Chapter 2760 It’s all business, no emotions

Hearing the sound of arrows hitting the pot, the corners of Xu Zisheng's mouth widened slightly, he pulled off the black cloth and said to the stall owner with a smile.

"Haha, old man, all three hits."

The old Taoist glanced at him, calmly put away the gold and silver ingots in the package, then pointed to the Bodhi bracelet and jade mirror at the top, and said with a smile:

"Sir, please choose one of the two."

Taoism has a long history. It is said that the origin of Taoism comes from Tao Zun. The age of Tao Zun cannot be verified. It is said that Dao Zun is a strange person from ancient times. He transformed the three pure beings in one breath, namely: Yuanshi Tianzun, Daode Tianzun and Lingbao Tianzun. The three talents of heaven, earth and man coincide. This is the origin of the three sects of Taoism: "Heaven, Earth and Man".

Tianzong worshiped Yuanshi Tianzun, cultivated the Supreme Being, and pursued the unity of heaven and man. Except for sending saints and saints down the mountain for training every once in a while, he had almost no contact with the outside world;

The Earth Sect worships the God of Morality and cultivates great virtues. The disciples pay attention to accumulating virtue and doing good deeds. However, there is a risk of suffering backlash from karma and becoming a demon;

Renzong worships the Lingbao Tianzun, cultivates the seven emotions and six desires, and is good at swordsmanship. He needs to rely on the dynasty to extinguish the fire of karma with luck.

Among them, the two sects of Heaven and Man are as powerful as fire and water, and both claim to be the orthodox sect. Every sixty years, the two sects of Heaven and Man will hold a "Controversy between Heaven and Man" with the purpose of plundering each other's original spiritual power. The leader of the Heavenly Sect needs to borrow someone. The karmic fire of the sect stabilizes human nature and prevents oneself from integrating into the heavenly way. The leader of the human sect needs to borrow the karma of the heavenly sect to calm down his own karmic fire.

The Earth Sect is the most indifferent, and its disciples have a very low-key style. They do not compete for fame or profit, but only cultivate merit. People who don’t understand this think that the Tao Sect only has two sects, Heaven and Man, and the power of merit of the Earth Sect is not important to the two sects of Heaven and Human. They are comparable to poison, so the two sects of heaven and humans will not take the initiative to provoke the earth sect.

Six years ago, Jin Lian, the leader of the Earth Sect, failed to break through and fell into the devil's way. His soul was split into two. He held the fragments of the Earth Book with good thoughts and protected some of his disciples from escaping. However, his evil thoughts affected most of the disciples and split into Tiandi Hui and Di Zong.

In order to eliminate his own evil clone, Black Lotus, Taoist Jin Lian gave eight fragments of the Book of Earth to eight different people. Together with Taoist Jin Lian himself who holds the No. 9 fragment of the Book of Earth, these nine people formed the The core of the Tiandihui.

The purpose of the establishment of the Tiandihui is to win over the younger generation of masters, exchange information, and help each other, waiting for everyone to grow up one day and join hands to fight against the black lotus, the leader of the Earth Sect.

According to legend, during the ancient human emperor period, there was a practice system called "Incense Divine Way". The core of this practice system was to occupy a river or a famous mountain by force, and then build a temple of your own on the occupied territory. Then they will collect believers to burn incense and offer sacrifices, including livestock and boys and girls. When the number of believers reaches a certain level, they will slowly condense a magic weapon called "divine seal", which is divided into "divine seals". There are two types: "Mountain God Seal" and "Water God Seal". The mountain gods or water gods holding the divine seal are invincible in their domain. This is the so-called domain. The Buddha's later refining of the West has similar approaches to this.

Tao Zun destroyed the Incense and Fire Shinto and seized the "Mountain God Seal" and "Water God Seal". Later, he refined all the collected divine seals into a magic weapon called the Earth Book. In order to refine the Earth Book, Tao Zun Consider one of your own clones as one of the materials, so the Taoist clone is the spirit of the Earth Book.

On the day when the Book of Earth was refined, a very terrible thing happened. It is recorded in the ancient books of the Earth Sect: The Book of Earth turned into a monster, devouring living beings and all things. The disciples of our sect suffered all casualties. The Book of Earth was broken into nine pieces and the demon spirits were sealed off!

The person holding the Earth Book fragments is Taoist Priest Jinlian. He gave the Earth Book fragments to eight people respectively. The function of the Earth Book fragments is to allow people holding the Earth Book fragments to communicate with each other and send messages. They have independent spaces that can store items and collect dragon veins. and restraint ley lines.

Xu Zisheng's eyes flickered, he glanced at the two treasures, and chose the Bodhi bracelet without hesitation. Di Shu was not interested in him, so it was better to choose a treasure with a low risk factor. He didn't want to cause trouble, and it was best to develop it safely.

