Chapter 376: Sooner or Later the Treasury Will Be Filled

"To ruin a woman's purity is like taking her life; after a woman is defiled, the only outcome is death, right?"

"If he dares to come, I'll have him die in this tea house."

"If this tea house weren't owned by the Prefect's family, I'd let him die outside, to avoid implicating anyone."

"You've been in the Imperial Palace all these years, yet your heart is so soft."

"Hehe, luckily I haven't borne a prince, so I don't have to compete with them; if I'm soft, I'll stay soft."

"But you're the one who benefits the most."

"Hehe."

The Empress lifted her teacup and handed it to Qiao Mai, "Thanks for your favor, thank you!"

"If we skip dinner tonight, shall we go to Yanhua Street?"

Qiao Mai led them; even with a lump in her throat, she had to go.

The Emperor and Empress had already risen; the door opened, and seeing Qiao Mai watching a performance and hearing the man's words, the Emperor became angry.

"What are we doing there? Could it be that we still call you a lady?"

Qiao Mai cracked a sunflower seed and snorted, "The mountain is high and the Emperor is far away; besides, the court has never prohibited it—one is allowed, ten are allowed."

When they saw a woman, the girls in the building stared wide‑eyed.

They listened while looking around; the rich and powerful were upstairs, and downstairs were ordinary patrons.

The girls inside led them in, found a relatively spacious spot, and ordered a fine banquet.

The Emperor snorted, "Let him hoard it; sooner or later the treasury will be replenished. I've ordered the Golden Dragon Guard to investigate, and soon his background will be uncovered."

One after another came lewd verses and vulgar displays; several of us felt like vomiting.

A few turned around at once, "It's him!" The girls greeted him, calling him "Lord Wu" in their mouths.

"Bring the two best girls from your establishment over."

"Can we still do it that way?"

Especially the Empress, her face flushed, "Then, shall we go back and rest early?"

But he didn't dare act rashly, watching from a distance.

"Hmm, your journey's been enjoyable; exposing corrupt officials and filling the treasury go hand in hand."

She said that while slapping a gold ingot onto the table; Lao Bao, upon seeing the gold, instantly broke into a smile, picked up the gold and slipped it into his bosom.

None of them lifted their chopsticks; they dismissed the food as just the establishment's fare, didn't touch the wine either—after drinking enough at the tea house earlier, they came here just to broaden their horizons.

Prefect Wu, on Erlou, watched them, his eyes flickering; he had seen the Emperor before, yet he didn't recognize the one before him now.

Except for Qiao Mai, the other four stared wide‑eyed, and even the Emperor's eyes were opened.

"Honestly, some things are just too eager!"

Although a bit ordinary, that flesh was truly exquisite; stripped and held in one's arms, it must feel wonderful.

But the more like that a person is, the more they can hear and see what they desire.

Men and women embracing in public, kissing publicly, performing lewd acts openly—people of every sort; those who usually keep up appearances outside now reveal their true selves here.

The three men glanced at each other, awkwardly; Qiao Mai explained, "It's just Brothel Street."

He wouldn't let him act rashly; the father and son both fainted in succession—it's no small matter, better to be cautious.

Qiao Mai's party ignored those girls, and on this street found the largest, most grand establishment and entered it.

These scoundrels couldn't match the guards protecting the Emperor; after a few blows they were knocked to the ground, while Prefect Wu's eldest son shouted from the side.

"Guests, please wait a moment; we'll be right there, right there."

However, when he saw the Empress, his eyes lit up.

"What place is that?"

"Daring to covet his own woman—he deserves it!"

"Yo, our establishment's best girl is the Liangzhou flower queen; even the rich can't always afford her. She's the Prefect Zhifu's favorite."

She had long noticed his leering; that gaze made her want to grind him into meat.

Fortunately, the thing the guy mentioned didn't happen; they went straight to Yanhua Street.

