Chapter 74
Mr. Xu didn't take a single needle or thread.
The madam herself carried the writing implements over and placed them on the table.
Xu Xian picked up his pen, and Wei Qingwen stood beside him, his gaze fixed on the paper, his breathing unconsciously becoming lighter.
After a moment, Lu Jing stared at the few lines of crooked words on the paper and moved his mouth slightly.
Seeing that he remained silent for a while, Yang Xu nudged him with his elbow.
"Go ahead and read it aloud. What did you write?"
Lu Jing seemed to be awakened by this poke, and immediately began to read it aloud.
"It's not that I love the life of a courtesan, but rather that I've been misled by a past life..."
"Flowers bloom and fade in their own time, all depending on the Lord of Spring!"
Su Qingqing, behind the pillar, gripped the pipa tightly.
Wei Qingwen continued reading, "To leave is inevitable, but to stay is also impossible..."
"If I could adorn my hair with wildflowers, I would ask not where I am going!"
Su Qingqing's eyes welled up with tears, and she covered her mouth.
She is literate and has studied.
This poem... there's something between the lines that she'd never read in any other poem before!
It's not condescending pity, nor the flirtatious advances of a romantic scholar, but rather one person crouching down to look another in the eye and saying, "I understand your helplessness."
After Wei Qingwen finished reading the last word, Lu Jing reached out and picked up the Xuan paper from the table, quickly folded it, and stuffed it into his pocket. This time, he absolutely could not let Si Zheng intercept it halfway!
Yang Xu smiled slyly and turned to look at the scholar in blue.
"Didn't you say that the ancients didn't write any poems about courtesans? Now that they have, what do you have to say about that?"
The scholar in the blue robe turned ashen-faced and gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"Its style is weak and its scope is narrow, only writing about women's trivial matters and the sorrows of women in their boudoirs. A great man should take the world as his responsibility. Writing about such sentimental matters cannot be considered high-class poetry!"
Xu Xian threw the brush on the table, took a step forward, and glanced at the scholar in the blue robe and his classmates behind him.
"Even sages preach benevolence and love for others. You've read all the Confucian classics, yet when you see a weak woman struggling to make a living in the streets, you not only fail to offer assistance but also wantonly humiliate her. Is the book of sages you've read missing the page on 'benevolence'?"
"You all spout benevolence and righteousness, yet consider yourselves superior. When you quarrel, you're like a bunch of fighting cocks, red-faced and furious. Where have you learned the benevolence of the sages? Where have you thrown away the propriety of the sages?"
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"You say I've disgraced the academy, but I say that etiquette and law should not be neglected. What the academy taught me is that everyone should have basic respect. You think courtesans are lowly, but the sage also said that education should be provided to all without discrimination. You understand the meaning of those four words better than I do."
"Sages never discriminate based on rank or social status; all living beings deserve to be taught. And you? You can't even look a courtesan in the eye. Who, then, is truly ignorant of the ways of the sages?"
The three scholars looked at each other, opened their mouths as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
The scholar in the blue robe froze for a moment, then dropped the folding fan in his hand with a thud. He bent down to pick it up, turned around, and left in a hurry.
The other two followed him, squeezing through the crowd and leaving Taibai Tower without even paying for the drinks on the table.
Wei Qingwen stood there, looking at the backs of his three senior brothers, then at Xu Xian, as if he were being pulled in opposite directions by two oxen at the same time.
"Young Master, this... Senior Brother Zhou isn't usually like this. He probably had a few too many drinks today. I apologize on his behalf!"
Xu Xian chuckled.
"Go and coax your senior brothers. They're so petty and easily angered that they'll ruin their health. Don't let this little thing of mine affect the relationship between you and your fellow disciples."
"Young Master is kind and benevolent!"
Touched, Wei Qingwen responded and turned to chase after him.
Su Qingqing came down from the second floor at some point, holding a pipa and standing at the top of the stairs, her eyes slightly red, but she did not go forward.
She simply bowed slightly to Xu Xian from afar, then turned and went back upstairs with her pipa in her arms.
The madam stepped forward, took the paper and pen Xu Xian handed her, her eyes slightly red.
