Chapter 76 Longyang, as long as it's you, I'll do anything.
Although Xie Lanzhou had made many arrangements before leaving, more than a month had passed since they left, and there were still many memorials piled up on the desk in the Imperial Study.
Su Panyue accompanied him for three days, but the two of them were extremely inefficient, often starting to do other things while looking at the document, which slowed down their progress.
On the fourth day, when Xie Lanzhou tried to take her to the Imperial Study to read memorials again, Su Panyue, after much agonizing thought, decided to make a three-point agreement with him.
She said, feigning seriousness, "If you touch me while I'm reading the memorial to you again, you won't be allowed in bed!"
Xie Lanzhou chuckled softly, "It's fine not to be in bed."
Su Panyue was so angry that she raised her hand to slap him, and continued to threaten, "If you keep doing this, I won't go with you anymore, I'll go shopping by myself!"
Xie Lanzhou pondered for a moment upon hearing this, and surprisingly nodded in agreement, "Let Feixue and Feiyan accompany you, and the money can be taken directly from the private treasury."
"Really?" Su Panyue asked in surprise, "Then I'm really off."
Xie Lanzhou nodded and then added, "It's cold, wear more clothes when you go out."
"Okay!" Su Panyue replied and started to walk out.
Inside, Xie Lanzhou was still reminding them, "Remember to bring a hand warmer."
Su Panyue waved her hand, "Alright, alright, I know. Your Majesty, please focus on your official duties. I won't disturb you any longer."
After saying that, he left the Imperial Study in a flash.
Xie Lanzhou shook his head and chuckled as he watched her retreating figure, then glanced impatiently at the mountain of memorials piled up in front of him.
Many of these were former officials of the State of Lu, whom he retained and continued to employ, and they submitted memorials expressing their loyalty.
Xie Lanzhou called Shouxi over, pointed to a seat, and said, "You sit here."
Sukiyaki obeyed and sat down.
Immediately, Xie Lanzhou tossed a memorial to the emperor, which landed precisely in front of him.
Suki was stunned for a moment, not realizing what he was asked to do.
Xie Lanzhou instructed, "Compile the names and ranks of the officials in these memorials into a book, do you know how?"
Shouxi nodded hurriedly. It was a must for eunuchs who could serve by His Majesty to be literate. However, he had never thought that he would have the opportunity to do these things for His Majesty. He was overjoyed.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Xie Lanzhou nodded, "Write faster."
He then began to skim through the memorials on the table, approving some immediately, throwing some onto the table in front of Shouxi, and tossing others directly onto the ground.
This method significantly increased the speed, and in just half a day, half of the memorials on the table were gone.
Xie Lanzhou looked up at the sky, stood up and stretched his arms, glanced at Shouxi who was still writing furiously beside him, and said in a low voice, "If you're tired, take a rest. I'm going out for a bit."
Shouxi Gong responded respectfully, but showed no intention of resting.
Xie Lanzhou went to Huaqing Palace, but the palace servants said that the Empress had not yet returned, so he changed his clothes and rode out of the palace gate.
Almost without hesitation, he went straight to the most bustling street in the East City.
Su Panyue enjoys lively places, so she will definitely be wandering around this area.
As he had guessed, Su Panyue not only loitered around here, but also entered the biggest den of iniquity in the area, Yimenglou.
Su Panyue made thorough preparations for her appearance today, not only changing herself into men's clothing, but also dressing Feixue and Feiyan who followed her.
She had lived in the capital of Lu for many years, but there was only one place she had never been to: Yimeng Tower.
I've heard that a courtesan performance is held at this brothel on the fifteenth of every month. Guests can tip the courtesan during the performance, and the person who tips the most has the chance to spend the night with her.
Today happens to be the fifteenth, and Su Panyue's arrival is just in time.
Upon entering the building, a madam greeted them, subtly observing the attire of Su Panyue and her companions, and immediately discerning their identities as women.
But the madam was already used to the ways of the world. Some noble ladies would do this because they couldn't reveal their identities, while most of them would not seek male prostitutes but instead seek out female prostitutes.
