Chapter 25 Drunken Flower Shop - A Place of Brothels and Licentious Places
Zhao Liangxu withdrew her hand at the opportune moment.
She certainly doesn't dislike physical contact, but hand contact alone doesn't tell us much.
She looked at Anhe, who was busy wiping her hands with a handkerchief, and didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Grandpa An, am I that dirty? Do you think I deserve to wipe your hands like this?"
Anhe paused.
It wasn't that he thought Zhao Liangxu was dirty.
This statement is really misleading.
He felt that...
He stopped wiping his hands and instead gathered the handkerchief into his palm, crumpling it into a mess.
"Did you do this on purpose?"
He had always agreed that their previous encounters were accidental, and that Zhao Liangxu simply did not conform to the rules of the capital and the palace, which led to constant clashes between them.
But just now, she clearly did it on purpose.
Zhao Liangxu shrugged, a slight smile fading from her face: "So, Eunuch An dislikes me that much?"
Before Anhe could reply, she continued, "I have remembered everything Eunuch An instructed. Tomorrow I will make sure to wander around the capital properly so that Eunuch An can get rid of this major threat as soon as possible."
She deliberately emphasized the phrase "resolve as soon as possible".
It's hard to say whether the one who should be dealt with sooner is the fugitive Zhao Chengxin, or this troublemaker.
Zhao Liangxu looked preoccupied as she led Zhumu back.
As Anhe watched Zhao Liangxu's departing figure, he could actually sense a hint of desolation in her expression.
She seemed somewhat sad.
Zhao Liangxu was carrying Anhe on her back, so Anhe naturally couldn't see the slight upturn of Zhao Liangxu's lips.
She has confirmed that she is not opposed to having simple physical contact with Anhe.
But that doesn't mean she really likes Anhe; she needs to try more.
The next morning, Zhao Liangxu got up and went to Zhilan Hall.
She added the new herb to her usual medicine, and whether it was a placebo effect or not, she did feel that it was more effective.
She planned to have Qiu Cheng give her another diagnosis.
Upon entering Zhilan Hall, they discovered that Qiu Cheng was not there, only Xiao Liu'er was in charge.
Xiao Liu'er explained, "Master has something to do with her maternal grandfather today, probably to consult with some important person."
"If Princess Zhao doesn't mind, I can take a look at her."
Zhao Liangxu nodded and extended her hand.
Xiao Liu placed her fingers on Zhao Liangxu's wrist and pondered for a moment: "Indeed, as Master said, Princess Zhao's pulse is very weak, but after taking the medicine, her eyes are slowly getting better."
She took out a booklet and wrote something down, then looked up and smiled, "This medicine is really effective. Master will be very pleased to know. Princess Zhao, you can take it without worry."
Zhao Liangxu was in a good mood, and she smiled back at Xiao Liu'er.
There weren't many people seeking medical treatment or medicine today. The two were the same age and got along well.
Seeing that Xiao Liu'er kept looking outside, Zhao Liangxu asked, "Are you waiting for someone?"
"No, I'm just waiting for my master to return. I originally planned to go to Zuihua Fang today. There might still be some of my mother's belongings there. She was a top courtesan back then, so there should be some things she left behind at Zuihua Fang."
Xiao Liu'er rested her elbows on the table and her chin on her hands, displaying a more girlish demeanor: "In previous years, I was still too afraid to go to Zuihua Fang, but I've saved up a lot of money in recent years, so I thought I'd go and look for my mother's things."
"However, by the time Master returns today, it will probably be quite late, so I plan to go tomorrow."
Looking at Xiao Liu'er's young face, Zhao Liangxu asked, "Are you going by yourself? Not with Qiu Cheng? It doesn't seem very safe for a woman to go to a place like Zuihua Fang alone."
Xiao Liu looked worried: "But Zhilan Hall also needs a doctor to be on duty. Besides me, it's my master. If the two of us go together, we can only close Zhilan Hall, but some patients who need to come back for a check-up can't wait."
"Then why don't I go with you tomorrow?"
Xiao Liu looked at Zhao Liangxu with some surprise: "How can I trouble you with this?"
Xiao Liu gently held Zhao Liangxu's hand and said softly, "You are now involved in trouble in the city. If people who know you see you go to Zuihua Fang, who knows what hurtful things they will say behind your back."
She still wanted to reject Zhao Liangxu.
"It's nothing. I'll just let it go in one ear and out the other. If all else fails, I'll use the name of the Ninth Prince to put them in their place. My reputation is bad enough, so a few more words won't make a difference."
Zhao Liangxu looked indifferent, which made Xiao Liu'er feel that the two were even more similar.
After all, her reputation as someone from a brothel is often brought up and discussed, so she's long been immune to it.
After hesitating for a moment, seeing that Zhao Liangxu was very determined, Xiao Liu nodded.
I sincerely said "thank you".
When Qiu Cheng came in from outside, this was the scene of deep friendship he witnessed.
"Princess Zhao and Xiao Liu'er are having a very pleasant chat. I, who knew you first, am a little envious."
Qiu Cheng sat down at the table while chatting and laughing.
Princess Zhao, a name that exists in name only, is called by many people.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony. Just call me by my name."
"OK."
Upon seeing Qiu Cheng, Zhao Liangxu recalled the scene Li Ying had described that day. She asked curiously, "Qiu Cheng, are you actually the granddaughter of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices? I heard that the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites had some disputes in court. After I learned the details, I felt that it was related to you. So you are quite a noble person in the capital."
