What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 183 My lord, please recite a poem!
Zhang Xuzu wished he could strangle Wen Bi on the spot.

He shouldn't be called Wen Bi, he should be called the God of Plague!
She had prepared Chu Xiao'er, one of the three top courtesans of Yuyin Pavilion, for Su Mo, and had paid 180 taels of silver for her.

The problem is, who knew Su Mo would bring his woman along too!

Even more tragically...

Su Mo's woman, surnamed Leng, named Liu Xi, is the current emperor of the Great Wu Empire!

Upon hearing Wen Bi's words, Su Mo couldn't help but take a slight breath, his burning gaze falling on Zhang Xuzu.

Zhang Xuzu really knows how to handle people!
The elegant woman playing the guzheng that we saw earlier at the bow of the ship was so beautiful and refined that she would be a top-tier celebrity in any world!
Even the maids around him are the kind that cost at least five figures!
Of course, the women in the brothels are no match for my commander.

At most, she's at the level of Liu Siyun, the top tier, perhaps slightly better than Jiang Lan.

But as the saying goes.

A wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as a maid, a maid is not as good as a prostitute, and a prostitute is not as good as a stolen affair!
They've all traveled back to ancient times.

Listening to music in brothels, arranging flowers and appreciating the moon – these were the most popular forms of entertainment in ancient times. If you didn't experience them for yourself, wouldn't it be a waste to have traveled back in time?
Su Mo is not a hypocrite.

I couldn't refuse Zhang Xuzu's kind invitation, and I couldn't be ungrateful, so I reluctantly agreed!

Han Yu is doing a little better.

Cao Feng and several other local nobles swallowed hard when they heard that Zhang Xuzu had prepared a top courtesan for Su Mo.

I imagine mine is pretty much the same!

Cao Feng couldn't help but laugh and said, "I've long heard that all the famous courtesans in the capital are well-educated, reasonable, and exceptionally skilled, especially the Twelve Beauties of Qinghe, who are renowned."

"As the host, Brother Xu Zu will surely not disappoint Lord Su and us! Don't you all agree?"

The other nobles immediately started to jeer!

Zhang Xuzu felt like he was going to die. He didn't dare to look at the Empress even once. He steeled himself and said in a loud voice, "Brother Cao, don't talk nonsense!"

"What famous courtesans and singing girls, what Twelve Beauties of Qinghe!"

"I've never even heard of it!"

He took a deep breath and said with righteous indignation, "I invited you all to this Jade Sound Pavilion simply to witness the literary talent of the young and brilliant scholars of the Little Orchid Pavilion Poetry Gathering!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Feng was instantly stunned: "Brother Xu, are you joking with us?"

Zhang Xuzu's face darkened: "I never joke! Don't bring this up again!"

As he spoke, he looked at Nangong Sheyue: "Besides, with Lord Nangong and Lord Leng here, wouldn't it be an eyesore for the two lords to summon such vulgar beauties!"

Leng Liuxi suddenly said softly, "If it is inconvenient, Lord Nangong and I will take our leave first, so as not to disturb your enjoyment."

Su Mo sighed inwardly.

How could he dare to tell Nangong Sheyue and Leng Liuxi to leave!

Besides, such things as listening to music in brothels might lower the two people's affection for each other, which would be a loss.

He could only laugh and say, "I have little interest in these matters either."

He paused, then asked, "What exactly is the situation with this Little Orchid Pavilion Poetry Gathering?"

Zhang Xuzu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly explained, "Actually, it was just something that was done by candidates who went to the capital for the imperial examinations."

“These candidates were basically not qualified to participate in the real Lanting Poetry Gathering.”

"In order to gain fame, they joined together to write poems and lyrics on the ship. Over time, because it was held after the Orchid Pavilion Poetry Gathering, it became the Little Orchid Pavilion Poetry Gathering."

Han Yu had already realized that Zhang Xuzu seemed extremely wary of Nangong Sheyue.

However, she is a commander of the Fengming Division, so it's normal for the son of a duke to be wary of her.