So she quickly and warmly invited the three of them into the side room.
The room was filled with a subtle fragrance and was elegantly decorated, unlike any other place of ill repute. Only the huge canopy bed placed against the wall seemed a bit odd.
Su Panyue sat down and asked the real purpose of her visit, "When will the courtesan appear? Is it possible to see her here?"
The madam replied with a smile, "Don't be in a hurry, sir. Sit for a moment, and Qingmeng will be out soon—you can see her from here."
As she spoke, she pulled back one of the curtains, revealing that there was nothing behind it, allowing her to lean on the railing and see the platform below.
Su Panyue nodded in satisfaction and took out a gold leaf, handing it to the madam.
The madam was overjoyed, thanked her, and left.
Su Panyue sat by the railing, watching with great interest as several scantily clad women danced below.
Feixue asked worriedly, "It's getting dark soon, when does Your Highness plan to return to the palace?"
Su Panyue was more interested in watching the commotion below, and casually waved her hand, saying, "No rush, His Majesty is very busy today and has no time to care about me."
Feixue sighed and didn't try to persuade her any further.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the sound of the wind instruments gradually faded, and everyone quieted down on their own.
A fragrant breeze carried a flurry of petals as a courtesan in a red dress descended from the sky, eliciting gasps of surprise.
Su Panyue also approached the railing and looked down curiously, only to find her eyes meeting those of Xie Lanzhou, who had just entered.
She felt instantly guilty and, no longer caring about the courtesan, quickly pulled the curtain up, praying that he hadn't recognized her.
Feiyan asked curiously, "My lady, why did you stop watching?"
Su Panyue whispered, "His Majesty is here! I just saw him."
Feiyan asked instinctively, "Why would Your Majesty come to a place like this?"
These words reminded Su Panyue that it was not a good idea for her to come to this brothel disguised as a man. He was a man, so his intentions were obvious.
Su Panyue immediately disregarded her guilty conscience and stood up, intending to confront him.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and there stood Xie Lanzhou, who had been downstairs just moments before.
Feixue Feiyan immediately bowed, while Su Panyue stood still, seemingly somewhat displeased.
Xie Lanzhou waved his hand, dismissing Feixue and Feiyan, then sat down on his own, poured himself a cup of tea, and said in a calm tone:
"Your Majesty the Empress has such refined tastes."
Hearing this, Su Panyue felt even more aggrieved. She frowned, her eyes reddened, and she stood there without saying a word.
Xie Lanzhou looked up and saw her expression, then stood up abruptly, grabbed her hand and looked her up and down, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Su Panyue took a deep breath. "Why did Your Majesty come here? Is it also for today's courtesan?" She then glared at him.
Upon hearing this, Xie Lanzhou seemed to understand something, and asked with pursed lips, "What courtesan? So you came here to see the courtesan."
“Aren’t you?” Su Panyue retorted.
"I don't care who the courtesan is, I'm here to find my wife." Xie Lanzhou said, taking her hand and holding it in his palm.
Su Panyue lowered her eyes and remained silent. After realizing what was happening, she asked, "You sent someone to follow me?"
"It's protection. I've sent several bodyguards to protect you," Xie Lanzhou said righteously.
"You've been stalking me!" Su Panyue said unhappily. "You're restricting my freedom!"
Xie Lanzhou couldn't help but laugh. "If I were restricting your freedom, would you be here?"
In the end, we've come full circle back to the original topic.
Su Panyue snorted and sat down. "Fine, I won't argue with you."
Xie Lanzhou sat down next to her, took one of her hands and played with it, stroking it in a relaxed manner.
The melodious sound of a piano drifted down from downstairs, and Su Panyue curiously lifted the curtain again to look down.
The courtesan, dressed in red, danced gracefully on stage to the music of the zither and drums, her figure swaying and exuding charm with every movement.
However, her face was covered by a thin veil, making it impossible to see her features clearly; only her bright and captivating eyes were visible.
People below kept shouting for her to take off her veil, and there were also many customers giving her tips, making it quite a lively scene.
