Chapter 2 Qiong Hua Falls in Yuxiu Pavilion

When we stood on the stage set up by Yuxiu Pavilion for the selection of oirans, it was really a bustling scene below.The private seats in the front row are occupied by princes, sons, talented scholars and celebrities in Jinling City.And sitting in the middle is Yue Chenghuang, the richest man in Jinling City. But he refused to be an official in the court, so the emperor built a luxurious mansion for him, and rewarded him with gold, jewels, fertile land and beauties, innumerable.And his status in Jinling City can also be said to be below one person and above ten thousand people.In the past few years, the bounties for the selection of oirans have been paid out by him, and he himself presides over the selection competition in Yuxiu Pavilion every year, it can be seen that although the selection of oirans is set up by singing girls, the reputation has already spread far and wide.

I raised my eyes for a while and saw that there was a lot of voices and expressions in the audience.It just so happened that it was early spring tomorrow, and the east wind was blowing away, and the willows by the Chuchuan River were full of smoke.There is a long line of painting boats, and even the painting boats are full of people.It was the first time I saw such a scene, and it was so lively that people felt dizzy. The singing girls who came to participate in the election stood in a row, and the painting fan stood next to me, because she has been the chief oiran for the past two years, and the place in the middle belongs to her.

I could only hear Yingxuelou's mother's shrill voice shouting: "Today is our Jinling City's annual oiran election day, thanks to Mrs. Yue's love, let us girls in Firework Lane also have a chance to show off our talents. It also allows the princes, nobles, princes and celebrities present to see the elegant demeanor of the girls. Choose today's oiran, have a lot of fun, and make the adults happy. Oiran, the mother who wanted to come to Yingxuelou was also honored by this, and she was chosen as the host. There was already a burst of cheers from the audience.She raised her hand, and continued: "Next, Lord Yue, please say a few words for us." There was applause.

It was Yue Chenghuang sitting on the golden throne carved in mahogany, and he had stood up now.I saw him wearing a crimson bat uniform, without a crown on his head, but simply inserted an ancient and clumsy jade hairpin. His body was long and tall, and he was tall and handsome. The appearance of the rich state is far away. He has a gentle charm, and said loudly: "Yue is not talented, and I have won everyone's perseverance. I have elected the oiran for Jinling City for several years in order to have fun with everyone. Today, let us enjoy the beauty of the beauty. The winner of the oiran A bounty of one thousand taels is a token of congratulations." The cheers from the audience overwhelmed each other.

After he finished speaking, he sat down and looked at the stage calmly. Yingxuelou's mother stood up again and shouted loudly: "This is the beginning of the competition, please girls show their talents in order." I only heard my mother shouting in a high-pitched voice: "The painting fan girl at the head of Yingxue Building." The painting fan slightly blessed everyone's lower body, and sat down gracefully, with an attendant setting up the zither for her in front of her.She lightly flicked her ethereal sleeves, her jade fingers were crystal clear, just as they landed on the strings, she was already startled.In an instant, there was a clear spring flowing, gurgling and lingling.I just heard her sing while touching the strings: "The ancient meaning is found and the painting is not clear, first push the old rhyme into a new sound. The feeling is still sent to the bamboo in front of the window, and the purple and red are still like green... The fragrant curtain is slightly rolled, and the dream is not true, and the drizzle is empty. The smoke scene is even. Picking up the tears of the peach blossom tree is not as good as a branch of spring in Lixue..."

A clear zither, like water clouds in Xiaoxiang, floats outside the mountains, and rhymes in the sky.I am secretly amazed at the painting fan's piano skills, and what is even more shocking is that her few bamboo branch poems are tactful and vivid, with natural charm, which seems to have meaning, but is graceful and ingenious. I saw the painting fan get up, and the pen and ink had already been set before the desk. She lightly dipped in the jade ink, like a spring breeze spreading, and the bright moon shining in her arms. In an instant, my mother clipped the words on the painting fan to the silk thread that was connected behind her.

With Hua Fan taking the lead, it may be difficult for the people behind to overtake. "The next Miss Yaomu from Miyuedu." As soon as the words fell, Yao Mu had already waved her water sleeves, fluttering like a butterfly on the stage, and in an instant, there were light clouds in the sky, broken shadows swayed in the waves, flying flowers and dew, which was extremely charming. After a dance, I saw her beautiful begonia dimples, pear blossoms and snowy faces, like grass growing and warblers flying, like swallows melting into the rain. Such an astonishing move by Yao Mu was also unknown to me before, and it was indeed beyond my expectation.Presumably, the spectators in the audience are already drunk and confused, and their hearts are rippling.

