Threatening with death

There will always be daughters with similar hobbies and decorating styles. But even if it wasn't Pinlan, she thought their endings wouldn't be much better.

When she left, nine out of ten houses in Luoyang were deserted. The smoke-scorched houses and courtyards silently testified to the crimes of the Northern Qiang. Almost every household had the bodies of women who had hanged themselves or thrown themselves into wells. This was true even for the wealthy and powerful.

Moreover, Huayuelou was just a brothel that was on the verge of collapse.

Yin Shang looked enlightened and said, "This is why the lady relies on the power of the Hidden Moon Clan to establish the Falling Jade Pavilion."

Yuan Si Niang said weakly, "Yes. I always thought that I could smooth things over with both the North and the South and maintain relations so that no matter which clan is in power, my Luoyu Fang can be kept in place and its people can be protected from being bullied. But as you can see, the Yin Yue Clan stationed in Luoyu Fang has already withdrawn. Once Jianzhang falls, the people here will face the same fate as before."

A Qiu understood. Yuan Si Niang had personally witnessed the atrocities committed by the Northern Qiang people in Luoyang. She had no confidence in the Southern Dynasty's ability to defend the city, so she held onto a sliver of hope that she could hand over Luoyu Fang to Mo Yimingyue and rely on Xingfeng Hall's power spanning the north and south to save the lives of the people in the building.

After hesitating for a long time, Yin Shang finally said heavily, "Madam! May I speak from the heart?"

Yuan Si Niang smiled wryly and said, "Please speak, Master Yin."

Yin Shang said, "If it really comes to that, I'm afraid Xingfeng Hall won't be able to protect this place. After all..."

He paused, not saying the rest of his sentence, but A-Qiu understood what he meant.

Xingfeng Hall, after all, is one of the three halls of Lanling, and its primary task is to carry out Wanqiqing's orders. It is impossible for it to fight a bloody battle with the Northern Qiang people just to protect the women on the first floor of Luoyufang.

It's not impossible to evacuate them before the city falls. But why would Xingfeng Hall pay such a high price to protect these women on the first floor? Most of them are beautiful, the kind of women who easily attract attention and get into trouble in chaotic times, and they are not from respectable families.

Yuan Si Niang was slightly taken aback, but judging from her expression, she seemed not to be surprised by the result.

After a long pause, she gave a wry smile and said, "Indeed, true heroes are not easily swayed by beauty. The Gongye family head was like that back then, as were Master Yin and Master Moyi." She then seemed to be talking to herself, "If I were to hand over any other powerful figure in Jianzhang today to these beautiful women, they would be overjoyed."

Yin Shang bowed and said, "Madam, you flatter me. Anyone who gets Luoyufang would be in luck. However, Xingfengtang prioritizes loyalty and cannot guarantee the safety of the young ladies, so we cannot agree to take it over."

Ah Qiu thought to himself, "In this respect alone, my second senior brother's Xingfeng Hall is not without chivalry. Because he doesn't see Luoyufang as just a business, nor does he take the lives inside lightly. Otherwise, Yin Shang could have agreed first, and when things got tough, Xingfeng Hall would have had the right to sell, kill, or give away the women inside."

Yuan Si Niang said heavily, "In any case, please be sure to convey my meaning to Master Mo Yi. If that moment really comes," a pale, bitter smile appeared on her lips, "the sisters also have their own plans and will not trouble your esteemed hall too much."

Just as A Qiu found these words strange, she suddenly saw her raise her hand without making a sound, and a glint of light flashed from her sleeve.

With a "ding," the metal was struck by something.

Ah Qiu was currently crouching on the roof ridge above the main hall. A tall, lean figure slowly emerged from the shadows on the right side of the main hall.

A Qiu glanced at it only once, then immediately dared not breathe again, turning her gaze away to look at it from the corner of her eye.

Because this person was none other than her second senior brother, Mo Yimingyue, the Xingfeng Hall Master whom Yuan Si Niang had repeatedly expressed her desire to see.

What fell to the ground from Yuan Si Niang's sleeve was a pair of gleaming scissors. Just now, Yuan Si Niang had intended to use them to commit suicide.

Yin Shang immediately clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Master!"

When Yuan Si Niang saw the famous Mo Yi Ming Yue suddenly appear here, she was momentarily bewildered and flustered. She wanted to bow down, but then she looked ashamed and embarrassed.

Mo Yimingyue's eyes flashed with a sharp light as she sized up Yuan Siniang and said, "Does Madam intend to threaten me, Mo Yimingyue, with her death, forcing me to take responsibility for the lives of the old and young women in this building?"

Yuan Si Niang's scissors had been knocked to the ground by the hidden weapon launched by Mo Yi Ming Yue. Frustrated, she immediately lowered her head and said, "This concubine dares not. As I said, I beg Master Yin to do his best to protect Luo Yu Fang. If it really doesn't work, the sisters will also take their own lives. We would never dare to implicate the hall master."

Mo Yimingyue stared intently at her and said in a deep voice, "Did Madam already guess that I was here, and thus forced me to show myself by threatening to die?"

Yuan Si Niang boldly raised her head and looked directly at Mo Yimingyue, saying in a trembling voice, "I dare not presume to guess the Hall Master's intentions. But I do have a question that has been buried in my heart for many years and I would like to ask the Hall Master in person."

Mo Yimingyue walked to the window with his hands behind his back, his gaze seemingly gazing into the infinitely deep night sky. He sighed and said, "Does Madam wish to ask why, among the hundreds of brothels of all sizes in Jianzhang, I, Mo Yimingyue, have shown particular favor to Madam's Luoyufang, without ever asking for anything in return?"

