Volume Two: Adults and Children Chapter Ninety-Eight: Mid-Autumn Night at the Courtesan Pavilion

August fifteenth marks the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time when both the moon and families are perfectly full and reunited.

In folk tradition, apart from age-old customs like family reunions and admiring the bright moon, there are actually quite a few other celebratory activities.

Yet this year in Beijing, whether it was floating paper lotus lanterns on the water, holding bustling temple fairs, or staging grand theatrical performances, none could compare to the true protagonist of the season.

This massive event, which had captured the attention and sparked lively discussions among the capital's populace for months, was none other than the final ranking of the courtesan grand competition, purposefully scheduled to reach its climax on the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Over the past half-year, all manner of events both large and small had unfolded across Beijing. Be it political struggles within the imperial court, criminal cases and commercial rivalries outside of it, or petty domestic grievances and romantic entanglements, none of them managed to stir the hearts of the people quite like the shifting fortunes of each courtesan on the grand leaderboards.

Countless individuals had poured their hearts and souls into the contest, spending hard-earned silver to boost the rankings of their favorite beauties, occasionally even earning the chance for a close-up encounter with them. Even those who lacked a personal favorite would inevitably visit the Courtesan Pavilion to enjoy stage productions that, while vastly different from traditional plays, were infinitely more dazzling and entertaining.

Thus, as the ultimate moment finally arrived today, Westward Ward—where the Courtesan Pavilion was situated—instantly became overwhelmingly crowded. Tens of thousands of devoted supporters of various beauties flooded into this normally spacious residential quarter, packing every major thoroughfare and narrow alley to absolute capacity.

Those fortunate enough to secure tickets and enter the courtyard to witness the grand finale in person were naturally brimming with excitement, but even those unable to step inside swarmed in such numbers that they sealed off the sprawling seven-to-eight-mu estate completely.

Everyone stood on tiptoe, necks craned, gazing from afar at the towering display boards erected within the grounds, shouting out the names of their chosen beauties in the hope that she would ultimately claim the crown.

As for the main approach leading from the outer street to the grand entrance of the pavilion, officials and soldiers dispatched by the Shuntian Prefecture and the West City Garrison had long since cordoned it off to strictly maintain a clear passage, thereby ensuring the smooth entry of guests. Without these precautions, utter chaos would have broken out here long ago.

When Huang Ming and his companions arrived in their carriage along this avenue and caught sight of the festive welcoming arches of the opera house, even he felt a jolt of wonder, while the few people beside him were completely dumbfounded.

"This is simply too lively! I never imagined so many people would take part in this grand courtesan competition..." Xu Qingzhi could not help but exclaim repeatedly.

Zhang Han nodded vigorously as well, his face flushed with excitement. "It seems this courtesan leaderboard is an absolute success—an unprecedented triumph at that! Master Huang, to be able to devise such a brilliant moneymaking scheme, you truly are formidable."

"Hehe, I merely contributed an idea; afterwards, everything was left entirely to the people of the Twelve Pavilions to execute. I dare not claim the credit." Huang Ming glanced at the person beside him, deliberately offering an explanation. "I haven't had any real dealings with them for nearly half a year now."

Hearing this, Xu Yunzhi, who was likewise dressed in scholarly attire, smiled faintly and pressed her lips together. "I believe you..." The trace of unease that had just surfaced in her heart instantly dissipated.

Since he had already given his word to Xu Qingzhi, Huang Ming simply invited Zhang Han along as well, and then, struck by a sudden inspiration, urged Xu Qingzhi to bring his elder sister along too.

Today was the Mid-Autumn Festival, yet Xu Xingzhi had official duties to attend to; they could hardly leave Xu Yunzhi to spend the holiday entirely alone at home.

Prompted by this thought, the group quickly made their way into the courtyard under the protective escort of Qi Changfeng, where they were promptly greeted and ushered inside by the welcoming staff of the Twelve Pavilions who had been waiting for them.

As a theatrical venue specially constructed by the Twelve Pavilions according to Huang Ming's vision, this courtyard was indeed built at immense expense and with a grand design.

The entire estate not only spanned an impressive seven or eight mu, but its various structures, gardens, and landscaping were also crafted with extraordinary ingenuity. Ponds of pristine beauty, carved balustrades, soaring pavilions, combined with the massive elevated stage situated right in the center and the numerous decorative lighting lanterns arranged around it, made the place look breathtakingly ethereal and masterfully wrought.

To put it simply, nearly half of the funds invested jointly by the Twelve Pavilions and Huang Ming had actually been spent right here.

Had it not been for the explosive popularity of the courtesan leaderboards over the past few months, the Twelve Pavilions and their behind-the-scenes financial backers would never have been able to fork over so much silver merely to build a theater far surpassing the standards of this era.

However, once the leaderboards rapidly became the object of widespread fascination and discussion among the city's residents within a month or two, all their lingering doubts completely vanished. They began offering full-hearted support and massive investments, enabling the swift construction of such a grand theater built exclusively for theatrical appreciation in the span of just a few months.

To name just one example, the performance stage alone—measuring a full ten zhang in circumference, standing over two zhang high, and paved entirely from white marble—had cost them eighty thousand taels of silver.

Then there were the three viewing pavilions constructed around the stage, each rising three stories high and capable of accommodating over two thousand spectators. Each featured intricate architectural designs intended to make honored guests feel entirely at home. The capital poured into constructing these three buildings naturally constituted another staggering financial investment.

Compared to these two major expenses, the other seating areas surrounding the stage and the various decorative embellishments throughout the courtyard were practically negligible.

As Huang Ming casually introduced everything around them to Xu Yunzhi, even someone as gentle, demure, and consistently mindful of her decorum as her could not help but drop her jaw in astonishment, momentarily left speechless.

It was only after they were escorted into the central master building, seated in a private viewing suite located right in the middle of the highest third floor, that she finally sighed, "So much silver was spent on this..."

"I have always believed that silver is only truly silver when it is spent; otherwise, it is nothing more than ordinary stones." Huang Ming smiled and invited everyone to take their seats, with himself and Xu Qingzhi flanking Xu Yunzhi on either side.

As Zhang Han reached out and pushed open several carved wooden windows before them, the massive stage below was fully revealed to their sightlines.

The angles of this building had been meticulously calculated. Sitting comfortably by the windows now, they could take in every single detail upon the stage without needing to lean forward in the slightest, while the crowds seated in the rows around the stage posed zero obstruction to their view.

Such an ingenious design naturally did not originate from Huang Ming himself, but was instead meticulously crafted by skilled artisans after receiving his precise specifications.

This was, after all, the sheer power of wealth.

Indeed, it was not merely this central main building; the viewing pavilions on either side were designed similarly, allowing honored guests on every single level an equally unobstructed view of every movement, every subtle expression, and every smile of the beauties upon the stage.

As the attendants in the house delivered various wines, delicacies, and dishes to the tables, a young woman named Yingyue and another named Caiyu arrived with delighted expressions, respectively taking the arms of the two romantic libertines, Xu Qingzhi and Zhang Han. With that, the grand finale of the Mid-Autumn Festival courtesan competition finally began.

Accompanied by rolling beats of drums, the stage—previously illuminated brilliantly by countless lanterns and torches—was suddenly plunged into utter darkness. Before anyone could even utter a cry of surprise, a beam of light cascaded down from somewhere above, striking dead center upon the stage, where a graceful figure descended into the view of all present like a wounded swan.

Without any preliminary announcements or introductions, the grand finale of the courtesan competition captured every eye right from the very start!