Your Majesty, Please Stop!

Chapter 194: The Ten Young Masters of the Capital

Although the strange tone was not loud, it was particularly grating and echoed throughout the entire flower building.

For a moment, the cheers and applause came to a sudden halt, and everyone looked over. It was a luxurious and prestigious private room on the second floor.

Standing by the railing was a middle-aged man in a brocade robe, with a bearded face and hands behind his back. He sneered repeatedly, showing a disdainful attitude towards everyone present.

This surprised many people. Jiang Yuguai, the legitimate son of the Jiang family, was well-known in the capital. Who would dare to openly provoke him?

Jiang Yuguai and Song Ruqing's expressions also changed. The servant from the Jiang family in front coldly looked at the man and said, "Since you don't appreciate it, why bother saying it? You can pay afterwards!"

The middle-aged man on the opposite side smiled lightly, "If you pay in advance, wouldn't my young master owe you a favor? My young master dislikes owing favors!"

"Daddy's hands are itching again!"

Jiang Yuguai's face darkened, and he was about to give the order to attack.

But then, the middle-aged man on the opposite side suddenly took out a sign and hung it on a wooden pillar outside the private room. On it was a large capital letter "拾" (shí).

A simple word, as if it had a strange power, made the guests on all floors reveal a surprised expression and they all sat down, cupping their fists.

The servant from the Jiang family in front also shrank his neck, cupped his hands in a salute, and stepped aside.

Jiang Yuguai and Song Ruqing's faces turned pale and green, but then they smiled as if the matter had passed.

Xin Zhuo became curious and asked, "Who is that person over there?"

It couldn't be the emperor in disguise coming to visit the brothel, right? If you play like this, I must treat you today, then go over and have a drink with you, aren't we close relatives?

Song Ruqing smiled and said, "Lü Jiu, the son of Minister Lü from the Ministry of War. Although his family background is not as good as ours, he is one of the Ten Young Masters of the capital and the tenth disciple of the emperor! If we have a dispute with him over such a trivial matter as visiting a brothel, we can't afford to lose face!"

Jiang Yuguai also lowered his voice, "The title of the Ten Young Masters is a bit embarrassing to hear, but it was the late emperor's decree, and no one dares to take it lightly! That Lü Jiu deliberately suppressed me to create a scene, preparing for the Fengtian Tower in the Taiping Palace two months later. His mother, he doesn't come at night when there's plenty of time, but comes during the day to join in the fun and suppress daddy. I'll get my revenge sooner or later."

His tone was not very confident.

"I see. But there are so many noble and aristocratic children in the capital. How were these Ten Young Masters chosen?" Xin Zhuo asked in surprise. Were they handsome? Did they come from good families?

"You don't know, young master!" Song Ruqing solemnly explained, "First, they come from respectable families. Second, they are under the influence of the imperial court. Third, they have mastered poetry, books, rituals, music, military strategy, and tactics. Fourth, and most importantly, they have reached the Half-step Grand Great Master realm before the age of thirty!

The current Ten Young Masters are all experts who have reached the Half-step Grand Great Master realm, just one step away from the Grand Great Master realm. It is said that the first-ranked Li Zhiqu of the Taiping Palace, the second-ranked Prince Monyang of the royal family, and the third-ranked Shuimang of the Zhenwu Department have already reached the Grand Great Master realm!"

Half-step Grand Great Master, Grand Great Master...

Xin Zhuo's first reaction was that the martial strength in this world seemed to have collapsed. When did the Grand Great Master become so worthless? In the Fufeng Mansion, reaching the sixth rank before the age of twenty-five was already a name that shook the region!

Suddenly, Xiong Zhang asked on his behalf, "When did the Half-step Grand Great Master become so worthless?"

Song Ruqing's gaze lingered on Xiong Zhang for a moment before smiling, "This young lady may not know, but have you heard of the Qingyu Rain that happened twenty-five years ago?"

Xiong Zhang thought for a moment and said, "That was last year, of course I know. The Qingyu Rain lasted for seven days. It is said that it covered not only the entire Great Zhou's eighteen provinces, but also Nanli, Dongyi, Xiyu, and Beicang. Wherever humans lived, where the sun and moon shone, it rained!"

Song Ruqing opened his folding fan with a "whoosh" and said, "According to the old celestial master of the Qintian Observatory, the stars shifted, the twenty-eight constellations were connected, and the hidden immortals in the deep mountains and rivers howled with the sun, moon, and stars!

This is an unprecedented change in the world. Practitioners all over the world have made rapid progress in their martial realms! Not to mention everyone else, I was only a sixth rank last year, but I broke through to the fifth rank in just one year. I'm confused myself."

