Chapter 58 Brothel

Jiang Ling stood at the gate of Pingkangfang, looking at the beautiful women in revealing clothes, heavy makeup, laughing and soliciting customers in front of him, and he felt his legs go weak.

Behind him were two thin, yellow-faced, mustache-wearing attendants. One of them frowned and tugged at his beard, seeming impatient, while the other stared at Pingkangfang with shining eyes, looking impatient.

Jiang Ling: “…”

He is obviously the man, why are they more active than him?

The two attendants were Ming Huashang and Ren Yao in disguise. Yueman Tower was the base of the Xuanxiao Guards, and disguise tools and hidden weapons were readily available. The five of them were equipped with weapons, Ming Huashang and Ren Yao disguised themselves as men, and then split into two groups, finally meeting at Tianxiang Pavilion.

Ming Huachang was in contact with disguise tools for the first time and was full of novelty. But the face can be disguised, the voice and bones can be disguised.

But it's impossible. An experienced person can tell at a glance that she is a woman.

It didn't matter if they were found out to be women. It was a trend for the maids of the rich and powerful to dress up as men. It was not uncommon for a rich young man to bring a maid to a brothel for pleasure. They just had to avoid letting the people in Tianxiang Pavilion see their true appearance.

Although Tianxiang Pavilion has no intersection with the noble families, the capital will be moved in the future, and both the Ming and Ren families will move back to Chang'an. After a long time, who can guarantee that there will be no accidents and Tianxiang Pavilion will not encounter the Zhenguo Mansion and Pingnan Marquis Mansion?

Once this happens, the consequences will be completely unpredictable. Ming Huachang will move out of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion in the future. She doesn't care about her reputation, but it's better to have less trouble than more. It's best to cut off the hidden dangers at the source.

Ming Huashang was eager to go to a brothel. She had never seen one in her life and was extremely curious. She couldn't wait to go in, but Jiang Ling was like a nail on the ground and didn't move for a long time. Ming Huashang glanced at him and asked suspiciously, "What are you waiting for?"

Jiang Ling's expression was hard to describe. He was playful, but he knew the bottom line. He was not doing his job, was extravagant, and acted tyrannically with his lynx and leopard. This was one thing, but if he robbed women and visited brothels, that was another matter.

The most boring time for him was when he took his baby Beibei to hunt in the mountains. He had never thought about playing with women, but this time he had to go to a brothel "on business" and brought two unmarried girls with him.

Jiang Ling felt so awkward that he lowered his voice: "You are women. How can you enter a place like this?"

Ren Yao couldn't stand the itchiness on his face and said impatiently, "If you want to come in, just come in. Don't complain."

"Yeah, we don't care, why are you nagging?" Ming Huashang looked at Jiang Ling and said, "Isn't it your first time here and you don't dare to come in?"

Jiang Ling was furious: "Who said I don't dare? I'm used to it! This is your choice, don't regret it after you go in."

Jiang Ling said this as he walked towards Pingkangfang with his head held high. It was clearly the gentle and peaceful town of Honglang, but he walked out with the posture of a heroic martyr.

Pingkangfang is adjacent to Dongshi in the east, Chunming Main Street in the north, and Xuanyangfang in the south. It is located in a busy area, and a large number of dignitaries gather around it. Not far away is the Shangshu Province, where candidates, candidates, and people from all over the country who come to Beijing gather.

Because of its unique geographical location, Pingkangfang had many prostitutes coming and going, which in turn attracted more playboys to come to Pingkangfang. Gradually, this place became a gathering place for brothels, a hotbed of romance, with music and revelry every night. It was Chang'an's city that never sleeps.

As soon as Jiang Ling stepped into Pingkangfang, he felt as if he had fallen from the solemn and strict capital into another world. The lights on both sides were dim and ambiguous, the drum beats of Hu music were passionately beating in the night breeze, and the air was filled with the smell of greasy powder. The women on the roadside were wearing thin clothes, and when they saw him smiling frivolously, they were bold enough to come up and pull him.

Jiang Ling seemed to be on fire, and he quickly flashed behind Ming Huashang and Ren Yao. Ming Huashang cursed them in his heart, and asked in a low voice: "Didn't you say you come here often? What are you doing?"

Jiang Ling tried to save face and said stubbornly, "I come here often, but you are my servants now. A servant should stand in front and clear the way at a time like this, otherwise people will see through my flaws."

Ming Huashang didn't believe him. She pushed Jiang Ling hard and said, "There is a hierarchy. How can I let my master walk behind me? You go first!"

