In the Bottle Alley of Feihu City, there stood four brothels facing the lake, as few as the fingers on one hand. Yet, an air of mutual hostility pervaded the place. They had long since reached the realm of Masters duel, death unseen. (masters exchanging deadly moves without visible action). Unlike the street brothels where rivalries once flared—where one might hang a banner proclaiming “The Finest Waist in Feihu” and another would retaliate with a banner boasting “Twin Peaks Conquering All Heroes”—here, open confrontations were rare. When business disputes arose, the women merely glared and occasionally came to blows. Female brawls usually devolved into blind scratching, but the pimps and hired thugs followed a more refined code: hidden groin kicks, tiger-claw strikes to the chest, or monkey-plucking maneuvers. Many penniless ruffians would gather regularly to watch the spectacle, treating it like a lesson in the art of fighting. Besides, when scantily-clad women wrestled and accidentally exposed half their ample bosoms, it was a feast for the eyes—a rare spring breeze of delight. Some mischievous men would deliberately send an unfamiliar accomplice to feign difficulty choosing a brothel, subtly flashing silver or gold to incite the madams. Such dangerous antics required great eloquence and acting skill; otherwise, if exposed, they might suffer a brutal beating. Don’t underestimate the women’s delicate hands and feet—they could still crush a man’s most sensitive area.
The ruffians of Feihu City formed no grand alliances; they were scattered and disorganized. In contrast, their neighbor, Baishuang City, though only half the population of Feihu, was united and powerful. Several major factions from Baishuang roamed Feihu like lords, especially fond of coming to seduce women and humiliate men. Only a few years ago, when the young master Dantai accidentally intervened and dealt them a humiliating defeat, their arrogance was finally curbed. Otherwise, the ruffians of Feihu would still be cowering in shame. In that battle, the city governor’s son fought alone, his personal guards standing aside, and utterly crushed over forty strong and youthful men. Later, the defeated were tied up and dumped outside Baishuang’s city walls, to the cheers of the entire city. It’s no wonder the noble heir enjoyed such high prestige and popularity, beloved by women from sixty years old down to six. Even the ruffians of Feihu respected Dantai the Elder, for he never abused his power or bullied others—his quarrels were always with outsiders. Moreover, if the young master ever became a bell-ringer for the emperor, a prestigious but unofficial position, the entire city would share in the glory. This year alone, countless women, whether in temples or Taoist monasteries, had burned incense and prayed tirelessly for the young master’s blessings, much to the delight of the clergy who profited handsomely.
On both sides of Bottle Alley stood two brothels each, but no women stood outside to greet customers. Instead, several handsome young men with rosy lips and white teeth lounged by the entrances, their delicate figures and pretty faces rivaling those of women. By unspoken rules, wealthy patrons with homosexual inclinations could pay a modest sum to take one of these youths upstairs for a night of passion. Most of these youths were cunning and perceptive, skilled at reading people even better than the madams. They secretly competed over who had slept with more of the brothel’s courtesans, a factor that directly influenced their market value. If a youth managed to share the bed of a courtesan ranked among the top beauties, his price would skyrocket accordingly—after all, many men who couldn’t afford to visit the courtesans still longed to know the size of their breasts or the shape of their hips.
Xu Fengnian was led by Li Liu to a brothel whose four corners each bore a large pearl hanging from the eaves. From afar, the sight was impressive—pearls varied in quality and price, but even the lowest-grade night pearls started at thirty taels of gold. Four such pearls together were dazzling, enough to surprise even Xu Fengnian. Upon closer inspection, he realized the pearls were encased in glass, but the brothel’s wealth was still evident. Their promotional tactics were uniquely ingenious. A proud and handsome youth barely nodded at Li Liu, acknowledging that the innkeeper’s account would be recorded and settled at month’s end, with the exact amount depending on Xu Fengnian’s spending. At minimum, five taels of silver would be paid—a significant sum for an inn that might earn only a hundred or so taels in an entire year.
