The Censorate's rank was not high, but its power was not small. The Imperial Censor of the sixth rank was considered an important figure in the Tang Empire's bureaucratic system. The places where such a person went in and out were heavily guarded. Whether it was the government office or the mansion, there would be many subordinates and guards around them. A poor young man who wanted to kill a censor in Chang 'an, the capital of the Tang Empire, sounded like a fantasy. Moreover, it was a fantasy from the East, which was used to individual heroism.
However, Ning Que had never considered how to kill the censor. In his opinion, killing was the simplest thing in the world. His life began with a murder. Later, in the Min Mountain, the frontier fortress, the grassland, and the Northern Mountain Road, countless beasts and humans fell under his blades and arrows.
He only cared about one thing at the moment – how to kill the censor Zhang Yiqi without being discovered. No matter how much he trusted his killing skills, he knew that if he could not escape quickly, he would definitely die in front of the security yamen of the Tang Empire and the unfathomable powerhouses in Chang 'an.
There was very little information about Zhang Yiqi on the oilpaper, which was not suitable for Ning Que's plan, except for one: the censor, Zhang Yiqi, was a serious and upright person. However, it was said that he was secretly very lecherous and often visited brothels. However, he had a fierce wife and carried the censor's reputation, so he was very careful when he visited brothels. After all, Zhuo Er was only a low-level spy in the Military Ministry. He had never found out which brothel he frequented.
"There are so many brothels in Chang 'an. Which one would you go to?"
Ning Que furrowed his brows and pondered hard. He discarded the idea of following the other party to the brothel. Since the professional spies of the Military Ministry could not find out where Zhang Yiqi's brothel was, this censor must have his own way of finding out. And the people of Chang 'an who loved to chat in the teahouses would not care much about the preferences of an official like him. Therefore, it was difficult for him to get what he wanted from the streets and alleys. Things had become a little troublesome.
Propping up his chin, he stared blankly at the clear sun after the rain for a long time. Suddenly, he stood up.
At this moment, he was suddenly enlightened. He finally understood that this matter was no different from hunting in the Min Mountain or chopping firewood in the grassland. Since he wanted to know where the old bear and the Horse Gang were, but there was no good hunter general to provide him with a map, the only thing he could do was to walk into the Min Mountain and the grassland with his own feet. He could see the worn marks on the bark, the dried feces in the weeds, and the ashes of the bonfire buried under the mud.
He was a good hunter and an excellent wood-chopper. Through these details, he was able to determine where the old bear was hiding and whether it had been injured. He was able to determine how many Horse Gang members there were and whether they had left Shubi Lake. Then he believed that he would be able to determine the habits of a Tang censor through the details he had personally observed and find a way to kill him silently. What he needed to do now was to enter Chang 'an City.
"I'm going out for a walk." Ning Que stretched himself and said to Sangsang. Then he walked out.
Sangsang ran to the door and asked, "Where are you going? Do you want me to go with you? "
Ning Que understood what she was worried about. He answered with a smile, "There are some places that you can't go with me."
…
…
Walking on the sunny streets of Chang 'an, Ning Que's mood became better. He deliberately forgot about the blood in the spring rain, and then turned himself into a young scholar traveling abroad to study. He first went to the bookstore to return the few books that he had finished reading, and then began to wander between the Censorate and the Zhang Mansion.
The next day, he walked under the shade of the willow tree and stood beside the sugar figurine stall. He watched from afar through the crowd as the square-faced, majestic censor walked out of the Censorate and returned to his own mansion. Looking at the censor's strong entourage, the well-disciplined public security army in the streets, and the Yulin Royal Guards' cavalry that occasionally galloped past him, Ning Que was more and more certain that he could not use such a reckless method as killing people on the street.
The whole day seemed to be fruitless. In the evening, the door of the Zhang Mansion opened. The censor seemed to be attending an official banquet. The censor's wife and a few women dressed as concubines saw him off. The idlers on the street laughed and pointed at the place and said envious words. Ning Que, who was drinking herbal tea in the tea shop, noticed some details. Apart from the cold and skinny wife, the other concubines were all extremely plump.
Men's taste for women was never reflected through their wives, but through their concubines or lovers. Sometimes, men married because of their family status, money, prospects … and maybe love. But the reason why they took in concubines or lovers was very simple. It was purely to match their sexual desires.
"I like plump girls." Ning Que smiled and thought to himself as he looked at the concubines who stood obediently behind their mistress like quails. Their eyes revealed pride and slyness from time to time.
Following the censor's sedan chair for four streets, Ning Que watched as the sedan chair entered a majestic prince's mansion. He quietly looked at the door of the prince's mansion, then turned around and walked to a crowded place. He found a idler and asked, "My friend, I want to know if there are any brothels in Chang 'an where the girls are known for their plump bodies?"
This question was very stupid, but after handing over a piece of silver, even the stupidest question could get a not-so-stupid answer. In the eyes of the idler, Ning Que suddenly became a rich and tender scholar who came to Chang 'an from another place. After making fun of him, Ning Que held the teapot and introduced the brothels in Chang' an to him with great professionalism.
Hearing the names that were even more complicated than the Academy Entrance Examination, Ning Que rubbed his eyebrows and said with a bitter smile, "There are too many. Say, which ones are the most expensive? And the environment must be quiet. "
…
…
Holding the names and addresses of a few famous brothels, Ning Que searched the brightly lit streets of Chang 'an. He lingered and hesitated in those romantic places. He did not enter some of the brothels. Just by looking at the appearance and the surrounding environment, he was sure that the censor was definitely not a regular customer. This was purely a hunter's intuition.
The problem was that he was really not good at hunting in such places. He felt a little embarrassed that he did not enter the brothels after being politely invited by the pimps at the entrance. When he walked to the fourth brothel on the list, he realized that his method was not only stupid, but extremely stupid.
There were so many brothels in Chang 'an, and the environment was quiet and elegant. Which brothel did not have plump and popular girls? Wouldn't the chances of bumping into that old bear be too low if he were to recklessly bump into it like a blind bear?
When he lingered outside the brothel for a while and turned to leave, he suddenly heard a silver bell-like voice behind him. The clear laughter floated far away on Chang 'an Street, attracting the attention of countless people.
Ning Que suddenly turned around and saw that the brothel was brightly lit. The ladies who had not yet started work were leaning against the railings and laughing. Their red sleeves were waving wildly, as if they were teasing a young man who was too shy to enter.
"What a bully!"
He weighed the heavy silver bag in his sleeve and looked at the beautiful prostitutes who were smiling seductively upstairs. He made up his mind, raised his head, lifted the front of his scholar's robe, and walked into his new era in high spirits.
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