NFBE Chapter 474 Red Sleeves
Chapter 474 Red Sleeves
As Yu Wan listened to the guard's report, she pondered to herself.
According to the laws of the Great Zhao Dynasty, after a new emperor ascends the throne, his brothers will move out of the capital to their respective fiefdoms. Prince Su and several princes who have just come of age have already moved out, while Prince Jin has remained in the capital due to his relationship with Empress Su.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, news came from the palace that Empress Su had caught a cold and fallen ill.
When a person who has not been sick for a long time falls ill, the illness comes on suddenly and goes on like a landslide, but recovery is slow and gradual.
Empress Su wanted Prince Jin to stay in Shengjing temporarily to attend to him during his illness, and the new emperor agreed without hesitation.
No one suspected that Prince Jin and Empress Su had ulterior motives.
If Empress Su and Prince Jin had other ideas, they would have taken action on the very day Li Mubai launched the palace coup.
During this period, apart from going to the palace to attend to the ailing Prince of Jin, he spent most of his time at the Prince of Jin's residence and rarely hosted banquets.
I never expected that he would visit Hongxiufang so often.
Xizhu tiptoed over to add tea and asked in a low voice, "It sounds like Prince Jin really cares about Lin Yueniang. No wonder Sun Sanniang doesn't dare to offend Lin Yueniang."
Yu Wan picked up her teacup, took a sip, and smiled gently as she looked at the tea leaves floating in the cup. "Not necessarily."
"If Prince Jin truly cares about Lin Yueniang, why doesn't he just redeem her from her servitude?"
Xizhu paused for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "That's true, Hongxiufang isn't a good place."
Yu Wan felt like she had caught a whiff of gossip.
"Xizhu, did Yunshang say he would be back later tonight?" Yu Wan looked at Xizhu with shining eyes.
Xizhu met her bright eyes and subconsciously replied blankly, "Yes, yes, the young master said he would be home later tonight."
Yu Wan immediately stood up, unable to contain her excitement, and slammed her hand on the table, "That's great!"
Xizhu: ...
She had a bad feeling about this.
Overwhelmed with excitement, Yu Wan grabbed Xi Zhu's hand, her eyes sparkling with eager anticipation.
He whispered to her, "Let's sneak off to Hongxiufang while Yunshang is coming back late tonight!"
Upon hearing this, Xizhu immediately became anxious and hurriedly advised, "Master, this is absolutely not allowed! Hongxiufang is a place where all sorts of people mingle. If something happens, the young master will skin me alive when he comes back."
Yu Wan waved her hand dismissively, "What's there to be afraid of? We'll disguise ourselves and no one will know."
"We're just going to gather information; what trouble could possibly arise?"
"But you must not tell your mother-in-law about this."
Although Madam Shen was open-minded, she certainly couldn't accept her daughter-in-law going to brothels.
We mustn't upset her.
Therefore, when she left, Yu Wan only said that something had happened at Chunshui Pavilion.
Shen never doubted her words, and smiled as she told her to get some rest and come back soon.
It wasn't yet dusk, and Hongxiufang wouldn't open until after dark, so Yu Wan took Xizhu for a stroll and changed into men's clothing.
After changing into men's clothing, Yu Wan and Xi Zhu transformed into two handsome young men.
But upon closer inspection, it's still possible to tell that they are women.
Xizhu still looked unwilling to dress as a man, but she couldn't go against Yu Wan's wishes and could only follow along helplessly.
As night falls and the city lights begin to twinkle, the streets and alleys of Shengjing are slowly enveloped in twilight, making the signboard of Hongxiufang particularly eye-catching.
Hongxiufang is a small building with multiple stories, and at this moment, lanterns are hanging under its eaves.
The vermilion building appeared even more vibrant under the warm yellow glow of the lanterns, as if veiled in a layer of ambiguous gauze.
Two heavy doors were wide open, and soon after they opened, a continuous stream of music from string and wind instruments flowed out, along with the charming laughter of women and the unrestrained teasing of men.
Yu Wan straightened her clothes and was about to walk over when she suddenly felt someone tugging at her sleeve.
She turned her head and saw Xizhu looking at her pitifully, still trying to persuade her, "Master, if we want to ask Lin Yueniang questions, we can call her out. There's really no need to go in."
Yu Wan absolutely refused to admit that she was using the opportunity to go to Hongxiufang for fun, and said righteously, "Wouldn't calling her out directly to ask her be alerting her?"
Xi Zhu choked, "This..."
Yu Wan didn't give Xi Zhu a chance to persuade her again, and pulled her into the Red Sleeve Shop.
Upon entering the Hongxiufang, one is immediately greeted by a warm and lively atmosphere, with the air filled with the scents of cosmetics and wine.
It's a bit pungent.
Yu Wan couldn't help but sneeze.
Taking the opportunity, Xizhu advised again, "Master, this place is filthy and chaotic, why don't we go back?"
Yu Wan took out a handkerchief and elegantly wiped the tip of her nose, then raised her chin and said, "No."
"We still need to gather information; this little offense is nothing."
She lowered her voice, "Xizhu, don't give yourself away."
As he spoke, he grabbed Xizhu's arm and strode into the noisy lobby.
The hall was half full, with each man holding a beautiful woman in his arms, exchanging drinks and flirting with her.
At the bottom of the circular staircase leading to the second and third floors, there is a high platform where seven or eight dancers are performing.
The dancers, dressed in light and colorful costumes, swayed their slender waists to the cheerful yet slightly decadent rhythm of silk and bamboo music, their colorful ribbons dancing in their hands like nimble snakes.
The men below the stage cheered and applauded, and some even threw their reward money onto the platform, which made the dancers smile and dance even more energetically.
Not to mention the men, even Yu Wan was staring at him intently.
These are just ordinary dancers on the high platform; how beautiful must the most beautiful courtesan be?
Before the incident, Sun San Niang must have been an absolute beauty.
Pity.
Sitting in the lobby were men who didn't have much money but wanted to have some fun. Yu Wan only glanced at them a few times before looking towards the second floor.
The madam, with her sharp eyes, immediately swayed her hips and came forward, her face full of ingratiating smiles: "You two gentlemen look unfamiliar, is this your first time here?"
Xizhu glanced at the two white mounds on the madam's chest and couldn't help but blush and look away.
Yu Wan seemed not to have seen anything, and smiled, "We came from out of town. We heard that the girls at Hongxiufang are good, so we came here specifically to take a look."
The madam beamed, "Exactly, exactly! No girl in any other part of Shengjing can compare to our Hongxiufang! Our girls are all beautiful and talented, guaranteed to satisfy you!"
Yu Wan smiled and nodded, calmly taking out a silver ingot and handing it to the madam. "How about you introduce me to two?"
The madam quickly stuffed the silver into her sleeve and said cheerfully, "Of course that's fine."
"What kind of girls do you two gentlemen like?"
Yu Wan smiled faintly, her gaze sweeping casually across the lobby before she said leisurely, "To be honest, Mother, we came here today specifically for the most beautiful courtesan at Hongxiufang."
"I've heard that Lin Yueniang is exceptionally talented and beautiful, and I'm quite curious about her. I wonder if Mother could arrange for me to meet her?"
The madam's smile froze for a moment, and she said with a forced laugh, "Moon Lady, she's the star of our Red Sleeve Brothel. We're always packed with customers. I wonder if she'll be available today..."