Xu Fengnian handed Li Liu a small silver piece, but the latter hesitated, barely suppressing his greed before shaking his head and waving his hands in refusal, fearing that accepting the silver might cost him his soul and earn him a beating from the innkeeper. He quickly turned and ran off. Xu Fengnian made no attempt to stop him, then pulled out several larger silver pieces and tossed them to the youth, who had already sized him up from head to toe. This was no careless act—on a first visit, tipping too much would mark him as an easy target for exploitation, while too little would earn him disdain. Xu Fengnian’s gesture of offering four or five taels was perfectly judged. Regulars, well-known to the house, could tip freely based on their wealth and temperament. Take Li Hanlin, for example, a top noble’s son accustomed to extravagant spending—he might casually stuff hundreds of taels into the madam’s bosom when in a good mood, and no one would dare call him a fool. When angry, even refraining from slapping the madam’s face would be seen as an act of mercy.
From Li Liu, Xu Fengnian had learned the general situation in Bottle Alley. Holding Tao Manwu’s small hand, he entered the courtyard and paused, saying calmly, “Today, I’ve come to Guanghan Pavilion. Either I hear Lady Anyang play the qin, or I watch Qingnu dance the lotus steps, or I see the newly arrived Wei girl toss her embroidered ball. I must meet at least one of them. If not, I won’t spend my silver here. I believe among the four brothels in Bottle Alley, there must be one that can earn my money. I don’t mind walking a few more steps.”
These words immediately dispelled the youth’s initial disdain. He knew that some so-called wealthy patrons, dressed in fine silks and surrounded by arrogant attendants, would loudly declare before even entering that they’d destroy the place if they couldn’t see the top courtesan, or boast that they had more money than anyone else and would monopolize all the beauties. But Bottle Alley had no fear of such types, especially Guanghan Pavilion, which stood alone on Jiaqing Lake. If someone truly dared to cause trouble, they’d be beaten and thrown out. The youth had underestimated the sword-bearing young noble for a reason—he knew the inn’s standards well. Usually, the guests brought by Li Liu weren’t particularly wealthy. But now, hearing such words, he realized this was a seasoned visitor who knew the ropes. Any brothel with a reputation knew that their top courtesans were often monopolized by officials or noble sons, or reserved for important regulars. It had little to do with the courtesans’ temperaments or how high they held their heads. Everything followed the rule of “first come, first served.” A stranger with a fresh face demanding the best delicacies all for himself—did he think he was the son of the Eight-Province Governor or the grandson of one of the Twelve Marshals of the Northern Barbarians? That would be sheer ignorance of etiquette. Generally speaking, brothels disliked such impudent guests. At the famous Fengbo Pavilion across the Northern Barbarians, such fools were simply thrown out without hesitation—the place didn’t care about losing a few taels of silver. But Guanghan Pavilion hadn’t yet reached that level of confidence.
After a brief consideration, the youth spoke in a soft, uncertain tone: “Let me be honest with you, sir. Lady Anyang may not be available tonight, and Qingnu and Miss Wei are also uncertain. I’ll need to ask for sure. Please understand, these three are the most outstanding beauties in Guanghan Pavilion. Even working here, I might not see one of them every day.”
Xu Fengnian roughly knew there was hope and nodded with a smile: “With four night pearls worth 134 taels of gold, Guanghan Pavilion must be doing well. Seeing any of the ladies will be enough.”
“You truly understand the situation, sir.”
The youth smiled, lips slightly parted, and leaned slightly toward the sword-bearing noble, only to be gently evaded. He felt a twinge of regret—this noble seemed unfamiliar with the pleasures of the boudoir. Still, he didn’t dwell on it. As for why a refined, sword-bearing noble would bring a little girl to a brothel, having seen countless unimaginable things, the youth didn’t bother to ponder. In a brothel, filth and absurdity abounded—some nobles preferred aging, plump women over pretty girls, or burly men who enjoyed being whipped and having candles dripped on them by women. Some wealthy merchants even brought their wives dressed as men to indulge in “one dragon and two phoenixes” games. The world was full of strange and varied spectacles. How could a young boy, who sold his body for silver and connections, possibly understand or explain it all?
