Chapter 70: Grand Rehearsal

At this moment.

Liangzhou Prefecture.

Chen Ping sat upright in his study, with several Military Advisors and strategists gathered around him.

"My Lord, the Baiya Army has been quite active in Liangzhou recently. I fear they have ulterior motives!"

Chen Ping's expression darkened slightly. He tapped his fingers on the desk and said slowly, "I have been suspecting lately whether the assassination that occurred outside Yinzhou was the work of this Baiya Army!"

The crowd was shocked.

If it were before, they would not have been so suspicious, but with the Yinzhou Chamber of Commerce's reputation rising and its current unparalleled momentum, this possibility could not be ruled out.

"But My Lord, if the Baiya Army is targeting the Liu family father and son, wouldn't that play right into our hands?"

"Those Liu family father and son are certainly no good!"

"My Lord, the Empress's return to visit her family this time must involve some scheme! If the Baiya Army has truly joined forces with the Empress, then our Liangzhou Prefecture will be in a precarious position!"

Chen Ping nodded.

He felt a splitting headache. What he did not know was that the assassin had originally been targeting Zheng Yue Ru. Now that everyone believed the targets were the Liu father and son, the situation left him somewhat confused, and it also left the people of Liangzhou unable to guess the truth.

This was the smoke screen Liu Zheng had deliberately released.

"Heh, so you mean to win over the Liu family father and son?"

Chen Ping asked with a smile.

He found this matter incredibly absurd. The mere Liu father and son, who previously wouldn't have been given a second glance, had now become a factor that could break the balance?

A Military Advisor said, "My Lord, the Liu family has taken full responsibility for the Empress's procession for the Top Courtesan Competition. Can you not see it? They are surely trying to curry favor with the Empress in order to secure a State Marquis title!"

The others deeply agreed.

"My Lord, the Empress has great ambition. With Zheng Yuxing in the army and Baiya in the north, if Yinzhou is added to the west, it will be strategically disastrous for our Taishoufu! Although Yinzhou is barren, if they occupy a corner along with Yangzhou, they can by no means be ignored!"

"Indeed, My Lord!"

"If so, the Taishoufu is in danger!"

How could Chen Ping not know the current situation? He said angrily, "No need for nonsense. As a dignified Prefect, am I to be constrained by a mere woman? Wouldn't that make the Crown Prince in Jinghua laugh at my incompetence!"

The crowd offered their suggestions one after another.

The Emperor was still alive, and the Empress's momentum was irreversible. The Taishoufu should retreat and avoid her sharp edge. On one hand, they should deal with the Empress superficially, and on the other, they should win over the Liu father and son and vigorously support the Yinzhou Chamber of Commerce to counter the Baiya Army's commercial group.

"You all may leave now..."

Chen Ping felt extremely exhausted.

Win over Liu Dahao?

He was utterly unwilling in his heart, but what other Method was there at this time? The Empress was powerful, and with Zheng Yuxing in command of the army, Chen Ping had already fallen into a disadvantageous position. But... using the Yinzhou Chamber of Commerce to counter the Baiya Chamber of Commerce? If this were raising a tiger that would eventually cause trouble, what then?

"Send for the young lady!"

With his thoughts flying, Chen Ping finally said helplessly.

The Empress's procession moved forward slowly.

At this time, a fast horse from the army arrived with another letter.

"Liu Dahao?"

The Empress examined the letter, her willow eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she fell into deep thought.

The letter stated that Liu Dahao of Yinzhou had risen to fame and won the hearts of the people. This time, the Yinzhou Chamber of Commerce had handled the Empress's procession with great care and effort, and he could be put to good use. Furthermore, Zheng Yue Ru of the Zheng Family was the Chief Manager of the Yinzhou Chamber of Commerce. Why not go with the flow and grant Liu Dahao a promotion? The Baiya Army also strongly recommended this move. The Liu family was weak and could be protected, discarded, used, or killed. They were the most suitable to be used to constrain the Taishoufu.

