Chapter 9: Literary Gathering

The evening of the following day.

Luo Zijun left the Pharmacy and walked toward the West Lake in the West City.

Today was the day of the Literary Gathering that Su Bie had mentioned.

Xu Xian might go.

Therefore, all along the way, he was thinking about how to strike up a conversation if he saw Xu Xian, and how to gain the other party's trust.

Then, how to find a way to make the other party get married quickly.

That's right, he planned to have Xu Xian marry a lovely lady quickly; that way, when Bai Niangzi appeared, the two of them would have no chance at all.

Xu Xian couldn't possibly divorce his wife just because he saw that Bai Niangzi was beautiful, could he?

If that were to happen, what would Bai Niangzi think of him?

With Bai Niangzi's temperament and Xiao Qing's personality, Bai Niangzi would absolutely never agree to be a concubine for Xu Xian.

Therefore, as long as Xu Xian got married first, this mission would have a hope of being completed.

Thinking this way, he soon arrived at the West Lake.

By the shores of the West Lake, the spring breeze was alluring, and willow trees hung over the banks.

The setting sun fell upon the lake water like a spilled jar of orange soda, dyeing the entire surface of the lake red; set against the green leaves and red flowers, it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Peddlers on the roadside were shouting their wares, and the tourists on the road were bustling, making for a lively scene.

By the Broken Bridge and the lake, a beautiful Flower Boat hung with fresh flowers and lanterns was anchored prominently there.

Several young men and women dressed in Confucian robes and skirts were boarding the boat one after another.

At the railings of the Flower Boat, men were chatting and women were laughing, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

That must be the location of tonight's Literary Gathering, right?

I wonder if Xu Xian has arrived yet.

Luo Zijun observed carefully for a few moments, then walked over.

At this moment, he suddenly thought of something else, his footsteps faltering as he observed the tourists on the lakeshore and the Broken Bridge.

It shouldn't be such a coincidence, right?

If Bai Niangzi were to appear today as well, then this mission would be difficult to handle.

After all, until now, he didn't know any of them, and if he wanted to ruin the marriage between the two, he wouldn't know where to start.

"Brother Luo!"

Just at this moment, a voice suddenly came from the side.

Luo Zijun turned his head to look.

Su Bie was dressed quite flamboyantly today, wearing a brand-new embroidered Confucian robe, with a jade pendant hanging from his waist, his hair combed until it shone with oil, and his face seemed to have something applied to it, making it even whiter than usual.

Beside him were two other men, both roughly twenty years old.

One was slightly plump, with a wealthy look, covered in gold and jade.

The other had darker skin, was thin and tall, and the Confucian robe he wore hung loosely on his body, looking like it didn't fit well.

"Come, let me introduce you. Zijun, this is Brother Wang Dafu, and this is Brother Zhang Yitian. Brother Wang, Brother Zhang, this is the Luo Zijun, Brother Luo, whom I mentioned to you."

Su Bie waved his folding fan, his face full of smiles, looking every bit the dashing romantic, causing passing women to steal glances at him repeatedly.

Both of them were very enthusiastic and hurriedly cupped their hands toward Luo Zijun: "Brother Luo, I've long admired you; I've heard Brother Su mention your great name for a long time."

Among the four, Luo Zijun was the youngest, so it was appropriate for them to call him "Brother Luo."

Luo Zijun also hurriedly cupped his hands in return and exchanged a few pleasantries.

However, he felt a bit disappointed in his heart.

He had thought that Xu Xian might be one of these two.

After the two sides chatted for a while, Luo Zijun roughly understood the personalities of these two men.

The one with the wealthy look covered in gold and jade was named Wang Dafu; his movements and laughter while speaking were quite exaggerated, his personality seemed rather ostentatious, he was even better at bragging than Su Bie, and he liked to use foul language.

The other one with darker skin was named Zhang Yitian; he seemed to have a more introverted personality, listening more and speaking less, but he was also quite well-versed in social graces, and when Wang Dafu was bragging, he was occasionally willing to play along and laugh.

"Today's Literary Gathering is hosted by the Tianxian Pavilion. I heard that this time, the Tianxian Pavilion wants to use this opportunity to re-select this year's Flower Chant. Besides inviting us, they have also invited some highly respected old gentlemen..."

The girls in the Brothel all had titles and rankings.

The first place is the Flower Courtesan, with only one person elected each year.

