Chapter 4

It is said that girls either love money or beauty. In his previous life, Li Shan had neither money nor looks, so he couldn't verify this. But today, he confirmed it—at least the girls in the Pingkang Fang's Southern Quan didn't love money; they only loved beauty.

Even with an empty pocket, Li Shan could stroll through the Southern Quan with ease, relying on his handsome looks and confident demeanor... He didn't even need to use his poetry skills.

In this era, having silver in your pocket could only get you to the Northern Quan, while having talent or being a handsome young man like Li Shan could get you into the Southern and Central Quan, where you could freely enjoy the company of beauties.

Pingkang Fang is divided into three Quans: the Northern Quan for physical pleasures, the Central Quan for... well, designated services, and the Southern Quan, which is more like a high-end club.

In a small hall, Li Shan sat cross-legged in a corner, his eyes fixed on the dancing courtesan, and his ears perked up to listen to the young men reciting poetry. He had already visited three places, but all he heard were dirty jokes, nothing useful.

Li Shan had tried his best to hide himself, but unfortunately, his charm was too strong. Despite trying to blend into the corner, the young men kept glancing over.

Where did I slip up?

Li Shan frowned and thought for a moment, then turned to look at the courtesan pouring his wine... She was young, but her features were exquisite, her demeanor graceful, and her smile carried a hint of coquettishness. She was truly a little enchantress!

He had experienced similar occasions in his past life, so Li Shan gave her a gentle smile and casually wrapped his arm around her small waist, applying a slight pressure...

Suddenly, a commotion came from outside, and a young man rushed in, saying, "Li Xuantong and Wang Xiaojv have fallen, and Dingzhou, Qizhou, and Jizhou have all been captured."

The hall fell silent for a moment before someone exclaimed in panic, "The Emperor should send Prince Qin to deal with it!"

"Difficult, very difficult!" The young man who brought the news shook his head. "Liu Heitan has been rebelling for four months now. Prince Huai'an and Luo Yi of Youzhou have both been defeated, and the troops in Guanzhong are insufficient. Prince Zhao is leading the army to suppress the Xiao Liang in the south."

"Insufficient troops... no wonder the Emperor is considering the reduction of temples in Guanzhong."

"Do not worry, Brother Wang. The Wang family of Taiyuan... after all, Princess Pingyang is guarding Weize Pass, so Taiyuan is safe."

After more than an hour, Li Shan finally heard some useful information. He narrowed his eyes and looked down at the wine cup on the table, his right hand gently stroking it, while the courtesan whispered in his ear.

He listened for a while and then figured out the identity of the young man who brought the news—Wang Renyou, a direct descendant of the Wang family of Taiyuan. His uncle, Wang Yu, was married to Princess Tong'an, the Emperor Li Yuan's sister.

Wang Renyou, born into a prestigious family and favored by Wang Yu and Princess Tong'an, was not arrogant but very showy. He spread the news he had just heard, but soon forgot about the war and started reciting poetry.

"Among our generation, who could surpass Brother Wang in poetry?"

As he laid out the paper and ground the ink, the courtesan beside him breathed softly, "Sir..."

Li Shan smiled, stood up, and wrote a poem in one swift motion. The courtesan looked at it closely, covered her small mouth, and took the paper inside.

Behind the curtain, the sound of a lute mixed with a few beats of a drum. After a moment, the music paused, and a clear flute played. A woman then sang, "The emerald jade adorns a tree so tall, ten thousand branches hang down like green silk ribbons. Who cut out these fine leaves? The February breeze, sharp as a scissor."

"Sir..." the little enchantress clung to him again, "I want..."

Li Shan extended his right hand, and the little enchantress offered her small waist. He asked casually, "Do you have a name?"

"My name is Furong, and my nickname is Xiaoman."

Li Shan laughed, "Cherry lips, Furong mouth, willow waist, Xiaoman."

At this moment, the singing stopped, and someone sighed, "This poem about spring is no less than that of Xue Silu."

Of course, one of the Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup, He Zhizhang, was no less talented than Xue Daoheng.

A young scholar glanced at Wang Renyou and continued the conversation, "Unfortunately, among Xue Silu's five sons, only Bo Bao, who has been adopted by his cousin, can carry on his legacy."

"An old saying goes, 'A man's misfortune may turn out to be a blessing.' Bo Bao is now a clerk in the Heavenly Strategy Office, enjoying great success."

Wang Renyou's face stiffened, and he forced a smile, "Such a fine poem, who is the author?"

Everyone looked around, and their gazes inevitably fell on the corner where the only person they envied, the handsome young man, was sitting.

But Li Shan, who had been sitting in the corner, had already left quietly. Xiaoman was still sitting there, looking at the door with a wistful expression, making everyone's teeth grind.

Wandering around Pingkang Fang, Li Shan organized the information in his mind. After sorting it out, he couldn't help but sigh; this was going to be difficult.

Although he couldn't be certain, Li Shan felt that even if it wasn't a sure thing, there was at least a fifty-fifty chance that the reduction of temples was not a sudden personal decision by Li Yuan but had a clear political motive.

Dou Jiande had just been executed, and Liu Heitan had risen from the ashes, sweeping through Hebei with an almost invincible army. Li Xiaogong was still leading a large army in the south, and the troops in Guanzhong were insufficient. This was why the reduction of temples was chosen to supplement the military.

Don't underestimate the reduction of temples... Dongshan Temple was just a small temple with only thirty monks, but if it were reduced, the Zhujia Gou area could provide at least a hundred soldiers to the military, and there were many such temples in Guanzhong.

Li Shan smacked his lips, it was a tough situation, but should he just leave it alone?

His mother and he were staying in Zhujia Gou, and although the villagers generally looked down on Li Shan, they always treated the Zhu family with respect. Moreover, Li Shan remembered that Liu Heitan was a formidable opponent, defeating many famous generals of the early Tang Dynasty, and Luo Shixin might have died in this battle.

Leaving Pingkang Fang with a worried expression, Li Shan found Zhu Ba, who refused to accompany him to the brothel, and they went to a pharmacy.

"Do you need so much?" The clerk looked at Zhu Ba in surprise. "Where's the prescription?"

Li Shan blinked, "Can't you buy it without a prescription?"

"That's not the issue..." The clerk hesitated and turned to the shop owner, who came over and asked, "Two pounds? Who needs it?"

Li Shan looked at Zhu Ba, who puffed out his chest and said, "This poor monk is buying gypsum for medicinal use."

The shop owner's mouth twisted, and his expression was strange as he pointed to the clerk to fetch the medicine.

The clerk came out with a bag, and the shop owner muttered, "No wonder the Emperor is reducing temples, people's hearts are not what they used to be..."

Seeing Li Shan's curious look, the shop owner whispered, "Such a large dose of gypsum is definitely for lactation."

"For... for... what?"

The shop owner spoke clearly, "According to the 'Shennong Bencao Jing,' gypsum is extremely cold and is used for wind-cold, heart discomfort, shock, shortness of breath, dry mouth, tongue dryness, abdominal pain, postpartum lactation, and wounds. But such a large dose is definitely for lactation."

Li Shan, who had drunk a bit too much, burped and laughed dryly, wanting to say something but ultimately said nothing... someone else would have to take the blame.