Film and Television World Life Record

The Su family has some connections in Jiangning, but they can't become imperial merchants. They can only improve their technology and try to seize opportunities through quality.

Su Tan'er followed the same path, mobilizing considerable manpower and resources to focus on technological improvements and seize opportunities. Although luck played a part, and success was uncertain, it was already remarkable for a nineteen-year-old girl to have such ambition and courage.

If this path is successfully followed, the Su family will become imperial merchants, and Su Tan'er will undoubtedly take control of the Su family. Even if the other two branches want to cause trouble, they won't be able to make any waves.

For the next few days, Li Mu lived a very ordinary life, teaching, visiting brothels, and watching the courtesan competition.

The atmosphere in Jiangning has been lively these past few days. Walking on the streets, you can see women performing from time to time. People are talking about how a talented man got into a fight over a girl.

Soon, the first three days passed, and the outstanding women selected from various brothels officially arrived at Egret Island to begin the real Flower Queen Competition.

The location chosen for the courtesan competition was also excellent, nestled against the mountains and by the water, covering a vast area. When Li Mu arrived at the venue with Xiao Chan, the huge venue had already been cordoned off.

As the floats from various brothels arrived one after another, more and more people gathered, and various snacks and acrobatics were set up on the grass, creating a lively scene.

Getting into the venue was simple: spend one or two taels of silver or one string of cash to buy a flower, and you could get in.

If you meet a girl you like, you can vote with flowers. Whoever receives the most flowers will be the queen of flowers.

After the selection process, there were still more than one hundred girls qualified to participate in the three-day Flower Queen competition.

The stage is set up in five places: a pavilion on a boat, a teahouse and dance floor, a small building by the river, a small inn against the mountain, and a large round drum in the center.

More than a hundred girls took turns performing on stage, based on a lottery system. In addition to the performances, the venue also offered drinks, food, and various entertainment and relaxation facilities.

Li Mu, accompanied by the enthusiastic Xiao Chan, spent a long time looking around before finally returning home satisfied.

More than a hundred girls competed for two days, and the top sixteen were finally selected. The final day was left to determine the true queen of the courtesans.

It wasn't until the very last day that Su Tan'er finally found the time to attend the event with Li Mu and a few of the maids.

As evening fell and the sun set, the group arrived at the venue by carriage. The entire venue was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful ribbons, and on the opposite lake, rows of painted boats were lined up, creating a magnificent sight.

It is said that the beauty pageants in Yangzhou and Tokyo were even more spectacular and lively than those in Jiangning.

Upon entering the venue, almost all the merchants from Jiangning had gathered there. Su Tan'er was busy socializing with a group of business people, since she would be taking over the Su family in the future and would inevitably have to deal with them.

Li Mu silently accompanied her, and after walking around for a while, just as they were about to find a place to watch the performance, Pu Yangyi, the richest man in Jiangning, came over with Qi Lan, who was dressed in white, and greeted Su Tan'er and Ning Yi.

Qi Lan was the top courtesan in the Pu family's extremely large brothel. She was very famous in Jiangning, and even Xiao Chan and the other maids knew her. She was a hot favorite to win the title.

Among the current top courtesans in Jiangning, Yuan Jin'er is lively, Feng Xiaojing is dignified, Luo Miaomiao gives people a colorful feeling, and Lu Caicai is often called as elegant as an orchid, and is said to play the pipa very well.

As for Qilan, she has a scholarly air about her and is said to be skilled in poetry and literature. She often dresses with a feather fan and a silk turban and is said to have considerable literary talent.

Previously, it had been rumored that Lady Qilan greatly admired and liked Li Mu's literary talent, and even Su Tan'er had heard about it and teased him about it.

Li Mu didn't take it too seriously. Although he was keeping a low profile now, he was still quite famous among the literati of the entire Wu Kingdom because of his Song and Shoujin calligraphy styles.

Furthermore, the fact that he wrote "Shuidiao Getou" at the Pu family's Pu Garden Poetry Gathering established a certain level of kinship between the two families, making him an excellent acquaintance for the Pu family, who wanted to squeeze into the circle of literati.

As the top courtesan of the Pu family's brothel, Qi Lan was rumored to greatly admire his literary talent. Whether this was intentional on the part of the Pu family or Qi Lan's true intention was hard to say.

