Spring departed and summer arrived, and as the weather warmed further in April, Jiangning City entered the busy season for farming. If one were to be present amidst it all, the feeling imparted by the entire world was one of exuberant vitality. For people of this age, the summer and autumn seasons were perhaps the easiest to endure, lacking the softness of spring and the cold of winter. The sunlight was strong, the white clouds were like cotton, and everything was bright and invigorating.

The Su family was also busy. The first batch of spring silkworms had already produced their silk, the heaviest batch of the year. The Su family's small workshops distributed throughout the area were operating at full capacity. Although ordinary people weren't particularly fussy, the introduction of new goods and the disposal of old stock were still necessary. Su Tan'er continued her work from the beginning of spring, often working late into the night. Every few nights, when she felt a bit of free time, she would quietly go over to the second floor across the courtyard where Ning Yi was, to chat and eat some fruit and snacks – things she didn't normally eat. Sometimes she wanted to say something, but Ning Yi wasn't there, and she would feel a faint sense of disappointment.

After the New Year, she noticed some things. Sometimes, pondering the next step based on news from various places, or organizing accounts, or dealing with problems sent from some areas, she would be busy very late. Xing'er would come in to refill her tea, while Chan'er and Juan'er played Go outside, sometimes even dozing off. But even late at night, with the lights on in her bedroom and living room, in the small building across the way, a window would always be lit. Li Heng would be there reading or writing. Only when she was done and Xiao Chan went to sleep would that light quietly go out.

At first, she thought it was a coincidence, but later she paid special attention to confirm it. For a few days, after she finished her work, she deliberately waited until very late before blowing out the lamp. Soon after, the figure of the person on the other side would be projected against the window, blowing out the lamp.

She didn't mention this discovery, nor did she think about why he was doing it. Some things didn't need to be said or asked. From then on, every time she prepared to sleep, she made it a habit to look across the courtyard. When she saw the light go out on the other side in the darkness, she would then go to bed. She felt warm.

For Ning Yi, it was perhaps just a casual action. He no longer intended to get involved in many troublesome matters, and he had no great ambitions – except, of course, to become the number one martial artist. But given his nature, since they lived in the same courtyard, he couldn't bear to watch a girl who somewhat resembled his former self working late into the night while he slept soundly. Watching the light go out on the other side before going to sleep was merely directed at his own casual behavior. As for what Su Tan'er thought, that was her business. He didn't intend to dissuade her from anything.

As summer approached, Old Qin had also started setting up his chess stall, occasionally playing chess with this person or that. They were all older than Ning Yi, who was twenty-one this year. Some were famous, but there were even more ordinary chess lovers with no fame. Ning Yi had met several of them last year. This year, they came to ask if he was the talented scholar who wrote "Shui Diao Ge Tou" and "Qing Yu An," and Ning Yi only smiled and nodded.

His relationship with Li Pin had improved quite a bit. After class at noon, he would occasionally go to the restaurant with him to eat something, mainly because he still owed him a favor regarding the preserved egg incident – although Gu Yanzhen's matter wasn't his fault.

Li Pin was very tactful. Over the past few months, Ning Yi had more or less understood his personality and experience. He had taken the imperial examination in the capital a few years ago and passed, but because his policy proposals were too radical, he offended a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel, and he couldn't get a real position, so he returned to Jiangning. Although he was outwardly humble, if he were placed a thousand years later, he would probably still be the "angry young man" type. He didn't say it in casual conversation, but when it came to scholarship, some of his ideas couldn't be hidden and were obvious at a glance.

Simply put, this guy came from a wealthy family, was proficient in Confucianism and mathematics, and was also somewhat proficient in archery and horsemanship. He knew all six arts of a gentleman, which was very impressive in this era. He was good at dealing with people and handling situations. But because he thought too much, he basically hated corrupt scholars and liked people who were pragmatic but didn't stray from the right path. He wanted to establish a heart for heaven and earth, establish a life for the people, continue the lost learning for the sages, and open up peace for all generations, but he had temporarily lost his way. Ordinary scholars who offended high-ranking officials would probably be depressed for life if they couldn't be promoted. He had also been depressed for a while, but now he had cheered up and was thinking about Confucianism, the Wu Dynasty, and the road ahead. He was someone who could pick things up and put them down. After all, he was still young.

