On the afternoon of the second day after Zhao Wenju's interrogation, Li Yuntian sent people to Yixiangtang to invite Hongluan and Zijuan to come to the Yangzhou Affairs Office of Wutang.

Hongluan and Zijuan have been waiting for Li Yuntian's summons in Yixiangtang, and after receiving Li Yuntian's invitation, the two were in completely different moods, Hongluan seemed worried, while Zijuan was eager to try.

Because it was Li Yuntian's banquet, those high-ranking officials and dignitaries in Yangzhou City would not give him face, so they were invited to come to the Yangzhou Division of Wutang.

It is worth mentioning that even Lu Dezhong, vice president of the General Association of Raw Salt Merchants, who has been worshipping the Buddha behind closed doors at home, also appeared at the scene, chatting and laughing with the famous businessmen who were invited.

In order to show his favor for Hongluan and Zijuan, Li Yuntian specially sent his magnificent four-wheeled carriage to Yixiangtang to pick them up, and the two of them rode this new carriage for the first time, which was smooth and comfortable when driving on the flat bluestone pavement of Yangzhou City, which was several times more comfortable than the narrow two-wheeled carriage.

Although Hongluan and Zijuan were very fond of comfortable four-wheeled carriages, because the Qinglou women belonged to the lower ninth-class trades, they were not eligible to donate to buy four-wheeled carriages, and according to the regulations, if someone lent them a four-wheeled carriage in private, it would violate the taboo of the imperial court and should be punished accordingly.

The so-called three religions refer to: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, and the nine streams refer to: Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, Celebrity, Moism, Yin and Yang, Zongheng, Miscellaneous, and Farmer.

Among them, the nine streams are divided into the upper nine streams, the middle nine streams and the lower nine streams.

The upper nine streams refer to: emperors, sages, hermits, children, literati, warriors, farmers, industrialists, and merchants.

The middle nine streams refer to: Juzi, Doctor, Xiangming, Danqing, Scholar, Qinqi, Tao, and Monk.

The lower nine refers to: master, yacha, scaleman (scaleman), matchmaker, pawn, time demon (witch), thief, stealer, prostitute.

Although Hongluan and Zijuan are Qingqi people, their essence is still to belong to the category of "prostitutes", so they are ninth-rate people.

Since the four-wheeled carriage was used as a ride for the emperor's relatives and civil and military officials, even if Emperor Xuande was extrajudicially gracious, the people who were eligible to buy it were limited to those who were in the upper ninth rank and the middle ninth rate, and those who were lower in the ninth rank were naturally excluded due to their low industry.

If Hongluan and Zijuan want to have their own four-wheeled carriage, then they must be gifted by Emperor Xuande like Lianxiang, otherwise they will not have this qualification.

From this point of view alone, although the two of them are clothed and fed, their social status is not as good as that of those farmers who face the loess with their backs to the sky.

After arriving at the Yangzhou Division of the Lecture Hall, Hongluan and Zijuan were led to a side room to rest, and after nightfall, the two of them wanted to perform for the dignitaries who came to participate in the banquet to help everyone enjoy the wine.

"This sister, I don't know if Master Hou will come over later?" The room was very elegant and cleaned, and when a maid served tea to Hongluan and Zijuan and was about to retreat, Zijuan called out to her with a smile, and handed over a pearl casually, wanting to inquire about the news so that she could respond.

"Master Hou said, when he greeted the distinguished guests, he came to visit the two girls." To Zijuan's surprise, the maid didn't take the pearl, bowed to her slightly, and left.

"Don't you know that the people who teach martial arts never accept gifts from outsiders?" After the maid left, Hongluan sneered and said in a slightly mocking voice.

The subordinates of the lecture martial arts, whether they are maids or miscellaneous workers, are basically recruited from the military households to which the lecture hall belongs, and they all have a formal establishment in the lecture hall, not only have a considerable salary every month, but also have gifts to take during the New Year's holidays.

Not only that, among the military households under the lecture hall, their school-age children are all required to enter the school run by the lecture hall to study and learn characters, and the lecture hall is responsible for their tuition and room and board expenses, and is assigned to the corresponding job after graduation.

In addition, the military households of Jiangwutang also enjoy very large discounts when they go to the medical center under Jiangwutang for diagnosis and treatment, usually only need to pay 10% of the consultation fee, and the remaining 90% is paid by Jiangwutang.

In particular, the children of military families who are assigned to work in various departments under the lecture will take out 20 percent of their salary every month to pay pensions, so that both men and women can retire home after the age of 50, and the lecture will give them a pension corresponding to the number of years they have paid every month to support their old age, up to 50% of the salary, which is enough for them to spend their old age in peace.

Because the martial arts hall gives those military children a good salary, even if they take out 20% of the salary, they can still leave a lot of money every month.

With the successive profits of the subordinate institutions of the Jiangwutang, coupled with the progress of Jiaozhi's overseas business, Li Yuntian has enough funds in his hands, so that he can take the Jiangwutang as a pilot and gradually implement a modern management and welfare system, which can not only improve the efficiency of the various institutions of the Jiangwutang, but also be an incentive for those practitioners to enhance cohesion.

Jiangwutang provides generous treatment, so naturally there is a corresponding management, and a series of rules and regulations have been formulated, the most important of which is to prohibit accepting gifts from the outside world, once it is found that the punishment is severe, the light will be demoted, and the heavy will be expelled.

