Shengjing, Xunhuan Pavilion.
“Xiaojinku, the soul-consuming den—truly living up to its name!”
“Hahahaha…”
“Whoever pleases this young lady today gets all these banknotes!”
Jiang Wantang stood at the center of the main hall, gazing at the carved beams, painted rafters, resplendent and magnificent, opulent and extravagant scene before her. With cheerful and carefree abandon, she flung stack after stack of banknotes from her hand into the air, a wanton and bewitching smile playing at the corners of her lips.
Clad in crimson gold-embroidered gauze robes, with a pair of captivating, alluring peach-blossom eyes, and an unrestrained, free-spirited demeanor, combined with the act of scattering money like rain, she was simply dazzling and flamboyant beyond measure.
Though her face was veiled by a golden-threaded gauze mask, one could easily imagine the peerless beauty hidden beneath just by gazing into those soul-stirring eyes.
Such striking beauty, coupled with such outrageous behavior, instantly captured the attention of everyone present.
“Hey, she’s throwing money! Money! Quick, pick it up!”
“Hehehe, this girl is both gorgeous and generous!”
“Me, me, me, don’t push…”
Especially the young male courtesans, their eyes all lit up, scrambling and swarming forward…
Tsk, this thrilling spectacle left everyone in the hall clicking their tongues in amazement.
For a moment, it was hard to tell who was actually patronizing whom.
“Noble Lady, this servant is willing to submit at your feet, to live for you, to die for you, to be ‘consumed’ by desire for you!”
Jiang Wantang lowered her gaze to see a fair-faced young male courtesan, dressed in a pink-white long gown and handsome in appearance, kneeling at her feet. He clutched the hem of her skirt, looking up at her.
She leaned down, reached out, and with practiced and flirtatious ease, lifted the courtesan’s chin, examining him left and right before curling her lips into a seductive smile. “Oh? And how exactly would that ‘consumption’ by desire be?”
The courtesan, utterly enchanted and bewildered, stared straight at her, his eyes filled with affection and infatuation. After a long while, he finally spoke, “Noble Lady, your smile alone is enough to bewitch this servant to death!”
“Want to know?”
“Noble Lady, please follow this servant upstairs…”
The look in his eyes as he said this clearly carried a hint of ill intent.
The smile on Jiang Wantang’s lips widened, but her peach-blossom eyes remained cold and detached.
“Noble Lady…”
The courtesan, already utterly infatuated and unaware, grew bold enough to reach out and try to tug at the golden gauze shawl draped over Jiang Wantang…
“Ah!”
The young courtesan let out a sharp cry as Jiang Wantang kicked him away with a lift of her foot.
The smile on her lips remained bright and radiant as she parted her red lips, her words icy and detached. “What a pity… you simply don’t catch this young lady’s eye.”
“Me! Choose me! Choose me…”
“And me…”
Despite this, a crowd of men still surged forward, volunteering themselves.
Just then, a man dressed in a snow-white, front-opening gauze robe descended the stairs from the second floor. Graceful as an orchid and elegant as jade, his handsome appearance drew many gazes.
A silver belt cinched his waist, his hair was tied high in a white-feathered crown, and a headband of the same snowy hue was fastened across his forehead at eyebrow level. A few stray locks fell loose, adding to his refined and ethereal aura.
Jiang Wantang narrowed her eyes slightly and pointed imperiously at the man who had just come downstairs.
“No need to choose anymore. I want him!”
The latter raised an eyebrow, looking at her with an amused, leisurely smile.
“My, what excellent taste, young lady! With just a casual pick, you’ve chosen our Xunhuan Pavilion’s top courtesan, Lord Xingyun.”
The brothel mother at Xunhuan Lou laughed heartily at the sight, pushing aside the crowd of men and pulling Xingyun to Jiang Wantang.
“However, our Xingyun gentleman doesn’t casually entertain guests. If you like him, you’ll need his personal approval.”
Jiang Wantang’s eyes swept over the handsome man before her, her tone carrying a hint of amusement: “Xingyun?”
“Walking to the end of the water, sitting to watch the clouds rise…”
“A good name!”
“Not quite!” Xingyun chuckled softly.
The next moment, Jiang Wantang heard his faint, gentle voice: “It’s… spilled water cannot be retrieved, clouds cannot be found again.”
“Oh, interesting, I like it!”
Jiang Wantang’s charming peach blossom eyes curved deeply, sparkling with laughter, the tear mole at the corner of her eye captivating like a fox spirit.
“I’d spend a fortune for a night with you…”
Jiang Wantang spoke with a seductive tone, like a patron: “I wonder if you’d agree?”
Xingyun covered his lips with a fist, smiling lightly: “I would be honored.”
Then the two went upstairs to the private room one after another.
After the brief commotion, the hall gradually returned to normal, the sounds of silk and bamboo music lingering…
Xunhuan Lou, the largest brothel in Shengjing City, also the most famous “Xiaojinku.”
From inside to out, it exuded an atmosphere of indulgence and dazzling wealth.
The brothel housed beauties of all kinds, men and women, many skilled in various arts, making it the most luxurious and mysterious presence in Shengjing City.
Those who came here for entertainment were either wealthy or noble.
Xunhuan Lou had five floors, with the private rooms on the second and third floors being a paradise for nobles to enjoy music and pleasure.
The fourth floor was a gathering place for literati and artists to appreciate the arts.
The fifth floor was the most exclusive and mysterious level.
It was never open to the public.
At this moment, in the private room on the fifth floor.
A “bang” sound echoed…
The carved door of the private room was forcefully slammed against the wall from outside.
A tall, imposing man in luxurious clothes stumbled in, looking disheveled, his fine garments slightly wrinkled and messy, with fresh scratches clearly visible on his neck.
“Damn it!” the tall man cursed while adjusting his attire, “What kind of crazy woman was that downstairs?”
“If she weren’t a woman, I’d really want to beat her up!”
The visitor complained angrily: “Having a bit of money isn’t anything special, yet she threw money around publicly, making me squeeze among those powdered male attendants—I almost got sick from the strong perfume!”
“Under the bright sky and clear world, that crazy woman is simply indecent and outrageous!”
“Hey, I say Zhao the Second, are you just letting that crazy woman stir up trouble in your territory without doing anything?”
This man was the newly risen noble, General Pei Lie, a trusted general personally promoted by Emperor Ji Wuyuan.
And the “Zhao the Second” he referred to was Zhao Yi, son of Princess Rongyu, second in his family ranking.
In the private room, Zhao Yi wore a deep blue narrow-sleeved robe, carelessly crossing his legs and lazily leaning against a golden nanmu chair.
Hearing this, he impatiently scratched his ear and retorted: “Pei the Third, what are you yelling about again?”
“Hey, it’s just a small scene!”
“Really haven’t seen much of the world!”
“Regardless of gender, all who come to my Joyful Tower are guests. If they are willing to spend money for pleasure, why should I interfere?”
At this point, he paused, casting a disdainful glance at Pei Lie, who was gulping down water.
He continued in a rather flippant tone: “That red-clad beauty downstairs earlier is no madwoman.”
“She is…”