If he lived for a few more decades, maybe he would become like another Qin Si Yuan. Ning Yi admired smart people and didn't like to mess around with other literati and talents, but he could still talk to Li Pin about some things. Of course, the key to making friends was to avoid getting too deep too quickly. Li Pin was also measured. Now, the two of them were considered colleagues with relatively good relationships in the academy. To say they were good friends or confidants was still too early.

Of course, in fact, they were the only two slightly younger teachers in Yu Mountain Academy now, and because Li Pin came here, although there wasn't much publicity, the academy actually enrolled more than a dozen more students in the first half of this year... This was just a side note.

Time gradually passed, and Ning Yi had been in Jiangning for a year. Thinking about it, he hadn't experienced too many things in this year. He had copied two poems, gained some fame, met some people, become familiar with them, and more or less adapted to this era. Now, life was still leisurely. He occasionally heard discussions about friction between the Jin and Liao countries in the north, and occasionally heard some merchants and镖师 (biao shi, armed escorts) talking about unrest on roads outside the city, with bandits occupying mountains everywhere. Several larger groups were currently being surrounded and suppressed by the court. The news of rebellion wasn't widespread, and in prosperous Jiangning, it sounded a little unreal.

By the end of April, after the rice seedlings had been planted, a joyful atmosphere quietly rose inside and outside Jiangning. This didn't feel like the New Year. The main reason was that the Dragon Boat Festival was approaching. In addition to the Qin Huai Dragon Boat Race on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, there was also a grand event lasting six days to be held during the Dragon Boat Festival. The brothels in the Jiangning area would take advantage of this time to hold an event to compete and select the 花魁 (hua kui, courtesan queen).

********************

If the annual poetry gatherings during festivals in Jiangning, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Lantern Festival, mostly belonged to the revelry of talented scholars, then this 花魁 (hua kui, courtesan queen) competition at the beginning of the fifth lunar month should be the grand festival of beautiful women. Of course, most of the daughters of prominent families, or the real "beautiful women" who were already married, were often not very happy these days, which might be something worth pondering. But there was no need to criticize. This was the fashion of this era. Stories involving 风尘 (feng chen, the entertainment industry) were often considered elegant, not vulgar or dirty.

As one of the most elegant events of the year, like the revelry of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Lantern Festival, there was actually government support behind it. Poetic talent didn't have high or low rankings, and the competition between talented scholars wasn't intense. It was more of a free subjective judgment that literature was second to none. Therefore, the government only needed to maintain basic order. But this time, it was a real competition to determine the Four Leading Courtesans, and then select the 花魁 (hua kui, courtesan queen) from among them. This required a relatively fair judge, which was actually played by the government to prevent cheating and other disputes.

The rules of the competition were actually quite simple. After all, 花魁 (hua kui, courtesan queen) was out to make money, so it was enough to get people to spend money to support her. But if you went into detail, there was also a complex side. For six days, the brothels in Jiangning almost opened up to welcome guests, canceling many drink fees, or having the girls in their yards perform on prepared terraces. If you liked them, you could buy flowers to send to them. These flowers were evidence of popularity. During this period, there were also many hype techniques, such as how to mobilize the emotions of the audience, how to highlight the enthusiastic atmosphere of the 花魁 (hua kui, courtesan queen) competition, how to add elegant elements to it, and increase the value of the girls, such as having talented scholars who were close to them write poems praising them... In short, it all depended on the methods of the various brothels.

There were about sixty to seventy brothels, large and small, along the ten miles of the Qin Huai River in Jiangning. The first three days were just the beginning to stir up the atmosphere. At this time, each brothel would tacitly promote themselves, but the most diligent on the stage were actually those women who weren't usually very famous. Some of them only sold their art, and some sold both their art and their bodies. Whether they had a foundation or not, they could always attract a lot of popularity with these few days of performances.

They would also remember the guests who supported them these days. Those who patronized them felt they didn't have much talent or money, and couldn't get the favor of those famous women, so they would naturally choose these women. For example, the Su family's cousins, although they thought they were talented and romantic all day long, and mostly recited and thought about Lu Caicai and Yuan Jin'er, their real confidantes in the brothels were naturally less famous women. They were quite diligent in extorting money from Su Tan'er these days, probably to support their favorite women these few days.

