Qin Heng quickly waved his hand: "How could that be? Young Master Qi and I are both the kind of people who enjoy making friends with heroes from all over the world. It's just a pity that we haven't had the opportunity. It's fate that we met today."

He was filled with envy as he read about the chivalrous heroes in the storybooks who roamed the martial arts world, drinking wine from large bowls and eating large chunks of meat every day, making friends with heroes from all over the world in just a few steps, and being surrounded by a group of brothers and living a carefree life.

Gu Baozhu was also very interested. She had never met such people before, so she naturally wanted to use Qi Gu's identity to meet them.

The four hit it off immediately and went to Tianxianglou for drinks.

As they drank to their hearts' content, the two began to boast about their adventures in the martial world. Gu Baozhu was listening with great interest when she saw a maid lift half of the bamboo curtain and peek in their direction, her fair face full of joy.

Brother Ximen put down his wine cup and beckoned, "Did you come here looking for me?"

The maidservant hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, smiling, "Young Master Ximen has been hard to find. Didn't we agree yesterday? Why haven't you come yet? My sister was getting anxious, so she sent me to look for you everywhere."

Brother Ximen asked, "How did you know to come here to look for me?"

The waitress's beautiful eyes darted around as she chuckled, "It's all because of you, my dark-skinned brother, who kept talking about coming to Tianxiang Restaurant for drinks last night. I went to your inn first and asked around before thinking of coming here to try and bump into you. I didn't expect to actually run into you."

Seeing Qin Heng and Gu Baozhu staring blankly at her, she turned and smiled, "If you two young masters don't mind, you can come along too."

Gu Baozhu and Qin Heng exchanged a glance.

The maid's speech and attire suggested she came from a wealthy family, but her demeanor and behavior did not.

Brother Ximen laughed and said, "These two are still just kids, what do they know? You have to take care of them too."

The maid smiled and said, "I had no other choice. My sister kept telling me that I must invite the young master back when I see him. If I don't invite him back, I'm afraid he won't be willing to move. If my sister blames me, how can I bear it? I hope the young master will have mercy on me."

Qin Heng was somewhat displeased and said, "Since Brother Ximen has other important matters to attend to, how about we call it a day?"

Gu Baozhu will be leaving the capital soon, and he still has a lot to say.

The short, burly man immediately stood up, glaring angrily, and spread his five fingers to throw the maid away. Brother Ximen quickly grabbed him, angrily saying, "Have you forgotten how you promised me you'd come before you left?"

The short, burly man muttered something, but didn't make another move.

The maid, unaware that she had just been nearly beaten to death, persisted, saying, "If there's nothing urgent, Young Master Ximen, please go see my sister as soon as possible. She's been longing to see you. She's too lazy to comb her hair or wash her face since early this morning. Young Master Ximen, please have some pity on my sister."

By this time, Gu Baozhu and Qin Heng realized that the "sister" the maid was referring to was a woman from a brothel, and both of them couldn't help but show an embarrassed expression.

The short, burly man was even angrier: "You..."

Before he could finish speaking, Brother Ximen laughed and said, "You go back first. The four of us will go later. We agreed yesterday to have a banquet at your sister's place, how could we not go? You go back first and set out the food and drinks."

The waitress refused to leave, but the dark, short, and burly man's eyes flashed with murderous intent, frightening her so much that she shrank behind the curtain, neither showing her face nor leaving.

Brother Ximen smiled and pressed everyone to their seats, saying with a smile, "Young brothers, I've just arrived in the capital and heard that two prominent figures in the business world are quite outstanding. So I asked someone to introduce me to that Li, and we agreed yesterday to have a banquet together today. Why don't you two go and meet him? In any case, let's drink this cup of wine first."

The short, burly man with a dark face muttered curses under his breath: "When we get back, I'll tell my brother that you've been bewitched by a little bitch and are up to no good."

Brother Ximen pretended not to hear.

"Li Hangshou?" Gu Baozhu exclaimed softly from the side, "Brother Ximen actually knows Li Hangshou?"

Qin Heng also wanted to see for himself, but with Gu Baozhu present, he could only say, "I didn't expect Brother Ximen to be so capable. I've heard that Li Hangshou only associates with high-ranking officials and nobles, or at the very least, wealthy merchants."

Gu Baozhu didn't hesitate at all, clapping her hands and exclaiming, "Then let's go and see for ourselves, and I'll learn from my sixth brother too."

Qin Heng nodded immediately.

The short, burly man also said, "Then let's go. Otherwise, what's the point of me drinking alone outside while they're playing music, singing, chatting, and laughing? Who wants to talk to those pimps?"

The group was then led by the maid to Li's residence. The courtyard was large and located in an alley not far from the entrance to the bustling city, a place meant to be quiet amidst the noise.

Several weeping willows stood in front of the door, and the curtain was covered with glittering beaded foil, which Gu Baozhu found quite unusual.

After entering the main gate and turning past the screen wall, one sees the bright flowers and trees in the courtyard, which make the emerald green gauze windows, white walls, and blue tiles look truly beautiful.

As I walked into the courtyard, I was greeted by the delicate sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments, along with a rich and lingering fragrance that was truly captivating.

Qin Heng looked around and whispered to Gu Baozhu, "This is where the prostitutes gather. I didn't expect Brother Ximen to be so capable, to be a guest of Master Li."

Gu Baozhu asked curiously, "Isn't it just a matter of having money?"

Qin Heng coughed and said, "How could that be? Those who can associate with Li Hangshou are all people of some renown. I heard from Xu Tang that this Li Hangshou is a famous courtesan. She is proficient in all eighteen arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She is the apple of her mother's eye and is also a favorite of the current emperor. Many officials and wealthy merchants try to curry favor with her, just to gain favor with the emperor."

Gu Baozhu couldn't help but burst into laughter, then whispered, "How dare they touch the woman the Emperor favors?"

Could it be that this emperor has some kind of ailment?

No wonder the waitress acted as if she was doing them a favor by letting them come with Brother Ximen.

Gu Baozhu became increasingly interested in this charming and seductive Li.

Brother Ximen laughed and said, "I also got lucky. A couple of days ago, I was drinking at the alley, and the tavern owner said that the lady there was beautiful and talented, the number one courtesan in the capital, and her singing and dancing were very enchanting."

It was the alcohol that emboldened him, and he brazenly asked to see Li, the head of the business, who happened to be home. So they exchanged a few words.

We both love playing musical instruments and singing, so we're kindred spirits. We had originally planned to come and listen to Yunban storytelling today..."

Gu Baozhu laughed and said, "No wonder Brother Yuan suffered a loss yesterday. I suppose Brother Yuan and Brother Ximen didn't enjoy their drinking here, so they came out to watch us play football by themselves."

Brother Ximen smiled and was about to speak when a voice that sent shivers down one's spine came from behind the curtain: "Young Master Ximen has finally arrived."

The complete chapters of "My Eldest Sister Insists on a Marquis-Switch Marriage, Making Me a Lady of the Marquis" will continue to be updated on the Shuhaige Novel Network. There are no ads on the site, so please bookmark and recommend Shuhaige Novel Network!