Capital II
There is no beauty in the world that can surpass this one; a beauty that pleases the eyes is the most beautiful; a beauty that can captivate the whole country astounds the whole world.
The magnificent red walls and green tiles, the expansive vermilion lacquered gate, and the golden nanmu plaque atop, with the three characters "Furong Tower" inscribed in a flamboyant style, exude an extraordinary sense of grandeur. From the gate, the palace appears, neither bright nor dim, illuminated by a gigantic night-shining pearl. The main hall is bustling with singing and dancing, a bustling and luxurious atmosphere. And beyond the curtains, the beauty of the place, unseen, veils a decadent atmosphere in the night.
"Tsk tsk tsk, Furong Tower, this is so unfair! This brothel is cultural, but it is so luxurious and exquisite. It's true that the market has always been in short supply regardless of the past or present."
Crouching in a corner, Aruo felt a pang of envy at the extravagant spending inside. Unfortunately, she was too plain-looking to even wave a scarf at the door to attract customers. "Why not just sell the choy sum here..."
Before she could finish her words, a hand reached out from behind and covered her mouth neatly. Cai Xin's beautiful face twisted into a ferocious demon, "You heartless person, you actually planned to sell me to a brothel!"
"Why are you here?" Aruo was startled and pried her hands apart, asking in surprise.
"Didn't you go find the little devil in the west of the city? And you even lied to me and told me not to meddle in other people's business." Cai Xin poked her forehead, "Don't I know you?"
"Tsk tsk, it turns out that the one who understands me is Cai Xin~" The beauty grumbled coquettishly, and Aruo was the most vulnerable. "Life is only one life, what's the fun in ignoring trivial matters? The meaning of life lies in tossing and turning."
She didn't want to cause trouble, but the regret she felt in the past made her unable to stand by and watch. A long time ago, she didn't expect marriage, but she expected a little life of her own.
Shuxian's child was conceived when they arrived at Chunfengli. She and Caixin had always held inexplicable and infinite expectations for this child. Now, this expectation has turned into regret, but at least she has a chance to prevent the regret from turning into a nightmare.
"Hmph, you're useless. You just want to sell me out to make money. You bastard." Cai Xin couldn't help but pinch her waist.
"What a huge misunderstanding! How could I bear to let go? My Caixin is both a beauty and a hardworking girl. You are the only one I can't exchange for money." Aruo hugged the person with his backhand and shook him, twisting his waist to avoid the attack. "Don't pinch my waist, it's my weak spot."
"I know." Otherwise, why would she pinch him? Caixin took it for granted.
The two of them squatted in the corner and quarreled for a long time before they started talking about business.
"I asked Xiaogui and the others. Before Sister Xian got into trouble, the master came here more than once." Aruo lowered his chin towards the Furong Tower, which had lit lanterns to welcome guests since dusk.
Xiao Gui was now the hidden leader of the thugs in the west of the capital, a master at sniffing out gossip. When Aruo and Caixin were planning to open their stall, they'd already inquired about the situation in the capital and were acquainted with Xiao Gui. As their interactions grew, and since they were all around the same age, they developed a friendly bond.
"No way, the teacher? The teacher who usually doesn't even dare to look at me when I pass by him?" Cai Xin was really shocked.
Since arriving in the capital, they have lived in the spring breeze. Master Wang is a man respected by their entire street. He is usually gentle and polite, and treats people courteously. When he meets a beautiful girl, he avoids her as if he wants to keep her across the street. He dares not look other women in the eye except his wife.
"Don't say you're surprised. I don't believe it either. If I hadn't been hiding from creditors behind Furong Building that day, I probably wouldn't have seen him come out the back door." Aruo curled her lips. "I asked the vegetable vendor at the back door, and he said it happened two or three times. My dear, all men are pigs."
"So you're planning on going in?" Cai Xin didn't care whether other people's men were pig's trotters or lamb belly; she only cared about Aruo. Using a flower umbrella to shield the two of them, so that Hua Niang wouldn't notice that they were squatting there for too long, Cai Xin whispered, "You won't know which girl the Master was looking for that night if you go in. And his drinking of flower wine, is that related to Sister Xian's death?"
Aruo remained silent, remembering the scent she'd smelled in the pool of blood. It was faint, yet she knew it well. "Entering through the back door doesn't necessarily mean he's looking for a girl. Didn't you forget that the owner of this place, Huan Niang, sells perfume on the black market? Maybe he's here to buy some. Since he's here, why not ask someone?"
