Placid Chang'an

"What's the matter?" Su Cen was slightly taken aback, then turned around and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Brother Qi can't find you here."

"No." Qu Linger frowned.

"That's why you think this oiran is not to your liking?"

"No." Qu Ling'er shook her head, "Brother Su, there might be danger on board, let's go back."

"Dangerous?" Su Cen frowned, and asked after a while, "Am I in danger... or are you in danger?"

"I just think this boat is not easy. Brother Su, listen to me, let's go back."

Su Cen frowned and thought for a while, "Is there anyone you know on this boat?"

Seeing that Qu Ling'er stopped talking, Su Cen understood, and lightly patted Qu Ling'er on the shoulder, "Go back to the inn and wait for me, there is someone I have to follow, don't worry, they If you don't know me, I'll be fine."

"Must go?"

Su Cen nodded: "We must go."

Su Cen boarded the boat just as the gangway was evacuating, and the flower boat creaked away from the shore, heading towards the center of the river.Qu Ling'er gritted her teeth and stamped her feet, and finally used her strength to fly a little to catch up with the boat on the water surface, and sighed to Su Cen, "Brother Su, I'll follow you."

Su Cen frowned, "Aren't you afraid that someone will recognize you?"

Qu Ling'er forced a laugh, "It's an old friend, but not an enemy."

The flower boat is three storeys high, and red lanterns are lit at the corners of the house, reflecting the boat as if it were daylight, and reflecting the sparkling waves on the water.No wonder people in Yangzhou want to build brothels on boats. This kind of state of being intoxicated by wine is probably only possible on this flower boat.

On the first floor, there is an open hall for the girls to perform piano, chess, calligraphy and painting.Further up is a room of boudoirs for fragrant women, the purpose of which is self-evident.

When Su Cen and Qu Ling'er entered, everyone was already seated in the hall.

The seats spread out in a fan shape around the main stage in the hall, and Su Cen saw at a glance that the dandy from before was sitting in the seat closest to the center of the stage with a slumped face. It seemed that he wanted to kiss the girl Fangze but failed.

Su Cen and the others were the last to come in. Naturally, there were no good seats.Fortunately, Su Cen didn't come here for the oiran, so he found a corner seat near the pillar, which was covered by a light gauze, so it was convenient for Qu Ling'er to hide.

As soon as Su Cen took his seat, a young servant came forward to serve the tea. The color of the tea soup was still good. Su Cen just picked up the cup and reached out with one hand to press it in time. Su Cen turned his head and saw Qu Linger gently Shaking his head: "Brother Su, you'd better not touch anything on this boat."

Su Cen froze for a moment, nodded, put down the cup and did not move again.

The bustard came up to the stage again, joked with some of the benefactors in the hall, and then stood up on the stage and said: "Miss Qingchen said that we will make friends with literature today, and I have prepared a book for you guys. This is a big gift——" the bustard deliberately kept her mouth shut, and waited until the audience was booing before continuing: "Miss Qing Chen said that the brother who won today, the girl invited him to be the guest of honor, and I will only serve him tonight. people."

There was an uproar in the audience.

You must know that this girl Qingchen has always been a showman but not a person, and she has never heard of anyone being lured into her boudoir.This once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity immediately aroused the blood of the audience, eager to try.

Just at this time, a seat of light gauze was lowered on the stage, and the hall was silent for a moment, and then I saw a slim figure coming out, bowed on the stage, and said softly: "Today's competition is divided into three rounds, each is drumming and passing flowers. Sing to the pot, search for songs and compose poems, please leave the defeated benefactors, there are many sisters upstairs and downstairs to entertain you."

After hearing this, Su Cen couldn't help but smile, it's not easy to go shopping in a brothel, you still have to try it, try it twice, try it three times, it's even better than their scientific examination, the so-called talent and beauty, these talents are selected layer by layer of.

It didn't take a while for someone to lift the big drum with the height of one person onto the stage.

