In June, the Jiangnan region is lush with green willows and shrouded in misty rain.

Along the Qinhuai River, music and dance filled the air, and brothels and pleasure houses were everywhere.

Even the most detached and desireless celestial beings would be captivated and have their souls stolen if they descended here.

Several fine horses galloped along the banks of the Qinhuai River.

Upon reaching the ferry crossing, the leader raised his arm, tightened the reins, and the black horse reared up and came to a stop.

The others also stopped.

A moment later, the leader nimbly dismounted and tossed his riding whip to his subordinate.

Almost simultaneously, a man in black appeared like a ghost, bowing his head and not daring to meet his gaze, respectfully saying, "My lord."

Song Ting raised her hand and removed the hood from her black cloak, revealing her face. Her long, narrow eyes were as cold as frost.

"Is he here?" Song Ting asked slowly.

"Yes, I saw him get into that flower boat in front with my own eyes."

Nighttime is when the Qinhuai River is at its liveliest, as scholars, wealthy merchants, and nobles all love to come here to enjoy themselves.

Beautiful women, fine wine, and stunning scenery; I lie drunk on the lap of a beautiful woman.

Song Ting stood on the shore, his narrow eyes slightly narrowed, and a cold smile appeared on his lips: "He does know how to hide."

Seeing the anger on their master's face, the man in black and his men all changed their expressions slightly and dared not respond.

Everyone knows that Song Tingping, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, detested these sordid and dissolute matters more than anything else in his life.

Despite the prevalence of prostitution in Jiangnan, those who engaged in this business in Chang'an, the capital city, had to be extremely careful and discreet.

Even the most powerful officials in the court wouldn't dare set foot in a brothel.

Because if Song Ting finds out, they'll be severely punished, if not killed.

With the Embroidered Uniform Guards everywhere, it would be virtually impossible to deceive them.

Losing one's official position or even one's life for the sake of visiting prostitutes is truly a losing proposition.

Liang Fengye probably thought of this, which is why he chose this hiding place, hoping to avoid Song Ting's notice.

"It must be alive."

"yes."

Seven or eight people quickly removed their black cloaks, revealing their luxurious flying fish robes underneath, and silently slipped into the painted boat across the lake.

That painted boat was the largest and most magnificent one on the entire lake.

Song Ting might not recognize it, but if you just pick anyone off the street, you can tell at a glance that this is a pleasure boat from Zuichunlou.

The Southern Wind prevailed during the Great Yan Dynasty, and the Drunken Spring Pavilion was the most famous Southern Wind Pavilion in Jiangnan.

The male prostitutes inside were all stunning beauties. Even if a small mole on their face was in an unappealing position, they would hardly catch the madam's eye and would only be relegated to a lowly menial job.

Every year, Zuichunlou holds a "flower appreciation party," which sounds elegant, but in reality it's just a competition among male prostitutes.

Whoever wins first place becomes the top courtesan at Zuichunlou, their status and wealth rise accordingly, and even the madam will treat them with respect.

A few years ago, people fought tooth and nail for this position, and it even resulted in a death.

But starting five years ago, this top spot became exclusive to one person, and almost no one could shake its position.

That person's name is Huaiyue.

The rumors even reached Song Ting's ears.

The person who mentioned this male prostitute to him was the youngest son of Dong Ji, the former Vice Minister of Rites, a notorious playboy in Chang'an.

Song Ting found the young master annoying, so she personally strangled him.

A few breaths later, the once lively and cheerful pleasure boat became chaotic. Some people took advantage of the chaos to run out of the cabin, but were quickly dragged back inside.

Before long, the noise subsided, and no sound could be heard from the pleasure boat.

Song Ting narrowed his eyes, lightly touched the ground with his toes, skimmed across the calm lake, and landed steadily on the bow of the boat.

The scent of cosmetics wafted in the night breeze. Song Ting frowned and slowly walked in. The male prostitutes and guests in the painted boat had all been subdued by the Imperial Guards and were kneeling obediently in a row.

At the front was a middle-aged man in a gray robe, being held down by the back of the neck by a member of the Imperial Guard. His temples were soaked with cold sweat, and he was trembling like a leaf.

"grown ups."

"Um."

At this sound, the previously quiet man suddenly struggled violently, raised his head with difficulty, and roared hoarsely:

"Commander! I am innocent!"

Song Ting walked slowly to the man with a half-smile on her face.

He bent down, his slender fingers gently gripping the fleshy neck, and whispered, "Is that so?"

"Please, Your Honor, judge this matter clearly! I am truly innocent!"

As soon as Song Ting released his hand, a member of the Imperial Guard standing beside him handed him a fragrant handkerchief.

Song Ting took it, slowly wiping her fingers, her gaze lightly falling on the man, and in a few words, she decided his fate:

"Lord Liang claims to be innocent, but what about the three thousand disaster victims who died because of you?"

Starting in late March, torrential rains continued in many parts of Jiangnan, causing flooding in the counties of Suzhou, Changzhou, and Songjiang, covering an area of ​​over a thousand miles. Countless people were displaced, and many were killed or injured.

However, the disaster relief grain sent by the imperial court was embezzled by Liang Fengye, the local prefect, resulting in widespread famine and resentment.

Even more famine victims, unable to bear the torment, spontaneously organized themselves to oppose the imperial court.

Fearing that things would escalate, Liang Fengye massacred displaced people on a large scale.

It was a month later when the news reached the emperor's ears.

The emperor was furious and ordered the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to personally go to Jiangnan to escort Liang Fengye, the governor of Jiangnan, and others back to the capital.

I never expected that he would abandon his family and hide here.

“Lord Liang, you have failed His Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and the people. Your death is not a pity.”

The man's handsome face was expressionless; the person in his hand seemed like a lifeless object to him.

"If you have anything else to say, sir, we can discuss it when we arrive at the Zhaoyu Prison."

Liang Fengye's face turned deathly pale instantly, and he slumped to the ground in despair.

The scent of cosmetics inside the pleasure boat grew stronger, and Song Ting kept her brows furrowed ever since she stepped inside.

Once Liang Fengye's matter was resolved, he didn't want to linger for even a moment longer, and said indifferently, "Take him away."

He didn't want to look at the people in the cabin any longer. Most of them were disheveled, and it was easy to guess what they had been up to before the Embroidered Uniform Guards came in.

However, in the instant he turned around, his gaze inadvertently swept over a man in a red shirt.

It was really just a very casual glance, almost an unconscious look as I turned around.

But because of that one glance, Song Ting suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Her long, narrow eyes were fixed on the man.

Xiao Wu, who was following behind, looked around warily: "Sir, is there some other problem here?"

Song Ting didn't even look at him, and strode towards the man in red, but stopped two steps away from him.

His gaze lingered on the other person for a long time. After about half a cup of tea's time, he slowly spoke: "Raise your head."

The man seemed not to have heard the command, and tremblingly lowered his head even further.

Song Ting went a step further: "I'll make you raise your head."

The person remained motionless.

No one had ever dared to disregard their master like this before. Xiao Wu immediately drew his long sword: "How dare you!"

Just as the cold blade was about to pierce the man, the madam, adorned with jeweled hairpins, pounced on him.

She hugged Xiao Wu's legs and began to sob and cry:

"My lord, please spare us! Our Huaiyue was ignorant and I apologize on his behalf!"

"But we conduct business honestly and would never dare to offend you, sir! Huaiyue—"

The madam turned to the man in red, "Why don't you raise your head and let the master see you!"