In the brightly lit city, people gathered in groups of twos and threes.
Lin Xiu arrived at the inn he passed by three years ago, ordered two dishes, and sat there quietly, listening to the discussions of others.
"Hey, did you hear? Emerald Cloud Brothel's top girl, Lady Yan Zhi, is going to perform on the boat tonight, "a middle-aged man said.
"That's nothing. I heard from my neighbor's eldest nephew that tonight at Jade Spring Lake, it's not only the rouge lady who will board the flower boat, but also the Green Bamboo Garden's top beauty, Yuzhu, and the enchantress from the Drunken Immortal Residence." A scholar sitting at the same table suddenly interrupted.
"Oh? What do you mean? "The burly man's eyes lit up.
"Well, I suddenly felt a little thirsty." The scholar deliberately kept them in suspense and didn't speak further.
"Brother, don't panic. Please tell us one by one. Waiter, quickly bring up a pot of superior Nu'er Hong." The burly man laughed.
"Big Brother Li, I'm sure you know that the three brothels in our county city all have amazing girls."
"Nonsense, who in the county doesn't know? Brother Liu, stop keeping us in suspense and quickly tell everyone."
In an instant, all the guests in the inn were in an uproar and clamored for the scholar with the surname Liu to finish speaking.
"This Emerald Cloud Brothel's Lady Yan Zhi is not only an outstanding beauty, she also plays the zither well. Speaking of which, she is truly a talented woman. But Green Bamboo Garden's Yuzhu and Drunken Immortal Abode's Little Demon, which one of them isn't beautiful enough to captivate the fish and beasts?"
"What does this have to do with the boat tonight?"
"Nothing? Let me tell you, it has a lot to do with it! As everyone knows, Lady Yu Zhu is an expert in chess and had once defeated a local High Scholar. As for that little demon from the Drunken Immortal Abode, she is even more impressive. Her bewitching skills are superb. If any man were to be glanced at by her, wouldn't his soul be stolen away by her? "
"These three are unwilling to give in to each other. So, taking advantage of the Hungry Ghost Festival, the three top girls agreed to fight for the top courtesan at Jade Spring Lake tonight!"
"Oh? What kind of duel is it? "
"It's easy to explain. The flower appreciators have to throw flowers at the three leading ladies. Each flower costs 100 taels of silver. The one who has the most flowers will be the Top Courtesan."
"Then what will the highest bidder get?"
"Hehe, of course it's to spend the night with them, haha."
The atmosphere of the entire inn seemed to have been stirred up. Everyone clamored to throw flowers for the top girl at night and be the one to spend the night with.
Although Lin Xiu had no interest in this, Yan Zhi prefecture was located in the north of the border, and the people there had always been swift and fierce. Regardless of gender, they were all straightforward, so even though the brothels in the prefecture city were not uncommon, there had never been a Courtesan Battle.
Today, it could be said to be the first time!
Hearing the discussion of the people in the inn, Lin Xiu was a little curious about the "Beauty Battle".
Soon, it was noon and Lin Xiu came to the inn that he passed by half a year ago. He casually ordered two dishes and sat there quietly listening to the discussions of others.
"Hey, have you heard? Emerald Cloud Brothel's top girl, Lady Yan Zhi, is going to perform on the flower boat tonight. "A middle-aged strong man said.
"That's nothing. I heard from my neighbor's eldest nephew that tonight at Jade Spring Lake, it's not only the rouge lady who will board the flower boat, but also the Green Bamboo Garden's top beauty, Yuzhu, and the enchantress from the Drunken Immortal Residence." A scholar sitting at the same table suddenly interrupted.
"Oh? What do you mean? "The strong man's eyes lit up.
"Well, I'm suddenly a little thirsty." The scholar kept them in suspense and deliberately didn't say anything.
"Brother, don't panic. Please say it one by one. Waiter, quickly bring up a pot of superior Nu 'er Hong." The strong man laughed.
"Brother Li, I think you also know that the top girls of the three money-squandering dens in our prefecture city are all extraordinary."
"Nonsense, everyone in this prefecture city knows about it. Brother Liu, don't keep us in suspense and quickly tell everyone."
For a moment, all the guests in the inn were in an uproar, clamoring for the scholar with the surname Liu to finish speaking.
"This Emerald Cloud Brothel's Lady Yan Zhi is not only an outstanding beauty, she also plays the zither well. Speaking of which, she is truly a talented woman. But Green Bamboo Garden's Yuzhu and Drunken Immortal Abode's Little Demon, which one of them isn't beautiful enough to captivate the fish and beasts?"
"What does this have to do with tonight's flower boat?"
