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With a bang, fireworks lit up in the sky near Bailuzhou. Search: \ (? End? Book? God? Station) Free to read fine literature gathered in the crowd below, Xiao Chan held onto Ning Yi's clothes and walked forward while looking up, occasionally stumbling over a stone and bumping her head into Ning Yi's back.

The venue for the Flower Queen Competition was said to be on Bailuzhou, but it was actually near a post station between Bailuzhou and Jiangning. This place was backed by mountains and surrounded by water, with vast green spaces. The huge assembly ground had already been fenced off, and the river surface nearby was lined with painted boats and pleasure barges. As the flower carriages arrived one after another, the green space outside was now crowded with people. Various snacks and acrobatics were set up on the grass, and the sounds of clanging and beating were very lively amid the flickering firelight.

It was actually simple to enter the venue to watch the performances. The fee was one flower. After entering, you could present it to the girl you liked. One flower cost one tael of silver, equivalent to one thousand coins. Although the Jiangning area of the Wu Dynasty was prosperous, it was still a considerable sum for ordinary families. Nearly ten thousand people came this time, and about three thousand could enter. The rest would probably enjoy themselves outside the venue, wait for the competition to end, or go home to sleep halfway through.

From Ning Yi's perspective, this was a society with a significant wealth gap, much larger than it would be a thousand years later. However, although some people complained, everyone had become accustomed to many things. In their minds, this situation was taken for granted. Some brought their families and enjoyed the cool air on the lively grass and riverbanks with their families, spending tens or hundreds of coins as a luxury. Others had no money and simply came to watch the acrobatics performances, listening to the music coming from the venue. When a certain girl won the title of Flower Queen, they would also rejoice together.

Most of the three thousand people who entered were not wealthy. Some poor scholars wanted to associate themselves with elegance and get to know some people. There were also many who gritted their teeth and paid to not miss this kind of event. The truly wealthy were probably the top few hundred, who would contribute more than ninety percent of the revenue for this event, ranging from dozens, hundreds, to thousands of taels, and even exceeding ten thousand, which was often talked about for a long time. In Yangzhou and Tokyo, it was said that the Flower Queen competitions were even more grand than in Jiangning.

When they arrived, the flower carriages had already entered. People were entering at the entrance with tickets. Ning Yi and Xiao Chan ran to the grass beside them, found a slightly empty stall, ate a bowl of tofu pudding, and watched the scene. The sound of acquaintances waving and greeting each other could be heard from time to time in the crowded crowd. Occasionally, someone who secretly wanted to enter would be driven out, and both sides would curse each other. It would probably take some time to get in. Xiao Chan sat at the small table, bought tofu pudding but didn't eat it. Instead, she took a few plums and other candied fruits from her arms and placed them in the bowl of tofu pudding as decorations. Ning Yi looked at her helplessly.

"Can you eat it like this?"

"It's pretty." Xiao Chan said, taking a spoonful of tofu brain with plum particles and putting it in her mouth, savoring it slowly for a long time, somewhat intoxicated. Ning Yi admired her ability to eat a spoonful of tofu pudding for so long. He inadvertently recalled a long, long time ago, when he seemed to have licked a cotton candy for an hour. He couldn't help but smile at Xiao Chan's expression, put down his spoon, and looked around leisurely, waiting.

For him, leisure was actually a kind of patience in most cases. This was also the case in most situations after coming to the Wu Dynasty. It was more of a habit developed out of patience, a composure cultivated over many years that remained unshaken even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him. However, at this moment, in the bustling crowd, he and Xiao Chan were sitting here, perhaps experiencing true leisure. After a moment, Xiao Chan pointed to the crowd over there: "Eh, Young Master, Young Master Wen Ding and Young Master Wen Fang are there."

Sure enough, the people in the crowd were Su Wen Ding, Su Wen Fang, and others from the Su family. They were accompanied by several of their friends, whom Ning Yi had heard of before, mostly scholars with some minor fame. When they looked over, they had already seen Ning Yi and Xiao Chan, and they were slightly embarrassed.

These people usually had nothing to talk about with Ning Yi. Occasionally, they exchanged a few words of greetings at the Su family. Ning Yi had been present recently when they extorted money from Su Tan'er, using various reasons such as doing business and various aspiring reasons. Su Tan'er would always nag for a long time, pointing out the secrets and opinions about doing business. Although they probably knew that this cousin knew everything they were doing, they were still somewhat embarrassed to meet Ning Yi at this time.

For Su Wen Ding, Su Wen Fang and others, on the one hand, Ning Yi was an adopted son-in-law, and on the other hand, he was truly talented, which had spread throughout the Su family, and no one dared to really underestimate him. Even if there was no such thing, they had to give Su Tan'er face. At this time, they hesitated for a while, considering whether to say hello or not. Ning Yi just nodded and smiled at them, which relieved their troubles and prevented them from coming over.

