GBP Chapter 10 Drinking with Flowers
Chapter 10 Drinking with Flowers
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After several days aboard the Far Voyage, they arrived in Shangyuan County. At Li Fu's suggestion, they decided to find some fun to do first.
Cuiyun Tower is the largest brothel in Shangyuan County. Although it is not as famous as the Qinhuai River, it has its own unique charm.
At night, Cuiyun Tower was brightly lit and bustling with activity.
Liu Ye booked a private room, ordered four or five female escorts, and the entire banquet cost a lot of money.
There were only three people at the table, but four or five female fans were with them. These female fans were all seasoned prostitutes, extremely flirtatious, and unrestrained.
Having seen many grand occasions in his previous life, Liu Ye paid no heed to these petty squabbles. Even amidst a sea of beauties, he remained composed, much to the astonishment of Li Fu and the others.
After three rounds of drinking.
After getting drunk, Li Fu and his friends each found the girl they liked...
Liu Ye said to the madam, "Prepare a private room for me and have your best girls come out to drink with me."
Knowing he was Zhu Kui's guest, the madam dared not neglect him and immediately ordered a few good girls to be sent up.
Liu Ye glanced at them, spat, and said, "These few scoundrels dare to try and fill the ranks? Do you think I've never seen anything like this before?"
After saying that, he pulled out a large stack of silver notes from his pocket and slammed them on the table, saying, "Go, get another batch. If I'm not satisfied, I'll go to another place."
The madam's eyes widened at the sight of that huge stack of silver notes; good heavens, that must be several thousand taels.
I wonder which family's young master ran away; not everyone has the audacity to spend money like that.
She couldn't stop smiling, waved her fan in her hand, and said, "Young master, please wait a moment, I'll be right back."
Liu Ye glanced at her sideways, a hint of disdain on his lips. This kind of person was incredibly opportunistic; they only cared about money and wouldn't respect anyone else. As long as you had money, you were the boss, and you could do whatever you wanted. He had seen this kind of behavior countless times in his past life, so he simply sneered.
The madam went downstairs and scurried off to a small building in the backyard.
The small building is located in the backyard, with an elegant environment, and it's obvious at a glance that the person living there is no ordinary girl.
During the Ming Dynasty, there were three main sources of prostitutes. First, there were official prostitutes, mostly the families of disgraced officials, who were of low social status, lacked personal freedom, and were never allowed to leave their status. They were the primary source of prostitutes in brothels. Second, there were impoverished people; in some poor areas, they couldn't afford to raise many children and, to survive, voluntarily became prostitutes. Their contracts of indenture were held by the brothel owners, and they could generally be redeemed. The third type was slightly more special. These were often famous courtesans, possessing freedom, and their affiliation with a brothel was a cooperative relationship.
The mistress of this small building, Suwen, was the third type. She was a famous talented woman from Yangzhou, and the owner of Cuiyun Tower spent a lot of money to invite her.
Strangely enough, ever since she moved in, Cuiyun Tower's business has flourished. Miss Suwen is proficient in everything from music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and folk songs to playing various instruments and singing. She is sought after by local literati, and some even travel from as far as Suzhou just to meet her and hear her sing.
The madam had barely explained her purpose when she was stopped by a maid at the door, who coldly said, "My young lady is resting. Come back tomorrow if you have something to say!"
The madam smiled and said, "Please inform Miss Suwen that a young master has arrived in the front hall. He looks like the young master of some high-ranking official's family, and he is very generous. It's a pity that his standards are too high; he doesn't even look at the girls in the front hall."
The maid stubbornly replied, "My mistress and your boss have an agreement that she will not receive guests after 7 PM. It's well past 7 PM now."
The madam was somewhat displeased and inwardly grumbled.
We're all prostitutes, so why pretend to be so high and mighty? Besides, you're not some respectable woman, so why put on airs? Even a lowly maid acts all high and mighty. So your masters are the golden chickens, and we're just common chickens?
That's what she thought in her heart, but she didn't dare say it aloud. After all, her master was counting on this golden hen to lay eggs.
The madam, all smiles, said, "Little Sister Ziyi, please inform Miss Suwen. That boy is just a virgin. With Miss Suwen's charm, just a simple appearance will be enough to bewitch him. It's not complicated; Miss Suwen just needs to show her face and have a drink, and I'll have a way to get his money. If we miss this opportunity to make a deal worth several thousand taels, and the master comes after us, I can't afford the consequences!"
