In late October, the weather in Bianliang City was cold. The air in the city was filled with tension in the lively atmosphere. Most of the tension came from the weather. Although the winter in Bianliang City was not unbearable compared to other small places, most people were still too lazy to go out in winter. It was already the season to stock up for winter supplies.
Fireworks industries such as Fan Lou and Candle Workshop were still popular. When it snowed in winter, people would go out less at most. In the famous brothels of Bianliang, there would still be blazing charcoal fires every day, making people feel at home in the cold. Once it snowed, some rich customers would even stay in the brothels and not go out until the next spring. Naturally, their money would be spent like water.
Li Shishi was taking advantage of the days before the snow fell to visit friends. For the number one courtesan in the capital in the eyes of many, she would reduce the time she spent with guests during the winter. If she was willing to meet people, it was usually some familiar friends.
For one thing, the atmosphere in the warm house in winter would become too ambiguous. Some people couldn't control themselves and really wanted to do or say something. Although she had a way to deal with it, it was more troublesome than usual. Therefore, even if she met people, it was often in a group. For another thing, she was lazy and didn't want to go out in winter. Sometimes, she was even too lazy to get out of bed. In winter, if there were no bigwig gatherings that she couldn't refuse, it was better to have more rest.
Recently, what really troubled her was that someone would tell her clearly that she was about to pass her prime. For a courtesan, the real prime was between 16 and 20 years old. After that, she would inevitably become a woman in the eyes of some people. She was now 21 years old. From the time she became a courtesan to the moment she reached the peak, it had been smooth and steady. Although she had experienced many things, the peak was about to pass.
Although for many people who already knew her, her charm continued to increase as time went by. As long as they saw her, they would inevitably be attracted to her. But once she reached 21 or 22 years old, the possibility of attracting new customers and spending a lot of money would continue to decrease. In a sense, she had to consider quitting and getting married.
For her, it was a difficult decision, but she had to think about it. Of course, there were many people who wanted to marry her. She could choose to be a concubine in many big families, or a high-ranking official or a literary giant. If the number one courtesan in the capital wanted to marry someone, not everyone would be able to control her. Her background must not be low. If it was her good friends like Yu Ho-chung or Chen Sifeng, even if she liked them and was willing to marry them, she wouldn't be able to marry them. That would simply be harming them.
Those who didn't have a strong background couldn't keep a woman like her. They would often have a rough life, and she would have to suffer with them. Of course, other than marrying into a family of extremely high status, she could also choose to become someone's legal wife. Among those who were willing to do this, there were some with good status, but they would definitely have to marry out of the capital and go somewhere far away.
Recently, she had been secretly sifting through the people she could marry several times. High status, good character, good looks … etc. In the end, she still couldn't make up her mind.
In the past few years, she had used her status as the top courtesan to receive much preferential treatment from Fan Lou. Every year, for about a month or two, she was free to travel to other places and visit various famous people. Mama Lee also understood that this would train her to be unique. Because of this, she had seen many things. After gaining knowledge, she vaguely felt that there were many things she could do. For example, in the case of Tong Shu'er, under the efforts of Mama Lee and a few other women and scholars, that official of the Ministry of Appointments was finally convicted and stripped of his official position. He was exiled for three thousand miles, causing people to clap their hands in joy. But after this matter, it became boring.
Recently, the trending topic in the capital was the battle between Zhang Jue and Wanyan Yumu in the north. This was the first battle between the Wu dynasty and the Jins. Everyone held their breath and waited. But after the battle, the news came that Zhang Jue had lost the first battle after joining the Wu dynasty. But it was only a small defeat. After the defeat, the two sides were still in a stalemate, and there would be a second battle. Shishi had recently heard about these things and lost interest.
In a year or two, this would no longer be her world. She would marry someone and live a simple but leisurely life. She wouldn't need to sweep or weave, nor would she need to wash her hands and make soup. She only needed to care for her Husband, please him at the appropriate time, and capture his heart. After a few years, she would give birth to that person's child. Many years later, when she was old and yellow, she would have to rely on the child to live.
Sometimes when she thought about it, she couldn't help but smile desolately. Sadness came from it, and she even had an emotion that she rarely had in the past. If only she wasn't a prostitute and wasn't this Courtesan Belle named Li Shishi, how good would it be …
In addition to receiving experienced officials and nobles, Fan Lou had more guests who came from outside the city. For these people who had money and status in the city, when they came to the capital, they could see the scenery of the top restaurant in the city and spend a lot of money to see the Courtesan Belle. This was the best topic of conversation when they went back. Shishi had a lot of choices for the officials and nobles in the capital. For the guests from outside, except for some famous scholars, she usually measured the value of the other party by money. Anyway, it was usually a one-time expense, which meant that the person with the highest price would get to see the other party.
