Not long after Prince Ning arrived, today's judges also arrived one after another. There were five of them in total.

Xu Kui is tall and broad-mouthed, with a narrow forehead and a slender arm. He also holds the posts of Deputy Envoy of Jiangxi Provincial Punishers and Admiral of Academic Affairs, so he must be the chief judge.

Sitting in the second seat of the judges is an old man in his sixties. He has white hair but a rosy complexion. He is dressed in a simple gown and has a bun on his head. He has a somewhat fairy-like air.

This person is Li Shishi, the former imperial censor of the capital who has become an official. He is a native of Nanchang and a Jinshi. He was dissatisfied with the current emperor's entertainment, so he became an official and returned to his hometown. Now he is a guest of Prince Ning's Mansion.

It is worth mentioning here that Li Shishi was proficient in Feng Shui and was a representative figure of the "Lantou School" of Feng Shui school. Ning Wang Zhu Chenhao asked him many times to help with Feng Shui.

The other three judges are Tang Bohu, supervisory censor Liu Zhong, and Nanchang Prefecture magistrate Ke Zheng.

It is said that Song Yifang, the prefect of Nanchang, was still under house arrest by Prince Ning, so Tongzhi Ke Zheng currently controls the government office of Nanchang Prefecture, and he is attached to Prince Ning's residence.

Therefore, today's judges, except for the great master Xu Kui and the censor Liu Zhong, the other three are closely related to Prince Ning's Mansion, including the crazy Tang Bohu, who is also nominally an aide to Prince Ning's Mansion.

Xu Kui sat on the chief judge's bench, his ugly face as solemn as ever. He was upright and outspoken. He was one of the few Jiangxi officials who did not rely on Prince Ning, so he was highly regarded by Governor Sun Sui.

Originally, Xu Kui didn't care about the competition between the candidates from Nanchang Prefecture and Guangxin Prefecture at first, and as the grand master who presided over the college examination, it was difficult to get involved. But then he gradually realized that something was wrong, because Prince Ning

The prince has been very active in fueling the situation behind the scenes, contributing both money and effort, which is really unreasonable.

Xu Kui and Governor Sun Sui thought about it and felt that this was a strategy of Prince Ning's Palace to win over local scholars in Nanchang, so Xu Kui volunteered to be the judge of the last literary competition, hoping to offset part of the influence of Prince Ning's Palace.

At this time, Crown Prince Ning stood up, smiled and said loudly: "Today is a crisp autumn day. Talents from the two palaces gathered in the Tengwang Pavilion. It was an unprecedented event. Moreover, I am honored to have Mr. Xu from Xuetai as the judge of this literary competition. I am also working with him.

It's an honor, why don't we ask Mr. Taiwan to give you a few words of encouragement?"

All the candidates cheered in unison!

Xu Kui pressed his hands together and said with a straight face: "The Master said: "When three people are walking together, there must be my teacher." The Master also said: "Isn't it a pleasure to have a friend come from afar?"

It is a good thing to make friends through literature and learn from each other, but if you attack each other because of regional differences, you will be inferior. Therefore, I think that you are all talents from Jiangxi, and you can learn from each other, but you cannot hurt the two governments.

The harmony between them.”

As soon as these words came out, some candidates from both houses lowered their heads in shame, and Xu Jin glanced thoughtfully at Prince Ning, who had an unnatural expression.

Comrade Ke Zheng smiled and smoothed things over and said, "What Mr. Xu said is absolutely true. I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince has prepared a song and dance, why don't you do some to add to the fun first?"

Prince Ning smiled and clapped his hands, and then heard the sound of soft footsteps coming from the floor of the sixth floor. A beauty in full dress walked down the stairs, supported by a maid.

Everyone's eyes suddenly lit up, and Xu Jin couldn't help showing admiration. This woman was indeed extremely beautiful, with a tall yet graceful figure, a slender waist, and graceful curves.

The girl was supported downstairs by her maid, dragging her long white skirt, and walked towards the judges' table with light steps, instantly bringing up a gust of fragrance. Her graceful figure, tall long legs, and stunning beauty

His beautiful face immediately made all the scholars present unable to take their eyes away.

"Yu Xue has met His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, and all of you." The woman walked to the judges' table and bowed before her, with a sense of beauty in her every move.

Prince Ning's eyes flashed with heat, and when he was about to speak, he heard a "dang" sound, and a wine glass fell to the ground and broke into pieces. Tang Bohu stood up excitedly, stared straight at the woman in front of him, and said:

"Master Xiao, when did you arrive in Nanchang? Xiaosheng is so polite!"

Xu Jin couldn't help but secretly sweat, a wretched man in his forties who calls himself a young man, could he be any more shameless?

Xiao Yuxue blessed Tang Yin with a blessing and said in a sweet voice: "Yu Xue has met Mr. Tang. After many years of separation, Mr. Tang's style remains the same. If Mr. Tang is free, please remember to write a good poem for Yu Xue."

Tang Yin "coolly" put his hands behind his back, as if he wanted to ride the wind back, and said with a smile: "It's easy to say, but it's too inconvenient now. How about having a long talk with Mr. Xiao all night some other time?"

Xiao Yuxue said shyly: "It's my wish, but I don't dare to invite you!"

Xu Jin was speechless. Tang Bohu was indeed a regular ticket customer, and he actually made an appointment in front of everyone.

