mtl008 Chapter 11 Oiran
Chapter 11 Oiran
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Liu Ye nodded to himself. No wonder she had a certain personality; she was a famous prostitute.
His interest was piqued, so he tentatively asked, "Miss Suwen, are you free tomorrow...?"
The madam smiled smugly and said, "That's unfortunate. Miss Suwen is fully booked this month. Even if the young master wants to see her, he'll have to wait until next month."
Actually, although Suwen had many customers, it wasn't that popular. It was the madam who deliberately made it up.
But who was Liu Ye? He could easily see through the madam's intentions. Too lazy to expose her, he simply placed a fifty-tael silver note on the table and said, "Can you hurry up?"
Upon seeing the silver notes, the madam beamed and said, "How about this, young master, if you are patient enough to stay here for a couple of days, I will do my best to secure an opportunity for you, even if it means sacrificing my reputation."
She had a good plan in mind. Staying overnight at Cuiyun Tower and drinking with courtesans would earn her a hundred or eighty taels a day, and several hundred taels in three days. If she secretly changed her methods, she could probably double that amount.
I'm not afraid of you having a lot of money, I'm just afraid you won't come.
Liu Ye snorted coldly, reached out and took back the silver note, saying, "Then I'll come back in three days!"
The madam was stunned. When did this young man become so shrewd? Seeing him get up to leave, she didn't care about anything else and quickly stopped him, saying, "Oh! My young master, I know what you're thinking. You can't rush things. Besides, Miss Suwen is ambitious and only wants to win the title of 'most beautiful courtesan' at the Qinhuai Flower Festival. Even if you spend money to have tea and listen to some songs, it will be difficult to win her favor. Listen to my advice, this matter needs to be taken slowly."
Liu Ye suddenly asked in surprise, "Flower festival? What flower festival?"
Seeing that he wasn't leaving, the madam was relieved and continued, "In a few months, there will be a 'Flower Kingdom Competition' on the banks of the Qinhuai River, jointly organized by several brothel owners from Jinling City. At that time, half of the famous courtesans in Jiangnan will go to join in the fun. Firstly, to enhance their own status, and secondly, to take the opportunity to meet some high-ranking officials and nobles."
Liu Ye was speechless. Wasn't this just a Ming Dynasty version of Super Girl? Except these girls were all bastards.
He was quite familiar with talent shows in later generations. As a seasoned expert in this field, he knew all the intricacies involved.
So-called talent shows, seemingly fair and just, are actually a complete lie. You'd be a fool to believe them. Who are the organizers? A bunch of businessmen. What do businessmen do when they hold talent shows? Certainly not to discover future artistic talents. Besides, what businessmen care if all artistic talent dies out? They don't concern themselves with that.
The primary goal of businessmen holding talent shows is to make money, and the secondary goal is still to make money. They choose you because you can make them money. As long as you can make them money, you can win an award even if you sing like a donkey. If you sing well but can't make them money, sorry, please leave; this place doesn't belong to you.
There's a lot more to this than meets the eye. Suddenly, Liu Ye's eyes lit up; a chance to make a fortune had arrived.
Of course, not all talent shows in later generations are like this. Non-commercial ones are not so outrageous, but they still have behind-the-scenes manipulation and manipulation.
Liu Ye could figure it out with his eyes closed: these businessmen were just trying to make a quick buck, boost their own brand, and promote their girls. No money, no connections—get lost!
He coughed and asked, "Is your boss involved?"
The madam smiled sheepishly and said, "Compared to our counterparts in Jinling City and Qinhuai River, Cuiyun Tower is rather inferior. Besides, we don't have any suitable girls, so we won't participate this year. However, our boss said we will cheer for Miss Suwen."
Liu Ye shook his head slightly. It seemed that this Suwen girl wanted to make a name for herself all by herself. Her courage was commendable, but her approach was unacceptable. In later generations, there were many such people who bravely forged ahead with passion, only to be battered and bruised by the cold reality.
To put it nicely, they're young and reckless; to put it bluntly, they're idiots who lack social skills and understanding of human relationships.
Young man, the world is not as simple as you imagine.