After that, they saw the entourage of the Kang family. After a while, there was finally some space at the entrance, and the flow of people decreased slightly. Ning Yi and the slow-moving Xiao Chan had already finished their tofu pudding and walked over there. Afterwards, they met Li Pin. Li Pin was accompanied by two scholars. After introducing each other, Xiao Chan politely greeted them before they entered together.

*****************

The venue on the third day of the Lunar New Year

is actually relatively wide, after all, if more than one hundred girls were to perform on one stage in turns, it would almost be dawn the next day when they finished performing.

Participants who entered from the fenced-off entrance would first see the newly decorated post stations, restaurants, and other items. Most of the buildings were originally there. It also provides wine, tea, and food, various places to rest. The arrangements around the nearby rocks, beaches, and circular stages are all different, it's like a theme park.

Five stages were set up together, including a water pavilion on a painted boat, a tea house dance floor, a small building by the river bay, a small inn near the mountain, and a circular drum in the center. The approximate time and location of each girl's performance were also arranged. Usually, the order is drawn by lot, but there are also some deliberate adjustments. For example, the performance times of the Four Great Courtesans or some recognized popular girls will be staggered as much as possible to avoid the situation where the Four Great Courtesans are performing in various places at the same time, making it impossible to decide who to watch.

Naturally, the painted boats and pleasure barges were the places for the girls to rest. There were also various large and small sheds around the venue, which were also the territories of various brothels. Only those who were invited could enter to meet the performers. The surrounding restaurants were mostly filled with literary fragrance, and better poems would be hung out to cheer for a certain girl and create momentum. If you want to present flowers on stage, you don't just throw them on the stage. Someone will naturally register them next to the stage.

"With Brother Gu's favor this time, Miss Miaomiao of the Four Great Courtesans is undoubtedly going to enter. The last poem Brother Gu wrote for Miss Miaomiao, 'Lian You', is like a delicacy, leaving a fragrant aroma for several days after reading it. Brother Gu's poetic talent is admirable, come, let's toast Brother Gu."

Night had fallen, the fireworks had been set off, and the performances on the various stages had actually begun. People gathered and dispersed in the venue, going to their favorite stages to watch the performances. In the Wenmo Building next door, Gu Yanzhen and several people were temporarily resting. Among these people, Gu Yanzhen was the leader, mainly because he liked a girl named Luo Miaomiao. This girl had debuted not long ago, but her reputation was already very high. There were many people pursuing her. In this competition, it was no doubt that she will be in the top sixteen, and she was a popular candidate for the Four Great Courtesans. Gu Yanzhen had written several poems for her a few days ago to help her gain momentum.

At this time, the few people complimented each other a few times. After a while, a beautiful woman came over to say hello. Gu Yanzhen had also written poems for her before. She had finished her performance and came over to thank him, and also drank two cups of wine with him. She obviously had some interest in Gu Yanzhen, but she also knew that he was now pursuing Luo Miaomiao. After a while, she felt that there was no hope and had other things to do, so she said goodbye and left.

From time to time, madams would accompany girls to come up to the Wenmo Building to thank them, which could be regarded as lively. After the first wave of enthusiasm, his friend Shen Miao poured wine and came over: "It's enviable, Yanzhen, you have beautiful women favoring you there."

Gu Yanzhen laughed: "What if a beautiful woman favors me? The beautiful woman I favor doesn't favor me."

The people next to him thought he was talking about Luo Miaomiao and asked with interest. Gu Yanzhen was also open-minded and talked about pursuing a woman some time ago, wanting to take her as a concubine and go to Leping together, but he was slapped in the face. He said this matter naturally, and others admired him, praising him for being able to take it and let it go. Shen Miao knew his character and smiled after a moment: "You don't really think that way in your heart."

"If not, what else can I do?" Gu Yanzhen said indifferently and clinked glasses with him, drinking it all in one gulp.

"Has it been discovered who Miss Nie likes?"

"Probably nothing can be found out."

"Maybe Miss Nie is really indifferent and doesn't want to marry?"

"How is that possible?" Gu Yanzhen frowned slightly, lowered his voice, and spoke quickly, "That Songhua Egg incident must have been manipulated behind the scenes! It's hateful... It's a pity that I questioned Dexin that day, and Dexin protected that person, not revealing a single word. Hmph, I just want to know who this person is. If he is really amazingly talented, I, Gu Yanzhen, will naturally be convinced..."

"Can't you ask others?"

"All you know is that that person was joking with a friend, made a bet, and therefore asked Dexin to find someone to act as a shill, and also required that he could not use his fame to help. This person may also be a famous talent... Alas, with Yunzhu's temperament, she naturally likes this kind of person. That day, Yunzhu's maid, Houtao, hinted that I should pursue her young lady, vaguely revealing that her young lady seemed to have someone she liked, but at this time, the entanglement was not deep, and the other party was definitely not suitable for her young lady. Later, that incident happened. She knew that I probably had no hope with her young lady, so she naturally protected her young lady and no longer revealed the other party's identity..." Gu Yanzhen shook his head, "If I think about it, I'm afraid Yunzhu has fallen in love with some seventy or eighty-year-old veteran celebrity, admiring his talent and knowledge, and has been blinded by him... Yunzhu is not a snob. With her indifferent temperament, this is not impossible."