He then smiled and said, "The Little Orchid Pavilion Poetry Gathering has been held for more than ten sessions."

"Nowadays, it's not just the candidates taking the imperial examinations who are participating; many talented individuals from the capital are also getting involved."

As they were talking, the huge ship swayed and began to move slowly.

Han Yu then smiled and said, "On the Xima River, the twelve most famous multi-story ships, including the Yuyin Pavilion, will each present a poem on a specific theme."

"Everyone may pick up a pen and answer."

"If the poem is approved by the ship, it will be sent to Xiaolanting for renowned scholars to assess its quality."

"Those who are ranked third or above and compose poems and lyrics can even gain the favor of famous courtesans and singers on luxury boats. Without spending a single penny, they can become guests in the inner chambers, composing poems and playing flutes and zithers with them, enjoying themselves immensely!"

Su Mo blinked: "That's it?"

"No other rewards? Like silver or something?"

Han Yu was slightly taken aback, then laughed and cried at the same time: "For scholars, becoming famous is the greatest reward, let alone having the pleasure of being intimate with a famous courtesan."

"Even famous courtesans can use the poems of talented men to enhance their status."

"Both sides got what they wanted, and it became a beautiful story. But the taint of money is not beautiful."

Su Mo was speechless.

People these days are really stupid!
You're not beautiful if you don't have money!
If I were to host this small Lanting Poetry Gathering, I wouldn't be able to face anyone if I didn't rake in 18,000 to 10,000 taels of silver!
For example, we could hold another competition to select the most beautiful courtesan on a pleasure boat.

If they were to acquire three golden hairpins, six jade hairpins, nine silver hairpins, and so on, wouldn't they make a fortune?

As everyone was talking.

The ship has already docked at the riverbank.

Other ships also docked one after another.

Su Mo and the others left the flower hall and went to the pavilion outside.

Looking around, one can see huge bonfires burning on the riverbank, which, combined with the bright moonlight, make it seem like daytime.

The riverbank was bustling with activity, teeming with people.

Han Yu pointed to a giant, brightly lit ship in the center: "That is Little Orchid Pavilion!"

"All the poems were eventually sent to the Little Orchid Pavilion for evaluation."

"The owner of that luxury ship is very mysterious. Very few people know his background. They only know that he has a very powerful background. All the brothels in Qinghefang and the luxury ships on Xima River follow his lead."

Su Mo looked in the direction Han Yu pointed.

The ship, which is three times larger than the Jade Sound Pavilion, has a small and exquisite bamboo pavilion on its top floor.

Under the moonlight, atop the bamboo pavilion, a graceful figure was dancing.

The woman's sleeves were nearly ten feet long, and at the ends of the sleeves were two gleaming swords.

With a flick of her sleeves, sword energy surged forth, as swift as a startled swan, or as a fairy descending to earth. Her toes moved nimbly within the small space of the pavilion's tip, her movements unpredictable and breathtaking!
Cao Feng and the others were dumbfounded.

Su Mo was also amazed.

He could tell at a glance that the woman wielding the sword was extremely powerful.

This long-sleeved sword is probably ten times more powerful than Ning Xiaoxiao's suspended flying sword!
Han Yu sighed and said, "The woman dancing with a sword on the pavilion roof is the most famous swordswoman on the Little Orchid Pavilion boat, named Gu Yunshu."

"This lady is not only proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and songs, but her flute skills are also said to be unparalleled in the world. She is also a martial arts master with unparalleled and terrifying strength."

Su Mo couldn't help but think to himself.

Gu Yunshu's flute playing skills are unparalleled, and her own Liu Siyun is no less skilled.

I wonder which one is more powerful!
Cao Feng exclaimed in amazement: "This Little Orchid Pavilion ship is incredibly powerful; it can even allow a martial arts grandmaster to serve as a swordswoman on board!"

"There is a grandmaster in our household whom even my father treats as an honored guest!"

"Such an exceptional woman would surely attract countless high-ranking officials and nobles!"

Han Yu smiled and said, "Of course!"

