Making you a son-in-law is not about making you conquer the world.

Chapter 568 The Stunning Courtesan

"Could it be that I sang badly?" Guo Zhixi muttered to herself, wondering how she had offended Lin Ping.

As expected, a man's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea; Guo Zhixi couldn't fathom it.

For the next three days, Lin Ping and Guo Zhixi stayed here.

Firstly, it's quiet here, which is suitable for practicing singing. Secondly, we can wait and see if Han Bofan wants to come back for a visit someday.

In three days, Lin Ping taught Guo Zhixi two songs, both with lyrics and music that have been passed down through the ages.

One of them is Su Shi's "Prelude to Water Melody," but sung in Faye Wong's style. It has to be said that Guo Zhixi has a talent for this; even her ethereal voice is somewhat similar.

The next piece was "The Song of the Pipa," but it was not in a modern style, so as not to be unacceptable to those literati and gentlemen.

"Both of these songs were written by an adult?" Guo Zhixi stared at him in disbelief.

Let alone two poems, just one of them would be enough to make someone a genius. Guo Zhixi certainly has that kind of discernment.

"I obtained it by chance; it wasn't written by me," Lin Ping answered truthfully.

Now that he knows Guo Zhixi's feelings for him, he can't let her get too deeply involved.

Sometimes, deliberately belittling yourself is a good choice.

"Hmph, so you don't want me to know how good you are?" Guo Zhixi pouted, clearly not believing Lin Ping's words.

After all, the probability of accidentally obtaining such poems is too small, and no normal person would believe it.

"My lord, my senior sister is already engaged. Why not consider someone close to her? Once Lotus Palace defeats the court, I will be a princess, and you will be the prince consort, enjoying endless wealth and honor."

Guo Zhixi reminded her.

"Are imperial sons-in-law so rare? If I wanted to, I could become one in no time," Lin Ping thought to himself.

He has already made a marriage agreement with Xia Linglong and can become the prince consort at any time, so why go to such lengths to become Guo Zhiqian's prince consort?

"If I were the kind of man who starts relationships and then abandons them, someone without any sense of responsibility, why would you be attracted to me?"

Lin Ping countered with a question.

Guo Zhixi fell into deep thought; she did not deny Lin Ping's words.

If he ignores Jiang Yunying, he's a scumbag and doesn't deserve Guo Zhixi's favor.

But if he still couldn't forget Jiang Yunying, Guo Zhixi wouldn't have had a chance.

Even setting aside family feuds and national hatred, it would be almost impossible for them to come together.

Three more days passed in the blink of an eye, and the beauty pageant of Cuiyun Residence was in full swing.

Lin Ping, dressed like a young master, spent a lot of money to get a seat near the front.

The entire Cuiyun Residence was packed with people; not only were all the seats taken, but there wasn't even room to put your feet down.

These unscrupulous businesses only care about selling tickets, but they don't realize they should limit the number of tickets available.

Those young masters who wanted to catch a glimpse of Wu Lanteng's beauty were not stingy with a few taels of silver; at worst, they would just stand, and getting a refund was out of the question.

In order to qualify for the election, Guo Zhixi entered Cuiyunju in advance, but has not shown her face yet.

She wasn't sold into prostitution here and had a certain degree of freedom; even the madam couldn't force her to do anything.

The madam knew she was beautiful but didn't know about her talents, and didn't have high expectations for her.

It's almost a certainty that Wu Lanteng will become the most beautiful courtesan at Cuiyunju. If anything goes wrong, they probably won't accept it.

As night fell, the colorful lanterns of Cuiyunju were lit, illuminating the entire stage with vibrant colors.

The first to appear was a woman dressed provocatively and revealingly. As soon as she stepped onto the stage, she began to wiggle her hips and flaunt her charms.

The dancer almost made herself dizzy with her movements; not only were the movements inaccurate, but they also lacked any aesthetic appeal, leaving the audience sighing in dismay.

The first few women to appear on stage were all seasoned prostitutes; they had little talent beyond their ability to flaunt their charms.

Later, as more honest officials came to power, the region officially entered a minor peak phase.

Each dance and each piece of music captivated the audience, almost stealing their souls.

When Wu Lanteng went on stage, it caused a commotion, and the shouts from the audience affected the performance.

"It's so beautiful, even more beautiful than a fleeting glimpse of a celestial being."

"To have seen this once in my life, I have no regrets even if I die."

"Let alone the top courtesan of Cuiyunju, she is no match for the top courtesan of Huzhou or even the top courtesan of the entire Asian country."

Everyone was completely captivated by Wu Lanteng; those in the front row were drooling, and those in the back were craning their necks...drooling.

Even Lin Ping couldn't help but exclaim, "Playing the white jade flute and performing the 'Dance of the Startled Swan,' it's a magnificent sight."

Clearly, this is the once-famous "Dance of the Flying Swan," a renowned court dance.

At this moment, Lin Ping slightly changed his opinion of Teacher Wu Lanteng; perhaps, she was quite beautiful when she was dressed.

The moment the dance pose froze, everyone's souls were drawn out, remaining frozen in stunned silence.

It wasn't until Wu Lanteng left that many people began to come back to their senses, and another round of applause resounded throughout the heavens and earth.

