Chapter 237 Donghai Qingguan
October of the 21st year of the Xuanhuang era of the Great Yu Dynasty.
In Jiaxing City, the capital of the East China Sea, autumn is in full swing. The sea breeze, carrying saltiness and coolness, sweeps across the cobblestone streets, swirling up a few withered yellow leaves.
This bustling coastal city is a vibrant hub of activity, teeming with merchant ships and teeming with people.
Two more months passed, and thanks to Mu Xi's cooperative attitude, Princess Qingyang showed her special leniency, allowing her to freely wander around Jiaxing City.
Princess Qingyang treated her with great courtesy, providing her with exquisite clothing, food, and lodging. She was also allowed to keep Doctor Luo, Baofan, and three maids, Cao Pan'er, Zhelan, and Tao'er, as well as several personal guards brought by Liang Shuo and Peng Hai.
Of course, if she wanted to go out in the East Sea, she had to be accompanied by a large number of elite guards specially dispatched by Princess Qingyang, ostensibly for protection, but in reality for surveillance.
All the "preferential treatment" was just a shackle, Mu Xi knew perfectly well. She was just a pawn in the hands of Princess Qingyang, used to both check the internal forces of the East Sea and restrain the troops of the Western Border, thus balancing the external forces.
Princess Qingyang didn't deliberately hide the news from her, but among the messages that came one after another, apart from the division of the continent and the chaos of war, there was no news of Mu Xun.
Now she is like a bird carefully kept in a gilded cage.
Whenever she thought about this, Mu Xi would only become more depressed.
Mu Xi went out today aimlessly, just to get some fresh air, but with so many Jingwei following behind her, how could she really feel at ease?
Her gaze swept over the rows of shops, the dazzling array of stalls, and the bustling crowds, but it seemed as if there was a layer of fog between them, and she always felt a sense of unease.
As Mu Xi walked listlessly, a cloyingly sweet scent of rich cosmetics and strange incense suddenly assaulted her senses.
"Cough cough..." Mu Xi coughed twice and looked up.
On the bustling commercial street of Jiaxing City, there is an unassuming three-story building with a black plaque with gold lettering above the entrance that reads "Qingguan".
Qingguan?
Mu Xi was taken aback. A coincidence of sharing the same name?
In a moment of distraction, a heavily made-up woman upstairs tossed down perfume powder, beckoning her: "Young master, young master... come in and have a cup of our special green wine."
Qingjiu?
Mu Xi originally loathed the pervasive culture of transvestites in the East China Sea region, but upon hearing the words "Qingjiu," her heart stirred.
This isn't like before...
Before I could think it through, several beautiful women rushed out of the building and swarmed forward:
"Oh my, young master, you look very familiar. Are you new to Jiaxing City?"
"Our Qing Pavilion has just opened in Jiaxing City. Inside, there are melodious tunes and handsome young men serving wine. It is the perfect place to relax and enjoy yourself."
“Young master looks like he’s from Moyang. He must be a noble young master. We’re from the same hometown.”
"Why don't you move over and catch up with me, young master?"
"Young master, the green wine in the restaurant is a special brew by the master. It would be a pity not to try it."
...
Mu Xi couldn't tell whether these were men or women; she could only paint their souls in her heart.
The reason why this strange wind exists in the East Sea is because Princess Qingyang has a special "hobby" and openly puts male homosexuality and strange winds on the table, which has become a sizable industry.
The guards chased away the prostitutes soliciting customers, shouting, "Get out of here! Get out of here!"
"In that case, let's go in and take a look." Mu Xi thought to herself and stepped inside.
“Your Highness…” Princess Qingyang sent a bodyguard surnamed Zhang to stop him.
Mu Xi turned around: "What? Is Zhang Jingwei going to stop me from visiting a brothel?"
“Uh…” Zhang Jingwei seemed to feel that something was wrong, but he also felt that there was really no reason to stop him.
Before he could react, two prostitutes turned and approached, flanking him and coquettishly saying, "Oh my, sir, this seems to be your first time here, come, come..."
Jingwei was easily pulled into the hall.
Without further hesitation, Mu Xi took advantage of the chaos and flashed into the Donghai Qing Pavilion.
The interior lighting was slightly dimmer than the outside, but the furnishings were extremely luxurious.
The silk gauze curtains hung low, and the golden lion incense burner emitted wisps of blue smoke, filling the air with an even richer fragrance.
In the center of the hall, a high platform is set up, where a young man in white is playing the zither. The melodious music is accompanied by the graceful dance of two women, which isolates them from the noise of the outside street.
Scattered around the stage were elegant seats, where guests chatted quietly or enjoyed the singing and dancing, while handsome young men and beautiful young women served them.
An elderly man who looked like a shopkeeper came up to greet Mu Xi and led her upstairs.
Mu Xi led Bao Fan, Liang Shuo, Peng Hai, and others upstairs, while Jingwei and the others lagged behind and were isolated on the first floor, surrounded by several prostitutes who greeted them warmly.
On the second floor, there were no warbling voices, only low chuckles and the sounds of string and wind instruments, creating an ambiguous and quiet atmosphere. Clusters of flowers separated individual cubicles, from which came various ambiguous sounds.
Mu Xi had no interest in appreciating it; she glanced at it and continued to follow the shopkeeper up to the third floor.
Upon arriving at a private room on the third floor, a familiar voice greeted them, quickly winking at Mu Xi twice: "Hahaha... This young master is clearly a distinguished guest, please come in."
Mu Xi was taken aback, never expecting it to be Qi Yingyu. So this brothel really was hers.
After a few moments of hesitation, he turned back and instructed Liang Shuo and Peng Hai, "Go downstairs and have some fun with those princesses and guards. Tell them that I will cover all expenses for today."
Liang Shuo and Peng Hai exchanged a glance, both feeling uneasy.
Liang Shuo bowed and said, "Your Highness, your two subordinates will guard this place."
“No need…” Mu Xi glanced at Bao Fan again, “Bao Fan can just stand guard outside the door. If there is anything needed, I will have him go and call you. You can go now.”
The two were still thinking about it.
Qi Yingyu casually picked up two plates of pastries from the table and called out to Bao Fan, "Oh, young man, would you like some snacks?"
Bao Fan recognized Qi Yingyu but didn't address her as such; her two large, round eyes were fixed on the pastries.
Mu Xi then instructed, "Bao Fan, you can have your snacks here. You don't need to go in unless I call you."
"Hmm." Bao Fan was overjoyed and immediately served the snacks without any hesitation.
Liang Shuo and Peng Hai exchanged another glance, then bowed and retreated downstairs without asking any further questions.
Mu Xi dismissed everyone and entered the private room alone.
As soon as the door to the private room closed, Qi Yingyu's smiling face immediately pressed against him to greet him: "Greetings, Your Highness, hahaha... Oh dear... Your Highness, I've been looking for you for ages."
"Qi... Second Madam Qi... What are you doing here?" Mu Xi helped Qi Yingyu, who was about to perform a grand salute, and it took a lot of effort to suppress the excitement in her voice.
Ever since Princess Yanya sent the letter from the Yanshan camp, she had no choice but to come to the East Sea with Princess Qingyang, and had no hope of receiving any more news from Qi Yingyu.
Qi Yingyu led Mu Xi to a more secluded inner room behind the beaded curtain.
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