Chapter 91

Gao Yanei has always been a sacred figure in Li Qi's mind, second only to Ximen Daguan. Not to mention, in later generations, the term “Yanei” became famous because of him.

However, after being in Bianjing for so long, Li Qi hasn’t heard of any of the characters from the Water Margin, so he still harbors doubts about this Gao Yanei.

Hong Tianjiu glanced sideways at Gao Yanei, shook his head, and said indifferently, "With Feng Xingshou here, they will naturally come. What’s so surprising about that?"

You’re talking about yourself, aren’t you?

Li Qi recalled Hong Tianjiu’s excitement this afternoon and found his words somewhat amusing.

Zhou Hua asked, "Aren’t you going over?"

"Wherever I sit, it’s still sitting. There’s nothing fun to do, so why go over? No, no." Hong Tianjiu shook his head.

Li Qi curiously glanced at Hong Tianjiu and then at Gao Yanei, seeing that the two were already sitting at the table closest to the stage in the center. The dozen or so ruffians stood beside them, exuding a formidable presence.

A nearby girl noticed that Li Qi’s movements had suddenly stopped and his gaze had shifted to Gao Yanei and the others. She asked curiously, "Brother, do you know Gao Yanei and Chai Gongzi?"

Li Qi was slightly taken aback and shook his head, "I don’t know them. Who are these two gentlemen?"

The girl giggled and winked at Li Qi.

How could Li Qi, the old fox, not understand her meaning? He immediately took out a piece of silver from his pocket and threw it into her cleavage.

Seeing Li Qi’s understanding, the girl beamed and leaned on his chest, speaking softly.

It turns out that Gao Yanei is indeed the son of Gao Qiu, the Grand Marshal, and is his biological son, named Gao Yaokang. The other gentleman has an even greater background, being a direct descendant of Emperor Shizong Chai Rong, named Chai Cong.

After Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin seized power, he did not eliminate the Chai family but instead provided for them, issuing an edict to “protect the Chai family and not punish them for any crimes,” giving them wealth but no real power. As an emperor, he was quite kind. If it were Zhu Lao, he would have left no one alive, and if you managed to escape, it would be sheer luck.

Gao Yanei, Chai Cong, and Hong Tianjiu, along with the future young master of Fanlou, are known as the Four Young Gentlemen of the capital.

Although they are called the Four Young Gentlemen, they are essentially four powerful ruffians.

Each of the Four Young Gentlemen has their own characteristics: Gao Yanei is a womanizer, Chai Cong is a fame-seeker, Hong Tianjiu is a pleasure-seeker, and the young master of Fanlou is a profit-seeker.

They are truly a complete set of vices.

When these four walk together, they are absolutely terrifying. Compared to them, tigers are too damn kind.

Others might keep their distance from these four, but Li Qi doesn’t think that way. As a businessman, the other three, except for the young master of Fanlou, are definitely big clients. If he can make them regular customers at Zui Xianju, the income would be very substantial.

Li Qi scanned the hall again and noticed that everyone sitting there was a young master or a talented scholar, all dressed in very luxurious attire, clearly wealthy.

Damn! I never thought that my unparalleled鸳鸯锅 (yuan yang guo) and those three absolute couplets combined would be less impressive than this Feng Yenu.

Painful.

Li Qi felt deeply hurt.

But as a businessman, one should not try to change the trend but rather adapt to it.

Li Qi squinted and pondered whether he should spend some money to invite Feng Yenu to Zui Xianju.

However, he didn’t know until he asked, and when he did, he was truly shocked.

Feng Yenu is simply a superstar of the Northern Song Dynasty, comparable to the Wang Miss of later generations. A thousand gold for a song is not an exaggeration, and even with money, it’s not easy to invite her. Usually, only high-ranking officials can do so. In the taverns, Feng Yenu only frequents Fanlou. Her appearance at Fengqilou this time is to repay an old debt to the owner.

In fact, in the Northern Song Dynasty, most taverns have resident singing girls. Even smaller taverns usually have some street prostitutes who come to sing, and some even provide company for drinking.

Wu Furong had mentioned this to Li Qi before, but he immediately rejected it. He runs a tavern, not a brothel or a karaoke bar. Having a group of prostitutes singing and laughing while others eat would be inappropriate. In modern times, this would likely be recorded and posted online, followed by a raid by the anti-prostitution authorities.

But Li Qi didn’t realize that people here actually enjoy this. What a miscalculation, a big miscalculation.

Rogue scholars. Li Qi finally understood why “rogue” is placed before “scholar.”

