"Young master, are you really so heartless as to leave without wanting to see me?"
Her voice was ethereal and clear, yet it also possessed a captivating charm that sent shivers down one's spine.
Jing Zhe turned around and saw that Miss Wan'er had already stood up.
Although her face was obscured by a curtain, her exquisite and graceful figure reflected on the white gauze had already made many people swallow their saliva more than once.
Seeing Jing Zhe standing there, seemingly ready to make a move, Hanhan became a little anxious.
Coming to a brothel is already crossing the line. If you were to spend the night in someone's boudoir, what would the chieftain do if he found out?
"Young Master, you can't go up there, it's too dangerous!"
Hanhan nudged Jing Zhe, looking nervous.
"Danger?"
Jing Zhe was stunned. "I even dared to stay in Mangshan. There are only some women upstairs. What danger could there be?"
After thinking for a while, Hanhan said, "It's not that it's dangerous upstairs, it's that it's too dangerous if the chieftain finds out!"
"If you don't tell, and I don't tell, how will my sister find out?"
"But... I can talk!"
After saying this, Hanhan's face turned red with embarrassment. Perhaps worried that Jing Zhe was too upset, he added, "I can turn a blind eye to what happened at the brothel today and not tell the chieftain, but if the young chieftain wants to go upstairs, I will tell him no matter what!"
"..."
Jing Zhe was speechless, thinking to himself, "Do you really have to be so honest?"
What would happen if you told them?
"If I tell the chief about this, the young chief can lie in bed peacefully for a month and won't have to work so hard running down the mountain to earn money!"
"Oh? Why?"
Jing Zhe asked curiously.
"Because the chieftain hits people very hard, it might take at least a month to fully recover!"
"..."
Fortunately, Jing Zhe had no intention of going upstairs in the first place, and after being scared by Hanhan, he immediately made a decision.
He bowed to the figure behind the curtain upstairs and slowly uttered two words.
"In no mood!"
After saying that, Jing Zhe turned around and left without looking back, leaving everyone present staring at his back in disbelief.
Behind the curtain, seemingly not expecting him to refuse her, the slender yet voluptuous woman inside paused for a moment, then covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes curving into crescents.
The maid standing beside her looked furious.
"Miss, this man is so ungrateful! You invited him upstairs, and he dared to leave! It's outrageous!"
But the woman wasn't angry; she just smiled and shook her head.
"Who said he has to go upstairs just because I tell him to? There are so many young masters downstairs who want me to leave, so why should I leave?"
"But...that's different!"
"What's the difference? He has legs, who can stop him from going wherever he wants? Besides—don't you think this person's way of doing things is interesting?"
Is it interesting?
The maid tilted her head, thinking that this man was quite talented, after all, he could make her young mistress look at him differently, but his character was a bit lacking.
Aren't scholars supposed to be indifferent to fame and fortune and have lofty aspirations? Yet he was preoccupied with the fifty taels of silver for the writing fee from beginning to end.
"Whether it's interesting or not, it's definitely weird!"
The maid concluded.
"The spring water is bluer than the sky, and the painted boats sleep in the rain. Everyone says that Anguo is a vast land with abundant resources and many extraordinary people and events. Now I have seen it for myself. Huaping, we'll stay for a few more days, and it's time for us to go."
After the woman finished reading, she looked into the distance and murmured to herself.
...
"He's not a scholar, but he's better than one!"
After Jing Zhe left, someone in the hall sighed.
"Yes! To be able to write such a masterpiece and to have such composure, remaining unmoved by beauty, is a model for us all!"
"Alas, even someone as talented as Young Master Kun doesn't linger here, so what reason do we have not to leave?"
"Let's go, let's go!"
With a whoosh, all the scholars present stood up, preparing to leave.
Chen Jiannan mingled in the crowd, his head bowed low, secretly relieved that Jing Zhe hadn't bothered him after writing the poem, or he would have lost all face today!
Let's set off for Jingzhou tomorrow; we can't stay in Yongzhou any longer!
Chen Jiannan squeezed out with the crowd, making plans in his mind.
He finally reached the door and was about to leave when a discordant voice sounded behind him.
"Oh dear, is the number one talent leaving already?"
When Chen Jiannan turned around, Lin Wenyao clapped his hands with a grin and said, "Look at me, my memory is terrible. I should be the second most talented person!"
He then burst into laughter.
People around stopped to look at them when they heard this. Chen Jiannan didn't dare to linger. He glared at Lin Wenyao and slunk away.
In no time, the once crowded hall was completely empty.
The madam watched this scene without a trace of worry.
Based on her understanding of these scholars, most of what they said earlier was nonsense. The reason for this was probably because Young Master Kun was just a trainee, yet he could write lyrics that were better than theirs. Wouldn't they be ashamed if they continued to stay?
Go back and sleep, and you'll forget all about it the next day, then come back to spend money again that night.
As shrewd as the madam was, she had seen through everything long ago.
What she looks forward to most is that tonight's story will spread.
That song, "Spring Waters Are Bluer Than the Sky," will take flight and soar to every corner of Yongzhou, towards Jingzhou, and resound throughout Anguo.
By then, "Spring Water Pavilion" will be renowned, its position in Yongzhou City will be even more secure, and countless young masters from all over Anguo will come to visit it...
Thinking of this scene, the middle-aged woman felt content.
...
Bathed in the hazy moonlight, Jing Zhe hummed a little tune as he strolled through the streets and alleys, in an extremely good mood.
Tomorrow, take the silver to buy saltpeter, and the day he leaves Mangshan will not be far off.
Hanhan was also very excited. He had never felt so excited before that making money could be so easy.
On Mount Mang, they hadn't managed to rob a single person in months, which forced them to cultivate wasteland on the mountain, grow crops and vegetables. The bandits had turned into farmers. If word got out, people in the underworld would probably laugh at them!
As for Jing Zhe, he only needed to say a few words to get fifty taels of silver, completely overturning Hanhan's understanding.
Jing Zhe walked briskly ahead, while Han Han lagged behind, staring at his retreating figure and pondering in his mind:
When we get back, should we suggest to the chieftain that we don't let the young chieftain go to the capital for the imperial examination, but let him stay on the mountain and write a poem every month to sell at Chunshui Tower? Wouldn't that be much easier than robbing people on the road?
Okay, let's do it this way!
————
(Do you have a vote for me...?)
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