Chapter 152 Fire
There are laws in this dynasty that prohibit officials from visiting brothels, but money and sex cannot be stopped, and these things always continue despite repeated bans.
In order to prevent some officials from being blocked by their enemies, or henpecked guests from being visited by their wives, Manchunlou dug a tunnel in the sleeping rooms on the first floor so that if they encountered such a situation, they could escape through it.
Jiang Shuyi and Wu Jianshan agreed to escape through the tunnel under the pretext of meeting the top performer in private.
There were not many guests in Chunmanlou during the day, but there were a few scattered here and there. There were girls dancing gracefully in the middle of the stage, and the madam was also patrolling.
As soon as Jiang Shuyi and Pei Yan came in, the madam saw them.
People who have been in the world of pleasure for decades have very sharp eyes. After taking a look, he first saw that the two people had noble demeanor and were glowing with silver light. When he got closer, he saw that Jiang Shuyi was a woman.
The madam laughed: "Hey, what are you two doing here?"
The people here have all kinds of strange tastes, some even come here as couples. After all, the more powerful and noble they are, the more beastly they are.
Pei Yan frowned and said nothing. Jiang Shuyi followed the signal given by Wu Jianshan and coughed lightly, saying, "I want to find your courtesan. I have something to ask you in private. Can you open a good room for me? Is two hundred taels enough?"
The madam's eyes changed slightly.
She took a deep look at Jiang Shuyi, and then her smile became even brighter: "Enough, enough, enough! I wonder if it's one or two? If it's two, our courtesan will have to endure double the burden, and we have to pay more silver!"
Jiang Shuyi didn't understand for a moment, and quickly replied: "One by one!"
She turned to look at Pei Yan, who had a gloomy face, and shook his sleeve, begging in a low voice: "Follow me, I have something I am embarrassed to ask, can you wait here for me for a quarter of an hour?"
Pei Yan said coldly: "Half a quarter of an hour."
Half a quarter of an hour is too short, the tunnel is probably only half dug!
But seeing that Pei Yan looked unhappy, Jiang Shuyi tactfully agreed.
Before leaving with the madam, Jiang Shuyi pinched Pei Yan's sleeve meaningfully and looked at him with a smile: "Don't lose my sachet, and make sure to take good care of Luzhou."
Pei Yan felt that she was just about to say "I left something for you inside".
Seeing Jiang Shuyi forcing a smile, but actually her eyes were full of reluctance to leave him, Pei Yan's expression relaxed a little and he said "hmm" softly.
When the matter was settled, he would make sure she took the letter and read it to him in person on the dragon couch.
Jiang Shuyi took one last look at Pei Yan, clenched her palms, and followed the madam to the back room.
Passing through the courtyard, there are several buildings at the back where the girls and guests sleep. It is daytime now and it is much quieter than before.
Jiang Shuyi looked at the madam, and the secret guards on the rooftops around her stared at Jiang Shuyi.
The madam smiled all the way and praised how good the girls here were, how talented the courtesans were, and occasionally cursed the servants who passed by, until she led Jiang Shuyi into a luxuriously decorated room on the first floor.
A golden incense burner in the room was emitting wisps of smoke, and a bright red gauze curtain hung low to the ground. There were many small porcelain figurines in various poses displayed on the table. Jiang Shuyi took one look and looked away as if she was burned.
The madam closed the door, and Jiang Shuyi began to look around the room. She could see that there was no one else in the room except them. She asked in confusion, "Where is Taoist Priest Wu?"
The madam had already walked to the west cabinet, opened it, and pushed open a secret door. She turned back and called Jiang Shuyi anxiously: "Quick, follow me out of here, the Taoist priest is waiting for us outside the city."
Jiang Shuyi was a little suspicious. Just as she walked forward, the madam went in. Then she heard the sound of a cabinet door being pushed open. She saw some light in front of her eyes. After seeing the layout opposite, she suddenly realized that the cabinet in this room was connected to the cabinet in the next room.