"I choose this string of Bodhi beads."

At this time, a soldier came over, bowed to Xu Zisheng, and said.

"This young master, my master asks you to do a favor."

Xu Zisheng turned his head and glanced at the luxury carriage not far away. He had long noticed the aura of the carriage owner and recognized the other party's identity, but he did not say hello.

"What does your master want?"

"That string of Bodhi beads."

The soldier looked away from the stall, looked at Xu Zisheng, and said very sincerely.

"My master is willing to pay sixty taels of gold.

Xu Zisheng happily agreed. He had already discovered that this string of bodhi beads also had a cause and effect, and he did not want to contaminate it. It was rare that someone who was taken advantage of was willing to buy it, so there was no reason to refuse.

"Okay! But I want seventy taels of gold!"

Xu Zisheng didn't open his mouth like a lion, and the price he raised was not high, so he said to the soldier.

The soldier pondered for a moment, then looked back in the direction of the carriage. He stretched out a bare hand and pushed aside the bright yellow satin on the window, revealing a cold and beautiful face. It was the eldest princess, Huaiqing, the eldest daughter of Emperor Yuan Jing. , and had a relationship with Xu Zisheng.

"As Lord Xu said, seventy taels of gold!"

"Thank you so much, Your Highness the Princess, but Xu Zisheng is disrespectful!"

Xu Zisheng handed the string of bodhi beads to the soldier. The soldier respectfully returned the gesture with clasped fists, then returned to the carriage. After a while, he came over with a bulging money bag.

Xu Zisheng took the money bag unceremoniously, not showing any humility because the other party was the eldest princess, and watched the carriage leave.

Xu Zisheng withdrew his gaze. At some point, the Jinlian Taoist priest had already packed up his stall and disappeared. He didn't take it seriously. He shook the heavy money bag in his hand, which weighed about four or five kilograms. It was tied around his waist too much. It's heavy.

"No, I have to exchange it for a silver note. It's stupid to carry such a heavy amount of gold with you!"

Xu Zisheng went to the bank again and exchanged the gold for four banknotes with a face value of 100 taels; one with a face value of 50 taels; and three banknotes with a face value of 10 taels.

Gold is not in the monetary system, so it needs to be converted into equivalent silver, and then the bank issues a silver note. The exchange ratio of gold to silver is one to eight, and seventy taels of gold equals five hundred and sixty taels of silver.

Five hundred and sixty taels of silver is not a small amount. Even in the inner city, you can buy a small courtyard. This is the inner city of Kyoto where every inch of land is precious. If it is placed in the outer city, it is enough to buy a three-bedroom mansion. It can be seen that Strong purchasing power.

"I was very lucky today. I actually met the God of Wealth when I went out. I earned seventy taels of gold for one penny!"

"Nothing to do today, let's go listen to music!"

After saying that, Xu Zisheng turned around and headed towards the direction of the Jiaofang Division. There was a gold-selling cave, and the female fairies inside each had unique skills and talents, which could make men lose their minds and leave weakly.

At dusk, Xu Zisheng came to the famous Jiaofangsi in the capital, which was located in an alley. At the beginning of the lanterns, various carriages were parked outside the alley, the sound of silk and bamboo orchestras came from the yard, and Qingyue's beautiful singing voice came. He knew that the beautiful nightlife had begun.

A normal brothel is a two- or three-story building with one or two additional courtyards, which is considered quite standard. Jiaofangsi does not have such tall buildings because it is not needed. The courtyards in this alley are all Jiaofangsi. Jiaofangsi is run by the imperial court and is a state-owned enterprise. It is not short of money, but it is so wealthy.

Jiaofangsi also has a threshold. Common people cannot spend money here. This is not a rule, but the minimum consumption of Jiaofangsi is five taels of silver. This doesn't mean the girl's fee, just the table fee.

Five taels of silver is equivalent to several months of income for ordinary people, and they must come from a well-off family. Therefore, there are mainly three types of guests in Jiaofangsi: First, the wealthy gentry, these guests are the most willing to spend money, because they usually have a low social status and have a fanatical obsession with sleeping with the wives of convicts.

The second is officials. For them, Jiaofangsi is a place for tea and gatherings after get off work. As long as they have entertainment, they like to go to Jiaofangsi. It is worth mentioning that officials from the Ministry of Etiquette can have sex for free. Because the Jiaofang Division is under the control of the Ministry of Rites.

The third is the scholar. This kind of person is more elegant than the wealthy gentry, likes to recite poems and write poems, and is not as difficult to serve as an official, so he is most popular with the girls in the Jiaofang.

