The First Marquis of Leisure

Queyuefang, south of the capital of Yan.

This place is a place of extravagance and debauchery. Young nobles and aristocratic families of Yan would come here to relax and have fun when they had nothing to do.

The State of Yan was renowned for its literary culture, so composing poems and couplets was a common occurrence.

Myolie Wu was sixteen years old when she came to Yan from Chu with her grandfather. She had been here before and made some money.

Therefore, she knew the way well and led Bai Xinghe into the neighborhood.

Upon entering, Bai Xinghe was inevitably somewhat shocked.

This Yuefang was brightly lit, filled with the aromas of wine, far surpassing even the largest brothel in the capital of Zhao.

Moreover, in addition to the prostitutes from Yan, there were also many prostitutes from other countries!

Myolie Wu only sells her art, not her body, so she went directly to the lobby on the first floor.

Soon, a middle-aged woman with heavy makeup walked over with a smile.

"Oh, isn't this Xing'er?"

"Aunt Hong, it's been a long time! You look even better."

Although Myolie Wu is young, she has a sweet tongue and immediately flattered the madam, Aunt Hong, making her very happy.

"Oh my, Xing'er really knows how to talk."

Aunt Hong smiled and glanced at Bai Xinghe.

"Xing'er, who is this young master?"

"Aunt Hong, Young Master Bai is my good friend."

"Alright." Aunt Hong didn't say anything more, then gestured for Myolie Wu to follow her.

Myolie Wu pointed to a spot on one side of the hall and whispered, "Young Master Bai, please sit there for a while."

Bai Xinghe nodded and looked around.

He discovered that the Yuefang in the Yan Kingdom was full of all sorts of people, some selling their art but not their bodies, and others selling their bodies but not their art.

Moreover, it was very well-managed, and it attracted all sorts of people, from literati and scholars to those who came to drink and have fun, and those who came to relieve their loneliness.

A short while later, Myolie Wu changed her clothes and looked even more beautiful and elegant.

Myolie Wu nodded slightly to Bai Xinghe in the corner, then picked up her guzheng and sat down in the middle.

As a wisp of incense was lit, the melodious sound of the guzheng filled the air amidst the rising smoke, and the entire venue immediately fell silent.

Myolie Wu was completely focused as she plucked the strings with her slender fingers.

"This is a folk song from the Chu region, and it sounds tinged with a faint sadness!"

"What a wonderful piece! Come on, let me give you a reward."

Soon, some scholars in the hall began to cheer and ordered their subordinates to take out silver notes as rewards.

Bai Xinghe listened quietly. He was a male PhD in science and engineering and did not understand music.

However, they still have a basic level of appreciation; they can hear a faint sadness in the music.

Before long, many guests stood up and cheered, praising Myolie Wu for playing such a beautiful piece.

"Wonderful, wonderful! It has been a long time since I have seen such a beautiful woman and heard such a wonderful piece of music."

Just then, a voice drifted down from the second floor.

A young man dressed in white slowly walked down, fanning himself with a feather fan.

"Young master, please slow down and watch your step."

Soon, several servants trotted over.

The man in white smiled, his eyes fixed on Myolie Wu, who was playing music in the center.

Many scholars and literati showed signs of restraint upon seeing the man in white.

"It's Young Master Qian!"

Qian Yuan, the son of Qian Guanglu, the Vice Minister of War of the Yan State.

I have average literary talent, but I do have some martial arts skills, and I am a regular at Queyuefang.

"Hey, my dear young master Qian, why did you come down here yourself?"

The madam, Aunt Hong, came over with a seductive look on her face to greet us.

Qian Yuan snorted and looked at Hu Xing'er with a smile.

"Madam, I really like this girl."

"Oh dear, Mr. Qian, if you like Xing'er, I'll have her play another song for you right away."

Qian Yuan wasn't buying it at all and gave his subordinates a wink.

His subordinate immediately pulled out a large stack of silver notes and shouted in front of everyone, "Young Master Qian, please reward us with one thousand taels!"

Many people were shocked when they heard this number.

As expected of a wealthy family, they are incredibly generous.

When Myolie Wu finished her song, she stood up and bowed to Qian Yuan.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Qian!"

Qian Yuan chuckled and glanced at his subordinates beside him.

His subordinates held up silver notes and shouted, "Young Master Qian is rewarding Miss Xing'er with ten thousand taels!"

What?

Ten thousand taels!

Ten thousand taels would be enough to subdue all the prostitutes here!

Bai Xinghe was also taken aback, not expecting that the son of the Vice Minister of War had his own style when it came to squandering money.