"It's a pity this lady only sells her art, not her body. It's said she has a very deep connection with the master of Xiaolanting, so no one can force her! If I, Han, could have her, I would gladly shorten my lifespan by three years!"

Su Mo smiled and said, "Brother Han is probably going to be disappointed."

"Just from her name, you can tell she's not someone you can get close to. If she doesn't want to, even without the ship owner's connection, no one can force her!"

He's a martial arts grandmaster, equivalent to a great sorcerer in the Divine Realm!

Who would dare force a martial arts master to sleep with them?

Aren't you afraid of losing your head in the middle of the night?
Leng Liuxi blinked and looked at Su Mo curiously: "Why do you say that, my lord?"

Su Mo casually said, "Gu Yunshu must be a stage name, probably taken from the idea of ​​being unperturbed by favor or disgrace, leisurely watching the flowers bloom and fade in the courtyard; indifferent to coming or going, idly watching the clouds drift and gather in the sky."

"This shows that this person is indifferent to fame and fortune. There must be another reason why she became a sword maiden. How could she let anyone casually touch her beauty?"

Leng Liuxi's eyes lit up slightly: "Unperturbed by favor or disgrace, I leisurely watch the flowers bloom and fade in the courtyard; indifferent to staying or leaving, I idly watch the clouds drift and gather in the sky?"

"This poem was written by you, my lord? How come I have never heard of it before?"

Su Mo: "Uh... I just overheard it by accident."

"This humble servant is of shallow learning and could never have written such poetry!"

Nangong Sheyue couldn't help but tease, "You must have heard it from an old man with a white beard!"

Su Mo nodded emphatically: "Now that I hear what Lord Nangong said, I remember it was an old man with a white beard who said it!"

Leng Liuxi...

Nangong Shoots the Moon...

Han Yu suddenly sighed, "I am destined to be unlucky with Gu Yunshu."

"But it's not necessarily true that no one can defeat this sword princess."

Su Mo's gossipy nature instantly kicked in: "What do you mean by that?"

Han Yu explained, "It is said that Gu Yunshu loves poetry the most. No matter how much money ordinary people offer, they cannot get him to perform a sword dance."

"Only by writing a masterpiece can one invite him to perform."

"This sword dance is inspired by your poem, 'Prelude to Water Melody, When Will the Moon Be Bright?'"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuzu exclaimed, "Sir, your poem 'Shuidiao Getou' is truly unparalleled throughout history! With this poem out, it will be difficult to write Mid-Autumn Festival poems in the future!"

"Gu Yunshu agreed to perform a sword dance in front of everyone at the Little Orchid Pavilion Poetry Gathering..."

Just as he was speaking, a clear and melodious voice, like heavenly music, drifted over!

"When will the bright moon come? Ask the sky for wine..."

The clear and melodious voice, tinged with a deep tone, was none other than Gu Yunshu's chant during her sword dance. Despite being dozens of feet away, it reached everyone's ears with perfect clarity, as if it were being whispered right next to them!
As the music played, the sword light flashed like lightning, becoming increasingly dazzling and attracting cheers and exclamations from countless people!

Han Yu couldn't help but feel envious: "I heard that Mr. Ju will also be attending the Little Orchid Pavilion Poetry Gathering."

"The only poems that will appear at the Orchid Pavilion are those two masterpieces by the Master, which will be sung by the most famous courtesans of the Little Orchid Pavilion and the Yaoguang Pavilion!"

Su Mo's face immediately darkened!
Han Yu then added, "If you were to write a masterpiece for Gu Yunshu, you might just win her favor and become her intimate guest, enjoying her company. How enviable!"

Su Mo...

Leng Liuxi suddenly laughed and said, "As for whether you, sir, can touch my body, I do not know."

"But Young Master Su can definitely do it!"

She blinked and looked at Su Mo with a radiant smile: "My lord, you are a man of great talent. After witnessing this sword dance, do you have any poems to write?"

"I am very curious!"

Su Mo was speechless: "Sir, stop fooling around!"

