Xue Yuanchu withdrew the banknotes from the accounting office, then took a carriage out of the mansion and headed straight towards Maoer Hutong.

There was also a servant in the carriage watching the chess game. This guy had been following Xue Yuanchu since he was a child and was responsible for accompanying him when he went out. Although he was not very smart, he was extremely cautious and reliable in doing things. Xue Yuanchu always took him with him when he went out to do business, and he also did some miscellaneous tasks such as delivering and receiving business cards and invitations on weekdays.

"Master, are you going to Mao'er Hutong again today?" Guanqi asked doubtfully. "Has it been a while since you've been to Tianxianglou? Yesterday I ran into the waiter there on the street, and he told me that Miss Xiangqin has been missing you so much, crying every day, and has lost a lot of weight."

Xue Yuanchu leaned quietly on the chair cushion, his eyes slightly closed, as if he was resting.

He shook his head slightly and replied, "It's better not to go during this period. It's too conspicuous. I don't know if those people from the Censorate are still keeping an eye on the Marquis' Mansion."

"But there aren't many courtesans in Maoer Hutong, so what's the fun in that?" Guanqi was a little confused, not knowing what was so attractive there.

Xue Yuanchu seemed to be recalling something, then he hummed a tune softly, patting his knees with one hand, looking relaxed and comfortable.

"You don't understand the beauty of Jiang Ren and Jiang Yi's courtyard. Even Tianxiang Tower can't compare to it."

Guan Qi also had only a vague understanding of the situation. "Of course, I don't understand these things. As long as I can follow the prince, you eat the meat and I drink some soup, I will be satisfied."

He then sighed, "These two sons of Lord Shoukang's family really know how to enjoy life. I've heard from people in teahouses that Lord Shoukang is the most romantic man in the capital. He used to be an official in Huaiyang Road. From the capital to his post, he married six concubines along the way, including a blonde, blue-eyed woman from the Western Frontier."

Xue Yuanchu was amused by the exaggerated words of the chess spectator.

"This is all just rumors spread by others. No matter how romantic the old man is, he still has his limits. How could he dare to bring a foreign woman home?"

However, when it comes to the brothers Jiang Ren and Jiang Yi, Xue Yuanchu has to admit that they did inherit Shou Kangbo's "true teachings".

Their way of pursuing pleasure is unique, so it is no wonder that people call their courtyard the "Cave of Ecstasy".

The carriage slowly turned into Maoer Hutong, and the sky gradually darkened.

The residents in the alley knew that the owner of this courtyard was a powerful figure, so every household kept their doors closed and did not dare to look around.

There were also some men in charge who were curious and carefully peeked through the crack in the door, secretly wondering which powerful young man had come here to have fun.

Xue Yuanchu's carriage drove straight into the courtyard. The gatekeeper looked around vigilantly and quickly closed the gate tightly.

It was an early spring night, before curfew, and some vendors selling groceries could be vaguely seen in the alleys.

A middle-aged man's hoarse voice rang out at the entrance of the alley: "Selling straw sandals, freshly woven straw sandals, selling straw sandals!"

The sound appeared and disappeared, and gradually became lower as the carriage entered the courtyard.

When the middle-aged man selling straw sandals saw the carriage enter the yard, he followed it without attracting anyone's attention.

He walked out of the yard, looked around, and jumped twice, but the wall was so high that he couldn't see what was inside.

So he turned and walked to the wall, put his hands in his sleeves, squatted down with his body bent, and watched what would happen.

In the yard, Xue Yuanchu stepped down from the carriage steadily, and the owner of the yard, Jiang Ren, lifted the door curtain.

"I've been waiting for you. The wine is hot!"

Xue Yuanchu stepped into the house. The early spring night was still a little chilly, but the charcoal brazier placed in the house gave off a pleasant warmth that dispelled the coldness from him.

Guanqi skillfully took off Xue Yuanchu's cloak, then walked into the side room, ready to wait for his master's orders at any time.

As soon as he entered the ear room, he saw the servant accompanying the loyal and brave general's son-in-law, who was already sitting at the table drinking and eating.

On the table was a pot of fragrant stewed meat and a plate of shredded chicken with sesame oil, the smell was tempting.

Since Guanqi and this servant had met in this yard before, they were quite familiar with each other.

The servant enthusiastically poured him a glass of wine, and after they sat down to watch the chess game, they ate and drank together.

When Xue Yuanchu walked into the main hall and the wing room, he saw Feng Shaoying, the son-in-law of the loyal and brave general.

Beside him were two young male actors kept by Jiang Ren, one pouring him wine and the other massaging his legs.

"You came earlier than me today?" Xue Yuanchu joked. He noticed that Feng Shaoying drank several glasses of wine in a row. It didn't look like he was here to have fun, but more like he was drinking to drown his sorrows. Moreover, Feng Shaoying's face looked a little embarrassed, with a hint of depression.

"What's wrong? Is it because your wife at home is angry with you?" Xue Yuanchu sat down, took the wine glass handed to him by the little actor, and drank it in one gulp.

"His wife is pregnant!" Jiang Ren replied.

"Isn't this a good thing?" Xue Yuanchu blurted out.

The loyal and brave old general has a son and a daughter. Unfortunately, his son was injured while suppressing bandits, and he is afraid that it will be difficult for him to have children in the future.

Therefore, the old general betrothed his daughter to Feng Shaoying, who was born into a military supervisor family but was not wealthy, and sent her off with a ten-mile red wedding dress.

The only condition was that the first boy born to the couple must be adopted by the general's family.

Therefore, Feng Shaoying was nicknamed "son-in-law" behind his back.

However, he did not pay attention to these gossips. Instead, he took advantage of the opportunity to live a comfortable life and his daily expenses were even more generous than Xue Yuanchu and others.

After hearing this, Jiang Ren curled his lips and revealed the reason.

"It was originally a happy occasion, but yesterday his wife dismissed all the maids and concubines who served him. Those born in the family were sent to the farm to be married off, and those who had signed indentures were taken away by pawnbrokers and sold."

"Among them was a girl named Xiaochan, who was taken in by Old Feng just last month. She was only fifteen years old, beautiful and voluptuous, yet she was also tied up on the farm and given to a tenant. Old Feng was heartbroken."

"Now in his house, I'm afraid even the flies are male." Jiang Ren said with a smile and patted Feng Shaoying on the shoulder.

When Feng Shaoying heard the word "Xiaochan", he immediately raised his head, his cheeks slightly flushed due to the alcohol, his eyes seemed a little dazed, he beat his chest and stamped his feet, crying out in pain.

Xue Yuanchu jokingly said, "It is said that the old general is a tiger father and cannot have a dog daughter. You should have thought of this when you got married."

Jiang Ren also agreed, "Yeah, since you'll be sleeping in the outer room for the next few months anyway, why not just hide away in my place? Are the people here any less capable than that Xiaochan?"

These words caused several people to laugh heartily, and the atmosphere became more lively as the cups and glasses clinked.

The two young male actors performed a piece of "Resurrection" and "Crying at the Bride". Their singing was melodious and beautiful. For a moment, the room was filled with beautiful spring scenery and infinite romance.