Zhu Youxiao nodded. He was curious about the famous Xu Ji and was looking forward to the "Guanyin Dance".
The Ming Dynasty's Jiaofangsi had many famous prostitutes with both beauty and talent. The widely praised prostitutes included Zhang Xiao'e, Yang Yuxiang, Xu Ji, Zhang Chuyu, Wang Xiaoyi, Ge Yufang, Wang Saiyu, etc.
These famous prostitutes not only have extraordinary skills, but also have unique and different personalities.
For example, Zhang Chuyu likes to associate with people who share the same interests; Xu Ji is good at writing poetry and is famous for her euphemistic verses;
The lotus silk shoes worn by Wang Saiyu were only three inches long and were called "shoe cups" by everyone; Yang Yuxiang was famous for her elegant and aloof personality, and it was no legend that a smile could not be bought with money.
Zhang Xiao'e's dancing skills surpassed those of court dancers, and she was said to be able to render Xu Jinghong's "Dance of Guanyin" and Wan Huaer's "Dance of Shancai" useless.
Concubine Wang Liang had also heard of Xu Ji's name and said with a smile, "I heard that Xu Ji came from the Fourteenth Floor of Nanjing. She is not only good at dancing, but also can write poetry!"
Write a poem?! Zhu Youxiao smiled and said, "How about this, let's play a little game. We don't need to write poems. How about we put together some verses?"
Zhang Yan blinked her beautiful eyes and smiled, "Putting together verses? That's something new."
Zhu Youxiao coughed dryly and said, "It can't be the original poem, just match it line by line. Let's see who can spell it out naturally without any sense of disobedience."
Disobedience?! Everyone was confused and looked at the emperor.
"Let me give you an example." Zhu Youxiao saw Wang Tigan leading Xu Ji, and he pressed his hand down, indicating that he would wait for a moment, and then said, "I urge you to drink another glass of wine, so that we can share our eternal sorrow."
Huh?! Everyone was stunned. This sounded so natural and harmonious, without any sense of dissonance.
Zhu Youxiao looked at the expressions of the crowd and couldn't help but chuckle. He said, "Seamless connection, perfect work, right?"
Zhang Yan came back to her senses, covered her mouth and smiled, saying, "Your Majesty, you are so smart and intelligent. I admire you so much."
"Royal brother, please tell me another one!" Xiaoliu Zhu Huijing's eyes lit up. He thought this was interesting, but he still didn't quite get the point.
Zhu Youxiao smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll tell you another one, and you should think about it carefully. If you think well, I'll reward you!"
After pondering for a moment, the emperor said, "Love begins from nowhere; it deepens with the first, then weakens with the second, and finally dies with the third."
This? Everyone was confused again and looked at the emperor.
"I am so stupid that I don't even know where this poem came from." Concubine Duan Chun frowned slightly and asked, "I don't know where the love comes from, but it is so deep and lasting. Your Majesty, who wrote this poem?"
How would I know who wrote it? I just randomly wrote down a few lines from a collection of poems I saw online in my previous life.
Zhu Youxiao blinked his eyes and said, "I was testing you. Why should I tell you the answer without asking others?"
Concubine Duan Chun cast inquiring glances at everyone present one by one, but she waited longer for Zhang Yan and Concubine Wang Liang, and the others quickly looked away.
How much knowledge can Zhang Yuer, a person from a capital city, have? Three princesses and a little foodie, and how much poetry has she read?
Zhu Youxiao had sharp eyes and noticed that Xu Ji, who was bowing and waiting, had a strange look on her face and her lips moved silently a few times.
"Xu Ji," Zhu Youxiao said in a deep voice, "On New Year's Eve, I celebrate with the people. If you can answer, I will also reward you."
Xu Ji was stunned for a moment, then looked up at the emperor and immediately lowered her head. After a long pause, she replied softly, "Your Majesty, I don't know where the love comes from, but it's so deep. It's a line from Tang Xianzu's 'Dream of the Peony Pavilion.'"