The original meaning of drumming and passing flowers is to pass the hydrangea ball along with the drumbeat, and when the drum stops, the flowers will fall, and whoever falls into the hands will drink.But here is a bit more difficult, the person who gets the flower has to recite a poem praising Miss Qingchen's hibiscus color, and those who can't recite it can only leave the scene sadly.

I saw Qing Chen standing with his back, the water sleeves in the curtain stretched out, the sound of the drum suddenly sounded, and a colored silk hydrangea ball was passed from the front to the back.Su Cen sat far away and couldn't reach him for a while, so he took the opportunity to look at the people in the curtain.

I couldn't help but be surprised when I saw this, this girl Qingchen didn't use a drumstick to beat the drum, she went out quickly with a pair of water sleeves, but retracted slowly, she actually beat the big drum with a pair of water sleeves alone.

His guess at the beginning was right, this person's kung fu is really good.

After a few rounds, seven or eight people went down. It wasn't that they couldn't recite a word or sentence, but that the drum beat stopped so quickly that they forgot what they were preparing for in a moment of panic.

The next round started again, the drumbeat changed from rapid to slow, and the hydrangea was still on the other half of the country when it was about to stop.Just as Su Cen breathed a sigh of relief, the hydrangea suddenly fell from mid-air. Someone threw the hydrangea in a panic and landed in Su Cen's arms.

The sound of the drum had stopped, and Su Cen was about to get up when he heard the sound of the drum again. Su Cen threw the hydrangea ball into the hands of the next person.

The man was stunned for a moment before he realized what happened, but it was too late when the drumbeat stopped, Youyuan glared at Su Cen, got up and left the table.

Su Cen tilted her head and asked Qu Ling'er: "Did she look back at us just now?"

"Huh?" Qu Ling'er scratched her head, "Is there? I didn't see it."

Su Cen shook her head, "That's because I misunderstood."

The first round of beating drums and passing flowers was over, those who stayed were secretly happy, and those who left were sad.Su Cen looked up and saw that the dandy sitting in the middle was also in the table, neither of them had been mentioned.

In the second round of Solomon throwing pots, a servant brought a glazed celadon pot with a thin neck and round belly and put it on the stage, and the rest of the people fired five long arrows without arrowheads, drawing a line from the outside of the line into the pot. Throwing, one arrow out of five is considered qualified.

Su Cen looked at the arrow in his hand and sighed a few times. Li Le shot the number of Yushu. He rode his horse like that in Chang'an City that day, but in fact his Yushu is not the worst...

Back then when he shot... it was a blessing to be able to leave the arrow on the target.

What kind of throwing pots are you doing when you meet friends in Yiwen?

"What's wrong, Brother Su?" Qu Ling'er casually picked up the arrow on the table to play with, and threw it casually while talking to Su Cen. The arrow passed over the heads of everyone and hit the heart of the pot!

And the round pot with a big belly didn't move at all!

Everyone looked back in unison, Su Cen's seat was in the corner of the hall, more than ten feet away from the small round pot, and other people probably couldn't even see where the pot mouth was.

Qu Ling'er threw it casually again, and said with a smile: "It's not difficult, in my opinion, you should throw it blindfolded, that would be interesting."

Su Cen hastily covered Qu Ling'er's mouth with her hands, smiled apologetically at everyone, turned her head and gave Qu Ling'er a look, she was almost done, showing off her addiction.

But fortunately, this was closed, so a large number of people were brushed off, including the second young master.

But this man also has skills, the specific performance is that he is extremely thick-skinned, obviously all five arrows have missed, but he still sits on his seat and does not leave the field. Cried.

Miss Qing Chen smiled lightly inside the curtain: "Second Young Master is a distinguished guest, so it doesn't matter if you stay."

The boy let out a sigh of relief, bowed and retreated.

After two rounds, there were only seven or eight people left. The big drums on the stage were removed, and the guqin was replaced.