There are three types of girls in Jiaofangsi: One is the female dependents of officials. This type of women is the worst, being forced into prostitution and being bullied. The second is women abducted in wars. Let’s not talk about distant places. Take the Battle of Shanhaiguan twenty years ago. The Western countries and Dafeng were the victors. Countless women were abducted from the north and south and brought to various states. In the teaching offices of various prefectures. The third is the prostitute recruited by Jiaofangsi.

Xu Zisheng walked calmly and finally found the goal of his visit to Jiaofangsi. He stopped outside a courtyard. The plaque on the door of the courtyard read: Yingmei Pavilion.

The courtyard door is open, and two bright red lanterns are hanging. There are plum trees in the courtyard, and the branches are dotted with budding flowers. A young concierge of sixteen or seventeen years old was standing guard at the entrance of the courtyard, looking at Xu Zisheng with a scrutinizing gaze.

This guy also has another name that everyone is familiar with, Turtle Gong. The most despised existence, but in this Jiaofang Division, it is very popular.

"Li Zhicai, a scholar from Wuling County, has heard about Miss Fuxiang for a long time and came here to visit her."

Xu Zisheng, as the number one scholar of the dynasty and a celebrity in Kyoto, is different from the past. Kyoto is in the period of imperial inspection. This time, he did not use his real name, but concealed his identity and spoke to the concierge politely.

Yingmei Pavilion is the residence of the oiran Fuxiang. The table fee here costs ten taels of silver, which is twice as expensive as an ordinary courtyard. There are a total of twelve oirans in the Jiaofang Division. They are divided into four categories according to their quality, rhyme, talent, and color. wait.

Miss Fuxiang belongs to the first class and is known as the best in both poetry and piano.

"Ten taels of silver."

The young concierge, who was used to seeing the elder, had a cold attitude. After accepting Xu Zisheng's money, he let him enter the courtyard. As soon as Xu Zisheng entered, he heard laughter and the sound of strings and bamboos coming from the courtyard. The tea party had already begun, but since the concierge boy let him in, it meant that the courtyard was not reserved, but individual guests.

There are two modes for going out to play, one is for private tours and the other is for individual guests. If it was the former, Xu Zisheng's efforts today were destined to be in vain.

The place where guests are entertained in Yingmei Xiaoge is on the first floor. The shoji door facing the courtyard is open, and a thin silk curtain is hung to block the cold wind. A dozen guests sat in the wine house, drinking, laughing, and admiring plum blossoms.

There are blazing charcoal pots burning in the four corners of the wine house to drive away the coldness of winter. A maid led Xu Zisheng in, and everyone turned their heads to look at this young man who was wearing a moon-white scholar's robe, tall and handsome.

Xu Zisheng's eyes swept across everyone's faces, showing a surprised look. It was a bit embarrassing to meet an acquaintance. That person was Xu Qian. Unexpectedly, this fellow person was also here.

Xu Zisheng was worried that Xu Qi'an would reveal his identity, so he bowed first and said to everyone politely.

"Li Zhicai, a scholar from Wuling County, has met all of you!"

Among the people present, there were both wealthy gentry in brocade clothes and scholars, with neither high nor low status. Some looked away indifferently, some looked at them carefully, and some smiled back.

Now during the period of investigation in Beijing, all the officials in Dafeng were much calmer and more honest. Only Xu Zisheng faced the difficulties and committed the crime against the wind. In the past, with Miss Fuxiang's rank, this place would definitely be booked.

Xu Zisheng walked calmly and sat down next to Xu Qian, as if meeting him for the first time, and asked.

"I wonder what I call this brother?"

Xu Qian has now joined the watchman organization and became a gong. This time when he came to the Jiaofang Division, he also concealed his identity and pretended to be a scholar. He wore a Confucian shirt to cover up his tendon flesh, which made him look like a scholar. He was much more elegant and pretended to greet Xu Zisheng.

"I'm Yang Ling, a scholar from Changle County. Please take care of me, Brother Li!"

The two of them looked at each other and smiled, full of tacit understanding. The true nature of men was unmistakable. During the inspection period, they could not stop them from listening to music, appreciating art, talking to the female fairies, listening to their miserable lives, and comforting their lonely hearts.

The Oiran girl Fu Xiang has a spring complexion, colorful eyes, five-color fragrance, natural charm, and extremely stunning appearance. She deserves to be the first class. She has both excellent poetry and musical instruments, and good looks. No wonder it is so expensive. It cost ten taels of silver. Well worth it.

This courtesan has the beauty and elegance of a lady. In terms of clothing, she wears gauze dresses that women of this era dare not wear. The shoulders are half exposed, the neck is slender, and the bra is covered with a layer of fan gauze, with ravines looming. If there is a ditch, there will be fire. It makes sense that she can be an oiran.

This time at the tea party, Miss Fu Xiang acted as Xi Jiu, also called Ling Guan. Ling Guan was responsible for presiding over the drinking orders and was responsible for the atmosphere at the table. This job was usually done by courtesans or oirans, and ordinary women did it. No, because the requirements for literary accomplishment are extremely high.

