After dinner, He Yan went upstairs holding on to the railing.

The dishes were naturally delicious, but not a single grain of rice was left. Even though they were delicacies, they were hard to swallow in the end. After finally finishing them and getting the right to eat tomorrow, Xiao Ergong glanced at them and laughed at them, saying, "You are really generous."

If he hadn't said not to waste it, would she have been such a glutton in front of so many people? The other diners looked at her strangely, and He Yan felt ashamed.

She was too full to talk to Xiao Jue, so she followed the staff upstairs. Fei Nu didn't follow her either, but she didn't care. As soon as she entered the room, she lay down on the bed.

This is really unbearable. I can't even walk.

The touch was soft and comfortable, He Yan couldn't help but roll over on the bed. So it's good to have money, you can enjoy this kind of living when you go out. Xiao Jue's room was next door. She put her ears against the wall, trying to listen to what Xiao Jue was doing over there. She didn't know if the wall of the room was too thick, she couldn't hear anything at all.

As he listened, He Yan fell asleep.

Today, she rushed for a long time, and when she came back, she had a good meal and a good drink. The bed was so comfortable that it was hard not to sleep. When He Yan woke up, the sun had completely set and the moon had come out. She opened the window and saw that the lanterns were already lit downstairs. Not far away, she could hear the singing of a singing girl in the restaurant.

He Yan rubbed his eyes, drank a glass of water, stood up, opened the door, walked to Xiao Jue's room, and knocked on the door.

After a while, someone in the room said, "Come in."

He Yan walked in. The light was on in the room. Fei Nu was guarding the door. Xiao Jue was sitting at the table, reading a book in his hand.

Doesn't this guy feel sleepy? I didn't see him working so hard in Xianchang Hall, but now he is working hard. He Yan felt ashamed. Look, this is what learning never stops. She stretched her neck to see what book Xiao Jue was reading, but she saw him close the book and she could not see anything.

He raised his eyes, his gaze was very cold, "What's the matter?"

He Yan asked: "Commander, what do you do at night?"

"Nothing."

"Are you not going out?"

He asked, "What do you want to say?"

"I want to say," He Yan smiled, "If you have nothing to do, I want to go out for a walk. This is also my first time in Liangzhou City, and I want to see if there are any interesting gadgets around," she lied, "If I come across something suitable, I will buy some and bring them back to give to my fiancée."

Xiao Jue didn't seem to be interested in her affairs and said calmly, "It's up to you."

He Yan was overjoyed and said, "That's great, Governor. I'm leaving first!"

She almost jumped downstairs. After she left, Xiao Jue said, "Fei Nu."

The guard already understood and said, "Master, I will follow him."

"Don't follow too closely," he said, "be careful not to be discovered."

"I understand."

…

He Yan went out excitedly.

Yuan Baozhen hadn't arrived in Liangzhou yet. They were staying in the inn for the next few days. They hadn't told the county magistrate that they had come to the city in advance. In addition to repairing the piano, Xiao Jue probably had other things to deal with. But He Yan didn't plan to follow him. At least for now, Xiao Jue didn't trust her at all. Why bother trying to please someone who didn't like her? She didn't want to read in the inn like Xiao Jue, as it would remind her of the terrible memories when she was studying at Xianchang Hall.

The night was just right, so she took advantage of this time to walk around. Although Yuan Baozhen had not yet arrived in Liangzhou, this was not the only way to find out about the He family. As long as she shouted "I know that General Feihong has been..." in any tavern or teahouse, she would be able to generate countless conversations. She was not bragging, but during her most famous years, storytellers in many places would tell stories about General Feihong every day.

Of course, I'd also like to talk about General Feng Yun.

At night in Liangzhou City, there were not as many people on the street as in Shuojing, but it was not deserted either. The street vendors also sold local products. He Yan looked around as she walked. She only had a silver ingot that she got when she fought for the flag.

Although Xiao Jue was her "uncle", he had no intention of giving her money to spend. Fortunately, He Yan had already eaten and drunk enough and didn't want to spend money, so he just looked at it without buying anything.

A dozen steps behind her, Fei Nu was following closely.

Xiao Jue suspected that He Yan had a different identity, so he brought her to Liangzhou City this time to keep an eye on her to see if she was secretly contacting Xu Jingfu's people. Fei Nu followed her with all his heart and soul, but he still had a little doubt.

