Chapter 24: The Opening of the Brothel

"Hey, Lao Zhang, heard they're opening a brothel on Yueya Lake."

In a gambling den in Chang'an City, a man with a sharp nose and protruding cheeks smirked at his companion, "Shall we go for a taste of the good life?"

"What brothel? They're opening a high-class establishment!"

Old Zhang disdainfully glanced at the man, "You clueless fool, a brothel and a high-class establishment are not the same thing. It's a one-stop service!"

"A one-stop service? Is the owner of this brothel that bold? Daring enough to use ancient mythical beasts as staff?"

"Nonsense!" Old Zhang scoffed, "Do you even know Li Lanqing, the former top courtesan of Qingle Pavilion, the most beautiful woman in Chang'an? My third son is working for them as a waiter, do you know how much he's earning?"

Two taels of silver!

Per month, two taels!"

"Really? That much?"

Jealousy flashed across the man's face. He had tried to apply for a job at the brothel before, but they deemed him too old and rejected him.

"Yes!" Old Zhang proudly took a sip of his wine, "Do you know how much it costs to visit the island once?"

Five taels of silver!

And that's just for the entry fee.

On the island, there are hot pots, Pai Gow, mahjong, poker, theaters...

Have you ever heard of these things?

Not to mention the Rouge List at the examination pavilion, I heard the women on that list are all stunning beauties, and their songs are soul-stirring!

Isn't that something!

But they don't serve clients.

They say they're artists, not courtesans.

Now it's not the clients choosing the women, but the women choosing the clients!"

"What kind of nonsense is this?"

The man exclaimed in dissatisfaction, "If they don't serve clients, what's the point of opening a brothel? This is ridiculous! I absolutely won't go to this damn place!"

Old Zhang glanced at him sideways, "Do you even have the money to go? Just looking from afar isn't enough for you!

Do you know Li Lanqing? The former top courtesan of Qingle Pavilion, the most beautiful woman in Chang'an!

According to my third son, she didn't even make it onto the Rouge List and decided to retire in a fit of anger!

If even such a beauty can't make it onto the Rouge List, what are you still thinking about?

Go to bed and sleep!"

...

The brothel was ablaze with excitement!

Even before its opening, its reputation had spread throughout Chang'an City.

Every street and alley was filled with talk of the upcoming opening, with phrases like "The brothel is opening", "The brothel is going crazy", "I'd rather die than go to the brothel" being heard everywhere.

The brothel owners who had been worried for months were now celebrating.

The price is so high.

Only fools would go.

Especially after finding out that the mastermind behind the scenes was the young master of the Chenliu Marquis's Mansion, the brothel owners couldn't help but reveal knowing smiles.

Idiots...

Do they really think that after spending a few years in a brothel, they can figure out the tricks of the trade?

...

On the fifth day of May, as the lanterns were lit!

With a deafening roar, fireworks exploded in the night sky above Crescent Lake, forming two large crimson characters - "Brothel"!

After half a year of preparation, the brothel was opening today!

At Crescent Lake.

There were crowds of people watching the excitement.

They looked from afar at the towering three-story buildings on the island, all stunned by the grandeur of the brothel owner's grand gesture.

A total of twelve floors!

Thinking about it, apart from the White Jade Capital in the Imperial City, they had never seen a building taller than this in Chang'an.

On the shore, there were already flower boats from the brothel docked, a total of twelve flower boats, each with a maid in a short skirt standing at the bow, smiling at the guests on the shore.

"Wow!"

As they looked at these twelve beautiful maids, many people couldn't help but swallow their saliva. Although the people of the Tang Dynasty were bold and the girls' clothing was quite daring, such boldness was rare!

Even the courtesans had never worn such revealing clothes.

For a while, few dared to board the boat.

On the one hand, they were scared off by the five taels of silver they had to pay to board the island, and on the other hand, they were unsure of the brothel's rules.

Just as everyone hesitated.

Another flower boat slowly approached from the island.

Standing at the bow of the boat was a woman in a green dress, her face like jade, her skin white as snow, her lips red as cherries, and a red ribbon tying up her black hair.

She held a bamboo pole in her hand and stood at the bow, bowing slightly, "His Royal Highness the Third Prince, the boss has sent me to welcome you. Please come aboard!"

