Things completely turned sour here. Even though Li Shishi was smart, she didn't realize that these street-swearing shrews were hired by Qian Laiye. She just looked up to Qian Laiye.
Qian Laiye was even more elated. He had learned these swear words from these shrews with humility. Widow Zhang and the others were also very forthcoming, sharing every curse word they knew with Qian Laiye. And Shopkeeper Qian lived up to expectations, memorizing these swear words by heart and even creating his own unique style.
Qian Lai also got into a good scolding mood, feeling incredibly happy. He'd discovered that scolding was truly an art form, and it was addictive. Especially when you'd lashed out at someone, leaving them speechless and at a loss for words, a huge sense of accomplishment naturally arose.
Widow Zhang and the others had already disappeared. Turning the corner, Widow Zhang said, "I didn't realize this guy was so good at cursing. I really can't beat him in scolding."
Aunt Zhang followed suit, saying, "That's right. At first I tried to let him go, but he kept getting more and more angry, and I couldn't get a word in. Awesome! Awesome!"
The other shrews nodded, they all felt the same way.
"That's right, this guy curses without taking a breath. Who in our village dares to mess with me? Even the village chief avoids me when he sees me, but this guy is really cruel when he curses."
"That's right. This guy has a loud voice, and it hurts my ears. I couldn't even get my words out before he silenced me. I really worked hard to earn those three taels of silver."
"Yeah, next time you see him, you should stay away from him and try not to provoke him. Otherwise, we won't be able to scold him."
When Qian Laiye returned to Zuixinglou, the madam and the teapots were stunned. They hadn't expected such a master to exist. The madam secretly wiped her sweat, thankful she hadn't offended him, otherwise she would never have been his opponent.
Although it was a small matter, Li Shishi still went downstairs to express her deep gratitude to Qian Lai. She bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Qian, for your righteous help. You saved me from being humiliated."
Qian Lai was also shocked. He shook his hands and said, "Miss Li is a fairy-like figure. How can she tolerate being insulted by these shrews? Miss Li, don't worry. If anyone dares to bully you again, come to me and I will scold him to death!"
Li Shishi smiled brightly and said, "Thank you very much. Shopkeeper Qian has helped me so much, and I have no way of repaying him. If there is anything Shopkeeper Qian can do for me, please let me know."
Qian Lai was overjoyed. It was done. He stammered, "Miss Li, to be honest, I came to Zuixinglou just to ask for a favor."
Qian Lai was also a smart man, and he knew that Li Shishi was also smart. It would be best to tell her the truth and not beat around the bush with her, otherwise the cooked duck would easily fly away.
As expected, Li Shishi said, "I know that Shopkeeper Qian's purpose in coming to Zuixinglou is not to drink, so if you have any difficulties, please feel free to speak up."
Qian Lai also bowed to the ground and said, "Miss Li, I run an inn in the capital, Miss Li knows this."
Li Shishi nodded: "You told me about it before. Could it be that someone bullied you?"
Qian Lai also shook his head: "The capital is in good order, and Lord Meng, the prefect of Kaifeng, is a rare honest official. How dare anyone bully me in this bright and clear world?"
"Then what's the problem?" Li Shishi asked puzzledly.
Qian Lai also sighed, "Nowadays, students are flocking to Bianjing, and all the inns are full. Only my inn is deserted. I think it's because I'm not doing a good job of management, so I want to renovate my inn."
"What does this have to do with me?" asked Li Shishi.
"I want to change the name of the inn to Gaosheng Inn. Firstly, this name will bring good luck, and I'm sure these students will like it."
Li Shishi was delighted: "Manager Qian has great vision. This Gaosheng Inn is a great name. I'm sure students from all over the world will fight to stay at your inn."
Qian Lai also shook his head: "But just having this name isn't enough. I want to find a scholar in the capital to write a calligraphy for the inn as a plaque. That way, the inn's reputation will spread."
Li Shishi laughed and said, "Shopkeeper Qian, you're quite clever. So you came to Zuixinglou just to ask me for this favor. Tell me, I do know a few scholars in Bianjing. Whose inscription do you want?"
Qian Laiye hesitated for a moment, then finally mustered up the courage to say, "I want the handwriting of the current emperor."
"What!" Li Shishi's face changed drastically when she heard this. "You said you wanted the handwriting of the current emperor's father?"
Qian Laiye was also panicked: "I deserve to die. How can a humble peasant like me aspire to be the emperor? Please forgive me for being nosy."
Li Shishi thought for a moment and said, "I can help you, but I'm not sure if it will work out. If the emperor is willing to write an inscription for you, that's your good fortune. If he refuses, there's nothing I can do."
Qian Lai was also delighted: "Thank you so much for your help, Miss Li. Whether it succeeds or not, I will be grateful!"
Frankly speaking, there was no romantic interest between Li Shishi and Zhao Ji. Their artistic exchange, their poetry and paintings, was more of a spiritual connection. However, people often like to fabricate far-fetched stories about relationships between men and women to attract attention, especially when the other party was the current emperor. Therefore, people are more interested in hearing about the romantic affairs of an emperor, and thus make the relationship between Zhao Ji and Li Shishi ambiguous.
Zhao Huan issued an order that Zhao Ji's freedom would no longer be restricted unless it involved government affairs. However, Zhao Ji needed eunuchs to report to the palace before he could leave. After the eunuchs signed and agreed, Zhao Ji could leave the palace.
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