Chapter 24: Good fun taking my younger brother to visit a brothel late at night
The sounds of stringed instruments mixed with the fragrance of powder and cosmetics, and Chi Mingli almost sneezed from the overly strong incense.
Chi Mingli took a peek and saw overlapping shadows behind the bead curtain. He could hear teasing voices from time to time, and his ears turned red.
His voice tightened as he said, "If Mother knew..."
Luo Wan said calmly, "Since you're here, what are you afraid of?"
She slapped a piece of silver into the servant's hand and said, "I want a nice room, and I want the prostitutes here to sing."
The eunuch weighed the silver and smiled: "Two gentlemen, please go upstairs..."
Luo Wan and Chi Mingli sat opposite each other in a private room on the second floor of the brothel.
Three or two prostitutes were very attentive in serving food and pouring wine for Chi Mingli. Chi Mingli was at a loss as to what to do. He forced a mechanical smile on his face and responded to the prostitutes' dirty talk with perfunctory "hmm, hmm, oh".
Chi Mingli finally couldn't hold it in any longer and asked Luo Wan: "Why are we here..."
Luo Wan said: "Of course I'm going to introduce you to meat."
"Ah?" Chi Mingli was already drunk and didn't react for a moment.
The prostitute beside him was amused by his silly and cute look. She gently slid her red nails across Chi Mingli's face and asked with a bit of amusement, "Young Master, you are actually a virgin?"
Chi Mingli's back was stiff, like a cat with its neck pinched, and he even held his breath.
Seeing this, Luo Wan lazily said, "What are you doing? My brother isn't very interested today."
Several prostitutes also looked unhappy. There were very few men who remained indifferent after being teased by them for a long time.
"Forget it." Luo Wan suddenly slammed his wine glass down on the table, startling the prostitutes. "Get out of here!"
Several prostitutes turned pale, and the woman in the apricot-shirted dress who was leading the group forced a smile: "Sir, please calm down. It's our fault for not serving you well..."
"Do you want me to say it a second time?" Luo Wan said coldly.
The bead curtain rustled, and the private room was suddenly mostly empty.
Chi Mingli then breathed a sigh of relief, jumped up like a live fish and gulped down half a pot of cold tea. His collar was already soaked with cold sweat.
In just half a cup of tea, the madam came in, her slender waist twisting, her hair adorned with jewels and jade dazzling everyone's eyes: "Please forgive me, my two gentlemen! Those ignorant hooves..."
Luo Wan raised his index finger, signaling her to be quiet.
The madam's eyes fell on Chi Mingli who was sleeping on the table, and her words stopped.
"Miss Ziwu, are you free today?" Luo Wan suddenly asked.
The madam's heavily powdered face trembled, and she said with an apologetic smile, "This... Miss Ziwu has caught a cold and won't be seeing guests."
Luo Wan took out a handful of golden melon seeds and asked, "Are you free?
"Half a quarter of an hour." The madam took it with a smile, "I will make sure the distinguished guest sees Miss Ziwu."
Soon, Miss Ziwu came in holding a pipa. Her clothes were as white as snow, except for a faded purple gauze tied around her waist.
The woman bowed submissively, her brows lowered, and said in a weak voice, "Sir, what song would you like to hear?"
Luo Wan propped up his chin and said, "Play your best song."
The woman lowered her head to tune the pipa, and her fingertips plucked a few scattered notes. The sound of the pipa was like pearls falling on a jade plate.
Luo Wan sang softly: "A few arches of bamboo fences and thatched cottages, the first blooms of platycodon are thick with purple mist."
The woman's fingertips slid across the strings, creating a tremolo.
“Zheng——”
A string suddenly broke and the woman looked up suddenly.
During the day, Luo Wanhua and Yinzi inquired about the situation in the brothels in the capital. The women in the brothels were divided into "qingguan" (white prostitutes) and "mingguan" (prostitutes with red hair).
And no matter which one, there is no girl named Platycodon.
But she saw a courtesan named Ziwu on the list, and her entry time coincided with that of Kikyo.
So I went to the brothel to check it out with the mentality of giving it a try.
Ziwu indeed looks very similar to the Platycodon grandiflorum described by Tangli.