After Qi Lan exchanged greetings, with Su Tan'er present, she behaved quite gracefully, and it was considered that they had become acquainted. Naturally, they didn't discuss poetry or anything like that.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, he expressed his admiration for Li Mu's literary talent while also giving Su Tan'er ample face, demonstrating his skillful social maneuvering. Although the conversation appeared pleasant, they didn't actually discuss anything further.

Before long, Ning Yi and Su Tan'er, along with several maids, took their seats in front of the stage. This area was mostly occupied by merchants from Jiangning City, who were also the main force behind the tipping.

As the sun set and the lights gradually came on, the performance began.

Su Tan'er took a loquat from the table, peeled it, and handed it to Li Mu, perfectly portraying the image of a virtuous wife in front of everyone.

As night fell completely, the venue was full, and the performance finally began.

Amidst the melodious sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments, the audience quieted down. Luo Miaomiao, like a phoenix spreading its tail feathers, soared up from below the stage with several colorful ribbons fluttering out, drawing cheers from the audience.

Under the bright lights, the music flowed, the air was filled with a gentle, colorful glow, and it was a truly beautiful sight.

After Luo Miaomiao came Yuan Jin'er. In the first round of performances, several favorites to win the title of Flower Queen took the stage one by one.

Luo Miaomiao's colorful ribbon dance was vibrant and beautiful, Yuan Jin'er's dance was lively and agile, Feng Xiaojing's Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Dance was still dignified and elegant, and Lu Caicai was as serene as an orchid in a secluded valley.

In the end, Qi Lan performed an ancient-style dance that recreated the dialogue between Confucius and Lao Tzu. Dressed in black robes with wide sleeves, she exuded a graceful and serene aura, truly embodying the fragrance of ink and showcasing her scholarly air to the fullest.

Finally, it was time to give a reward and thank you gift. Those who gave more than one hundred flowers would be announced loudly.

The announcement read aloud, "Young Master So-and-so presented Luo Miaomiao with five hundred fresh flowers; Young Master So-and-so presented Lu Caicai with three hundred fresh flowers..."

Upon seeing this, Su Tan'er looked at Li Mu with a smile and asked, "Husband, is there a girl you like?"

Li Mu shook his head and said, "There are many I like, like Luo Miaomiao, Yuan Jin'er, Feng Xiaojing, Lu Caicai..."

Su Tan'er smiled wryly and said, "Since you like them so much, why don't you take them all home as concubines?"

Li Mu feigned surprise and took Su Tan'er's small hand in his: "Since my wife has said so, how could I refuse?"

Su Tan'er pinched him angrily: "If you're so capable, then redeem them and marry them yourself. I'll let them be my little sisters, but I won't pay for it."

Li Mu said, "My wife, you said it yourself."

Su Tan'er said guiltily, "It was I who said it, but these courtesans spend money extravagantly. Can you afford to support them, my husband? I will not give you money to support them."

Li Mu laughed heartily: "Whether I can afford to raise her or not is another matter. My Tan'er is truly enlightened. I thank you."

Su Tan'er rolled her eyes at him: "Husband, do you know how much it costs to woo a courtesan?"

He waved his hand and called someone over. A moment later, the announcement was made loudly again from the stage: "Young Master Ning Yi presents Lady Qilan with two thousand fresh flowers!"

The sound caused another gasp from the crowd. Two thousand flowers, equivalent to two thousand taels of silver, was already one of the biggest gifts of the night.

Looking at Su Tan'er beside him, who was spending extra money to woo the courtesan, Li Mu smiled helplessly and said, "You have money, so go ahead and do what you want."

Puyang Yi also came over from the other side, cupping his hands in a gesture of gratitude.

In the past two years, the Pu family has clearly been trying to promote Qilan, but in order to avoid gossip and rumors that they have used money to prop her up, they have been taking a very steady approach.

Otherwise, last year's top courtesan would have been Qi Lan, not Feng Xiaojing.

After two years of building momentum, Qi Lan's fame has spread throughout Jiangning City. She has accumulated enough reputation, and she is indeed beautiful, talented, and adept at social interaction. She knows how to handle interpersonal relationships very well. It should be no surprise that she will become the top courtesan this year.

After all, when it comes to throwing money around, no one in Jiangning can beat the Pu family; they're not called the richest family in Jiangning for nothing.

The competition continued until the final round, when Qi Lan's song and dance performance of "Book Mountain and Ink Sea" outshone all the other beauties. Pu Yangyi finally had the right to present her with ten thousand flowers, thus crowning the elegant Qi Lan as the queen of flowers.