"This humble servant is illiterate in poetry!"

Leng Liuxi covered her mouth and laughed, "You really don't know?"

Su Mo's expression was serious: "This subordinate doesn't understand what you're saying at all!"

Zhang Xuzu, Han Yu, Cao Feng, and others all looked at Leng Liuxi in silence.

Su Mo is a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Chief of the Phoenix Cry Division.

Letting him kill someone would definitely not be a problem.

But isn't it making things difficult for him to compose a poem?
Leng Liuxi sighed: "If that's the case, then so be it."

"I originally had a bottle of Purple Ganoderma Pills here, which are most suitable for cultivators in the Soul Stabilizing Realm..."

"I have also unintentionally obtained a martial arts manual called the Dragon Whip, which I intend to give to my lord..."

Upon hearing this, Han Yu exclaimed in shock: "The Purple Ganoderma Pill?"

"This is a top-grade third-rank elixir. It is said that one pill can be equivalent to half a year of arduous cultivation for a cultivator in the Soul Stabilizing Realm!"

Cao Feng couldn't help but exclaim, "The Dragon Whip is an extremely rare grandmaster-level martial arts manual!"

"When combined with the Swimming Dragon Step and mastered to perfection, even Divine Realm sorcerers must avoid its edge!"

Su Mo swallowed hard!
He had heard Lin Moyin mention this Purple Ganoderma Pill!
Although it is a third-grade pill, its value is no less than that of a fourth-grade Divine Essence Pill.

Moreover, such pills cannot be bought with money alone; at least Su Mo doesn't have that kind of access right now.

Also, I think I've mastered the Dragon Swimming Step.

Although the sword embryo is powerful, it cannot be used easily. It only has one Five Thunder Technique, which is too limited in its methods.

If I could also obtain the Dragon Whip Manual...

Su Mo hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help gritting her teeth: "Lord Leng, are you serious?"

“Really!” Leng Liuxi raised her hand, and a small porcelain bottle appeared in her palm. “The bottle contains the Purple Ganoderma Pill, which I myself am reluctant to use.”

"It's because I love poetry that I had to hold back my heart and take it out."

She paused, then sighed, "This elixir would have been perfect for my lord, but unfortunately, he is not versed in poetry..."

Su Mo looked at the Empress with a serious expression: "This humble servant is of shallow learning, but I have a little knowledge of poetry, so I think it is worth a try."

Zhang Xuzu and the others were dumbfounded!

Poetry is something you either don't understand or you don't understand; is there any point in trying?

Do you think you can write poetry with just a superficial understanding?
Does this Lord Su really not know his own limitations?

The group exchanged glances, all seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

After writing the poem, Bie Su Mo should not be so smug as to hand it over to Yu Yin Ge. It would be better to take it to Xiao Lan Ting instead!
If the other nobles knew about this, they would laugh themselves to death!
For nobles, face is of utmost importance!

Just as everyone was wondering whether they should try to dissuade Su Mo.

Su Mo lowered his head and thought for a moment, then looked up and smiled, "I've got it!"

Zhang Xuzu et al.

Leng Liuxi's eyes lit up: "I'm all ears!"

Nangong Sheyue couldn't help but sit up straight.

The Empress wanted to deceive Su Mo with poetry in order to investigate his background and secrets, and also to give him elixirs to enhance his strength.

She truly loves poetry!
Although Zhang Xuzu did not summon courtesans or famous prostitutes to accompany him, he was naturally served by maids on the boat.

A maid immediately brought over pen and ink.

Su Mo glanced at the paper and pen, then at Nangong Sheyue: "Lord Nangong..."

Nangong Shoots the Moon...

She glared at Su Mo with annoyance.

She then slightly lifted her sleeve, her bare hand hovering in the air, holding a pen in her hand.

Su Mo took a slight breath: "The Xuan Tie has slumbered for twenty autumns, and suddenly the sound of a konghou rises from beyond the Great Wall. Fingers tap the green blade and dragon scales roar, wrists turn and the bloodstains of the setting sun are wiped away."