Prince Ning's face was a bit ugly. When he saw Tang Bohu sitting down, his expression relaxed a little. He introduced with a smile: "There must be many people here who don't know Mr. Xiao. I will solemnly introduce to everyone that this is Mr. Xiao."

Xiao Yuxue, known as Yushu Qiongbao, has thousands of piles of snow, and her singing voice is the best in the Qinhuai River."

"His Royal Highness, you are so flattering!" Xiao Yuxue turned around with a smile, bowed to all the scholars, and said in a sweet voice: "Yuxue has met all of you young masters."

Xu Jin couldn't help but suddenly realized that as soon as this woman appeared on the scene, he guessed that she was probably a brothel girl, because it was impossible for a decent woman to show up dressed like this. Daqing was a popular fan on the Qinhuai River, and she was also good at it.

Singing fans~head.

By the way, the sex service industry in the Ming Dynasty was quite developed. Even the emperor took the lead in opening "yaozi". How could this industry not be developed?

At the beginning of the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang actually built a "state-owned brothel" on the Qinhuai River, named it the Courtyard, and he personally inscribed a couplet for the Courtyard.

Originally, Zhu Yuanzhang's purpose of building a "state-owned brothel" was to attract businessmen to come and have fun and increase the revenue of the treasury. As a result, the businessmen did not attract, but instead attracted all the civil and military officials of the dynasty. In order to flatter the emperor, the officials went to court all at once.

He ran to the courtyard and competed for prostitutes to spend money. Zhu Yuanzhang closed the courtyard in a rage.

Although the "state-owned brothels" were closed, they set a precedent for officials to have sex with prostitutes, and literati also rushed to imitate them, euphemistically calling them: romantic scholars, talented scholars and beautiful ladies.

In addition, the Ming Dynasty's Jiaofangsi was essentially a government-run brothel, and it was a brothel that could obtain a large number of high-quality prostitutes without spending any money. Because all the criminal officials whose homes were confiscated, the young female relatives in their families would be demoted to a lowly status and not be admitted to the Jiaofang.

The wives and daughters of these officials are naturally of good quality. Coupled with their once noble status, ticket holders naturally flock to them.

Therefore, the sex service industry in the Ming Dynasty was quite developed, and gradually it also started to play tricks. A number of private brothels packaged and launched popular courtesans, who were still performing arts but not selling their bodies, so that the ticket-goers could not get enough of them.

Whet up your appetite and make lots of money.

The Xiao Yuxue in front of me is one of the popular oirans on the Qinhuai River. She is good at singing and dancing, and has the reputation of being like a beautiful jade tree with thousands of piles of snow.

At this time, all the scholars bowed their hands to Xiao Yuxue and returned the favor: "I have met Mr. Xiao."

Prince Ning said with some pride: "The Xiao family's singing voice is outstanding. If any talented poet's poems can catch the Xiao family's discernment today, maybe the Xiao family can compose a song and sing it."

Most of the scholars present looked happy, and Jiang Yun next to Xu Jin was eager to try. This was a good opportunity to become famous. With Xiao's reputation in Qinhuai River, if his poems could be sung, it would be difficult to become famous.

In ancient times, there were no various media. Literati could only rely on word of mouth from people in the circle to enhance their reputation. In addition, another way was the popularity and singing of brothel girls.

Of course, the girls in the brothel can also improve their fame and worth by singing the poems of literati. This is a "mutually beneficial" relationship. For example, this Xiao family was because Tang Bohu wrote a poem for her.

It just became popular.

Because of this, girls from brothels still flock to old and wretched uncles like Tang Bohu, just to use his poems to enhance their fame and worth.

Seeing that the atmosphere was aroused, Prince Ning joked: "Since ancient times, talented people have been matched with beautiful women. You are all talented people from Jiangxi. Today, if you show your talents in front of the Xiao family, you may be able to win over Jing Lai and become the first to join the Xiao family."

Bin!”

Xiao Yuxue's face was red, and she shyly covered her face with her sleeves and said: "Your Highness, Yuxue is only an artist, and she is only allowed to live with her beloved."

Xiao Yuxue's shy look made many scholars present excited, and their eyes became eager. How wonderful it would be to keep this beauty in a private room.

There was a hint of sarcasm in the corner of Xu Jin's mouth. With his sophisticated eyes, he would not be able to tell that this woman was pretentious. Although she looked "shy", her calm eyes betrayed her. She was indeed a professionally trained "social butterfly".

I'm afraid this acting skill could win a statuette.

As for performing arts rather than selling one's body, Xu Jin even sneered. This was just a marketing method to whet people's appetites and increase one's worth. As long as the price was right, he could just take off his clothes and let others pick him up!

Xu Jin even suspected that this member of the Xiao family had been picked up by others, and more than once or twice.

Prince Ning laughed loudly and said: "Have you heard that everyone, Xiao Xiao is asking for a lover? Everyone, please behave well. How about we ask Xiao Xiao to show off his dancing skills?"

"That's what you wish for!" A group of scholars shouted excitedly. How touching it was for such a charming and charming beauty to dance.

Xiao Yuxue smiled brightly, walked to the center of the hall, patted her hands, the floor on the sixth floor sounded again, and a girl holding a pipa walked down the stairs.
Chapter completed!