The second place is the Flower Chant, with two people elected each year.

The third place is the Flower Hibiscus, with five people elected each year.

Then there are eight Flower Beauties, and a number of Flower Girls.

Flower Girls are the most numerous; any other girl in the Brothel can be called a Flower Girl.

When guests go to have fun, the ones they call for the most are the Flower Girls.

Because they are the cheapest.

Above the Flower Girls, prices are calculated according to rank.

Among them, the Flower Courtesan is very difficult to see, and it's not just a matter of having money; you also have to ask if the girl is willing. Such a girl who has won the glory of first place through her beauty and talent is the biggest draw of the Brothel and the goddess in the hearts of many; whether they are wealthy merchants or government officials, no one dares to force them.

Next is the Flower Chant, whose rank is slightly lower than the Flower Courtesan, but they are also the cash cows of the Brothel.

Those wealthy merchants and government officials who want to see them either need to spend a large sum of money, or need to have good eloquence and connections, and it must be on the premise that the other party is willing.

If the other party doesn't take a fancy to you, there is nothing that can be done.

A Brothel that can stand firm in Lin'an City naturally has a strong background.

Moreover, behind these girls stand many scholars and literati whose tongues are like knives. Whether they are wealthy merchants or government officials, they all cherish their reputations and naturally would not offend the public or anger those scholars for the sake of one woman.

"I heard that the two Flower Chants from last year at the Tianxian Pavilion have already been redeemed by someone, which is why they need to re-select this year."

"So that's how it is."

The group chatted idly as they arrived beside the Flower Boat at the lakeside.

A wooden plank was placed on the boat, with one end resting on the shore for guests to walk onto the boat.

At the same time, there were guards standing watch nearby.

In front of the wooden plank on the boat stood a woman wearing heavy makeup and a beaming smile; she was Liu Ju, the madam of the Brothel who welcomed the guests.

Behind her stood several maidservants responsible for guiding the guests.

When Su Bie and the others stepped onto the wooden bridge, the guards were just about to question them, but Liu Ju spoke up first: "Oh, isn't this Young Master Su and Young Master Wang? Please, come aboard, please!"

It seemed that Su Bie and Wang Dafu were both regulars at the Tianxian Pavilion.

"Liu Mama, these two are my good friends, Zhang Yitian and Luo Zijun..." Su Bie introduced them after arriving on the boat.

Liu Ju beamed as she sized the two of them up and said, "They are both handsome and dashing young gentlemen!"

Then she lowered her voice and asked, "Are they both scholars?"

Su Bie laughed: "Naturally, they are. Don't worry, Liu Mama, I know the rules. Or, should I have them take out their Scholar Nameplates for you to see?"

Liu Ju hurriedly waved her hands with a smile: "No need, no need. How could I not trust Young Master Su? Please, come in, please come in!"

She then instructed a maidservant behind her: "Xiao Hong, quickly take the four young masters inside, serve them good wine and food, and make sure not to neglect them."

The maidservant acknowledged the order, hurriedly bowed to the four of them, and walked ahead with her head lowered.

The four entered the cabin and, led by the maidservant, found a seat by the window and sat down.

Soon, tea, wine, fruit platters, melon seeds, and the like were brought up.

The first-floor cabin was filled with many chairs, and at the very front was a stage covered with a red carpet, hung with fresh flowers and colorful silks, decorated in a lush and beautiful manner.

!

Behind the flower stage was a screen embroidered with peonies and beauties; behind the screen, a woman was playing the zither, and one could only vaguely see a silhouette.

By now, quite a few people had already arrived in the cabin, both men and women, all gathered together chatting.

While the four were talking, someone not far away suddenly called out: "Brother Su, Brother Wang, Brother Zhang!"

Su Bie looked up and saw it was a classmate from the Academy, so he had to stand up and say: "Zijun, we are going over there for a moment; we will be back shortly."

Wang Dafu and Zhang Yitian also stood up.

Only then did Luo Zijun realize that these three were all from the same Academy.

After the three left, he carefully observed the people in the cabin from his seat for a while, then cast his gaze through the window toward the lakeshore outside, thinking to himself: Why hasn't Xu Xian arrived yet? I hope he doesn't run into that White Snake on the Broken Bridge.

Thinking this, he felt a bit uneasy, so he stood up and walked out to look around from the railing.

At the same time.

At the corner of the railing not far to the right, several men and women were chatting while enjoying the sunset.

