Originally, Shan Dao really didn't want to get involved in this matter, but upon hearing such tempting conditions, he immediately became excited and his old face turned red.

"really?"

"Of course it's true. Who would dare to lie to you, Shan Dalang?"

"good!"

"Leave this to me. I'll go and talk to the Duke right away!"

Shan Daozhen parted ways with the group of women and went straight to Zhechong Mansion. He found the captain's bedroom there and forcibly pulled him up.

"Captain, please give those poor women a way to live?"

"They are actually very pitiful..."

"roll!"

Li Jue didn't give Shan Daozhen a chance to finish speaking and directly ordered him to get lost.

"Captain, why won't you let them in?"

"You have to give me a reason, right?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jue glared at Shan Daozhen with annoyance.

"I have my own plans for this matter!"

"Captain, you have to give me a reason to refuse, otherwise those madams will keep bothering me every day..."

"Let them pester us, they're not going to eat you up!"

"Captain, you don't know this, they really can eat me!"

"To be honest, some of the madams are my lovers, I..."

"Uh..."

Upon hearing this, Li Jue finally understood. No wonder Shan Daozhen kept pestering him to plead for those women in Pingkangfang; it turned out that he had a lover there!

"Shan Daozhen, I won't hide this from you. I haven't figured out how to settle them yet."

"After all, I feel guilty about making money off them. But it's unfair to the other merchants if I don't make money off them, so it's a difficult situation."

Upon hearing this, Shan Daozhen asked, puzzled.

"Captain, why can't we make money off them?"

"We're not forcing them; they're giving you money voluntarily so you can make money. Why don't you take it?"

"this……"

Li Jue blushed with embarrassment upon hearing this.

"This is ultimately a bad reputation..."

"Not a good reputation?"

"Captain, the imperial court doesn't mind the bad reputation, so what kind of nonsense are you making!"

"The imperial court?"

"Yes!"

"Don't you know? The biggest brothel owner in Pingkang Ward is the imperial court. Not only does the imperial court levy heavy taxes, but it also runs many government-run brothels!"

"ah?"

When Li Jue heard this, he felt that his entire worldview had been turned upside down.

"What did you say? You said the imperial court is running brothels?"

"certainly!"

"Otherwise, what do you think the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution) is for!"