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For thousands of years, countless talented men and beautiful women have lingered on the banks of the Qinhuai River, a place of singing and dancing.

They are either gentle and charming, or elegant and handsome, forming a beautiful landscape in the city of Jinling.

The Eight Beauties of Qinhuai were born. Among them, the most beautiful was Chen Yuanyuan, the most gentle was Dong Xiaowan, and the most responsible was Liu Rushi.

However, the most unique one is Ma Xianglan, a master of orchid painting.

She was a remarkable woman among the Eight Beauties, though her appearance was not stunning.

But she can stand out among the beautiful women on the Qinhuai River, which is inseparable from her elegant temperament and outstanding talent.

Her poetry, painting, devotion, generosity and character often make her stand out among other beauties.

As the saying goes, beautiful appearances are all alike, but interesting souls are rare to find.

Temperament and talent were her winning magic weapons, but although she was famous throughout the Qinhuai River, her life was miserable.

"In 1548 AD, Ma Xianglan was born."

"Her original name is Ma Shouzhen, her nickname is Xuan'er, and her other nickname is Yuejiao."

"Because I am the fourth child in the family, I am also called Si Niang."

"Ma Xianglan's ancestral home is in Hunan. She loves orchids, has an intelligent personality, and is good at poetry and painting."

"She was particularly good at painting orchids and bamboos, and she often titled herself Xiang Lanzi in her paintings."

"These three simple words vaguely reveal the tragic life story of this talented woman. Her name, Xianglan, was born from this."

"Throughout the ages, appearance has always been a person's calling card, especially for a woman."

"However, Ma Xianglan is not beautiful, her looks are only average."

"Although Ma Xianglan's appearance is not stunning, her movements are like a willow swaying in the wind, with a unique charm."

"And her temperament is like orchid, and her talent is outstanding, just like her name, orchid."

"And Ma Xianglan's greatest talent is painting orchids and writing orchid poems."

"Her orchid paintings became popular items that scholars and literati at the time competed to collect, and some even spent a fortune to get a painting of orchids."

“The reason why Ma Xianghua’s orchid paintings are so popular among the world is because of this.”

"In fact, it is because Ma Xianglan loves orchids as her life and knows orchids well that she can paint orchids so vividly."

"Not only that, she also planted various orchids in her house and took care of them every day."

"In addition, she used her own orchid-like mind and wisdom to deeply understand the pure and elegant charm of orchids."

“So, the orchid’s appearance is perfectly presented in the painting.”

"Because of Ailan, it can be presented perfectly."

"In fact, for those who love orchids, their behavior and personality traits are all closely related to orchids."

"In addition to painting orchids and writing orchid poems, Ma Xianglan's conversations with people are very refreshing."

"It is said that when she talks to people, her voice is as sweet as a nightingale's and her demeanor is charming."

"He is considerate, well-informed, and often able to fascinate people."

"In this way, over time, Ma Xianglan gradually became a celebrity along the Qinhuai River."

"Her door was always crowded with guests, and many distinguished scholars and men of letters came to visit her."

"And Ma Xianglan also saved some money through gifts from guests."

"Because of her lifelong love for orchids, Ma Xianglan built a small building by the Taihuai River."

"It has winding paths and is planted with orchids. It is fresh, elegant and beautiful. Ma Xianglan named it the Orchid Pavilion."

"Ma Xianglan was also unique in that she was born with a pair of big feet, which would be ridiculed in traditional society."

"So one day Ma Xianglan made a new skirt to cover her big feet, but she was still laughed at by a poet named Lu."

"Even if she was born with a pair of big feet, there will still be a constant flow of cars and horses in front of Ma Xianglan's door."

"Ma Xianglan was very dignified when she went out, with a carriage and four horses, and a group of servants, just like a lady from a wealthy family."

"Because of her good income, Ma Xianglan was open-minded, spent money lavishly, and was very generous to those around her."

"He also often helped those poor scholars who had no money, as well as the elderly, the weak, the sick and the disabled who had difficulties in life nearby."

"Therefore, Ma Xianglan has a chivalrous and open-minded heart."

"Even so, Ma Xianglan often couldn't hide the sadness and loneliness of being a floating prostitute."

"The life of a famous prostitute who welcomes and sends off guests may seem colorful, but in the eyes of others, she is just a prostitute."

"In fact, in Ma Xianglan's mind, what she most desires is to be an ordinary woman."

"I have a warm and happy family, ordinary love, and a husband who truly loves me."