Xu Fengnian looked down at Tao Manwu. The little girl appeared remarkably composed, true to her father Tao Qianzhi’s daughter, with a calm expression. Yet Xu Fengnian knew her palms were soaked with sweat. He turned to the youth and said, “Enter through the side door.”
The youth understood that some guests were particular about discretion. He had intended to explain that Guanghan Pavilion was elegant and secluded, and even entering through the main gate, one wouldn’t see many faces. But seeing the noble’s determined gaze, he abandoned further insistence on such minor points. Besides the four-story main building, Guanghan Pavilion had two private courtyards occupied by the top courtesans. Xu Fengnian ascended to the second floor, peering through the window. Behind the building, a courtyard was brightly lit, with many noblemen and refined scholars seated on the ground, listening to the gentle sound of a qin. A plump woman with an icy, sharp face played the instrument, dressed in a small-sleeved long skirt embroidered with golden threads. Beside her sat a rough warrior with a fox tail in his hair, legs crossed, wearing black leather boots. His appearance was clearly arrogant, dressed much like the literati of the Liyang Dynasty. Only the coarse man stared intently at the courtesan’s white, tender bosom. With every flick of her fingers, her chest trembled slightly, and his gaze grew more intense.
They arrived at an elegant tea room. The youth bowed slightly, imitating a woman’s gesture, and said, “I’ll go inform the madam right away. Please wait a moment, sir.”
After he left, Tao Manwu asked cautiously, “Is it the older sister?”
Xu Fengnian smiled and nodded.
Soon, the youth returned with a graceful woman in light makeup, carrying a jar of sealed yellow wine. She smiled and said, “Yun hurried off earlier without serving you tea. She meant well, wanting you to meet the lady sooner. Please don’t take offense, sir. My name is Xi Yi. I’ve brought you a jar of Feihu City’s San Diao aged yellow wine to apologize for Yun. Yun, warm the wine for the gentleman. I’ll go inform Miss Wei. If she has time, I’ll come fetch you.”
As Yun reached for the wine jar, hurried footsteps echoed from the doorway. Yun’s face turned pale with panic, while the woman called Xi Yi remained much calmer, turning toward the entrance. A group of people stormed into the tea room—two muscular bouncers from the brothel, a young man more handsome than Yun, and leading them, a woman wearing old-fashioned soft-soled, open-toed brocade hook shoes from the former Western Shu palace. Her long sleeves dragged on the ground, and the handsome youth behind her knelt and held up her skirt, running all the way. Judging from her bearing and attire, although Xi Yi held some status in the brothel, she was far inferior to the heavily made-up woman before her. As expected, the sharp-eyed woman merely glanced sideways at the sword-bearing noble before completely ignoring him. She pointed a single finger at Xi Yi and sneered, “Well, Xi Yi! Have you forgotten the rules of Guanghan Pavilion? Daring to secretly take in a guest without even informing me, the head madam? The seat in Lady Anyang’s courtyard is gone, and you skip Qingnu’s courtyard altogether, directly sending him to Wei Qingguan’s Embroidered Ball Pavilion? Xi Yi, who gave you the courage (audacity)?!”
Xi Yi, anxious but forcing a smile, replied, “Sister Cui, I merely saw that Qingnu’s place was crowded, so I didn’t want to trouble you.”
The woman dragged out a long, sinister “Oh,” fixed her gaze on Xi Yi for a moment, then smiled and said, “No problem, no problem. We’ve known each other for so many years, and I know Xi Yi always handles things reliably. It must have been that damned Yun acting on his own. Come, drag him out and give him twenty strokes. Follow the rules—don’t miss a single stroke, but don’t add an extra one either. If he dies, Guanghan Pavilion will lose a hundred taels of silver. I can’t afford that kind of blame.”