Like gold being sifted from sand, some people learn through trial and error, quickly adjusting their mindset to adapt to the world, and they succeed.
However, some people still went their own way and ended up being knocked off balance.
The Yangtze River flows on, with each wave pushing the previous one aside, leaving the previous one stranded on the beach. If you can't keep up with the tide, you'll be left behind. That's the rule, that's the ironclad law.
There are three kinds of people in the world. One kind is called a genius. They are born with some knowledge and can adapt to any environment. Most of them can become elites.
The second type of person is someone who acknowledges their mistakes and strives for improvement. After a series of setbacks, these people learn from their experiences and achieve something, neither the best nor the worst.
There is a type of person who is like rotten wood that cannot be carved, who will not give up until he hits the south wall! After hitting the south wall, he complains about heaven and earth and does not think about making progress.
Without connections or influence, Suwen will inevitably end up in a miserable state.
Liu Ye picked up a one-hundred-tael silver note and handed it to the madam, saying, "Go, invite Miss Suwen here for a drink."
The madam hesitated for a moment, but did not take the silver note. To be honest, it was already a great honor for Miss Suwen to show her face and have a drink. Although she was greedy, she was not without self-awareness.
She looked troubled and said, "Young Master, this..."
Liu Ye said without looking up, "Go tell her I have a way to help her win the championship. Whether she comes or not is her business."
The madam was stunned for a moment. This young master had quite the audacity; becoming the top courtesan at the Qinhuai Flower Festival wasn't something anyone could just do. However, she quickly showed delight again. She would take the message with her, and whether the young master came or not, the hundred taels of silver would be hers.
This delivery fee is worth it!
The madam immediately accepted the silver note and left happily.
Suwen and her servant had just settled down when they heard the madam's voice coming from outside again.
"Miss Suwen, that young master just now invited you to come over!"
Su Wen frowned slightly, thinking to herself that this madam was too tactless. She had already given her enough face, but she still had to take advantage of her.
Zi Yi, who was standing nearby, rushed out angrily and pointed at the madam's nose, saying, "You madam, you're so unreasonable! My young lady isn't your servant. Going out for a social event is already quite outrageous, but I didn't expect you to be so addicted to ordering her around."
Her words were rather impolite, but the madam remained unperturbed, smiling obsequiously, "Young lady, don't be in a hurry. I'm just here to deliver a message. It's up to your young lady whether she goes or not!"
Zi Yi said angrily, "No, no, no! Does that person think he's the King of Heaven himself?"
The madam chuckled, "The young master only said that he could help Miss win the championship, and didn't say anything else."
Zi Yi hesitated for a moment, then asked doubtfully, "He can help Miss win the championship? He's just bragging, isn't he?"
The madam still smiled and said, "I don't know either. Your young lady should consider it. I'm waiting for your reply."
At this moment, Suwen's voice rang out again.
"Thank you for your hard work, Mother. Please tell the young master that I will be there shortly."
The madam was overjoyed upon receiving permission and said repeatedly, "Good, good, I'll go tell them right away."
At this moment, Suwen came downstairs, having changed into a pink dress and put on some makeup.
Ziyi asked softly, "Miss, are we really going? What if that person is just trying to scam us?"
Su Wen smiled and said, "Let's go. I feel that this young man is no ordinary person. Perhaps he really can help us."
The master and servant moved gracefully towards the front hall.
The table was still the same table, the food and drinks were still the same food and drinks, and Liu Ye was still sitting in the same spot.
Suwen gave a slight curtsy and said, "I was unwell just now and neglected you, young master. I apologize to you!"
Liu Ye smiled, picked up his wine glass, and said, "Miss Suwen, you're too kind. Please have a seat!"
Suwen did not sit down, but said, "It is rather boring for you to drink alone, young master. I will dance to entertain you." After saying that, she went into the room alone.
"In the north there is a beautiful woman, living secluded in a remote valley. In the north there is a beautiful woman, peerless and independent. One glance could topple a city, a second glance could topple a nation. How could one not know the power of such beauty? Such a woman is hard to find again..."
A melancholic melody flowed from Suwen's melodious voice, perfectly complementing her graceful and unrestrained long-sleeved dance. Anyone else would have been completely captivated.
