"No wonder Lu Jinchuan was willing to take on this hot potato of a chairman in the end."
Gu Yaoniang spoke in a low voice, as if deep in thought.
Upon hearing the sudden news of Lord Liu's imprisonment, the hall erupted in uproar. Those with keen political instincts, such as Gu Xingzhi and Lu Zhaoan, were immediately shaken.
Even those who were a little slow on the uptake, influenced by the atmosphere in the hall, realized that something was wrong. After exchanging whispers with acquaintances around them, they roughly understood the implications of the situation.
It was truly chaotic.
Every ordinary person will be affected to some extent by the government's decrees.
Both the Gu and Lu families are influential figures in the business world of Shuojing. Gu Xingzhi was initially unwilling to take over, and the same reason applies to Lu Zhaoan.
However, Lu Zhaoan came from the Lu family and had a different kind of influence in the court than others.
Regardless of his own thoughts, if Lu Zhaoan were to become the chairman, it would certainly be a reassuring prospect for the businessmen.
Lu Zhaoan roughly knew that at this time, the chairman not only needed to take on the responsibility of internal communication within the chamber of commerce, but also needed to be able to speak out and have influence in the imperial court.
There was no one more suitable than him.
Gu Yaoniang didn't hear Gu Xingzhi speak again, so she looked up at him.
But Gu Xingzhi had a half-smile on his face, a mocking expression that also seemed to indicate displeasure. Seeing her looking over, he said, "Lu Jinchuan? You address me quite intimately."
It has a rather sarcastic or unsettling tone.
Gu Yaoniang's face flushed red instantly. Unaware that her face was already crimson, she still stubbornly insisted, "Don't you also call him Lu Jinchuan?"
Gu Xingzhi gave a soft snort and said nothing more.
Both of them were preoccupied and remained silent all the way home.
The February winds are chilly, especially at night.
Carrying fragrance and bathed in the dappled sunlight, the car slowly drove out of the back gate of the Gu family's residence, swaying as it arrived at the Lotus Fragrance Pond and entered a magnificent mansion.
A plaque hangs high above the entrance to the mansion, boldly displaying three powerful characters: "Do Not Return Pavilion".
A woman wrapped entirely in a snow-white cloak jumped out of the car and walked straight into the house, clearly very familiar with everything in the yard.
She was completely wrapped in a cloak, obscuring her face, but she appeared somewhat thin and aloof in the winter night.
Perhaps it was a bit cold, because after a few steps she tightened her cloak again, and only a glimpse of her lotus-colored skirt could be seen from her feet, swaying with her steps.
Once inside, she unfastened the hood of her cloak, revealing one of her beautiful profiles.
Unfortunately, the long scar on the other cheek blemished her otherwise flawless face.
So it was Qiaoniang.
Yu Niang, the mother of Wu Fan Ge, is known for her decisive and efficient actions, and she has managed Wu Fan Ge with great success.
The women in brothels all make a living by selling smiles, but Wu Fan Ge is different from the other brothels.
If a woman enters a brothel nearby, she is considered to have abandoned herself and become a commodity, to be picked over by the madam and her patrons.
If one is exceptionally beautiful or possesses a special skill, and someone is willing to fawn over her and send money to the brothel, then one can still maintain some dignity and live a respectable life.
If you can't please the guests or win your mother's favor, then life will be like hell.
Brothels are full of ways to torment people. If it were just about serving others and having a hard life, that would be bearable. But the customers in brothels often have strange quirks. Sometimes, instead of using their skills on their favorite girls, they would use them on girls who are not favored.
The Wufan Pavilion is different.
The other brothels sign life-or-death contracts, allowing the girls to be trained however they want, with no regard for life or death. But Wufan Pavilion signs mostly flexible contracts with its girls. The girls are not like courtesans, but more like Wufan Pavilion's female staff, serving tea and water, playing music and painting.
The girls worked for Wufan Pavilion, and Wufan Pavilion taught the girls music, chess, calligraphy, painting, needlework, and other crafts. When guests came, they would accompany them to eat, drink, and have fun, engaging in refined pursuits.
She couldn't compare to a respectable girl from a good family, but she was far better than a prostitute who had to use her body to serve others.
If they want to leave the world in the future, they will have a skill to make a living.
The Wufan Pavilion is less a brothel and more an elegant garden for listening to music, singing, discussing books, and painting.
It's not that there aren't those who have signed a life-or-death contract; the Wufan Pavilion won't indulge them, and will discipline them however they need to be disciplined.
They never forced women into prostitution; all the women were women who voluntarily sold themselves into the profession.
A place like this can't be maintained without some skill. It's all women, and there's always someone who wants to cause trouble at Wu Fan Pavilion, but Madam Yu suppressed them all. She managed to keep all the women in the pavilion safe in Rouge Lane, and no one could force her.
This formidable figure now stood awkwardly before Qiaoniang, one hand gripping a round fan so tightly it turned white, the other hanging at his side, nervously rubbing the creases of his clothes.
Qiaoniang slowly took a sip of tea, and seeing her expression brighten with a smile, said, "Yu Niang, please sit down too."
A fragrant breeze wafted along the Lotus Fragrance Pond, its warm scent dispelling much of the night's chill. Many painted boats were moored along the pond's edge, their lively calls filling the air.
"No...no need, boss. I can answer while standing."
The room was completely dark, but Yu's mother felt as if cold sweat was seeping out on her back.
She always had to be more serious in front of Qiaoniang.
It turns out that Qiaoniang is actually the owner of Wufan Pavilion!
Seeing that Yu's mother was still standing, Qiao Niang did not insist, and still smiled gently: "Why are you nervous? I'm not going to eat you."
Yu's mother smiled awkwardly and did not reply.
She wouldn't eat people, but she was even more ruthless than one. She had personally witnessed how Qiao Gu subdued the spoiled brat who caused trouble at Wu Fan Pavilion.
Everyone thinks that it's her mother who's powerful, but they don't know that she's just relying on a powerful backer and using someone else's influence to her advantage.
She felt both respect and fear towards the woman before her.
"Alright. Then tell me."
When Xie Xiang left Tonghua Lane, it was already late at night. No one else had appeared in the room the entire time.
It was nearly curfew, but Tonghua Lane was still brightly lit and bustling with activity. The same was true of Wufan Pavilion, where red candles burned brightly, painting half the night sky crimson.
At this time, most of the guests in these pleasure houses and pleasure boats were planning to stay overnight and did not intend to go home.
Qiaoniang lowered the curtain and sighed.
This man just loves to linger among women.
She still remembered the time when the Second Master nominated the name for the Wufan Pavilion.
Upon seeing the words "Do Not Return Pavilion," she clapped her hands in approval: "If everyone lingers in the Do Not Return Pavilion, we will surely make a fortune every day, with wealth flowing in from all directions."
Gu Xingzhi smiled faintly and shook his head: "I hope that once they leave Wufan Pavilion, they will never come back."
After all... it's a brothel.
Qiao Niang's eyes were deep and unfathomable as she adjusted her fox fur collar.
It's so cold.
It should get better in a few more days.
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