After a while, wine and food began to be served in the pavilion. They were all delicacies that were delicious, delicious, and delicious. Zhao Tong ordered a little too much, and all the flower tables in front of him were filled.
There are more than ten kinds of wine, including various fruit wines, Huadiao Zhuangyuan Red, and light and strong shochu. In order not to mix the flavors, there are hundreds of cups for drinking.
Su Shi first took a Yangguan jade cup, cleaned the rim, and filled Zhao Tong with a glass of Western Region wine.
He and Huang Gu didn't know why Zhao Tong suddenly came to Fanlou. Their prince was not a fun-loving person and he must have something to do here. However, Zhao Tong didn't say anything and the two of them couldn't ask questions. They could only wait for orders.
Zhao Tong said expressionlessly: "Forget your identity tonight and have fun."
The two of them were even more confused when they heard this, and they both filled the cups in front of themselves. Huang Gu poured a cup of Xinghua Fen, while Su Shi filled a large cup with plum wine and placed it on the table.
At this time, there was a sound of warblers and swallows outside the elegant pavilion. Mei Niang made a complaint at the door of the pavilion and brought in ten women.
They are all beautiful girls wearing refreshing gauze skirts, with red pockets looming, with willow eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, cherry lips and peach cheeks.
Mei Niang walked gracefully in front, and after the blessing, she began to introduce the names and skills of each girl. Some dance gracefully, some sing beautifully, some are good at silk, bamboo, flute and Xiao, and some can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk.
Zhao Tong looked at these women, pointed at one of the girls with a fair face, and raised his chin towards Huang Gu. The girl immediately walked over with a smile on her lips.
Then he looked at the famous woman with springy eyes and pointed towards Su Shi, and this one is gone too.
Huang and Gu didn't dare to speak at this moment, so they kept their composure, pretending to be mature, laughing loudly, but in their hearts they were jolting wildly.
The remaining women began to perform their respective positions. The Accord originally had space for piano, flute, flute, and singing and dancing performances. Those who were not selected to accompany the guests had to perform for the entertainment.
Zhao Tong said "reward" at this time.
Immediately a guard walked in outside the door, took out silver and rewarded each of them with a large ingot. Mei Niang and the other girls thanked each other. Just as they were about to start playing music and dancing, Zhao Tong suddenly said: "Can Zhao Yuannu be summoned?"
When Mei Niang heard this, she hurriedly apologized and said, "Reporting to the young master, I just went to the pavilion and whispered a few words with Madam Zhao. Madam Zhao wanted to come over to toast the young master with wine, but the guests in the pavilion were in high spirits. , I am afraid that I will offend the guests over there by coming here now, so I will go back to my house after a while, and please forgive me, sir."
Zhao Tie looked at her, but this rhetoric was commonly used in places like this. Mei Niang said it very familiarly, without any harshness. She seemed to have said a lot, but she didn't seem to say anything.
He said calmly: "My master asked you to ask someone to come here to accompany you. I didn't just come over for a toast when you have time!"
Huang Gu moved aside, trying to stay away from the white-faced woman, and then said: "You obviously agreed just now, but you didn't bring anyone with you. Are you kidding us?"
An expression of grievance immediately appeared on Mei Niang's face. What happened now was common in Fanlou. There were dozens of cases, not to mention hundreds, every year, all for the sake of competing for some women.
But it is rare for people to compete for oirans like this. After all, not only are oirans worth a lot of money, but hospitality also depends on their status. If they are just some upstart rich people, it is impossible for them to go to work and sing songs.
As for the accompanying wine, that is overthinking.
Unless you spend a lot of money, you won't be able to have a drink without spending a lot of money.
Even if you do all these things, but you are rude in language, don't have much knowledge, and don't understand poetry and music, you still won't be able to drink.
These are still the previous values. Ever since the one who took over Master Li and prevented others from getting involved, the prices of the women in this mansion have become even higher.
There are two courtesans in Fanlou, Li Shishi and Zhao Yuannu.
There are ten famous beauties under the Oiran. Now, because of that one, even the famous beauties are different from the past, and their values have risen.
That person was naturally the emperor of the Song Dynasty, the Zhao Guan family of the current dynasty.