This young man walked and looked around, as if he had never been out shopping before, he was extremely curious. He said he wanted to buy some small things for his fiancée, but he looked at a lot of things, but he didn't buy any. Either he was a miser who couldn't even give a box of cosmetics to the girl. Or he was lying and was just covering it up.

He Yan turned a street and walked into an alley. Fei Nu remembered what Xiao Jue said and didn't dare to follow too closely. He waited until he estimated that He Yan was almost at the end of the alley before turning in. As soon as he entered, he was stunned. The alley was empty, with only a few hanging lanterns fluttering in the wind. Where could there be any human figures?

Fei Nu thought to himself that something was wrong and walked quickly to the end of the alley. At the end of the alley was a road with crowds of people on both sides. He did not see the young man.

After being discovered, he clenched his hands tightly, but not only that, he also lost the person.

He Yan swung his sleeves and walked forward.

Liangzhou City seemed to be not peaceful, with many bandits. She had just arrived and had not yet found her way around when someone followed her. The other person had followed her all the way, and it seemed that she had not offended anyone yet, so he probably wanted to take advantage of her misfortune. However, she was still keeping an eye on Cheng Lisu's identity, and Xiao Jue was still staying at the Inn, so it was better not to cause trouble. So she did not take action, and did not even fight with the other person, but just quietly got rid of the person behind her.

Without the tail, it was easier to walk around. But looking for it this way was not a good idea, so He Yan stopped a passerby on the street and said with a smile: "Brother, do you know where the largest tavern in the city is?"

The man looked her up and down, and seeing that He Yan was dressed richly and looked extraordinary, he guessed that she was the young master of a wealthy family, so he spoke in a particularly friendly tone, "The largest tavern is Wanhua Pavilion."

"Thank you," He Yan asked again, "How do I get to Wanhua Pavilion?"

"Not far. Just walk along this street until you reach the end. You will see a rice shop. Turn left and you will see it a short distance away."

"Thank you so much, brother." He Yan bowed to him again, then walked forward with a smile on his face.

It was exactly as the man had said. Not long after walking, I could hear the sound of a pipa if I walked straight to the left of the rice shop. There were also many richly dressed young men and ladies walking towards that end. Needless to say, it was the Wanhua Pavilion.

He Yan also followed the crowd and walked inside.

Before she reached the door, she felt a burst of fragrant wind blowing towards her nose. He Yan paused, and just when she felt something was a little strange, a ball of red fragrance suddenly blew in front of her eyes. A snow-white arm climbed onto her shoulder, and the girl's coquettish smile was a little seductive, "Sir, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time in our Wanhua Pavilion?"

He Yan: “…”

Wasn't she asking about the biggest tavern? Could anyone tell her why the Wanhua Pavilion that person was talking about was actually a brothel?

He Yan said, "I'm not here." She tried to push the girl's hand away, but the girl didn't get angry when she heard it. Instead, she got closer to her. He Yan's arm directly touched something soft and she immediately looked embarrassed.

Even though they are both women, this is really too intimate!

The girl in red carried He Yan inside, saying as she walked, "Even if you don't come here, you can come in and take a look. Our Wanhua Pavilion is really fun."

The other party was a woman, and he couldn't treat her the same way he treated Wang Jiugui. He Yan had no choice but to say, "Miss, I don't have any money. I'm very poor."

The woman glanced at her outfit from head to toe and chuckled, "Young Master, you are really good at joking. You can't be so stingy. If you really want to be stingy, it's okay. Yun Yan will treat you to a drink today, and I won't charge you money. Is that okay?"

The strong pungent incense on her body made He Yan dizzy, and before he knew it, he was pulled into the Wanhua Pavilion by the woman named Yun Yan. As soon as he entered, he felt the warmth and the fragrant breeze blowing on his face. On the stage, a young lady of good age, wearing thin clothes, was playing the piano and singing, and a group of young men and scholars were sitting below the stage cheering, giving gifts and couplets, and enjoying the life of luxury.

There were people everywhere. He Yan hadn't seen such a scene for a long time. He stopped for a moment, not knowing where to go. Yun Yan saw this and giggled, then pulled He Yan's arm again, "Sir, let's go upstairs. There are too many people here. You are so handsome, I'm afraid someone will come and snatch you away." After saying that, she touched He Yan's face.

He Yan just felt a chill, like a rabbit in a wolf's den, uncomfortable all over. But Yun Yan was passionate, she didn't even bother to look at He Yan's expression, she just pulled He Yan upstairs.

Wanhua Pavilion has several floors. The lowest floor is a long platform where the brothel girls play music and dance. Above is the elegant room, which requires more money and is used to entertain distinguished guests. Above that is where the girls live.

