Chapter 188.

A thousand calls have come and gone, but they are still holding the pipa.

When Bai Juyi wrote this sentence, I wonder if he had in his heart a sneer at the Pipa woman’s pretentiousness?

Xu Qi’an felt that the flower girl called Red Sleeve was quite pretentious, or perhaps she thought highly of herself? She came late to the tea party, laughed lightly, and said with a cup of wine:

“The slave’s body is not feeling well and rested for a few moments, so don’t be offended by a few of the lords.”

After drinking a glass of wine as compensation, there was nothing more to show.

But there were also those who dutifully acted as orderlies and played the drinking game. Well, there were all gongs present, and it certainly wasn’t the yarning, it was the rowing and the shaking of the dice.

Overly professional smile on his face …. The waist has been straightened, the body is slightly stiff, which shows that it has not really integrated into the atmosphere …. It is more taboo to have physical contact with the drinkers, just now I touched a little hand, there is disgust in the eyes ….

To summarize: look down on martial artists.

Xu Qi’an liked to observe people’s micro-expressions, as well as subtle movements. Because these details were all refractions of the heart to a certain extent.

It was an occupational hazard left over from his day.

Miss Red Sleeve’s behavior reminded Xu Qi’an of the first time she had met the Floating Fragrance Flower Leader, and that day, that flower leader of the Church Department’s ravishing reputation was also as polite on the surface, but detached on the inside.

It’s just that Floating Fragrance had a higher work ethic and didn’t show it as hot and obvious, while this Red Sleeve, on the other hand, was a bit naked.

Of course, Floating Fragrance is the flower girl of the capital city’s Department of Education, and where is the capital city? The capital is a place where officials and dignitaries gather, it’s not comparable to Yuzhou.

In addition to work ethic, appearance-wise, Red Sleeve is naturally extremely beautiful, with the soft and delicate temperament of a Jiangnan woman.

Speaking always with “ah”, “it” and other endings, soft moistening, talking to anyone is like talking to a lover.

“Slave will play a song for the several lords.” Red Sleeve smiled warmly.

“Lady Red Sleeve’s zither skills can be considered one of the best in Yuzhou’s Church Office, when you come to our Yuzhou Church Office, you must listen to Lady Red Sleeve’s zither sounds.” That official from the Cao Transportation Yamen immediately bragged.

It’s like introducing the specialty of your hometown to a valued guest from afar, and saying it how it sounds.

After the song was played, the official of the Cao Transportation Yamen smiled and raised his glass, “How about it, several adults?”

Song Tingfeng was an old fart, busy raising his cup and taking over the topic, “For example, the Floating Fragrance Flower Leader of the Capital’s Department of Education is not far behind.”

There are still some gaps …. Xu Qi’an is not favoring his own phase, purely from an objective point of view to evaluate.

“Is it the Floating Fragrance Flower Leader with the “sparse shadow across the shallow water, dark fragrance floating in the moon dusk”?” The eyes of the official from the Cao Transportation Yamen snapped to life.

It was a long way between Yuzhou and the capital, but the poem had been out for some time, and letters were exchanged between readers, spreading it to the Confucians of all the states.

These two lines of poetry have been widely circulated, and are even more popular than “Mo worry about the road ahead without a confidant, who in the world does not know the gentleman”.

“Exactly.” Song Tingfeng said.

“Rumor has it that Lady Floating Fragrance is a first-class beauty in the world.” The official from the Cao Transportation Yamen asked expectantly.

This is the filter of fame, Floating Fragrance is the most famous famous prostitute in the capital, with such a halo on her head, in the eyes of the men who are keen on the wind and moon places, she is simply a heavenly goddess.

The Red Sleeve Lady’s smile stiffened slightly, a little upset.

She felt little honor in discussing a great man of her profession in her yard with such gusto.

As if Song Tingfeng didn’t notice Lady Red Sleeve’s displeasure, he heatedly and strangely laughed twice, pointing at Xu Qi’an, he said, “That’s for you to ask him.”