The courtesan spun around and around on the stage. As the drumbeats quickened, her movements became faster and faster. Her veil fell off at some point, revealing a beautiful and captivating face.
Su Panyue watched with great interest and couldn't help but nod. She was indeed a beauty, especially in her every move. If she were a man, she would probably be tempted.
Thinking this, she turned her head to look at Xie Lanzhou sitting next to her.
The man was intently holding her fingers, his attention completely elsewhere than to the courtesan downstairs; he was looking down, lost in thought.
Su Panyue couldn't help but ask, "Is it pretty?"
Hearing this, Xie Lanzhou looked up at her and replied earnestly, "It looks good. Your men's attire has a unique charm."
Unexpectedly, he praised her. Su Panyue was first happy, then speechless. "He wasn't talking about me, he was talking about the courtesan below."
Only after being reminded did Xie Lanzhou glance down indifferently, then look away without any interest and shake his head.
Judging from his indifferent expression, if Su Panyue hadn't experienced it firsthand, she would have thought he had some unspeakable secret.
She pouted and didn't leave him, watching the commotion below.
After the courtesan made her appearance, the madam came up and announced the price. Everyone present could bid to win the courtesan's one-night stand, with the highest bidder winning.
Many brightly dressed young noblemen offered their bids, quickly raising the price to eight hundred taels, leaving Su Panyue speechless.
"It's so expensive? Just to sleep with the courtesan?"
Xie Lanzhou raised an eyebrow and glanced at him, then said coldly, "Sleeping is a minor matter; it's more about saving face."
Su Panyue nodded as if she understood, and looked at the courtesan on the stage listening to the price go up from below with a blank expression. Suddenly, she felt a little bored.
"This is boring, let's go." Su Panyue looked away and turned to Xie Lanzhou.
He gave a nonchalant reply, "Let's go back and do something more interesting."
"What is it?" Su Panyue asked subconsciously.
Xie Lanzhou took her hand and walked downstairs, raising an eyebrow but not answering her question.
Both men were strikingly handsome and dressed as men, attracting considerable attention as they passed through the lobby.
"Look over there, homosexuality is rampant, what a decline in the morals of the world."
"So what? Didn't you see that this young man is even more handsome than the courtesan on stage? Look at that delicate face, oh my..."
A few people were whispering over, which Su Panyue didn't hear, but Xie Lanzhou, with his keen hearing, heard it clearly.
He glanced coldly at the two people discussing, without pausing for a moment, but the hidden guards were already poised to strike.
Once the two were seated in the carriage, chaos erupted within Yimeng Tower. The auction for the courtesan was forced to a halt, and the two gossipers who had been spreading rumors earlier lay dead in a pool of blood.
Unaware of what was happening, Su Panyue, sitting comfortably in the carriage and dozing in Xie Lanzhou's arms, asked, "Have you finished reviewing the memorials? Your Majesty is coming out of the palace to play."
Xie Lanzhou looked down at her chest, which was bound but still clearly defined, and replied, "Most of it has been approved. We'll continue tomorrow."
"So fast? Your Majesty is truly diligent in serving the people." Su Panyue praised perfunctorily.
"Then how will you reward me?" Xie Lanzhou finally couldn't help but raise his hand and stroke her shoulder, revealing his true colors.
Su Panyue tilted her head back and kissed him on the cheek, a fleeting touch like a dragonfly skimming the water.
Little did he know that this reward was more like a fuse, instantly igniting every nerve in his body.
"Your outfit is quite nice," Xie Lanzhou said, touching the men's belt around her waist.
"Hey, why are you untying my belt?" Su Panyue exclaimed in alarm, clutching her clothes with both hands.
"Don't come any closer! You can't help but act like a beast even when I'm dressed as a man?" she said, unable to hide her surprise.
"Yes, as long as it's you, I'll do anything." The man's deep voice sounded even more magnetic in the enclosed carriage.
Then only the woman's broken sobs could be heard, which quickly dissipated in the cold, windy night.
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Author's Note: Are there any readers who've followed this far? Please leave a comment with some "nutrient solution" [pleading emoji]
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