Chinese Generals Summoning System

Chapter 19: teen: Liu Ji, the Pretend Scholar

After Liu Ji opened the makeshift wooden door to the carriage, he was instantly stunned. At that moment, the twin sisters pulled the hoods of their sable coats back and removed their white veils, revealing two identical faces. Liu Ji had seen identical twin faces countless times in his previous life, so that alone wasn’t enough to shock him. What truly stunned him was just how beautiful these two faces were—they bore an eighty-percent resemblance to a South Korean celebrity named Kim Tae-hee from his past life, and in terms of beauty, they were even more stunning. In his previous life, as a shut-in, Liu Ji would often fantasize about that Korean actress, Kim Tae-hee, every night before bed while relieving himself. Suddenly, two “Kim Tae-hees” appeared right before his eyes, causing him to stutter slightly as he spoke: “Ladies… both of you, I wonder… I wonder what you’d like to discuss with me?” As soon as he said this, Liu Ji felt his face flush. In his past life, whenever he encountered a pretty girl, he would stutter; he never imagined that even after traveling through time, this habit would still persist. He’d even killed people before—so why on earth should he be nervous about something as trivial as talking to a pretty girl? Seeing Liu Ji’s taken-by-surprise expression, the twin sisters couldn’t help but break into charming smiles. The older twin asked, “Young Master Liu, are there any survivors left in the Zheng family’s caravan?” Liu Ji took a deep breath, shook his head, and said, “I’m afraid not a single one survived!” At that moment, the younger twin spoke up: “Young Master Liu, we haven’t formally introduced ourselves to you yet. I’m the younger sister, Lin Xiwen, and this is my older sister, Lin Xiya. I’m sure you’re aware of our background—you won’t look down on us just because we come from a brothel, will you?” The younger sister, Lin Xiwen, was the one who had spoken earlier with a voice as sweet as honey. Liu Ji quickly waved his hands and said, “No! Not at all! You two ladies are… like lotus flowers that remain unstained by the mud and, when washed by clear water, do not become frivolous. How could I ever look down on you?” “‘Emerging from the mud yet unstained, washed by clear water yet not seductive!’ Sister, who wrote those lyrics? That’s so well said! Absolutely wonderful!” As soon as Lin Xiwen heard Liu Ji’s words, she turned to her sister with a touch of excitement. Lin Xiya also seemed somewhat moved at that moment and immediately asked Liu Ji, “Young Master Liu, I’ve read many books before, but I’ve never come across this line of verse. I wonder which renowned poet wrote it?” Through the residual memories of his previous self, Liu Ji knew that the Great Jin Dynasty in this world also had poetry and lyrics; however, the famous lines from Tang and Song poetry that he had known in his past life had not yet appeared in this world. After all, Liu Ji had at least earned a bachelor’s degree—and as a humanities major, he still remembered some of the famous lines from Tang and Song poetry. If he hadn’t been on the run ever since he’d been transported to this world, leaving him no chance to “pirate” those works, he’d have been ready to use the meager knowledge stored in his head to earn the title of “literary scholar” and find some pretentious bigwigs to live off their generosity. “Hehe, this is a ci I wrote in my spare time back then—this line describes a lotus flower,” Liu Ji said brazenly to the twin sisters. “Did you really write this, Young Master Liu? So you possess such literary talent after all. I wonder if we sisters might be able to hear the entire ci you composed?” the older sister, Lin Xiya, said in a sweet voice, her eyes sparkling. “Of course, no problem at all. I’ve titled this ci ‘On the Love of Lotus.’ Among the flowers of aquatic plants and trees, there are many that are lovely. Since the Great Jin Dynasty, people have greatly loved the peony. I alone love the lotus, which rises from the mud yet remains unstained, and is washed by clear ripples yet remains unpretentious…” It turned out to be Zhou Dunyi’s “On the Love of the Lotus” from the Northern Song Dynasty, slightly modified by Liu Ji, who then shamelessly claimed it as his own and recited it with dramatic intonation before the twin sisters. The effect was quite impressive; the two stunning twin sisters gazed at Liu Ji with eyes that were practically sparkling. The younger sister, Lin Xiwen, immediately exclaimed excitedly, “Young Master Liu, your ‘Essay on the Love of the Lotus’ is truly superb. In comparison, the poetry written by those so-called literary geniuses I used to know simply doesn’t measure up to the standards of high culture. I’d say that when it comes to literary genius, you, Young Master Liu, are the true one! Sister, am I right?” Her older sister, Lin Xiya, exclaimed with admiration, “It truly is a case of ‘there are always greater heights to reach and more talented people out there.’ Even Mr. Bai Muming—who is hailed as Suzhou’s foremost literary genius—has never composed poetry with such profound depth. With this ‘Essay on the Love of Lotus,’ Young Master Liu is sure to make a name for himself throughout the entire Great Jin Dynasty!” In truth, Sister Lin Xiya had been deeply resistant to her younger sister Lin Xiwen’s suggestion. After all, although the sisters were only 18 this year, they had been entertaining guests at Drunken Moon Pavilion—one of Qinhuai City’s most renowned brothels—since they were 16. However, to maximize profits, the owner of Drunken Moon Pavilion had always insisted they perform for money rather than sell their bodies. At Drunken Moon Pavilion, Lin Xiya and Lin Xiwen only needed to accompany guests by singing, dining, and chatting—for which the guests paid 200 taels of silver. If they happened to encounter a particularly generous patron, the twin sisters could sometimes earn over a thousand taels of silver for Drunken Moon Pavilion in a single meal. As a result, there was a constant stream of guests eager to see Lin Xiya and Lin Xiwen; some even had to wait in line for several days just to catch a glimpse of them. In less than two years, Lin Xiya and Lin Xiwen had already earned over 200,000 taels of silver—equivalent to over 10,000 taels of gold—for the Drunken Moon Pavilion. Had it not been for the immense influence of the Zheng family of Yongzhou and the relentless pressure from the Zheng family’s Third Master, the owner of the Drunken Moon Pavilion would never have agreed to sell Lin Xiya and Lin Xiwen for a mere 5,000 taels of gold. A wealthy merchant had already offered 8,000 taels of gold for Lin Xiya and Lin Xiwen’s first night, yet the Third Master of the Zheng family in Yongzhou had taken them away for just 5,000 taels of gold—a deal that left the owner of the Drunken Moon Pavilion heartbroken. The twin sisters had met countless talented and handsome young men at the Drunken Moon Pavilion, and Liu Ji—who was merely a bit handsome—was simply too unremarkable compared to those dashing and charming young men. Naturally, Lin Xiya was unwilling to commit herself to a down-and-out young gentleman like Liu Ji. However, after Liu Ji’s “On Loving the Lotus” burst onto the scene, the resistance in Lin Xiya’s heart vanished without a trace—a talented young man can easily captivate young women. Hearing the compliments from the twin sisters—especially since they were both stunning beauties—Liu Ji couldn’t help but feel a bit giddy. He really wanted to tell them, “Don’t fall for me—I’m just a legend!” Oh, wait—he should say “little brother” instead. Just as Liu Ji was lost in his daydreams, his younger sister, Lin Xiwen, suddenly said to him, “Young Master Liu, as you know, we were purchased from Qinhuai City by a nobleman from the Zheng family of Yongzhou. That nobleman is already in his sixties, and now everyone in the Zheng family’s caravan is dead. What do you think we should do?” Liu Ji blurted out, “Of course we should just run away! Do you really want to walk right into his arms and let some old geezer take advantage of you?” Upon hearing Liu Ji’s words, Lin Xiya and Lin Xiwen immediately broke into broad smiles. Lin Xiwen promptly said in a sweet voice, ““Of course, we sisters don’t want to go to the Zheng family. But, Young Master Liu, in such a chaotic and war-torn place, where else can two vulnerable young women like us go? Although we’ve lived in a brothel since we were old enough to remember, studying the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and song and dance, we absolutely will not return to the brothel! We will never go back!” Liu Ji was no fool. As soon as he heard Lin Xiwen’s words, his eyes lit up. It was clear that the twin sisters wanted to follow him. “A graceful lady is a gentleman’s delight”—with such a golden opportunity presenting itself, how could Liu Ji possibly refuse? Even viewed separately, these twin sisters could be considered unparalleled beauties. What was even more remarkable was that they looked exactly alike. Faced with such a pair of stunning beauties, no man could remain unmoved—and Liu Ji was no exception.