Chapter 92: Redeeming the Courtesan and Making a Profit, the Extracurricular Concubine (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Pei Shaoqing was never stingy with money.

Because his money came too easily.

But he had to feel that the money was worth spending.

Wanting to buy out the permanent trial rights for the star Jiangxue, whose fame echoed throughout Jingguan City, would undoubtedly require a huge sum.

He felt it wasn't worth it, so he didn't want to spend the money.

On the contrary, he even wanted to make a profit from it.

"Baron of Pingyang, this is Jiangxue's Body Contract. For just ten thousand taels of silver, Jiangxue will be yours."

Liu Mama took a bill of sale out of a box, wearing a smile while gritting her back teeth as she spoke.

This price was not exactly cheap; the redemption silver for Dong Xiaowan, one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai in his past life, was only three thousand taels.

"Liu Mama, how much silver does it cost to see Jiangxue?" Pei Shaoqing asked with a calm and indifferent air.

Liu Mama was a bit confused as to why he was asking this when he had already become a guest in Jiangxue's inner chambers, but she still answered truthfully: "Ten taels of silver. If she is to perform dances or songs, the price is different; it is usually over one hundred taels."

After all, most of the people who could invite Jiangxue to accompany them were either rich or noble, and it was impossible for them to only spend the minimum.

"In which year did Jiangxue start receiving guests?" Pei Shaoqing nodded slightly, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked.

Liu Mama replied: "At the age of sixteen."

"How old is she now?" Pei Shaoqing asked again.

Liu Mama answered again: "Just turned nineteen."

"That means she has been receiving guests for three years." Pei Shaoqing set down his teacup and said in a flat tone: "Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, Jiangxue has the right to choose her guests; even if she only received guests for one hundred days, at an average of one hundred taels per visit, that is ten thousand taels. Over three years, that is thirty thousand taels of silver.

I am paying ten thousand to redeem her, so by this calculation, Liu Mama should give me, this official, twenty thousand taels of silver."

"What?" Liu Mama was dumbfounded, her eyes widening in disbelief as she asked: "Is the Baron of Pingyang saying that I should give my daughter to you, and still have to pay you twenty thousand taels?"

"Of course! Once I redeem Jiangxue, she is my person. Shouldn't the silver Liu Mama earned using my person be returned to its rightful owner?" Pei Shaoqing nodded, his tone calm and indifferent, yet righteous and self-assured.

"This, this, this... this is preposterous! I have never heard of such logic!" Liu Mama was so angry she slapped her chest repeatedly, suppressing her fury as she said: "If the Baron of Pingyang wants to bully others by relying on your status, then please just say so clearly!"

"Is this what you call bullying by status? I haven't even counted Jiangxue's dowry yet." Pei Shaoqing shook his head.

Liu Mama's eyes bulged like a fish's, and her voice cracked from extreme shock and anger: "There's still a dowry?"

"When a daughter marries, and marries an illustrious figure like this official, if you don't provide a dowry, could it be that you look down on me? Look down on the Weiyuan Marquis Mansion? Then this official is going to lose his temper!" Pei Shaoqing said with a cold face.

Liu Mama: "............"

"Heavenly Buddha! How am I supposed to live!" She sat straight down on the floor, waving her handkerchief and wailing to the heavens, "Too bullying, Baron of Pingyang, you are too bullying! You swindle away my most profitable daughter and still want me to pay out of my own pocket; where is there any such logic?"

"Liu Mama is short-sighted." Pei Shaoqing shook his head, poured himself another cup of tea, and said in a leisurely manner: "If I pay money to buy her, then from now on, Jiangxue will be a stranger to Furong Xuan, with no further connection.

But if you truly treat her like a daughter getting married, can she not remember the favor? If Furong Xuan encounters trouble like last night's in the future and comes to her for help, and she whispers some... pillow talk to me, can I not help?"

Heh, guess what, he really might not help.

After all, he had always been a person who acted intermittently.

Liu Mama's wailing stopped abruptly, her eyes darting around as she pondered whether this deal was worth it.

Pei Shaoqing said directly: "What else is there to consider? If you don't agree, do you think I will pay the silver? Liu Mama, quit while you're ahead, otherwise, if you really force me to bully you with my status, that wouldn't be good."

