"In short, whatever is good, make it and bring it to me," Zhou Zhizhi instructed.

She desperately needs some good food to replenish her energy and soothe her wounded heart.

Giving up easily is not Zhou Zhizhi's usual approach; she decided to have a big meal before picking herself up again.

"Alright, I'll go right away." Xiaoyue received Zhou Zhizhi's order and immediately retreated to the kitchen.

While the dishes were being served, Zhou Zhizhi briefly pondered the current situation.

She was not very clear or familiar with the personnel changes, terrain, and distribution of the various palaces and sleeping quarters within the First Prince's residence.

Most importantly, she didn't know how much the Crown Prince valued that manual, or whether he had hidden it in a secret room or passage that few people knew about. If so, she would have even less of a way to get to it.

It seems that searching secretly is no longer an option, so let's do it openly!

Zhou Zhizhi made up her mind. After all, the days were passing by, and she had to find the "Northern Darkness Divine Art" as soon as possible.

"Master, the dishes are ready. Shall we bring them up now?" Xiaoyue gently knocked on the door and asked.

"Serve the food," Zhou Zhizhi ordered.

Following Zhou Zhizhi's orders, the servants carried dishes and took turns placing them in front of her.

Soon the table was filled with exquisitely prepared dishes. Zhou Zhizhi dismissed the servants and began to eat eagerly.

"Waaah~, nothing is more comforting than delicious food." Zhou Zhizhi thought about all the things she had experienced since she transmigrated.

She's constantly at risk of being wiped out by the system, and if she's not careful, she'll incur the wrath of the treacherous and vicious Second Prince. On top of that, she has to outwit and outmaneuver the eunuchs of the Eastern Depot. One wrong step and her head will be chopped off.

She only felt truly alive in this world when she ate delicious meals and snacks.

Thinking of this, Zhou Zhizhi sighed at her own hardships while eating two more bowls of rice.

Having eaten and drunk her fill, Zhou Zhizhi decided to try her luck at a brothel.

After all, Qi Chenge, the top courtesan of the brothel, was the Crown Prince's old flame, and the Crown Prince would often linger there.

Qi Chenge's residence, Liuxiang Tower, is the largest intelligence gathering place in the Great Xiao Kingdom. After all, the people coming and going in brothels and red-light districts are the most complex. No matter what kind of intelligence you want, you can get it as long as you have enough money.

Even if we don't encounter the Crown Prince here, we can still find out where Xiao Dongyang is by asking around.

"Sir, you've arrived. Please come in." The housekeeper at the door warmly pulled Zhou Zhizhi, who was dressed as a woman, into the house in Liuxiang Tower.

“Sir, you look unfamiliar. This isn’t your first time here,” the housekeeper said to Zhou Zhizhi with practiced ease. “We have young and beautiful girls, as well as women who still retain their charm, and even pretty male prostitutes.”

"As long as you like, sir, let them all come into your room." The housekeeper smiled, her face full of wrinkles, as she introduced the services offered by the Willow Lane Brothel to Zhou Zhizhi.

Zhou Zhizhi nodded in satisfaction and casually tossed out a gold ingot.

This gesture made the housekeeper beam with joy, and she immediately gave instructions to those around her.

"Quickly, open a top-class room and let this gentleman go in and rest."

Zhou Zhizhi followed the waiter into the top-tier room. Soon after, the young girl, the woman, and the male prostitute that the housekeeper had just introduced lined up and entered the room, making up a total of six or seven people.

Looking at the handsome men and women in front of her, Zhou Zhizhi couldn't help but shed tears from the corners of her eyes.

He thought to himself, "The lives of princes and nobles in ancient times were truly wonderful. What kind of heavenly life did they lead every day!"

Little did she know that all of Zhou Zhizhi's actions were being observed by a pair of unfathomable eyes.

It was Xiao Xiyou who came here to gather information.

Xiao Xiyou watched as Zhou Zhizhi, dressed as a man, came to the brothel and ordered many male prostitutes. He pretended not to care, but his teacup was almost crushed in his hand.

Hmph! He said he would never leave or betray him, but this week, Zhizhi not only hasn't come to see him for two days, but she's currently enjoying herself in a brothel.

She's a complete liar; not a word of hers is true. I shouldn't have believed her and let her off the hook in the first place.

Unbeknownst to Zhou Zhizhi inside the house, Xiao Xiyou was also there.

She cheerfully called a male prostitute who looked somewhat pleasing to the eye to her face and reached out her wicked hands to grope him.

"Come on! Have a drink. If you make me happy, I'll reward you handsomely." Zhou Zhizhi said confidently, imitating the thugs she had seen in TV dramas in her previous life.

However, it was rather incongruous to pair her delicate and pretty face with such vulgar words.

Everyone who works here is shrewd and capable. The fact that Zhou Zhizhi is in room number one indicates that she is very wealthy.

“Sir, don’t just call him, I’ll drink with you too.” A very handsome man approached Zhou Zhizhi and raised his wine glass.

"Hahahaha!" Zhou Zhizhi laughed loudly and pulled out a handful of melon seeds from her purse.

They all collapsed onto the table at once, dazzling everyone's eyes. They hadn't seen such a wealthy and powerful guest in a long time.

"Come sit down and have a drink, everyone. You'll all get your share here!" Zhou Zhizhi said generously.

Upon receiving the order, everyone swarmed around Zhou Zhizhi, showering her with compliments and offering her drinks one after another.

Although Zhou Zhizhi was happy, she did not forget the purpose of her trip. When everyone had drunk enough, she slowly spoke.

"I've heard that your top courtesan, Qi Chenge, is on very good terms with the Crown Prince?"

This is hardly a secret in the Great Xiao Kingdom.

After all, the eldest prince, Xiao Dongyang, had previously made the bold statement that he would redeem Qi Chenge from her servitude and take her into his household as a concubine.

However, the matter was dropped after the Crown Prince's mother, Consort Lan, intervened and punished the Crown Prince by confining him to his quarters.

After all, the royal family cares most about their reputation. If they dared to let a woman who was deeply involved in brothels and whose past was unclear move into the prince's residence, even if she was just a concubine, it would be against the rules and would make them a laughing stock of the whole world.

"Yes, the First Prince really can't forget Qi Chenge."

"No matter how busy I am each month, I will make time to spend a day or two with her."

"Yes, yes, I don't know what good deeds Ti Cheng did in his past life to be so favored by the Crown Prince in this life."

"Even if she can't enter the First Prince's residence, the First Prince can order a separate courtyard to redeem her and take good care of her. That would be a hundred times better than being like us, lonely and destitute, wandering aimlessly."

After a few rounds of drinks, everyone was a little tipsy and started talking without restraint, blurting out everything they knew.