"That..." Fеng Yuе оffеrеd an apоlоgetic smilе, "Young mastеr, аlthоugh I аm dеlightеd by yоur favor, and I am also рlеasеd that уоu brоught mе alоng tо еntеr in frоnt of еveryonе, but..."
Вut cоuldn't he avoid сarrying hеr like a mоnkеу? Shе hаd fееt! She cоuld wаlk! This mаdе hеr loоk like shе hаd committеd а crimе and been сaught, didn't it?
Yin Gezhi aсtеd аs if he hаdn't heard, desсеnding tо the mаin hаll аnd рlасing her аt thе rosеwoоd round tablе neаrеst tо the stаgе, рrеpared bу Mama Jin.
The оther girls were still gеtting readу in their rооms, leаving her alone, sitting boldly at a guest's table.
Unfriendly gazes seemed to pierce her from all directions. Feng Yue lowered her head, pretending not to notice, and picked up a piece of beef jerky to chew.
As night fell, red lanterns hung high, and performances began on the stage. Feng Yue glanced around behind her—the Crown Prince hadn't come, but all the regular patrons were present.
Of course, the Crown Prince of a nation. How could he possibly have so much free time to frequent a brothel?
Withdrawing her gaze, Feng Yue was about to continue eating when a burst of cheers erupted around her, nearly lifting the roof and startling her into a shiver. The beef jerky in her hand plopped into the teacup, leaving a greasy film on the surface.
Yin Gezhi frowned at her, his gaze as if he wished he could stuff her into the teacup as well.
"Hehe." Smiling guiltily, Feng Yue whispered, "Young master, I've never been particularly graceful. You can pretend you didn't see it."
She might not be graceful, but at least she should maintain some semblance of dignity, right? Sitting opposite him was embarrassing. Yin Gezhi shook his head, momentarily regretting why he had chosen to sit at the same table as her.
On stage, Duanxian finished her performance and bowed respectfully to the audience below. The cheers continued, and a scholar stood up, saying, "With such exceptional skill on the qin and such beauty, Miss Duanxian naturally deserves the title of Flower Queen."
Frequenting brothels was considered a mark of sophistication, and each girl had her own supporters, much like betting on horses—one had to win to prove their good judgment.
Thus, those who had bet on Feng Yue were also unwilling to back down. One stood up and said, "In terms of appearance, how can Miss Duanxian compare to Miss Feng Yue?"
"What kind of talk is that?" the scholar retorted, displeased. "How can one judge a person solely by appearance? Although Miss Feng Yue is beautiful, what else does she have besides her beauty? Another performance of the 'Flying Dance of Disrobing'?"
The crowd burst into laughter.
Weiyun chuckled, and Duanxian felt a sense of vindication. This was something she had long wanted to say, and now that a guest had voiced it publicly, it felt like a sharp slap across Feng Yue's face, crisp and satisfying.
Yin Gezhi tilted his head slightly, glancing at the scholar.
Feng Yue remained indifferent, waving her hand as she said, "Why must everyone drag me into this? I have no intention of taking the stage today. The competition for Flower Queen has nothing to do with me."
Hearing this, the scholar laughed outright, "Is it that the lady doesn't want to compete, or is it that she simply can't?"
Someone nearby angrily retorted, "There are many forms of talent. How do you know Miss Feng Yue can't compete? Duanxian can play the qin, but doesn't the lady also know how to dance? Since there's no judge here today, isn't the outcome decided by the audience? Miss Duanxian has been at Dream Return Pavilion for a long time and has many patrons. How is that fair to Miss Feng Yue?"
The scholar sneered, "Talking is useless; only a contest reveals the truth. If a judge is needed, then why not let me...""I'll do it." A cold, hard voice cut through the clamor like a stabilizing needle, instantly silencing everyone around.
Mama Jin blinked, looking at Yin Gezhi with an apologetic smile. "Young master, matters of judgment should be left to those skilled in the art to carry authority."
Rising directly, Yin Gezhi stepped past Mama Jin and walked onto the stage. His white robe shimmered softly under the lights, drawing sharp breaths from the gathered women.
What a strikingly handsome man! His eyes were full of charm and passion, and the way his sleeves fluttered as he moved was utterly dashing. No wonder Feng Yue had refused to perform on the Wind and Moon Stage today just to accompany him. Such a guest—or rather, such a man—who wouldn’t want him?
Before Duanxian could react, the zither placed before her was taken away. Snow-white gauze fluttered as it landed in the corner to the right of the stage, drawing everyone’s gaze.
Feng Yue pursed her lips, watching. She motioned for Guan Zhi to bring a stool up to him.
Yin Gezhi did not face the audience but instead turned toward the center of the stage. Taking the stool, he sat down, placed the zither on his lap, and began to play effortlessly.
The sound of lofty mountains and flowing water, clear and crisp like a spring, instantly subdued the restless atmosphere filling the hall. The melody was powerful yet lingering, smooth and unrestrained, much like the person playing it.
Experts discern the essence, while laypeople enjoy the spectacle. Those unfamiliar with the zither simply felt this piece was more beautiful than the one Duanxian had played earlier. Connoisseurs, however, could tell that the person on stage had practiced the zither for at least ten years, with solid fundamentals and profound skill. What was rare was the freedom in his expression, devoid of any trace of artifice.