They both tried to use the other as a shield. The women next to them were attracted by Jiang Ling's red lips, white teeth, and handsome appearance. They knew he was a rich man. Several women exchanged glances with each other, rushed up, and pulled them into their own building with a coquettish smile: "Is this your first time here, sir? The girls in our building like to entertain new guests the most. Come in and take a look."

Ming Huashang and Jiang Ling were being courteous to each other, and were suddenly overwhelmed by the scent of powder, and the two were almost swept away by a wave. In the critical moment, Ren Yao was still reliable, grabbing one of them with one hand, and forcibly dragging them out of the whirlpool.

Ming Huashang had never run so hard before. After finally breaking free from the hands on all sides, she stopped at the corner of the wall, panting and still in shock.

She raised her eyes to look at Jiang Ling. Jiang Ling looked even more ferocious than her. His clothes and hair were all tangled, like a delicate flower destroyed by a storm.

Ming Huashang inexplicably felt pity for him, patted his shoulder and said, "I didn't expect you to be so popular with the sisters. If you run out of money in the future, at least you can still make a living here."

Jiang Ling angrily scolded, "Get lost."

Ren Yao rolled his eyes and said, "How can you still have fun? We don't know where we are, how can we find Tianxiang Pavilion?"

Ming Huashang straightened his beard and said, "It's simple. We go to a place with fewer people and we will find Tianxiang Pavilion soon."

Jiang Ling was puzzled: "Why?"

Ming Huashang said, "People who come to Pingkangfang are here to have fun. Someone just died in Tianxiang Pavilion last night, and the government was alarmed today. Customers think it's unlucky, so they will definitely not come to Tianxiang Pavilion in the short term. So, we just need to go to the place with the least people."

Ren Yao thought it made sense. She had good eyesight, so she leaned against the wall to take a look, pointed in a direction and said, "Look over there, isn't everyone avoiding it?"

Ming Huashang and Jiang Ling stuck their heads out and saw a three-story building with carved beams and painted rafters. This building is one of the largest buildings in Pingkangfang, but at this moment, the front door is empty and the crowd is deserted.

Ming Huashang thought there was hope: "Maybe that's the Tianxiang Pavilion. Let's go and take a look."

Ming Huashang and the other two were still frightened by what they had just seen. They did not dare to walk on the main road anymore and carefully walked along the side towards Tianxiang Pavilion. After the three sneaky figures walked away, two figures walked out from the shadows.

Xie Jichuan chuckled and said, "Since you are worried, why don't you let them stay outside? At worst, after completing the task, you can go back and tell Han Jie that we did it together."

This is actually the simplest and most reliable method. It is too bold to let two unmarried young ladies go to a brothel. Once the news gets out, Ming Huashang and Ren Yao will never be able to talk about marriage again. I am afraid that they will be pointed out for being unfaithful to their husbands for the rest of their lives.

Even if we don't take reputation into consideration, there is a storm brewing in Tianxiang Pavilion, and undercurrents are surging. Letting the two women in would be tantamount to playing with their lives.

Whether it's for reputation or safety, entering Tianxiang Pavilion will do more harm than good. No matter how you look at it, this doesn't seem like protecting your sister.

How could Ming Huazhang not know? He stared at the slender figure in front of him quietly. Until now, he still regretted that he should not have let her get involved. He should have found a safe house, put her and Ren Yao there, and picked them up after the mission was over.

But Ming Huazhang finally resisted the urge to ask them to come back and said softly, "That's not what they want."

Ming Huazhang knew why Ren Yao joined Xuanxiaowei. Ren Yao wanted to inherit the Marquisate and be named Marquis of Pingnan as a woman. This was shocking and unprecedented. Unless there was support from the authorities, it would be useless to find many old friends or give many gifts.

Therefore, this mission was of great significance to Ren Yao. If she gave up the first mission because it was inconvenient for women to enter the brothel, how could she recruit other things in the future? So when she heard that the three of them were going to appear in Tianxiang Pavilion as a clear card, Ren Yao agreed without thinking.

Ming Huazhang understood that she wanted to make achievements and prove herself urgently. Because he understood, he couldn't bear to deprive her of her.

As for Ming Huashang, she doesn't have Ren Yao's ambitions. She just wants to know how the person died and who the murderer is. Ming Huazhang has the responsibility to protect her, but does she really need this kind of protection?

Protecting her everywhere, isn't that just another form of contempt? Ming Huazhang suppressed the self-blame, worry, and anxiety that were about to drown him, and was willing to give it a try, believing that she had the ability to face difficulties and dangers.