"Miss Xing'er, my young master invites you to a private room on the second floor for a chat."

After a moment of contemplation, Myolie Wu said softly, "I thank you for your kindness, Mr. Qian, but I only sell my art, not my body. If you like it, Mr. Qian, I will continue playing for you."

"You bitch, what are you pretending for?"

"My young master has rewarded you with ten thousand taels of silver, and you still dare to make excuses!"

The servants immediately flew into a rage and began to shout and curse.

Aunt Hong quickly stepped in to smooth things over, apologizing to Qian Yuan's men while trying to persuade Myolie Wu.

"Xing'er, this is the son of the Vice Minister of War. Aunt Hong knows your principles, but principles can be broken. Be good."

"Aunt Hong, no, we have an agreement." Myolie Wu's attitude was firm. She knew that once she went up to the second floor, it would mean that she would not only sell her art, but also her body.

At this moment, Qian Yuan's men had lost their patience and rushed forward immediately in an attempt to curry favor with him.

"You're going up to the second floor today, whether you like it or not!"

Faced with this situation, the staff of Queyuefang dared not stop them.

Because Qian Guanglu, the Vice Minister of War, wielded immense power and was a confidant of Ji Changzai, the General of Tiance.

"Let go, I'm not going, let me go."

Myolie Wu struggled, trying to break free from Qian Yuan's two henchmen.

Seeing this situation, Bai Xinghe felt fortunate that he had come along.

Otherwise, Myolie Wu would definitely be in trouble tonight.

He stood up immediately and rushed over.

"stop!"

Bai Xinghe shouted, yelling, "Xing'er doesn't sell herself, didn't you hear me?"

"If you're lonely, there are plenty of women upstairs for your young master to enjoy!"

"Young Master Bai!" Myolie Wu felt much more at ease when she saw Bai Xinghe appear.

"Hey kid, who do you think you are, meddling in other people's business!"

"Get out of here right now, or I'll break your legs."

Qian Yuan's men were arrogant and didn't take Bai Xinghe seriously.

Bai Xinghe snorted coldly, his gaze sharp as he said sternly, "The son of a high-ranking official in the Ministry of War is forcibly abducting a woman in a brothel. Aren't you afraid of losing face if word gets out?"

"Hey kid, what did you say? Say it again!"

Just as his men were about to make their move, Qian Yuan stepped forward.

He waved his hand to signal his men to leave, then looked at Bai Xinghe.

"What? Are you trying to play the hero in front of me?"

Bai Xinghe disagreed, saying, "Xing'er is my friend, understand?"

"I only ask whether you are right or wrong!" Qian Yuan's attitude suddenly became very tough, and he even had a bit of an imposing air about him.

"So what if it is?" Bai Xinghe replied.

"Very well, you've got guts to try and steal my woman!"

"Believe it or not, with just a word from me, soldiers will immediately come and throw you into prison!"

Faced with the threat, Bai Xinghe knew that Qian Yuan, with his status, could certainly do it.

Then, a clever idea struck him, and he said sarcastically, "Queyuefang is a gathering place for scholars and gentlemen, renowned for its literary excellence. If you truly like Xing'er, and yet you bully others and abuse your power here, you'll only be despised by the world!"

As expected, Qian Yuan was stunned for a moment after hearing this.

"Boy, it seems you're not from my Yan state. What? Do you take me for a mere warrior?"

"Although I have not yet formally entered the Doctor's household, Doctor Li highly values ​​my talent, do you understand?"

Bai Xinghe chuckled inwardly, a barely perceptible hint of coldness flashing across his lips.

"Since Young Master Qian is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and the people of Yan are renowned for their literary talents, let's have a contest according to the rules among scholars."

"Each person shall compose a poem, which shall be judged by all those present."

"If your poem surpasses mine, I will not stop you and will persuade Xing'er to go upstairs. If it is not as good as mine, you shall not harass Xing'er from now on, and I will wager a thousand taels of silver. Do you dare?"

Upon hearing Bai Xinghe's suggestion, everyone cheered.

"Young Master Qian, this gentleman's courage is commendable, daring to compete in poetry with someone valued by Dr. Li. Haha, he's showing off his limited skills before an expert; he's bound to lose!!"

"Indeed, this gentleman may have some talent, but he's probably doomed to lose. Young Master Qian himself just said that Dr. Li highly values ​​his talent!"

Qian Yuan couldn't help but sneer, feeling that Bai Xinghe was humiliating himself, so he agreed without hesitation.