"A mere Viscount, to constrain the Taishoufu?"

The Empress let out a cold snort, not caring at all: "Yuxing has been a general for many years, yet he is becoming increasingly lacking in spirit!"

Afterward, she burned the letter in the Stove and said no more.

Liu Zheng was completely unaware at this moment that by making the Yinzhou Chamber of Commerce known to everyone and gaining such great fame, he had placed himself in a rather delicate situation.

What he was currently concerned about was how to safely earn back his one hundred thousand taels of silver!

"Are you ready?"

After waiting for a while, the twelve top courtesans walked out one by one. Among them, some wore ru skirts, some wore straight-hem robes, and some wore curved-hem robes. After deliberate grooming and dressing, they vied for beauty, like plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, each excelling in their own way, leaving people dazzled.

Beautiful!

Liu Zheng praised sincerely. The clothing of this ancient era truly required no modification from him to highlight all the characteristics of the people of this age. Especially Shen Manqing, in a light red ru skirt, which displayed her graceful figure to the fullest, while also possessing a hint of ethereal quality; her temperament was extraordinary, as if she were about to ascend to the heavens at any moment.

"What is that smell?"

"Eldest Miss, this Soap is truly so fragrant!"

"Indeed, I haven't even used any powder, yet I have a natural exotic fragrance. Is this that Soap? It is truly magical!"

The top courtesans chattered one after another, amazed.

The procuress was also stunned long ago. This Soap had the fragrance of roses; such a scent could never be achieved by the Spices and sachets of this era. Although it was not as intense as Perfume, it won by being natural.

"Let's go!"

Zheng Yue Ru smiled slightly, very satisfied.

Thus, the Fengming Tower's top courtesan procession set off. The sky had not yet turned completely dark, and upon learning that there would be a grand rehearsal today, the people of Liangzhou City had long been restless, and the streets were already packed.

Compared to the actual procession on the day of the Top Courtesan Competition to welcome the Empress, the commoners seemed to like this grand rehearsal even more, as if it were prepared specifically for them, allowing them to revel wantonly.

"Brother Wang, you are wearing that Snow Cream today. You go out without a felt hat; are you not afraid of the cold?"

"Hahahaha, I suppose so!"

"Today, I, your younger brother, have memorized 'A Sigh Drunk in Yinzhou'. Shall we drink a large cup of wine?"

"Is there any beauty of yours, Brother Lu, at today's grand rehearsal of the Top Courtesan Competition?"

"You farmer, you don't know how to work at home; why go watch that Top Courtesan Competition?"

"Beg for wine to drink, beg for wine to drink, and then see if that Snow Cream is any cheaper, so I can bring a few bottles back for you and Xi'er..."

"There, go on!"

Along the way, people were joking and discussing incessantly; the so-called Top Courtesan Competition had historically been attended only by scholars, poets, and wealthy young masters, but this year, under the massive publicity of the Yinzhou Chamber of Commerce, people from all walks of life were dying to join in the fun.

The whole city was in a frenzy; using these four words to describe it was not an exaggeration at all.

There were also those from out of town who had come upon hearing the news.

When these people walked onto the streets, they discovered that wherever their eyes landed, there were trademarks of the "Yinzhou Chamber of Commerce"! At the entrance of the inn, on the Horse Carriage, on the tree trunks, and even on the free pinwheels for children distributed on the street, the trademark was everywhere...

Du Biao was also walking on the street today with a few attendants.

Seeing this scene where the whole city had emptied out, he smiled faintly: "This young master of the Liu Family is truly an interesting person. When he threw away a hundred thousand taels of silver that day, everyone thought his playboy ways had returned. Now it seems, I regret my initial judgment quite a bit!"

An attendant laughed: "Third Leader, even if you had taken on this matter, you wouldn't stoop to such petty cleverness!"

The others flattered him in the same way.

Du Biao shook his head slightly upon hearing this.