Many people had already anticipated this outcome, but Qi Lan certainly had the capability. The Pu family took two years to do this, which shows they were quite sensible.

After the Flower Queen Contest, there was a thank-you banquet, hosted by the prefect himself, attended by celebrities from all walks of life in Jiangning, including many who had provided support for the Flower Queen Contest, such as Li Mu, who sent two thousand flowers.

After casually dealing with the situation for a while, just as she was about to take her leave, she suddenly saw Cheng Yong, the slightly overweight commander of the Wu Lie Army, holding a wine glass and swaying as he approached Yuan Jin'er, insisting that she drink with him.

Yuan Jin'er gave him a perfunctory reply, and Cheng Yong seemed about to lose his temper. He was persuaded by several respected people in the room before returning to his seat, but he didn't seem to have given up.

Li Mu shook his head. He was planning to test the Life and Death Talisman on someone recently, but he didn't want to harm innocent people. Now it seems he has a target.

Chapter 602 Redemption

Three days later, in the backyard of Jin Feng Lou, Nie Yunzhu rushed over: "Jin'er, I heard that Cheng Yong, the commander of the Wu Lie Army, came to harass you yesterday. Are you alright?"

Yuan Jin'er shook her head: "It's alright, thanks to Mom for stopping him."

Nie Yunzhu frowned and said, "Cheng Yong is a powerful figure in Jiangning. He was stopped by his mother for the time being because of his pride, but this is not a long-term solution."

Yuan Jin'er said dejectedly, "Yes! That's what Mom said too. She said if Chen Yong continues to pester her, she won't be able to stop him if he gets serious one day."

Nie Yunzhu said anxiously, "What should we do? You should redeem yourself as soon as possible! Talk to your mother properly. As long as she agrees to release you, leave Jin Feng Lou immediately and come to my place to hide for a while."

Yuan Jin'er said, "I've already spoken to my mother, and she agreed to let me redeem myself. But if I just leave like this, my mother is afraid she'll take her anger out on Jin Feng Lou."

Nie Yunzhu frowned and thought for a moment: "Then we need to think of a good way."

Yuan Jin'er nodded: "I've already come up with a plan and talked to my mother about it. Although she was reluctant to let them go, she finally agreed and promised to cooperate."

Nie Yunzhu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good. I didn't expect Mom to be so easy to talk to this time."

Yuan Jin'er snorted and laughed, "She doesn't want to suffer a loss either. If I redeem myself, she can get a large sum of money for my redemption. If Cheng Yong takes me away, he won't pay a single penny for my redemption. My people will even lose the money they've saved over the years. Jin Feng Lou won't get a single penny."

"If we cooperate and put on a show, Jin Fenglou won't be blamed, and Mama will get a large sum of money and also gain a good reputation."

Nie Yunzhu said, "In the end, Mom still has a conscience."

The two chatted for a while, then Yuan Jin'er looked out the door and muttered to herself, "Cheng Yong said he would come back today when he left yesterday, but why hasn't he made a move yet?"

Nie Yunzhu said, "Isn't it better if he doesn't come? You still want him to come?"

Yuan Jin'er said, "I promised my mother that we would put on a good show when the person arrived, but they didn't come?"

As she spoke, she sent her maid Kou'er to inquire further. The news she received puzzled both women: not only had Cheng Yong not come to Jin Feng Lou, but his servants had also come to inquire whether Master Cheng was at Jin Feng Lou.

It seems that Cheng Yong disappeared shortly after leaving Jin Feng Lou yesterday noon. His family initially thought he was on official business, but he still hasn't been seen today, so they sent people to inquire everywhere. They suspect that something might have happened to him, or that he might be at that vixen's house.

This news left Yuan Jin'er and Nie Yunzhu somewhat dumbfounded.

Nie Yunzhu asked, "What are you going to do next?"

Yuan Jin'er pondered for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "Since I've decided to redeem myself, I have to keep going. I'll put on a show for my mother and for everyone else. I don't want to drag this out any longer."

Nie Yunzhu nodded: "Jin'er, I support you. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Yuan Jin'er leaned close to her ear and whispered for a while: "Don't worry about anything else, just wait for me on the boat."

Nie Yunzhu nodded: "Okay, be careful."

Yuan Jin'er smiled smugly: "Don't worry, you know how good I am at swimming."

Two hours later, as the sun set and evening fell, the brothel was bustling with activity, and the number of customers at the Golden Phoenix Pavilion gradually increased.