"Master Xu, from ancient times to the present, countless literati and scholars have come to Taibai Tower to drink and listen to music, but not one of them has treated us like human beings. The poem you just recited was not written for a girl, but for all of us."
"You can't leave today! The best girls will be at your service in the private rooms on the third floor! No money required!"
"I'm already embarrassed to accept your food and drinks for free, how could I possibly take advantage of the ladies for free? I'll pay!"
Xu Xianyi firmly refused her, took out one tael of silver from his pocket, stuffed it into the madam's hand, and said sternly,
"Xu holds an official position, yet he doesn't take a single needle or thread from the common people. Here, take it and keep the change."
The madam looked down at the one or two taels of silver in her hand, paused for a moment, and then burst out laughing.
She twisted her waist, stuffed the silver into her sleeve, and slapped Xu Xian's arm.
"Master Xu, you're truly a remarkable person. One tael of silver isn't even enough for a plate of melon seeds for the ladies... Hurry up and go up to the third floor, don't keep the ladies waiting."
As she pushed Xu Xian toward the stairwell, she turned back to greet Yang Xu and Lu Jing.
"Lord Yang, Lord Lu, please hurry up and catch up! The best wine and food will be here shortly! Tonight, Master Xu has brought such great honor to Taibai Tower, so from now on, all your drinks will be on the house!"
Yang Xu shook his head and followed with a smile.
Lu Jing walked at the very back with his hands in his pockets, his steps light and quick.
...
Quzhou, Jincheng Prefecture.
In a private room on the second floor, a middle-aged man with a handsome face was sitting by the window brewing tea.
The copper kettle on the red clay stove bubbled and steamed. He picked up the tea scoop, measured the tea leaves, and with a flick of the wrist, the leaves fell into the purple clay teapot.
The moment boiling water is poured in, the aroma of tea wafts out in delicate wisps.
He poured himself a glass, then poured the other person a glass, very elegantly.
A man in black sat opposite them, not touching his teacup, looking down at the amber-colored tea.
His sleeve suddenly twitched, and a light golden toad the size of a thumb poked its head out from the sleeve. Its two bulging eyes looked around, and then it jumped onto the table and stuck out its long, thin tongue to lick the teacup.
The toad smacked its lips and then slowly scurried back into the sleeve.
"Fourth Young Master's tea is as good as ever. Last time I saw you, it was at the pawnshop; the time before that, it was at the coffin shop; this time, it's at the teahouse. Next time I want to see you, should I go to the cosmetics shop?"
"In our line of work, how can we stay in the same place forever? Quzhou is a good place. The water is good, the tea is cheap, and the neighbors don't like to meddle. I took over this shop three years ago. Besides selling tea, I also do some other business."
The fourth young master took a sip of tea. "Don't worry, sir. Now that we've received the money and accepted the order, we will complete the task, even if the employer is gone..."
"We've already received the Crown Prince's deposit. The butcher is dead, and the painter made a mistake, but thankfully the 'Come Again' brand is still there. Xu Xian's life will be ours sooner or later."
"Fourth Young Master has misunderstood..."
The man in black raised his hand. "I'm not here today to rush the order. Your Highness will compensate for the lost manpower and materials if I come back. I'm here to discuss another business deal on behalf of Your Highness."
The fourth young master raised an eyebrow slightly, put down his teacup, and made a gesture.
"Two months from now, please ask the Fourth Young Master to personally take action once. This is the only time. If it succeeds, His Highness will reward you handsomely; if it fails, His Highness will have no objections."
The fourth young master paused slightly in his teacup, watching the tea gently swaying within. After a long silence, he slowly spoke.
"Sir, you should know that I haven't personally handled any work for a century. In the past hundred years, all the orders have been handled by my subordinates. Do you know what price it would cost to hire me?"
"Know."
The man in black remained unhurried.
"His Highness said that after the matter is accomplished, the Jingguo Seal will be lent to the Fourth Young Master for one month. With the Fourth Young Master's talent, one month is enough for him to comprehend a great deal. Of course, it must be returned after one month."
"Jingguo Seal!"
The fourth young master's pupils contracted sharply, a glint of cunning flashing in his eyes.
"The Yasukuni Seal is in the Emperor's hands, how did you get it? Besides, you only said you wanted me to help, but you didn't say what you wanted me to do, wait..."