Cao Xueqin: The more affectionate you are, the more suffering you will suffer from the more heartless you are. These seven words perfectly explain Ma Xianglan's life.

Most of the beauties among the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai were famous for their beauty and talent. Unlike the other seven beauties, Ma Xianglan was slightly inferior in appearance and figure.

Therefore, the reason why she was listed among the eight beauties was simply because her talent was more praised than that of the other seven beauties.

Among the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai, Ma Xianglan was best at poetry and painting. Her orchid poems and orchid paintings were considered the best of the time.

Ma Xianglan's skill in painting orchids was second to none during the Jiajing and Wanli dynasties.

Even if placed in today's painting world, he can be compared with those great masters.

Because there is a "Lan" in Ma Xianglan's name and her favorite flower is orchid, Ma Xianglan's paintings are mostly based on orchids.

Of course, while painting orchids, Ma Xianglan would also decorate them with bamboo, stones and other things.

Even in the eyes of discerning experts, Ma Xianglan's orchids are remarkable.

It can be said that Ma Xianglan's attainments in the field of painting are beyond the reach of other famous prostitutes.

As the saying goes, people are afraid of becoming famous just as pigs are afraid of being fat. Ma Xianglan's attainments in painting orchids have made her popularity soar.

Although people look down upon Ma Xianglan and her ilk, everyone in the art field admits that Ma Xianglan is a master at painting orchids.

Many princes and nobles were proud to have a painting of orchids by Ma Xianglan in their home.

Even Wei Zhongxian, the most famous and powerful eunuch at the time, was like this.

Talking about Wei Zhongxian, he really has nothing to do with the word elegance.

Wei Zhongxian had lost his fertility, and his mental health was inevitably damaged.

Wei Zhongxian's only pursuit in life was wealth and power.

In order to achieve this goal, Wei Zhongxian formed a clique and recruited many lackeys.

Once a person's status is improved, he will inevitably become pretentious, and Wei Zhongxian was no exception.

Wei Zhongxian heard that the most popular painting at the time was the orchid painted by Ma Xianglan, so he also wanted to follow in the footsteps of the trend.

So, in order to collect a masterpiece of a beauty.

Wei Zhongxian sent his lackeys to the Youlan Pavilion to ask Ma Xianglan for the paintings.

The people Ma Xianglan usually interacted with were all true gentlemen and scholars, and mediocre people like Wei Zhongxian were always kept away from her.

Ma Xianglan had a noble character and what she despised most were people like Wei Zhongxian who were power-hungry and uncultured.

Originally, Ma Xianglan was determined not to paint for Wei Zhongxian, but after all, Ma Xianglan lived at the feet of the emperor, and she could not offend Wei Zhongxian, who was at the peak of his power.

After repeated consideration, Ma Xianglan came up with an idea. She painted a picture of an orchid emitting a faint fragrance and gave it to Wei Zhongxian's lackey.

After Wei Zhongxian received the painting, he immediately hung it in his bedroom.

Although Wei Zhongxian was an illiterate who could not read a single word, he had the most basic aesthetic ability.

Looking at the lifelike orchid painting hanging in the room, Wei Zhongxian couldn't help but be intoxicated.

Ma Xianglan's painting skills are truly unique in the world. Not only does this painting look like an orchid printed alive on rice paper, it also exudes a refreshing fragrance, giving people the illusion that this is a real orchid rather than a painting.

The first thing Wei Zhongxian did when he woke up every day was to look at the orchid painting, and he did this for many days in a row.

Of course, Wei Zhongxian’s original intention in asking for the orchid painting was far more than this.

What he hated most in his life was that others said he was an illiterate eunuch. He always felt that all the civil and military officials in the court were laughing at his cultural level. This time, he could use this orchid painting to show his appreciation ability to his colleagues.

Therefore, Wei Zhongxian issued a notice, inviting all the famous people in the capital to his house for an orchid appreciation event.

All the literati with a little fame were invited by Wei Zhongxian.

No one knew what Wei Zhongxian was up to, but no one dared to ignore him, so they had to go to the meeting anyway.

At the banquet, Wei Zhongxian discussed with everyone in the lobby his insights on orchid appreciation.

Then Wei Zhongxian opened the scroll in front of everyone, revealing the orchid painting by Ma Xianglan.

Anyone with a little vision could tell at a glance that this was Ma Xianglan's work and they all praised it highly.

Seeing everyone nodding their heads, Wei Zhongxian said that there was another wonderful thing about this orchid painting, which was that there was a scent of orchid on the painting, and asked everyone to come closer and smell it.

