Chapter 73: Forbidden

**Alternate History**

A light scuffle broke out in the private room of the painted boat. Soon, two heads bumped together again as they peered out the window. The setting sun cast its light on the crowd outside, and indeed, Ning Yi's faint figure could be seen among them. Yuan Jin'er, with her sharp eyes, soon sighed regretfully. "It looks like his frumpy wife is here too... Sister Yunzhu, have you seen her before?"

In the crowd, Ning Yi was naturally accompanied by Su Tan'er, followed by three maids. From a distance, Nie Yunzhu couldn't clearly make out the woman's face, but her mind recalled the scene of Su Tan'er and Ning Yi sitting together during a spring outing. She smiled and nodded, "I have. She's no 'frumpy wife,' and she's a very good match for Li Heng..."

"Alright, maybe she's not that frumpy, but Sister Yunzhu, saying that about your beloved... Ow!" The unfiltered girl once again met a painful fate. Yuan Jin'er pressed her newly-knocked forehead against Yunzhu's shoulder, wriggling like a worm and mumbling, "Jin'er knows she was wrong, Brother Yunzhu, don't be so rough!"

Nie Yunzhu pushed her away with exasperation, her expression turning serious a moment later. "Young Master Ning and I don't have that kind of relationship. Jin'er, don't speak such nonsense again; it would be bad if others overheard."

"Got it..."

Yuan Jin'er nodded and continued to watch the scene. When the group drew closer, she remarked, "She really isn't that frumpy..." In truth, Su Tan'er was also a beauty, no less stunning than Yuan Jin'er or Nie Yunzhu; the only distinction lay in their individual temperaments. Due to her long-standing leadership in business, Su Tan'er possessed an even more prominent aura of unique self-assurance. As she approached, a group of people came forward to greet her, and Yuan Jin'er couldn't help but sigh again, "What extensive connections she has!"

The people who came forward were indeed prominent figures from the business world, and the comment about "extensive connections" naturally referred to Su Tan'er. Among that group were individuals like Wu Qihao, Wu Qilong, and Puyang Yi, all major patrons of this courtesan competition. Of course, Puyang Yi, being Jiangning's richest man, naturally supported Qilan, who was under his patronage. However, the others still had room to be courted, and they were precisely the targets of various brothels' efforts. For a moment, their gathering was an envy-inducing sight.

"But he really is impressive," Yuan Jin'er said after watching for a while, sighing as she leaned on Yunzhu's shoulder. "Sister Yunzhu, look! Although those big bosses seem to be greeting and talking to Su Tan'er, their attention to Ning Liheng is quite significant. Puyang Yi has been trying to cultivate a relationship with him. Generally, a live-in son-in-law doesn't have this kind of status..."

As someone adept at navigating various social circles, Yuan Jin'er naturally understood the situation clearly. Su Tan'er and those individuals were all merchants, so it was normal for a group of people to greet and converse. Typically, a live-in son-in-law standing by her side would have little status; even if he received some respect or a greeting, it would be primarily directed at Su Tan'er's standing. In other words, if the wife upheld her husband's image, he would have one; otherwise, he would merely be an accessory. But what she saw now was clearly different. Ning Yi stood there, speaking little, but with a self-assured expression, hardly anyone ignored him. Puyang Yi, in particular, brought up topics with him several times, indicating that this was clearly more than just giving face to Su Tan'er.

"Jiangning's foremost scholar... Sister Yunzhu, tell me, if he were to sit with us today, do you think I could win the courtesan competition?"

Nie Yunzhu smiled at her. "Where he chooses to sit is a matter he discusses with his wife; I can't do anything about that... Besides, didn't you say you didn't want to be the courtesan queen? What nonsense are you thinking now..."

"Whether I want it or not is one thing. Since he's your... er, your good friend, he should naturally come over to support me! If he were to sit with us, I'd gain so much face. And if I could even get into a jealous squabble with that Cao Guan, that would be even more honorable..."

"Vain."

"Heh..." Yuan Jin'er chuckled, then glanced over again and suddenly leaped up. "Ah, ah, how despicable! Sister Yunzhu, look! Qilan actually came out! How shameless! She's trying to get close to your Ning... *cough*, your good friend! This is too despicable! No, Sister Yunzhu, let's go out too and mess with her! We absolutely cannot let Ning Liheng sit over there with her!"

Below, Qilan, dressed in white, had already arrived and, introduced by Puyang Yi, exchanged greetings with Su Tan'er and Ning Yi, then began conversing. Yuan Jin'er was extremely displeased by this, bouncing around. Seeing that Nie Yunzhu was unresponsive and unwilling to go out and "snatch" Ning Yi, she walked back, muttering, "Look at them, still chatting and laughing. Those two women are so hypocritical... Traitors, traitors..."

Nie Yunzhu chuckled exasperatedly, "How did he become a traitor now?"

"Of course! Since he's your good friend, Sister Yunzhu, I naturally consider him one of us. If he's talking to the enemy, he's obviously a traitor!"

She threw a small tantrum for a moment, then turned to look at Nie Yunzhu, who was still watching the other group. Although there was a faint smile on Nie Yunzhu's face, her expression was complex. Yuan Jin'er couldn't help but purse her lips again. "Brother Yunzhu, don't be like that. Jin'er will always like Brother Yunzhu..."

Nie Yunzhu glanced at her with a smile, then reached out and hooked her chin. "Alright, after Jin'er bravely wins the courtesan competition this time, this young master will redeem you, leaving behind a beautiful legend..."

"Mhm, mhm, please cherish Jin'er, Brother Yunzhu..."

As she spoke, Yuan Jin'er's eyes were filled with allure. The distance between them slowly closed, paused, then slowly closed again, until... their lips met, a soft touch for both.