At that moment, a sigh came from inside the room.
A woman said softly, "Thank you for your trouble, Mother. I know about it. It's just a matter of showing up and having a few drinks. Go and get ready. I'll pack up and head over right away."
The madam immediately went over happily.
The maid named Ziyi complained, "Miss, this madam is getting too big for her britches. One minute she wants you to accompany some rich man from Nanjing, the next she wants you to accompany an official returning to the capital. She's made a lot of money under your name, but we haven't gotten a penny. Hmph, she's certainly got a good plan."
It turned out that Suwen had an agreement with the owner of Cuiyun Tower that only guests who entered her small building would receive a share of the profits, and that simply showing up in the front hall for a drink would not be included. That was why the maid was so indignant.
The woman in the room simply smiled and said, "When you're under someone's roof, why stand on ceremony? It's just showing up for a drink, nothing more. Let's go!"
Liu Ye was drinking alone in a private room and was getting a little bored. He was about to call the madam.
The door suddenly opened, and a slender figure walked in.
Liu Ye looked up and his heart skipped a beat. The newcomer had skin as smooth as jade, sideburns as if cut by a knife, eyebrows as dark as ink paintings, a face like peach petals, and eyes as bright as stars. Dressed in white as snow, she looked like a fairy who had stepped out of a painting.
She has no makeup and no Korean-style plastic surgery; she is a completely natural beauty.
Having seen the artificial and heavily made-up beauties of later generations, Liu Ye was utterly astonished by the natural, pure, and slightly alluring beauty of this young woman from the Ming Dynasty. He couldn't help but whistle.
If this were in later generations, he would have already gone up to them and asked for their phone number, shamelessly trying to get to know them.
It's said that naturally beautiful women are even rarer than giant pandas in later generations. If you encounter one, you should definitely let her go.
Su coughed lightly, regaining his composure, and asked, "Miss is...?"
Su Wen was naturally beautiful, and she had seen many men who would become infatuated and act ridiculous upon seeing her. The man before her was very young, and although he was somewhat shocked when he first saw her, he quickly recovered.
She had met countless people, but this was the first time she had met a man who was not moved by her appearance.
Suwen moved lightly to the table, revealing her slender hands. She picked up the wine pot on the table, filled it with wine, and then gently parted her lips to say, "This humble servant, Suwen, has come to drink with you, young master."
After saying that, he raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.
Seeing how enthusiastic the beautiful woman was, Liu Ye immediately downed his drink in one gulp. At this moment, Suwen's maid, Ziyi, stepped forward and filled their wine cups.
Suwen picked up her wine cup again and said, "This humble servant toasts you, young master, wishing you success in the imperial examinations and a meteoric rise in your career." She then drank another cup.
Liu Ye was secretly delighted. This beautiful woman knew how to talk, though achieving academic success was probably out of the question for him in this lifetime. However, receiving a beautiful woman's blessing was still a happy thing, so he smiled and drank it.
Suwen was not a strong drinker, and after two cups, a faint blush rose on her cheeks. She raised her cup for the third time and said softly, "This servant will toast you again, young master, wishing you a long and prosperous reign with many wives and concubines."
Su smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Miss!"
He didn't care about being a duke or marquis for generations, but he did yearn for having a large number of wives and concubines. Don't all men have this thought?
After the two finished their drinks, Suwen put down her wine cup, picked up a silk handkerchief, dabbed her lips with it, slowly stood up, and said softly, "I am not a good drinker and am a little tired. Please make yourself at home, sir!"
After saying this, he left with the help of his maid.
Liu Ye was a little stunned. He stood up and was about to say hello.
But then the madam walked in with a smile.
Liu Ye frowned and said, "You've come at the right time. Didn't I ask you to find me a drinking companion? Why are you leaving after only a few drinks?"
The madam gently fanned herself with a round fan, a smile spreading across her face. She said, “Young master, you may not know this, but Miss Suwen is no ordinary woman. She is the top courtesan in Yangzhou, proficient in all the arts—music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and singing. My master hired her at great expense, and many guests come from far and wide. However, Miss Suwen's courtyard only accepts ten guests a day, closing immediately at dusk, never allowing anyone to stay overnight. Young master, I have been so humble as to invite Miss Suwen to keep me company for three cups of wine; this is already a great honor.”