His body trembled violently, and he suddenly realized, "I understand, I understand!"
Xu Xian picked up his pen, and Wei Qingwen stood beside him, his gaze fixed on the paper, his breathing unconsciously becoming lighter.
After a moment, Lu Jing stared at the few lines of crooked words on the paper and moved his mouth slightly.
Seeing that he remained silent for a while, Yang Xu nudged him with his elbow.
"Go ahead and read it aloud. What did you write?"
Lu Jing seemed to be awakened by this poke, and immediately began to read it aloud.
"It's not that I love the life of a courtesan, but rather that I've been misled by a past life..."
"Flowers bloom and fade in their own time, all depending on the Lord of Spring!"
Su Qingqing, behind the pillar, gripped the pipa tightly.
Wei Qingwen continued reading, "To leave is inevitable, but to stay is also impossible..."
"If I could adorn my hair with wildflowers, I would ask not where I am going!"
Su Qingqing's eyes welled up with tears, and she covered her mouth.
She is literate and has studied.
This poem... there's something between the lines that she'd never read in any other poem before!
It's not condescending pity, nor the flirtatious advances of a romantic scholar, but rather one person crouching down to look another in the eye and saying, "I understand your helplessness."
After Wei Qingwen finished reading the last word, Lu Jing reached out and picked up the Xuan paper from the table, quickly folded it, and stuffed it into his pocket. This time, he absolutely could not let Si Zheng intercept it halfway!
Yang Xu smiled slyly and turned to look at the scholar in blue.
"Didn't you say that the ancients didn't write any poems about courtesans? Now that they have, what do you have to say about that?"
The scholar in the blue robe turned ashen-faced and gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"Its style is weak and its scope is narrow, only writing about women's trivial matters and the sorrows of women in their boudoirs. A great man should take the world as his responsibility. Writing about such sentimental matters cannot be considered high-class poetry!"
Xu Xian threw the brush on the table, took a step forward, and glanced at the scholar in the blue robe and his classmates behind him.
"Even sages preach benevolence and love for others. You've read all the Confucian classics, yet when you see a weak woman struggling to make a living in the streets, you not only fail to offer assistance but also wantonly humiliate her. Is the book of sages you've read missing the page on 'benevolence'?"
"You all spout benevolence and righteousness, yet consider yourselves superior. When you quarrel, you're like a bunch of fighting cocks, red-faced and furious. Where have you learned the benevolence of the sages? Where have you thrown away the propriety of the sages?"
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"You say I've disgraced the academy, but I say that etiquette and law should not be neglected. What the academy taught me is that everyone should have basic respect. You think courtesans are lowly, but the sage also said that education should be provided to all without discrimination. You understand the meaning of those four words better than I do."
"Sages never discriminate based on rank or social status; all living beings deserve to be taught. And you? You can't even look a courtesan in the eye. Who, then, is truly ignorant of the ways of the sages?"
The three scholars looked at each other, opened their mouths as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
The scholar in the blue robe froze for a moment, then dropped the folding fan in his hand with a thud. He bent down to pick it up, turned around, and left in a hurry.
The other two followed him, squeezing through the crowd and leaving Taibai Tower without even paying for the drinks on the table.
Wei Qingwen stood there, looking at the backs of his three senior brothers, then at Xu Xian, as if he were being pulled in opposite directions by two oxen at the same time.
"Young Master, this... Senior Brother Zhou isn't usually like this. He probably had a few too many drinks today. I apologize on his behalf!"
Xu Xian chuckled.
"Go and coax your senior brothers. They're so petty and easily angered that they'll ruin their health. Don't let this little thing of mine affect the relationship between you and your fellow disciples."
"Young Master is kind and benevolent!"
Touched, Wei Qingwen responded and turned to chase after him.
Su Qingqing came down from the second floor at some point, holding a pipa and standing at the top of the stairs, her eyes slightly red, but she did not go forward.
She simply bowed slightly to Xu Xian from afar, then turned and went back upstairs with her pipa in her arms.
The madam stepped forward, took the paper and pen Xu Xian handed her, her eyes slightly red.
"Master Xu, from ancient times to the present, countless literati and scholars have come to Taibai Tower to drink and listen to music, but not one of them has treated us like human beings. The poem you just recited was not written for a girl, but for all of us."