It turned out to be a line from a legendary play. Tang Xianzu is not very famous, no wonder I didn’t know the source!
Zhu Youxiao nodded and raised his hand, saying, "Excellent answer. It is exactly the verse from the legendary play. Well, reward."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your reward." Xu Ji knelt down to express her gratitude.
Concubine Duan Chun breathed a sigh of relief. Since it was a legendary play and not a famous poem handed down from generation to generation, it was no wonder that she didn't know about it.
Zhang Yan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, since you've summoned Concubine Xu, how about we watch the Guanyin Dance first and then work on the poem?"
Zhu Youxiao nodded in agreement. Xu Ji stepped back to make some preparations, then stepped forward and began to perform.
The "Guanyin Dance" of the Ming Dynasty, also known as the "Bodhisattva Dance", was a dance often performed at banquets in aristocratic homes in Beijing and Nanjing.
Later, this dance could often be seen at folk festivals, grand singing and dancing events, and street parades.
Xu Ji was dressed as Guanyin, with a bowl on her forehead and two bowls in her hands, dancing to the rhythm of the rhythm. Her movements were graceful, and she didn't drop the bowls, which looked like a dance mixed with acrobatics.
"It's more spectacular than anything I've seen." Concubine Duan Chun seemed to recall the performances she had seen before entering the palace, and said with some emotion, "Their reputation is well-deserved. Their skills are far superior to those of folk singing girls."
Concubine Wang Liang agreed, "I heard they all worked hard since childhood, so they are naturally extraordinary."
Zhang Yan saw the emperor's gaze and smiled, shaking her head, saying, "This is the first time I've seen it. It's a wonderful performance!"
Zhang Yu'er stared at it intently. Needless to say, this was her first time seeing it.
Although she had been promoted to a concubine, she still felt a little inferior about her background. She spoke very little and behaved in a low-key manner, but her eyes, which were filled with tenderness when she looked at the emperor from time to time.
"Reward!" Zhu Youxiao once again showed his nature as a local tycoon. The word "local tycoon" was not enough to describe him as the supreme ruler.
"Thank you for the reward, Your Majesty." Xu Ji thanked him again and bowed to leave.
The Fifth Princess and the Sixth Princess whispered to each other, and then the Fifth Princess raised her hand to Zhu Youxiao and said, "Brother, I have an idea for a couplet."
"Tell me about it." Zhu Youxiao encouraged with a smile: "Whether it's good or not, I will reward you."
The fifth princess, Zhu Huiyan, smiled and said, "I laughed out loud and went out, and no one knew it was the lychees that came. My royal brother, do you think I fought well?"
"Good, fifth sister, your poem rhymes well and sounds just like the original poem." Zhu Youxiao praised and waved his hand to signal the palace maid to take the prize, which was a pearl necklace.
The Sixth Princess giggled and said, "Brother, I have also finished writing a poem. Please listen. I laugh out loud at the sky and go out. I dream of iron horses and icy rivers."
That's fine! Zhu Youxiao tasted it, nodded with a smile, and gave out the prize after praising it as well.
Xiao Ba was so envious that he blinked his eyes and thought hard, and felt that he seemed to have found the trick.
But before she could say anything, Concubine Duan Chun laughed and said, "Your Majesty, I was being lazy and just made up a couplet: I look up to the sky and laugh loudly before going out, the water of the Yellow River comes from the sky."
Isn't this a bit opportunistic? Zhu Youxiao grinned at Concubine Duan Chun and waved his hand to give out the prizes. One shouldn't be stingy with one's own wife. This is called keeping the wealth within the family.
The eighth princess, Zhu Huiti, was anxious and said quickly, "Brother, brother, I have also finished writing the poem. I will laugh loudly at the sky and go out. Even if I spend all my money, I will come back."
You guys - Zhu Youxiao was a little amused, but looking at the eager look of his eighth sister, he had no choice but to give out the prize.
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