"Nothing? Let me tell you, it has a lot to do with it! As everyone knows, Lady Yuzhu is an expert in the art of chess and once defeated a local High Scholar. As for the enchantress from Drunken Immortal Residence, she's even more amazing. Her bewitching skills have reached the acme of perfection. If any man were to be glanced at by her, wouldn't his soul be immediately stolen by her? "
"None of these three are willing to give in to the other. As a result, taking advantage of the Hungry Ghost Festival, the three top girls agreed to compete for the title of courtesan at Jade Spring Lake tonight!"
"Oh? What kind of competition is it? "
"It's simple. The flower appreciators will have to toss flowers to the three top girls. Each flower will be priced at 100 taels of silver. The top girl with the most flowers will be crowned the final courtesan."
"Then what will the highest bidder get?"
"Hehe, of course it's to spend the night with them, haha."
The atmosphere in the inn seemed to have been stirred up. Everyone clamored to toss flowers to the top girls that night and be the one to spend the night with.
Although Lin Xiu was not interested in this, the customs of the northern frontier had always been swift and fierce. Regardless of men or women, they were mostly straightforward. Therefore, although the brothels in Huining City were not uncommon, there had never been a Courtesan Battle.
Lin Xiu's curiosity about this' Courtesan Competition 'was piqued when he heard the discussion in the inn.
The entire Jade Spring Lake was packed with people. Countless people craned their necks to see how the three beauties of the prefecture capital were.
"Boom!"
With the loud sound of three boats anchored, the entire crowd suddenly quietened down. Everyone knew that a good show was about to start.
A young lady with a light veil over her face and an exquisite figure walked out of the boat in the middle. The lady held a guqin in her hands and her dress danced in the river breeze. She was a peerless beauty.
The beauties on the other two boats didn't want to be left behind. From the boat on the left, a beautiful woman walked out. She was covered in green and had a face that could topple cities. There was a box of chess pieces in each of the beautiful lady's hands. The chess box was made of high-quality Northern Border Hetian Nuanyu jade. Apart from Lady Yu Zhu of Green Bamboo Garden, there probably wasn't a second lady in the prefecture capital who loved chess so much and was so generous.
As for the lady who walked out of the boat on the right, she was even more outstanding. Her clothes were revealing. Her snow-white wrists and slender thighs made many men secretly swallow their saliva. That's right, this was the 'enchantress' of the Drunken Immortal Residence.
Although the three leading ladies of the county capital were all devastatingly beautiful and could bring calamity to a country and its people, the three of them had completely different personalities.
Yanzhi's temperament was moderate and she was good at the guqin. In the eyes of many rich gentlemen, if she wasn't living in a brothel, Yanzhi could definitely be married and become a virtuous rich wife.
As for Yu Zhu, she was too quiet and peaceful. This made those Elementary Scholars and High Scholars who were preparing to enter the capital city to take the examinations feel a burning passion in their hearts. They could not wait to hug her in their arms and take care of her.
Needless to say, Enchantress. Her bold clothes, flirtatious words, and presumptuous actions all stirred the hearts of the young and old men in the prefecture capital.
All in all, the three of them each had their own style. But it was undeniable that they were all rare beauties.
After the three of them walked out of the cabin, they sat down at the tables and chairs that had been prepared on the deck.
Yanzhi gently placed the guqin in her arms on the table and bowed slightly to Yu Zhu and Enchantress on both sides. She said softly, "My two sisters, I'm two years older than you, so I'll have to embarrass myself first."
When she finished speaking, Yanzhi's jade-like hands gently plucked the strings, making a crisp sound.
Then, the sound of the guqin was like a winding stream in the mountains, caressing the hearts of those who were listening to it.
Just as everyone was gradually immersed in the artistic conception created by the sound of the guqin, the music suddenly stopped.
Then, the artistic conception changed from the original tinkling of a mountain spring to a battlefield filled with an austere atmosphere.
There were golden spears and armored horses, and the sounds of gunshots and swords.
Everyone present could clearly hear the neighing of warhorses, the clashing of weapons, and the battle cries that filled the sky!
Everyone present was completely immersed in it. Even some of the more timid ones immediately trembled and their faces turned pale.
Just as some people's legs could not help but tremble and their lips began to turn pale, the sound of the guqin changed again.
As the sound of the guqin slowed down, the crowd finally got rid of the austere atmosphere just now. They were no longer tense and their originally tightly knitted brows also relaxed, revealing an expression of enjoyment on their faces.
Although Lin Xiu was also shocked by Yanzhi's guqin skills, after all, he had gone up the mountain to learn for half a year, so he did not really immerse himself in it like the others.
However, he was secretly shocked. He didn't expect that a prostitute from this county city could play the zither so well.
Just as he was secretly thinking, a hearty laughter suddenly rang through the entire Jade Spring Lake, pulling everyone back from the sound of the guqin.
And on the boat, Yu Zhu and Enchantress, who were resting with their eyes closed, hurriedly got up. The two of them looked at each other and there was a hint of vigilance in their eyes.