"You can't leave today! The best girls will be at your service in the private rooms on the third floor! No money required!"
"I'm already embarrassed to accept your food and drinks for free, how could I possibly take advantage of the ladies for free? I'll pay!"
Xu Xianyi firmly refused her, took out one tael of silver from his pocket, stuffed it into the madam's hand, and said sternly,
"Xu holds an official position, yet he doesn't take a single needle or thread from the common people. Here, take it and keep the change."
The madam looked down at the one or two taels of silver in her hand, paused for a moment, and then burst out laughing.
She twisted her waist, stuffed the silver into her sleeve, and slapped Xu Xian's arm.
"Master Xu, you're truly a remarkable person. One tael of silver isn't even enough for a plate of melon seeds for the ladies... Hurry up and go up to the third floor, don't keep the ladies waiting."
As she pushed Xu Xian toward the stairwell, she turned back to greet Yang Xu and Lu Jing.
"Lord Yang, Lord Lu, please hurry up and catch up! The best wine and food will be here shortly! Tonight, Master Xu has brought such great honor to Taibai Tower, so from now on, all your drinks will be on the house!"
Yang Xu shook his head and followed with a smile.
Lu Jing walked at the very back with his hands in his pockets, his steps light and quick.
...
Quzhou, Jincheng Prefecture.
In a private room on the second floor, a middle-aged man with a handsome face was sitting by the window brewing tea.
The copper kettle on the red clay stove bubbled and steamed. He picked up the tea scoop, measured the tea leaves, and with a flick of the wrist, the leaves fell into the purple clay teapot.
The moment boiling water is poured in, the aroma of tea wafts out in delicate wisps.
He poured himself a glass, then poured the other person a glass, very elegantly.
A man in black sat opposite them, not touching his teacup, looking down at the amber-colored tea.
His sleeve suddenly twitched, and a light golden toad the size of a thumb poked its head out from the sleeve. Its two bulging eyes looked around, and then it jumped onto the table and stuck out its long, thin tongue to lick the teacup.
The toad smacked its lips and then slowly scurried back into the sleeve.
"Fourth Young Master's tea is as good as ever. Last time I saw you, it was at the pawnshop; the time before that, it was at the coffin shop; this time, it's at the teahouse. Next time I want to see you, should I go to the cosmetics shop?"
"In our line of work, how can we stay in the same place forever? Quzhou is a good place. The water is good, the tea is cheap, and the neighbors don't like to meddle. I took over this shop three years ago. Besides selling tea, I also do some other business."
The fourth young master took a sip of tea. "Don't worry, sir. Now that we've received the money and accepted the order, we will complete the task, even if the employer is gone..."
"We've already received the Crown Prince's deposit. The butcher is dead, and the painter made a mistake, but thankfully the 'Come Again' brand is still there. Xu Xian's life will be ours sooner or later."
"Fourth Young Master has misunderstood..."
The man in black raised his hand. "I'm not here today to rush the order. Your Highness will compensate for the lost manpower and materials if I come back. I'm here to discuss another business deal on behalf of Your Highness."
The fourth young master raised an eyebrow slightly, put down his teacup, and made a gesture.
"Two months from now, please ask the Fourth Young Master to personally take action once. This is the only time. If it succeeds, His Highness will reward you handsomely; if it fails, His Highness will have no objections."
The fourth young master paused slightly in his teacup, watching the tea gently swaying within. After a long silence, he slowly spoke.
"Sir, you should know that I haven't personally handled any work for a century. In the past hundred years, all the orders have been handled by my subordinates. Do you know what price it would cost to hire me?"
"Know."
The man in black remained unhurried.
"His Highness said that after the matter is accomplished, the Jingguo Seal will be lent to the Fourth Young Master for one month. With the Fourth Young Master's talent, one month is enough for him to comprehend a great deal. Of course, it must be returned after one month."
"Jingguo Seal!"
The fourth young master's pupils contracted sharply, a glint of cunning flashing in his eyes.
"The Yasukuni Seal is in the Emperor's hands, how did you get it? Besides, you only said you wanted me to help, but you didn't say what you wanted me to do, wait..."
His body trembled violently, and he suddenly realized, "I understand, I understand!"