The youth’s hand trembled, and the jar of yellow wine slipped, nearly crashing onto the sword-bearing noble’s foot.
Xu Fengnian extended his arm and caught it, placing it on the table without a word.
Clearly, there was a rift between Qingnu, the second-ranked courtesan of Guanghan Pavilion, and Wei, the rising newcomer. Their respective madams, bound to their fates, had begun scheming against each other. It seemed that Wei, nicknamed “Rolling Embroidered Ball,” was currently at a disadvantage, leading to a crowd in Qingnu’s courtyard while Wei’s Embroidered Ball Pavilion remained empty. Probably, Yun, who was close to Wei and Xi Yi, had seized an out-of-town customer in desperation to solve the urgent problem. Unfortunately, his fears were realized—he was caught in the act.
Xi Yi, ignoring the commotion behind her, forced a smile and said, “Sister Cui, please don’t get angry. Today’s matter has nothing to do with Yun. It was all my own fault—I acted recklessly and got caught red-handed. I’ll accept the punishment.”
Madam Cui clearly intended to humiliate the messenger, mocking, “Xi Yi, you’re just too kind-hearted. But rules are rules. Why suffer for this stubborn little brat? I can’t bear to see you degrade yourself like this. What are you waiting for? Drag Yun out and give him twenty strokes.”
The skirt-holding youth smiled and repeated, “Drag Yun out and give him twenty strokes.”
Xi Yi turned to Xu Fengnian for help. A woman with some status and face in Guanghan Pavilion, she now looked pitiful and helpless.
Yun knelt and softly pleaded, “Master, save me!”
Xu Fengnian remained unmoved.
Xi Yi suppressed half-sincere, half-feigned sorrow and turned to the imperious woman, saying coldly, “Sister Cui, this gentleman is a first-time guest at Guanghan Pavilion. Will you really be so heartless? Don’t you fear the ridicule of Feihu City?”
Xu Fengnian frowned. Still trying to drag me into this?
The woman laughed, covering her mouth in delight. Seeing that the two bouncers hesitated, recalling some old, faint favor, and reluctant to drag the sweet-talking Yun past Xi Yi, her expression darkened.
“Cutting the grass and removing the roots”—that was the saying among officials and soldiers. But she understood all too well: if you didn’t push your enemies to the brink of desperation, they might spring back like grass in the spring wind. Hadn’t she herself once made a mistake years ago, losing to Xi Yi and nearly being ruined?
Now the tides had turned. You, Xi Yi, wanted to rise again with that little seductress Wei? Not a chance!
The woman shoved Xi Yi aside, grabbed Yun’s hair, and yanked hard. The youth fell to the ground, and she stomped on him once, her smile still gentle, showing no trace of ferocity. She exuded the refined cruelty of a principal wife punishing a concubine.
Xi Yi bit her lip, one hand clutching her arm.
A cool spring breeze, a cold autumn chill.
The woman, satisfied with her stomp, glanced sideways at the sword-bearing noble and smiled, “Sir, what you’ve seen today—will you dare to speak of it?”
Xu Fengnian chuckled in disbelief.
Tao Manwu, though somewhat nervous around Yun and Xi Yi, remained relatively calm. But upon seeing this woman, she instinctively hid behind Xu Fengnian.
Xu Fengnian pulled out a two-hundred-tael silver note and said calmly, “I came to Guanghan Pavilion specifically to meet Miss Wei and become familiar with her, so I can visit often. Truth be told, I also wanted to get close to Sister Xi Yi. Ladies like Lady Anyang and Qingnu don’t interest me. To be honest, Sister Xi Yi has more charm. A woman of her age knows how to please a man better. As for you, a fifty-year-old hag, scram! Go home and play with your grandchildren. I’ve eaten too much for dinner and don’t want to waste food.”
Xi Yi was stunned, then her eyes reddened.
This face-saving gesture was enormous.
It warmed her heart more than a thousand sweet words or a thousand taels of silver.
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