Then, the last three days would be the highlight. Although the daytime was no different from the previous three days, large gatherings would be held near Bailuzhou in the evening. The Prefect and many social celebrities would also attend to participate in this elegant event. According to the results of the first three days, each brothel would basically have one or two places. More than a hundred women would perform here on the night of the third day, and sixteen would be selected from among them. On the night of the fourth day, the four leading courtesans would be selected from the sixteen. The night of the fifth day was the day the 花魁 (hua kui, courtesan queen) was born. Those who could participate in the grand event these three nights were mostly rich people, and the 花魁 (hua kui, courtesan queen) was naturally produced with their support.

"...The selection of 花魁 (hua kui, courtesan queen) is handled by the Jiangning government every year. Those bouquets of flowers are all prepared by the government. The so-called sending flowers is just a gimmick. In previous years, some people even sent tens of thousands of flowers. Ha, where would they get tens of thousands of bouquets to send... But these things are done beautifully. The brothels can't do this by themselves. It can only be lively through the government. The government takes 20% of the money from buying flowers, and the monthly taxes are still calculated as usual. This 20% is pure profit, and this amount of money is quite a lot every year..."

On the banks of the Qin Huai River, at noon, Ning Yi and Li Pin were coming down from the restaurant. Li Pin was also smiling and telling Ning Yi about the recent widely discussed 花魁 (hua kui, courtesan queen) selection. Today was April 30th, and the first day of the 花魁 (hua kui, courtesan queen) competition had already begun. Many brothels in Jiangning City were doing it very grandly. The sound of stringed instruments could be heard from afar. A painted boat was slowly moving on the river, with colorful silk banners fluttering. A small boat was rowing along the Qin Huai River. In addition to the boatman, there was a beautifully dressed woman who suddenly waved and called out, "Young Master Li, Young Master Li..." She recognized Li Pin.

"The weather is hot at noon. If you two young masters have nothing to do, would you like to come to the boat for a cup of tea and rest for a while?"

Ning Yi looked at Li Pin strangely. Li Pin looked at his expression and smiled, bowing to the girl on the small boat to refuse. The girl said a few words and finally didn't force it. After walking a little further, Ning Yi smiled and said, "Haha, Brother Li has a wide circle of friends."

"I went there before, and she remembered me." Li Pin smiled a little proudly, "If Li Heng were interested just now, we could have gone up and sat down, and the other party would have greeted us respectfully. You don't have to spend money. If you can write a poem praising a certain girl, they will even give you a writing fee. Talented scholars with a bigger reputation can even get the other party to recommend themselves as pillows..."

"With Brother Li's talent, I'm sure there are many people who recommend themselves, right?"

"There have been. But if Li Heng is willing to say his name and enter the house, it should be very simple. Haha, I'm afraid not many women can refuse. Since the Lantern Festival, I have met with that Qi Lan girl a few times. She is very concerned about Li Heng. I think if Li Heng is willing to write a poem for her, it is possible to be intimate, haha."

In the past, Li Pin didn't often say these things to Ning Yi, but now that he had started, they talked and laughed. The poetry of talented scholars became famous because of beautiful women, and beautiful women couldn't do without the accompaniment of talented scholars. The annual 花魁 (hua kui, courtesan queen) competition naturally had many poems to set it off. With Li Pin's status, if he wrote a poem praising a certain woman, he could immediately increase her value. The Four Leading Courtesans last year were Qi Lan, Lu Caicai, Yuan Jin'er, and Feng Xiaojing, who became 花魁 (hua kui, courtesan queen). It is said that Li Pin was one of the talented scholars who stood by Feng Xiaojing and cheered her on.

"Speaking of which, it's actually a competition of pride." Li Pin shook his head and smiled, "The year before last's Lantern Festival and last year's Lantern Festival, the Zhi Shui Poetry Society and the Li Chuan Poetry Society were evenly matched. Both sides got a little angry. At that time, Cao Guan was in the limelight and became the leader of the Zhi Shui talents. He wrote two poems for Yuan Jin'er, and the rest of the Zhi Shui people also stood by Yuan Jin'er, so... Haha, the Li Chuan people chose Feng Xiaojing. At that time, the Qi Lan girl, who was supported by the Wu family, was actually the strongest, but the Wu family was a merchant and wanted to keep a low profile, so they didn't throw money around. In the end, Xiao Jing got the upper hand, which is really strange... This year won't be like this, mainly because Li Heng suddenly appeared, and everyone's hearts are empty now. I'm afraid there won't be much competition of pride. But it's hard to say, if Li Heng also has someone he likes, haha, maybe everyone will attack him..."