Upon hearing the four lines of poetry, Zhang Xuzu and the others were so shocked that their eyes popped out!
Su Mo can actually write poetry?

Moreover, it looks pretty good!

At least in their eyes, the poetry was of questionable literary quality, but it was definitely grand and magnificent, making people's blood boil!

Nangong Sheyue's wrist twitched slightly!
Then, with a flourish of the brush, the originally delicate characters became powerful and sharp, revealing their full potential, all thanks to the meaning of the poem!
Su Mo stared intently at Gu Yunshu, who was dancing at the top of the tower.

Suddenly, her sword light intensified, like a violent storm, its cold gleam sharp and piercing, bursting forth with starlight, before flashing out again and shattering the void.

This is not a sword for performance!
This is a real killer sword!

Su Mo's voice became urgent: "His toes lightly touch the dew on the pavilion, his sword tip knocks down the Big Dipper. The west wind sweeps across the ground like a silver snake, and he turns to cleave Kunlun Mountain!"

Nangong Sheyue wrote faster and faster.

Her jade-like hands created afterimages on the rice paper!

"A thousand moves melt the snow, soaking my clothes; ten thousand valleys fall silent as the pines roar. The cold gleam on the blade reflects the dawn, illuminating the millions of lights in the capital."

"Slowly drawing the frosty blade into its sheath, I suddenly felt the moonlight in my palm fade. It was a dance that stirred the stars, turning the Milky Way upside down into a tide of swords!"

Su Mo recited the poem "Sword Dance in Autumn" in one breath!
Then the last word, "tide," was spoken.

Nangong Sheyue finished writing at the same time!

Zhang Xuzu and Han Yu, who had a little knowledge of things, were petrified on the spot, staring at Su Mo with disbelief in their eyes.

It's like watching a ghost!
Wen Bi and the others were also dumbfounded.

Although they couldn't understand what Su Mo was writing.

But it must be quite formidable?

I didn't even notice that Zhang Sange and Han Yu, the most cultured person in the group, were so shocked that they couldn't speak.

Leng Liuxi picked up the Xuan paper that Nangong Sheyue had copied, her bright eyes shining.

"Young master, this poem is truly excellent!"

"Uh... what is Kunlun Ruins? I've never heard of it. Is it like the Jade Capital?"

Su Mo chuckled: "You flatter me, sir!"

"I only overheard about Kunlun Ruins by chance; I don't know exactly where it is."

He paused for a moment: "Uh... then the Purple Ganoderma Pill..."

Leng Liuxi rolled her eyes at Su Mo: "I am not like someone who talks nonsense!"

As he spoke, he handed the porcelain bottle to Su Mo.

Su Mo coughed lightly: "My lord... is there something you've forgotten?"

Leng Liuxi: "It's true that a poem can be exchanged for a bottle of Zizhi Pill."

"Want another song with the Dragon Whip?"

Su Mo was speechless.

Too lazy to waste words with this taciturn woman, he opened his mouth and said: "A cold light suddenly breaks the night, a white rainbow pierces the moon. The wrist turns like snow over a thousand mountains, the steps startle the winds of the four seas. The movement gathers into frost, the dragon roars hidden in its sheath. Not for killing and war, but for listening to the music of peace."

Zhang Xuzu and Han Yu felt as if a million alpacas were trampling on their hearts!
I suddenly started to doubt the meaning of life.

Is writing poetry really that simple? Why can't I write any myself?
Leng Liuxi blinked: "So short?"

Su Mo snorted: "It doesn't matter if it's short or not, as long as it works!"

As he spoke, he realized something was off, and quickly added, "Of course, there are good-looking ones too! We'll let the adults see them later!"

"Bring the things here!"

Leng Liuxi: "I forgot to bring it... May I get it for you next time, my lord?"

Su Mo...

Just as he was about to speak.

His eyes narrowed suddenly.

On the shore, amidst the crowd, two furtive scholars, standing on tiptoe, peered at the ship, followed by two magnificent dogs!
White Tiger! It's doomed!
(End of this chapter)