As soon as the literati participating in the banquet arrived at the lobby, they smelled a foul odor. It was not until they smelled the orchid painting that they realized that Ma Xianglan's painting was the source of the foul odor.

Wei Zhongxian was a castrated man, and the word he hated most in his life was "臊".

Besides, after all, everyone was invited to the mansion, and no one could say in front of the host that there was a strange smell in the house.

Therefore, no one dared to tell the truth, for fear that telling the truth would displease Wei Zhongxian.

So, a group of literati and scholars gathered in front of the painting and inhaled the foul smell from the painting.

After smelling it, he had to hold back from vomiting and pretend to be immersed in it in front of Wei Zhongxian.

Wei Zhongxian only thought that the orchid painting in his collection shocked everyone present, and no one would dare to say that he was not elegant in the future.

As a result, the literati no longer said that Wei Zhongxian was an illiterate who could not even write his own name.

It was secretly rumored that there was a lingering foul smell in Wei Zhongxian's home, and even Ma Xianglan's orchid painting was contaminated.

To Wei Zhongxian, the orchid fragrance was refreshing, but to others it smelled like an unpleasant odor.

It turned out that this was all Ma Xianglan's plan.

When painting this picture for Wei Zhongxian, Ma Xianglan specially used her own urine to grind the ink.

The ink originally contains a strong rosin, which can effectively cover up the smell of urine.

Later, Ma Xianglan sprinkled some dried pollen on the orchid painting, making the painting exude the fragrance of orchids.

When the painting was delivered to Wei Zhongxian, the smell of pollen was still there, so Wei Zhongxian naturally felt it was full of fragrance.

But after a few days, most of the fragrance dissipated and only the smell of urine remained on the rice paper.

Since Wei Zhongxian couldn't let the scroll go after he got it and spent a long time looking at it in his bedroom every day, he gradually got used to the urine smell on the painting.

However, the literati and scholars were not used to this change and they could only smell a smell of urine from the painting.

Ma Xianglan had a high status in the literary circle. Even after people later learned that this was a painting Ma Xianglan had drawn with urine, they did not think it was indecent. They just thought that Wei Zhongxian had been tricked by Ma Xianglan.

"It is said that people are afraid of being famous, pigs are afraid of being fat, and big trees are more likely to attract wind."

"When Ma Xianglan was 24 years old, she accidentally offended some people and was arrested and imprisoned by the government. Those vicious officials also took the opportunity to extort a lot of money from her."

"At that time, Ma Xianglan was tortured terribly, with disheveled hair and barefoot."

"Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and they had long lost their former charming charm. The consequences are unpredictable."

"At this time, a talented man named Wang Zhideng came forward to help her settle everything."

“When people are in difficulties and confusion, they are most likely to develop special feelings for their benefactors, and Ma Xianglan is no exception.”

"From then on, I fell in love with Wang Zhideng at first sight, and even loved him till death!"

"Wang Zhideng was a man of great talent and a disciple of Wen Zhengming, one of the four great talents."

"But later, because of his involvement, he was not valued by the court and finally returned to Jiangnan in despair."

"Because of the setback in his career, Wang Zhideng began to indulge in his own way and indulge in the world of fireworks."

"Because of his high cultural level, he made the acquaintance of many famous prostitutes."

"By such coincidence, he met Ma Xianglan. When the talented scholar and beautiful woman met, they felt that they had met too late."

"So far, the two of them have been in love with each other, going in and out of Youlan Pavilion, and their days are very comfortable."

"Once, Wang Zhideng asked Ma Xianglan for a painting of orchids."

"Ma Xianglan had already taken a liking to him, so she took this opportunity to paint a picture of orchids, which is her specialty."

"This orchid best reflects the orchid's pure and ethereal nature. She also wrote a poem called 'Black Orchid'."

"It's not hard to see Ma Xianglan's feelings between the lines. Although she is a prostitute, she is not a fickle person."

"But it is a solitary orchid on a cliff, which is not something that ordinary people or lechers can get close to."

"Faced with Ma Xianglan's gentle confession, how could the smart Wang Zhideng not know?"

"But Wang Zhideng had some concerns about accepting a famous prostitute who came and went every day."

"So I didn't make any promises, just accepted the painting and thanked him politely."

"Ma Xianglan thought he had rejected her and was heartbroken, but she couldn't forget Wang Zhideng."

"So the two of them continued to interact as good friends, but never talked about marriage again."