"Hey, not bad!" Even Lin Ping didn't hold back his applause.

Lin Ping has a correct view of beautiful things.

Even if something happens to the opponent, you still need to take a look, just don't scrutinize them too closely.

But did he really not turn it on? God knows.

Next up is Guo Zhixi, but she's having a really bad run of luck; before she even shows her face, people are already telling her to get lost.

After Wu Lanteng's performance, they felt the competition could end, and in the spirit of fairness, impartiality, and transparency, they would vote for Wu Lanteng.

"This girl is so pretty!" Lin Ping shouted, which finally piqued the curiosity of the others.

When Guo Zhixi successfully walked onto the stage, everyone was surprised again.

They all glanced at Lin Ping with a knowing look in their eyes, thinking to themselves, "This kid wasn't lying after all."

At this moment, Guo Zhixi wore heavy makeup, especially with the lipstick made by Lin Ping, which greatly enhanced her temperament. Judging from her appearance and clothing alone, she even surpassed Wu Lanteng.

"What's the use of being pretty? The selection of the top courtesan is based on talent, not looks."

"That's right. Judging from her swaying and hesitant manner, you can tell she can't dance. At most, she's just showing off her charm."

"I don't think she's even worth a finger of Wu Lanteng. She should just step down from the stage."

Wu Lanteng's die-hard fans sighed with regret.

Guo Zhixi stood on the stage, holding a pipa in her hands, half-concealed, her ivory-like fingers beginning to pluck the strings.

The melodious tune immediately silenced the gossip, as if bringing everyone into a tranquil world.

Her thin, red lips trembled slightly as she sang: "Seeing off guests on the streets of Xunyang at night, the maple leaves and reeds rustle in the autumn breeze..."

Some people are destined to win the moment they open their mouths, just like Guo Zhixi right now.

The sound was like a gentle breeze or a babbling brook in a tranquil world, purifying everyone's soul.

"I sighed upon hearing the pipa's melody, and now these words bring me to tears again. We are both wanderers in this world, why should we need to have known each other before?"

The music suddenly shifted, and a sorrowful melody permeated the entire world, bringing tears to the eyes of wandering souls and even saddening accomplished young talents.

"I never expected her to bring 'The Song of the Pipa' to life," Lin Ping murmured to himself, his opinion of Guo Zhixi changing somewhat.

Just like in the lyrics and music, the song reaches its highest point, leaving the listener wanting more.

After a long while, the viewers finally came to their senses and muttered to themselves, "Is it over already? Oh! It should be over."

This reflects everyone's feelings: they both want the song to continue and feel that this ending is quite good.

Guo Zhixi also left at the most opportune moment, leaving the talented men sighing with regret.

"The lyrics are excellent, the melody is wonderful, and the voice is superb! This young lady truly deserves to be called the queen of courtesans."

"You sang so well, please sing another one."

Praise poured in, and everyone had forgotten their previous disparagement of Guo Zhixi.

After Guo Zhixi's performance ended, the madam came on stage, which meant the end of the entire competition.

In her view, these wealthy young men had come for Wu Lanteng, so she put her last.

Guo Zhixi was a complete surprise; no one expected her to perform so well.

"Gentlemen, who do you think is the undisputed queen of courtesans?" the madam asked with a beaming smile.

In fact, she already had the answer in her heart. This was just a formality. No matter how well Guo Zhixi performed, she could not shake Wu Lanteng's position.

After all, Guo Zhixi hadn't sold herself into servitude and wasn't entirely under the madam's control. Becoming the top courtesan wouldn't have brought her much benefit.

If even a third of the audience shouted that Wu Lanteng should become the top courtesan, the madam would announce that result.

Unfortunately, the situation offstage was somewhat different from what she had anticipated.

Wu Lanteng's dance was indeed beautiful, but to these talented men it was nothing more than a plaything to be appreciated. Guo Zhixi's "Pipa Xing" was completely beyond their comprehension.

Such poetic imagery could easily be immortalized and must have been written by a master. Yet, despite racking their brains for a long time, they still couldn't find the source.

They have every reason to believe that this was done by Guo Zhixi.

The answer is undoubtedly yes.

"Guo Zhixi is undoubtedly the most beautiful courtesan!"

“That’s right. Although Wu Lanteng’s dance is beautiful, it is not as charming as Guo Zhixi’s lyrics and music. We choose Guo Zhixi.”

Below the stage, the crowd shouted in unison, but their answers were remarkably consistent.

If Guo Zhixi truly possesses such great talent, they would gladly spend a fortune every day to listen to her music. This is a valuable resource; any song she picks out could be used to impress others.

In the future, when I encounter talented people from other places, I can proudly recite a few of their poems.

The madam looked distressed; she longed to hear someone call out Wu Lanteng's name, even just one.

"Since all of you gentlemen think that Miss Wu Lanteng and Miss Guo Zhiqian are quite good, why don't you let them have another competition?"

The madam smiled, her face as bright as a chrysanthemum.

"Did someone call Wu Lanteng's name? I didn't hear it."

"I'm afraid the madam must have misheard. We all chose Miss Guo Zhixi."

“It would be good to have another competition, so that we can hear more of Guo Zhixi’s lyrics and music.”

Someone with a quick mind chimed in loudly.

"That's right, let's have another one."