Two years ago, in order to cater to the booming economy, the capital city abolished its curfew.

Under such circumstances, a large number of new people also joined the Five Cities Military Department and the various neighborhood security departments.

The vast majority of these new recruits are retired soldiers, and the original one shift has been expanded to three shifts, with each shift lasting four hours, with patrols and guard duty day and night.

This method not only solved the shortage of a large number of retired soldiers, but also had an impact on the original Wucheng Bingmasi Yamen.

After all, these newly appointed people are treated this way because of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. After eating their military pay, they can continue to eat official rations. Naturally, they are very grateful and supportive of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

They would insist on maintaining and enforcing any rules proposed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

The current Ming Dynasty capital, the entire city of Nanjing, is known as the city that never sleeps.

Even in the middle of the night, the lights are still bright and the nightlife is very rich.

Most shops are open around the clock, and some restaurants and houseboats are open until dawn.

In the past, the Jiaofangsi was considered a state-owned enterprise, but in order to adapt to the needs, the system was slightly relaxed and one could start business as long as one obtained the relevant business qualifications.

In fact, even if the imperial court did not allow it, there would be no shortage of people doing this business in secret.

After all, this business is a money-making den, and the speed at which money is made is beyond ordinary people's imagination. Many nobles are involved in it to make money.

The more prohibited something is, the higher the price.

Zhu Ying put a lot of thought into lowering the prices of brothels so that more people in the Ming Dynasty would have a place to entertain themselves and not be so hungry that they would commit crimes.

At least as things stand now, more businessmen are willing to come to the capital rather than go to places like Jiangnan.

The key is that here in the capital, the goods are of good quality and low price.

"Brother, are the nights in our capital always so lively?"

Zhu Yunhuan had never left the palace at night. No one was allowed to enter the palace after 8:00 p.m., which was half past the hour of Xu.

Looking at the bright lights and the still crowded crowd, Zhu Yunhuan's eyes sparkled with surprise.

Zhu Ying laughed: "Of course, otherwise there would be no name for the city that never sleeps. You are just joking."

"I'll take you to a nice place later, and we'll have some drinks and fun."

It looked like it was just Zhu Ying and Zhu Yunhuan, but in fact, there were dozens of Jinyiwei led by Song Zhong secretly following them on the busy street.

As long as there is any unusual movement, they will rush over to provide protection.

The brocade clothes they wore also made ordinary people around them afraid to get too close.

Those who can wear brocade clothes must not only be rich, but also have status and position.

In this world, wearing a set of silk and satin and daring to show it off is no different from driving a luxury car in later generations.

If we were to say which is the most lively place in the entire capital at night, it would certainly be the Qinhuai Painting Boat.

Zhu Ying felt a little emotional when he came here again.

His meeting with Xu Miaojin also started from here.

Only a few years have passed, and this place has already changed its appearance, and it feels completely different from the original one. The two sides of the Qinhuai River have attracted businessmen and literati to gather, and a large number of restaurants and brothels have sprung up everywhere.

Wenxiang Pavilion is the largest gathering place for geishas on both sides of the Qinhuai River, except for the Jiaofangsi.

As soon as you reach the door, you can hear the seductive music coming from inside.

At the door, there were more than a dozen maids with elegant manners and exquisite makeup to welcome guests. If you didn't have some money in your pocket, you wouldn't dare to even look at them.

The lowest consumption here is equivalent to an average person’s annual income.

The good thing about Zhu Ying is that he doesn't cheat the poor.

The owner behind the Wenxiang Pavilion is naturally the treasury, but even the shopkeeper inside is not aware of it. It’s just that this family has a powerful backing and can handle anything.

"My two young masters, please come in."

As soon as I arrived at the door, a maid came up to me, with a faint smile on her face and bowed respectfully.

In terms of etiquette and temperament, she is not inferior to the palace maids.

There was a tenderness in her eyes, which made Zhu Yunhuan turn his head away shyly. He had never felt such a direct gaze before.

The guests in the building were chatting and laughing, and everyone was dressed elegantly.

Those who can spend money here are naturally either rich or noble. There are not only men but also many female guests.

Apart from the Jiaofangsi, Wenxiang Pavilion is a place where talented women in music gather. Some vocal masters also perform here, which naturally attracts many women who love vocal music to come and listen.

The rule is to sell art but not body. Even if a woman is willing, she is not allowed to have excessive relations with any man during working hours.

Even if you want to get close to her, you can only make an appointment in private.

This is the rule of Wenxiang Pavilion, and even nobles cannot violate it.

As the maid went up to the private room, she asked softly, "Do the two young masters have any instructions?"