There are many celebrities in the Jiangning area. If Nie Yunzhu really falls in love with some famous old man, even if he, Gu Yanzhen, has money now and has also become an official, he may not be able to do anything. Most of these old men have extensive social connections. If Yunzhu sincerely promises to him, he is definitely not someone that a young talent like him can deal with. At this time, the two discussed for a while, and vaguely, a commotion came from the other side of the restaurant, as if something was happening.

Looking over from here, it was a look of two groups of talents mocking and arguing with each other. A girl who had come up to thank them was a little flustered at this time, trying to mediate but with no effect. One of the young men seemed to have been ridiculed until his face was red and he was quite embarrassed.

Afterwards, someone from his side came over with a smile, holding a piece of paper in his hand, explaining the reason: "Haha, that girl is Tang Jing from Willow Leaf House. Her singing and dancing have ended, and she has gained a good reputation. This young master gave her a hundred fresh flowers, so she came up to thank him. Later, he wrote a poem, but he made a fool of himself, haha, let's see what this poem is?"

Most of those with Gu Yanzhen were famous talents, whose knowledge was not comparable to ordinary people. At this time, they took the poem and then laughed. The poem was really not good, only meeting the tones, with too much carving marks, but if it was a little worse, it would be almost a limerick. It was a pity that this person could do it and still wanted to pretend to be a talent. Gu Yanzhen looked at it and smiled: "This kind of poem... heh, this person is probably from a merchant family."

In fact, there are many people who write bad poems but pretend to be elegant these days, but it depends on the place. Some merchants write some limericks, and there are people who praise them on fixed occasions, but if you don't know your own limitations and go to a place where elders and celebrities gather and make a mess, then you can't blame others for laughing. At this time, that person was laughed at enough. One of Gu Yanzhen's men also laughed: "Yanzhen is indeed insightful, this person's family runs a cloth shop, called Su Wen Ding, and he has no talent at all. The people on the other side probably have a grudge against him, so they are making him unable to step down now."

"Heh, Wen Ding, difficult." Gu Yanzhen shook his head and watched the show with a smile, "Don't pay attention to them, let them go."

The one being ridiculed was Su Wen Fang, Su Wen Ding and others. The girl that Su Wen Fang liked now was Tang Jing. This time, he saved money to support Tang Jing and wrote a poem, which was considered from the bottom of his heart, but unfortunately, his talent was really not enough. At this time, he was caught and laughed at non-stop, but there were some people on his side who were slightly more talented than him, and immediately came out and said: "What crooked poems can you write?"

The other side laughed: "Naturally better than you."

The two sides then began to fight over poetry. After only two poems, Su Wen Fang's side immediately ran out of ideas. On the other side, one person had excellent poetic talent, and at this time he only wrote a poem praising Tang Jing, which immediately overwhelmed everyone. Although Tang Jing had skills, her reputation was not well-known on weekdays, and she didn't know how to deal with this kind of jealousy for a while. Afterwards, someone came over and told Su Wen Fang and others about the evaluation of Gu Yanzhen and others, and pointed towards Gu Yanzhen's side.

Although Gu Yanzhen didn't want to participate in this matter, the evaluation of these people was eventually passed on. This was normal, so he watched the show here. Su Wen Fang, Su Wen Ding and others were even more embarrassed. The other party was simply pursuing Tang Jing with poetry on the spot, but they claimed to be talents but couldn't fight back.

The other side laughed: "Brother Ji Wen's poetic talent is something you can't reach. Even if you take it to the Zhishui Poetry Society or the Lichuan Poetry Society, everyone will have to praise it. You just didn't say you wanted to compare poems, but you dare to show off this kind of talent. Let me teach you how to write poetry."

Saying that, he wrote a poem, which was also decent. Afterwards, someone else wrote a poem, and for a while, everyone was enthusiastic. That Chen Jiwen's poetic talent was good. Gu Yanzhen had probably heard the name before. He looked at the lively scene and casually guessed whether they would fight later. If they fought here, they would probably be kicked out. Afterwards, he turned his gaze to the downstairs.

An acquaintance was walking towards the restaurant.

It was Li Pin, Li Dexin. The two used to be familiar, but after being slapped in the face by Nie Yunzhu, he went to ask him for news about the person behind Nie Yunzhu. Although he said it lightly just now, Li Pin was unwilling to reveal the other party's identity, and even said: "I know your character, don't talk about it anymore." In a sense, the two had already broken up.

Therefore, he frowned slightly.

Li Pin was accompanied by a young man he had never met. The two were talking about something. Behind them, a delicate maid in a floral white dress was following, presumably she came with the unknown man...

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Second update completed, requesting monthly votes ^_^

Next update tomorrow morning.

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