TGCFNM -Chapter 349 Idle and Miscellaneous People

After asking Shiyu how he should pay, Wan Sanjin took out several silver notes, stacked them neatly, and asked Shiyu to deliver them.

Shiyu rose and walked over slowly. Noticing Yunliu’s surprised gaze, she handed over the silver notes and then pointed toward the people inside the room.

Yunliu stood, expressed her thanks, and then took the silver notes, having her maid place them into the lucky pouch.

Shiyu looked at Yunliu and couldn’t help but ask, “Since becoming the courtesan of the flower house, has anything been uncomfortable for you?”

Yunliu thought carefully for a moment. “I’ve been a bit sleepier than before.”

Shiyu slightly bowed in thanks, then turned and walked back.

Chu Ling gazed outside and let out a soft sigh. “Master Wan has set a good precedent. Many people have started giving tips. I hope she can earn a bit more.”

Fu Qingyu spoke lightly, “No matter how much she earns, it won’t be enough to redeem a whole family of dozens. Usually, when money is given, the first to be redeemed are the able-bodied men and the young boys of the family.”

Chu Ling looked at Fu Qingyu. “Young Master Fu, do you understand how this system of redemption works?”

Fu Qingyu nodded. “These are all relatives of officials who have committed offenses. The officials are usually dismissed or executed, but if the family members are not guilty of major crimes, they are sent to the criminal street to do hard labor.”

Chu Ling nodded in understanding.

Fu Qingyu continued, “Actually, this is considered lenient. At least they keep their lives. Some officials, however, drag their entire families into their crimes, and the whole household gets executed.”

Ghost Scholar let out a quiet sigh. “The emperor at that time was capricious. One displeasure and he would act rashly. Countless innocent officials were implicated and sent to the criminal street because of this.”

“Was there a Jiaofang (imperial music and entertainment academy) in the capital?” Chu Ling asked cautiously.

Fu Qingyu shook his head slightly. “At that time, the state treasury was empty, and the border situation was tense. So the Jiaofang was directly closed. Officials’ families who were punished were all sent to the criminal street. There, they would do hard labor to accumulate silver to redeem themselves… Grand Tutor Sun even proposed a system of donating official posts. The emperor initially disagreed, but later allowed it to some extent.”

Chu Ling was a bit surprised. So this route of donating official positions had actually been tacitly permitted.

At this moment, Wan Sanjin came over. “So Yunliu had no choice but to come to the flower house and compete for the top courtesan title in order to earn money to save her family? Even knowing it was a death trap, she still wanted to try?”

“Competing for the courtesan title at least guarantees one’s honor remains intact,” Shiyu said, forcing a smile, though her hands clenched tightly together.

Chu Ling looked at Shiyu, feeling a bit saddened. “Actually, life is more important.”

Shiyu gave a bitter smile and shook her head.

Wan Sanjin lowered his voice to ask Fu Qingyu, “Could I save them all?”

Fu Qingyu shook his head. “They are all relatives of officials who have committed crimes. If you use the Wan family’s wealth to save them all, you would be dragging the Wan family into an abyss with no return. You see, even when the Liu family, who had good relations with the aristocracy, were punished, no noble family intervened.”

Wan Sanjin let out a heavy sigh and slumped onto the table. “Frustrating… infuriating.”

Fu Qingyu sighed quietly. Such innocence… what could be done?

After this discussion, the atmosphere in the private room grew quiet. Chu Ling and the others were fine, but the aristocratic youths felt a sense of oppressive gloom, as if a black cloud were pressing down on them.

In the current court, whatever the noble families did—or did not do—was wrong.

“The Painting Sage has arrived!”

Suddenly, a cheer erupted outside, louder than the applause for Yunliu. Those across the way leaned forward, their faces excited, as if they wanted to rush forward and surround the Painting Sage.

Chu Ling and the others lifted their heads to look outside, seeing a man of about forty-something, wearing a simple, faded long robe, stride confidently into the room.

After entering, the Painting Sage first turned around and gave a slight nod to each private room. When it was Haitang’s turn, he narrowed his eyes at Fu Qingyu, then simply turned his head away.

Wan Sanjin frowned, unhappy: “What was that look? What does it mean?”

Chu Ling, curious, looked at Nangong Han and asked, “How old is the Painting Sage?”

“Forty-seven, I think,” Nangong Han replied, a bit unsure.

Chu Ling furrowed her brows in surprise. “Forty-seven… and he’s supposed to be some prodigy? Could it be that people suddenly have a burst of inspiration in middle age?”

Nangong Han coughed awkwardly. “But… Master, the Painting Sage really does paint very well.”

“And he’s good at portraits… what about other things?” Chu Ling squinted, pressing further.

Nangong Han glanced left and right, his face stiff. “It’s… okay, I guess. But if you’re talking about collections, it’s mostly the courtesan portraits that are valued.”

Chu Ling made an “oh” sound and lightly tapped the table. Just as she was about to speak, the Painting Sage shouted loudly: “Quiet!”

Chu Ling pointed at herself: Was he talking to me?

Everyone in the private room shook their heads frantically: Absolutely not!

Frowning, Chu Ling looked outside and saw the Painting Sage push his chair aside, sit cross-legged on the floor, slowly closing his eyes, mumbling something under his breath.

Two children in white Daoist robes attended him: one burning incense, the other walking around with a willow branch, both showing utmost respect.

Cui Xi hugged Wangcai tightly. “Master, is he exorcising spirits?”

Hua Si tapped Cui Xi lightly. “You’re so naive. This is called ‘communing with the divine.’ Once he starts painting, it could be finished in a single stroke… or it might not be finished at all.”

Chu Ling clicked her tongue. “So mystical and superstitious.”

Ghost Scholar snorted coldly. “I can’t speak for others, but anyone who does all this fancy ritual stuff before painting… if they were really called the Painting Sage, Zong Yunhe would crawl out of his coffin in a fury, run eight hundred miles straight, and strangle him.”

Chu Ling almost burst out laughing and quickly pulled Fu Qingyu aside. “Who’s Zong Yunhe?”

“He’s a master painter. I love to copy his work, but my paintings aren’t even a ten-thousandth as good as his,” Fu Qingyu said.

Wan Sanjin propped his chin on his hand. “Master, you don’t read books, yet you know Zong Yunhe?”

Chu Ling raised an eyebrow proudly. “I definitely know more than you do.”

“Hey, hey—he’s moving, he’s moving!” Nangong Han pointed outside excitedly. He hoped the Painting Sage would paint well tonight to help him regain some face; otherwise, the money for this private room would have been wasted.

Sure enough, the Painting Sage slowly opened his eyes, casually glancing at the incense burner, then was helped to his feet by the child attendant.

“Since you invited me to paint today, there’s no need for idle people to be present,” the Painting Sage said, his gaze implying something as he looked at Fu Qingyu.

Fu Qingyu pointed at herself. “So he’s talking about me.”

Wan Sanjin stood up, unhappy. “The world’s number one young master is an ‘idle person,’ huh? Then what are you? A bald person?”

Chu Ling couldn’t hold back her laughter, shoulders shaking.

The madam of the Hidden Flower Pavilion immediately rushed over, ready to calm the Painting Sage and dismiss the people in the room, but froze in place.

Never mind that there were two sons from prestigious families and the second son of the richest Wan family—just having the world’s number one young master here made her too nervous to say anything carelessly.