The carriage kept leaving the city, and Ling Xun didn't know at first where Lord Ma was taking him.
The carriage stopped at "Huiyue Manor" and entered the manor's gate.
A servant greeted them with great enthusiasm, and the two alighted from the carriage outside the second gate.
A beautiful woman with a plump appearance, around thirty years old, with a dignified demeanor, yet carrying an inexplicable air of brothel owner.
Upon seeing Lord Ma, she immediately greeted him politely: "Lord Ma has arrived. And who is this?"
“One of my brothers, surnamed Ling, was the top scorer in the imperial examination two years ago.”
"Oh, it's Lord Ling! You're quite the young talent. Please come in!" The woman said as she led them in. "Lord Ma, would you like some plain tea or flower tea?"
"Let me show my brother around first!"
"OK."
The woman's eyes kept glancing at Ling Xun, making him very uncomfortable.
As Ling Xun walked along, he encountered several more court officials. Observing the beautiful women or handsome young men standing beside them, Ling Xun made a guess.
Is this a brothel or a male prostitute's den?
As we passed through the various areas, it was indeed like a brothel, with many men embracing women and making all sorts of obscene noises without any attempt to conceal them.
He didn't speak, and his facial expression wasn't very clear.
Lord Ma couldn't figure out what he was really thinking and thought he was just pretending to be serious.
So, she deliberately led him slowly along one more and more explicit area after another.
Ling Xun discovered that this place was very large, and in addition to the decadent places like brothels and male prostitutes, there was also an area for elegant music and dance.
Lord Ma whispered to him, "Ling Xun, there are other things ahead, would you like to take a look?"
Ling Xun realized that once you're here, if you try to be aloof or unconventional, you might not even be able to get out alive.
All the men here are officials.
Non-cooperation will only lead to certain death.
I was instantly annoyed!
He came from a poor family, but he was honest and upright. Every promotion he has received has been based on his loyalty and integrity, not on any crooked or dishonest means.
From the moment he agreed to return to the manor with Lord Ma, he had already been caught in Lord Ma's trap.
The best course of action now is to remember these ugly faces and bring them down.
Thinking of this, he feigned embarrassment and said, "Lord Ma, I truly didn't know there were such places in the capital..."
Lord Ma shamelessly said, "This is a place for men to have fun, so don't think about anything else. When you come here, no one will talk about anyone else. Once you enter, you won't know each other, and once you leave, you won't have seen each other before."
Ling Xun nodded, a tacit understanding of going along with the wrongdoing.
He had heard of the disgraceful behavior in brothels, but he had never seen it with his own eyes. Officials who wore official robes and appeared dignified in the imperial court were so shameless here.
There is no limit to shamelessness.
In a place where "sharing happiness is worse than enjoying it alone," he saw a large group of men teasing a male prostitute.
The young male prostitute was only about ten years old, with delicate features. He had probably been trained, as his every move exuded a seductive charm.
They stuffed a pill into his mouth, and he became even more seductive, vying to get closer... The male prostitute was soon completely exhausted from their torment.
Ling Xun couldn't bear to watch any longer and turned to leave.
Lord Ma laughed heartily: "You'll get used to it."
I took him to an even more shocking place, an open area with a sign at the entrance that read, "Not a thread to touch the fish, escaping the abyss."
Literally, all men and women should undress before entering the house.
A scene of stark nakedness unfolded. Ling Xun suppressed his nausea and tried his best to memorize the faces and names of those people without showing any emotion.
Lord Ma laughed heartily and patted him on the shoulder: "You truly are the top scholar! Your temperament naturally surpasses anyone else's. It was worth bringing you here. To be honest, I almost fainted the first time I came here."
Lord Ma invited him to spend the night there, and Ling Xun did not object.
Of course, having sex with women at night is out of the question. True purity remains untainted even amidst the mud.
The next day at dawn, Lord Ma woke him up so they could return to the capital together.
Ling Xun remained silent, his eyes dark-rimmed.
Lord Ma laughed heartily and said, "Isn't this place fun? Look at you, it's your first time here, and you're already all bruised. You'll get used to it if you come back a few more times."
Upon returning to the capital, Ling Xun went back to his residence and vomited so badly in the washroom that he even brought up bile.
After washing up, they went to the palace to attend court.
Today, Empress Xie accompanied Emperor Hui as he ruled from behind a screen during court.
After court, Hua Zisheng called out to Ling Xun: "Lord Ling, His Majesty summons you to the Imperial Study."
Lord Ma patted him on the shoulder and said meaningfully, "Lord Ling has a bright future ahead of him!"
Ling Xun respectfully went to the Imperial Study. Emperor Hui was not there. The Empress was sitting behind the dragon desk. She looked at him, smiled, and said, "Nan Ke, please take a seat."
Nan Ke brought a stool for Ling Xun, but Ling Xun did not sit down. Instead, he cupped his hands in a salute and said, "Your Majesty, what business does His Majesty have with me?"
"It wasn't His Majesty who summoned you, it was I who sought you out," Empress Xie said with a smile. "I heard you and Zhaozhao are quite close?"
Ling Xun respectfully replied, "Minister Xie saved my life. I have met the Grand Secretary's wife once."
"You've met her more than once, haven't you? I heard you lived on her estate for quite some time and even helped her manage the guards?"
"Yes, I have just arrived in the capital and have no fixed abode. I am staying at the estate of the Grand Secretary's wife for a period of time."
"So you know about her training the imperial guards?"
"I am not quite sure, I am just a civil official."
Empress Xie was very displeased, and her tone turned cold: "Zhao Zhao saved your life and provided you with food and lodging for almost a year, and you're denying everything?"
"No, Your Majesty, I dare not forget the great kindness of the Lady of the Grand Secretariat. However, I truly do not know about the matter of the guards that Your Majesty asked about. Since I am staying here, it is not appropriate for me to interfere."
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