That day, when she returned to Fan Lou after attending a poetry meeting, Mama Lee said that there was a young master from the Sun family from the south that she could meet. It was said that the other party was from a wealthy family in the area of Jinghu South Road. He was young, rich, and had an extraordinary way of talking. When he arrived here, he immediately took out 500 taels of silver and said that he wanted to see her. Anyway, it was to make money, so Shishi smiled and went.
After that, she saw that the other party was just as Li Yun said. He had an extraordinary way of talking and was obviously a well-educated young master from a big family. He was about 26 or 27 years old and looked good. Shishi played and sang two songs. They chatted for a while. When both the host and the guest felt good, the other party casually asked about Takeshi.
"I heard that Takeshi in the capital is opened by the great scholar Ning Liheng. Miss Shishi is also familiar with him. Every time the restaurant opens, Shishi will go to perform." That Young Master Sun ate a small half of the dessert and casually said with a smile, "I have always admired talented scholars. I wonder what kind of person Young Master Ning is to have such means. Not only is his poetry good, but he can also make his business so prosperous."
"Not … very familiar …" Shishi answered, but her eyebrows were slightly wrinkled. She didn't want to talk about Ning Yi recently. Recently, merchants in the capital came and went. She also knew that there was a food shortage in the north and south. She also knew that Takeshi was working on this matter and wanted to make a lot of money. This understanding made her not want to contact him anymore. Ning Yi once said that he wanted to see her. Later, he came to see her twice, but Shishi pretended that he had something to do and asked the servant girl to refuse. During this time, Takeshi was busy selling food to make money. The original plan to open a few new branches was temporarily put on hold. Therefore, she didn't have to fulfill the promise of performing in the past.
"Oh? Not very familiar … but we do have some contact. According to Miss Shishi's eyesight, is this person a scholar or a businessman? "
The other party was a very smart person. His words were clear and accurate. Shishi inadvertently glanced at the other's eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. This Young Master Sun seemed to speak casually, but the depths of his eyes were extremely clear. Previously, he was enjoying the leisure time with the courtesans with ease, but now it didn't seem like it. Then she remembered that two days ago, she met a foreign noble family from Huainan. They also asked about Takeshi and Ning Yi. At that time, she casually responded. Now that she thought about it, the situation was a little different when two groups of people asked about him.
These two groups of people were local noble families, but they were thousands of miles away from each other. It was impossible to say that they came to the capital specifically to find Ning Yi … With doubts in her heart, she carefully responded to the other party's questions, trying to figure out the intentions of this young master Sun. Sure enough, not long after, this young master Sun asked about Ning Yi's personality, and then asked about his family, social relations, and even where he lived. It seemed that he wanted to pay a visit.
That day's discovery made her feel quite strange. She knew that Ning Yi was good at doing business. She also knew that after he relied on the Right Prime Minister's residence, he could also use his connections to do business. But did two big families that were thousands of miles away from each other specially send people to the capital to cooperate with him? It seemed unlikely. That night, she asked Mama Lee about the background of these two families. Sure enough, both sides had official connections. They would not deliberately rely on the Right Prime Minister's residence. As for the disaster situation in these places …
"… I don't know. Shishi, you also know that recently all the business is related to the disaster situation. It's hot in the capital. This kind of thing is not the first or second time. Some time ago, the court quarreled and many officials were dismissed because of the disaster relief. Recently, there has been a war in the north. I heard that the emperor is in a bad mood, so things have slowed down a little. Daughter, why do you ask about this? "
"Nothing, just casually asking …"
The next day, when she went to attend a poetry meeting, she met Zuo Houwen and his nephew Zuo Jilan. She also met Wang Zhizhen, a relatively famous scholar in Hedong. As for Zuo Houwen, Shishi knew that he was in charge of a large circle of business in the capital for the Zuo family. He was also famous for his talent. In the Zuo family, he was second only to the great scholar Zuo Duanyou. Because of this relationship, they had met many times before, but they were not familiar with each other. Shishi had secretly heard rumors about him. It was said that he preferred strong and independent women. It was said that the two concubines he took in were from families that had declined. They supported the family business and were subsequently married by him. It was said that he had secretly coerced a few women with strong temperaments. But this matter was not widely known. It could be seen that he was not a person without restraint.
When the poetry meeting was about to end, Zuo Houwen, Zuo Jilan, and Wang Zhizhen came to see her. Zuo Jilan was in his thirties. At first glance, she could tell that he was a proud but capable person. He simply looked her up and down and pretended not to care. But Shishi could see the emotion in his eyes. It was the kind of person who wanted to take advantage of her. After a few words, Zuo Houwen actually asked about Takeshi and Ning Yi.
