Afterwards, Li Shang only expressed her gratitude in a distant manner. After the night banquet, the woman thought that she would not have any interaction with this man again, but in the end she still thought too simply. Even though she didn't usually pay attention to the news, it was inevitable.
These rumors reached my ears.
The young master who had caused trouble for her that night had a sudden change in his home, and traces of unclean hands and feet were found. The evidence was conclusive, and the court had ordered his house to be searched.
She didn't want to make any more associations at first, but the timing was so coincidental that she had to think more about it. Could it be that... it was the man last night?
As I thought about it, my eyebrow-drawing hand trembled slightly, and I almost dyed the planned path the wrong color.
On the other side, in the magnificent mansion, Zhu Sheng stood in front of a group of kneeling people, shaking his fan casually, with a calm expression on his face.
The man who had previously intended to do evil to Li Shang was now kneeling on the ground with a pale face. He had never expected that Zhu Sheng's status was so noble. Now, as a patrol censor in private, he was the eyes of the emperor, even if he was not.
With this level of status, his power as King Qi is definitely not something that a member of an official family like him can afford to offend.
Who doesn't know that the current King of Qi, handsome in appearance, versatile in both civil and military affairs, was the emperor's most relied-upon assistant, and the army he commanded was also invincible. Even a century-old official could not compete with him. What's more, he alone
A local petty official?
I thought that I could take advantage of my family's power to seize the body of the courtesan, and the prostitute would have no choice but to be toyed with. Who knew that King Qi actually fell in love with that woman, and even attacked his own family first for her?
He absolutely did not dare to tell his father. If the old official knew that his licentious son had touched the woman that King Qi liked and brought misfortune to the family, it would be considered a light thing to skin him.
Zhu Sheng's emotionless voice fell from his head——
"Zhang Hao, the eldest son of the Zhang family, is twenty years old. He is notorious for his obscenity to all kinds of women, from slaves to women of good families. It is widely spread among the people. Am I wrong about one of these things?"
Zhang Hao felt desolate in his heart. Apparently the other party had already investigated his matter clearly. The head of the Zhang family was a gray-haired old man. The accident overnight made him look even older. His trembling body still kept kneeling.
Now he puts his head on the bluestone ground——
"His Royal Highness King Qi! Those are just children's hobbies...those untouchables..."
"Untouchable?" The man's eyebrows were cold, with surging anger underneath. "Under the rule of the emperor, there is no doubt order of hierarchy, but who gave you the power to oppress and despise innocent people? And who gave this scum the power to taint ordinary people?"
Woman?!"
It was obvious that the old man's attitude and words deeply angered Zhu Sheng. He had never shown such terrifying anger when he announced that his house was being searched.
"As an official! You oppress the people and despise the common people! As a father! You have no way to teach your son to help the tyrants do evil! Such an official! The emperor does not need it, and the court does not use it. God cannot tolerate it!"
After Zhu Sheng made this judgment, he looked at Zhang Hao, who had been silent all this time. He walked up to the coward and leaned over slightly——
"My beauty doesn't like to show off, and I think you don't want your father to discover the stupid things you do. As for what to do next, you don't need me to teach you one by one, right?!"
Zhang Hao was so frightened by Zhu Sheng that he nodded immediately, as if he had seen some savage beast.
Zhu Sheng turned around and gave the final order——
"The Zhang family in Rongcheng has used its power to oppress the people and accepted huge bribes. I wish Sheng, as the censor of security, to seize their residence and property on behalf of the emperor. From then on, the Zhang family is exiled to the barbarians and will never be able to return to the court!!!"
When the old man heard the news, his bones went completely limp, but Zhang Hao breathed a sigh of relief...
At least he didn't kill everyone... He wished he could stay away from this terrifying prince!
After all, if you want to uproot a local wealthy family like them overnight, you need the eyes, ears and power that ordinary people can't imagine.
