Chapter 227 Scholars and Courtesans

Jinxia City, drunk brothel.

As the name suggests, this place is the most prestigious brothel in the city, and its visitors are either wealthy businessmen or young people.

In a spacious box, a group of scholars angrily discussed the new policies of the Secretariat. Those who came to gather here are naturally not ordinary students from poor families. Their knowledge may be mediocre, but their family backgrounds are quite good. Although they are not as good as He is not as wealthy as the prince of the Wang family, but he is still well-dressed and well-fed, with a worry-free future.

There is only one exception.

That was Zhou Sheng, the great talent of Zhou who they regarded as their crested figure.

Not only did this man come from a wealthy family, he was also top-notch in talent and learning. He had just passed the provincial examination and won the title of Juren just after he passed the threshold of eighteen years old. In the spring of next year, he will have to rush to Gyeonggi Province to take the imperial examination there. Once he passes the examination, he will be a tribute scholar and may even enter the palace examination.

Even now, as a civil servant, he is a local celebrity, the kind who can have a separate seat when he sees the county magistrate. With his handsome face, no unmarried girl in the city knew the name of the great talent Zhou.

It can be said that among his peers, the only one who can rival him in popularity is the Prince of the Wang family. However, the pirate attack on the city caused the huge Wang family to collapse, and Zhou Sheng suddenly became a representative of young talents.

"Gentlemen, here come the girls."

Amid the shouts of the madam, seven or eight women filed in and sat beside each guest skillfully. These are all Qinghuans carefully cultivated by Zui Qinglou. They can not only play the piano and paint, but also appreciate poems and verses, and are most loved by scholars. After the girl entered the room, the atmosphere in the wing suddenly became much livelier.

However, as usual, everyone did not start to compete in talents, compose poems, or come up with words and phrases that they had carefully considered for the girl to play and sing. Everyone's talk was still focused on what the Secretariat had done recently.

"I can accept everything else, but don't you think those people are going too far?" A man wearing a blue brocade robe and a hosta said angrily after drinking a glass of wine, "What a bullshit reserve official." , Who recognizes them as officials! Will the Ministry of Personnel record the salary? I think they are the ones making the fuss!"

"Mr. Chen is right." Another young man with a big belly immediately agreed, "I think if you die, you will be an official, and he is the most unpopular kind!"

"But that's not what they say in their propaganda," some people expressed concern. "After passing the assessment and being included in the main selection, you will be able to get the documentary certificate personally authorized by Her Highness the Princess. It's just an official's words... Isn't this too much to make a fuss about?"

"Could it be that the Secretariat is making its own decisions, or... is it simply deceiving the people?"

"I agree! How could Her Majesty allow such a childish approach!"

"My lords..." A steward took the initiative to interrupt, "What exactly are you arguing about? Can you tell Yan'er too?"

"Yes, yes, Yan'er asked a good question, and the Nu family also wants to know."

"You don't have many opportunities to go out, so it's not surprising that you have such doubts." Zhou Sheng, who had been silent, said at this time, "Everything must start with the new policy promulgated by the Secretariat."

As soon as he spoke, the discussion in the room suddenly subsided a lot, and everyone focused on the great talent. The same is true for girls. Being able to interact with famous scholars in Jinxia is also a source of conversation for them to increase their social status.

Zhou Sheng enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention, but his eyes focused more on the woman named Liu Ruyan opposite.

It can be said that one of the main reasons why he came to Zui Qinglou was to meet Miss Ruyan.

The other Qinghuan people are just goods that have been deliberately packaged. Their essence is the same as the young masters around them - chess, calligraphy and painting are all used to decorate the appearance. One is to sell them at a higher price, and the other is to To make yourself look less superficial, or to stop your parents from scolding you.

But not Liu Ruyan.

She is a rare talented woman in this brothel. Whenever everyone recites poems and makes comments, she is the only one whose comments are not scripted or deliberately flattering. Zhou Sheng could feel that she was the same type of person as him, and she knew what the beauty of words was. When faced with a good poem, her smiling face was a compliment from deep in her heart.

"As far as I know, the first batch of registrations has now begun. Obviously, the Secretariat did not treat this joke-like new policy as a joke." Zhou Dacaizi briefly explained the whole story and shrugged, "Maybe they think , I am the real Jinxia Mansion Yamen."

There was a burst of snickering.

"Haha, this is really... novel." Yan'er couldn't help laughing and said, "As long as you can read, you are eligible to sign up? Wouldn't it mean that all the sisters can become officials?"

"What kind of official does Sister Yan'er want to be, a drinking official?" someone joked.

She smiled sweetly, "It's not up to you gentlemen to decide."

Everyone burst into laughter again.

"Anyway, this is all the fault of that person named Xia Fan." Mr. Chen slapped the table and said, "The so-called Secretariat is just a trick created by the Privy Council to expand its influence! I checked his background , A few months ago he was just an ordinary alchemist, just like that guy Wei Wushuang, he was useless except for being able to sense qi. What is the difference between such a person intervening in the government affairs of Jinxia City and ordinary people going to court? "

"Speaking of which... Wei Wushuang seems to have not come to drink with us for a long time."

"Huh, let's get on with your new girlfriend. He's obviously tried to find ways to pay for us to drink before, but it depends on our mood whether we are willing to go or not."

"The son of a merchant is really not up to the standard."

"Don't worry about the Wei family. It's a joke that they can be a candidate official just by being literate." Someone expressed a different opinion, "I'm worried about another point."

"What?"

"Opening a school." The man frowned, "God knows how much money Xia Fan has made from the Wang family. If they really let them teach a group of people, wouldn't many places in the imperial examination three years later be occupied by his disciples?"

"Don't worry. He won't succeed." Zhou Dacai said confidently.

"Oh? Could it be that Mr. Zhou has taken all actions?"

"It's not really an action. He just said hello to the private schools and teachers around." He looked around, "Not only Jinxia City, but even the surrounding counties and towns, there will be no one to be a teacher. Without a teacher, who will teach in the school? Just rely on Xia Fan alone?"

Although the status of the Juren is quite high, it is not to the point where one person responds to a hundred people. Obviously Zhou Sheng used his own connections and the influence of his teachers.

As soon as this was said, everyone showed a look of joy.

"Hahaha... Lord Xia teaches by himself, can he explain the Four Books and Five Classics clearly?"

"As expected of the great talent Zhou, he can make the other party look humiliated without making a sound."

"When there is no one to teach, I want to see how the Affairs Bureau will step down!"

After the party, it is time for self-entertainment. Those who haven't had enough fun can go upstairs to open a separate small room and find a prostitute to continue having fun. Those who have had enough fun can go home after the party. Zhou Sheng stopped Liu Ruyan before the girls left, "I wonder if Miss Liu can borrow a word?"