Jinxia City, drunk brothel.
As its name suggests, this place is the most prestigious brothel in the city, and its visitors are either wealthy businessmen or the children of wealthy families.
In a spacious box, a group of scholars angrily discussed the new policies of the Secretariat. Those who came to gather here are naturally not ordinary students from poor families. Their knowledge may be mediocre, but their family backgrounds are quite good, although they are not as good as others. The young master of the Wang family is so rich and powerful, but he is still well clothed and well-fed, and has a worry-free future.
There is only one exception.
That was Zhou Sheng, the great talent of Zhou who they regarded as their crested figure.
Not only did this man come from a wealthy family, he was also top-notch in talent and learning. He had just passed the provincial examination and won the title of Juren as he had just passed the threshold of eighteen years old. In the spring of next year, he will have to rush to Gyeonggi Province to take the imperial examination there. Once he passes the examination, he will be a tribute scholar and may even enter the palace examination.
Even now, as a civil servant, he is a local celebrity, the kind who can have a separate seat when he sees the county magistrate. With his handsome face, no unmarried girl in the city knew the name of the great talent Zhou.
It can be said that among his peers, the only one who can rival him in popularity is the Prince of the Wang family. However, the pirate attack on the city caused the huge Wang family to collapse, and Zhou Sheng suddenly became a representative of young talents.
"Gentlemen, here come the girls."
Amid the shouts of the madam, seven or eight women filed in and sat beside each guest skillfully. These are all Qinghuans carefully cultivated by Zui Qinglou. They can not only play the piano and paint, but also appreciate poems and verses, and are most loved by scholars. After the girl entered the room, the atmosphere in the wing suddenly became much livelier.
However, as usual, everyone did not start to compete in talents, compose poems, or come up with words and phrases that they had carefully considered for the girl to play and sing. Everyone's talk was still focused on what the Secretariat had done recently.
"I can accept everything else, but don't you think those people are going too far?" A man wearing a blue brocade robe and a hosta said angrily after drinking a glass of wine, "What a bullshit reserve official." , who recognizes them as officials! Will the Ministry of Personnel record the list? Will the Ministry of Household Distribution distribute the salary? I think they are just making noise there!"
"Mr. Chen is right." Another young man with a big belly immediately agreed, "I think he is an official if he is exhausted, and he is the most unpopular kind!"
"But that's not what they say in their propaganda," some people expressed concern. "After passing the assessment and being included in the main selection, you will be able to get the documentary certificate personally authorized by Her Highness the Princess. It's just an official's words... Isn't this too much to make a fuss about?"
"Could it be that the Secretariat is making its own decisions, or... is it simply deceiving the people?"
"I agree! How could Her Majesty allow such a childish approach!"
"My lords..." A steward took the initiative to interrupt, "What exactly are you arguing about? Can you tell Yan'er too?"
"Yes, yes, Yan'er asked a good question, and the Nu family also wants to know."
"You don't have many opportunities to go out, so it's not surprising that you have such doubts." Zhou Sheng, who had been silent, said at this time, "Everything must start with the new policy promulgated by the Secretariat."
As soon as he spoke, the discussion in the room suddenly subsided a lot, and everyone focused on the great talent. The same is true for girls. Being able to interact with famous scholars in Jinxia is also a source of conversation for them to increase their social status.
Zhou Sheng enjoyed the feeling of being the focus of everyone, but his eyes were more focused on the woman named Liu Ruyan opposite.
It can be said that one of the main reasons why he came to Zui Qinglou was to meet Miss Ruyan.
The other Qinghuan people are just goods that have been deliberately packaged. Their essence is the same as the young masters around them - chess, calligraphy and painting are all used to decorate the appearance. One is to sell them at a higher price, and the other is to make them more attractive. I don't look so superficial, or block out my parents' reprimands.
But not Liu Ruyan.
She is a rare talented woman in this brothel. Whenever everyone recites poems and makes comments, she is the only one whose comments are not scripted or deliberately flattering. Zhou Sheng could feel that she was the same type of person as him, and she knew what the beauty of words was. When faced with a good poem, her smiling face was a compliment from deep in her heart.
"As far as I know, the first batch of registrations has now begun. Obviously, the Secretariat did not treat this joke-like new policy as a joke." Zhou Dacaizi briefly explained the whole story and shrugged, "Maybe they think , I am the real Jinxia Mansion Yamen."
There was a burst of snickering.
"Haha, this is really... novel." Yan'er couldn't help laughing and said, "As long as you are literate, you are eligible to sign up? Wouldn't it mean that all sisters can become officials?"
"What kind of official does Sister Yan'er want to be? A drinking official?" someone joked.
She smiled sweetly, "It's not up to you gentlemen to decide."
Everyone burst into laughter again.
"Anyway, this is all the fault of that person named Xia Fan." Mr. Chen slapped the table and said, "The so-called Secretariat is just a trick created by the Privy Council to expand its influence! I checked his background , a few months ago he was just an ordinary alchemist, just like that guy Wei Wushuang, useless except for being able to sense qi. What is the difference between such a person intervening in the government affairs of Jinxia City and ordinary people going to court to discuss matters?"
"Speaking of which... Wei Wushuang seems to have not come to drink with us for a long time."
"Huh, let's get on with your new girlfriend. He's obviously tried to find ways to pay for us to drink, but it depends on our mood whether we are willing to go or not."
"The son of a businessman really cannot stand on the stage."
"Don't worry about the Wei family. As long as you can read and write, you can become a reserve official. It's a joke." Someone expressed a different view and said, "I'm worried about another point."
"What?"
"Open a school." The man frowned and said, "God knows how much money Xia Fan got from the Wang family. If they really let them teach a group of people, wouldn't the scientific examination in three years' time be taken over by this person's disciples? Go to many places?”
"Don't worry. He can't make it happen." Zhou Dacai said confidently.
"Oh? Could it be that Mr. Zhou has already taken action?"
"It's not really an action, it's just a greeting to the surrounding private schools and teachers." He looked around, "Not only in Jinxia City, but also in the surrounding counties and towns, there is no one to be a master. . Without the Master, who will teach the school? Is it Xia Fan alone?"
Although Juren had a high status, he was not so responsive. It was obvious that Zhou Sheng used his family connections and the influence of his teacher.
As soon as these words came out, everyone showed a look of joy.
"Hahaha... Mr. Xia teaches by himself, can he explain the Four Books and Five Classics clearly?"
"As expected of a great talent in Zhou Dynasty, he can make the opponent disgraced without making a move."
"When there is no one to teach, I want to see how the Secretariat will step down!"
After the party, it’s time to have fun on your own. If you haven’t had enough, you can go upstairs and open a separate room and find a hostess to continue having fun. If you have enough, you can break up and go home. Zhou Sheng stopped Liu Ruyan alone before the girls left, "I wonder if Miss Liu can lend me a moment?"