He couldn't imagine the consequences of opposing him, and he was even more fortunate that he didn't do anything irreversible last night. Otherwise, it would never have been as simple as being exiled.
After turning around and leaving, Zhu Sheng was in a good mood after investigating and punishing a tyrant. The frost on his brows immediately faded away, revealing a warm look. His handsome brows made ordinary women feel happy when they saw him.
The boy also followed closely, complimenting him while guessing his master's next itinerary - but Zhu Sheng told him not to say anything in advance -
"Are there any sacrificial activities here locally in the summer?"
"Yes...yes, it is said that the oiran's performance on the day of the event will also be part of the event...if nothing else happens, it should be Miss Li Shang."
Zhu Sheng touched his chin and then ordered again——
"You take the banknotes with you and handle all the matters related to the ceremony. Make sure it is done properly and grandly."
"Eh?"
The young man was very surprised. Shouldn't he go to Miss Li Shang now to ask for a favor or to appease her frightened mood? Why did he start arranging the following things so early...
Zhu Sheng didn't know what this boy was thinking, so he folded his fan and hit him on the head——
"Whatever you dare to do, how can I please a beauty is beyond your imagination? When she falls in love with me, you will know how capable your prince is!"
The boy touched his head and saw that his prince was confident. Without saying anything else, he took the banknote and went to assign the task.
The results of the oiran selection have been posted on the notice area on the street of Huajie, and Li Shang won the first place without any suspense.
When the elegant scholars who were watching saw that Li Shang was the leader, they felt happy and deeply happy that the fairy in their hearts could obtain the position of oiran.
And Li Shang didn't slack off at all. She put on makeup and changed clothes. She looked like a fairy when she was naked, and after applying eyebrows and changing clothes, she looked like a fairy.
A pair of large, watery eyes are full of tenderness and dense water vapor. If you look deeply into the eyes, you will fall in love at a glance. The full lips make people immediately have the urge to kiss Fangze. The plain white skin can be broken by blowing, and there is a faint smile on the face.
The melancholy caused a sudden feeling of pity in the hearts of those who saw it, and the impulse to bring all the best in the world to her to please her suddenly emerged. Her appearance was beautiful, her frown and smile made all living beings move, and she raised her hand to captivate her soul.
The appearance of the country is nothing more than this.
She chose a set of relatively plain clothes today. The maid held her usual ancient wooden guqin and came to the front hall of the flower building. She was surrounded by pairs of eyes staring at her. She had been a geisha for many years, so she had long been used to this.
It was a scene, but the appearance of an unfamiliar figure confused my mood.
Today, Zhu Sheng specially changed into white clothes, with a bamboo flute tied around his waist. His black hair was simply tied behind his head. He was full of bookishness and had the appearance of a jade-faced young man. If Li Shang had not seen him with one hand before,
After taking care of the bad guy, you will really be deceived by his current appearance.
Moreover, the color of the clothes he wore today matched her very well. I don’t know if it was a coincidence...
Taking a deep breath and abandoning the ridiculous thoughts in her mind, she took the stage and sat in front of the guqin, playing the guqin with both hands. The low and melodious sound of the qin instantly conquered all the audience. Along with her clear and melodious singing, a picture of melancholy under the moon came into being.
Slowly unfolding in my mind——
"Under the hazy spring moon, my thoughts fly away with the wind
Many memories fade into the night sky
Falling into a deep dream while sleeping
Just looking at the house without the passage of time
Tired of being hurt, the voice that cannot be conveyed still escapes the corners of the lips
If you pursue the shadow of illusion too persistently,
Today, I am just a lonely star looking for a way out of this world."
The singing and the sound of the piano complemented each other, and just when the singing was about to enter the second half, a flute sounded. Li Shang did not stop playing, but opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the sound. Zhu Sheng lowered his eyes and played the flute.