"Soon after, Wang Zhideng was recommended to participate in the work of compiling the national history."

"When Wang Zhideng heard the imperial court's call, he immediately became very excited and prepared to go north to pursue his career."

"When Ma Xianglan heard about it, she felt happy for Wang Zhideng, but also sad about the separation."

"She also prepared a farewell banquet for Wang Zhideng, during which Wang Zhideng happily expressed his wish to share prosperity with her in the future."

"Ma Xianglan didn't make it clear for fear of losing her, and only planted the seeds of hope in her heart."

"She gave all kinds of instructions and was very reluctant to let her go, just like a wife would do to her husband who was about to go on a long journey."

"But sometimes, a man's mouth is deceiving."

"In their minds, career is far more important than love."

"After Wang Zhideng left, Ma Xianglan closed the door and refused visitors to show her true feelings."

"I hope that her husband will be successful in his career, and I can stay by his side and get rid of the life of entertaining guests in brothels."

"However, ideals are full of hope, but reality is very skinny." "Ma Xianglan waited hard, but there was no news from Wang Zhideng."

"She was worried and missing him every day in Youlan Pavilion, but Wang Zhideng was gone forever."

"Wang Zhideng's career was not very successful. He went to the capital to compile history."

"I was ostracized everywhere and had to do odd jobs. My life was very frustrating."

"So Wang Zhideng, in despair, packed up his belongings and returned to Jiangnan."

"Because I was in a depressed mood, and I didn't have much affection for the infatuated Ma Xianglan."

"So I moved my family to Suzhou and gave up the idea of ​​spending my life with Ma Xianglan."

Dong Efei: Ma Xianglan, a skilled orchid painter and a remarkable woman among the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai, waited for her heartless lover for decades.

Compared with the other seven beauties, Ma Xianglan's love story is not tortuous, but as ordinary as her life experience.

Lucky as Liu Rushi was, she married the prominent figure Qian Qianyi.

She was held in the palm of Qian Qianyi's hand and enjoyed the happiness of an ordinary woman.

Dong Xiaowan was also lucky. She married Mao Xiang and got along well with the Mao family.

There are lucky ones, and naturally there are unlucky ones.

Chen Yuanyuan married Wu Sangui, a great hero who dared to fight for her, but she was also treated coldly in her later years and became a nun.

Ma Xianglan's love can neither be called lucky nor unfortunate.

However, ordinary love may not be untouched.

After seeing off the young master of the Zhao family and welcoming the young master of the Sun family, the lives of every famous prostitute are similar.

They accompany young talents or dignitaries to live a life of feasting and revelry, and seem extremely glamorous to others.

But in essence, they are always musicians of inferior status.

Whether because they were trafficked or grew up in a place of brothel, most prostitutes are lonely and isolated.

In their lives, they have witnessed the warmth and coldness of the world, but they have to greet the indifferent society with a smile.

Some difficulties and pains cannot be compensated by fine clothes and delicious food.

It can be said that no prostitute is willing to be imprisoned in brothels for the rest of her life. They would rather live a poor and ordinary life like ordinary women, even village girls and peasant women.

There are not many ways for a prostitute to change her situation, and marrying a good man is the easiest one.

The wish of most prostitutes is to choose a man they are satisfied with from among all their customers.

It is up to him to be the hero in his own life and save himself from the fire pit.

However, not every man in this world can be as tolerant of prostitutes at the bottom of society as Qian Qianyi, so few prostitutes can meet the hero who comes riding on a colorful cloud.

Some even waited in the brothel for more than ten years, while others waited for their entire lives.

In her early years, Ma Xianglan, like those prostitutes longing for love, wanted to choose a hero from her customers to save her from danger.

She waited patiently until she was 24 years old, and finally met Wang Zhideng, the man she liked the most.

What is most abundant along the Qinhuai River is the love stories between literati and prostitutes.

Prostitutes become famous because of celebrities, and literati become famous because of prostitutes.

Wang Zhideng came to Youlan Pavilion and asked Ma Xianglan to paint for him.

Seeing that her lover asked her for something, Ma Xianglan was very happy.

She immediately prepared her brush and ink and started painting a picture of orchid, which is her best art.

Speaking of the orchid in this painting, Ma Xianglan's original technique was used.

There is only a touch of slanted leaves under the orchid, setting off the elegant and noble orchid above.

This painting method makes the orchid look very pure and elegant, unlike other orchid paintings that look bloated.

After finishing the painting, Ma Xianglan also wrote a seven-character quatrain "Orchid" on the painting.

