"Since there are so many invitations, if you have time, it's not a problem for you to attend a few of them." Ruyi put away the handkerchief and looked at him as she spoke.
She had also received many invitations these days, some private and some public. They were extremely polite and vaguely mentioned that they hoped she would bring her husband along. At first, she would tactfully refuse, but after seeing more of them, she was too lazy to pay attention to them.
At this moment, she felt that although her husband never attended such banquets, it was necessary to socialize in life. Otherwise, he would offend many people. Her husband didn't have many friends to begin with. After Li Xuan and that Arrester Li left, he spent most of his time alone.
"I won't go." Li Yi's answer was very straightforward. "I'm afraid my wife doesn't know who they are. Their purpose is not pure, and it will be troublesome if you go."
Of course, Li Yi knew what their purpose was. It was nothing more than using him to create hype. The competition for the Courtesan Belle was the most intense. Everyone wanted to have more bargaining chips in their hands. If one person attended an invitation, there would definitely be a second or third person. It was rare for him to have a few days of leisure, so he didn't want to get involved in this quagmire again.
Those who should have appeared did not appear, and a lot of insignificant people appeared …
So, Liu Ruyi didn't say anything more. She received two more invitations this morning. Since her husband didn't want to go, there was no point in keeping the ox. She might as well get rid of it together.
The most direct impact of the Courtesan Belle Competition on Li Yi was that he had much less time to slack off than usual. Before the Courtesan Belle was selected during the Lantern Festival, there was no curfew in Qing 'an Prefectural City. The bailiffs also had to go out to patrol at night. Although the county magistrate didn't have to do everything by himself, he still had to sit in the county government at critical times. It was one thing that no one cared about him, but there was a limit to his slacking off.
Driven by the festival and the Top Courtesan Competition, the business of the theater was booming day by day. Oldman Sun didn't take the opportunity to expand his business. Instead, he took a steady approach and managed several theaters in an orderly manner. He also arranged for the orphans to work in the theaters, such as making tea, pouring water, and wiping the tables. The older children in their early teens could still do the work. Since then, the flying female thief in the prefectural city had disappeared without a trace.
When he walked back to the county government, several constables on duty were squatting in the duty room and chatting.
"The city gets more and more lively every day. It's so tiring to patrol from morning till night. It's so tiring," someone complained.
"Why are you so stubborn? You've been patrolling for a whole day. All you see are trivial things. You can't stop. You can just find a brothel and watch a performance. When it is time, you can just come back and report."
"I have to say, the performances in the brothels these days are not bad. Those girls are trying their best to fight for the title of Top Beauty. They are even using their best skills. Yesterday, I saw a girl whose body was so soft that she could put her head on her butt …"
"That's nothing. Guess who I saw when I went to the Jadeite Courtyard to see my lover a few days ago? The County Lieutenant! I saw the County Lieutenant enter a room. I asked my lover later. Guess whose room it was? "
"Who?" When it came to the County Lieutenant's gossip, the people were obviously interested and asked one after another.
"You'll never guess. It was actually …"
…
…
Li Yi couldn't let this guy go on. He walked behind the guy who just spoke and asked, "Aren't you afraid that the County Lieutenant will know that you visited a brothel while patrolling?"
The bailiff was talking about the County Lieutenant's gossip and was in high spirits. He casually added, "Hehe, the County Lieutenant won't be able to see it. It's not a big deal to be lazy. Speaking of laziness, who can compare with the County Lieutenant … Let me tell you, you'll never guess whose room the County Lieutenant went to that night in the Jadeite Courtyard. You'll be scared to death if I tell you …"
Halfway through his words, he finally felt something was wrong. The brother in front of him was winking at him. His heart sank. When he was about to turn his head, he was kicked on his buttocks.
The constable who was kicked by Li Yi lay on the ground like a dog eating mud. He did not dare to be angry. He scratched his head and smiled awkwardly as he got up. "Sir, why did you come at this time …"
Li Yi snorted and said, "If I didn't come, how would I know that you would be so bold to visit a brothel while patrolling! By the way, what did you want to say just now? Go on, I'm listening … "
"Nothing, nothing …" The bailiff had long known the County Lieutenant's temper. As long as it didn't violate the principle, the County Lieutenant wouldn't blame them. He said with a smile, "Sir, you may not know this. These days, because of the Top Beauty Competition, the brothel is the most crowded place. It needs to be patrolled the most. We don't relax outside either. There are always people watching on the street …"
"Since you all have nothing to do, go out and patrol. Whoever dares to go to the brothel will be sent to the detention room for three days …" Li Yi waved his hand and said impatiently.
The crowd dispersed in a hubbub as if they had been granted amnesty. The detention room was not a place for people to stay. Three days were enough to kill them. With the County Lieutenant's words, no one dared to go to the brothel in the future.
There was once a felon who refused to confess the hiding place of the murder weapon. The County Lieutenant just let him stay in the detention room alone for five days. When he was released, the eight-foot-tall man cried like a child. As soon as he was released, he trembled and confessed. From then on, people regarded detention as the cruelest punishment.
As soon as they stepped out of the door, someone immediately turned to ask the bailiff who just spoke, "Go on, go on, whose room did the County Lieutenant enter …"
…
…
"Sister Ruoqing, please persuade my Miss." In the room, the green-shirted girl grabbed Ruoqing's arm and said with a bitter face.
"Miss refused those childes and didn't attend the banquet. Mother doesn't care about her anymore. She has been promoting Chen Miaomiao these days. If Miss can't get the Top Beauty, what should we do …"
The Courtesan Belle was a natural protective barrier. Without this barrier, the Miss would soon lose her chastity. A has-been Courtesan Belle … At that time, the life of the master and the servant would definitely be very difficult …
Everyone else was trying their best to build momentum for the Top Beauty, but her Miss was doing the opposite. As a servant, she was already very anxious.
Wan Ruoqing patted Xiao Cui's hand and raised her head. She looked at the woman who was sitting there and doing her makeup with some confusion. She asked, "Drunk Mo, have you really thought it through and decided not to fight for the Top Beauty?"
The woman took off a golden hairpin with pearls and jade hanging from it and placed it in a brocade box. She casually inserted a wooden hairpin into it and carefully closed the brocade box. She walked to Wan Ruoqing's side and took her hand. She said, "Sister Ruoqing, how about I work for you in the future? Anyway, when you guys perform, you won't be able to find anyone else to paint the background. Do you think I can be your personal painter?"
"The background you paint is so lifelike. In the entire Qing 'an Prefecture, no one can do it better than you." Wan Ruoqing said with a smile. Then, she seemed to realize something and looked at him in surprise. She asked, "Are you planning to …"
"No one can do it better than me?" Zeng Zuimo didn't seem to hear the second half of her sentence. She said, "Sister Ruoqing, you forgot about that person …"
When she said "that person," although she gritted her teeth, her pretty face was covered with a layer of pink for no reason.
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