Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival.

Early in the morning, Zhang Shikang and Liu Jiawei woke up in a high-end place.

The two men were disheveled and there were several lip marks on Liu Jiawei's cheeks.

"Brother, if this continues, I will lose my virginity." Liu Jiawei complained.

In the past two days, he and Zhang Shikang have been visiting prostitutes everywhere, including brothels.

Brothels are okay, after all, most of the people who can stay in brothels are talented women. These women are not only proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but the most important point is that they sell their art instead of their bodies.

People are often like this: a wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as a secret lover, a secret lover is not as good as not being able to steal, and what you can't get is always the best.

In order to get that final thrill, many talented men would hang out in brothels all day, using their poor literary talent to lick the boots of the singing girls in those brothels.

As a high-end place, brothels have higher consumption than prostitutes. Just to enter the door of a brothel, you need more than ten taels of silver. Without some wealth, you can't even get through the threshold.

Zhang Shikang had no literary talent, but he was rich.

Every time Zhang Shikang went to a brothel, he brought three hundred burly bodyguards with him, who would stand inside and outside the brothel.

These guards were all dressed in shining armor, with swords at their waists, and looked like they wanted to keep strangers away.

At night in the brothel, talented men would compose poetry while drinking and having fun, and the courtesans in each attic would also play the piano and appreciate the poetry.

But if there is a poem that the courtesan likes and she is interested, she can invite her to stay overnight.

And in any brothel where Zhang Shikang stayed, the one who would be left behind would definitely be Zhang Shikang.

Those talented men who failed the selection left dejectedly. They did not dare to complain in front of Zhang Shikang, but they always made noises behind his back, saying that Zhang Shikang had no literary talent and only relied on his power to oppress others.

Of course, Zhang Shikang was actually quite annoyed by these personal guards. He felt that he could be considered a talented person just by relying on his literary talent.

For example, the song Mulanhualing he composed, "If life could only be as it was when we first met", astounded the courtesan Dong Yuner in Qingyuan.

There is also the song "Chang Xiang Si".

One journey up the mountain, another journey towards the water, walking towards the bank of Yuguan, where thousands of tents are lit in the dead of night.

The wind is changing, the snow is changing, and the dream of my hometown is broken, so the garden is silent.

Of course, as a person who escaped the nine-year compulsory education, Zhang Shikang didn't have much knowledge.

The reason I was able to remember these two poems is that the girls I met in high school all had a special liking for a man named Nalan Xingde. They thought he was a passionate person and that men who liked Nalan's poems were all romantic.

Childish and ridiculous.

Compared to this, Zhang Shikang prefers to see the surprised expressions of the courtesans after being rejected.

Of course, it is impossible to admit that it was plagiarism. After all, Nalan was still a liquid. How could it be said that it was plagiarism if it was something that a scholar did?

But whether it was Huaining Marquis Sun Weifan, Xuanda Governor Lu Xiangsheng, or Chongzhen's brother, they all resolutely refused to allow Zhang Shikang to travel alone.

With the lesson learned from the last time, the people around him cared more about Zhang Shikang's safety than Zhang Shikang himself.

His personal guards included not only the best men selected by Sun Weifan from the Beijing Camp, but also the elite men selected by Lu Xiangsheng from the Tianxiong Army.

Of course, there were also martial arts masters selected by Brother Chongzhen from the palace guards.

These guards were not only highly skilled in martial arts and loyal, but also extremely concerned about Zhang Shikang's safety. They followed him wherever he went and were never more than ten steps away from him.

Even when going to the toilet, there were always four or five personal guards standing outside. When Zhang Shikang and Liu Jiawei had sex with prostitutes, there would be a whole row of them standing outside the private room.

Even if wine and food were delivered, there were special guards responsible for tasting the food, which made Zhang Shikang very distressed.

But this was the imperial order from Brother Chongzhen, and he had no choice.

It was not until a month ago, when one of his personal guards tasted food and was poisoned and foamed at the mouth, that Zhang Shikang stopped complaining.

Compared with the dullness of brothels, Zhang Shikang preferred going to brothels. For one thing, he didn't have much ink in his head, so every time he used up a poem, he would have one less to write.

Secondly, the vegetarian dishes in the brothel were still sold at meat prices, and Zhang Shikang could not appreciate the so-called elegant piano music.

Brothels are much more lively. The girls inside are very open and speak nicely.

Zhang Shikang was lucky because he had Chen Zhuer, who was warming his bed at home. He had used up all his bullets long ago, so he could remain calm in the brothel.

Compared to sex, Zhang Shikang was more interested in some tricky questions, such as how the girls here avoid bad luck, whether there is extra time, how much money is needed to redeem themselves, whether they have encountered any perverts and how perverted they are, etc.

He did not gain nothing. In addition to learning a lot of new things, he also learned many tricks. I think Chen Zhuer will definitely learn new skills in the future.

But this matter is very embarrassing for Liu Jiawei.

This guy is only fifteen years old after the Chinese New Year and is still a virgin.

The girls in the brothel were okay, they were all polite and could handle conversations about poetry and songs.

When they arrive at a place like a brothel, even if both of them chose a high-end venue, the nature of the place is different, and of course the things they encounter will be different.

Liu Jiawei was bullied by girls more than once and had to run to the toilet with his tent erected.

"Last night, that girl Que'er actually...actually touched my penis." Liu Jiawei said embarrassedly.

The family education of the Chengyi family is very strict. If it were not for Zhang Shikang's important matter, he would never stay out all night.

But even so, Liu Jiawei still guarded against it and would never let his virginity be lost in a place like a brothel.

"You are just being pretentious. Get up and have a meal. After that, go to Zuiqingfeng in the afternoon. I think that will be enough." Zhang Shikang stood up and stretched.

Although he was a playboy, he mostly engaged in cockfighting and dog racing, and rarely went to places like brothels.

But if he wanted to act, he had to do it fully. For the sake of his brother Chongzhen's great cause, he had to go all out.

"Brother, this is still too shocking. Have you really thought it through?"

Talking about business, Liu Jiawei stood up and said seriously.

"The arrow is on the string and must be shot." Zhang Shikang said as he wiped his face with a wet towel.

"After so much trouble, it's time to end it."

……

Finally, it was night.

This night, the Lantern Festival, the lights were on and the weather was fine, although it was cold there was no wind.

The capital city was bustling with activity, all the main roads were brightly lit, thousands of flowers bloomed at night, and the stars fell like rain.

In order to attract customers, major restaurants had people dancing with long dragons and lions, and the onlookers cheered.

Ordinary people took to the streets with their wives and children. They came from poor families and were dressed in tattered clothes. They used their only copper coins to buy some snacks for their children.

They can't afford to go to restaurants or teahouses, but that doesn't stop them from pursuing happiness.

Rich people wore brocade, went in and out of restaurants, and shouted and yelled.

That night, all the brothels were dressed up and doing their best.

As soon as the powerful official arrived at the door, the owner personally invited him into the most luxurious box of the restaurant.

One night fish and dragon dance.

That night, inside the Jinyiwei Yamen on the south side of Chang'an Street in the west of the capital, eight thousand Jinyiwei cavalrymen stood solemnly.

That night, 30,000 soldiers from the capital's garrison were fully armed and focused their attention on the light and shadow below the city.

……

PS: The first volume is about to end, and here are six more chapters. I hope it’s not too much to ask for a reward, right?