Xie Jichuan heard this, laughed briefly, and said, "You are still so soft-hearted."

Ming Huazhang did not comment, and said: "They have already entered Tianxiang Pavilion. Get ready and start the next step."

At this moment, in front of the red building with carved beams and painted buildings, Ming Huashang, Ren Yao and the others clearly saw the three characters "Tianxiang Pavilion" on the plaque of the gate, and they were sure that this was the place. Compared with other brothels with fancy decorations, Tianxiang Pavilion was a little too deserted, so Jiang Ling coughed and deliberately asked loudly: "Hey, why is there no one at the door of this house?"

After Jiang Ling's overly obvious doubts, a group of people rushed out of Tianxiang Pavilion, led by a plump woman in her thirties, with a face like a full moon, a plump figure, and a large red peony in her hair. Her facial features were not inferior, but her skin was no longer tight, and wrinkles even appeared at the corners of her eyes.

Compared to her age, she aged too quickly, so her overall look has been greatly reduced, and she can barely be said to still have some charm.

豐腴女子看到江陵，立刻喜上眉梢，媚笑着迎出來，身上的肉都笑得一抖一抖：“哎呦，不知貴客上門，有失遠迎，奴家失禮了。看郎君面生，郎君應當是第一次來吧？”

說着，她忍不住在江陵臉上揩了一把，掩唇嬌笑：“郎君真是俊俏，奴家很久沒見過這樣标志的少年郎了。”

江陵那一瞬間惡心得隔夜飯都要吐出來了，他冷下臉，轉身就要走，被明華裳和任遙一左一右架住。

明華裳“攙扶”着自家公子，熱心替公子發問：“我們郎君初來長安，來平康坊尋樂子。你們這裏有新奇好玩的東西嗎？”

老鸨聽到明華裳的話，眼睛又亮了一籌。少年人，第一次來長安，尋樂子，老鸨看江陵的目光越發慈愛了，怎麽看，這都是一頭咩咩叫的肥羊。

老鸨笑道：“有，當然有！可不是奴家說大話，在整個平康坊裏，再沒有哪家比我們天香閣更新奇、更會玩了。郎君，外面冷，不妨進來喝口酒暖暖身？”

江陵很想說“不冷，不喝，滾”，奈何身體不由他自己。他一點都不想進去，卻被忠心的侍從代勞，硬拽進天香閣。

老鸨見江陵進門，笑得見牙不見眼，她快步穿過正堂，吃吃笑道：“姑娘們，貴客來了，下來接客。”

明華裳拉不住他，但任遙這男人婆手勁賊大，江陵正在和任遙較勁，一擡頭，看到一大片花花綠綠、面目猙獰的女人揮舞着帕子朝他湧來。江陵吓得一哆嗦，下意識抱緊了身邊的任遙：“妖怪，你們做什麽！”

一天沒開張的姑娘們正各展神通想一舉拿下這只肥羊，沒想到肥羊卻撲到身旁男人的懷裏。如果是個美少年倒也罷了，竟然還是個面黃肌瘦、又瘦又小的醜男人！

姑娘們笑容凝固在臉上，天香閣仿佛被某種神秘力量暫停，幸虧明華裳反應快，當即說道：“我們郎君從小食金飲玉，眼光高的很，庸脂俗粉可配不上我們郎君。去，叫你們樓裏最好的姑娘來。”

老鸨一聽在理，看這個少年通身的氣派，就知道絕對是富貴鄉養大的，普通姿色進不了他的眼。老鸨愈發确定這是條大魚，決不能放跑，于是使眼色讓姑娘們回去：“是奴家疏忽了。還愣着幹什麽，快去取金陵春來，送到廣寒月苑中，別讓貴客久等。”

然後，老鸨面向江陵，一臉堆笑道：“郎君，最好的包廂在二樓，您随奴家來。”

江陵被趕鴨子上架，如今已下不來了。他只能輕哼一聲，整了下衣服，昂首挺胸往樓上走去。

任遙跟在江陵身邊，後面是烏泱泱的老鸨和姑娘，明華裳落後幾步，綴在最後，趁機看天香閣的布局。

看起來天香閣是走風雅路線的，連包廂都要合“風花雪月”四個字。天香閣建的非常闊綽，共有三層樓。一層最廣闊，中心是一個舞臺，宛如一個天井，全樓的視線都集中于此。舞臺四周放着花草雕欄，南、東、西三面圍着坐席，後方正北面是一副巨大的山水屏風。