The affair between Zhao Guan's family and the oiran Li Shishi is not a secret in Tokyo, and even the common people in the city have heard about it.
Zhao Yuannu is a courtesan as famous as Li Shishi. Although he has not been favored by the Holy Family, he does not show up easily. If he were not a distinguished guest in the pavilion today and paid a full amount of money, he would not have ended up.
Mei Niang knew how to deal with this kind of thing now. Not only did she encounter it in real life, but she also practiced it countless times in private.
But those are mostly ways to deal with ordinary drinkers, and this mouth will make the oiran come over, at least after Zhao Guan's family visited Fan Lou, it never happened again.
She also has experienced eyesight. She secretly observed Zhao Tong's temperament and words, and estimated that the other person had an extraordinary background. The other two were also very powerful, and they were not like ordinary rich young men. She was even more sure of the yameni type she had thought of before.
In particular, Zhao Tong has a good appearance. She is sure that Zhao Yuannu will like him when he sees her. After all, who would not like such a handsome and wealthy young man?
Since you like her, there's no harm in actually meeting her.
To do her job, it is no different than doing business on the street. You need to be strong and honest, and your reputation comes first.
What she is supposed to do in this position is to be able to work both ways, to cover all aspects of the situation, to build plank roads openly and to cross Chencang secretly.
Under the influence of all kinds of people, you not only have to please the guests, but also the wife, so that you can have a good time in the building and be like a fish in water.
If you meet a disreputable guest, you will naturally have a disgraceful way to deal with it. If you meet someone you like or like, there is another way.
Mei Niang thought to herself, this young master wants to see Zhao Yuannu, and Zhao Yuannu must like such a young master, so why not... find a way to let Mrs. Zhao come over and take a sneak peek?
Although the oiran has a high status, it is not up to him to decide whether to propose a toast or not, and the people in the building will not get involved in such trivial matters.
Although the young master said that he did not want to toast, but only wanted to accompany him, it was just a young man's talk. He wanted to save his face, so how could he really keep Lady Zhao behind?
If she hadn't noticed, these people were really yamen of some government department. They probably wouldn't know about Fan Lou's affairs. Zhao Guan's family often came and went, how could they cause trouble here?
Thinking of this, Mei Niang secretly made up her mind.
This is not because she is arrogant and wants to make the decision without authorization. In fact, this kind of thing is very common in Fanlou, even in Yichenglou, Changqinglou, Rendian and other places with 72 main stores. in this way.
She was in charge of the affairs in the pavilion, so she was naturally familiar with Zhao Yuannu, so it was okay to inform him even if the other party didn't want to see him. At least she knew that she was thinking about him, and not just thinking about how many benefits she had received here.
Oiran ladies are all extremely smart, none of them are that stupid.
Mei Niang said: "Sir, I will go to that pavilion right now to see if Mrs. Zhao can spare her time to come over."
Zhao Tong narrowed his eyes and said: "If you come, I will reward you heavily, but you can't leave again."
Mei Niang couldn't take it seriously. She took a look at Zhao Tong's handsome face and said, "Young Master is joking. It's hard to say whether I'll come over or not. I'll wait for the slave family to come and give it a try."
Zhao Tong watched her go out, silently picked up the wine in front of him and drank it all in one gulp.
Mei Niang left the pavilion, turned a corner, and walked dozens of steps to another place.
It was also an elegant pavilion, but the interior in front of the door was more open. There was a constant sound of silk and bamboo, and a woman was singing the lyrics of "Magnolia" by Qian Xisheng.
The woman's voice is as delicate as an oriole and a lark, but her words are precise and precise. She sings the spring breath in the words as if she were singing in the scene. Even Mei Niang secretly screamed "Hello" from outside.
The door of the Nuan Pavilion was opened a crack. Mei Niang looked in through the crack and saw seven or eight people sitting inside.
Except for a fat middle-aged man with a white beard and a middle-aged man with a black beard, the others were all young men. The fat middle-aged man and the middle-aged man with a black beard were hosting a banquet for those young men.
Mei Niang had already figured out that these two people were officials, but their rank was not very high. She watched them several times and was always flattering to those young men.
Those young masters should be in the government office, and I have a high official position in the family, otherwise I would not be so flattered by the two officials.
