bookrandom Chapter 75 Giving You One Chance
Chapter 75 Giving You One Chance
As dusk settles, the Wanhua Tower is brightly lit, bustling with women and revelers in a decadent, extravagant atmosphere.
Qin Xuan appeared at the entrance of Wan Hua Lou with Zhao Luoying, who was disguised as a man.
"Gentlemen, please come inside."
The sharp-eyed pimp immediately greeted the two of them warmly.
At this moment, Qin Xuan was wearing a purple and white brocade robe, with a handsome face and extraordinary demeanor.
Beside him, Zhao Luoying wore a white long robe made of the finest silk, looking every bit the dashing young master.
Judging from their clothes, the pimp knew they were well-off, so he fawned over them and led them directly to the second floor.
Qin Xuan smiled and tipped him a tael of silver. The turtle thanked him sincerely, saying, "Please wait a moment, gentlemen. I'll go and ask Aunt Liu to bring the beautiful lady over."
"Hmph, Your Highness, why did you give him money? This place is so polluted, I really want to burn it down."
When she went up to the second floor, the brothel scenes in the lobby on the first floor made Zhao Luoying extremely uncomfortable.
Although she had heard of brothels, she had never been to one. Upon seeing the lewd scene, she couldn't help but feel a surge of righteous indignation.
“Every place has its own rules, and these brothels and entertainment venues can’t be eradicated.”
Qin Xuan smiled, looked around the room to make sure there was no danger, and then said, "Besides, we're not really here to have fun. Just think of it as an opportunity to broaden your horizons."
In ancient times, the brothel economy accounted for a large portion of tax revenue. Given the limited entertainment options available at the time, abolishing the brothel industry would inevitably lead to a surge in unnecessary crime.
Moreover, this is the prevailing social attitude; brothels were not purely places for prostitution, but more often, they were places where scholars would drink and make merry.
"Hmph, then I'll spare these lecherous devils."
Zhao Luoying blushed and nodded.
At this moment, there was a knock on the door of the side room, and then the madam, Liu Hongmei, led six or seven women in single file.
Upon entering, Liu Hongmei was stunned by the appearance of Qin Xuan and Zhao Luoying. Such handsome young men were a rare sight in Beining City.
She quickly stepped forward enthusiastically, took Qin Xuan's arm, and said in a charming tone, "Gentlemen, these are the best of our Wan Hua Lou. Are you satisfied?"
While speaking, she intentionally or unintentionally leaned her chest against Qin Xuan's arm, which almost made Zhao Luoying, who was standing next to her, explode with anger.
Qin Xuan withdrew his arm without making a sound, and smiled faintly: "Leave them all."
"Oh, good, good, young master is so generous. I'll have the servants prepare wine and dishes right away."
Liu Hongmei was overjoyed; it had been a long time since Wanhualou had had such a generous guest.
"No need, I already told the pimp. Madam Liu, you stay too."
Qin Xuan smiled faintly and casually tossed out a silver ingot: "This is a reward for you."
That amount of silver was at least twenty taels, enough for an ordinary customer to enjoy the Wan Hua Lou for six or seven days.
Liu Hongmei immediately nodded repeatedly and said with a silly smile, "Girls, you'd better serve these two handsome young men well tonight, or I won't let you off the hook."
At her call, six or seven young women immediately rushed over with smiles.
But at that moment, Zhao Luoying, who had been keeping a sullen face, suddenly made a move.
She moved with lightning speed, delivering a swift chop to the back of everyone's neck.
The women immediately collapsed as if drunk, losing consciousness.
"Sir, you..."
Liu Hongmei was taken aback and turned to run away, but Zhao Luoying was already standing at the door and struck her shoulder with a palm.
"boom!"
To everyone's surprise, the seemingly frail Liu Hongmei was able to throw a punch in the heat of the moment, landing it on Zhao Luoying's palm.
Zhao Luoying was slightly surprised and was forced back two steps by the opponent's enormous strength before she could regain her footing.
At this moment, Liu Hongmei had already turned back and charged directly at Qin Xuan.
In her view, since Zhao Luoying was quite powerful, she couldn't fight her head-on; she could only get away by dealing with Qin Xuan first.
Therefore, she didn't hesitate to extend a claw, aiming straight for Qin Xuan's eyes. As a spy, her actions were naturally insidious and ruthless.
But the moves that had always been effective became useless at this moment.
Qin Xuan arrived first, his right hand first wrapping around her wrist, then with a light twist, he easily disengaged her strength and forced her to lose her balance. Then, with lightning speed, he struck her with his finger, knocking her to the ground.
Throughout the entire process, Qin Xuan didn't even get up.
"Who are you two, and what is your purpose in coming to my Hundred Flowers Pavilion?"
Knowing she had made a mistake, Liu Hongmei asked in a fierce but weak voice.
"Liu Hongmei, forty-three years old, originally from Bozhou, was the deputy leader of the Flying Fish Gang in the martial arts world. Later, due to being pursued by the government, she fled to Yangzhou and painstakingly managed the Baichun Pavilion. By chance, she caught the eye of the current Third Prince Qin Zhen and came to the capital to manage the Meiyu Pavilion of the Education Bureau. Three years ago, she came to Beining City, and the Wanhua Pavilion was born..."
Qin Xuan recounted Liu Hongmei's background as if she knew it by heart.
These words struck Liu Hongmei like a thunderbolt. She looked at Qin Xuan in horror and asked hesitantly, "Who exactly are you?"
Do you know Ma San?
"Weren't you trying to infiltrate the Heavenly Craft Workshop? How come you don't even recognize me, the one in charge?"
Qin Xuan smiled faintly, but a murderous intent flashed in his eyes, which made Liu Hongmei tremble all over.
She had already guessed Qin Xuan's identity, and her heart instantly turned to ashes. She gave a miserable smile: "So it's the famous Prince Chu! To die at your hands today, Hongmei's death is not in vain."
She had heard of Qin Xuan's methods and knew that this sixth prince of Daqi was ruthless and decisive.
Knowing that he was both a spy for the Third Prince and had sent people to poison refugees with red poison, Qin Xuan would never let him live, given his character.
To Liu Hongmei's surprise, Qin Xuan did not kill her; instead, he said:
"Your husband died young, leaving behind an only son named Huang Lin, who is now planning to take the imperial examinations, but he has been placed under house arrest by Qin Zhen's men. Am I right?"
Qin Xuan had already asked the monkey to investigate everything, but he hadn't taken any action yet.
Liu Hongmei smiled helplessly and said in a mournful voice, "Your Highness, the Prince of Chu, is indeed extraordinary. Since you have already found out, why ask questions you already know the answer to?"
“I have already sent someone to bring your son to Beining City.”
Qin Xuan said calmly, and the despair in Liu Hongmei's eyes instantly turned into excitement. She looked at Qin Xuan in disbelief: "Your Highness, are you telling the truth?"
"I have no reason to lie to you, and you are not worth my deception."
Qin Xuan said calmly.
Two days earlier, when the people from the four major chambers of commerce delivered Beining paper to the capital of Daqi, someone had already rescued Huang Lin and sent it to Beining City.
"Thank you for saving my life, Your Highness. Whatever you want to know, Hongmei will tell you everything she knows."
Liu Hongmei believed in Qin Xuan's character.
This great military strategist of the Great Qi Dynasty was always a man of his word.
"I already know all your secrets. The reason I'm keeping you alive is because you still have some use to me."
Qin Xuan slowly stood up, his gaze sharp as he stared at Liu Hongmei: "I'll give you a chance. Be loyal to me for three years, and after three years I will give you a sum of money so you can choose the life you want."