Ning Yi usually didn't go to brothels and didn't have many social engagements. Li Pin was also very clear about this. After saying this, he smiled, "Does Li Heng have any plans for these few days?"

"Go to Bailuzhou on the night of the third day to watch the performance."

"Will your sister-in-law let you go? Then you have to plan carefully..." Li Pin said teasingly. In fact, he was now teaching at Yu Mountain Academy, which in a sense could almost be considered a guest status of the Su Mansion. The Su family had also invited him to dinner a few times, and he had met with Su Old Master and Su Tan'er. Su Tan'er occasionally went to the academy, so he was also clear that Su Tan'er wasn't some evil woman. But sometimes, women are women after all. What he was talking about planning now was which beautiful woman's banquet to attend after the performance. Usually, if you helped a woman, there would naturally be a celebration banquet that night. The other party would come out to thank you and perform an extra show. Many talented scholars here would be satisfied and write poems for her, to promote her and promote themselves.

After listening to Li Pin's words, Ning Yi shook his head and smiled, "Going with Tan'er."

Li Pin was stunned for a moment, and then reacted, "That's right. The performances these few days, everyone will show their best skills. Just watching it is quite good."

This could be considered the highest-level performance appreciation in Jiangning. A few days ago, when Ning Yi and Su Tan'er were chatting by the second-floor railing, Su Tan'er said she would make time to go and see it with Ning Yi. In fact, she also knew that Ning Yi liked to join in on this kind of excitement. Li Pin was a little sorry. He had wives and concubines at home, but he didn't plan to bring them, mainly because the subsequent banquet wasn't just about getting close to beautiful women. Making friends, expanding your circle, and gaining fame were his main goals.

The two walked for a while and went in different directions at the intersection. Ning Yi had nothing to do and went home. Su Tan'er and several maids had already returned. Chan'er and Juan'er were chattering about the performances they saw on the road today and the things they had heard, looking forward to the grand performances on the third, fourth, and fifth days. However, in the evening, a letter was delivered, and then two shopkeepers hurriedly entered the mansion and discussed with Su Tan'er in the next courtyard for a long time. At dinner, Su Tan'er apologized and said that she couldn't go to see the performance.

"Suddenly there's an urgent matter. I'm afraid I can't accompany you, husband. Go with Xiao Chan." Soon after, she smiled softly as if on the second floor, "Wen Ding and Wen Fang have dozens or hundreds of taels. I'll give Xiao Chan my private money. If you see a girl performing well, husband, just buy flowers and send them up. If you send more, there will be a thank-you banquet in the evening... If you get the favor of a girl, husband, you're not allowed to say I'm stingy..."

"A cunning merchant..." Realizing some of the other party's little calculations, Ning Yi sighed and laughed.

Su Tan'er smiled and wrinkled her nose, "Hmph!"

She acted confident in front of Ning Yi, but there were some things she couldn't help but consider. On the last night of April, when she returned to her room, Su Tan'er was actually a little melancholy. She looked at the room with the light on across the way and thought quietly for a while. Still with the figure and face of a girl, she had a unique maturity when thinking, and when her brows were slightly furrowed, she often had the momentum and stability that had been cultivated over the years. But this time it was different. Although she was thinking and considering, her expression didn't have much of that seriousness in it. She was just like a girl, thinking about things that belonged to a girl's heart. Sometimes she sat at the table, holding her chin and flipping through the pages of a book boredly. In the light of the oil lamp, it was just a girl's trouble.

Then she called Xiao Chan in, smiling as usual and telling her about the performance on the third day, and took out some silver notes and placed them outside. Seeing that Juan'er and Xing'er couldn't go to the performance, the little girl looked a little dejected. Of course, she was happy that she could go. After struggling for a long time, she said, "Miss, let me... let Juan'er go with the master instead. Sister Xing'er and I will go with you to handle the workshop's affairs... Juan'er has wanted to see it for a long time..."

"We can go together to see it on the fifth day after we finish the matters on the fourth day." Su Tan'er smiled, then reached out and gently touched Chan'er's cheek, looked at the little girl's beautiful face, and then turned back to look at the window on the other side of the courtyard. After thinking for a while, she took a deep breath and made a decision.

"Xiao Chan, actually, you like master, right?"

There was no answer. Xiao Chan's body suddenly froze there. Then, her eyes turned around frantically and adorably, and her whole face turned red. For a moment, her whole body seemed to have shrunk a section...***************

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