Although Mistress Jian had become Aunt Jian, Ning Que would not refuse her offer. He did not forget his real purpose of looking for a brothel in the Great Wall. Moreover, as a young man from the countryside, he was very satisfied to be able to visit the best brothel in Chang 'an like a VIP.
Walking down the stairs of the west wing, there was a very flat grassland behind the building. Passing through a white wall, a stream appeared under the starry sky. There were several small courtyards scattered on both sides of the stream. There was a faint singing mixed with the melodious sound of stringed bamboo. It must be the dancers who were preparing for the celebration in the palace.
The maidservant was in a bad mood after being reprimanded. Seeing Ning Que looking around with his hands behind his back like a tourist, her face became colder and colder. She said sarcastically, "I don't know what's wrong with Mistress Jian today. Why is she so nice to a poor man like you? You are a scholar, but you don't know how to refuse. Well, someone must be very thick-skinned to visit brothels when he is so poor. "
Since he was said to be thick-skinned, Ning Que had to show it. He pretended that he did not hear the sarcasm in the maidservant's words and replied gently, "Since Mister Ji is willing to treat me, I can't stop him. It's a simple thing between men. It sounds complicated, but it's actually very simple."
"You are just a boy. How dare you praise yourself as a man." The maidservant laughed and said, "It's okay to be treated to a few cups of wine, but you even have to pay for it. He is not your relative, how could you do that?"
Hearing this, Ning Que could not help but think of the scene when he first met Lee Yu in the small courtyard in the City of Wei. At that time, Lee Yu was not a princess but a maidservant. Tonight, there was another maidservant talking about these things. That scene did not happen many days ago. Why did it feel like it happened years ago?
The maidservant had already returned to the palace. Countless officials and people were excited and busy for her return. He himself had also come to Chang 'an. Then, he inexplicably began to visit brothels and was the first to hear the songs specially arranged to welcome her back. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but laugh.
"What's so funny?" The young maidservant frowned and rebuked.
Ning Que spread his hands to show that he had no opinion. He just wanted to find out more about those things and did not want to waste this rare opportunity to visit a brothel by arguing with this little maidservant.
Knowing how important the House of Red Sleeves was to the officials and nobles, he had a vague feeling that the censor Zhang Yiqi's place of pleasure should be here, because this was the only place that had enough privacy and level.
How should he probe? It was not appropriate to pretend to be stupid or naive, so he began to talk about some interesting things that happened in the border town. He believed that these stories with the flavor of rough wind and sand would be very attractive to the little maidservant beside him, who lived in a pile of women all day but had heard many legends of the frontier fortress soldiers.
Ning Que had always been very good at dealing with maidservants. This had nothing to do with the princess who was far away in the palace. It was because he had a little maidservant who did not like to smile and was the coldest. Even Sangsang, the best cold-faced maidservant in the world, was subdued by him. Of course, this was only his self-perception and might not be the truth. It was even easier to deal with this little maidservant of Mistress Jian.
Sure enough, after walking a few steps along the stream, the little maidservant beamed with joy and excitedly began to exchange gossip about their respective industries with Ning Que. Ning Que understood why the Song and Dance Troupe had to do erotic work. He also knew who was the most popular among the beautiful girls in the backyard, who had been bought over, and who had the highest official position in the imperial court to serve the Lord.
The more beautiful girls there were, the easier it was to earn money with their beauty. This was because it was a very easy method and the ratio of investment and output was really amazing. It should be known that the top courtesans of the House of Red Sleeves would become the concubines of high-ranking officials in various countries. Who wouldn't want to earn enough money and finally have a good husband?
When Mistress Jian founded the House of Red Sleeves, she also wanted to be a clean and clean singing and dancing troupe. However, in order to survive in a world dominated by men, how could a seemingly well-respected singing and dancing troupe resist the pressure from the nobles and even the royal family? In the end, she could only succumb to reality and even began to cater to it.
The flowering trees by the stream were blooming and the starlight was broken into countless pieces in the flowing water. The world behind the white wall looked so clean and graceful. Ning Que walked under the starlight with his hands clasped behind his back like a poet. However, looking at such a clean scene, he did not feel too relaxed.
A young lad should not have troubles.
Ning Que thought for a while about the gossip that the little maidservant had said and shook his head to get rid of the emotions in his mind into the stream. He wandered along the stream and occasionally met a beautiful girl walking on the stone path. He would slightly step aside to give way to her politely, which was very elegant.
As mentioned before, when a fifteen or sixteen-year-old young scholar has to pretend to be calm and steady, it will always make people feel that it is a little funny. Fortunately, ugly people are funny and annoying, but if funny and immature are added to it, it will become cute.
After entering Chang 'an, it was much more convenient to take a bath than in the City of Wei. His slightly curly black hair, which was dirty and greasy when he was at the frontier fortress, had long been washed clean and refreshed by Sangsang's small hands. Coupled with his not exactly handsome but clean and clear eyebrows, he naturally looked refreshing.
In particular, the hot and sour noodles sold by the stall at the end of Lin 40th Street were really delicious, and a few thin slices of beef in the soup was even more delicious. These days, he and Sangsang had been eating this kind of food, and they had actually put on some weight. Now he looked cute and harmless, and very likable.
Those girls who were politely given way to looked back at him curiously. Seeing that he was young and clean, they liked him a little. When someone found out that he was the lad in the radical brothel, they could not help but cover their mouths and laugh. The girls had seen many strange stories in the brothel, but it was the first time that Mistress Jian had ordered someone to take a lad to a brothel. They were so curious and excited that they surrounded Ning Que and refused to let him go.
The little maidservant was squeezed out of the group of girls and looked inside angrily. Her heart was full of frustration, as if her exclusive toy had been taken away by the big sisters. She angrily put her hands on her waist and shouted at Mistress Jian, "Don't harm the child. This lad is a scholar who is going to take the Academy exam, and he is … well, are you guys willing to give him a big red packet? Get out of my way! "
"Hey, look at our Xiaocao, you are so anxious. We just want to borrow this lad to play. Why are you so anxious? Oh, he is actually going to take the exam for the Great Scholar of the Academy. We have to take a good look at him. "
The Zhu Clan's maidens parted the crowd, allowing a dazzling beauty to walk over. This woman seemed to be in her twenties, and her figure was extremely voluptuous. The arms and waist that were exposed from her dress were as smooth as pearls and as smooth as jade. As she walked, she seemed to be able to cause the wind to blow, as if water could flow out of her body.
However, she had a small face that covered all the fat on her body. There was no sign of her being plump or charming at all. Instead, she had a very delicate and pretty aura.
Seeing this girl, Ning Que's eyes suddenly lit up, and he silently shouted in his heart, "It's her!"
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