Chapter 275 Joining in the Fun
On the day the newly crowned courtesan of Wan Hua Lou was chosen, she could select a customer to play the zither for, and then chat about life and ideals, listening to the customer lament how miserable he was, until he met the courtesan and felt that life had hope again...
Of course, all of this costs money, and not just a small amount.
Normally, it would cost thousands of taels of silver to see the courtesan, but this time, to win first place, it would cost tens of thousands of taels of silver.
Oh, and there's one more important thing: the courtesan has to be willing to see you. If you look like Pigsy's second uncle, no matter how much money you offer, the courtesan won't want to see you...
Those sitting in the VIP section outside were all confidently waving their folding fans.
They had just placed the money they were willing to offer, along with poems, essays, or paintings showcasing their talents, onto the trays brought by the maids of Wan Hua Lou.
The amount of silver was for the manager of Wan Hua Lou to see, while the paintings and ink paintings were for the courtesan to see.
Whoever gets to enter the courtesan's room today will be the most talked-about topic in Yangzhou these days.
Xia Yuanheng, the eldest son of the Xia family, proudly waved his folding fan.
He wasn't particularly talented, but he spent a lot of money to have someone write a poem that compared the courtesan to a goddess descended from the heavens. The courtesan must have liked that poem very much!
In addition, he offered 15,000 taels of silver, and Xia Yuanheng believed that no one else in the Wan Hua Lou would offer more than him.
I'm sure I can get into Qingwan's room...
Almost everyone in the Wan Hua Lou was watching the stage where the courtesan had just been chosen with great anticipation.
According to the rules of the courtesan selection three years ago, in a little while the courtesan's maid will come to invite Qingwan's first guest.
Who could it be? Everyone wants to know.
To everyone's surprise, it wasn't just Qingwan's maid who reappeared on the selection stage, but also Qingwan herself.
Qingwan had put her veil back on and walked lightly toward the largest private room in Wanhualou.
A maid followed behind her, carrying a zither in her arms...
Everyone was a little dumbfounded. What was going on?
Shouldn't a maid have come to invite her? Why did Qingwan come in person? And who exactly is sitting in this private room...?
Everyone was a little surprised, and even the men who were thinking about whether they could talk to Qingwan a little more were a bit confused.
The highest-ranking guest at the last Wan Hua Lou courtesan election was Prince Zhuang, the Emperor Emeritus's younger brother.
Even a prince of noble birth must abide by the rules of the brothel.
But now, the person in that private room actually managed to get Wan Hua Lou to change its rules?
Who is sitting there? Whose status is higher than that of Prince Zhuang?
Everyone was on tenterhooks, wondering who it could be.
Could it be... the retired emperor and the former crown prince who are traveling outside the capital?
Everyone thought they had guessed the truth...
No one considered whether they were the three noble ladies from the capital. In their eyes, those three noble ladies were indeed of high status, but firstly, they were women, and secondly... it seemed that no matter how high their status was, it shouldn't be high enough to make Wan Hua Lou change its rules!
...
Although Xia Yuanheng was annoyed, he also knew that the person who could make Wan Hua Lou change the rules must not be an ordinary person.
"Go and find out who the distinguished guest is in that private room!" Xia Yuanheng whispered.
The servants immediately went to inquire, but returned quickly.
"Young master, I can't get close. They're all guarded by highly skilled martial artists. I just went over and was kicked back."
Xia Yuanheng...
Soon, Qingwan's piano music rang out again in that private room.
...
That evening, everyone in Yangzhou knew that the three dignitaries from the capital had gone to the Wan Hua Lou.
"I knew it! The only person who could get Wan Hua Lou to change its rules must be someone of high status. Everyone used to say that Wan Hua Lou had strict rules, but actually, it's because you're not strong enough, and they don't even look at you."
"Exactly, what's the use of having a lot of money? You still have to be obedient in front of important people."
"That Princess Shou Kang even had a penchant for visiting brothels!"
“I have a relative living in the capital, and he told me about Princess Shoukang.”
She was favored by the Emperor from a young age. Because the eldest princess was sent to the Ye family to be raised, and there was only one princess in the palace, His Majesty spoiled her a bit.
This guy did a lot of outrageous things in the capital.
I heard that he loves keeping male concubines, and he keeps many handsome male concubines in his villa.
She also enjoyed sending male concubines to people.
She sent them to the princesses, and also to the wives of the princes and ministers she disliked.
In short, whether she was happy or not, she just liked sending men to have male concubines.
They wouldn't dare refuse!
"This... is quite a peculiar hobby. If the officials below want to curry favor with her, do they just need to send her male concubines?"
"That won't do. She prefers to pick and find things herself; she doesn't like things being delivered to her door."
His Majesty currently dotes on her somewhat; as long as it's not too outrageous, he won't interfere.
"That's true, no wonder she came to watch the Wan Hua Lou courtesan election!"
"Although the 'Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion' is powerful, with a new emperor on the throne, we must at least give him face!"
...
Xia Yuanheng also learned that the people sitting in the private room were indeed three important figures from the capital.
He sighed.
My uncle sent a letter saying that although these three women are women, they are all people who can speak to the Empress, and that I should be more discreet and not offend them.
He thought for a moment before giving instructions to his servants.
“Go and tell your mother to prepare generous gifts to be sent to the residences of those three noble people. Regardless of whether they invite you or not, you must be courteous.”
Furthermore, since those three distinguished guests have come to Wan Hua Lou to watch the Flower Queen election, they certainly won't miss the Tea Queen election two days later.
"Let my mother come with me that day; with female relatives present, perhaps the nobleman will grant her an audience."
The servants quickly went to make the arrangements.
Xia Yuanheng was still fanning himself with a folding fan, but after a couple of fannings, he seemed to feel a bit chilly and put the fan down.
What business in Yangzhou could warrant such a trip for these three distinguished guests?
My family hasn't broken any laws, so those influential people can't find anything to do with me!
...
"Xia Yuanheng's uncle is the former Jiangnan Education Commissioner from Suzhou, and his father is the richest merchant in Yangzhou, who is in the maritime trade business."
Although they can't compare to the Ye family, the imperial merchants, they are definitely among the top in Yangzhou.
In addition, his uncle was a general in the Pingnan Army, but unfortunately... his uncle had no children and always treated Xia Yuanheng as his son.
This is also why Xia Yuanheng was so arrogant and domineering in Yangzhou.
However, Xia Yuanheng certainly wouldn't dare to provoke Wan Hua Lou and Chun Bu Wan. Princess Yongxin continued to tell Song Zhimian about Xia Yuanheng's situation.
Song Zhimian said "oh" and thought about it for a moment.
"He'll definitely be attending the Spring Tea King election the day after tomorrow, right?"
“Yes! The manager of Chunbuwan has already said that Xia Yuanheng has reserved a table,” Princess Yongxin said immediately.
“Let’s go join in the fun!” Song Zhimian and Princess Shou Kang said at the same time.
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