But Liu Ye just drank alone, not even bothering to glance at the food.
After the dance ended, Su Wen's face was covered in fine beads of sweat. She showed no displeasure at Su Ze's disregard; on the contrary, she felt a faint sense of joy.
This man must be a man of great vision and wisdom, which is why he looks down on her skills. This makes her hope for becoming the most beautiful courtesan even stronger.
Su Wen sat down gently beside Su Ze, her eyes fixed on him, and asked, "May I ask, young master, is my singing and dancing pleasing to the eye?"
Liu Ye responded with an "Oh," and said, "It's alright!"
He inwardly scoffed, "Damn, you call this singing and dancing? Any random kid from later generations could dance better than you."
Liu Ye doesn't like this kind of purely classical song and dance. He prefers the raw and rugged style of DJ music, where the women must show their thighs and the dance moves must be wild, so as to arouse men's desire.
As for the type of herbal medicine, sorry, that's not his cup of tea.
He's just an ordinary person.
But Suwen didn't think so. She picked up a cup of wine and said softly, "I was blind to your great talent before. I didn't know you were so capable. This cup of wine is my apology. I hope you will be kind enough to teach me." She then drank it all in one gulp.
She pondered for a moment and said, "I wonder what your opinion is on this 'Ode to a Beautiful Woman'?"
Liu Ye frowned slightly, surprised, and said, "Opinion? Oh, no, it's very good! It's just a bit conservative, not open-minded enough!"
Suwen struggled to understand the two terms from later generations. After pondering for a long time, she said shyly, "I am dull-witted and cannot understand your insightful views. Could you please explain in more detail? What does 'conservative' mean, and what does 'open' mean?"
Liu Ye scratched his head and said, "Being conservative means you're too reserved. You're tense in both your emotions and body language. You need to relax and express your feelings. Like a flower, you're usually hidden in a bud, and no one can see you. You have to bloom to show your beauty. You need to bring out your emotions, both physically and emotionally!"
Actually, he was afraid this classical beauty wouldn't understand, so he phrased it in a roundabout way. His original meaning was: You're too conservative; you should be more seductive, show more skin, and definitely arouse men's desire.
But when Suwen heard these words, they took on a completely different meaning.
The song and dance she just performed was merely something she created for her own amusement; it was impromptu and had no real substance. Today, she danced this song to test Liu Ye.
Unexpectedly, Liu Ye managed to get away with it by sheer luck.
Suwen smiled and spoke frankly: "I was inspired by Li Yannian's song a few days ago and hastily choreographed a dance, which has made you laugh at me, young master. I will keep your wise words in mind. Emotion is indeed the soul of song and dance. You are right to point out that my song and dance are indeed a bit conservative and should be more open."
Although she didn't quite understand the new term Liu Ye used, she still tried to explain it on the spot, saying it with only a vague understanding.
This time it was Su Ze's turn to be stunned. He couldn't help but look at the woman, thinking to himself, "No way, does this woman really understand?"
Su Wen picked up Su Ze's wine cup, offered it to him, and said with a smile, "I wish to learn from you, young master!"
Liu Ye chuckled; the woman was about to serve him a drink.
It is hardest to accept the favor of a beautiful woman, so he sat obediently and let Suwen bring him a cup of wine.
One should not accept undeserved rewards. Since I have accepted a cup of wine from a beautiful woman, I should do my part in helping her.
Liu Ye straightened up and said, "Miss Suwen, may I ask how confident you are in your ability to win over this courtesan?"
Suwen frowned, and after a long while, she said with a self-deprecating smile, "Back in Yangzhou, I thought I was the best candidate for the title of courtesan. But after coming to Shangyuan County, I realized that I had underestimated the women of the world. Take, for example, the Four Beauties of Jinling in Yingtian Prefecture. Each of these four women is an expert in playing the zither, the flute, singing, and dancing, and their skills are no less than mine."
She suddenly grasped Liu Ye's small hand and said sincerely, "I am determined to become the most beautiful courtesan at the Qinhuai Flower Festival. I beg you, sir, to lend me a hand. The day I succeed will be the day I repay you."