The private rooms at Yipinju are exquisitely designed, with orchid paintings and carved pillars, not to mention the rare and tranquil courtyards, which are divided into four courtyards: one for plum blossoms, one for bamboo, one for orchids and one for chrysanthemums, and one for music, chess, calligraphy and painting.
Wei Tingsi reserved a quiet courtyard called the Orchid Courtyard. As the name suggests, the Orchid Courtyard was indeed planted with many orchids, such as Cymbidium goeringii, Cymbidium faberi, Cymbidium ensifolium, Cymbidium sinense, and Cymbidium kanran.
Potted plants were placed along the roadside, and there was also a bamboo grove path, making the journey extremely quiet. Zhao Shu secretly praised the owner of Yipinju. No wonder Yipinju could open stores all over Dayong. This willingness to spend a lot of money on decoration is far better than many other merchants' shops.
A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of orchids. "Princess, now that it's autumn, other orchids have stopped blooming, but the Jianlan orchid is in full bloom. You've come at the right time; it hadn't bloomed yet yesterday." The young waiter leading the way slowed his pace as he introduced the orchids, his smile always polite. He slowed his pace so that Zhao Shu and the others could appreciate the Jianlan orchid in full bloom without stopping.
Following the fragrance of the flowers, Zhao Shu saw several pots of Cymbidium orchids in full bloom not far away. The orchids were not brightly colored or showy, and their leaves were slender and strong. They bloomed quietly in the corner, giving people a very simple, quiet, elegant and noble feeling.
“Indeed, they bloom beautifully. Plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums are the Four Gentlemen. People often use orchid poems to praise the beauty of poetry and prose, and poetry and prose often use the fragrance of orchids to praise gentlemen.” She said this after seeing two sentences in the courtyard: “My spirit is like an orchid, never changing; my heart is like an orchid, never wavering.”
"The old master's words are very wise." The young waiter was clearly well-trained, as he even knew that these two sentences came from Confucius.
Zhao Shu secretly decided that once her shop opened, she would definitely train a group of well-mannered and knowledgeable employees.
As they spoke, they arrived at the hall. However, Zhao Shu was stunned when she arrived. Inside the hall, there was a white jade screen with orchid decorations. On the left and right, Wei Tingsi sat upright on the right, while a maid walked towards Zhao Shu and said, "Princess, this way please."
Upon seeing Wei Tingsi, Zhao Shu decided to turn back. She was already over seven years old, and if she went out and spent time alone in a room with a man again, word would spread and countless people would smear her. Although she wasn't afraid, she found it troublesome.
As soon as she turned around, Wei Tingsi said, "Doesn't the princess want to watch the show? The stage has already been set up, and we are just waiting for the princess to take her seat."
Zhao Shu looked at her, took a veil from her sleeve and covered her face. Since they had already run into each other and were even watching the show, how could she turn back? She had no choice but to cover her face with the veil so that if someone 'accidentally' saw her, she would at least have a chance to explain herself.
With the help of the magpie, she sat opposite Wei Tingsi. There was a screen between them, so they could not see each other.
"I wonder what kind of show you've arranged, sir?" Zhao Shu asked casually, taking a sip of the freshly served Maojian tea.
Wei Tingsi sat on the other side of the screen, motionless, with his posture upright, his eyes fixed straight ahead, and his face expressionless.
Hearing Zhao Shu's words, he said indifferently, "It's just borrowing the princess's influence."
Zhao Shu thought to herself, "Haven't you taken advantage of my influence enough?"
Before long, Xiao Zhuzi limped over from the bamboo path and came to Zhao Shu's side, whispering, "Princess, everyone has arrived."
"Just wait and see. Make a big commotion later, the bigger the better. Have you found all the people I asked you to find?" Zhao Shu's tone was indifferent, but no one could see the coldness in her eyes.
Xiao Zhu was a little worried. If people found out that the princess was associating with such people, they would have something to say about her. The prince wasn't here either. Sigh, he nodded and said, "They've arrived. They're waiting."
"Call him to see me." Zhao Shu glanced at the clivia plants that were everywhere. She used to admire orchids like scholars and gentlemen, but she never knew why gentlemen called themselves orchids. Now she probably understood. She could never become an orchid in this life.
Xiao Zhuzi accepted the order and soon returned with an extremely handsome man. The man was only about twenty-one or twenty-two years old and was very beautiful. If he hadn't been born into a family of virtuous men, his reputation would probably be no less than that of Wei Caitao, who was known as the Master Xu of the North City.
Perhaps due to his living environment, the man gave off a slightly effeminate feeling. However, even though he lacked heroic qualities, he was still so beautiful that it was impossible to look away.
When Wei Tingsi saw that the capital's number one male prostitute had been led in by Xiao Zhuzi, his pupils contracted. He had heard that a princess in the previous dynasty kept dozens of male lovers. Could it be that...? The thought of this possibility made him furious. His fists clenched. If he heard anything bad from the other side, he would definitely flip the table and ask the little princess who had given him so many surprises if she was going to ruin herself with such willful and reckless behavior.
Just because others look down on you doesn't mean you should give up on yourself! Reason stopped him from immediately flipping the table. In his recent impression, Zhao Shu was definitely not that kind of person.
"This servant greets the Princess." The handsome young man knelt down and bowed his head to greet Zhao Shu. This was the first time a woman had sought him out since he entered that brothel. She was still a child. He had heard that many royal nobles kept male concubines. If he could enter the Prince's mansion, he would no longer have to serve those stinky men.
Zhao Shu glanced at it and said, "Raise your head." Her voice and posture were just like those of a queen who kept male concubines.
The young man raised his head and looked at Zhao Shu with deep affection. His phoenix eyes sparkled. Zhao Shu looked at him with great interest. Those eyes were so captivating that just one glance made Chu Chun and the others' hearts flutter.
"What's his name?" Zhao Shu continued to ask. She had only asked Xiao Zhu to find a handsome man of lower social standing, who would be of great use, but she didn't know his name.
The young man was somewhat hurt. He knew the princess hadn't redeemed him because she admired him. Feeling a little aggrieved, he said, "This servant, Chu Yang, greets the princess."
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