Chapter 289 – The Courtesan’s Parade
Now that deep autumn had arrived, the world was already echoing with winter’s prelude. Everything was draped in gilded hues, and the air had taken on a desolate essence.
However, the autumn’s dullness did nothing to dampen the spirit of the populace in the capital as they gathered to see the spectacle. The wide streets had been cleared, with armed officials stationed on either side, blocking the enthusiastic common people eager to get a glimpse of the handsome young master.
When the auspicious hour arrived, over a hundred horse-drawn carriages adorned with red silk slowly made their way to the royal villa, and pedestrians all craned their necks.
“Hey, that young master is so good-looking! Like a fairy! I wonder which family he belongs to…”
“Who cares whose family he is from? We common folks can only catch a glimpse of them at this time…”
The red-silk carriages set off at the auspicious hour, parading through the main street of the capital.
As the curtains lifted, it revealed the young masters sitting stiffly within—each with beautiful red lips and bright white teeth, dressed in vibrant clothes, their appearances quite striking. Occasionally, their eyes would glance at the unmarried women, practically stealing their souls with just a look. Even though their statuses were worlds apart, many unmarried ladies dressed flamboyantly today, blushing as they shyly cast furtive glances at the young masters in the carriages, hoping to form a romantic connection.
Inside a teahouse, Jiang Pengji sat in a private room by the window, able to see the lively scene below with just a slight turn of her head.
“It looks like the courtesans are parading… my eyes are burning.”
She took a sip of tea and glanced at the couple of red-silk carriages passing by before she quietly looked away.
Those who shared similar thoughts were naturally the audience in the live stream. Upon hearing that there would be a parade before the assessment, showcasing many handsome young men participating, they hurriedly grabbed chairs and strained their necks waiting for the parade to start.
However, when the first carriage passed, they all covered their eyes, wailing in despair that their eyes were going blind.
【Your wife and child, I will care for them】：I came here to see handsome men, not for an eye removal surgery! Host, you’re way too unreasonable!
【Old Driver Alliance】：If the host hadn’t said this was a serious event, I would have thought it was a courtesan parade…
【Boss Cao Loves Your Wife】：No way! Which courtesan from upstairs is this attractive? Aren’t they afraid of going out of business?
【Zhao Zilong of Breath Pulse】：#Wicked Grin, even the gluttonous Boss Cao can’t take this recommendation—definitely going out of business.
Jiang Pengji was about to retort when she saw the comments in the live stream, nearly choking on her tea.
Although there was some loss of composure, she wasn’t too embarrassed; her opposite, Feng Jin, was less fortunate, nearly spilling tea all over his brand-new clothes. If he hadn’t swallowed that sip, he would have definitely choked and sprayed it out. “Lan Ting, you… you really are…”
“I’m just speaking the truth; they’re more flamboyant than any courtesan parade.” Jiang Pengji smiled, her eyes sparkling like crescent moons, “I was a bit regretful that you missed this assessment due to your hand injury. But then I imagined you, sitting in the red-silk carriage, dressed up gaudily in pink and red, bedecked with flowers… it was simply too hard to look at.”
The weather had turned decidedly colder, but that couldn’t stop these people’s enthusiasm for dressing up.
Most of the outfits were in bright colors like lotus pink, water green, lake green, azure, verdant green, willow yellow, crimson—vivid hues indeed. The garments were slightly loose around the neckline, revealing bits of collarbone. Their hair was neatly bound with jade crowns, adorned with vibrant silk flowers or blossoming red plum branches. They wore heavy white powder on their faces, making them look as pale as a lime wall. Their lips were often smeared with bright red lipstick, which made Jiang Pengji’s skin crawl.
She’d never understood the ancient people’s sense of aesthetics.
In her eyes, people who were unbearably ugly looked like divine beings to those common folks downstairs.
Jiang Pengji took a deep breath. She had to admit that those young masters were indeed strikingly handsome, but their makeup was atrocious. It made her wonder if those poor souls had offended their stylists…
Puh! Where would one find a stylist in this era?
Feng Jin looked at Jiang Pengji helplessly, chuckling as he said, “This is the trend of the capital, favored by the noble young men.”
“Whether a hundred or a million people adore it, ugly is still ugly. So-called beauty isn’t just about throwing all things pretty onto one’s head. If it were, I might as well stare at a vase,” Jiang Pengji pouted, leaving Feng Jin speechless.
Feng Jin coughed lightly and said, “Lan Ting is still young. When you grow a few more years, you’ll understand.”
Jiang Pengji glanced at Feng Jin, making him feel rather uneasy.
“If Huaiyu thinks that is beautiful, then why has he never seen you wearing makeup?” Jiang Pengji sized him up, noting his stone-blue scholarly robe, which was layered and flowing, his sleeves ample and loose, his black hair neatly tied, wearing a simple crown that looked refreshingly natural.
Feng Jin paused, shaking his head. Suddenly, he said, “Beauty is innate; Jin needs no external adornment.”
Jiang Pengji: “…”
Feng Jin, even in his narcissism, managed to be so refreshingly outstanding.
Jiang Pengji, bored, propped her chin on her hand as the red-silk carriages passed in front of the teahouse one after another. The common people seemed to be starstruck, staring wide-eyed at the young masters, and many young ladies, upon encountering someone they admired, would even undo their fragrance pouches to toss them into the carriages.
Not sure if it was simply a case of getting used to it, but many viewers in the live stream expressed that this kind of scene was somewhat acceptable.
Jiang Pengji: “…”
Suddenly, a bit of sympathy for the viewers’ aesthetics welled up within her. Were they completely ruined?
Just as she was about to doze off, the live stream’s bullet comments suddenly erupted, nearly covering every inch of the virtual screen. Jiang Pengji frowned, not understanding what was wrong with these face-loving folks.
【Little Fist Hammering You】：Aaaahh—Baby just saw her husband! So handsome!!!!
【Sleeping with All Three Kingdoms’ Male Gods】：My eyes feel healed! So great o(≧v≦)o~~
【Old Driver Alliance】：I heard the sound of flowers blooming.
【Orange-Flavored Drumsticks】：Mom asked me why the phone screen is wet—can’t lick enough—
【Three Squirrel Snacks】：They’ve been popped out! The abstinent male god—feel like tearing off his shirt, aaah—
She turned her head to look downstairs, where Feng Jin’s voice, laced with amusement, reached her ears.
“This young master looks rather familiar; I wonder which family he belongs to?”
The individual wore a deep blue wide-sleeved robe. The slightly dark hue didn’t make him appear older; instead, it accentuated his snow-white skin stunningly. His face was like a jade crown, his hair as dark as ink, his natural red lips and unpainted brows stood out. Unlike others, who displayed smiles to the common people, he sat upright, eyes closed as if deep in thought, with lightly furrowed brows leaving shallow creases.
With her exceptional eyesight, Jiang Pengji could even see the long, fan-like lashes on his eyes.
“That guy…”