Yun Yan was not very pretty in Wanhua Pavilion, and there were not many patrons who came to take care of her. Today, she finally caught He Yan, a rich young man, at the door, so she was reluctant to let him go easily. He Yan was also handsome, and if other girls saw him, they would inevitably come to snatch him away. There were too many people and too little porridge, so of course she had to act first and lock him in her room first.

She kept holding He Yan's hand and refused to let go. He Yan was thinking about how to get away more naturally. When he went upstairs, he no longer saw the patron who was hugging the girl.

"Is there no one up here?" He Yan asked.

Yun Yan smiled and said, "Not everyone can enter the lady's bedroom, sir, don't be so ungrateful."

The girls here were fierce and bold, and He Yan didn't know how to resist. When passing by a room, the door suddenly opened, and a person with loose hair rushed out. As soon as she rushed to the door, she was grabbed by the hair and dragged back. Before He Yan had time to take a closer look, the door was closed with a "bang", almost hitting her nose and knocking her fan away.

All this happened so fast that He Yan was stunned for a moment. Yun Yan hurried forward and asked, "Sir, are you okay? Did you get hurt just now?"

He Yan shook her head, bent down to pick up the fan, and then turned her head to look at the closed door. She had excellent hearing and heard the faint sound of a woman crying from inside, and then the sound of a nanny scolding someone.

"Here..." He Yan reached out to push the door.

"Sir, you can't do that!" Yun Yan stopped his action, "What are you doing?" There was a hint of caution in her eyes.

He Yan's mind moved, and when he raised his eyes again, his eyes were full of curiosity, "Who is in here? What was he doing just now?"

After all, it was Rong'er's first time in a brothel, and she knew nothing. Yun Yan felt a little contempt in her heart, but she smiled and took He Yan's arm again, "She is a new girl in our building. She doesn't know the rules and regulations, and she bumped into a customer. The nanny is teaching her now."

"Are there any girls in your building who don't know the rules?" He Yan said calmly, "I thought they were all as considerate as you."

Yun Yan was delighted by these words and said angrily, "Young Master, you are really sweet-talking. We grew up in a brothel and didn't know the rules. We didn't dare to offend customers. But some people are different. They have never suffered any setbacks in their lives. When they suddenly encounter a big change, they think they are still the same young lady as before. They are arrogant and willful, and they will always suffer. After a few more times, you will understand."

He Yan raised his eyebrows: "So she is from a good family."

"Sir," Yun Yan pretended to be angry and lightly punched He Yan's chest with her pink fist, saying, "Does that mean you look down on us brothel girls?"

He Yan laughed softly: "How could that be? Compared to a wild cat with claws, a well-behaved girl is of course more lovable."

She was born with a delicate appearance, and in her elegant clothes, she looked like a handsome young man. If she pretended to be more romantic, she could charm a lot of young women. As expected, Yun Yan was also a little distracted by her smile, and she spoke more unconsciously.

"Even so, some people like this kind of wild cat with a bad temper. Even though the people in this room don't know the rules, the young master of our Liangzhou County Magistrate's Mansion has specifically asked for her. I don't know where this luck comes from." At this point, he seemed a little jealous.

"The young master of the county magistrate's mansion?" He Yan's mind was in a state of confusion, but his expression did not show any flaws. He just looked at her in surprise: "The person in this room is so beautiful, even the young master of the county magistrate came here because of her reputation?"

"What do you mean by coming here because of her reputation?" Yun Yan said in disbelief. "This girl just came to our building, and my mother asked her to entertain a guest, and the guest was Mr. Sun. Who knew that she would be so fierce that she not only refused to serve Mr. Sun, but also stabbed his arm with a hairpin."

"Mr. Sun is the only son of Sunzhi County. How can we just let it go like this? Let mom train this girl for a few days and send her away when she is obedient."

As Yun Yan walked forward, she said, "This girl is actually quite strong-willed. It's been three days, and she's still like this just now. We haven't seen such a strong-willed girl in Wanhua Pavilion for a long time."

"What should we do?" He Yan waved his fan and said worriedly, "If we don't discipline him well, how are you going to report to Master Sun?"

"You are joking, sir. There is no girl in Wanhua Pavilion who is difficult to discipline. No matter how stubborn a girl is, she will be unable to do anything if she drinks some drugs. I think this girl is asking for trouble. If she is obedient and coaxes Master Sun, she may even be able to become a concubine. Now, even if she sleeps with Master Sun, I am afraid she will not be able to please him. I don't know how miserable her end will be."

