Free Web NovelChapter 605: Chapter 605: Raging Waves (Continued)
The moon hung on the willow tip, and the dazzling lights blossomed.
The nights in the He Yuan Prefecture City were even busier and more lively than the daytime.
Many people who had worked hard all day would take to the streets at this time. Even if they could not afford to buy anything due to their empty pockets, mingling with the bustling crowd and experiencing the prosperity of the city would bring a rare touch of happiness.
A carriage slowly passed through the crowded streets. Seeing the lantern with the "Wu" character hanging on it, the surrounding people quickly made way, even showing signs of reverence.
Because in He Yuan City, only one family was eligible to hang such a sign.
Under the eyes of the public, the carriage passed through the street and turned into another road.
Finally, it stopped in front of a mansion.
And on both sides of the mansion, many other luxurious carriages were already parked.
"Dao General Zhang."
Wu Ziyu said with a smile to Zhang Yuan: "This is the Hundred Flower Garden, the most famous gold-spending pit in He Yuan City. Usually, my father doesn’t allow me to come here, but tonight I am benefiting from your presence!"
Zhang Yuan, just stepping off the carriage, laughed helplessly.
Since the Wu Family was scheduled to feed the Nu Tao River’s Deceit Python in four days, Wu Mingrui arranged for Zhang Yuan to stay in a separate courtyard of the Wu family’s grand mansion and instructed Wu Ziyu to entertain the distinguished guest with utmost care.
Receiving the decree from his old man, Wu Ziyu took the opportunity to sneak in some private indulgence and brought Zhang Yuan to the famous Hundred Flowers Garden.
The Hundred Flowers Garden was a mansion with the charm of Jiangnan, with pavilions, lofts, rockeries, and waterside pavilions. Every ten steps offered a new view, and every hundred steps a new courtyard. Not only was it very spacious, but the man-made scenery inside was particularly exquisite and elegant.
One by one, glass lanterns illuminated the winding corridors, and the maids passing by were all charming and gentle.
It was clearly a top-notch place of consumption.
According to Wu Ziyu, there were a hundred Flower Maidens in the Hundred Flowers Garden. Not everyone could invite one or several Flower Maidens to accompany them; it all depended on the guest’s status and skills.
Additionally, among the hundred Flower Maidens, there was also a Courtesan chosen every three years, who sold her art but not her body.
Listening to her music would cost a hundred taels of silver!
In the Yulan Courtyard hall of the Hundred Flowers Garden, Wu Ziyu drank while sharing anecdotes and elegant stories of the place with Zhang Yuan.
His familiarity in recounting these tales was not at all like someone who hadn’t been here often.
Zhang Yuan, seeing through it without pointing it out, smiled as he tasted the most famous Hundred Flower aged wine of the Hundred Flowers Garden.
Smelling the faint intoxicating fragrance of magnolias, he couldn’t help but feel slightly tipsy.
Clang! Clang!
At this moment, the sound of a zither emerged from a room draped with silk curtains, akin to silver beads falling on a jade plate. The sound suddenly jolted the mind of the listener, even dissipating a bit of the drunkenness.
Wu Ziyu immediately put down his wine cup and exclaimed with delight: "The Shang Family has come, such an honor!"
He had previously sent someone to reserve this small courtyard and prepaid the fee to hire the Courtesan of the Hundred Flowers Garden, Shang Jinyu, to play a tune.
But even with Wu Ziyu’s status as the eldest son of the Wu Family, Shang Jinyu might not come to perform.
It required a stroke of luck.
To this, Wu Ziyu spoke with great interest, while Zhang Yuan felt quite speechless.
Such self-inflating marketing tactics, he had seen too many in his past life and didn’t think much of them.
But the fact that even the young master of the Wu Family might not get such a face showed that the Hundred Flowers Garden had considerable background. Otherwise, Wu Ziyu would not have spoken in a beguiling tone.
This Wu family scion was not a frivolous person!
