"Wow, this place is nice." Zhao Huan looked at the big red lantern at the door. There was even a couplet at the door that read: "Every day there is a happy event, every night is a bridegroom."
"Vulgar," Zhao Huan cursed casually, then put away his folding fan: "But I like it."
Even Wu Ge wanted to stop him: "Young Master Long, this, this..." It seemed that he had something to hide.
Zhao Huan frowned and said, "What's wrong? Who would know that I'm here? Go in."
Zhao Huan pointed with his folding fan and looked up to see three large characters on the door of the brothel: "Zui Xing Lou. Oh, that's a good name."
"Young Master, you really can't go in here. There are plenty of brothels in the capital. Can I take you to another one?" Cao Dongsheng stopped Zhao Huan.
"Get out of here!" Zhao Huan pushed Cao Dongsheng away and rushed in.
"Hey, everyone, please come in." An old procuress came forward to greet them. Zhao Huan was dressed in elegant and luxurious clothes. He must be the God of Wealth.
The madam waved her handkerchief, and the aroma was so strong that it made people want to vomit. Zhao Huan pinched his nose and said, "Madam, are there any rooms left? Leave one for me." He took out a silver ingot and threw it over.
All the guests who came here usually called the madam "Laomama." The prostitutes in the brothel also called her that. Anyone who dared to call her that to her face would usually be kicked out.
There is another type of person, who is very powerful and looks down on everyone. This type of person dares to call the madam to her face, and the madam dares not offend her and has to greet her with a smile.
It was obvious that Zhao Huan, accompanied by two attendants, was a lavish spender. They were either the sons of some high-ranking court official or some prince or young master of the royal family. The madam dared not neglect them: "Yes, yes, yes, there are excellent rooms upstairs. I'll get them ready for you. Cuilan, Shufen, quickly take the gentlemen upstairs and serve them well."
Two prostitutes immediately descended from the upper floor. Zhao Huan nearly vomited at the sight of them. They had big mouths and wide hands, prominent cheekbones, small eyes, and large noses. How could all these prostitutes in a brothel look like this? Did they even have any professional ethics?
"Madame!" Zhao Huan yelled, angrily saying, "Are all the girls here like this? This, this, find some nicer ones."
Upon hearing this, the madam quickly smiled and said, "My apologies, sir. All of our girls are very beautiful and have distinguished guests. Please make do with this for now."
Wu Ge and the others hadn't wanted Zhao Huan in, but he was already there. The madam had just sent some vulgar women to get rid of him. He couldn't help but get furious: "Madam, I have plenty of money. Get those lousy customers out and pick out some good ones for me. Otherwise, I'll destroy your shop."
The madam was frightened and started to rage again: "Oh my God, I can't do this. I dare not offend any of the customers here."
The madam pointed at the rooms one by one and said, "Look, look. This is the room of Lord Zuo, the Minister of Rites. This, this is the room of Lord Li, the Right Prime Minister's son. This one is in there, Wang Shiyong, the Minister of Personnel. And this one is the room of Lord Qian, the Commander of the Imperial Guards. And that one, they are all inextricably linked to the court. Which one do you want me to drive away? Which one can I afford to offend?"
Zhao Huan was shocked. "I never thought the Song court would be so corrupted. These princes and ministers are so righteous on a daily basis, but now that the capital is in danger, they secretly still linger in these brothels. Alas, the Song Dynasty is in danger." He had no idea he would end up here.
Zhao Huan stopped talking and went up to the second floor. He crouched near the doorway, only to hear the endless sounds of laughter from within. Then he saw a wing on the third floor. It had a yellow silk upholstered room, a red lacquered bed, and a light curtain of gauze. From within, the faint sound of tinkling zither strings could be heard.
Zhao Huan walked towards the room. Wu Ge and Cao Dongsheng's faces changed drastically and they stopped Zhao Huan.
Wu Ge said, "Mr. Long, you absolutely cannot enter this room."
Cao Dongsheng shouted: "Mr. Long, you can't go in. This is..."
"Get out of here." Before Cao Dongsheng could finish his words, Zhao Huan pushed the two of them away and opened the door with both hands.
The door was unexpectedly unlocked, and behind the veil a woman was playing the zither. The sound was melodious and moving, like a plaintive lament.
Zhao Huan had no idea what the melody of a zither was, but the sight of the red carpet on the floor, the yellow silk-covered chairs, and the exquisite furnishings in the room gave him the illusion of being back in the palace. The only difference was the slender figure of the woman behind the veil, her hazy presence adding to her mystery.
The woman was slightly startled, and the sound of the zither paused for a moment, then immediately began to play again. Cao Dongsheng and Wu Ge were so frightened that they dared not move. Since Zhao Huan had already entered, Cao Dongsheng had no choice but to close the door and stood trembling at the door with Wu Ge.
This scene seemed like a dream, and Zhao Huan somehow touched the chair. Since the woman didn't object to his intrusion, he would not be polite.
After the song ended, the woman sighed softly. Then, through the curtains, she asked, "How dare this young man barge in here?"
Nima, the sound is clear and beautiful, like an oriole singing out of a valley.
Zhao Huan was practically drooling. Where in the world could there be such a moving voice? "The young lady's piano playing is so beautiful that I couldn't help but be mesmerized by it. I'm so sorry that I broke into her room."
The woman inside chuckled softly: "Another frivolous young man. Get out, this is not the place for you."
Haha, this world belongs to me. Is there any place I can't go? But in this place of red lights, there are such elegant women. It's really exaggerated.
It was indeed rude to barge into someone's bedroom, but it's hard to say about women like this; a nice voice doesn't necessarily mean a pretty face. Anyway, since I'm here, I have to see what you look like.
As he spoke, Zhao Huan stood up and walked towards the woman.
The woman was shocked: "What are you doing?"
Zhao Huan chuckled and said, "Don't be afraid, girl. I just..."
When the gauze curtains were lifted, Zhao Huan was stunned. Beautiful women, top-notch, what the hell, celebrities, campus beauties? Compared to the woman before him, they were like a sparrow compared to a phoenix.
The woman had delicate, fair skin, eyes like autumn water, and a graceful gaze. She seemed shrouded in a layer of mist, her beauty unearthly, though it was a pity that she was a little older than him.
Bringing a woman like this into the palace to be a concubine, hehe, that would be the best thing in the world, Zhao Huan thought evilly.
The woman frowned slightly and looked at him coldly, obviously angry.
Zhao Huan was shocked: I was too impatient, this girl is really the best in the world.
He immediately apologized: "I'm sorry for being so rude, the girl's voice is so beautiful. I couldn't help but..."
"Mr. Long, something's wrong. Come out quickly." Cao Dongsheng was knocking on the door outside, his tone urgent.
Zhao Huan cursed in his heart: Damn you Cao Dongsheng, I'm in a critical moment, why the hell are you yelling?
He knew it too. If it weren't for the emergency, Cao Dongsheng wouldn't have the courage to call him. He bowed helplessly to the woman and headed out the door.
As soon as he walked out of the door, Cao Dongsheng called out in a low voice: "Your Majesty, something bad has happened. The Emperor Retired is here."
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