"Oh!"

"The Third Prince is here too?"

People followed the woman's gaze and parted to reveal a handsome and extraordinary beast.

On the back of the beast, a young man in a brocade robe held a folding fan and smiled at the woman.

"Xiao Qing'er, didn't expect it would be you to pick me up. You were once the top courtesan in Chang'an, but now...

Alas, your boss is quite ruthless!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd erupted in astonishment.

The reputation of the Third Prince was well-known, and while his openly visiting a brothel was unexpected, it was also within reason.

But the woman holding the paddle, could she really be Li Lanqing, the most beautiful woman in Chang'an?

Previously, when it was heard that Li Lanqing was not on the Rouge List, people didn't believe it. Now, seeing this ethereal beauty reduced to such a state...

If the courtesans who were brushed off the Rouge List were already ethereal beauties, then the women on the list must be celestial beings descended to earth?

Many people gritted their teeth and paid to board the boat.

As for those who couldn't afford it, they could only watch helplessly.

Li Cheng'an smiled faintly.

He lightly stepped forward and landed gracefully at the bow of the boat.

...

Just after Li Cheng'an left on the boat, there was suddenly another commotion in the crowd.

A fierce white tiger emerged from the crowd, its majestic presence scattering the maple leaves in the air as it made its way through the crowd.

It was over two meters long, and its pair of tiger eyes looked down at the crowd, like a king patrolling its territory.

On its back, two white-clad swordsmen stood with their swords drawn.

In front of the two swordsmen, a figure in a red robe lazily lay on the tiger's back, with sleepy eyes.

"Who is this?"

Someone in the crowd whispered.

"Are you blind? Can't you see this white tiger?

Apart from the Jiang family of Langya, who else could keep such an ancient exotic beast?"

"Langya Jiang family? Isn't that... the owner of the White Tiger Street in Chang'an, Jiang Baihu?"

"That's right! I didn't expect... even she would come!"

"When it comes to Jiang Baihu, I heard that Li Lanqing was forcibly bought from Qingle Pavilion by the young marquis, and two Void Realm swordsmen broke into the An Wang Mansion at night.

It's probably them!"

"Such a thing actually happened?"

"If so, why did Li Lanqing appear in the brothel again?"

"Could it be that this brothel is actually opened by Jiang Baihu?"

"Even if it's not, it's probably related!"

"Have you ever seen Jiang Baihu appear in a brothel?"

"The background of this brothel is terrifying!"

"Nonsense!"

Just as the crowd was discussing animatedly, the two swordsmen opened their eyes, and the pressure of the Void Realm swept through the scene.

Everyone felt a chill.

They all fell silent.

The white tiger exhaled a breath of white primordial energy, leaped over the twelve flower boats, and strode across the lake toward the island!

"God, this white tiger is at least in the Void Realm!"

"The rise of the brothel... is unstoppable now!"

In the crowd, the brothel owners looked sourly at Jiang Baihu, wishing they could tie her up and take her to their brothel.

Before the brothel opened.

The most prestigious brothel was Clear Music Pavilion because it was the favorite place of the four notorious playboys of Chang'an.

Now that the brothel was opening, Li Cheng'an appeared first, followed by Jiang Baihu riding a tiger.

After that.

I'm afraid all the dignitaries of Chang'an will only go to the brothel.

"Wow, look up there!"

Someone exclaimed, "Who is coming in the wind?"

"God, it's the Four Gentlemen of Chang'an!"

"The youngest son of the Minister of War, Xia Yuenhou, the eldest son of the Wu'an Marquis, Gou Youquan, the eldest son of the Town Southern King, Princess Li Chengxian, and the younger brother of the Minister of Rites, Zhou Qian..."

"They're all here at Yue ya Lake."

"And they arrived on the wind!"

"Oh my god!"

"Does Liu Qi have such a big reputation? Even they came!"

Since the New Year, the name of the Four Gentlemen of Chang'an has shaken Chang'an.

They were only in their twenties and had already reached the Elemental Realm, able to travel on the wind.

Outside Chang'an, they beheaded more than three hundred bandits and captured seven mountain strongholds in a row.

They were hailed as the new generation of pillars of Chang'an.

I didn't expect even they would come to the brothel opening...

"Let's go! Let's board the island!"

"Let's go together!"