Zhao Yuannu only sang songs in this pavilion and did not accompany him with drinks. Obviously, although the two middle-aged hosts spent a lot of money, it was far from enough for Zhao Yuannu to get down and drink with him.
Although several young masters have this intention, they are not willing to spend a lot of money on their own. After all, if someone is acting as a host, wouldn't it be a big deal for them to spend more money?
Mei Niang thought secretly, Zhao Tong over there was obviously more generous than the two middle-aged men, and she was a little biased, but she could only do this step. As for Zhao Yuannu, if he couldn't get over to take a look, then she would have to See what Zhao Yuannu means.
After she finished singing a song outside the door, Zhao Yuannu took a rest, the musicians started playing, and the dancers danced, and then they knocked on the pavilion door a few times.
But the music and dancing were loud at the moment, and the people inside obviously didn't hear it, so she opened the door wider. Zhao Yuannu happened to look over and made a gesture.
Zhao Yuannu was smart enough to be able to hold the position of oiran. He frowned slightly after seeing the gesture, knowing that it must be a private matter, otherwise he would have come in to talk directly.
Originally, she didn't want to be ignored. After all, she was still there, and the guests spent a lot of money to treat her. It was never good to leave without permission.
But due to the weather, it was too stuffy in the Accord. She looked at the two officials who were even more bored, so she wondered if it would be better to go out and have a few words.
After listening to the other party's conversation, she realized that the two middle-aged officials were officials, but she didn't understand the rank. They didn't seem to be very big. The young masters were all in the yamen, but she didn't know which house they were from. of.
Although the guest in this pavilion gave him some silver, it was not a generous act and there was no extra reward. She was inevitably a little unhappy. When she thought of Master Li, she felt as if a stone was stuck in her heart.
Zhao Yuannu knew that the official family was here again tonight. Ever since the high-ranking husband brought the official family to Fanlou that year, the official family had hired Master Li, and no one else was allowed to touch him. All the buildings were surrounding her.
It would be a lie to say that she is not jealous. After all, no matter how beautiful she is and whether she is a singer, dancer or musician, she is not inferior to him in everything, but why is she not so lucky?
Nowadays, everyone in the market calls Mr. Li "Master Li", which is equivalent to increasing his status, but she is still the Fanlou courtesan. No matter where you say it, she is a few steps lower.
I heard from people below that when the officials first came to visit, the reason why they didn't see her was because of their last name.
It is already criticized for officials to go out of the palace to visit the mansion. If they ask the oiran to be friends with them, their reputation will be damaged.
But being a romantic official naturally doesn't care about these worldly opinions. Even if there are external discussions and the reputation is bad, adding the title of Romantic Emperor in the end can avoid a lot of criticism.
But if the oiran's surname was Zhao again, it would be different.
If people of the same surname marry, their lives will not be happy.
Marrying someone with the same surname not only damages their reputation, but also involves important ethical issues, especially for the royal family.
Zhao Yuannu naturally knew this.
But even if the official wanted her, she would not be admitted to the palace, so how could someone with the same surname not get married?
Even Master Li had received a benefactor with the same surname before, so it was at most a blind date.
A blind date with the same surname, so what can this do? They have an incomparable background, are not related by blood, and do not want to marry into the family.
But the official is a sensible person, and he knows that even if he has a blind date with the same surname, if others can do it but he can't, this is not romantic. This kind of loss in reputation cannot be compensated by romantic.
There is only one official family in the world, and everyone is staring at her. Even if she is a courtean like her, others want to get close to her, but the official family has to think twice.
Besides, she was not the oiran, so how could the official family make herself uncomfortable?
After Zhao Yuannu thought about this, he could only blame himself for his miserable life. Looking at the people in the Accord, he felt more and more depressed.
So after thinking about it, she slowly got up. No matter Mei Niang was really in trouble or pretending to be in trouble, she had to go out and take a breather.
When he arrived at the front desk, Zhao Yuannu said with a little blessing, "My lords, I am rude to you. There is something trivial in the pavilion. Please allow me to go out."
The two middle-aged men immediately showed displeasure, but even though they were treating guests, they still wanted to see the faces of those in the office and looked aside.
The young masters looked at each other in confusion after hearing this, and one of them smiled with a hairpin on his temples: "It's okay to go, Madam Zhao, but it needs to be done quickly. I'm still waiting to hear Madam Zhao's orders."