As she spoke, she felt jealous but also a little sympathetic.

"Maybe she'll figure it out in the next few days." He Yan comforted her, "There's no need to worry too much."

Yun Yan shook her head: "I'm afraid there's no time. Soon, Mr. Sun's people will come to pick us up. I was just putting on makeup."

He Yan didn't say anything.

Yun Yan seemed to realize that she had said too much, so she put on the same charming smile as at the beginning, pulled He Yan to a room at the end, and pushed He Yan in: "Look, how come you and I always talk about other people's affairs? Sir, why don't we talk about ourselves."

This is a girl's chamber, not very big, with rouge and powder on the dressing table, and red hibiscus curtains, which makes one feel that spring nights are too short.

She put her hands around He Yan's neck again.

He Yan's scalp was tingling, but he still had to put on the demeanor of a playboy and said with a smile, "It's naturally good to have a beautiful woman in your arms, but don't you think something is missing?"

Yun Yan asked: "What's missing?"

"Of course it's good wine. The young lady and I hit it off right away. In this situation, we should drink a glass together." She thought about the scene when she saw He Yuanliang playing with the concubines in the mansion in the past, and tapped Yun Yan's nose. "Aren't you going to treat me to a drink? Are you lying to me?"

The handsome young man flirted with her, and even a woman of pleasure couldn't help but be moved. Yun Yan stamped her feet and said, "How could it be? Wait, I'll go get some wine now, tonight... let's get drunk together."

She threw a coquettish look and walked out the door with her waist twisted. After she left, He Yan sat down on the chair and breathed a sigh of relief. Learning how to go to a brothel was something she was not good at, whether in the past or now. It was really killing her. It was even more terrible than going to Xianchang Hall to study.

She flicked her sleeves again, and a small ball of paper rolled out from her sleeves.

When she passed by that room just now, someone suddenly rushed out and was caught back. In that short time, a ball of paper was thrown out. She was afraid of being discovered by Yun Yan, so she threw her fan down to cover the ball of paper. When she bent down to pick up the fan, she picked up the ball of paper again.

He was afraid of being discovered by Yun Yan all the way, so he didn't dare to take it out until now. The paper ball was crumpled and scattered, He Yan unfolded it and saw two words written on it.

Save me.

The handwriting was written with eyebrow pencil and is a little blurry. The person who wrote it must have been very nervous. Even so, one can still see that the hairpin-shaped small calligraphy is particularly beautiful.

There was a girl locked up in that room.

Although Yun Yan's words were high-sounding, in the end, it was nothing more than four words: forcing a woman of good character into prostitution. Now that she was with Xiao Jue, she shouldn't have cared about these things to avoid getting into trouble, but since she knew about this, she had been filled with resentment and it was hard for her to just stand by and watch.

He Yan put the paper ball away again, stood up, pushed the door and left.

When Yun Yan came back with the wine, the house was already empty. She was stunned for a long while, stamped her feet, and cursed, "Liar!"

…

The night gradually deepened.

The singing in Wanhua Pavilion became more and more seductive and ambiguous. Men and women were cuddling together, talking and laughing intimately. It was hard to tell whether they were just playing around or expressing their true feelings.

The moon here is not as bright as the one in the guardhouse, probably because there is no mountain behind it or by the river, so it is less bright and more hazy.

In the teahouse opposite the Wanhua Pavilion, a young man in brocade clothes was sitting and drinking tea.

After all, he couldn't bear to spend the silver, so He Yan picked a button from Cheng Lisu's clothes. The button was inlaid with gold, and He Yan used the button to buy a cup of tea, the cheapest kind.

The owner of the teahouse had probably never seen such a strange woman who was wearing gorgeous clothes but was asked to pay by buttons. He looked at her with an indescribable look and said, "Young man, you should keep the button for yourself. I'll give you this cup of tea. No money required."

He Yan: "...Thank you." She put the button away leisurely, thinking about sewing it back to Cheng Lisu later. Why later? Of course, it was because she had to go out in the next few days, what if she had to drink tea again? It would save her from having to rip it off a second time after sewing it on.

If Cheng Lisu knew that He Yan actually had such thoughts, she would probably regret lending her the clothes.

As the night deepened, Wanhua Pavilion became more and more lively. More and more guests came to the pavilion, and very few left. With such a beautiful woman in one's arms, one would naturally be reluctant to leave. At this time, someone came out of Wanhua Pavilion, and it was very clear.