However, he doesn’t plan to change. If he invites anyone, it must be a superstar like Feng Yenu to maintain the high standards of Zui Xianju.

Just as Li Qi was thinking, he heard a commotion from the front. He looked up and saw a young woman in her early twenties carrying a lute walking onto the stage.

Li Qi observed that the girl, though pretty, was not exceptionally beautiful. He was very puzzled and asked Hong Tianjiu, "Is this Feng Yenu?"

Hong Tianjiu glared at Li Qi, "If Feng Xingshou were this beautiful, I’d rather go home and play with my concubine."

Sweat! Embarrassing.

Li Qi nodded awkwardly, and the girl in his arms giggled. He felt a tremor and started to grope her from top to bottom, thinking to himself, "First, I’ll get my money’s worth."

The singing girl plucked the strings, and as the sound continued, she began to sing:

"Looking where the rain has ceased and the clouds have parted, I lean on the railing quietly, gazing at the autumn light.

The evening scene is sparse, evoking the sorrow of Song Yu.

The water is light, and the apple blossoms are gradually withering; the moon is cold, and the osmanthus leaves are turning yellow.

This sentiment is painful. Where are the old friends? The waters are vast and misty.

Unforgettable. Literary gatherings and wine parties, how many times have the winds and moons been neglected, and the stars and frosts changed.

The sea is vast, and the mountains are distant; I do not know where Xiao Xiang is.

Thinking of the two swallows, it is hard to rely on distant messages; pointing to the evening sky, I can only recognize the returning boats.

Gazing sadly, in the sound of the broken geese, I stand until the sun sets."

It is Liu Sanbian’s “Jade Butterfly.”

Since this was Li Qi’s first encounter with the popular music of the Northern Song Dynasty, he listened very attentively.

The singing girl’s voice was quite good, like a kingfisher tapping the water, melodious and pleasant to the ear. The lyrics, of course, need no further comment; anything by Liu Sanbian is a masterpiece. As for the melody, Li Qi has no expertise in this area, so he couldn’t really judge its quality. However, he noticed that the singing girl couldn’t convey the subtle and melancholic tone of Liu Sanbian, instead giving it a sense of artificiality.

This is understandable; who is Liu Sanbian? Not everyone can appreciate his sentiments. Even those with insufficient literary knowledge might not understand the lyrics.

However, in Li Qi’s view, listening to music is a form of entertainment. Here, he had to not only listen but also think about what she was singing, which was completely contrary to his business mindset.

Modern popular music, though shallow and vulgar, is not pure music. From a certain perspective, it is more like a commodity, created to cater to people’s psychological needs and the current environment. It can accurately express people’s feelings, and in essence, it is for profit, which is why pop singers earn more than great musicians.

Li Qi saw Hong Tianjiu and Zhou Hua nodding and swaying, seemingly entranced, but he wondered if they truly understood the meaning of the lyrics. He sighed, realizing that he might be the vulgar one.

In a short while, the singing girls on the stage changed one after another, all singing the same tune, but Feng Yenu still hadn’t appeared.

Li Qi was getting impatient. He thought that if the next one wasn’t her, he wouldn’t wait any longer and would finish his business and go home, wondering if his wife would leave the door open for him.

Just then, a woman in a golden dress walked onto the stage, looking much better than the previous ones. Li Qi thought, "This must be her," but just as he was about to ask, he heard a cup being thrown.

"Sister Hua, we’ve been waiting for so long. Why hasn’t Madam Feng come out yet?"

It was Gao Yanei speaking.

Damn! It’s not her.

Li Qi rolled his eyes and shook his head in frustration.

"Sir, please calm down. Feng Xingshou is still preparing. She will come out soon. Please wait a little longer." Sister Hua, seeing Gao Yanei’s anger, quickly approached and apologized, though her smile was forced.

"Are you asking me to wait? My hair is turning white from waiting. Go, go, go, call Madam Feng down immediately, or you’ll have to sing yourself." Gao Yanei waved his hand, clearly annoyed.

The most enthusiastic Hong Tianjiu also stood up and shouted, "Sister Hua, if you go up to sing, I’ll guarantee to bring dozens of servants from my home to cheer for you every day."

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Gao Yanei turned and saw Hong Tianjiu, his excitement evident. He shouted, "Ah, Little Nine, you’re here too. Why don’t you come sit with me? Come, come, let’s make a big fuss for Madam Feng today."

Hong Tianjiu, being naturally energetic, always seeks out excitement. Hearing Gao Yanei’s call, he eagerly ran over, completely forgetting about Li Qi.

Three of the Four Young Gentlemen were now present.

Sister Hua was almost in tears.

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{Piaotian Literature}