二樓、三樓是住人的，東西走向，環着舞臺建了走廊和雅間，只要打開窗戶就能看到樓下歌舞。但為了舞臺視野，二樓三樓東西兩邊的走廊并不互通，像兩艘畫舫，隔着銀河遙遙相望。

二樓明顯裝飾更奢華，房間更大，應當是招待貴賓用的包廂；三樓房間密集，多半是青樓女子們自住的房間。

明華裳走上樓梯，廣寒月苑在二樓西側靠北的這間，倒是離樓梯不遠。明華裳進門後，發現江陵已經被安排得明明白白。

才眨眼的功夫，桌案上已經擺滿了好酒好菜，環肥燕瘦的美人們站在他身前，不動聲色散發着秋波。老鸨熱情地介紹各個美人，誇得那叫個天上有地下無。

而秋波的接收方看起來卻有些心不在焉，他察覺明華裳進來了，拼命擠眼睛，暗示趕緊來救他。

明華裳卻像沒看到，她站在門旁，認真聽老鸨介紹佳人，還時不時點頭應和，仿佛真的在考慮。

江陵被氣得倒仰，她嗯個屁，她點女人能用嗎，最後還不是他受害？老鸨将所有佳人都介紹了一遍，說得口幹舌燥，她期待地看着江陵，等着他選人。

江陵眼皮都快抽筋了，他支支吾吾，說：“這個，你能再說一遍嗎，我沒記住。”

老鸨慢慢倒抽了口氣，明華裳聽說青樓是養打手的，她生怕老鸨下一刻就揮手說“給我打”，忙道：“我們郎君的意思是，這些太庸脂俗粉了。有沒有更好的？”

老鸨怔了下，臉色明顯難看下來：“這麽多姑娘，各個都是我們天香園的臺柱子，郎君竟然一個都沒看上？”

江陵理所應當要點頭，眼看對面那一溜美人臉色更差了，任遙眼疾手快擡住江陵下巴，不讓他點頭，僵硬笑道：“倒也不是，只是我們要最當紅的。”

老鸨花蝴蝶一樣撲到領頭的姑娘面前，手臂飛快揮動，任遙仿佛都看到她臉上的粉震下來了：“山茶就是最當紅的！你們出去問問，整個平康坊，誰不認識我們家山茶？”

被貶為“庸脂俗粉”的山茶也不樂意了，捏着帕子陰陽怪氣：“是啊，要不是今日客少，想叫我還叫不來呢。郎君這樣羞辱人，莫不是拿奴家開涮？”

明華裳找到缺口，立刻追問：“你這話不對勁，既然你是平康坊最當紅的娘子，為何今日一個給你捧場的都沒有？”

山茶被說得紅了臉，憤憤跺了下腳，甩帕子走了：“媽媽，客人眼光太高了，我高攀不起。還是請玉瓊姐姐來吧。”

江陵、任遙、明華裳三人暗暗交換視線，顯然，他們都聽到了關鍵名字，玉瓊。

老鸨見江陵三人把她的新心肝寶貝氣走了，氣得直咧嘴：“郎君，我們敬您是貴客，這才處處讨好，但您也太不給面子了。您看不上我們家姑娘，我們也不敢高攀，但您縱容下人折辱人，是不是太過了？”

這回江陵完全不需要表演，劍眉一挑，洛陽小霸王的跋扈勁立刻碾壓下來：“你罵誰呢？我身邊的人，就算是條狗也比別人尊貴，輪得着你指手畫腳？”

他沒說完就被狠狠擰了下，他胳膊劇痛，差點沒繃住表情。他不可置信地看向任遙，任遙暗暗瞪他，眼神中充滿殺氣。

罵誰是狗呢？

江陵簡直覺得這個女人不可理喻，這是重點嗎？幸好還有明華裳，相比之下，明華裳通情達理識大體，簡直是小仙女！

他這個想法還沒落，就聽到明華裳怒喝一聲，中氣十足地叉腰道：“放肆！你們知道在對誰說話嗎？”

老鸨被他們一驚一乍的陣仗吓住了，腦子裏不由盤算起來。

長安說大很大，說小也很小，地界上身份貴重的公子哥就那幾位，面前這個郎君雖然唇紅齒白、舉止貴氣，但以前從未見過。想來最多是某個富商的兒子，初來洛陽，長長見識而已，有什麽能耐的？