The five tones in vocal music——Gongshangjiaozhengyu, respectively correspond to the four tones of flat and flat, Gongshang is the flat tone, Zheng is the upper tone, Yu is the outgoing tone, and Jiao is the entering tone. The five tones are played on the Guqin, and the people in the audience recite poems that match the tones.

From easy to difficult, first a Zheng sound burst out from the curtain, and someone immediately said: "Beautiful."

Although vulgar, it is also beyond reproach.

Su Cen finally answered "Wan", this round is over and no one loses.

Next, from the two tones to the three tones, and then to the five tones, gradually some people lost their support and left the stage.

Su Cen could tell that the second son was an idiot, and the three voices couldn't match, but he had a thick skin and refused to leave.

When it came to Qiyin, only Su Cen, the second son and another table were left.

Seven scales came out from the curtain.

Yu Shang Gong Zheng Yu Gong Shang.

Flat flat flat flat.

Naturally, the second young master couldn't count on it. The people at the other table opened their mouths, then shook their heads silently, finally sighed, and left silently.

Su Cen became the last person to stay, and won everyone's attention without any hope.

Su Cen held the cup and rushed to the people on the stage with a slight smile: "The morning rain in Weicheng is light, and I respect Miss Qingchen."

The people in the curtain stood up and smiled at Su Cen, "Congratulations, young master, for winning the first prize. Dare I ask you, young master Gao's name?"

Su Cen thought for a while, and said, "My surname is Li, and my single name is Xu."

"Please wait a moment, Mr. Li." Qing Chen bowed slightly and stepped back from behind the curtain.

As soon as Qing Chen left, the second young master couldn't sit still. He leaned forward and watched Qing Chen go upstairs before he reluctantly sat down. He glared at Su Cen viciously, as if no one wanted to drive the young master away.

Naturally, no one chased him away, and after a while a servant came out and bowed to Su Cen: "Miss Qingchen invites you to enter the Nuan Pavilion."

Su Cen and Qu Ling'er were led up the stairs by the servants, and the spare second son looked at each other with the two thugs guarding the stairs.

Su Cen didn't feel it when he just passed the test, but now he is going upstairs step by step, but he is embarrassed.It's not that he has never been to a brothel song shop, listened to music, and drank tea, but it was his first time to enter a girl's boudoir.But now that he has walked out of the door, he does nothing after entering the door. Will it make people think that he is not capable.But if things really go smoothly... Su Cen couldn't help shivering, and let Li Shi know that he could be castrated.

Su Cen sighed, why should this person defend himself like a jade when Xiao Yuanchen is in front of him and Feng Yiming is in the back?

It's not easy to come out on top and not go in, so Su Cen can only bite the bullet and push the door open.

A strange fragrance hits the nostrils, like some kind of floral fragrance mixed with mellow nectar, which makes people feel refreshed.

Su Cen stepped in and gave him a slight salute.

Qing Chen changed his clothes, and the veil that covered his face was gone, his complexion was like jade, elegant and refined, he really had the appearance of sinking fish and wild geese, and the appearance of shy flowers under the closed moon.

Nothing but nothing.

Su Cen took his seat and couldn't help sighing: "It is said that 'there are beauties in the north who are independent from the world'. I never thought that the beauties in the south are not inferior."

Qing Chen smiled slightly: "Is the young master a northerner?"

"That's not true." Su Cen spoke official Mandarin with perfect accents, without a slight accent, "My family has been in business for generations, and I never thought that my generation's family would be in decline. I came here to join relatives."

"Oh?" Qing Chen raised his eyebrows, "I don't know which relative?"

"Yangzhou salt merchant Jia's house," Su Cen paused slightly, staring at Qing Chen: "Miss, have you ever heard of it?"

"Jia's family?" Qing Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, suspicion flashing across his eyes.

Su Cen pretended not to see it, scratched his head and said embarrassedly: "To be honest, the master of the Jia family is my cousin's uncle. According to my seniority, I should call him cousin, but well, it's my first time in Yangzhou." Come on, may I ask Miss if the Jia family has a good reputation in Yangzhou City? Do you think Master Jia can recognize me as a nephew?"