Zhao Yuannu smiled lightly and said, "Yuannu will come as soon as you go. Thank you for your understanding, sir."
After she finished speaking, she gently twisted her waist and walked out with lotus steps.
After leaving the pavilion, the middle-aged man with a black beard showed an unhappy look on his face and said to Mr. Hairpin: "My dear husband, this Zhao Yuannu is too ignorant of praise. He is not a salesman. Where did he get such airs from? , actually left just as soon as he said he was leaving."
The fat white middle-aged man next to him also said: "That's true. Ever since I came in, I've been carrying it everywhere, and I won't accompany you with drinks or wait on you. I just sing a few Qing songs. This is too disrespectful to my little husband." ”
Mr. Hairpin shook his head and said with a smile: "You two have been away from home for a long time and are not in the capital. You don't know much about the atmosphere in Tokyo. This Fanlou is not comparable to other restaurants now."
The middle-aged man with a black beard asked curiously: "My dear husband, what do you mean by this?"
Mr. Hairpin picked up a cup of wine and drank it slowly, and said: "Although Fanlou was originally the number one restaurant, it was only a ranking and could not beat other restaurants. But since the official family came here to visit, this restaurant Status and worth are completely different."
The fat middle-aged man heard this and whispered: "My dear husband, are the rumors outside true?"
Before Mr. Hairpin could speak, a young man in green robe next to him waved his fan and said, "Of course it's true. After the official favored Master Li, he came here often. This Fanlou has benefited from the emperor's favor. How can other places do it?" compared to?"
The black-bearded middle-aged man shrank his neck and said, "When my official heard about this in other places, I thought it was just nonsense from some homeless people. I didn't expect it to be true."
The Hairpin Master glanced at him and said, "The official family is elegant and suave, so they are not afraid of this kind of thing spreading."
The fat middle-aged man said: "So, wouldn't Master Li become famous?"
The young man in green robe next to him said: "That's not the case. Zhao Yuannu was originally the same name as Li Shishi, and the official family only favored Li Shishi. Zhao Yuannu must be unhappy, but who made her have the same surname as the official family."
The black-bearded middle-aged man nodded: "I see. Why is Zhao Yuannu so arrogant? It turns out that he is comparing himself with Master Li in his heart."
The young man with a hairpin said: "Originally, they are of the same worth, and their appearance is not inferior, but because of the official affairs, they have distanced themselves. Although it is difficult to compare, the worth will rise, and the temperament must be improved. Only in this way can we It makes sense.”
The fat middle-aged man said: "What the young gentleman said is true. It's normal to be arrogant when thinking about it like this."
The young man in green robe said: "Actually, you two have missed the mark today. Originally, Zhao Yuannu had no reason to be punished according to the regulations. He wanted more rewards. I thought that there would be few people in Fan Lou tonight, so I could invite him. Otherwise, forget about singing and drinking, I’m afraid I won’t even see you in person.”
The black-bearded middle-aged man nodded repeatedly when he heard this: "Young Master is saying that the lower officials have little knowledge."
The young man in green robe said: "You two are just on the sidelines. It's normal for you not to know what's going on here."
Mr. Hairpin smiled and said: "Actually, it's good to be a little arrogant, otherwise it will be boring to cater to everyone. But I like to see people carrying it up and down, so that it tastes good."
Everyone laughed when they heard this.
Zhao Yuannu walked out of the pavilion, and Mei Niang hurriedly asked her aside. Then she talked about what happened before. Her words were a bit exaggerated, implying that Zhao Yuanu's side was not only stronger than here, but also more generous in their actions. .
Zhao Yuannu said softly: "Why didn't you come earlier? It's too late now."
Mei Niang said: "Madam, you might as well go and take a look outside the pavilion. If you like me, say a few words and form a good relationship. If you don't like me, just turn around and walk away."
Zhao Yuannu was melancholy here. After thinking for a few moments, he nodded slightly, and then followed Mei Niang towards the pavilion over there.
Arriving in front of the elegant pavilion where Zhao Tong was, Zhao Yuannu looked in along the door, his eyes fell on Zhao Tong involuntarily, and then he was stunned.
(End of chapter)