A leaf of orchids and a flower of arrows, who would regret being lonely at the end of the world?

Since I wrote it on the silver paper, I am not afraid of wind, cold, rain or slant.

The first part of the poem describes the quiet and lonely nature of the orchid, which is actually Ma Xianglan using it to highlight her own situation.

The style of the next poem changes, saying that if the orchid was written on silver paper, it would no longer be afraid of strong winds and heavy rains.

The orchid naturally refers to Ma Xianglan herself, and the silver paper is referring to Wang Zhideng.

Ma Xianglan's intentions are clearly revealed in this poem, which is that she longs to give herself to him.

Perhaps Ma Xianglan felt that this poem alone was not enough to express her feelings to her lover, so she specially painted a picture and also inscribed it with a seven-character quatrain.

The cliffs emit a strange fragrance, and the drooping leaves attract passers-by.

If one were not in a high position, it would be inevitable for a wealthy family to wear evening makeup.

This poem reflects another mentality of Ma Xianglan. She was afraid that her lover would regard her as an ordinary prostitute and think that her affection for him was just a casual affair.

Therefore, she once again used the orchids on the cliff to express her feelings, indicating that she was definitely not a fickle woman.

Wang Zhideng had outstanding literary talent and he could see the sentiments in the two poems at a glance.

However, Wang Zhideng was very hesitant.

At this time, Wang Zhideng was 37 years old, long past the age of 30, but his career was not improving.

I am about to enter my forties, but I still have no achievements and I don’t know where the future lies.

Obviously, Wang Zhideng is a conservative and responsible person when it comes to relationships.

He did not accept Ma Xianglan easily because he was not a frivolous person.

However, what Wang Zhideng can give to Ma Xianglan now is very limited.

After such a long period of contact, Wang Zhideng has discovered that Ma Xianglan is a woman with deep feelings.

If I make a promise lightly, it may not be a good thing for her, but rather a harm.

It would be better not to make any promises for the time being, so that the two of them can continue their relationship with a relatively relaxed attitude.

In addition, considering Wang Zhideng's identity, he may have another hidden worry.

Although Ma Xianglan was a kind-hearted woman, the most considerate woman in the world, and had a good relationship with Wang Zhideng, she was ultimately still a prostitute on the Qinhuai River.

No matter how open-minded Wang Zhideng was, it was impossible for him not to have any reservations about Ma Xianglan's identity.

After all, before Wang Zhideng, Ma Xianglan had met countless famous and handsome men, which made Wang Zhideng at a loss.

Moreover, Wang Zhideng came from a scholarly family and was a well-known figure at the time.

If Wang Zhideng had married Ma Xianglan, even if the two got along well, this would not have been blessed by people of the time.

Besides, Ma Xianglan was a musician.

If she cannot be denaturalized, Wang Zhideng's act of marrying her would be a crime.

Even if the court does not pursue the matter, it will have a huge impact on Wang Zhideng's reputation.

Taking the above factors into consideration, Wang Zhideng had to pretend to be ignorant of the situation.

After that, he simply rolled up the two paintings, put them away, politely expressed his gratitude to Ma Xianglan, and turned to say goodbye.

"Poor Ma Xianglan still had deep feelings for him. After learning that he had moved to Gusu, she even chased him there and often comforted him."

"Of course we can only be good friends, and we haven't even reached the stage of marriage."

"The neighbors all thought they were brother and sister, and Ma Xianglan just swallowed her bitterness."

"Ma Xianglan and Wang Zhideng maintained a brother-sister relationship, and before they knew it, more than 30 years had passed."

"The time span is too long. It is really not easy for a woman to make such sacrifices for a man."

"Ma Xianglan's love for Wang Zhideng has remained the same for decades."

"As time went by, Ma Xianglan gradually realized that Wang Zhideng was not a man she could trust for her whole life."

"In fact, a talented woman like Ma Xianglan has noble character and extraordinary talent."

"It's not that no one pursues her. In fact, there are many people pursuing her."

"But Ma Xianglan rejected them all. She is a woman with a strong obsession with cleanliness when it comes to emotions."

"Ma Xianglan wasted more than 30 years for Wang Zhideng, and even at the age of 50 there were still young men who admired her."

"Once, there was a handsome and talented young man."

"I visited Ma Xianglan because I admired her and was reluctant to leave for a long time."

"At this time, a scoundrel came outside to collect a debt and shouted loudly. As a result, the boy immediately generously paid her debt."