Those who rarely accompany the Emperor find it hard to recognize him outside, especially since Prefect Wu has been here for many years.

"The scent of cosmetics is too strong, it stings!"

"If it doesn't rain tomorrow, let's take a carriage; our feet are sore."

"Coming to places like this, there's no shame; see him go upstairs looking for that flower queen."

Yubao quickly tipped two girls, placed a silver ingot on the table; the group left the brothel and took a deep breath.

"It takes a lot of money to afford that."

This guest gift is from the Wu family; no one dared to intervene. Wu's eldest son came with men to seize people, brazenly, without even wearing Night Clothes—how reckless!

"Experiencing the common folk can't be omitted; the tea patron just now said that behind Yanhua Street lies a street of gambling houses."

When Lao Bao left, the others pursed their lips.

"We still have to rely on the mother‑in‑law."

Her looks and bearing surpass even the flower queen he had packaged, and there's also the woman beside her.

But upon reaching the third floor, they alarmed the Emperor's guards, and the two sides clashed.

The Empress lightly tapped her own leg, "Alright, then remove the carriage's open canopy; that way it's truly…"

Qiao Mai puckered toward the doorway, "Look there, is that Prefect Wu?"

This was their first time seeing a woman here; the Emperor and Yuan Jiaqi felt a bit embarrassed, both being newcomers.

His eldest son, after waking, tried to send men to seize the Empress, but Prefect Wu restrained him.

He stood at the street‑facing window, fantasizing about the Empress and Qiao Mai, thinking no one saw him; when several people moved away, Qiao Mai turned, used a burst of spiritual power, knocked him unconscious, and he nearly fell from Erlou.

But his eldest son, brazen and reckless, didn't listen to his father; that night he led people straight to the guesthouse and, without making a sound, went upstairs.

"The outside air is better."

For three days straight, they only roamed the city, ate and drank, and sometimes bought things; after Prefect Wu, that old fox, woke up, he kept thinking about beautiful women.

"Quick, don't just fight; that woman is in that room, I only want her."

The girls serving guests were dressed flamboyantly, waving at the men from outside; at this time the rich and powerful hadn't arrived yet, and those who went looking for women now were just pretending to be rich.

The few of them glanced at each other, Qiao Mai smiled, "Then call two girls who perform arts but don't sell themselves over."

"Let's go back to the guesthouse."

"Is the food here edible?"

Qiao Mai, in sleepwear, leaned against the doorway, watching their fight.

I have to say, Liangzhou City has too many people living in drunken stupor, and this brothel is a miniature of their carefree revelry.

Qiao Mai lowered her eyelids and let out a faint hum,

Soon two girls arrived carrying zithers, and the Empress selected a few tunes for them to play.

They chatted, drank tea, listened to the music; time passed quickly, the sky outside was already darkening, and only then did the few settle the bill and leave.

"I heard that a year of serving as Prefect brings a hundred thousand snowflake silver; Liangzhou is a great place to make money."

Because before going out, Qiao Mai had his hair dyed jet black; now the Emperor looks about ten years younger, and Yubao has also been slightly altered.

"Naturally it's edible; this is food meant for the rich and powerful."

"How can Liangzhou be so smoggy and oppressive?"

"Tie them all up and escort them to the Prefect's County Magistrate's Office; ask Lord Wu for an explanation why, in his own guesthouse, his eldest son dared to recklessly seize people."

"It's necessary; abroad, such a vehicle is called an Observation Carriage."

The Emperor forced down his anger before making this decision.

After the guards bound them and escorted them through the night to the County Magistrate's Office, Prefect Wu, upon hearing that his son had done such a foolish thing, was so angry he smashed a hall wooden board in fury.

He hadn't even fully investigated this group's background, yet his son caused him this disaster.

He raised the hall, and in front of the guards, those who should be flogged were flogged, those who should be sent to prison were sent to prison; these were merely expedient measures, just for show.

(End of Chapter)