這樣想着，老鸨也硬氣起來，揚起下巴說：“呦，奴家有眼不識泰山，竟看不出郎君身份。郎君能否為奴家解惑，好讓奴家長長見識？”

老鸨這話似笑非笑，眼睛斜斜向下瞥着，可見故意說反話嘲諷他們。明華裳冷笑一聲，她穿着下人衣服，容貌更是枯黃醜陋，但她說話時，莫名讓老鸨不敢直視。

老鸨心道活見鬼了，她十二歲挂牌賣藝，十四歲成為花魁，如今三十歲已當上掌櫃，她見過的人比這些小年輕吃過的米都多。她一生都在風月堆裏打滾，教導出好幾輩“女兒”了，自然早就看出來，這個文文弱弱、做男裝打扮的仆從，其實是個女子。

但哪又如何，跟着男郎上青樓的，還能是什麽尊貴人？無非是一個狐假虎威的受寵婢女罷了，剛才老鸨為什麽會生出畏懼感？

老鸨心裏正嘀咕奇怪，導致她慢了半拍，才聽到明華裳的話：“說出來怕吓死你們，我們郎君乃是江安侯嫡長子，正正經經受過朝廷冊封的江安侯府世子！”

江陵深以為然地點頭，猛地發現不對，詫異地看向明華裳：“嗯？”

任遙默默挪開眼睛，遮住自己的臉。謝天謝地她不是男人，如果在這種地方說出平南侯府的名字，她祖母一定會打死她的。

老鸨張大嘴，愕然地看向江陵，說話都不利索了：“江……江安侯府世子？”

“是啊。”明華裳挑眉，居高臨下道，“你該不會不知道江安侯吧？”

老鸨怎麽敢不知道！雖然如今皇上不在長安，但這裏依然聚居着大量豪門世族，時刻盯着朝廷的動向。若說如今朝中最有權勢的人不好定論，但最受寵的，一定是太平公主！

Marquis Jiang'an is Princess Taiping's confidant. How could Tianxiang Pavilion, a small business that relies on luck, dare to offend Marquis Jiang'an's son?

The madam's expression changed drastically immediately. The wrinkles on her face were so thick that you couldn't see her eyes. She smiled bitterly and said, "I have no eyes to see the great man. I neglected the prince. I really deserve to be beaten! Prince, wait a moment. I will go and call Yuqiong."

Jiang Ling was in despair. He couldn't imagine what his father's expression would be when the news of his visit to the brothel spread back to Luoyang. Jiang Ling had nothing to live for, and even his face was very sour. He waved his hand casually and said, "Get lost. I just came to Chang'an to have fun. I don't want to make it public. Don't talk nonsense."

The madam immediately understood and changed her address tactfully: "I understand. My lord, don't worry. I will make sure the servants won't spoil your mood."

After saying this, the madam winked at the people around her and left in a hurry. After everyone left, Jiang Ling immediately put away his fearless attitude and asked Ming Huashang in a low voice: "What are you doing?"

"Don't panic." Ming Huashang sat down calmly, poured a glass of wine, and took a sip. "It's really good wine. You were originally ordered to go to Chang'an to buy furniture for Princess Taiping. Everyone in the capital knows that you are a playboy. You can't stand the loneliness, so you come to Pingkangfang to have fun. Isn't it normal?"

That's true, but Ren Yao frowned and said, "But wouldn't that expose my identity?"

"What are you afraid of?" Ming Huashang said, "He is Jiang Ling, and what he did is consistent with Jiang Ling's character. If we try to hide our identities and get recognized later, we will be suspected. We might as well reveal our identities openly, mix the truth with the falsehood, and catch them in the dark. This is the safest way."

Jiang Ling was thinking, it seemed to make sense. However, Jiang Ling tilted his head and looked at Ming Huashang, very puzzled: "Ming Huazhang is now in Chang'an, why don't you use his identity?"

Ming Huashang blinked and said seriously, "My second brother is a famous man in the imperial capital. How could he ruin my brother's reputation like this?"

Jiang Ling gritted his teeth, his fingers itching with anger: "Then you ruined me?"

"Oh, it's okay." Ming Huashang waved her hand generously, "It's better to hide this kind of thing than to make it public. Now the murderer who killed Zhang Ziyun is very likely still in the building. If you reveal your identity, the other party will not dare to do anything to you. It's a good deal to trade your reputation for safety! The worst consequence is nothing more than being beaten by your father, and your reputation will be ruined, making it difficult to get married."

Jiang Ling stared at her with eyes wide open and said, "How about you listen to what you are saying?"