The tea gathering

Hearing the sound of an arrow piercing a pot, Xu Qi'an's smile widened uncontrollably. He tore off the black cloth and pointed at the gold and silver ingots on the stall:

"Haha, old Daoist, these are all mine now."

The old Daoist priest glanced at him, calmly put the gold and silver ingots into his bundle, then pointed to the Bodhi seed bracelet and jade mirror at the very top, and said with a smile:

"Young master, choose one of the two."

Xu Qi'an pleaded, "Old Daoist, I don't want these, I just want the silver."

The old Daoist priest coldly refused. "Rules are rules."

He paused, then added, "These two are rare treasures, incomparable to ordinary gold and silver. Young master, do not let gold and silver blind you."

"No, I just want these mundane things." Xu Qi'an asked, "Treasures? What are they for?"

"I don't know, I only know they are waiting for the right person." The old Daoist priest looked like a bachelor.

Xu Qi'an suspected the old Daoist was deceiving him, but he had no evidence. Considering his inexplicable good fortune, he hesitated.

Whether it's a treasure or not, who can say for sure? Silver is more practical.

At this moment, an armored soldier approached and said, "Young master, my master needs your help."

Xu Qi'an turned his head and glanced at the luxurious carriage not far away, "What does your master want?"

"That string of Bodhi beads." The armored soldier shifted his gaze from the stall to Xu Qi'an: "My master is willing to offer sixty taels of gold."

So this is where my lucky charm was! Xu Qi'an smiled warmly, "Thank you for your patience, deal."

He made the armored soldier pay one coin in exchange for three arrows.

The armored soldier said, "Our master said you can bet as many times as you like, and we'll cover all the losses. It doesn't matter if you lose."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Xu Qi'an, who had been blindfolded, casually throw out an arrow.

Thump, thump, thump. Three arrows landed precisely in the pot.

The gasps of amazement from passersby were heard once again.

The armored soldiers looked at Xu Qi'an with eyes full of respect.

If once is luck, twice means the other party is no ordinary person. This seemingly ordinary young man, dressed as a scholar, is definitely a master.

Xu Qi'an was overjoyed to have obtained sixty taels of gold. He tore off the black cloth and happened to see the curtain of a luxurious carriage falling in the distance.

Not knowing who the important person was in the carriage, he dared not look too closely. He turned around, clasped his hands in a fist salute to the armored soldier, and said, "I have not failed in my mission."

The soldier respectfully returned the salute with clasped hands, then returned to the carriage. A moment later, he returned carrying a bulging money bag.

Xu Qi'an took the money pouch, then took the jade mirror from the old Daoist priest, and watched the carriage leave.

He withdrew his gaze, casually tucked the palm-sized jade mirror into his pocket, and then happily weighed his bulging money pouch.

It weighs about three or four pounds, and it's too heavy to wear around the waist.

"No, I need to exchange it for silver notes. It's too stupid to carry such heavy gold around."

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look back, only to find that the old Daoist priest was gone and the stall had been cleaned up.

Xu Qi'an stood by the roadside in silence for a long time.

He then went to the money exchange and exchanged the gold for four 100-tael notes, one 50-tael note, and three 10-tael notes.

Since gold was not part of the monetary system, it needed to be exchanged for an equivalent amount of silver, and then the money exchange would issue silver notes.

The exchange rate between gold and silver was 1:8, so sixty taels of gold was equivalent to four hundred and eighty taels of silver.

Four hundred and eighty taels of silver is more than enough to slap his aunt's pretty face. Why does he always unconsciously think of using silver notes to slap his aunt every time he earns money? The original owner's resentment towards his aunt is too strong. Besides, this amount of silver can probably only buy a small courtyard in the inner city. If he wants to buy a three-courtyard mansion, he shouldn't even think about it without ten thousand taels of silver. Xu Qi'an was a little troubled.

Whether in another world or a past life, housing prices are a source of despair.

"Four hundred and eighty taels should be enough to redeem a low-class courtesan, but it's not cost-effective."

"Look, with 480 taels, I can take turns having sex with several courtesans for several months. But to redeem a courtesan, not only would I exhaust my family's wealth, but I would also have to take care of her food, clothing, and other necessities. If she accidentally gets pregnant, that would be another huge expense."