Petty cleverness? Often, it is this petty cleverness that is truly great wisdom! Although the Baiya Chamber of Commerce indeed had no need for such publicity, as its reputation had already spread far and wide under heaven. But regardless, this move by the young master of the Liu Family still made him feel a sense of vigilance.

"Are the top courtesans of our Lanxiang Troupe ready? Since this Fengming Tower has stolen so much of the spotlight, this time we must win the title!"

Thinking of such a formidable rival, a competitive spirit also arose in Du Biao's heart.

"Don't worry, Third Leader!"

"This time our top courtesans were all carefully selected from Jinghua and trained for several months; they will surely stun the whole city!"

Du Biao nodded with satisfaction.

The venue for this Top Courtesan Competition was set at the famous Willow Lane Flower Street in Liangzhou. This could be considered the most prosperous street in Liangzhou, with wide roads and elegant architecture; at the end of the street stood a seven-story tower, magnificent and imposing. When the Empress returned on that day, she would ascend this high tower to be worshipped by the subjects.

Although today was only a grand dress rehearsal, it was, after all, the Lantern Festival; the fire trees and silver flowers by the roadside, the red silk lanterns, the palace lanterns, the jade bricks, and the glazed tiles—the saying "fire trees and silver flowers, a night that never sleeps, tonight we enjoy ourselves to the fullest and do not return to sleep" described exactly this Willow Lane Flower Street at this moment. It was as if, in such a magnificent scene, the weather had become much warmer, and many restaurants had set up tables and chairs outside for people to drink and watch.

The elderly, adults, and children were all gathered here tonight, making it exceptionally lively.

But since it was only a rehearsal, it certainly lacked the formal atmosphere of the actual day of the Top Courtesan Competition, and most people had come specifically for those top courtesans today.

"Have they arrived? Have they arrived?"

Guo Yu and a group of young masters beside him were already excited beyond measure.

"Hehe, Young Master Guo, the top courtesans of our Yihong Courtyard are all top-tier; they will surely outshine that so-called Fengming Tower!"

A sycophant on the side flattered him.

Guo Yu snorted coldly: "That goes without saying. Today, I shall see how that Liu Zheng intends to fight me!"

Just then, amidst the surging crowd, a group of beauties appeared first on this Willow Lane Flower Street, and the whole scene erupted in noise.

"Look, look, that's the top courtesan from our Yihong Courtyard!"

Guo Yu was very excited.

Sure enough, this group of top courtesans arrived slowly in a flower-decorated carriage; for a moment, the sound of warbling birds and swallows, and their unrestrained behavior, made countless men obsessed and screaming incessantly.

"Look, this is our Yihong Courtyard; we will definitely win the title this time!"

Guo Yu was full of confidence.

Then, following closely behind, were the top courtesans of another flower house, using the same method of appearance; on the flower carriage, the beauties were posturing and casting flirtatious glances. Some were singing seductive lyrics and ditties, while others were intentionally dressed revealingly.

Many young masters were even running alongside the flower carriages, reciting poems and making fools of themselves.

Liu Zheng shook his head slightly as he watched.

This ancient Beauty Pageant was still stuck at this most basic level of competing for attention.

He felt even more confident in Fengming Tower.

Just then, the Lanxiang Troupe, which had high hopes for winning the title, finally appeared.

But because it was only a grand dress rehearsal, they certainly would not reveal the performances they had prepared at this time; yet, just by looking at these beauties from the Lanxiang Troupe, they appeared to have a more elegant temperament than the top courtesans from the previous flower houses. Whether in their attire or their body movements, they were more like young ladies from noble families, without the slightest hint of coquettish display.

Liu Zheng frowned slightly.

The flower house of the Baiya Army is truly extraordinary...

At this moment, he felt a provocative and intense gaze fixed upon him.

In the crowd, Du Biao was sitting on the third floor of a restaurant, raising his cup to Liu Zheng from afar and laughing loudly.