They all want to change my future.

Chapter 30 Xie Shiyi

The Red Silk Pavilion is located next to the main north-south avenue of the capital, built by the water, and situated on the shore of a pond with rippling blue waves.

Its location is in the most prosperous and bustling central area of ​​the entire capital, where every inch of land is extremely valuable.

Before it got dark, the area in front of the building was already bustling with carriages and horses, and guests were coming and going in droves.

As dusk settles, the lights illuminate the elegantly dressed people coming and going, creating a scene of wealth and extravagance.

After finishing his afternoon meditation, Li Zhi leisurely strolled out the door and inquired his way to this place.

He stood across the street and looked up.

The three-character signboard of Hongxiaolou is painted in a bright red color, which is both magnificent and grand, yet also carries a hint of ambiguity.

"It looks quite extravagant."

Li Zhi exclaimed in agreement, and a voice of approval came from beside him:

"Young master is right, judging from their appearance, they are also going to the Red Silk Pavilion."

Li Zhi turned his head and saw a young man in a brocade robe with fair skin, wearing a friendly smile, cupping his hands and saying:

"I am Xie Shiyi from Shu."

Upon hearing the other person introduce themselves, Li Zhi didn't follow suit, but instead asked curiously, "And who are you?"

"I saw that you were alone, so I thought I'd come up here and keep you company."

"Can this even keep someone company?" Li Zhi was a little confused and looked at Xie Shiyi with a strange expression.

Xie Shiyi quickly explained, "I'm new here and don't know anyone, so I feel more at ease having a companion."

I understand. It's my first time here, sorry.

"Okay, let's go together then." Li Zhi nodded. "However, I'm still curious, why did you contact me?"

"Well," Xie Shiyi leaned closer and whispered, "Firstly, you seem to be around my age and have an extraordinary bearing; secondly, I've always had a good eye for people, and someone like you is certainly not the kind of person with ulterior motives."

"Can you find good people in a place like this?" Li Zhi laughed, looking up at the ambiguous sign.

"Young master, that's not quite right. We're here to appreciate the exquisite music of this master; how could we be bad people?"

Xie Shiyi spoke with conviction.

Li Zhi simply shrugged, then followed the flow of people forward, casually asking, "Judging from this, you seem to know this place quite well."

"I know a little, I know a little."

Xie Shiyi followed Li Zhi: "To be honest, brother, I did my homework before coming here. That great musician has rules. He only performs publicly once every seven days, and today happens to be the day."

"Once every seven days? That's interesting," Li Zhi said, glancing at the crowd ahead. "No wonder there are so many people today. But why are we queuing? What's the rule?"

"It seems you really don't understand anything, brother." Seeing such a novice, Xie Shiyi became even more talkative: "This Red Silk Pavilion is different from other places; you need to buy red silk to enter."

"Red silk? Does that mean it's an entrance ticket?"

"Pretty much." Xie Shiyi nodded and continued, "The purpose of this red ribbon is that if you think a girl in the building performs well, you can register her under her name."

"Is this what they mean by 'a single song of countless red silks'?"

"That's right. After a piece is played, there will be a segment where the guest who is most attentive will have the opportunity to meet the other guest."

Xie Shiyi patted the seemingly bulging purse at his waist, full of confidence: "I've come prepared tonight."

"So confident." Li Zhi smiled. "But why do you want to meet him?"

"Is that even a question?" Xie Shiyi's eyes lit up. "The most beautiful woman in the capital! I probably need to meet her and see just how beautiful she really is."

"It's that simple?"

"It's that simple." Xie Shiyi nodded.

As the two were talking, they entered the building and arrived at the place where they could exchange red silk.

One hundred coins per stick.

The two of them each changed their cigarettes and then went into the hall.

The hall was extremely spacious, decorated mainly in red, with thick brocade carpets, and several rows of low tables and cushions. At this moment, many guests were already seated, their figures moving about, chatting and laughing in hushed tones.

Li Zhi and Xie Shiyi found a low table for two and sat down. Li Zhi touched the red tassel in his hand and asked, "Didn't you say you wanted to see sincerity? Why did you only buy one?"

"Brother, you don't know this," Xie Shiyi said. "You can change it later, but what if you change it too early and end up changing too many?"

That makes sense.

Li Zhi nodded, then looked at the front of the hall, where a slightly raised platform was set up, with elegant white gauze curtains hanging down, completely covering the area behind it.

"It seems difficult to meet him," Li Zhi sighed.

"Of course," Xie Shiyi said with a look that said, "You really don't know anything about this stuff." "It's not just the great Qu; most of the other female performers are also separated by curtains or veils. That's what makes it mysterious and elegant!"

"There are other performers as well."

"That's for sure, otherwise it would be tiring for the beauty to play all night by herself." Xie Shiyi said this with great consideration.

At this moment, maids had already served melons, fruits, and tea, placing them on the table.

Music gradually rose on stage, a warm-up performance of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments, the performers were skilled and the melodies were enchanting.

"How are you feeling?" Xie Shiyi asked in a low voice as he sipped his tea.

"It's alright," Li Zhi replied casually, and he didn't detect anything particularly special about it.

The two chatted as they listened, with Xie Shiyi occasionally offering quiet comments on the musicians' techniques.

It's clear that he really knows a lot.

The voices in the hall gradually subsided, and the atmosphere, enhanced by the warm-up music, became increasingly relaxed and ambiguous.

As the soft music and subtle fragrance filled the air, darkness fell completely.

However, some guests didn't come specifically for Qu Hongxiao. Li Zhi saw quite a few people giving tips to the other girls who were playing music.

After tipping.

The victorious guests were invited upstairs to a private room.

Going upstairs doesn't mean the tipping ends; it can continue.

Gradually, the number of people downstairs decreased, while a subtle fragrance wafted from the private rooms upstairs.

Li Zhi looked at Xie Shiyi, who was still beside him: "You really came all this way for Qu Hongxiao? Why didn't you bring a girl to the private room to see her?"

"A private room?" Xie Shiyi shook his head. "How can you see and hear as clearly as from here? It's too far away, you can't even see people clearly, it's no fun. The open seating is much better, it's closer to the stage, and the atmosphere is great."

But the people in the private rooms were accompanied by girls.

Li Zhi didn't say this aloud, but just smiled and said, "You really are a shrewd shopper."

"Brother, aren't you the same?" Xie Shiyi and Li Zhi put their arms around each other's shoulders. "But I didn't misjudge you. You've always been there for me."

"Aren't you afraid I'll steal Qu Hongxiao from you?" Li Zhi raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you be even more embarrassed if you were left all alone?"

"Brother, I don't think you're up to the task." Xie Shiyi had drunk some wine and was already a little tipsy. "You don't know the strength of the Xie family in Sichuan."

Li Zhi wanted to say something more, but found that the room had suddenly fallen silent.

Behind the stage, the white gauze curtains moved without wind, and a graceful figure, surrounded by several maids, slowly walked behind the curtains and took her seat.

There were no words, no introduction.

The next moment, a melody from the zither, like a clear spring flowing from a ravine, like pearls falling onto a jade plate, suddenly broke the silence and anticipation of the room.

With just a single opening note, a few clear and melodious notes, all the previous music paled in comparison.

Xie Shiyi sat up straight instantly, his eyes lighting up, and exclaimed in a low voice, "They're here!"