Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 1234 Epilogue : Xie Laoliu, who doesn't understand romance
There were too many royal family members in the previous dynasty. Among the first batch of important ministers in the cabinet and government when the Ming Dynasty was founded, there were two members of the Zhao Song royal family with distant blood ties.

As for the descendants of Song Huizong himself.

A branch changed its name and multiplied in Guizhou. Over the past hundred years, two of them have become Jinshi officials. They were considered top-notch local tycoons in a poor place like Zhenyuan County.

One group was Zhao Huan, who was an official who encouraged agriculture. Due to his status as the last emperor of the Song Dynasty, he was promoted more slowly as his official position increased. It was not until he died of illness that he was posthumously awarded the title of Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. After his death, he left behind four sons, all of whom settled in Yunnan, deliberately keeping a distance from the center of power.

There were also a large number of Zhao family members who stayed in Kaifeng, namely, more than ten sons of Emperor Huizong of Song. These people did not even dare to worship their ancestors until Zhu Mingdu passed away. Only then did the descendants of Zhao family in Kaifeng dare to quietly continue the family tree.

Some of those who were doing well in Kaifeng were officials of the fifth rank, and some became small wealthy through business. But most of them were not so good, and remained small landlords or self-employed farmers.

More than a hundred years later, many descendants of the Zhao family in Kaifeng even fell into the status of tenants or hired laborers.

Zhao Jingjing is the descendant of the crazy painter Zhao Kai.

People mostly focus on Zhao Kai himself but don't know that his wife and children had a very difficult life at that time. At one point, they needed help from their younger brother to avoid starvation. It was not until Zhao Kai's sons grew up and his daughters got married that they were finally able to support themselves.

"Jingjing greets all of you gentlemen!" Zhao Jingjing crossed her hands and bowed.

This is a ritual that combines the crossed-hands salute and the farewell salute. In the Song Dynasty, there was even a mixed ritual of crossing hands while kneeling.

During the Tang and Song dynasties, the crossed-arm salute was far more popular than the bow or the salutation in daily communication.

However, by the Ming Dynasty, the crossed-arm salute was abandoned by the scholar class.

The country is powerful, surpassing the Han and Tang dynasties, so naturally its cultural customs must also match.

Then some great scholars declared that the crossed-arms salute originated from India and Buddhism, and was not a traditional Chinese Confucian form of etiquette, and called on all scholars to strictly abide by the etiquette passed down in the "Yili".

This was originally just a personal appeal from the people, but when Zhu Ming's good grandson succeeded to the throne, he directly issued an imperial decree to prohibit scholars from saluting with their hands crossed.

Of course, there is no ban on women or ordinary people.

Even clerks were not banned, only officials and scholars.

No matter how popular Zhao Jingjing is, she is just a famous prostitute.

Xie Yan and others stood up and bowed to show respect, and it was absolutely impossible for them to bow to a prostitute in return.

On the contrary, Zhao Jingjing not only performs the Wanfu salute, but also uses it in conjunction with the crossed-arm salute.

Because the crossed-arm salute is often used by people of lower status to express respect to those of higher status.

"I have not been feeling well these past two days. If I have been negligent, please forgive me," Zhao Jingjing said, raising her glass. "This glass of wine is to apologize to you, gentlemen."

"There's no need to be like this. Headaches and fevers are normal." Shi Huai said, raising his glass.

Xie Yan also raised his glass and looked at the famous prostitute carefully.

She was indeed beautiful, but she was just beautiful, not shocking. If we really wanted to compare, her appearance was comparable to Qingluan.

However, this woman has elegant manners, a very pleasant voice, and even the way she walks has an indescribable charm.

Specially trained!

how to say?

The combination of pure appearance and words and deeds can make a man feel very comfortable and at ease. He is willing to sit down with her to talk about his troubles and relieve his depression, just like meeting his first love in memory or fantasy.

With this foundation, combined with some talents and knowledge, plus conversation skills and an insightful mind, it is easy to make a man happy.

Even regard her as a confidant!
To be honest, Xie Yan was a little disappointed. He thought it would be amazing.

Xie Laoliu is a vulgar person who likes beautiful things. The more beautiful, the better!

I'm living a happy life now, without any worries or troubles in my heart. Do I need to go to a brothel to relieve my worries and boredom?

On the contrary, Alan, who was beside him, was still young, but his facial features were extremely delicate, and he also had an exotic temperament. He was so beautiful that he even had a hint of aggression. In a few years, he would definitely become a great beauty.

"Mr. Shi, Mr. Zhu, and Mr. Zeng are all old acquaintances," Zhao Jingjing looked at Xie Yan and Lu Churen, "but this is the first time I meet these two gentlemen. They are calm and measured, with extraordinary temperaments. You can tell at a glance that they are well-educated people."

Shi Huai smiled and said, "Is there no need to introduce Prince Consort Xie?"

Zhao Jingjing smiled: "I have heard of your name for a long time. Who in Beijing doesn't know you? Seeing you today, I know the rumors are true. You are so handsome and elegant, like a rare talent."

Xie Yan cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Zhao is too kind."

Zhao Jingjing said: "Master Xie is too modest. The sixteen-year-old Master Biyu and the seventeen-year-old Master Furong are the first since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. I don't know how many girls admire them."

Zhu Shirong laughed loudly: "Brother Chaozong, Jingjing is hinting that she loves you. You should come and visit more often in the future."

This means you can fall in love.

When a famous prostitute meets a talented and romantic man she likes, if the feelings are strong enough, they will directly get along as lovers.

Even during the period of love, the prostitute would reduce the number of customers she received, or stop receiving other customers. The man could bring his friends over to meet his girlfriend, and they could chat and drink together.

A real-life love game!