, the melancholic minor tune and the moving piano sound fit perfectly, as if the two of them had practiced their performance countless times. The woman simply did not pursue his abruptness, closed her eyes and became more immersed in playing the piano, and when the singing came out again, it was something different.
The charm——
"If this road never ends, there is no reason to wait now.
Calmly abandon the rotten present today and start over
The dream finally wakes up, eyes bathed in light
Tears fall quietly like dancing flowers
Even if it scatters into dust that can be trampled upon by others,
If it opens again, will it become the pink cherry blossom that shines in your heart?
The bits and pieces soaked in my heart are still dirty
I have never fallen in love with anyone else, no matter how time goes by,
The words that have been inquired disappear into the void
Under the hazy spring moon, my thoughts fly away with the wind
Countless memories fade into the night sky
Please take it with you. Take it with you, the flower of prayer that is expressed in dreams and the real world.
This hazy moon hanging lonely and shining in the night sky~~"
When the song ended, Li Shang slowly opened her eyes and lowered her head to signal to all the audience. Then they realized that the song had ended. The audience suddenly burst into warm applause, and many women looked at Zhu Sheng with appreciative glances.
But no one who was not interested came forward to ask. After all, they were obviously here for the top star of this flower house, and Li Shang’s charm was something that ordinary girls like them couldn’t match. Let’s not mention her talent and figure.
, such a beautiful face will make women's hearts flutter when they see it, let alone the young men who come to the flower house to enjoy the beauty.
But the woman has no good impression of the royal family, especially after knowing Zhu Sheng's identity as the current prince, she has an instinctive resistance to his approach——
She was originally the only daughter of the prime minister's family, her father was the prime minister, she was honest and honest, and her abilities were among the best in the civil and military circles of the Manchu Dynasty. However, because of the emperor's simple act of seizing power, she was put on unfounded charges and her entire family was executed.
If she hadn't met Dongfang Yaoyao by chance and changed her appearance, she would have become a corpse in a mass grave on the execution ground.
How can she not complain about this, and how can she not hate it?
Therefore, even if King Qi had a good reputation and had no grievances against her, she would not have any relationship with such an outstanding man.
Li Shang didn't even look at Zhu Sheng. After the song ended, she raised her guqin and thanked the guests before preparing to leave.
"Thank you for your support. That's all Li Shang's performance today. Please allow me to go back to my room and rest."
There was even a hint of haste and avoidance in her steps, and Zhu Sheng also noticed her avoidance, and was filled with surprise and uncertainty, and even more unhappy.
He is not a scourge, and he only has pure admiration for her. At least until she approves it, this admiration will not turn into a one-sided love between a man and a woman. After all, he is also the man who saves her from the fire and water, so
It's too hurtful to not mention it but still avoid it?
The anger was still lingering, and just when Zhu Sheng was about to catch up, the flow of enthusiastic audience members became the biggest obstacle between the two. Obviously the audience was not very happy either. You must know Li Shang's live performance seats.
It's hard to find a piece of gold, and a guqin song is hard to find in the world, but in the past, Li Shang would definitely not disappoint the audience. It was not a rare thing to dance at the climax, but today it turned out to be just
The singing and playing ended hastily, which was really dissatisfying.
Zhu Sheng hoped that the person who made her like this was not him, and even more hoped that the reason why she was like this was not because of his proximity.
After finally meeting the woman he likes, he is not just possessive of her, he respects her and approaches him little by little in the most peaceful way. Zhu Sheng believes that with his own conditions, there will never be any woman
Not moved, even if Li Shang was cold to her at first, it stands to reason that she shouldn't still have an attitude of avoiding boredom after seeing him actively showing kindness!
What exactly went wrong? Or did you do something wrong?
While Zhu Sheng was thinking, Li Shang had already returned to her room, leaning against the window and staring at the scenery outside, obviously very absent-minded.
When the maid saw Li Shang's appearance and thought of her attitude of being indifferent or even avoiding the King of Qi just now, the reason why she treated the girl like this was already clear in her heart.