"Ms. Shi Rongrong, the next number one in Mutong Academy." "Apricot quinoa building head brand Liuzhu girl." "The next Cuiqiong Tower, Yin Xianxian... the Cuiqiong Tower, Yin Xianxian... Yin Xianxian..." I heard my mother shout three times in a high-pitched voice, but Yin Xianxian did not come to the stage.Everyone held their breath, waiting to start getting agitated. After a while, I heard screams coming from Yuxiu Pavilion, everyone rushed in, and I followed.I saw Cuiqionglou's mother crying loudly: "Xianxian...Xianxian...what's the matter, ah..."

Yin Xianxian was leaning on the chair, her hands were hanging down, her face was pale and bloodless.Someone stepped forward, moved his hand to her nose, shook his head and sighed: "I'm not breathing anymore." At this moment, Cuiqionglou's mother cried even louder, and said sharply: "What kind of evil is this? Mom, I have spent so much time on you. Why did you die for no reason like this?" She cried and shook Looking at Yin Xianxian's body. At this time, Huafan came to me and grabbed my hand tightly. I saw that her face was also a little pale, and she must have been frightened by this sudden incident.I was also a little trembling in my heart, not knowing why.

There were more and more people onlookers, and the sounds of commotion and shouting in Yuxiu Pavilion were mixed together.Yue Chenghuang and several officials in the front row also rushed in.Seeing his puzzled face, he asked, "What's going on? Such a commotion?" Cuiqionglou's mother grabbed Yue Chenghuang's hand and cried loudly: "Master Yue, you have to decide for our Cuiqionglou, find out who the hell did this, and give our Miss Xianxian to you!" It killed me..." She cried and knelt at Yue Chenghuang's feet, tightly pulling on his robe. Yue Chenghuang leaned over to help her up, and comforted her: "Don't worry, mother, I will definitely investigate this matter." After speaking, he asked: "Did anything strange happen today?"