"If he hadn't loved Ma Xianglan, the young man would never have been so generous."

"Ma Xianglan is a generous person, so she is especially kind to young people."

"Later, the young man was determined to marry Ma Xianglan and even bought a house by the Qinhuai River."

"She also bought Ma Xianglan a lot of expensive jewelry, but she flatly refused."

"Ma Xianglan was already fifty years old at this time, and her thinking was very mature."

"She thought that the 20-year-old boy was just impulsive. After all, the age difference between the two was too big and they would not be happy in the end."

"In fact, Ma Xianglan was already over 50 years old at that time."

"But she is still as radiant and charming as ever, so it's not surprising that she is favored by young people."

"In the blink of an eye, it was 1604. Wang Zhideng was already 70 years old, and that day he celebrated his th birthday."

"Ma Xianglan made a special trip to Suzhou to celebrate his birthday. There was singing and dancing until dawn, and drinking for several months. It became a major event in Suzhou."

"At this time, Ma Xianglan and Wang Zhideng had been separated for 16 years."

"Although Ma Xianglan is 57 years old, she still has the charm and beauty of a beautiful woman."

"Wang Zhideng has already become an old man, without any trace of his youthful grace."

"Ma Xianglan knew that they would never see each other again, so she couldn't bear to part."

"Maybe it's because of this great joy and great sorrow, Ma Xianglan returned from the birthday celebration."

"I fell ill and never recovered. Perhaps my wish was fulfilled."

"She refused medical attention and within days she felt her end was nigh."

"Then he bathed, changed his clothes, and died sitting upright. He was 57 years old."

"Looking back on Ma Xianglan's life, it is tragic and regrettable, but the most admirable thing is her talent and love."

"Her extraordinary talent will live forever, and her infatuated love will bring tears to our eyes."

"Ma Xianglan unfortunately fell into prostitution since childhood, but she was a generous person and often helped others."

"She herself has interpreted herself very well. She is a lone orchid on the cliff."

"Although she is in a place of pleasure, her character is as noble and pure as an orchid."

"Perhaps because she loves orchids as much as her life and her character is like orchids, Ma Xianglan is deeply in love."

"For more than 30 years, I have been in love with only one person, which has wasted half of my life. However, love always leads to the pain of being heartless."

Sai Jinhua: Ma Xianglan, one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai, spent her whole life's love just for a word of understanding.

Ma Xianglan was a famous courtesan in Jinling in the late Ming Dynasty and one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai.

She was born in Jinling and is a native of the area.

Because she was born into a poor family, she fell into prostitution at a young age.

Compared with the other seven beauties, Ma Xianglan has a congenital difference, that is, she is not as beautiful as them.

Although she also has a slender waist like a willow, she is not as pretty as them. At best, her appearance is of average quality.

But there are two aspects about her that other beauties cannot match, and this is also the capital that enables her to stand out on the banks of the Qinhuai River where there are so many beauties.

First, it’s her personality.

Although she is not a beauty, she is elegant, refined and approachable, unlike others who are arrogant and difficult to get along with.

Ma Xianglan is very good at talking and making friends. Her voice and tone are extremely powerful and quite likable.

The biggest advantage is that he is understanding and helpful.

She earns a lot of money but spends it quickly. Apart from her own expenses, a large part of it is used for sponsorship.

Since the imperial examination hall was next door, there were many candidates who failed to achieve success during the annual examination.

Businessmen who have encountered misfortunes can also get her help, so her reputation is extraordinary.

Second, it is about talent.

In addition to being proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting and poetry, what is most impressive is his painting.

She doesn't grow a hundred flowers, but specializes in orchids.

He was an expert in painting orchids and was known as Xianglan. Even many painters felt inferior to him.

Therefore, if one could obtain a painting of orchids by Ma Xianglan, it would be something that not everyone could dream of.

Of course, Ma Xianglan also has a shortcoming.

He likes to show off and give people the impression that he is ostentatious and rich, which is not low-key.

Guests were coming and going in front of the door, carriages and horses were driving out, and servants were being called upon as soon as one entered the door.

Although she is said to be a prostitute, she actually has the demeanor of a noble lady.

Although there were many brothels along the Qinhuai River, she did not join the army.

Instead, he relied on gifts from his guests to build a small building of his own on the riverside.

She designed the small courtyard like a garden, with winding paths, corridors, and quiet flowers and rocks.

Because he was particularly fond of orchids, he planted orchids all over the yard and named the building Youlan Building. (End of this chapter)