion didn't worry too much about this matter. Zi Yan had already prepared several lyrics for the Oiran Contest.
I wouldn't dare to say that she will be the most popular one by then, but as long as her level is not much worse than others, I guess she will be the most popular one.
After all, one was a song she bought with money, and the other was a song she wrote herself. This talent alone is unmatched by other girls.
But the prerequisite is that the lyrics written by Zi Yan cannot be much worse than those of others.
It stands to reason that in the entire capital, there are not many people who can write lyrics better than Zi Yan, and most of those people are proud of their status and generally would not write lyrics for some prostitutes in brothels.
But who could have thought that when the Oiran Contest was about to begin, Zhang Xiuzhi actually took action.
Zhang Xiuzhi was from Jiangnan. Since the imperial examination would be held next year, he came here early to familiarize himself with the environment. As soon as he arrived in the capital, he made a name for himself with a few poems.
Nuanxiang Pavilion never expected that Yanlai Tower would spend a huge sum of money to hire this person, and release this poem at this time, which was obviously aimed at their Nuanxiang Pavilion.
Although the two sides had never met and were only exchanging poems from a distance, everyone could smell the faint smell of gunpowder in the air.
If Nuanxiang Pavilion can't come up with a decent poem tonight, Zi Yan will be at a disadvantage in the competition for the title of the most beautiful courtesan.
At first, no one took it seriously. After all, there were so many scholars and poets present, and Miss Ziyan herself was quite talented. It was just a poem, so how could she not do it?
But when they really saw Zhang Xiuzhi's poem, everyone present fell silent, because this poem was so good that many people did not have the courage to pick up the pen.
As the saying goes, there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts. No scholar is willing to admit that he is worse than others.
But now such a good poem is right in front of them. If they rashly write another one, when the two poems are compared together, there will always be a difference in quality.
They don't want to be outdone by others for no reason.
Li Guang was truly a complete idiot. After listening to Zhang Xiuzhi's poem, seeing that no one was talking, he impatiently asked, "What are you all standing there for? I paid you to come here just to support Miss Zi Yan. Now that Zhang Xiuzhi wrote a poem, what's so great about it? Let's write ten too!"
This left everyone around speechless. It was fine that Li Guang couldn't tell the difference between a good poem and a bad one, but how could he think that simply having more people would guarantee victory? Did he leave home without a brain?
Although things were not going well with Li Guang, as a member of the royal family, Li Jing couldn't help but remind him, "If you don't understand poetry, could you please say less? I'd be embarrassed if you weren't embarrassed. Is this a question of quantity?"
"What's wrong with me? I'm also worried about Miss Zi Yan! You guys are quite capable, so why don't you say something!"
Li Jing curled his lips in disdain. It is important for people to know themselves. He has also read the books of sages and can tell the quality of a poem.
To be honest, as for Zhang Xiuzhi's poem, even those great scholars in the capital who are good at writing lyrics can only write at this level.
Although Zi Yan was known for her talent in both music and poetry, that only meant that her poetry skills were relatively high among the courtesans. If she really wanted to reach Zhang Xiuzhi's level, she would definitely not be able to compare with him.
Not to mention her, everyone present here is no match for Zhang Xiuzhi!
Zi Yan looked at Li Jing and Li Guang with a complicated expression. Whether Li Guang was really worried about her or was a fool, she couldn't let Li Guang lose face.
So she bowed to Li Guangying and said, "Thank you for your concern for Zi Yan. Mr. Zhang's poem is indeed excellent. I am not as good as him. If Mr. Zhang writes one or two more poems of this level for the sisters in Yanlai Tower, then I will not participate in this courtesan competition."
Wow, he’s about to withdraw from the competition just because of a poem.
After all, you, Zi Yan, are one of the most popular candidates for the top courtesan right now. It shouldn't be like this, right?
Li Guang became even more anxious upon seeing this and said, "Miss Zi Yan, don't worry. It's just a poem! If Zhang Xiuzhi can write it, so can anyone else. Whatever price Yanlailou offers, I'll pay double! I just don't believe it!"
"I heard that Zhang Xiuzhi has fallen in love with Ning Meir, the courtesan promoted by Yanlai Tower. No matter how much money you spend, I'm afraid they won't help you." Li Jing reminded coldly.
"Which side are you from? If you can't help, can you just shut up?"
Seeing that the two nobles were about to quarrel over her, Zi Yan hurriedly persuaded them, "Please stop arguing, my two lords. It would be even more painful for me if you both broke up the relationship because of my affairs."
As she spoke, the girl Zi Yan frowned slightly, and acted like Xi Shi holding her heart, which made people feel pity for her.
Even though Li Jing often frequented brothels, seeing Zi Yan like this, he couldn't help but feel pity and said, "Miss Zi Yan, don't be discouraged. The Oiran Competition is still some time away. There are many talented people in the capital. As long as we are willing, there will always be a poet willing to help you."
"Sir, there's no need to comfort Zi Yan. How many of the people in the capital who are willing to help would look down on a poor person like Zi Yan? I shouldn't have bothered you all with my affairs. Let me play one more song as an apology to you all."
As she spoke, Zi Yan took light steps and sat down in front of the piano again, intending to play it.
But at this moment, everyone suddenly heard a little girl say in an excited and trembling voice: "Sir... Sir, is this poem really for me?"
"What are you talking about, sister? My word is as good as gold, and it cannot be changed. Of course, this is for you. Go ahead. Take it and show it off to others!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