The bright moon hung high, shining upon the window lattice. Inside the music room, a young woman in a plain dress sat upright before the zither table. Her fair fingertips, like congealed fat, fell upon the jiaowei guqin.
The night wind was slightly cool, passing through the curtains. The ethereal sound of the zither rose with it, long and majestic like a clear crane soaring high, piercing through the curtains and drifting into the ears of Zhang Yuan and Wu Ziyu.
Wu Ziyu showed a trace of fascination.
Zhang Yuan held his wine glass, as if his soul had flown outside, in a state of deep immersion in the music.
Soon, the sound of the zither flowed even more smoothly, the quick playing swiftly crossing over the strings, akin to fine rain densely falling on the green rooftops.
The rapid strings were interwoven like dense rain lines, suddenly rushing like a flowing spring gushing down the cliff valley, gradually revealing the momentum of raging waves sweeping the skies, surging and stirring straight up into the nine heavens.
In the next moment, the zither sound was like a stream flowing into a narrow mountain valley, moving faster and more turbulent, resonant like the clash of gold and stone!
In a trance, one seemed to see the vastness of rivers and seas, the tumultuous waves, carrying a deep-seated feeling of parting sorrow sinking into the heart of the listener.
Until the lingering endnote!
"Bravo!"
The silence in the hall was suddenly broken by Wu Ziyu’s applause and shout of approval. This young master of the Wu Family couldn’t help but praise: "Shang Family, your zither skills have improved!"
From the music room, there came a gentle laugh: "Young Master Wu, your praise is too high. Jinyu’s trifling skills are really not worth mentioning."
Wu Ziyu shook his head vigorously: "You are too modest!"
He finally remembered that he was here to accompany Zhang Yuan, and quickly introduced: "Shang Family, let me introduce you. This is a distinguished guest of the Wu family, Dao General Zhang Yuan from West Plain City!"
"This humble one is Shang Jinyu, and I have seen Dao General Zhang."
Just as Wu Ziyu finished speaking, the curtain at the door of the music room lifted.
The woman in the plain dress who had been playing the zither walked out and gracefully saluted Zhang Yuan.
Her appearance truly deserved the title of Courtesan, with beauty like a flower and skin fairer than snow, her figure graceful and charming, and her voice as sweet and pleasant as a lark’s.
"No need for such formalities."
Zhang Yuan smiled, raising his hand to signal: "You played beautifully."
Shang Jinyu’s smile became slightly tense.
She had played for many guests and heard countless praises, but such simple and straightforward compliments were truly a first for her.
This Courtesan of the Hundred Flowers Garden sneaked a glance at Zhang Yuan.
Judging merely by Zhang Yuan’s appearance, he could only be considered ordinary, neither exuding the aura of a powerful expert nor the noble arrogance of a son from Noble Families.
But in Shang Jinyu’s eyes, Zhang Yuan, sitting behind the table, resembled a Fierce Beast lying in wait.
Lurking with the potential to unleash terrifying Strength at any time!
The glance made her secretly startled.
"Thank you for the compliment, sir."
This Courtesan’s eyes glimmered as she pursed her red lips and softly asked: "I wonder if I have the honor to pour wine for you, sir?"
Zhang Yuan had not yet responded, and Wu Ziyu was already stunned.
Though Wu Mingrui did not allow his son to indulge in debauchery at the Hundred Flowers Garden, in reality, this young master of the Wu Family was a frequent visitor here—the former knew but didn’t seriously care.
But there was one thing Wu Ziyu remembered very clearly: the backing of the Hundred Flowers Garden was strong, so strong that even his father was quite apprehensive about it.
Therefore, the statement that the Courtesan only sold her art and not her body was not just an empty promise.
There were instances of people attempting to flaunt their prowess and throw their weight around in the Hundred Flowers Garden, only to be thrown out.
Then they disappeared without a trace.
And as the newly selected Courtesan, during her time in the Hundred Flowers Garden, Shang Jinyu had never been known to give preferential looks to any man.
Today was an exception!