My current salary is only enough to support one wife; I simply can't afford the monotonous life of a rich man with multiple women on his side. Besides, I would never redeem a prostitute; misusing public resources is a crime punishable by death.

At dusk, Xu Qi'an arrived at the famous Imperial Academy of Music in the capital, which was located in a hutong (alleyway).

As dusk settles, all sorts of horse-drawn carriages line the alleyways, and the sounds of string and wind instruments drift from the courtyards, accompanied by clear and melodious singing voices.

He knew that the beautiful nightlife was about to begin.

Walking along the interconnected alleyways, Xu Qi'an recalled the cultural essence he had learned from Head Constable Wang.

A typical brothel is a two- or three-story building, with one or two attached courtyards, which is considered quite upscale.

The Imperial Academy of Music) didn't have such tall buildings because they didn't need them; all the courtyards in this area of the alley belonged to the Imperial Academy of Music.

State-owned enterprises are just that wealthy and powerful.

There were entry requirements for the Imperial Academy of Music) Imperial Academy of Music. Ordinary people could not spend money there. It wasn't a rule, but the minimum spending requirement was five taels of silver.

This doesn't mean sleeping with girls, it means paying the bill.

Five taels of silver was equivalent to several months' income for an ordinary person, and that was only for well-off families.

Therefore, the guests of the Imperial Academy of Music) mainly fall into three categories:

First, wealthy and powerful merchants.

These types of customers are the most willing to spend money because, despite their low social status, they have a fanatical obsession with sleeping with the female relatives of convicted officials.

Second, officials.

For them, the Imperial Academy of Music was a place for tea gatherings after work; whenever they had social engagements, they liked to go to the Imperial Academy of Music.

It's worth mentioning that officials in the Ministry of Ministry of Rites could use these services for free, because the Imperial Academy of Music) was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites.

Third, scholars.

These men were more refined than wealthy gentry and merchants, enjoyed composing poems, and were not as difficult to serve as officials, so they were most popular with the girls of the Imperial Academy of Music.

The girls in the Imperial Academy of Music) were also divided into three types:

First, the female relatives of officials who have been convicted of crimes.

These women are the most tragic, forced into prostitution and subjected to humiliation.

II. Women captured during the war.

To take a recent example, the Battle of Shanhai Pass twenty years ago was a victory for the Western countries and the Great Feng. They abducted countless women from the north and Southern Frontier and forced them into the Imperial Academy of Music of various prefectures and counties.

III. Prostitutes recruited by the Imperial Academy of Music).

"Truly, one is never too old to learn. Head Constable Wang is my teacher." Xu Qi'an sighed, finally finding the purpose of his visit to the Imperial Academy of Music.

He stopped outside a courtyard; the plaque above the gate read: Yingmei Pavilion.

The courtyard gate was open, and two bright red lanterns hung in the air. Inside the courtyard were plum trees, their branches adorned with buds about to burst into bloom.

A young gatekeeper, around sixteen or seventeen years old, stood guard at the gate, watching Xu Qi'an with a scrutinizing gaze.

He also has another name that everyone is familiar with.

"I am Yang Ling, a scholar from Changle County. I have long admired Miss Fuxiang's reputation and have come to pay my respects." Xu Qi'an imitated the bow of a scholar and spoke politely to the gatekeeper.

Yingmei Pavilion is the residence of the courtesan Fuxiang.

The table fee here is ten taels of silver, twice as expensive as in a regular courtyard.

There were twelve courtesans in the Imperial Academy of Music), who were divided into four ranks based on their character, charm, talent, and beauty.

Fuxiang, the young lady, belongs to the first tier and is known for her mastery of both poetry and music.

"Ten taels of silver." The young gatekeeper, accustomed to dealing with wealthy lords, was indifferent. After taking Xu Qi'an's silver, he let him into the courtyard.

Xu Qi'an was delighted. Laughter and music came from the courtyard, indicating that the tea party had already begun. However, since the gatekeeper let him in, it meant that the courtyard was not a private event, but rather a gathering of individual customers.

There are two modes of entertainment: booking the entire venue or individual guests.

If it's the former, Xu Qi'an's efforts today are destined to be in vain.