Zhao Feiyan said somewhat angrily, "Aren't you leaving yet?!"
Sima Xiu: "Are you in such a hurry to get rid of me because you want to discuss what's next?"
Zhao Feiyan glared at him, and the corner of her mouth twitched.
Chu Nian chuckled softly. This Zhao Feiyan always wore her heart on her sleeve; Sima Xiu's slightest probing immediately betrayed her thoughts with her expression. Moreover, she felt that there was a hint of flirting in their conversation.
Sima Xiu then added, "Don't worry, since the Wing King has said so, the royal family will definitely not pursue the matter of that 'Lone Chrysanthemum on the Cliff' painting any further."
Zhao Feiyan: "But I don't think Yang Jie will let this go."
Sima Xiu asked curiously, "How do you know?" He had already guessed that there was another story between the two girls and Yang Jie.
Zhao Feiyan: "A pervert is still a pervert, and a scumbag can't change his scumbag nature."
"Alright, it's getting late, I need to rest. Everyone, please go back!" Chu Nian suddenly said, giving Zhao Feiyan a deep look.
Zhao Feiyan immediately understood: she couldn't say any more. With this young master Ma's intelligence, if she said another word, he might figure out what was going on.
Seeing that Zhao Feiyan had kept her mouth shut at Chu Nian's signal, Sima Xiu guessed that it would be difficult to get anything out of them. However, Zhao Feiyan had already let slip a little, and he should be able to get some information from Liu Hong. Besides, there weren't many people in this brothel who kept their mouths shut; most could be bought off. Therefore, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to investigate the past grievances between Chu, Zhao, and Yang Jie.
After leaving Cuihong Tower, Sima Xiu returned to the palace and went straight to the Empress Dowager's residence, only to find Yang Jie there as well. Upon seeing Yang Jie, his face darkened: "Minister Yang, why are you disturbing the Empress Dowager so late?"
Before Yang Jie could reply, the Empress Dowager, beaming with excitement, said to him, "Your Majesty, I have just heard that the Zuoan Shanren, whom the Confucian Guild, which always looks down on people, values so highly, is actually a prostitute?"
The emperor was somewhat helpless in the face of the empress dowager's behavior.
The Empress Dowager then laughed and said, "The Confucian Academy has always been a place for officials to speak out. They have always prided themselves on self-discipline, but this time, that Zuoan Shanren has really slapped them in the face."
The Emperor said, "Mother, the Confucian Academy values her calligraphy and painting. Don't you also like her paintings very much?" Otherwise, he wouldn't have stared at that "Lone Chrysanthemum on a Cliff" for so long, causing a headache from the snow on the paulownia tree.
Empress Dowager: "I do like it, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying watching the Confucian Guild's drama unfold. I really don't know how the Confucian Guild will end up like this."
Yang Jie laughed and said, "Your Majesty, this matter will probably make the Confucian Academy depressed for a long time. It can be said that it has made them lose face. Most of the collections related to Zuoan Shanren that are exhibited in the academy will have to be put away and left to gather dust in the warehouse."
The Empress Dowager nodded in agreement.
The emperor sighed. The reason why Yang Jie was favored by the Empress Dowager was that he had figured out her pulse!
He said, "You underestimate the Confucian Academy. Although those Confucian scholars care a great deal about their family background, they value genuine talent and learning even more." Among the great Confucian scholars who preside over the Confucian Academy, there are those of humble origins. If it weren't for this, he, as the emperor, would not have valued the Confucian Academy so much. If he wanted the Eastern Chu Kingdom to become stronger and stronger, he would rely on these scholars with genuine talent and learning.
It must be said that Sima Xiu, as emperor, was quite familiar with the scholars of the Eastern Chu Kingdom.
To be honest, even Chu Nian didn't expect that soon after, many Confucian scholars would flock to Cuihong Tower, and many even clamored to redeem her from her servitude.
This delighted the madam. You see, being able to enter the Confucian Guild Hall meant that even if you were a poor scholar before, once you entered this place frequented by prominent Confucian scholars, your status and wealth would increase exponentially.
In her eyes, these scholars were all money!
What frustrated Chu Nian the most was that not only did many scholars and calligraphers want to redeem her, but Zhao Feiyan also excitedly joined in, suggesting to the madam that she hold an auction every ten days, where the highest bidder could discuss calligraphy and painting with Chu Nian; later, because the demand for Chu Nian's redemption was so high, the last item of the auction became an auction to redeem Chu Nian.
However, the original owner's wish was to not exchange ten thousand taels of silver for it, so she would not agree to redeem herself when these scholars raised the price to a level that satisfied Chu Nian.
Therefore, this last item has an additional condition: the redeemer must be a scholar who is compatible with the young girl!
The auction had only been held twice, yet it had already caused a great stir throughout the capital, and the news had even reached the palace. Sima Xiu was surprised when he heard about it. Given Chu Nian's personality, she certainly wouldn't have arranged for people to bid on her, but the idea that she agreed to the auction was most likely Zhao Feiyan's.
The Empress Dowager also heard about this matter. She didn't know how Yang Jie had whispered in her ear, but she felt that those Confucian scholars, no matter how proper they seemed on the surface, were people who looked down on women.
She felt that if Zuoan Shanren were redeemed by these scholars and lived in their mansions, his talents would be completely suppressed, so she sent Yang Jie to participate in the auction.
Once Chu Nian is redeemed, he can help raise her in a royal villa in the suburbs, so that she can live a relatively free life and her talents won't be wasted.
This delighted Yang Jie. With the Empress Dowager paying to redeem Chu Nian and raise her in a separate courtyard, he could do whatever he wanted!
With this in mind, he came to Cuihonglou in the middle of a certain month to participate in the auction. However, when he heard the Confucian scholars bidding, he was shocked and speechless: the Empress Dowager had only given him two thousand taels, but now the scholars' bids had risen to six thousand taels, and they seemed to be going up even further.
If the price is too high, he'll have to pay the extra out of his own pocket. He doesn't mind spending a little money, but when it comes down to it, he feels that a prostitute isn't worth that much silver at all.
"Six thousand seven hundred taels!"
"Six thousand eight hundred taels!"
...
"I'll offer seven thousand taels!"
...
Hearing the price was still rising, Yang Jie raised the cup in his hand and smashed it heavily on the ground. The crisp sound attracted the attention of the scholars who were participating in the auction, and the hall instantly fell silent.
But the silence lasted only a moment before the scholars started bidding again.
"That's enough!" Yang Jie roared.
Everyone turned to look at him again.
Yang Jie: "I am the Imperial Guard Commander of the Capital City. I have come here on the orders of the Empress Dowager to redeem Miss Tong Nian. If you dare to argue about this again, you are going against the Empress Dowager."
He brought out the Empress Dowager, and the group of bidders finally fell silent. These Confucian scholars had received imperial education since childhood and greatly admired imperial power. Naturally, they also held the emperor's birth mother, Empress Dowager Dong, in high esteem.
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