Looking at the other party's righteous and self-assured face, Liu Mama was so angry her teeth itched. Indeed, if Pei Shaoqing was determined not to pay and just snatched the person, what could she do?

Go to the government office to report him?

Perhaps Pei Shao would be sitting right there with the prefect judging her.

And if she could really use this to build a relationship with Pei Shaoqing, then this deal wouldn't be a loss.

She immediately scrambled up, her old face smiling like a sunflower, "Oh my, Baron of Pingyang, rest assured. Jiangxue is my most beloved dear daughter; since she is marrying and finding a good home, I will certainly prepare a dowry."

"Then the redemption silver..." Pei Shaoqing said slowly.

"What redemption silver?" Liu Mama interrupted Pei Shaoqing and said with a smile: "Jiangxue only sells her art, not her body. I am marrying off my daughter, not selling her. You two are in love, how could I play the role of the one who breaks up a pair of lovebirds? Of course, I am full of joy to fulfill this."

"Doesn't this show that Liu Mama has broadened her path? I believe that with Liu Mama's management, Furong Xuan will surely flourish in Jingguan City for a long time." Pei Shaoqing laughed, then added: "Then I will take Jiangxue away today."

"Eh, Young Master, please sit for a moment. I will call Jiangxue to accompany you first, and then I will immediately go to prepare my daughter's dowry." Liu Mama ran out, beaming with joy.

Pei Shaoqing hurriedly called out: "Wait."

"I wonder what other instructions the Baron of Pingyang has?" Liu Mama stopped in her tracks, turned her head, and asked him.

Pei Shaoqing said casually: "Trouble yourself to find me a small and exquisite courtyard to settle Jiangxue in."

Liu Mama felt a sudden toothache; if she helped find a courtyard, she couldn't possibly ask Pei Shaoqing for reimbursement after finding a good one, so this courtyard would likely be a freebie too.

"I do have a few properties on hand. There is one that Xue'er will certainly like, and the Baron of Pingyang will surely be satisfied with it," Liu Mama said, forcing a smile.

It was evident that this Furong Xuan was truly a money-sucking pit.

Pei Shaoqing added: "Find a few servants as well."

Liu Mama: "............"

Having given away so much, a little more wouldn't matter.

"Yes." She responded and turned to run.

Fearing that Pei Shaoqing would continue to push his luck.

A moment later, Jiangxue, in a red dress, walking somewhat unnaturally, pushed the door open and entered. As soon as she came in, she sat in Pei Shaoqing's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Young Master really redeemed me." Her large eyes were watery as she said in a delicate, coquettish voice.

She had truly been afraid that Pei Shaoqing would toss her aside once he had his fill.

Such things happened all too often in brothels.

Pei Shaoqing reached out and pinched her soft, chubby white cheek, saying: "Good Xue'er, you are truly not cheap!"

Although he hadn't spent a single cent and had even made a profit.

That didn't stop him from complaining that she was expensive.

"I have also saved some silver, and I am willing to take it out to contribute," Jiangxue said softly, biting her red lip.

Women are always generous to men who aren't short on money.

And calculating with men who are.

Pei Shaoqing laughed, "I still have this bit of money; how could I spend your private savings? You just need to figure out how to keep me satisfied from now on."

"This slave will certainly make Young Master loath to leave every time you come to see me; I still had tricks I didn't use yesterday," Jiangxue said with eyes as seductive as silk.

A brothel's top courtesan, even if a virgin, would not be shy in this regard like a respectable woman; from a young age, they are taught how to serve men.

Shy? That is only because they know men like them to be shy, so they pretend to be; Pei Shaoqing clearly didn't like that, so she naturally acted as wantonly as possible.

Jiangxue could at least be rated a professor in this line of work.

Liu Mama found two carriages, one of which was specifically for Jiangxue's dowry, clothes, and jewelry.

Pei Shaoqing and Jiangxue rode in the other.

"Xue'er, come back to see Mama often!"

At the entrance of Furong Xuan, Liu Mama led a group of daughters to watch the carriage depart, weeping uncontrollably.