But what's the point of going from one house to another? Isn't it necessary to dig a tunnel?
The madam hurriedly called her to follow her, and Jiang Shuyi followed her as if possessed.
The madam went back and first closed the cabinet door of the room she had just been in from the inside, then closed the secret wall, and finally came out and closed the cabinet door of this room as well.
After packing everything, she looked at Jiang Shuyi, her face flushed with excitement, and said nervously, "Miss, you have to change your clothes first."
Jiang Shuyi frowned in disgust: "I can't wear the clothes you have here."
The madam hurriedly said, "I know that the young lady dislikes our dirtiness. These clothes were left by Taoist Wu. They are clean and the place where they were placed is also clean. None of us here have touched them. They are on the table over there. Young lady, go and change them."
Jiang Shuyi looked in the direction she pointed, and sure enough, there was a tray covered with a fine cloth.
She was still reluctant to change clothes in this place, but she was too conspicuous in her green clothes.
After being awkward for a long time, the madam almost wanted to kneel down and beg her, and Jiang Shuyi finally suppressed her disgust and picked up the clothes to change.
After changing her clothes, the madam had already moved the tunnel open and let Jiang Shuyi enter first.
Jiang Shuyi was a little afraid of the dark and hesitated to move forward.
The madam explained: "There is an oil lamp inside. I will take you with me."
Jiang Shuyi was surprised: "You're leaving too?"
The madam's eyes were red. "Yes, hurry up, girl! If you're late, they'll be discovered!"
Jiang Shuyi also knew that half a quarter of an hour was almost up.
She entered the secret passage first and climbed down the unstable ladder, her hands shaking a little.
The madam also came down and closed the floor tiles on the ladder, and the secret passage suddenly became pitch black.
Jiang Shuyi began to panic: "It's so dark!"
The madam said: "Don't be afraid, young lady. I will light the lamp right away."
Jiang Shuyi regretted it now. Pei Yan was still waiting for her outside the door. She didn't want to escape...
I heard the sound of flint rubbing against each other, and then a fire appeared in the pitch-black darkness.
It was the madam who lit a candle and walked forward, urging, "Girl, follow me quickly."
Jiang Shuyi looked at the ladder behind her, then at the closed floor, clenched and unclenched her fingers, but finally she chased after the madam with red eyes.
*
Pei Yan waited for a quarter of an hour.
Before the guards guarding the secret passage could report the news, a servant ran to the front in panic, shouting, "Where's Mama Liu? Where's Mama Liu? There's a fire in the back building, hurry up and put it out!"
It scared everyone who was listening to the music.
Pei Yan's expression changed and he walked towards the backyard.
"Oh my! Sir, please don't make trouble. The fire is so big that there is a distinguished guest inside who can't get out. He is about to burn to death!"
The servant left before he could finish his words. He didn't have the heart to persuade the damned ghost, so he quickly called for people to put out the fire.
Pei Yan's heart choked up at the servant's words, but then he calmed down.
It's okay. According to their plan, they should have left Manchun Tower through the secret passage and are heading towards the city gate.
It's going to be okay.
Even though he thought so, Pei Yan quickened his pace. When he arrived at the backyard and saw the colorful building with blazing flames, before he passed by, the secret guards who had been guarding upstairs rushed over and knelt down to report: "Your Majesty, the queen is not in the room you just entered, and the secret passage has not been moved. The madam has also disappeared without a trace. We have already gone upstairs to search!"
Pei Yan felt a buzzing sound in his ears, as if it was the sound of fire burning through the beams of the house, and he seemed to vaguely hear that disobedient thing crying and shouting for help.
"Are you trash?"
He said this calmly and strode forward.
Cheng Fu immediately knelt before His Majesty, blocking His Majesty's way, and begged: "Your Majesty, please don't do that! The fire is so big, it will take a lot of effort for the secret guards to go in and find people. Your Majesty can't put yourself in danger!"
The servants around and the clients who had gathered to watch the fun all looked over here in shock when they heard the word "Your Majesty".
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