"I heard that Miss Li knows this Young Master Ning. You must be very familiar with him."
"Uh … not really, just business contacts …"
"Hehe, it's okay if you're not familiar with him. My nephew wants to meet him to discuss some things. It's easier to meet someone in the middle. Plus, my nephew has a strong temperament. With Miss Li by his side, maybe he will be more restrained. " Zuo Houwen smiled, "Let's do it this way. Tomorrow … No, in two days, Jilan will go to Fan Lou to look for Miss Li. Then, the two of you will go to look for the Young Master Ning. What do you think?"
Although Zuo Houwen was not an official, his influence in the officialdom was inherited from Zuo Duanyou. It could be said that he was Zuo Duanyou's spokesperson in the capital and was used to giving orders. Although he added a few words in the end, Shishi could only nod and agree. Now, there were already three families who wanted to find Ning Yi from her, and they did not seem to have good intentions.
No matter how powerful Ning Yi was, no matter how fast Takeshi developed, when did they reach a position where they could offend such a rich family? Or offend three families at once? However, there were already three families who wanted to find her, and there might be more others …
She could not understand these at the moment. Another day passed. That night, Fan Lou was bustling as usual. Amidst the hustle and bustle, two groups of people who were willing to spend money caught Mama Lee's attention. They came to ask Shishi for her opinion. Among these two groups, one group was also a young master from another city, and the other group was invited by a rich family in the capital to discuss business. Shishi did not want to be alone with others, so she chose the latter. Not long after she made her choice, there was a quarrel in Fan Lou. When Shishi went over, she could vaguely hear the noise.
"… You bunch of black-hearted scums, go to the eighteenth level of hell after you die …"
"Hey, aren't you? What's the difference between 25 taels and 30 taels … You've earned enough money and come to Fan Lou to look for the top girl, right? How dare you say you're kind …"
"Better than you, this time we …"
"You're asking for a beating!"
"Who dares, I'll beat you to death …"
"If you have the guts, go over …"
The quarrel lasted for a while. Not long after, people from Fan Lou came out to mediate, and the disturbance subsided. Afterwards, Shishi went to the banquet in the warm room to accompany them. Only then did she realize that the quarrel just now came from the one who was treating.
The one who was treating was a group of foreign peddlers. The leader was a man in his forties, but he seemed to be a man who traveled all over the world. His surname was Yu, and following him were a few nephews in their twenties. Because they came from a rural area, their words were relatively vulgar. The young masters were a bit shy, and some pretended not to mind in front of her. Fang Shishi recognized the person who was invited. His surname was Wei, and he was a grain merchant in the capital. Normally, he had a good reputation, and it was said that he loved his wife and concubines very much. However, he did not come to Fan Lou often.
Both parties did not discuss business at the table. For them to come here, it seemed that both parties already had intentions. Shishi tried her best to liven up the atmosphere. After three rounds, Boss Wei smiled and patted the man surnamed Yu's hand. "Alright, I understand. That's it. I understand your sincerity, Steward Yu. Right now, I have to go back first, I still have things to do at home. You guys … Sit here for a while longer, you must have spent a lot of money. Shishi, make arrangements for them. It's not that I want to say this, but to come here, it's too expensive … "
Shishi smiled with some grievance. "What are you saying, Mister Wei? That's the rule here, Shishi can't do anything about it. Shishi can only do my best to serve everyone …"
That Boss Wei waved his hand. "Alright, I'm leaving, I'm leaving …"
Since he was leaving, Steward Yu also wanted to send him off. Both of them finished their discussion and were in a good mood. They walked out together, leaving Shishi and the few other young masters with the surname Yu. The maids continued to pour wine and serve dishes. Shishi smiled and chatted with them. She asked about the situation at home, and after a few songs, she casually asked about their business. Only then did she know that they were preparing to buy grain from Boss Wei to sell to the disaster area. Following that, a young master said, "I heard that Miss Shishi is very close to Boss Ning from Takeshi, right?"
"Not really, but we have business dealings." Shishi was tired of hearing this for the past few days, so she casually replied. However, this young master was different from the others. When Shishi said that she was not close, he didn't know what to say. She vaguely heard two of them whispering to each other. It seemed that because she was close to Ning Yi, they chose to stay at Fan Lou and spent a lot of money to invite Boss Wei.