Looking from behind, Yuan Si Niang was trembling slightly. She said, "Yes. The Hall Master never inquires about my dealings with the Hidden Moon Clan, and never gives me a chance to repay him. Because of this, I am even more terrified."

A Qiu had seen how Yuan Si Niang put on a brave face in front of her and Princess Wan Sui, and now, she suddenly understood Yuan Si Niang's feelings for Mo Yi Ming Yue.

That's not being sentimental or timid, but rather the instinctive fear of the weak towards those in power.

As the saying goes, "He who takes a bribe is bound to be lenient." Yuan Si Niang wasn't afraid of her because she didn't owe her anything; essentially, the two were equals.

A powerful figure in the martial arts world like Mo Yimingyue, who has always taken care of Luoyufang without asking for anything in return, would instill fear in these vulnerable women.

What he wants is probably more than money or beauty, perhaps even more than they can afford.

However, in the Southern Dynasty, they could not refuse such help and could only rely on Xingfeng Hall, thus accumulating more and more favors and being unable to turn back.

From Yuan Si Niang's perspective, it was like trying to negotiate with a tiger for its skin, and she was getting deeper and deeper into trouble.

If the other party tries to collect the debt with interest, they fear they won't even have a bone left.

This is probably one of the reasons why Yuan Si Niang allied with the Yin Yue Clan. Having multiple backers means having more ways to protect oneself.

Yuan Si Niang continued, "I know that the Hall Master has been to Luoyu Fang before, but since you did not invite me, I dare not disturb you. I can only pretend that I do not know."

A Qiu suddenly remembered that Mo Yimingyue had asked her to meet at Luoyufang, and at that time, Mo Yimingyue's name was announced. As the hostess, Yuan Siniang could not possibly not know this, but she did not show up to disturb her, which must be the reason.

Mo Yimingyue said calmly, "You did very well."

At this point, even A-Qiu was confused.

Why is it that my second senior brother has been protecting Yuan Si Niang and Luo Yu Fang all these years, yet seems to have no personal feelings for them?

Mo Yimingyue said casually, "Come with me."

Mo Yimingyue led Yuan Si Niang and Yin Shang through the courtyard, passing through the artificial hill, flower corridor, and stone path in turn. He was so familiar with the place that he acted as if he were the master of the place.

To avoid being discovered by Mo Yimingyue, A Qiu carefully took a large detour and followed far behind, while fully activating the "Earth Concealment" technique, allowing his breathing, heartbeat, and footsteps to blend perfectly into the surrounding environment, seamlessly and without stagnation.

Under the swaying lanterns, a wall covered with lush green vines appeared before everyone's eyes.

The most shocked person was A-Qiu, who was watching from the side.

What appeared before her was the Frostflower Vine from her memory. The vine was thicker than a sparrow's egg, and although it was not autumn or winter, its leaves were still half green and half deep red and light yellow, a unique and bright color. Even in the darkness of night, one could feel its boundless vitality.

However, the look of surprise on Yuan Si Niang's face was fleeting, indicating that she did not think this was such an important matter.

Mo Yimingyue stood with her back to the vine wall, her voice carrying a strange air of desolation: "Does Madam know the origin of this vine in Luoyufang?"

A look of recollection flashed across Yuan Si Niang's face. She suppressed her emotions and replied, "No one has ever noticed this question before, so this is the first time I've answered it. It was a gift from a lady of the previous dynasty more than ten years ago. And this lady once did me a favor."

Upon hearing these words, A Qiu's heart was filled with turbulent emotions. She knew very well that the lady mentioned by Yuan Si Niang was very likely Mo Yi Ming Yue's mother, Lady Hua Chi, Mo Yi Bi Shuang.

Judging from Yuan Si Niang's expression, she had no intention of saying more, but for some reason, since she had already started talking, she continued.

“I was led across the river by the head of the Gongye family to Jianzhang. But the head of the Gongye family said that I would have to walk my own path from now on. At that time, I thought that all my skills and talents came from brothels. So I had the idea of ​​opening the largest brothel in Jianzhang.”

"The head of the Gongye family lent me the initial capital, allowing me to open my business. At first, we had no reputation, and there were few visitors. But after more than half a year, the situation finally improved slightly. However, Luoyufang was targeted by local thugs. Fortunately, a noble lady who happened to be passing by helped us. She immediately ordered her men to drive away the thugs. After that, not only did no one bother us anymore, but we also received a constant stream of visits from powerful and famous people. From then on, Luoyufang's business got better and better."

Yuan Si Niang continued, "Later, the Hidden Moon Clan from the North took the initiative to come to us, expressing their willingness to provide us with beautiful Hu Ji dancers. The only price they would pay was that they would collect some intelligence from banquets and private interactions, but they could also give us some intelligence from the North in exchange. I was looking to improve the business of Luo Yu Fang, so I gladly agreed to cooperate."

As A Qiu foresaw, Luoyufang would not only possess the most beautiful Hu women in all of Jianzhang, but also, through the establishment of its intelligence network, become a social venue that everyone in Jianzhang's upper class would flock to. Luoyufang's status in the brothel world was thus firmly established.

Yuan Si Niang said, "Although Luo Yu Fang's situation improved steadily afterward, I am not a fool. All this good fortune happened after that lady passed by. Although I have no evidence, I have a feeling that all of this was arranged and well-intentioned by that lady."

A Qiu thought to herself that this seemed like something Mo Yi Bi Shuang would do. She secretly observed that Yuan Si Niang could make a name for herself, and that a brothel featuring Hu women, even if it was just a business, would surely be profitable. Moreover, the intelligence network connecting the north and south would make it easier for her people to meet and trade here.

Mo Yimingyue asked, "Do you know the lady's identity and name?"