Xu Qi’an said indifferently, “Not bad, among the beauties I’ve seen, it can be ranked in the top five.”

As he said this, a beautiful woman flashed through his mind: his aunt, Ling Yue, Huai Qing, Lin An, the State Master, Chu Caiwei ….

Do people talk?

The crowd couldn’t help but look at Xu Qi’an for a few moments.

“What a joke, Your Excellency really knows how to joke.” The official from the Cao Transportation Yamen laughed dryly.

“Not joking,” the silent Zhu Guangxiao spoke up, explaining for his colleague, “Fu Xiang is his date.”

…The official of the Cao Transportation Yamen’s face almost didn’t fall apart, trying to manage his expression so that he didn’t laugh out loud.

Floating Fragrance is his lover? The capital’s most famous whore, would she fall for a vulgar martial artist like you?

How come you don’t say that the princess is your date, and how come you don’t say that that mysterious woman, the State Master, is your date.

However, bragging on the drinking field belongs to the base manipulation, CaoYunYamen over to accompany the official heart disdain, the surface is still smiling.

Vulgar man …. The disdain in the eyes of the Red Sleeve Flower Leader was no longer hidden, only that she had nicely bowed her head and sipped her wine without letting the others see.

She would have disliked the military man, did not know how to be compassionate at all, and spoke and did things rudely, unlike the readers, who were gentle and elegant, reciting poetry and treating the women in the Department of Education with courtesy and courtesy.

“I didn’t realize that Your Excellency still had such a love affair with Lady Floating Fragrance, I don’t know Your Excellency’s high name?” Red Sleeve said half seriously and half mockingly.

The official of the Cao Yun Yamen fixed her with a reproachful look, and busily picked up his wine cup, “Drink drink drink.”

This topic was brought over, Song Tingfeng laughed, “Ning Banquet, it’s a good thing that the chief didn’t follow along and go to Yunzhou, or else he would definitely not have agreed to us coming to the Department of Oratory for pleasure.”

Xu Qi’an said, “This is not pleasure seeking, this is traveling in the mountains, next time the chief asks, you answer him like this.”

Ning Banquet, this should be his character…Red Sleeve looked at Xu Qi’an for a few moments.

Playing tea rounds is over.

The Red Sleeve Flower Girl left the table early, and then, there was no sound.

The fact that she didn’t keep that guest for tea meant that she didn’t have eyes for the night watchman who was there.

“Not knowing how to carry yourself!” A night watchman said in a deep voice.

The official of the Cao Yun Yamen was a bit embarrassed and was quite annoyed, not at the night watchman, but Red Sleeve.

It’s just that the Church and Workshop Department is not under the control of the Cao Transportation Yamen, and Red Sleeve, who is one of the six Flower Leaders of the Yuzhou Church and Workshop Department, doesn’t need to look at the face of the Cao Transportation Yamen at all in order to live her life.

Song Tingfeng waved his hand without much concern, “No harm, no foul, then let’s move on to the next match?”

Xu Qi’an agreed with Old Song’s approach that a twisted melon was not sweet.

The group left the courtyard, and the three of them, Song Tingfeng, turned to the river, and under the cover of the night, they stood on the bank to settle the swelling of their bladders.

…..

In the charcoal-fired bedroom, Red Sleeve took a sip of her hangover-quenching tea and sat at her dresser, letting the maid who pushed her way in knead her shoulders.

“Mother, they’re gone.” The maid laughed softly, “To say that the capital’s number one prostitute, Fu Xiang, is his lover, even Nun Nun can see that it’s a big lie.”

Red Sleeve bristled and said faintly, “That’s how martial artists are, vulgar and intolerable.”

After resting for a few moments, a maid knocked on the door and said from outside, “Ma’am, Mr. Wei has brought his fellow students to pack the house.”