These young masters wanted to show off in front of Shishi, so they kept talking during the banquet. After a while, she heard them say that they were going north to do 'good deeds'. Shishi asked them indirectly, and that person said that others bought grain for thirty taels per stone, but they wanted to sell it for twenty-five taels. Shishi smiled and nodded, but in her heart, she suddenly felt disgusted with these people. You used to give out grain, that was called doing good deeds. Normally, two taels per stone of grain would be sold ten times the price. What kind of good deeds were they doing?
After the young man finished speaking, he seemed to feel that something was not right. He opened his mouth to add a few words, wanting to correct her. Shishi plucked the strings of the zither and smiled as she matched a few lines. The few young people talked to each other. After a while, a young man who was more articulate said something that made the strings under her fingers tremble slightly.
"… Miss Shishi also knows about this matter. After all, it was Takeshi who arranged it. If it wasn't for his people, I really don't know what to do. Those people in the north are really suffering …"
Someone next to her said, "It's not Takeshi. Isn't Takeshi supported by the Right Prime Minister? The top positions are all arranged by the Right Prime Minister. If it wasn't for the Right Prime Minister, how could we enter East River? "
Speaking of this, the young man suddenly became agitated, "Why can't we enter? If I knew that there were so many starving people, I would have brought the grain in even if I had to die! If they have the guts, they can just beat me to death! ¥%&* (Start cursing) "
Shishi frowned, "How … is the north now?"
"East River? I don't know if it's good or not. Both sides are doing their best. When we bring the grain over, this f * cking weather dropped so much. The grain price originally went down a little, but then it went up again. Those f * cking rich people don't allow us to lower the grain price, so they look for trouble everywhere. Last time, my third brother was beaten by them. Fortunately, Takeshi's side is also prepared. That Shopkeeper Yao called a doctor and then the government to arrest them. Hmph, this time when we go north, my third brother hasn't even recovered from his injury, but he's still clamoring to go. "
A young man stood up with a red face, "Shopkeeper Yao is right, this is war!"
Someone else echoed, "Afraid of them is cowardly! This time, we have a lot of people! Their turf? If they piss me off, I'll kill them! "
Shishi, however, was confused. What were they talking about? She used to know that these young people were the most easily influenced by certain things. They were also often irritable and impulsive. But now it seemed different. In Bianliang City, there was a group of students, led by Chen Dong, who often worried about the country and the people and were impassioned. They even dared to scold people like Grand Preceptor Cai and Grand Commandant Gao. At this moment, it seemed that these young people, who didn't study much, actually had the same emotions as Chen Dong and the others.
They were just selling grain, how could they sell it like this? It looked like they were simply instigated by someone.
She asked tentatively, "Young masters, did you also go to give out porridge?"
"Of course, we go every day!" Several people said almost in unison, then someone said, "But Boss Ning from Takeshi is right, after all, we can't all boil into porridge. Only by suppressing the price can the others have a way out. Miss Shishi, you know that Boss Ning, what kind of person do you think he is? "
Shishi looked at them, then said softly, "Yes, that … the principle of suppressing the price can the others have a way out, I still don't quite understand it."
One of the young masters with the surname Yu, who wanted to show off, said loudly, "Hey, what's so hard to understand? I'm so stupid, I understand it all. Miss Shishi, think about it, if the grain price there is thirty taels per stone, how much money can we make from selling grain? With such a profitable business, wouldn't those greedy rich families and corrupt officials risk their lives? Even if the two Prime Ministers of the imperial court risked their lives, they wouldn't be able to stop the greed of so many people. But if the grain price goes down, there won't be much profit. Plus, there are some honest officials in the government, so those rich families won't interfere. Owner Ning had said that if the price of grain continued to rise, the amount of grain that the government would send to the commoners would be less than nine out of ten. If they were defeated, they might be able to save half or more. At that time, they could go and distribute more porridge, and more people would be able to survive! So, this time we made money, we came back to transport the second batch of grain up, and we even bought winter clothes … Hmph, after this time, we have to go up for the third time. All the men in the Yu Family have to go! "
This person talked incessantly, and someone beside him said, "I'm just afraid that after it snows, the road will be difficult to travel."
"Don't talk about the road being blocked by snow, even if it freezes to death, I will still drag the grain over. I don't believe that we can't win against those bastards whose conscience has been eaten by dogs —"
Shishi's head was buzzing. She was a smart person, and some things could be understood when someone pointed it out to her. Then, as everyone spoke one after another, she gradually pieced together the outline of the huge "battlefield" that had been happening around her for nearly three months. She had originally felt this outline bit by bit, but she didn't pay attention to it at that time. Then, from the bottom of her heart, a sense of fear surged up. She understood that in these three months, the merchant that she had almost "cut off all ties with", the merchant that was once a friend, had touched a lot of interests and offended a lot of people …
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