"If the girl is interested, why not give him a chance?" The maid obviously had a good impression of Qi Wang Zhusheng, "Thanks to him for helping me that day..."
"I have my own plans for this matter, so don't say anything more..." Li Shang waved her hands, then put her eyes on the pen, ink, paper and inkstone in front of the table, and sighed, "Even if Zhu Sheng is interested in me, he is even more grateful to me.
But no matter what, I will never choose a royal marriage to be my lifelong lover."
As she spoke, a hint of ridicule appeared on Li Shang's face——
"Xiaolan, I told you, what I, Lishang, want is to have one person for the rest of my life. But he is a prince who holds a high position and is responsible for spreading the branches of the royal family. How can he promise to have the same relationship with me for the rest of his life?
A vow to marry me?" She gently rubbed her chin, and the coldness in her brows imagined a future that would never happen between the two of them. "Even if I agree to his pursuit and marry into the palace, I will only be humiliated for a promiscuous woman who cannot stand up to the stage.
Royal dignity, how big a burden does he have to bear for this? And how should I deal with it? Have you ever thought about this? "
The maid originally thought that her girl simply disliked the prince, but she did not expect that Li Shang had already considered it so much, and her calm analysis seemed to be filled with unspeakable cruelty and helplessness.
"Xiaolan overstepped her bounds. Since the girl has already made her decision, I won't mention it any more."
Li Shang nodded, stood up and walked to the edge of the inkstone. The maid immediately understood and came forward to rub the ink. The woman drew two sycamore leaves on the rice paper with her hand, put away the pen neatly, raised her hand to roll up the rice paper, and handed it to Xiaolan——
"Give this painting to King Qi, and he will understand what I mean."
After saying that, Li Shang turned around and entered the inner room, and a slightly tired voice came -
"I have to prepare for the summer festival. I won't see any guests today. You can go down first."
"Yes." Accepting the master's wishes, Xiaolan retreated in time.
Zhu Sheng was in a very bad mood. The impatience and indifference on his face seemed to be condensed into substance. He sat on a stool in the front hall. No one dared to move. Most of the guests dispersed after Li Shang performed.
The rest was absorbed by the low pressure emanating from the young master's body, so much so that the entire front hall of the flower building was closed before nightfall.
"This... this young master... Li Shang said that she is not feeling well today and will not... see any guests..."
The madam mustered up a lot of courage to walk up to Zhu Sheng and speak, but when he glared hard at him, the confidence she had just accumulated was instantly dissipated. The closer she got, the more she could feel Zhu Sheng's dissatisfaction.
The sinister aura around Yue He's body made the madam very embarrassed. As a prostitute who only sells her skills but not her body, it is inevitable for Li Shang to get into trouble. Her attitude towards this is also very firm. Their flower house and even the entire street
The number one player in Huajie must also have a certain posture. The reason why Zhang Hao was able to take advantage of the situation last night was just their negligence. It is not certain who will win in a head-on confrontation!
After all, Xiao had thought about Li Shang's high-ranking people, and there were many people who were as capable as Zhang Hao. Even after his pursuit failed, he still maintained the relationship of friends. If he wanted to win Li Shang's favor, he could not count them from the street to the end of the street! Not to mention
Those who call themselves elegant flower protectors.
But unlike those vassal followers, Zhu Sheng really came here with his mind set, and his attitude was extremely determined. Coupled with his inherent nobility and domineering, the Madam didn't know how to deal with it for a while.
Xiaolan walked in a hurry from the backyard to the front hall. Seeing that Zhu Sheng was still here, continuing to release low pressure, she had a new understanding of the charm of her girl.
A noble man like the prince must have seen a lot of beauties, and he fell in love with them all, which shows how outstanding his master is!
This also brings glory to her as a personal maid. After all, for a prostitute, the more men she conquers and the more powerful the conquered man is, the more honor she will receive.