At this moment, they were taking turns speaking in couplets, which are pairs of words. On the left side of Xu Qian was a middle-aged man wearing a light blue robe and a jingle ring. When it was his turn, the middle-aged man raised his glass and pondered for a long time before saying in a deep voice.

"Ice-cold wine, one, two, three."

The oiran lady raised the small flag at her hand and commented and praised the first couplet. The smile on the middle-aged man's face spread, and the corners of his mouth reached to his ears. It was obviously very useful.

This is the reason why Xi Jiu needs a famous prostitute with profound literary background to be a prostitute. Without some level of skill, ordinary prostitutes can't flatter her even if they want to. After the review, the beautiful oiran lady's beautiful eyes fell on Xu Qian.

Everyone at the banquet also noticed that Xu Qi'an was good at mathematics, physics and chemistry, but was a little weak in liberal arts. He could carry some poems, but he was a little behind on the pairings. There was a bit of panic in his eyes, and he suddenly looked at the courtyard. The plum tree in the middle suddenly had an idea. He deliberately drank a glass of wine, acted free and heroic, and said loudly:

"There are hundreds of red plum blossoms."

"wonderful!"

The eyes of everyone present lit up. When they looked at Xu Qi'an, there was a little smile on their faces. They obviously regarded him as a being of the same level who could compete with them for the favor of the oiran.

The corner of Xu Zisheng's mouth twitched slightly. Are all these people so good? He was confused for a moment. He, the strongest king, had never participated in such a stubborn bronze game and was at a loss.

Fuxiang Oiran smiled and praised Xu Qi'an's second line as usual, but the smile on his face was too professional and his sitting posture was a bit stiff. Even after the evaluation, he stopped looking at Xu Qi'an, obviously he was dissatisfied with the level of everyone present. It's not a fancy thing, but due to professional ethics, I have been patiently accompanying him.

After all, business is business, not feelings.

Xu Zisheng was a little unable to cope with such a difficult tea party, so he had to give up and drink and be punished, which made Fuxiang Oiran quite disappointed. She had originally been looking forward to the handsome Xu Zisheng, but she didn't expect that despite the gold and jade, he would be ruined. Unable to even answer such a simple question, this talented and well-educated courtesan sighed inwardly.

"Sure enough, a figure like Xu Zisheng who has been relegated to immortality is unparalleled in the world. How can this embroidered pillow in front of me compare with him!"

Xu Zisheng felt the disdainful look in the eyes of the oiran lady, and touched the wings of his nose with some embarrassment. He was not used to it. In the past, when he listened to music on the hook, all the oiran ladies would not pay for themselves and recommend their own pillows. They were passionate and thirsty. Although he We didn't stay overnight, but we had some heart-to-heart talks and romance.

Among the people present, there was a handsome young man wearing a thick azure robe. He was born in the Imperial Academy and was quite talented. Although he came to the table a little late, he dominated the show with his outstanding talent, making the oiran woman cover her mouth and chuckle from time to time.

The young man in the azure robe picked up the wine glass, took a sip, looked at the ignorant Xu Zisheng with contempt, and said loudly.

"This time, I might as well start with you first."

No one had any objections. Fuxiang Oiran's smile and charming look made the Imperial College student fascinated.

"Master Zhao, please."

Mr. Zhao looked around at everyone with an arrogant look on his face. He was especially disdainful of Xu Zisheng's embroidered pillow and said arrogantly.

"Pine leaves, bamboo leaves and green leaves."

"It's actually a couplet."

"Pine leaves, bamboo leaves, and green leaves! Wonderful, wonderful, I am ashamed of myself!"

"Brother Zhao is a great talent and deserves to be a scholar in the Imperial College."

After a round of fighting, no one could match him. Mr. Zhao smiled faintly and looked arrogant. Miss Fuxiang's eyes were shining brightly as she stared at Mr. Zhao.

Judging from the expression and subtle movements of the oiran lady, the oiran has a good impression of the man named Zhao and appreciates his talent. Sure enough, oirans have loved talented people since ancient times. Xu Zisheng shook his head repeatedly. Business is business. Why should there be mixed emotions? I don’t know how many oirans have. Trust no one.

For every dog-slaughtering person who is righteous, there are many scholars who are unfaithful. It would be better for Fuxiang Oiran to choose Xu Qian, a rough martial artist. At least he would not be let down and abandoned. He still had some bottom-line principles, unlike some scholars who were unfeeling and ungrateful.

It stands to reason that Xu Qi'an, who is good at conveying poems, should be like a fish in water in the Jiaofang Division and be highly sought after. Unexpectedly, after half a day, he made wine fists and went through the pairs in turn, but there were no poems.