Men just like this, especially those who are in arranged marriages and are unhappy with their wives at home. If they suddenly have a famous prostitute as their girlfriend, not only will they feel proud when they tell others about it, but they can also experience the taste of love.

The emotional value is directly filled up.

This kind of love game has a certain time limit and often ends when the man runs out of money.

It is difficult to play games for free if you don't renew your subscription.

When a famous prostitute finds that she is truly in love with a talented man, she is willing to pay out of her own pocket to renew the subscription for her beloved (mainly to pay the commission to the platform). Some even go so far as to insist on redeeming themselves, determined to become a man's concubine, and even take their own savings with them.

Even more interesting is the love triangle.

Two men, pursuing a famous prostitute at the same time.

Whether it was because she couldn't make a decision or she was deliberately keeping them hanging, the famous prostitute was not yet a lover of either of them. Then, out of competition and face issues, the two men became more and more crazy. They spent money like crazy to please the famous prostitute, and even got jealous and fought.

If this kind of thing spreads, the famous prostitute will not be blamed. Instead, her fame will soar and she will attract more suitors to spend money on her.

Zhao Jingjing realized that her words were a little hasty, which was a taboo for a famous prostitute, so she quickly made amends:
"Master Zhu, you are joking. I am telling you the truth. I have no extravagant thoughts. A few days ago, there were guests in the upper room who insisted on eating spicy shredded chicken. When I asked, I found out that this was the love dish between Master Xie and the Grand Princess."

"There are also the black hair and Qin cement. The sisters in Lanruo Courtyard all said that if they could meet a man as affectionate as Mr. Xie, they would definitely find ways to redeem themselves and entrust their lives to him."

Zeng Heng laughed and said, "What kind of princess candy has Master Xie made up again?"

Zhao Jingjing asked curiously, "What is princess candy?"

Xie Yan explained: "The Mayan envoy presented a kind of cocoa beans, and I added goat milk and sugar to make a kind of candy."

"The eldest princess is so lucky to have such a perfect husband." Zhao Jingjing was both flattering and speaking from her heart.

She fell in love with Xie Yan as soon as she saw him, and was so greedy for Xie Laoliu's body that she was a little impatient and actually violated the biggest taboo of being a famous prostitute.

And there is a competitive mentality.

She really wanted to have a romance with Xie Laoliu and taste the feast that the princess had eaten.

Seeing that Lu Churen was somewhat ignored, Zhao Jingjing changed the subject: "Isn't Lu Xueshi serving in Luoyang?"

Shi Huai introduced: "Brother Cunde is the youngest professor in Jinling Imperial College."

"Disrespectful, disrespectful!" Zhao Jingjing raised a glass to punish himself.

Lu Churen is a reserved man.

He was the one who was hesitant when he said he wanted to come to Lanruoyuan. After he came, he was also the first to touch the maid's hand.

At this moment, he behaved like a gentleman. Not only did he not touch the maid's hand, but he also deliberately kept a distance from the maid, for fear of leaving a bad impression on Zhao Jingjing.

This guy couldn't help but want to show off: "I'm actually very dull, and I learned everything through hard work. With a little bit of luck, I was lucky enough to become a Medicine Jade Bachelor at the age of 31. Later, I conducted experiments in that direction, and at the age of 34, I made achievements and became a Jade Bachelor. Now, after another ten years, I have been promoted to Hibiscus Bachelor and Rose Bachelor, which I couldn't even imagine when I was young."

After hearing this, Zhao Jingjing praised him repeatedly, and made Lu Churen feel flattered with just a few words.

In fact, she thought Lu Churen was a little funny.

He pretended to be steady and cool, and revealed the whole story in just a few words.

She has seen many people like this.

Very easy to fool!

Zhao Jingjing continued to chat with several men, seemingly treating them equally, but in fact she was biased towards Xie Yan and wanted to know more about him, such as his interests and hobbies.

She really wanted to fall in love with this prince consort, it must be a wonderful experience.

Unfortunately, Xie Laoliu was not interested in her. He chatted with her very perfunctorily and then whispered to Alan, the maid beside him.

I don't know what they were talking about, but Alan was so amused that he covered his mouth and laughed.

Little slut!

Zhao Jingjing was a little jealous, jealous of her own maid.

She could only continue to find topics to talk about: "I heard that the famous "Du Liu Pu" in the capital is the masterpiece of Xie Xueshi's grandfather?"

Xie Yan nodded: "That's right."

Zhao Jingjing exclaimed: "The songs in this composition are all divine and top-grade. A few days ago, Sister Chen from the next courtyard played Mr. Xie's "Yangguan Sandie" for Mr. Yang. Mr. Yang actually cried on the spot and commented that Mr. Xie's song best captured the true meaning of Wang Wei among all the existing "Yangguan Sandie"."

"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Yang," said Xie Yan.

Zhao Jingjing continued the topic: "Mr. Xie is an expert in music, so Mr. Xie must have a family background in music."

Xie Yan said: "I don't know anything."

This made Zhao Jingjing feel a little embarrassed, so she had to change her perspective and praise him: "No wonder Xie Xueshi became famous at a young age. In order to study, he actually disdained all kinds of playthings."

"It's okay. I really like playing it, but I just don't understand music." Xie Yan said.

Zhao Jingjing choked.

Damn, how am I supposed to continue the conversation if you keep talking like this?

Shi Huai, Zeng Heng and Zhu Shirong were trying to hold back their laughter; they found it so funny.

Lu Churen was the most understanding of the situation, showing his potential as a dog-licker: "I heard that Zhao Guanren has a beautiful singing voice. I wonder if I will be lucky enough to hear her singing today?"

Zhao Jingjing smiled and said, "I would like to sing a song for you."

(End of this chapter)