Qing Chen: "..."

Su Cen ignored the other people's relationship with him, and continued: "But I heard that my cousin has a younger uncle in his family, who is about the same age as me, and I don't know if it will be easy to get along with him."

Qing Chen figured it out for a long time before he figured it out, and instead of answering, he asked, "Then do you think the second young master downstairs is easy to get along with?"

"The second young master downstairs..." Su Cen couldn't help being startled when he thought about it, "You mean the one downstairs is my uncle?!"

Then he shook his head again, "No, my cousin told me that the Jia family has only one son, why do you all call him the second son?"

Qing Chen shook his head: "Originally there was another eldest son with outstanding talent and appearance, but a serious illness passed away a few years ago, and now the Jia family indeed only has this son left."

Su Cen suddenly realized: "No wonder."

A servant knocked on the door and brought tea in, Qing Chen got up and poured a cup for Su Cen, and brought it to Su Cen, "Why don't you take part in the scientific examination with such a good talent?"

"What's so good about being an official?" Su Cen picked up the teacup and casually drew circles around the edge of the cup, "There are so many rules, this is not allowed, that is not allowed, and everyone has to salute when they meet. I don't want to be an official. There is a lot of business in Yangzhou, so I just wanted to ask him if he wanted a shop to be a hands-off shopkeeper, and in the future, he should eat and drink, and he should go to the flower house and go to the flower house.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Cen saw a little disdain in Qing Chen's eyes.It is estimated that now, in her eyes, she is just a dandy who is not doing business and living a wasteful life.Su Cen didn't stop doing anything, took the girl's slender hand, put it up to her nose, sniffed it, and said with a smile: "Miss Qingchen, you smell so sweet, I will redeem you when I have money. Just be a concubine for me, and you don't have to show your face like this anymore."

Qing Chen exhausted all his life skills and didn't push the person out, he just pulled his hand back with all his strength, and said with a cold smile: "Everyone said, 'Daughter's fragrance burns the muscles and bones', my incense is life-threatening incense, sir, you are not afraid of breaking your tendons here bone?"

"Dead under the peony flower, even being a ghost is flirtatious," Su Cen waited to pull someone back, but Qing Chen stood up before him.

Qing Chen got up and picked the pipa on the wall, Fu Yi said: "Young master, please have tea, Qing Chen is willing to play a piece of music for you, I wonder what you want to hear?"

Su Cen looked downcast, and could only wave his hands at the end, "Will you play "The Order of the Butterfly"? Then ask the girl to play "The Order of the Butterfly"."

""The Order of the Butterfly"?" Qing Chen was slightly taken aback, then bowed his head and picked up the sound, pretending to ask casually: "Why did you remember to listen to this song, my lord?"

"I also heard it from the boatman who carried me. On the surface, singing butterflies is actually lyrical. It is said that it is also a story about a fireworks girl and a scholar. Miss Qingchen, don't you think this song is very similar to your situation and my situation?"

"The young master is wrong," Qing Chen smiled softly, "The scholar in the song is a high school scholar, and the two of them made love with butterfly hairpins, but they ended up paying for the rest of their lives by mistake."

The meaning in those words is obvious, at least he is a Jinshi, but you are just a prodigal son who spends his days and drinks.

Su Cen didn't realize it, and teased: "You followed me, I will never pay the beauty by mistake."

Qing Chen couldn't be bothered to entangle with this person any longer, so he pressed the string to pick the tune, and a lingering and mournful sound jumped out from the string.

Su Cen picked up the teacup and took a sip, then tapped the table with the sound of the piano.

After a while, there was only a blunt sound, and Su Cen was already lying on the table.

Qu Linger immediately took a step forward: "What did you do to him?!"

The sound of the pipa stopped abruptly, "I'm just asleep," Qing Chen smiled at Qu Ling'er, "Ling'er, you are still alive."