Her girl is not only beautiful, but also proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. She knows astronomy and geography, and there is almost no question that stumps her! Xiaolan believes that if women can also participate in the imperial examination, then her girl will definitely not lose to the number one scholar.
Leader!
When the girl was still Li Shang, she was the daughter of the Prime Minister's family. Not only was she good at singing, dancing, calligraphy and painting since she was a child, but she also read all the thousands of books in the old Prime Minister's family. Old Prime Minister Li was also an enlightened father.
When her own children taught Confucian classics, they never avoided Li Shang, who had a strong thirst for knowledge. Therefore, she was different from the ordinary daughter. She was not a vase for people to watch and enjoy, but a leader among women with real talents and learning. She was very interested in
The gentleman's studies and the principles of governing the country all have unique and shrewd insights.
However, she has not relied on other means to enter the center of power for so many years, so this level of ability and identity has not been exposed.
If she wants, she just needs to find a high-ranking young man to marry. She has always been pursuing a lot in this area, but Li Shang doesn't want to do this. She has to rely on her own strength to get up, even if she is a geisha.
At the end of this road!
"Young Master, my lady is exhausted. This is what she asked me to hand over to you on her behalf..."
Xiaolan handed the scroll of painting to Zhu Sheng with both hands. The man didn't have a good expression now. He stretched out his hand and unfolded the painting. Two delicate sycamore leaves came into view, and his expression became even more ugly.
With a mocking smile on his lips, Zhu Sheng covered his eyes——
"What a double-leaf sycamore tree! What a sycamore tree next to a sycamore tree!" Zhu Sheng stood up and kicked over the table next to him, "You really are such a tough guy that you didn't even give me a chance... Then don't blame me for being so stubborn.
beated!"
After destroying one of the seats, Zhu Sheng didn't stop much, threw down a handful of broken silver and strode out of the flower building.
The madam was also a good judge of things. She looked at the drawing paper thrown by Zhu Sheng on the ground and sighed helplessly - it was well known that her oiran had a temper, but this was the first time she rejected someone's approach so directly.
She didn't think that Li Shang started to think highly of herself when she became the oiran. She had never been such a carefree woman. Maybe she really didn't like this handsome young man who suddenly appeared, or maybe she had known him before and had an affair with him?
She couldn't allow her to think too much and looked at the two simple and delicate sycamore leaves on the drawing paper——
"The sycamore tree next to the sycamore tree will not be red unless it has flowers and fruits... Love is not the same as having roots. You and I are different when we bloom."
Slowly reciting Li Shang's heartfelt words, the madam's sigh sounded particularly loud in the evening flower house.
"Eh... I'm still really uneasy these days!"
After that, every time Li Shang played Zhu Sheng, he would be there. It was so frequent that Li Shang began to wonder if he could be a clone.
Because she had basically guessed his identity as the security censor, he came to watch the performance almost every day, but the inspection of all corrupt officials in the area did not stop at all.
"Xiao Lan... go and inform mom and ask Brother Turtle to block that guy out!"
Li Shang touched her aching temple, and in her mind was his lingering face - it was really upsetting!
Not to mention that every day he came, heavy gifts and various letters came one after another. He was not afraid of his identity being discovered, and kept stuffing all kinds of good things in one after another. The scale was almost unprecedented in the entire flower street.
And more and more rumors are starting to gain momentum, and more and more people are becoming curious about the relationship between the two - it is rare to say that someone who can spend so much money is a hero, but the identity of this mysterious figure is still unknown.
Publicly. The other party is hiding in the dark and the identity of the mysterious figure cannot be guessed. More and more suspicions fall on Li Shang. Normally she can go out just by wearing a bamboo hat. Now, if she takes one more step out of the flower house, she will be overwhelmed.
The questioning and suspicion were so unbearable that she even began to wonder if Zhu Sheng was controlling the rumors behind her back.