"Are you planning on asking Miss Ruxian?" Ruxian was the top prostitute at Furong Lou, and she had just arrived in the capital at the same time as them, so they'd walked together for a while. Later, to earn some extra cash, they'd make rouge and facial cream and ask Ruxian to sell them. The facial cream that Aunt Song had recommended was quite popular among the prostitutes.
Beautiful women are jealous of each other. Caixin and Ruxian have an average relationship, but Ruxian has a good relationship with Aruo. In fact, beautiful women will have a good relationship with Aruo. She just likes beautiful women.
"Yes, just find an old lover to ask. Otherwise, I'll have to spend money. Sister Ruxian will definitely not take my money, and she might even treat me to a meal." Aruo said as a matter of course.
"Then I'll go too."
"Who would bring their whole family along to eat for free? Brother Xu's house is not far from here. Can you help me find Brother Xu and ask him what happened to the teacher? Didn't they take him back for questioning yesterday?" The man has not been released for a day and no one knows what happened.
Aruo patted her head and said, "We'll meet here later. Remember, don't ask too much. If those people from the Ministry of Justice don't say anything, then forget it. We're not trying to solve the case, we just have some clues we want to sort out. Once we figure it out, we still have to report it to the authorities."
"Why?" Cai Xin thought that she had disliked Lord Su since she was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice.
"Do you think you're a righteous man? We're good citizens. There are plenty of officials in the capital, so why do we need to investigate cases?" Aruo pushed her, "Go quickly. Come back quickly, and remember to save me if there's anything unusual."
"Really? It's not like we haven't meddled in other people's business before..." Cai Xin curled her lips. They had meddled in quite a few other people's business in recent years.
After finally sending them away, Aruo stood up and looked at the person at the door. Suddenly, a slender figure flashed into her sight, and she was so scared that she quickly squatted down. "Why is Crazy Su here?"
Covered by the flower umbrella, she looked over and saw the elegant young man opposite her, dressed in an exquisite silver-purple brocade robe, waving a folding fan with familiarity, and was welcomed in by several beautiful girls with a calm demeanor.
Aruo looked down at his own clothes, which were still not as valuable as the other person's folding fan. "He is indeed a man with silver carved into his forehead."
Those who can reincarnate are lucky no matter what era they live in. Wiping her nose, she resigned herself to her fate and turned toward the back door.
Following the little maid with two buns on her hair, Aruo walked through the back door and around the bustling front yard, and went straight to the boudoir of Ruxian, the top prostitute in Furong Tower.
As the top courtesan, Ruxian not only had her own small building here, but it was also located in a relatively central location in the backyard, and outsiders were rarely invited to visit. The treatment of the courtesan in Furong Tower was second only to that of the boss's concubine.
"Miss, you have a distinguished guest tonight. Miss Ruo, please wait inside. I'll go see if Miss has anything to tell you." The little maid opened the door and welcomed Aruo into the main hall on the first floor of the small building, and tactfully served her tea.
"Thank you, Miss Xiao Cui. I came here suddenly, but I remembered that the rouge that my sister had requested was urgently needed, so I rushed it over as soon as it was finished." Aruo placed the two boxes of rouge on the table with a smile and sipped her tea leisurely. She had been to this small building many times, and not only Ruxian's personal maid, but even the guards were quite familiar with her.
Xiao Cui had been with Ruxian for many years and knew that her young lady had a good relationship with Aruo. Aruo was also very good at dealing with things. Whenever she brought something to her, she would bring her small samples of facial cream, so the two of them had a good relationship. After all, Hua Niang relied on her looks to stand out, and the matter of rouge and powder was a big deal here.
"The young lady was thinking of you this morning. Well, Xiao Cui will go find the young lady now." Xiao Cui bowed, nodded to the guard, and left together. Although there was an important guest, her young lady had already made it clear that if that little bastard Aruo came to visit, she would be informed immediately.
There are all kinds of guests in the front yard of Furong Tower. Although Xiao Cui is a maid, she is a woman after all. When she goes out during business hours, she must bring guards with her. However, it is not to protect these little maids, but to prevent them from offending the guests or spoiling other people's fun.
Aruo sat quietly for a while, then finished a cup of tea. Then, as she knew her way around, she went up to the second floor of the small building and opened the window to look out. She had deliberately chosen to come in when Ruxian was not around, and her target today was the main building with its red tiles and flying eaves.
To reach the other side from here, one must avoid the guarded path and pass through the corridor at the back of the front courtyard, which is the VIP room, where music lingers. Beyond the corridor, across the lotus pond in the small courtyard, is the bedroom of Huanniang, the owner of Furong Tower.