Just then, a little girl dressed as a maidservant suddenly leaned into a young lady's ear and whispered something.

The young lady was startled upon hearing this, turned her head, and looked toward the railing in front.

"It really is him!"

When Sun Yan'er saw that person, the smile on her face instantly vanished, and her expression immediately turned ugly.

"How could he be here?"

She felt a bit puzzled in her heart.

Her little cousin had said that day she would help her teach him a lesson, but she didn't know if she had done so; what was strange was that her cousin hadn't come to see her for some time now.

At this moment, the people nearby noticed her expression was off and followed her gaze, seeing it was a young man, and couldn't help but feel a bit strange.

"Yan'er, what's wrong? Do you know that person?"

A woman wearing a yellow dress with wheat-colored skin asked curiously from the side.

This was her good friend Huang Zhaodi, whose family also did business in fabrics, and she had known her since childhood.

The others also began to ask.

Sun Yan'er looked at that figure in front, thinking of the humiliation from that day, her face instantly flushed red, and she felt both ashamed and hateful; she dared not tell the truth now, and she was afraid that if he saw her later, he would talk about what happened that day and ruin her reputation, so she hardened her heart and decided to strike first.

She suppressed the emotions in her heart, feigned calmness, and snorted coldly: "Of course I know him. That man is named Luo Zijun, an apprentice at a Pharmacy. His ancestors once did a small favor for my family's ancestors, so my father forced me to go on a blind date with him..."

"There is such a thing?"

"Yan'er, you are a talented woman who has entered the Academy now; how could your father be so pedantic? How could such a lifelong matter be decided so casually?"

Everyone was full of astonishment.

Sun Yan'er sneered, looking at the young man not far away: "Naturally, I didn't agree. I did go to see him, but I didn't give him any chance and rejected him directly. He even wanted to pester me at the time, so I spoke harshly, saying that even if I never married in my life, I would never marry him."

"And then? Did he give up?"

Sun Yan'er snorted coldly and said: "Who knows. He probably felt I hurt his pride and was so angry he lost his temper, cursing me a few times. I, of course, wouldn't lower myself to the level of such an ill-bred person, so I just left."

Sun Yan'er spoke calmly, as if she hadn't taken the events of that day to heart.

The girl in the yellow dress nearby immediately said angrily: "Too much! To actually curse someone!"

"Yan'er, you just said that person is an apprentice at a Pharmacy? Isn't he a scholar?"

At this time, another woman in a green dress asked.

A look of mockery appeared on Sun Yan'er's face: "He hasn't even studied, how could he be a scholar? When he went to see me that day, he still had a Medicine Chest slung over his shoulder, and the first thing he said was... humph, he wanted me to take off my clothes so he could examine me."

"How outrageous!"

"Despicable! A lecher like that wants to marry our Yan'er? It's simply a toad lusting after a swan's flesh! He should go look at himself in a puddle!"

"Just an apprentice at a Pharmacy, yet he dares to be so rude!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was filled with righteous indignation.

At this moment, a tall young man wearing a dark blue Confucian robe nearby said with a gloomy face: "Miss Yan'er, I will go teach him a lesson for you right now!"

This person was named Liu Songjin, an admirer of Sun Yan'er, and now was naturally the time for him to show off.

"That person is hateful, but we shouldn't hit people."

Huang Zhaodi said hurriedly.

Liu Songjin sneered and said, "Rest assured, I am a scholar; how could I possibly resort to force? I am merely venting some frustration for Miss Yan'er. Didn't Miss Yan'er say so? That brat is just an apprentice at a Pharmacy and has never studied at all. According to the rules, he has no qualifications to board the ship."

At this moment, the others also reacted immediately.

"Right! For today's Literary Gathering, only scholars and those with higher status are permitted to board the ship."

"Then how did he get on?"

At this time, a person nearby said, "I just saw it; it seems Su Bie and the others brought him on, and Liu Mama did not check that person's Scholar Nameplate."

"Hmph, so that's how it is; he actually snuck on by fishing in troubled waters! That's even better. Later, we will first go and properly vent some frustration for Yan'er, then kick him off!"

"Right! Vent frustration for Yan'er first! A stinking apprentice from a Pharmacy, yet he dares to come to our place for scholars! Shameless! Ptooey!"

"Let's go!"

A group of people crowded around Sun Yan'er and walked over aggressively.

(End of chapter)