There were many people in the brothel and rumors were rampant. If Feng Yuyun wanted to know that Luo Wan had been to the brothel, she would not be able to hide it from her.
What's more, someone as cautious as Feng Yuyun might have known that Platycodon was hiding in the brothel long ago.
Bringing Chi Mingli to eat meat is just a deception.
Kikyo's expression changed: "Who are you?"
"During the tenth year of Emperor Zhenzhi's reign, with the death of one person, earth-shaking changes took place in the palace." Luo Wan paused and continued, "A few years later, with the departure of one person, that group of people completely dispersed."
Luo Wan didn't have to explain it explicitly, Platycodon would naturally understand.
The first person is Ye.
The second person is Chi Wanwan.
Fine beads of sweat oozed from Kikyo's forehead.
For her, bringing up the past is nothing more than opening up the scars.
Luo Wan said succinctly: "I came back for revenge."
Kikyo hesitated for a moment: "Who are you?"
"The eldest daughter of the Chi family, Chi Wanwan."
Kikyo clearly didn't believe it: "You are not Chi Wanwan."
Although the person in front of her was dressed as a man, careful people could easily notice that she had no Adam's apple and was so pretty, so she was most likely a woman dressed as a man.
Moreover, she doesn't look alike to Chi Wanwan and has very different personalities.
During the years that Chi Wanwan grew up in a secluded house, she was trained to be patient and silent, and she would not be as ostentatious and indulgent as Luo Wan.
Seeing Kikyo's conviction, Luo Wan asked, "Tangli said I was Chi Wanwan, Shaoyao said I was Chi Wanwan, why do you say I'm not Chi Wanwan?"
When Kikyo heard these two familiar names, she was stunned for a moment: "You can fool Shaoyao, but you can't fool me. Shaoyao is a foolish and soft-hearted person. She believes whatever others say. I just don't know how you managed to deceive Tangli, the young lady's personal maid."
"After so many years as an Oiran, she should have earned enough to redeem herself. Why didn't she leave? Weren't you just waiting for this day?" Luo Wan tapped her knuckles on the table. "From now on, just recognize me as Chi Wanwan. I will avenge the Ye family mother and son for you."
"Why should I believe you? Where is the real Chi Wanwan?"
Luo Wan pointed at the sleeping Chi Mingli with his chin: "You can first take a look at who is sleeping on the table."
Kikyo stood up hesitantly and walked slowly towards Chi Mingli, who was sleeping at the desk, her fingertips trembling slightly.
The moment she saw the boy's face clearly, Kikyo took two steps back and knocked over the wine jug on the table.
"Second... Second Young Master?" Her voice was hoarse, as if squeezed out from the depths of her throat.
Why did Chi Mingli come to the brothel with the fake Chi Wanwan?
Jiejing remembered the appearance of Feng Yuyun and everyone close to her clearly.
Over the years, she has been willing to live in this place of fireworks.
Isn't it just waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to seek justice for my wife?
Now, someone comes with this opportunity.
Luo Wan slowly picked up the wine jug and said, "Do you believe I can avenge you?"
Kikyo looked up at Luo Wan's face. She lowered her head with her eyelids drooping. From this angle, her eyelashes were very long, covering her cold and sharp gaze.
Kikyo felt that if Chi Wanwan grew up under the Madam's care, she would also be fearless.
Asked: "What do you need me to do?"
"I need you to tell me everything that happened back then, word for word."
Platycodon reviewed everything that happened during Ye's pregnancy. At first, Ye just had a common cold and would be fine with a few days of careful care. However, under the prescription prescribed by Doctor Xu, her condition became more and more serious, and finally she became bedridden. Nanny Li had to personally check the decoctions and medicines.
On the day of Madam Ye's birth, all the maids who came with her as a dowry were begging for justice, except Madam Li who asked that Madam Ye be buried as soon as possible.
This proves that Luo Wan's initial suspicion of Li Ma was correct. All the maids who came with Ye's dowry were sold, but Li Ma was actually kept and returned home safely. Platycodon's statement further proves that there must be something fishy going on.
Kikyo also told Luo Wan something he had never heard before. On the day of Ye's burial, no one in the West Courtyard saw the dead baby covered in bruises.