"Don't say that. I do have a blood relationship with my maternal grandfather, but I rarely use that relationship to intimidate people. Don't mistake me for an overbearing person."
Qiu Cheng spread his hands: "I don't know where you heard that? I was quite indignant about Zhang Changfei's纨绔 (spoiled brat) behavior. In addition, the Vice Minister of Rites has indeed been neglecting his duties in recent years. My grandfather took action in the court after hearing what I said."
Zhao Liangxu casually mentioned that she had heard it during her recent visit to the palace.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Cheng said in a rather serious tone, "I really didn't know that people in the palace would discuss politics like this. As for you, you have gained His Majesty's favor, which really surprises me."
Despite saying that, Qiu Cheng didn't seem to be blaming him much: "His Majesty is young. Back then, Wang Fu, who was by His Majesty's side, would flatter him and say that even if His Majesty didn't care, he was still easily influenced. Although you are favored by His Majesty, you should still be careful."
She always speaks bluntly and says whatever comes to mind. Qiu Cheng is actually nearly thirty years old now, which is considered a mature parent figure among ancient people, but her tone is often sharp and she has a headstrong temperament.
Unlike those old palace women with their complicated inner workings.
"Of course I know."
Zhao Liangxu chatted with the two for a while longer before learning that because of the argument in the court, the Vice Minister of Revenue had lost face and had Zhang Changfei imprisoned upon returning home.
"Serves him right."
Zhu Mu listened quietly to the news, and when he heard it, he said angrily.
Qiu Cheng nodded in agreement.
After a few words of chatter, Zhao Liangxu, seeing that it was getting late, got up to say goodbye.
This time, Zhao Liangxu and Zhu Mu learned their lesson and borrowed a carriage from the An family to travel. They were riding back in that carriage.
During her trips to Anfu these past few days, Zhao Liangxu had noticed the differences between the area around Anfu and other places.
The streets where Anfu is located should theoretically be the residences of officials or those who serve in the palace. Officials are a large group in the capital, so such streets should be quite populated.
At the very least, Zhao Liangxu should have seen the passing carriages and the people coming out to buy things.
However, the street in front of Anfu was unusually quiet, especially the neighbors on either side of Anfu.
After observing for a while, Zhao Liangxu discovered that no one lived in the An residence at all.
The two houses were empty, except for a somewhat valuable plaque.
Luo Fan, who was punished to work as a servant at the gate, revealed to Zhao Liangxu that the two houses were indeed uninhabited, but it would be best to ask Eunuch An for the specific reason.
Greetings, sir?
Let's make a plan for now.
For some unknown reason, Luo Fan refused to say.
This wasn't a big deal, so Zhao Liangxu didn't think about it anymore and went to sleep.
The next day, just like the day before, she and Zhu Mu went out early to Zhilan Hall.
Little Willow was already waiting at the door.
"Liangxu, is Miss Zhumu going along too?"
Xiao Liu'er thoughtfully considered Zhu Mu's feelings. She wondered if Zhu Mu would be willing to accompany her to Zui Hua Fang. Although Zhu Mu hadn't said anything against it yesterday, she still needed to ask for his opinion.
The Southern Zhou Dynasty imposed many restrictions on women, and Zhu Mu was considered a respectable young woman, so these restrictions should have been taken into account.
Zhu Mu nodded; she didn't care about any of that.
With that settled, Xiao Liu'er had already called an ordinary carriage. The three of them left the somewhat luxurious carriage at the An residence, keeping a low profile.
As the carriage bumped along, the noisy hawking outside was gradually replaced by sounds of pipa, guzheng, and other instruments.
Without the noisy clamor of women soliciting customers that Zhao Liangxu had in mind, this red-light district seemed much quieter.
"This place entertains high-ranking officials and dignitaries, and there are also many geishas. In front of these so-called officials, the madams of the brothel also teach the girls to put on airs," Xiao Liu'er explained. "These people are very hypocritical; they want both."
Little Liu is indeed worthy of being a disciple of Qiu Cheng; her words are quite sharp.
When the carriage arrived at Zuihua Fang, the group got off.
The girls waiting for guests at the door looked at each other for a moment when they saw several young women getting off the carriage.
"Oh dear, have you come to the wrong place, sisters? This is not the place for you."
A woman in a bright red dress stepped forward, her fingers adorned with vibrant red nail polish. Her long nails made her slender, white fingers appear even longer. With one finger resting on her cheek, she tilted her head and teased seductively, "Young girls shouldn't have come here. Who tricked you into coming here?"
With her other hand still holding an embroidered fan, Yu Yan half-concealed her face and focused her gaze on Xiao Liu'er: "Eh? You little girl, you look somewhat familiar?"
Little Willow clenched her fists, encouraging herself: "Sister Yu Yan, I am Little Willow. I have come back to look for my mother's things."
Yu Yan was surprised. She picked up a strand of hair with her fingers, curled it as she moved closer to Xiao Liu'er, and said, "Oh my goodness, it's actually Xiao Liu'er? I didn't know you'd grown up so much. You still remember your sister Yu Yan. That's not bad."
“You’re gone, so why come back looking for your belongings? You silly girl, aren’t you afraid your mother will rip you off?”
Yu Yan's brows furrowed with anger, as if she were somewhat unwilling to fight back.
“What remains of your mother’s things? She’s been gone for so many years. Hurry up and go.”
Yu Yan waved her hand forward, her face showing an expression as if she wanted to shoo people away.
Before Xiao Liu could say anything, a hand reached out from the side.
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