Proud Feather

Chapter 56 Caught
Wei Qi was considering which brothel to go to when he suddenly heard a commotion nearby. A group of passersby hurried forward with the same goal in mind.

He was very curious and pulled a young man over to ask, "Brother, what are you doing up there?"

"Don't you know?" the young man said, "The Zhang family's teahouse is holding a courtesan convention, and the heads of various brothels are coming out to attract attention!"

Seeing such a lively scene, Wei Qi immediately took the initiative: "What are you waiting for? Let's go and see it!"

He excitedly followed the crowd to the riverside, and sure enough, he saw pleasure boats slowly passing by. The heads of various brothels were either singing or dancing, each showing off their unique skills and competing with each other for splendor.

On the foremost pleasure boat, the manager shouted, "Everyone, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, our Zhang family's teahouse has decided to hold a courtesan competition in three days. Whichever brothel wins will become our Zhang family's teahouse, and the courtesan will have her own sign..."

The people of the capital loved the hustle and bustle, and someone immediately shouted, "All the benefits belong to the courtesan. What does it have to do with us? They're still taking money out of our pockets."

The manager laughed and replied, "Who says only the courtesan gets the benefits? We've also set up prizes for the spectators. Anyone who enters the Zhang family's teahouse to participate in the selection that day will be given a number plate. After the selection is over, the number plates will be drawn on the spot. The first prize is ten taels of silver, and unimpeded access to the Zhang family's teahouse for a month, with no head tax. The second prize is five taels of silver..."

The common people were eager to buy things and were immediately attracted by the variety of the tiles.

On the painted boat at the back, the heads of various brothels were performing even harder, and the troupe owners next to them were shouting out the names of their own brothels. It was both interesting and joyful, attracting everyone to comment enthusiastically on who was the most beautiful, who sang the best, and who danced the best.

Wei Qi was beaming. Previously, due to the Crown Prince's funeral, the teahouse had been closed for so long that he was practically sick. Now, after finally opening it, he had unexpectedly gotten into trouble, and his aunt had insisted he return home. He had only just realized the benefits of the capital, and naturally he was reluctant.

Of course, he didn't dare to really disobey his aunt. He thought of hiding for a few days and watching the courtesan conference before returning home. The worst that could happen was that he would be scolded.

As I watched, I heard another commotion up ahead, and a voice shouted, "Look, the pleasure boat has stopped, and the Hesheng troupe needs to get on board."

So everyone swarmed over and asked, "How do we get in? Do we bid?"

Wei Qi squeezed over, only to hear the Hesheng troupe's manager loudly announce, "No bidding required. We're here to give back to our guests. How can we ask for money? My wife has a few questions. Anyone who meets the requirements can come aboard."

Everyone laughed. Yes, this shows sincerity from the Shengban team. It's okay to join them in three days.

"What are the conditions? Tell me now!"

Under everyone's urging, the manager said, "The first question is, what color is our plaque? Don't worry, we will draw lots later, but we will give priority to our old customers first. Anyone who has been to our brothel will surely remember the color of the plaque."

This was a simple question; they should give preferential treatment to regular customers. Someone was ecstatic and laughed heartily, saying, "I was there a few days ago, and the color of the plaque was... hahahaha, I won't tell you."

Heshengban was very famous, and many people immediately crowded to the front and told the staff their answers, and quite a few people got them right.

The steward stated the second condition: "Dear guests, please listen. Our headmaster can play three pieces of music. Please tell our staff if you can play them all. First priority will be given to those who can play all three pieces."

Soon, the sound of pipa was heard on the pleasure boat, the music was melodious and the skills were superb.

Someone said intoxicatedly: "Little Lianxiang's pipa playing is truly unique in the capital. Few people can match her. It sounds beautiful, beautiful!"

At this point, not many people can answer it.

Wei Qi liked to have fun and had some understanding of music. After listening carefully, he found that he had heard Xiao Lianxiang play it a few days ago. He was overjoyed and told the guy the name of the song.

The guy stared at him for a few seconds, then quickly laughed: "Sir, you got all the answers right. Please come over here."

Wei Qi stood by, feeling elated. Soon, all the people who had answered the question had gathered, a total of five people.

"What to choose next?" Wei Qi couldn't wait.

A young man in elegant attire looked them over and said, "Brothers, how about this opportunity? I'll pay for it! Ten taels per person!"

Normally, it would only cost ten taels of silver to spend a night with Xiao Lianxiang from the Shengban group. Soon two people agreed and left with the silver.

There was another one who was also a rich kid. He disdained money and refused the bribe from this person.

The young man was a little unhappy and shouted at Wei Qi: "Why don't you take the silver and leave? Look at what you are wearing. You are just a servant and you want to show off."

Wei Qi was furious: "Who would be interested in your money? I'm here to listen to music, get out!"

"You dare to scold me?!" The young man was incredulous and furious, "You're looking for death!"

Wei Qi was not willing to suffer a loss, so when the other party slapped him, he took the initiative to hit him back with a "slap".

The young man was hit and his face turned pale. He called his servants to surround Wei Qi and beat him up.

The onlookers cried out in surprise and called the manager of the Sheng troupe over to separate them.

Wei Qi was so angry that he was blinded by anger, and after being hit several times, he was determined to fight back. After a while of noisy fighting, they were finally pulled apart.

"Sir! Your face... Oh, quick! There's medicine on board..."

Wei Qi was dragged aboard the pleasure boat in a daze. Seeing Xiao Lianxiang approaching with a pale face, he felt quite proud and followed them into the wing room obediently. He thought to himself, if Xiao Lianxiang could apply the medicine herself, this beating would be justified. Look at the envious eyes of those people on the shore!
The door closed, shutting out the noise outside. Wei Qi felt completely euphoric, but before Xiao Lianxiang could apply the medicine, he was suddenly pushed to the ground.

The guy who was polite just now suddenly became ferocious and locked his hands behind his back.

"Oh my! What are you doing?" Wei Qi shouted, "My face! My face is gone!"

"You also know that you have no face?" A strange female voice sounded.

Wei Qi's shoulders were pressed down and he was kneeling on his knees. His face was rubbed red and in so much pain that tears welled up in his eyes. He raised his head with difficulty, but was shocked by the scene in front of him.

The noise outside faded away, and the room was silent. The manager and the waiters who had been making a fuss just now stood there with their hands clasped in their hands, not saying a word.

The girl surrounded by them was a girl in luxurious clothes. She looked a bit childish, but her expression was stern and aloof.

"Wei Qi!" She curled her lips slightly with a mocking smile, "I knew people like you wouldn't settle down. I finally waited for you!"

Wei Qi looked at her in shock: "Who are you?"

Chu Ling smiled: "Didn't you run away? How come you don't even know who you are hiding from?"

Wei Qi's eyes widened, and he remembered the servant's words, and tremblingly spat out four words: "Princess Jia...Princess Jiahe?"