Although the brothels that the three big stars were in often competed with each other, the three of them privately had a close relationship. At the moment, they still did not know the intention of the owner of the laughter and whether he had good intentions. Naturally, the two of them were extremely worried about Yanzhi's safety.
"Eh? There are actually two beautiful little dolls. It's a pity that I usually only like to listen to music and have no interest in other things. Otherwise, I would have taken all of them away. "
Everyone fixed their eyes on the source of the sound and saw that there was actually a person lying on the surface of the water beside the three boats! It was just that because it was night time, everyone's vision was obstructed, so they did not discover it.
"Look, that guy is actually floating on the water, there isn't even a wooden plank under him."
"It's true. Sigh, could it be that a senior expert has come to our county city?"
"That's hard to say. It is rumored that there are a few living immortals living in Mount Qing Yun outside our city."
As some sharp-eyed people finally discovered that the person in the lake was extraordinary, the entire Jade Spring Lake was boiling again. The noisiness was even more than when the three big stars announced the Courtesan Competition.
And there was a trace of excitement in the eyes of Yu Zhu and 'Enchantress' at this moment.
The three of them looked glamorous. Not only were their beauties the top of the entire county city, even some of the merchants doing business in Jiangnan had long heard of them.
However, women of the world of prostitution were women of the world of prostitution. They understood that after a few years, when they were no longer beautiful, they would definitely not be able to escape the miserable fate of 'a pair of jade roots pillowed by a thousand men, a bit of red lips tasted by ten thousand men'.
Even if they were redeemed by some high officials and nobles as concubines, in the Tianshui Dynasty where the style of literature prevailed, there was no lack of love affairs in which the officials exchanged beautiful concubines. It was extremely likely that the three of them would be transferred!
And the person who had just spoken was definitely not ordinary. Based on his words, he might be able to change the fate of Yanzhi and the other two. This was also why Yu Zhu and Enchantress were moved.
"Haha, this little girl plays the zither so well. It's really hard to accept that she is stranded here. How about this, I won't break your rules. I'll pay twenty flowers of gold and take her away. Do you have any objections? "The man in the lake suddenly spoke after removing the wine gourd from his waist and taking a sip.
The manager of the Emerald Cloud Brothel had already arrived on the deck when the man first spoke.
He was a middle-aged scholar dressed in silk and held a folding fan in his hand. Based on his appearance alone, it was difficult to associate him with a brothel keeper. However, when the girls in the Emerald Cloud Brothel saw this middle-aged scholar, they couldn't help but shiver.
This middle-aged scholar was called Jiang Yun, the manager of the preeminent Jiang family in the county city. If it weren't for the Hungry Ghost Festival and his desire to suppress Green Bamboo Garden and Drunken Immortal Tavern in order to raise the reputation of the Emerald Cloud Brothel, he wouldn't have come out.
Since he was here at the Jade Spring Lake, everything should be decided by him.
Jiang Yun cupped his hands at the man below the boat, completely undeterred by the man's ability to 'float on water'. He spoke unhurriedly, "Senior, Yanzhi has been in the Emerald Cloud Brothel for three years. During this time, whether it's clothing, food, lodging, transportation, music, chess, or calligraphy, we've never treated her unfairly. This is no small expense."
The man in the water frowned when he saw that Jiang Yun wasn't willing to relent. He was a little displeased and said coldly, "Fifty flowers! Return her to me. If you don't, I won't even leave a single tael of silver for you, let alone her! "
Jiang Yun clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "Senior, you're very straightforward! Then it would be impolite of me to refuse. "
The mysterious man was obviously very satisfied with Jiang Yun's adaptability. He asked again, "Since this Yanzhi is so skilled at the zither, may I ask what other skills the other two have?"
"I know how to sing." Yu Zhu naturally wouldn't let go of this opportunity and hurriedly replied.
"I know how to dance with a sword." The demon was a lot more obedient this time and replied crisply.
"Senior, you may not know this, but although the three of us are in different alleys, our love is stronger than gold. Together, we even have a unique skill – Lucky Breeze Accompanies Bright Moon!" Yanzhi, who had already escaped from the sea of bitterness, couldn't help but speak up for her two best friends.
"Oh? There's such a thing? Why don't the three of you perform? If I'm satisfied, then I'll take all three of you away. "The mysterious man drank the wine in the gourd in one gulp and laughed heartily.
When the two stewards of Green Bamboo Garden and Drunken Immortal Residence heard this, their expressions changed drastically. Their status couldn't be compared to Jiang Yun. Jiang Yun was the master behind the scenes of the Emerald Cloud Brothel. Naturally, he could make the decision for Yanzhi.
However, the two of them didn't have that much power over the top girls of their respective brothels. If they agreed to it for the sake of fighting for the reputation of the Emerald Cloud Brothel, they wouldn't be able to bear the consequences when the master came to settle accounts behind the scenes in the future!
One had to know that their boss was even more ruthless than Jiang Yun!
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