Mother thought for a moment, and said: "Nothing strange happened." She frowned slightly, as if remembering something, and screamed: "Yanping... Where is that dead girl, Yanping?" Said while looking around. At this moment, I thought to myself, it's not good, Yanping won't be implicated by what happened just now.I also looked around, but did not see her.Everyone shouted: "The smoke screen... where did the smoke screen go?" In the midst of the noise, I saw the smoke screen squeezed out from the crowd, with a lot of sweat oozing from his forehead, his expression was flustered, his breathing was short of breath, and his voice was crying: "What's the matter? What's the matter?" "Crack", her mother stepped forward and slapped her, and scolded, "What's wrong? You know what you did." Yanping staggered back, and turned to look at Yin Xian who was leaning against the bloodless face Xian, thinking about it, I already understand a little bit.She knelt down on the ground with a plop, and moved to Yin Xianxian's side step by step, tugging at the hem of her skirt and crying: "Girl...Girl..." Mother grabbed Yanping by her hair and scolded: "Don't cry like a cat, pretend to be merciful, and don't tell me what kind of trick you used to kill Xianxian. How come I didn't realize that you are so vicious." Yanping's face was pale, and he couldn't help crying: "I...I didn't...I didn't harm her." At this moment, Yue Chenghuang came out and asked his mother: "What's going on? Tell me." Mother pointed at the smoke screen viciously with her hand, and shouted: "This girl is the one who killed Xianxian. She played a trick just now and broke her strings on purpose. I just scolded her. She is so vicious that she wants to kill someone." " After finishing speaking, he started to cry again: "Oh my god, this girl is so vicious, she killed someone, quickly arrest her." While shouting, she grabbed Yanping's clothes tightly. I really couldn't see it, and stepped forward and said: "Mom, don't be so arbitrary. I don't know why Miss Xianxian died, so I can't conclude that it was a smoke screen." My mother looked at me sharply, and said sharply: "Who am I? Isn't this the girl with curved eyebrows who kindly gave me a pipa just now? Why are you protecting that damn girl like Yanping?" I smiled coldly: "Mom, what are you talking about? How can I protect you? I just want to ask my lord to clarify the facts, so don't wrong a good person." I said and nodded to Yue Chenghuang. Huafan hurried over, looked at Yue Chenghuang, and defended me: "I think Miss Meiwan also has good intentions, she hopes that the adults will find out the facts, so as to avoid making mistakes and causing good people to be wronged, and also to find out the truth. So that Miss Xianxian can feel at ease." Yue Chenghuang glanced at the painting fan, thought for a moment, and said: "Miss Meiwan and Miss Huashan are right, this matter needs to be investigated thoroughly before a decision can be made." He beckoned to his attendants and said, "Send someone to Call for Wu Zuo and Yamen servants to have a preliminary understanding of this matter first." "Yes." The follower agreed and left. Yue Chenghuang raised his hand towards everyone, and said: "Let's do this first, all the idlers will disperse, and after the yamen servants and clerks arrive, we will make a preliminary decision, and then make plans." Seeing him facing Yingxue Lou's mother winked.Mother shouted: "Let's go away. Girls, prepare separately. The selection of the first prize will have to continue later." Those idlers gradually walked out of Yuxiu Pavilion, leaving only the singing girls who participated in the election, the accompanying maids and mothers. The more I thought about it, the more confused I became, so I walked up to Yanping and asked, "Where did you go just now?" Yanping sobbed softly: "Just now after I broke the strings and was punished, Miss said she felt a headache , I forgot to bring the medicine, let me hurry back to Cuiqiong Tower to get her medicine." After she finished speaking, she took out a delicate little red bottle from her sleeve. "Headache? What kind of medicine is this?" I asked, pointing to the bottle. "Xuexiang Wan. My daughter has a headache and has been taking this medicine." Yan Ping said. I pondered for a while, and said, "That means someone in Cuiqiong Building saw you go back to get the medicine?" "Yes, yes." Yanping nodded quickly. Cuiqionglou's mother came over in a hurry and said to me: "Your Meiwan girl said that this matter has nothing to do with that dead girl Yanping?" I glanced at everyone and said, "I just want to ask the truth." Mom sneered and said: "I see the truth is that Yan Ping is a dead girl who hurt people. She deliberately found an excuse to leave here, thinking that if she went to Cuiqiong Tower, she would have evidence of her alibi." Mom seemed to have realized something, pointing at the cigarette Ping, shouted in shock: "Oh, why didn't I expect you to have such a scheming plan, and even know to design an alibi for yourself." Frightened, Yan Ping backed away, and his body trembled even more. I thought to myself, this mother is really powerful, she can actually charge people with a lot of nonsense, talking to her will only make it more confusing, why don't you wait for the servant to come to think of a plan. At this time, I saw a group of yamen servants hurrying over, about seven or eight of them, armed with sabers, with serious faces.The leading yamen servant quickly glanced at the scene, his eyes fell on Yue Chenghuang, his expression became easy-going, he bent down and called out: "Master Yue." Yue Chenghuang nodded and said to Yin Xianxian's corpse : "Let Wuzuo take a look first." "Yes." The head of the yamen nodded.With a wave of his hand, the assistant behind him came forward, he saluted Master Yue, walked to Yin Xianxian's side, opened the box he was carrying, took out a few inspection tools, and fiddled with them.Turning to Yue Chenghuang, he said, "Lord Yue, the preliminary examination revealed nothing about the corpse, and it still needs to be carried back to the Yamen for careful examination." Yue Chenghuang glanced at everyone: "Forget it, just do as you say." At this moment, Cuiqionglou's mother bowed to the head of the yamen, and pointed at Yanping angrily: "My lord, you have to arrest her, she is a murderer." Yanping's face was pale, his legs were weak, and he cried Said: "I didn't...I didn't..." He kept shaking his head, feeling very pitiful. The head of the yamen took a look at Yue Chenghuang, and asked: "Master Yue, what?" Yue Chenghuang frowned, and said: "Well, you take the smoke screen away first, and wait for the final inspection results to come out. Make a decision." I was shocked when I heard the words, and wanted to go forward to argue, but the painting fan held my hand tightly, she gave me a wink, and I knew in my heart that she wanted me to stop arguing for the time being.So I gave up and could only watch Yanping being hurriedly taken away by a group of yamen servants. The contrast between her helpless eyes and the proud expression of Cuiqionglou's mother made me feel entangled in an unspeakable feeling. After the yamen servant left with the smoke screen, there was a moment of silence before he heard Yue Chenghuang say: "Okay, let's stop with the matter just now, everyone get ready, and the selection of the chief executive will continue." Everyone dispersed after hearing this, and the painting fan also clings to my hand and walks away.Sit down and drink a cup of tea.At this time, the Yuxiu Pavilion was back to the bustle it was before, and those singing girls were laughing and laughing, as if Yin Xianxian had never died, and death could be so indifferent to them. I took a breath, and in the noisy atmosphere, my mind was blank.