When Red Sleeve heard this, her face brightened up and she joyfully said, “Serve wine to the gentlemen, and let them wait for a moment.”

After saying that, she hurriedly urged the maid, “Quickly wait for me to change my clothes and fetch that most beautiful gold-woven robe.”

Mr. Wei is the nephew of the governor of Yuzhou, a well-read scholar with a long and gentle face.

Changing into a beautiful Luo skirt, wearing a jade hairpin and a golden step rocker on her head, the fully dressed Hong Sleeve came to the wine room and saluted, “Hong Sleeve has met several gentlemen.”

She naturally accompanied and sat beside the white-robed Wei Gongzi, a young scholar, pointing out the mountains and mountains, and stirring up words, this was the environment she liked.

Every now and then, I envy that never met, but as the thunder heard of the capital’s first prostitute.

How fortunate it was to meet a talented scholar and to have him present a poem that will live on for generations to come.

“A few adults from the capital came just now, they seem to be night watchmen,” Red Sleeve laughed as she poured wine for Mr. Wei while chatting about the matter:

“Someone even said that the Floating Fragrance Flower Leader of the capital is his match.”

The readers present laughed out loud, “This is really funny, how could Lady Floating Fragrance look at a coarse martial artist.”

“Brother Wei made a trip to the capital half a month ago, did he go to see the Floating Fragrance Flower Leader?”

“Shame, shame, shame, played the tea roundup three times and only saw the Floating Fragrance Flower Leader once.” The white-robed Wei Gongzi revealed a look of infatuation as he spoke:

“Dark Fragrance Floating Moon Dusk …. As the name suggests, the person is as beautiful as the country.”

A male gentleman immediately asked, “The Floating Fragrance Flower Leader has a date?”

Wei Gongzi said indistinctly: “I do remember something, that day when playing tea round, I chat with the banquet drinker, he said floating incense has long stopped receiving guests, daily playing tea round the guests in an endless stream, just for a glimpse of the face.

But ah, there is a person who frequents Shadow Plum Pavilion…well, Floating Fragrance’s courtyard is then called Shadow Plum Pavilion. It is said that this person is Floating Fragrance’s lover.”

The hearts of the gentlemen present were moved: “The composer of the song “Dark Fragrance Floating Moon Dusk”?”

Mr. Wei lamented, “Who else but him?”

After a pause, he looked around the crowd and said in a tone of sharing a secret: “This person’s identity is extraordinary. This poem has been widely circulated, and everyone in Dafeng Confucianism knows about it, but why is the poet’s name unknown, and no one even talks about it. Don’t you guys think it’s strange?”

This aroused the curiosity of the crowd, and they speculated, “The identity is too sensitive to speak to people?”

The Red Sleeve Flower Leader’s eyes lit up as she listened on, and she was the one who was most curious about the identity of that poet. That was a talented man who could transform the women of the Church Department.

When his companions had been discussing for a few moments with their mouths agape, Mr. Wei pressed his hand, and the scene fell silent.

He shook his head and said, “Because the man’s true identity was a night watchman, not a reader.”

“It’s actually like this?!” The crowd was shocked, and then it dawned on them.

No wonder the julin did not proclaim the identity of that poet in the least, tacitly choosing to forget that it was a night watchman, not a reader.

The night watchman…the speaker has no heart, the listener has the intention, the red sleeve a heart, abruptly sank.

She opened her mouth and said in an astringent voice, “Call, what’s your name?”

Duke Wei glanced sideways at the beauty and said, “Xu Qi’an, character Ning Banquet.”

Clang…the wine glass fell on the tabletop, then slid to the floor and shattered.

The crowd looked at Red Sleeve, this beauty’s face was pale and white, her gaze dull, like a lifeless paper flower.

Is bewildered it, red sleeve suddenly to the table a lying, mournful pain, crying pearly rain, crying sad, body rustling trembling.

PS: I finally rushed out a chapter, I don’t have time to double-check for typos, so I’ll post it first to help catch bugs.