When the piece ended, the audience remained silent for a moment before erupting in exclamations of awe. Mama Jin, who also understood the zither, dared not obstruct him further. She smiled and addressed the crowd, "This young master is an expert. Letting him make the judgment should pose no issue."
However, his performance had completely overshadowed Duanxian. Listening to Duanxian alone, many who only half-understood might have found her talented and charming. But after this gentleman took the stage, anyone could compare and see that Duanxian’s skill still fell short.
The scholar who had spoken earlier looked displeased, and Duanxian dared not raise her head again.
Yin Gezhi set the zither aside and remained seated on the stage, watching calmly without uttering a word.
The entire hall grew solemn. Feng Yue blinked once, then again. She pulled Guan Zhi over and asked, "What’s gotten into your master? He’s actually meddling in such trivial matters."
Guan Zhi shrugged, glancing at the stage. "The master is probably just acting on a whim. After all, since coming to the Wu Kingdom, he hasn’t touched these things again."
Lingshu stood behind Feng Yue, taking a long while to regain her composure. She muttered softly, "Looking at it this way, this young master isn’t so detestable after all."
Feng Yue chuckled, turning to her. "You little girl, your likes and dislikes are far too simple."
Pouting, Lingshu said, "This servant believes impressive people are worthy of liking, and fierce people are detestable. But he…"
Looking up at Yin Gezhi, Lingshu’s small face scrunched into a frown. "It’s too perplexing!"
Shaking her head, Feng Yue turned her gaze back to the stage.With Duanxian's precedent as a warning, Weiyun, who followed with a flute performance, was very earnest. However, Yin Gezhi also knew how to play the flute and mercilessly performed the same piece. Against the backdrop of the previous tune, his continuity, emotional expression, and breath control stood out even more, making the difference in skill immediately apparent. www.hetushu.com.com There was no need for Yin Gezhi to comment—the patrons below could already chatter away, pointing out Weiyun's shortcomings.
It was unclear whether this lord had truly come to cause trouble, but for the girls who followed—whether they were showcasing calligraphy, painting, or demonstrating archery—he showed no mercy. Using the same paper and brush, the same bow and arrows, he left them with not a shred of dignity.
Strangely, the patrons below weren't angry. Instead, they marveled at Yin Gezhi's clerical script calligraphy and ink wash paintings. Even the previously indignant scholar couldn't hide his admiration.
How shameless!
When Yin Gezhi drew his bow on stage, Feng Yue covered her face, peeking through her fingers with sympathy at Jinling, who had chosen the archery demonstration.
Everything else aside, choosing something related to martial arts on this stage and encountering Yin Gezhi... she was bound to fare even worse than the previous girls.
The outcome went without saying. After Yin Gezhi shot three arrows in a row, all hitting the bullseye, the patrons not only applauded but also commented that such talents were unsuitable for courtesans and better left unperformed. They then continued to praise the man on stage as truly accomplished in both literary and martial arts—a rare talent!
As the flower selection contest neared its end, Feng Yue felt that Yin Gezhi was undoubtedly the winner today. Even the girls whose pride he had wounded stood at the edge of the stage, gazing at him with reverence, holding no grudges.
At this point, what more was there to say?
Who knew what madness had struck this usually low-key lord, making him seek the limelight like this? Feng Yue was rolling her eyes when she suddenly felt everyone around her turning to look in her direction.
Huh?
Confused, she glanced toward the stage and saw the First Prince, Yin Gezhi, looking down in her direction. His brush, ink, and zither were all set aside, as if he were waiting for her to take the stage.
No way? Feng Yue forced a dry laugh and shrank back, clutching her skirt as she scurried to the edge of the stage and whispered, "Young master, why trouble them? Why trouble me?"
"A great opportunity—won't you come up and give it a try?" Yin Gezhi glanced at her.
With a bright smile, Feng Yue shook her head vigorously. "No!"
Giving her a disdainful look, Yin Gezhi turned and casually pointed to someone else. "You, come up."
He Chou, dressed in dance attire, shook her head nervously. "No, thank you... I don’t think I’m well-prepared enough."
Yin Gezhi looked at her without a word.
Cold sweat broke out on He Chou’s back. After hesitating for a while, she couldn’t withstand the pressure of his gaze and reluctantly took the stage to perform her dance.
To be honest, He Chou had only come to join in the fun today. After all, her dancing wasn’t as good as Feng Yue’s, and she had thought it would be enough to make an appearance. Who knew she’d be singled out by this lord?
Bracing herself, she finished the dance, trembling as she stood on stage, stealing glances at Yin Gezhi.
As the music faded and her sleeves fell to the floor, Yin Gezhi nodded expressionlessly. "Well danced."
Everyone was stunned, then burst into applause!This was the first time he had commented on someone on stage tonight. What dance had that girl performed earlier? She couldn't remember, but since this lord said it was good, then it must be good!
While the girls in white hurriedly regained their composure, still stunned, Feng Yue below the stage followed along with applause and nodded: "Good, good."
Yin Gezhi stepped off the stage, grabbed Feng Yue, and went upstairs back to the room. Everyone called out for them to stay, but Mama Jin blocked the way, preventing anyone from following.
"Everyone, for tonight's event, Miss He Chou has taken the top spot. Does anyone have any objections?" Mama Jin asked.
"None, none!" A chorus of patrons waved their hands, applauding in congratulations.
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