Xiong Zhang thought for a moment and whispered to her own young master, "A few months ago, Sister Qingzhu and I also broke through to the small Great Master realm!"

Xin Zhuo remained silent. He wasn't very interested in martial realms or constellations in this world, and he didn't know how to evaluate them. His own martial realm didn't require his own hard work, just the summoning of spirits.

At this moment, his attention had already flown to a magnificent stage in the opposite hall. Several musicians had just come up, and it seemed that the famous courtesan was about to make her appearance.

Song Ruqing and the others didn't notice, and quickly pretended to cup their fists towards Xiong Zhang, "So it turns out that the current small Great Master is the young master's concubine or maid. We greatly admire..."

(Note: The translation provided is a direct translation and may not capture the full cultural nuances and idiomatic expressions of the original text.)

"Admire my foot! This girl completely looks down on you all! Sit down honestly!"

Xiong Zhang coldly smiled and ignored them, following the gaze of his own son.

Everyone had an embarrassed expression on their faces, and then they also noticed the anomaly on the opposite stage. They couldn't help but sit down and fan themselves, saying, "Here she comes! I wonder how extraordinary this courtesan is, and what level of martial arts she possesses."

Jiang Yu Gui even licked his lips and said, "Brothers, you can't compete with me. I am bound to win!"

"Forget it, forget it, let's just enjoy the sight!"

...

"Ding dong..."

As the music played by the twelve musicians started, the entire building fell silent. The female swordsman and courtesan from the martial world, who had been eagerly anticipated, was finally about to appear.

Sure enough!

As the music became more and more intense, more than ten slender and beautiful girls walked out barefoot from behind the stage pillars. Then, a stunning beauty lightly leaped out.

This woman had a graceful figure, wearing a delicate golden breastplate. Her skin was as fair and tender as milk. Although her face was covered by a veil, one could guess her extraordinary beauty. Especially when she held a shining and majestic sword in her hand, the movements she made emitted the sharp and heroic aura of a swordsman.

Her martial arts level was hazy and seemed deliberately concealed, but the faint aura she emitted was profound. Could she be a small Great Master?

The guests in the hall were shocked, and it was definitely not a trivial matter!

A small Great Master, a swordsman courtesan? This was completely different from the weak and delicate women of the past. It was truly mind-boggling.

"Great!"

Someone couldn't help but exclaim.

But they saw that the courtesan danced gracefully with her sword while singing in a melodious voice:

"The fragrance of red lotus lingers on the jade mat in autumn. Lightly untangling the silk robe, I ascend the orchid boat alone..."

As she sang, she glanced at Xin Zhuo and the others, her eyes like flowing waves, arousing people's thoughts.

"Great!"

The hall erupted in applause for a moment.

Jiang Yu Gui and Song Ru Qing thought that they had caught the attention of the beauty, feeling proud and showing off their bodies, shaking their heads and swaying.

However, Xin Zhuo suddenly felt that the courtesan was looking at him. It wasn't just a sixth sense of a man thinking that she might like him, but... he really felt that this woman was staring at him!

And a sense of embarrassment surged from his heels to his scalp. Wasn't this poem written by himself... or rather, copied by himself?

The woman's sword dance became faster and the melody became more beautiful. She glanced over at Xin Zhuo at least three or four times during the performance. Finally, after finishing the song, she bowed and showed her graceful and heroic side.

The hall erupted in applause once again. Someone became interested in the lyrics and music and couldn't help but ask loudly, "May I ask, who wrote the lyrics and composed the music, miss?"

The courtesan had already stepped aside and was sitting behind a guzheng. She nodded slightly upon hearing the question and said, "The lyrics were written by Master Jiang from the Autumn Wind Academy! The melody was composed by this humble woman herself. It's impolite and laughable, please forgive me!"

Someone suddenly realized, "Indeed, it's truly remarkable that it was written by Master Jiang from the Autumn Wind Academy!"

Xin Zhuo frowned. These scholars from the Autumn Palace were shameless. Even if I copied it, you can't claim it as your own. How can I face Li Qingzhao?

At this moment, the steward who had been standing by the "拾" sign suddenly walked out and said, "My young master will reward ten thousand silver! Such excellent lyrics, truly worthy of being written by Master Jiang from the Autumn Wind Academy, it's admirable!"

"This poem was not written by Master Jiang!"

Suddenly, He Lian Cheng walked out and said loudly, "This poem was written by my mentor, and now I must clear his name!"

(End of this chapter)