Looking up at the brightly lit bustling scene, Aruo thought of Shuxian. The moment she lifted the white cloth, she was very sensitive to a familiar fragrance, very faint, and even quickly overshadowed by the smell of blood. If she hadn't used it before and the fragrance was unique, she probably wouldn't have noticed it.
"Is this the fragrance specially blended by the owner of Furong Tower, Huan Niang... I never thought that one day I would have to do such a sneaky thing again." She sighed. The fragrance dissipated too quickly. Even if she told Xu Tian and the others, they probably wouldn't believe it. She could only look for other clues.
Fortunately, Huan Niang should be entertaining people now, as for the guards over there... Aruo thought for a moment, stretched, and slowly turned out from the small building door. Her plain dark blue dress quickly blended into the night.
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard in the bustling corridor, becoming more and more abrupt amid the leisurely piano music. The exquisite carved wooden door suddenly opened, and a burst of charming fragrance wafted in the air, which was not gaudy but very captivating.
The charming woman wore her hair in a bun and wore a silk embroidered skirt with delicate peony embroidery extending from her waist to the hem. Her makeup was alluring, and her smooth facial contours had a hint of depth that was different from that of ordinary people, which made her eyes and eyebrows full of charm. She was none other than Huanniang, the owner of Furong Tower.
"What's going on?" Huan Niang asked in a low, displeased voice, her brow furrowed slightly. She was tall, with a larger frame than the average woman, but with a voluptuous figure and a provocative style, she didn't appear bulky in Furong Tower; instead, she had a unique, exotic beauty.
"Young Master Fang got drunk and started making a fuss in the front. He injured Miss Rumeng... and also smashed the elegant room." The guard lowered his voice and pointed to the noise in front.
"It's this playboy again. Send more people over to calm the situation down quickly and don't spoil the fun for other guests. If he makes trouble again, don't be too cautious and just throw him out." The old man of the Fang family was reported recently for a serious crime, so there was no need to be too polite.
Huan Niang winked at the guard over there, turned around, put on a gentle smile, and gently closed the door.
After waiting for everyone to pass, Aruo carefully poked his head out from the blind spot, and after making sure that there was no one there, he crouched down and crawled under the window. The pleasant and melodious sound of the pipa came from the room, which was soft and gentle.
"I've always heard that Lord Su has a clean and upright family. I didn't expect to see you here." A soft voice came from the music, with a hint of teasing.
"The immortal lady of Furong Tower is renowned in the capital. Her virtue and beauty are truly unparalleled. Even a saint would find it difficult to remain calm in the face of such a beauty, let alone Su, who is merely a mortal."
The familiar voice made Aruo pause. Was he Sister Ruxian's distinguished guest?
He remained silent for a while while crawling, then heard Huanniang's coquettish smile and Ruxian's soft whisper with a rare seductive ending. Aruo was finally overcome by curiosity.
Cautiously raising his upper body, he saw from this angle that he could see a musical instrument stand. Next to the stand was a large bronze mirror, which perfectly reflected the two main seats. Instead of the man in white teasing the beauty with a folding fan and feeding her wine, Aruo's gaze subconsciously fell on another person.
A man in brocade clothes, his long hair tied up, crossed his legs in a heroic pose. A beautiful woman in red sat on his lap, her delicate figure even more graceful than Huan Niang's. As the beauty giggled, the man's arm slowly slid around her slender waist, his other hand gently lifting her chin. His face, half-smiling, was elegant yet tinged with a hint of seductive frivolity.
Aruo smacked his lips in amazement. There were exquisite snacks on the table and a guqin worth a thousand gold on the stand. Top performers Ruxian and Rujin were there to accompany him, and Huanniang was serving wine. Wow, he was indeed a high-level money player.
That old man is lying. His claims of being chaste and not having a concubine are all lies. He's been spending a lot of money having fun outside. Aruo curled his lips and thought with disdain.
Suddenly, the person in the mirror's eyes became fierce. Aruo tensed up instantly and reacted extremely quickly, rolling down the corridor and slipping into the gap under the corridor.
"What's wrong?" another person asked curiously.
Aruo subconsciously held her breath, but suddenly there was a weight at her feet, and she almost screamed in fright. A mass of something darted out from under her feet, meowing and leaping onto the corridor.
"Xuetuan?" Rujin poked her head out and stretched out her hand toward the cat, "Come here."
The white cat meowed, jumped onto the windowsill, and nestled into the woman's arms.
"It seems to be a very curious cat." Su Zirui chuckled by the window, lowered his eyes slightly, and his thick eyelashes hid the mockery in his eyes.
The sound of the pipa started again, and the aroma of wine and the fragrance of the daughter intertwined. Aruo did not dare to stay and left in rhythm.
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