Zhu Yunhuan knew nothing about it, but Zhu Ying certainly knew it.

After all, many of the methods here were formulated by him based on later generations.

"Book a pleasure boat and arrange for your top dancer to play the piano."

There is no need to care. After all, after the money goes around, most of it will eventually return to your pocket.

But the maid heard this and said with some embarrassment, "Ms. Yunxia is already being kept by someone tonight, why don't you change her?"

"We have many beautiful girls here. I will bring them here for you to have a look. I'm sure they will satisfy you two."

Zhu Ying shook his head slightly, and did not try to make things difficult for him. He just took out a gold-plated sign from his pocket and placed it on the table.

The maid was shocked when she saw it, and said quickly: "I didn't know it was a distinguished guest. I am sorry for offending you. Please forgive me."

"Then we will arrange for Miss Yunxia to accompany you, my distinguished guest."

Zhu Ying waved her hand, and the maid left to make arrangements.

Zhu Yunhuan looked at the sign on the table with some curiosity. On the gold-plated sign was engraved the word "Tian".

I couldn't help but ask, "Brother, what is this badge?"

Zhu Ying explained with a smile, "This is the VIP card of Wenxiang Pavilion. There are only a dozen of them issued in the entire capital. When you come to Wenxiang Pavilion, naturally you have priority in everything."

"I brought you here, so of course I want the best."

After waiting for a long time, there was still no movement, which made Zhu Ying feel embarrassed.

At this time, there was a noise coming from outside.

"Everything should be based on first come first served. It is clear that we reserved Miss Yunxia first and we have already paid the deposit."

"Why are you saying now that someone else has booked it? Are you trying to bully customers because of your size?"

"If you don't explain it clearly today, I will definitely go to the government office and file a complaint."

The voice was that of a woman, but she spoke Chinese with obvious difficulty. It was obvious that she was not from the Ming Dynasty, but perhaps a foreign businessman.

With the development of maritime trade, there were many merchants from various countries, and it was not uncommon to see them in the capital.

The voice came from far away and gradually approached, and while they were talking, it had already reached outside the curtain of the private room.

"Is this the place? I want to see who is so shameless and has no manners at all."

As soon as he finished speaking, a woman pushed aside the curtain and walked in, looking directly at Zhu Ying who was sitting in the middle.

Zhu Ying felt his eyes brighten.

The woman in front of him was tall, with deep eyes, a high nose, fair skin, and pupils that were a hint of blue.

The bright golden hair has a strong exotic charm, but also has some characteristics of an oriental beauty.

She's obviously a mixed race woman.

I have to say, Zhu Ying really felt moved.

But the person who came was not very friendly: "You are the one who robbed Miss Yunxia? You are so rude. How can you just take other people's things?"

As the woman broke in, several maids immediately came in.

The maid who came in earlier immediately apologized to Zhu Ying: "My dear guest, I am so sorry. We will clear it out immediately."

Zhu Ying looked at the mixed-race woman and asked directly, "Who are you? What's your name? Don't you know the rules of this Wenxiang Pavilion?"

The mixed-race woman said angrily, "I am Sultanah, an envoy of the Angkor Dynasty. No matter what the rules are, we must follow the first come first served rule. Is this how the Ming Dynasty treats us envoys?"

Hearing this, the maids obviously felt very embarrassed.

Although the store had already stated that VIPs of the highest rank were the most honorable, this foreign envoy was related to the imperial court and was not to be trifled with.

It’s no wonder Sultana caused trouble.

She was the most favored princess in the Angkor Dynasty. This time she secretly accompanied the envoys to the Ming Dynasty in order to learn the music of the Ming Dynasty.

When it comes to music, the first place that comes to mind is naturally the Jiaofangsi.

But nowadays, the Jiaofangsi basically only plays music for the palace and has strict rules, so Sultana cannot access it casually.

Many of the people in Wenxiang Pavilion came from the Jiaofangsi, and the top performer Yunxia was a master of music.

In order to learn oriental music, Sultana sold several of her jewelry to raise enough money. She waited in line for half a month and finally waited until today to listen and learn.

Because of the premium for top brands, if you miss today, you don’t know how long you will have to wait.

Now that I have paid the money, I am told that someone cut in line. How can I feel balanced?

Zhu Ying understood that it was the Angkor Dynasty.

The Angkor Dynasty may be a little vague, but it has a great reputation in later generations, and its best skill is waist shaping.

The current Angkor Dynasty is also known as the Khmer Empire. It is not in the Han cultural circle. It is close to Annan and is blocked by mountains. It is influenced by Indian culture and is currently the most prosperous period in its entire history.