Kikyo said, "I suspect that it was Nanny Li who hid the young master to prevent us from starting with him to investigate the cause of Madam's death."
At this moment, there was a sudden commotion downstairs.
A powerful shout pierced the floorboards: "The Imperial City Division is investigating a case—"
Kikyo frowned: "The Imperial City Bureau is cruel. If they catch you pretending to be a noble lady, all our efforts will be wasted. I will protect you and leave first."
Without having time to think about why the Imperial City Secretary suddenly appeared in the brothel, Luo Wan shook the sleeping Chi Mingli, but there was no response.
He suddenly woke up when Luo Wan poured a whole pot of wine on his face.
There were footsteps outside the door. Luo Wan quickly pulled Chi Mingli back to the table and signaled him not to speak.
When the guards discovered that there was someone in the house, they immediately went out to report it. The moment they saw the person, their eyes darkened.
Luo Wan recognized him as the person who followed her on the day of the Lantern Festival, and Chen Bezhe also recognized her.
After the Lantern Festival, Luo Wan met Jiang Cichen at the Shen Mansion, which indirectly indicated that this person was Jiang Cichen's subordinate.
After Chen Beizhe gave an order to the guards, he heard the footsteps of a team of guards, and the entire private room was guarded.
When Jiang Cichen's face appeared in Luo Wan's sight, the candlelight in the private room suddenly flickered, and her breathing and the air stagnated.
Jiang Cichen's dark brocade robe was still stained with night dew, and the sword at his waist was still untied. His eyes swept across the overturned wine jug on the table, and then fell on Luo Wan's hand that was pulling Chi Mingli's sleeve. His sword-like brows frowned almost imperceptibly.
"Miss Chi." His voice was colder than the night. "Bringing my younger brother to visit a brothel late at night is such a refined pleasure."
Enemies often meet on a narrow road.
Luo Wan's fingertips dug into his palms, but a bright smile appeared on his face: "Not as good as a major general, even the Imperial City Division can be dispatched at will."
Chi Mingli suddenly broke free from Luo Wan's hand and stumbled forward, his face full of excitement. "Young General Jiang!" He turned back to Luo Wan and said, "Chi Wanwan, you really didn't lie to me! You really took me to see Young General Jiang."
Luo Wan: “…”
Jiang Cichen's eyes darkened slightly, and he raised his hand and waved lightly.
Chen Nanyuan immediately understood and entered the private room with two black-armored guards.
"Young Master, there's a new illusionist from the Western Regions." Chen Nanyuan smiled and put his arm around Chi Mingli's shoulder, his fingertips pressing discreetly against the back of his neck. "Shall we go see something new?"
Without waiting for Chi Mingli's response, he half-supported and half-dragged the person away.
Kikyo was chained and escorted out of the room.
Luo Wan quickly chased to the front of the corridor, but Chen Beizhe blocked him with his sword.
"Miss Chi, please be at ease." He clasped his fists and saluted, his tone respectful but unquestionable. "The Imperial City Bureau enforces the law impartially. If that young lady has not committed any crime, she will be released safely."
Kikyo smiled reassuringly at Luo Wan and shook her head, indicating that she didn't need to conflict with Jiang Cichen for her sake.
She prided herself on her flawless handling of the matter, investigating the cause of Ye's death while tracing the whereabouts of the medical book.
But she could not have imagined that in the capital, Jiang Cichen was unhappy with her and had ten thousand ways to punish her.
Jiang Cichen wanted to crush a chess piece without even giving a reason.
Seeing that there was no hope of retaining him, Luo Wan sarcastically said, "The young general has only been back for a dozen days, and he has already turned the capital upside down."
Jiang Cichen said calmly, "This move has been made since I set out on the expedition three years ago."
“Is it worth it?”
Jiang Cichen hesitated for a moment: "What?"
Luo Wan said: "Is it worth it to devote all your energy to the Northern Kingdom?"
"Eat the salary of the emperor and be loyal to the emperor."
Luo Wan glanced at the huddled courtesans in the hall and chuckled, "I'm curious how long the young general can maintain his loyalty to the emperor, even to the emperor's death on the Golden Terrace."
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The author has something to say: I will add another chapter tomorrow [shy][shy][shy]
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