Their eyes widened, darting around for a moment before they suddenly pulled apart. Nie Yunzhu frowned, covering her lips, while Yuan Jin'er spat out a few times, her red lips delicate and her gaze bewildered. "Sister Yunzhu, why didn't you dodge?"

"You really came closer..."

"I thought you'd dodge..."

A moment of panic ensued for both, then they burst into laughter. Yuan Jin'er sat by the bronze mirror to reapply her lip gloss, while Nie Yunzhu, dressed in men's attire, used some tea water to wipe away the transferred color, glaring at Yuan Jin'er exasperatedly. Yuan Jin'er grinned impishly, then whispered, "Sister Yunzhu, have you ever tried that with anyone else before?"

"No."

"Let me tell you, let me tell you! A couple of years ago, I met a young master supposedly from Yangzhou. He looked just like a girl, but he definitely wasn't. He was so shy and cute. My heart pounded so hard; I really wanted to just kiss him... Unfortunately, he only visited once, and then he went to the capital for the imperial examination, and I haven't seen him since..."

"You liked him?"

"Not really, we barely exchanged a few words. I just thought it was... quite interesting. How about we try it again, Sister Yunzhu? I didn't really feel anything just now..."

"Get away!"

Laughter and whispers filled the room. Outside, the setting sun cast its last magnificent glow across the sky. People from all over the city were streaming towards the venue. As night fell, the final day of the courtesan queen competition was about to begin.

Among Jiangning's four top courtesans, Yuan Jin'er was lively, Feng Xiaojing dignified, and the newly promoted Luo Miaomiao often exuded a vibrant charm. Lu Caicai, who had previously failed to rank, was often described as being like a secluded orchid, playing the pipa so well that her music sounded melancholic. As for Qilan, she gave off a scholarly aura, skilled in literature and calligraphy, with considerable accomplishments of her own. It was said that she occasionally received guests at the brothel dressed as a scholar with a feather fan and silk scarf, earning her much praise.

Over the past six months, rumors occasionally circulated about Qilan's keen interest in Ning Yi, and Su Tan'er had even teased Ning Yi about it. However, from a merchant's perspective, whether these rumors were true remained debatable. Among these wealthy merchants, the Xue and Wu families were naturally the closest to the Su family. Yet, even though Xue Jin had once tried to humiliate Ning Yi and was ridiculed in return, his interest in Ning Yi hadn't significantly increased. The Puyang family was now probably the most interested in Ning Yi; Qilan was the star performer of the brothel under the Puyang family's patronage. When the news spread, it was truly hard to say whether it was the Puyang family deliberately leaking information to get closer to Ning Yi or if it was Qilan's genuine feeling.

With Su Tan'er present, Puyang Yi had Qilan come out to pay her respects, which served as a formal introduction to Ning Yi. Naturally, they wouldn't directly discuss poetry or literature. This graceful and composed woman expressed admiration for Ning Yi's literary talent while also giving plenty of deference to Su Tan'er. Both were masters of social graces; their seemingly pleasant conversation actually lacked substance. Before long, Ning Yi and Su Tan'er took their seats in an area near the front of the stage, primarily occupied by merchants.

"No surprises here. Qilan is going to win the courtesan competition this time."

The sun gradually set, and the lights slowly came on. The surrounding crowds were still pouring in, creating a lively din. Su Tan'er took a loquat from the table in front, peeled it, and handed it to Ning Yi, fulfilling her wifely duties. Ning Yi took it expressionlessly and took a bite.

"You said it from the start; what suspense is left in watching? It's really boring sitting with you..."

"The Puyang family wanted to promote Qilan two years ago, but they always proceeded very steadily, fearing people would say their family was just throwing money around. So they only let Qilan become a top courtesan and then stopped. Now, the momentum they've built is enough, and there shouldn't be much suspense left. It's time for Qilan to go all the way." Ning Yi's expression was displeased, and his words might have sounded excessive to others, but Su Tan'er showed not the slightest hint of displeasure. Instead, she smiled happily and peeled another loquat, handing it to him. "I just want to show off... Besides showing off to you, my husband, who else can Tan'er show off to? My husband should praise me."

"Alright, alright, Tan'er, you're the most formidable, and you have the best insight."

"Heh... I'm happy."

Su Tan'er seemed genuinely happy. After a while, other members of the Su family, such as Wending and Wenfang, came over to greet Su Tan'er and Ning Yi, then tactfully left. Xi Junyu also arrived, greeted Su Tan'er and Ning Yi briefly, then sat at a round table diagonally behind them—being seated at a round table to eat in this venue was essentially a symbol of a certain status and position.

Elder Qin and his two wives had also arrived, along with Kang Xian and others, taking their seats among the dignitaries. Before long, night completely fell, and the venue was fully packed. As the gentle sounds of string and wind instruments rose, people began to quiet down. The nearby Qinhuai River rippled, and the night breeze was pleasant. When the prefectural official in charge of hosting the courtesan competition delivered a few opening remarks and announced the start of the event, the music on stage gradually faded away.

At the quietest moment, a thunderous sound erupted, music swelled, and fireworks shot skyward from beneath the stage. The newly promoted top courtesan, Luo Miaomiao, soared up from below, accompanied by several suddenly fluttering silk ribbons, like a phoenix spreading its colorful tail. In this bustling city night, the courtesan competition's prelude began in the most magnificent and grand fashion.

In an area relatively far from Ning Yi and Su Tan'er, where Luo Miaomiao's supporters were seated, everyone applauded vigorously. Amidst the enthusiastic atmosphere, a man named Gu Yanzhen also clapped with a smile, though he occasionally turned his head, unnoticed by others, to cast his gaze over once. Then he scanned his surroundings, searching among the crowd for where Nie Yunzhu might be.