The disturbance soon attracted the attention of the manager of Wenxiang Pavilion. When he learned that a VIP was involved, he immediately rushed over with more than ten guards.

As soon as the chief steward saw Zhu Ying when he walked in, he was so scared that he almost flew away.

This manager was none other than Zhang Bo's former subordinate. Of course he knew Zhu Ying and he almost fell to his knees at that moment.

Zhu Ying shook his head slightly. The steward knew that the boss didn't want to reveal his identity, so he ordered: "Kick this woman out immediately."

After hearing the order, the guards behind rushed over, but it was difficult to take action due to Sultana's identity as a woman, but the meaning was very clear.

"Wait a minute."

Zhu Ying spoke.

The steward immediately bowed and asked: "What do you want, distinguished guest?"

Zhu Ying looked at Sultana and said, "If you don't mind, you can also board the ship together. Today's expenses will be on my account."

Sultana also reacted at this moment. The man in front of her was obviously of high status. Even when she announced her identity as an envoy, the manager of Wenxiang Pavilion did not hesitate at all.

Mainly, when she heard about the expense package, Sultana's eyes immediately lit up: "Okay, that's what you said."

Then he turned to the manager and said, "You heard it, he paid for tonight's expenses, so the deposit I paid needs to be returned to me."

The steward clearly understood the Crown Prince's intention. It was obvious that he had taken a liking to this girl. He said yes repeatedly and indicated that the pleasure boat was ready.

Zhu Ying stood up and Zhu Yunhuan followed quickly.

The Sultana walked straight to Zhu Ying, fearing that Zhu Ying would not pay.

This is not a small number.

As the top restaurant in Beijing's Wenxiang Pavilion, the starting price for booking the entire place is 500 treasure notes, and sometimes the price can even exceed 1,000.

But there was nothing else to do, not even touching hands, just listening to the music and watching the dance.

Even if it's a toast, it depends on whether the girl is willing.

It is precisely because of this rule that many literati and poets praise its name.

What you can't get is the best.

There are also guards from the Wenxiang Pavilion in the painting boat. They are there to protect safety, but in fact they are also there to protect the women in the Wenxiang Pavilion and prevent the guests from doing anything wrong after drinking.

Seeing this foreign woman approaching His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the steward at the back became frightened and hurried to inform the chief treasurer.

Sultana is really tall.

Zhu Ying was only about 1.78 meters tall, and Sultana walked beside Zhu Ying with her shoulders almost level with Zhu Ying.

And in terms of clothing, the Angkor Dynasty was obviously more open-minded than the Ming Dynasty.

Being so close, a faint fragrance wafted into my nose.

More than a dozen Wenxiang Pavilion guards were already waiting at the dock. The person in the lead was very familiar to Zhu Ying. He was one of the best fighters Zhu Ying brought from Peiping at the beginning.

He was also the one who had been imprisoned in the Jinyiwei prison together with Zhang San.

He was obviously very excited to see his former club.

Zhu Ying stepped forward and patted his shoulder, smiling and said, "Mo Jian, why are you doing things here? Uncle Zhang has punished you."

Mo Jian didn't expect that the boss still remembered his name, so he quickly replied, "It's not Uncle Zhang, I wanted to come over and guard it myself."

Zhu Ying smiled and said, "Okay, you will be the one guarding today."

Mo Jian said hurriedly: "Yes."

Mo Jian is not considered a guard of Wenxiang Pavilion. He is currently serving as a captain of Jinyiwei. He is in charge of maintaining order in Wenxiang Pavilion and does not serve as an ordinary guard.

It was because he knew that the boss was coming that he came over to protect him in person.

Sultana, who was following behind, suddenly became curious about Zhu Ying.

From the conversation just now, it is obvious that he is very familiar with this Wenxiang Pavilion.

She knew that Wenxiang Pavilion had a powerful background, and had wanted to intervene through the relationship with the envoys, but later she found that even the court ministers of the Ming Dynasty were useless.

In the pleasure boat, Sultana always saw the music master Yunxia whom she had always been thinking about.

Apparently Yunxia had already given some explanation long ago, which was completely different from the rumors, and she was extremely enthusiastic towards Zhu Ying and the others.

After the dance music, he even went on stage to drink with the guests in person, which was the first time in history.

Zhu Ying was obviously more interested in Sultana beside her.

With a glance, Yunxia naturally sat close to Zhu Yunxun.

This made Zhu Yunhuan very uneasy.

Sultana kept pestering Yunxia with questions about music.

However, every time Zhu Ying raised his glass, Yunxia would immediately raise her glass, and Sultana could only follow suit.

In less than half an hour, everyone was already drunk.