A carriage stopped in front of Wanhua Pavilion.

Two fat maids helped a woman out. Half of the woman leaned on one of the maids, as if she was drunk. He Yan looked closely and found that it was more like they were carrying her than helping her walk.

This is probably the strong-willed girl that Yun Yan mentioned, who was favored by Young Master Sun.

Miss Ganglie was sent to the carriage, and the carriage took her away. In addition to the coachman, there were two guards following beside them, just like escorts. He Yan spat in his heart, this really is openly treating people as goods.

She put down the teacup in her hand and followed quietly.

There weren't many lanterns on the streets of Liangzhou City, so the night seemed particularly dark. Several times He Yan felt that the carriage was almost blending into the long night.

The two guards were sitting on the carriage and talking.

"You've been much more obedient today, not making a sound at all."

"After entering the Wanhua Pavilion, is there anything good to come of it? This girl is too ignorant of current affairs. If she had been obedient earlier, why would she have to endure all this torture?"

"Didn't she say that she was a daughter of a wealthy family? It's normal for her to be depressed. But it's just right. The young master doesn't like her. After tonight, maybe it will be a good thing for you and me."

The two looked at each other and laughed in an extremely obscene manner.

As they were talking, suddenly, the carriage tilted forward, almost throwing them off. One of them raised his head and shouted, "Hey! What's going on?"

Under the low eaves, there was a man sitting. He was wearing a brocade dress, with his hair tied up. Half of his face was covered by a sweat towel, revealing only a pair of eyes. He seemed to be smiling, but it was not clear in the dark night. He was throwing a few stones up and down in his hands, and the reason why the carriage stopped was because a stone scratched the wheel and the carriage could not move.

"Who are you?" the guard got off the carriage and shouted.

"Are you mentally ill?" the man spoke in a low, vague voice, but his arrogance could not be concealed. He pointed at himself and said, "I am dressed like this, so of course I am robbing."

Robbery?

In broad daylight, no, okay, it was a dark and windy night, but I haven't heard this term in Liangzhou City for a long time. The important thing is, there are still people in Liangzhou City who dare to rob them?

"I think you are tired of living!" The guard sneered, "Do you know who we are?"

"I know." The man said lazily, "The prefect's Sun family, the Sun family."

"Knowing this, you still dare..."

"I dare!" His words were interrupted by someone, and the next moment, the man swooped down from the eaves and rushed towards him.

It was late at night, and there was no one on the road. The driver had already abandoned the carriage and ran away in a hurry. But the two guards could not give up, and in a moment, the three of them were entangled in a fight.

The noise outside seemed to have startled the people in the carriage. There were also rustling sounds inside the carriage, and the people inside seemed to want to get out. He Yan shouted, "Stay inside, don't move!"

Suddenly, the voice disappeared without a trace. One of the guards seemed to have suddenly realized something. "You are her lover! Great, you are talking about robbery, it turns out you are in the same gang!"

"You Sun family members' brains are all made of paste, right?" He Yan exclaimed, and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground, unable to get up for a long time.

Another man rushed over with a knife, but his strength was enough for ordinary people, but not enough for He Yan. He Yan smiled slightly and grabbed his wrist. The man only had time to scream before the knife in his hand fell. He Yan kicked him several meters away.

Although these two people said they were Young Master Sun's bodyguards, He Yan didn't realize how good their skills were. They were probably just out to pick someone up, and they just sent two people. Who would have thought that on the Sun family's territory, there would be someone so bold and fearless to intercept?

She bent down and picked up the knife that had just fallen to the ground.

The two guards were beaten so badly that they had no power to fight back. Seeing the masked man approaching, they retreated subconsciously. One of them said, "Let's talk it over. Don't be impulsive. Hero? Hero!"

This person was the one who spoke softly, but there was another person who showed no fear at all. I don't know if it was because he was too strong, but he looked at He Yan and sneered, "You are so brave, you dare to touch someone from the Sun family. You should know that if you intercept someone tonight, it will be your turn tomorrow. You...you are in big trouble!"

He Yan didn't even look at them, and approached them step by step. When both of them turned pale, he chopped at the rope connecting the carriage to the horses.

"Would I be afraid?"

Having said that, she reached out and pulled the person out of the carriage. The woman was drugged and had no strength to move. She stared at He Yan with wide eyes.

He Yan helped her onto the horse, then he followed suit, whipped the horse whip, and quickly disappeared into the night.