The dismissal mentioned here is not simply dismissal from office, but the removal of the military household from the lecture hall and the fact that it becomes a civilian household.

If it was left on the ground, this was a good thing for military households, but now the development of the farms and enterprises under the lecture martial arts is thriving, and the welfare benefits are very generous.

"I'm just testing it, it seems that this martial arts hall is indeed different from other places." Zijuan unhurriedly put away the valuable pearl, and had no intention of fighting with Hongluan, after all, she was now burdened with a heavy responsibility, and she couldn't let Hongluan stir it up.

Seeing that Zijuan's reaction was a little tepid, Hongluan suddenly felt a little curious in her heart, with her understanding of Zijuan, Zijuan was not a master who was willing to suffer.

However, since Li Yuntian was going to visit the two, Hongluan and Zijuan didn't have the heart to quarrel, but dressed up under the service of their respective personal maids, ready to welcome Li Yuntian's arrival.

Although Hongluan and Zijuan have a gap with each other, because Li Yuntian named the two to perform on the same stage, even if they were reluctant, they had to discuss the repertoire to perform at night.

Not long after the two of them finished dressing up, there was a burst of conversation and laughter outside the door, as if several men were walking towards the room, Hongluan and Zijuan glanced at each other and stood up, at this time the men who appeared here were obviously no one other than Zhenwuhou.

"Master Hou has arrived!" Sure enough, there was a confident sound at the door, and then several richly dressed men walked in.

"See Master Hou!" Seeing this, Hongluan and Zijuan knelt side by side in the center of the room to welcome Li Yuntian's arrival.

"Get up." Li Yuntian smiled slightly, stretched out his hand and lifted it upward, standing next to him was Xue Lu, the governor of Caoyun and the Marquis of Yangwu, who had specially arrived from Huai'an, looking at Hongluan and Zijuan with interest, nodding his head from time to time, the Oiran and Yakui of this year's Jiangnan Oiran Conference were really outstanding, and their appearance and figure were superior.

"Master Xie!" Hongluan and Zijuan responded when they heard this, and then Zijuan stood up, while Hongluan still knelt there.

"Miss Hongluan, do you have something to tell Ben Hou?" Li Yuntian couldn't help but feel a little surprised when he saw this, and asked in a deep voice after a deep groan.

"Master Hou, the daughter heard that Lord Hou was loyal and righteous, so she dared to ask Lord Hou if the grace of receiving a drop of water should be reciprocated by a spring?" Hongluan lowered her head when she heard this, and asked in a coquettish voice, according to ancient etiquette, as a white ding, she only bowed when she spoke to Li Yuntian, and she couldn't raise her head to look at Li Yuntian, unless she had Li Yuntian's permission.

"As it should be?" Li Yuntian nodded, feeling strange in his heart, not knowing why Hongluan asked this.

"Master Hou, the people's daughter was once saved when she was young, and now that the people's daughter has met the engong, should she repay this kindness?" Hearing this, Hongluan asked again in a coquettish voice.

"Having said that, Ben Hou thinks that the kindness can be repaid, and the Hongluan girl does not have to delay her life, Ben Hou thinks that people's hearts are good, and he should not have asked for anything in return when he saved you."

Li Yuntian understood what Hongluan meant, it turned out that she wanted to repay her former life-saving benefactor, so she groaned and said, he actually didn't agree with the way of repaying kindness that seemed to be a bit extreme in ancient times.

"Master Hou, the folk girl is fortunate to be able to meet Engong in the vast sea of people, in the eyes of the people's daughter, it is the will of God, and the people's daughter is willing to repay the Engong for being a slave and a maid!"

Hongluan naturally heard the meaning of Li Yuntian's words, but she had already made up her mind at this time, and said in a resolute tone, "In three years, the people's daughters will be good, and I implore the Hou Ye to be the master of the people's daughters at that time, so that the people's daughters can serve the graceful father." ”

The reason why Hongluan can be good after three years is because she had an agreement with Sister Hong before participating in the Jiangnan Oiran Conference that once she won the Jiangnan Oiran, she would perform in the Yueyue Pavilion for three years, and then marry from Liang.

For a Qinglou woman, the best years are only three or four years, and then they will be overtaken by the younger generations, if Hongluan can win the Jiangnan Oiran will not only make the Yueyue Pavilion become the first Qinglou in Jiangnan within three years, but also the three years of time have basically exhausted the most beautiful years of Hongluan, and then will be replaced by newcomers.

Therefore, Sister Hong naturally agreed with Hongluan, she actually valued the title of Jiangnan Oiran more, and in the past three years, Hongluan can bring a huge amount of income to Yingyuelou, which is enough to redeem herself.

"Oh?" Li Yuntian was a little surprised when he heard this, he never expected Hongluan's temperament to be so strong, he couldn't help but glance at Xue Lu, and then asked curiously, "Miss Hongluan, who is your father-in-law?" ”

"Hou Ye, the grace of the people's daughter is a guard next to the Hou Ye, the people's daughter doesn't know his name, only knows his surname Zhao, Xuande at the end of the second year in the Xuanhua Mansion in Jiaozhi to save the life of the people's daughter." Hongluan didn't hesitate at all when she heard this, and replied in a coquettish voice, "Please ask Master Hou to be the master of the people's daughter!" ”