"Mama has such deep feelings for Jiangxue."

Liu Mama's tears fell like rain; she wasn't reluctant to part with Jiangxue, she was reluctant to part with so much of her silver!

"Jiangxue! Miss Jiangxue! Xue'er, wait!"

Pei Shaoqing heard someone shouting outside the carriage.

He lifted the curtain to look.

A handsome, tall young scholar wearing worn-out clothes was running after the carriage.

"Who is he?" Pei Shaoqing asked Jiangxue.

Jiangxue glanced outside, was silent for a moment, then lowered the curtain and bit her red lip, saying, "Irrelevant."

"Xue'er! How can I live without you!"

"You said you would wait for me to redeem you! You said you would wait for me to come back after placing first in the imperial examinations to marry you!"

"Xue'er! Xue'er! I cannot live without you!"

The young scholar fell to the ground, watching helplessly as the carriage drove away, beating his chest and stamping his feet, wailing loudly.

Many onlookers on the roadside pointed at him.

"A poor scholar falls in love with a brothel's top courtesan—a story from novels and plays; does that make me the villainous rich Young Master who steals his love?" Pei Shaoqing laughed.

He had always thought such stories were nonsense; if you're already a damn poor scholar, how do you have money to visit a brothel?

Fearing Pei Shaoqing would misunderstand, Jiangxue hurriedly explained, "Young Master, please calm your anger; Xue'er only admired his talent, which is why I wanted to sponsor him to go to the capital for the examinations; otherwise, I have no relationship with him."

Brothel women all love to sponsor poor scholars; as long as one investment succeeds, they can wash their pasts away and go ashore.

Of course, in most cases, after the poor scholar succeeds in the examinations, the first sword they swing is at their lover.

"Prove it to me," Pei Shaoqing said.

A moment later, Jiangxue leaned her upper body out of the window to wave at those seeing her off, her face flushed like clouds, her mouth panting, and the hair ornaments on her head seemingly shaking constantly due to the jolting of the carriage.

"Congratulations to Miss Jiangxue on finding a good home!"

"Miss Jiangxue! Look at me! Look at me!"

Seeing their goddess waving at them, the simps watching on both sides of the street were very excited and responded one after another.

But they could not see that Jiangxue's lower body inside the carriage was bare, and she was being taken from behind while her hair was being pulled.

…………………………

Because of Jiangxue, Pei Shaoqing stayed in Jingguan City for one extra day; there was no helping it, she was too skilled.

In the future, when he has more wives and concubines, he will have to invite Liu Mama to give them centralized training in this area.

Before leaving, he told Jiangxue that if she encountered any trouble, she should send someone to find Lu Dingchuan or Xu Jing.

It was also from Jiangxue's mouth that Pei Shaoqing learned of Xu Jing's identity: the second Young Master of the Shuzhou Prefect.

The people in the Furong Poetry Society were all like him—rich young masters who were good-for-nothings in their respective families, unqualified to inherit the family business, and who loved poetry and prose but were otherwise unlearned.

Their average education level was private school dropout.

Xu Jing was still a Child Scholar, and a standout among them.

According to Jiangxue, the Furong Poetry Society was just a joke in Jingguan City that Xu Jing and his circle kept to themselves.

True literati looked down on them entirely, having their own circles and disdaining to associate with them.

They couldn't break into the literati circle, so they formed their own to huddle together and disgust the entire Shuzhou literary scene.

Gathered, they are a pile of shit; scattered, they are maggots filling the sky.

Jiangxue was quite disdainful of these people in her speech.

After all, she was proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and could do everything from singing to playing instruments; her talent was high enough to discuss poetry and prose with Cultivated Talents and Provincial Graduates, and she had the right to be proud of it.

An academic elite despising an academic failure—nothing more to say.

But Pei Shaoqing thought this group was quite good.

At least they didn't bully others, abuse their power, or take bribes like him; what was wrong with writing some trashy poetry to cultivate one's character?

After settling his unofficial concubine.

Pei Shaoqing returned to Tongzhou City at full speed.

And just after he left, a charming nun who still possessed lingering allure came to the door of Jiangxue's house to beg for alms.

(End of chapter)