Chapter 110: Brothel Flower Alley
Half an hour later, the giant bird with black feathers and a red crown arrived at the capital. Qin Mu looked ahead, his heart trembling slightly. He had already seen Jiangling City and been deeply shaken, but the capital before him stirred him even more.
Jiangling City was built atop the Golden River, thirty zhang above the water, a magnificent sight.
This capital, however, sat on a mountain range like a giant dragon—not just one range, but nine.
Nine ranges, crouching across the plain like dragons, converged at this spot. Nine dragons merged, their heads gathering together, and there stood the capital.
Such overwhelming grandeur far surpassed Jiangling City, built on the Golden River. No wonder Emperor Yanfeng dismissed the claim that the new Jiangling City, built on a dragon's head, had severed the dragon vein. The capital itself was the supreme seat of nine dragons; why should he care about Yan Kang's National Teacher suppressing a single dragon in Jiangling?
Nine dragons guarded the capital, and thirty li away stood four military camps, each as vast as a city. Twenty li beyond those camps lay eight market towns, which, though called towns, rivaled cities in size.
These eight towns were built beside a great river, the second largest in Yan Kang: the Tu River. Water and land transportation were extremely convenient. The largest river was the Yong River, originating in the Great Ruins.
Though the second largest, the Tu River was called the Dragon Vein of Yan Kang, the orthodox dragon vein. As for the Golden River being a dragon vein, many in the court and among the commoners disagreed with that notion.
Qin Mu gazed into the distance. The capital, where nine dragons converged, possessed an extraordinary aura. Truly, this was the place where the Son of Heaven ruled the world.
"Troops are hidden in those mountains!" Qin Mu looked far off at the Nine Dragon Mountains, faintly sensing the aura of weapons and war, and spoke in surprise.
The several soldiers on the bird's back were equally astonished and turned to look at him. One of them said, "Young brother, do you have connections in the military? You even know that troops are hidden in the mountains."
Qin Mu did not answer. He could see the thousands of troops hidden in the Nine Dragon Mountains because of his Divine Firmament Heavenly Eye, one of the Ninefold Heavenly Eye Techniques the Blind Man had taught him, which included the art of observing qi.
Observing qi meant reading fortune and destiny.
For a place like the capital, where such a massive army was stationed, the aura of weapons and war was used to suppress the empire's destiny—something that naturally could not escape his eyes.
The mounted archers escorted them to the city gate and then took their leave. Qin Mu and Wei Yong verified their travel permits at the gate and entered the capital. Beneath the emperor's feet, the city was naturally bustling beyond compare. Though Qin Mu had been to Jiangling City and been amazed by its prosperity, the capital presented a different scene altogether.
It was prosperous, but not with the haggling of merchants. There was not only accumulated wealth but also a deeper cultural foundation.
The buildings and towers here had a distinct character. The carving techniques of the stone lions by the roadside were meticulous. The couplets on the doors of wealthy households were intriguing. Even the door gods pasted on every home gave a strange feeling, as if these gods could truly come to life and ward off demons and monsters.
From a small clue, one could see the whole picture; observing a leaf revealed the season; watching a drop of water showed the vastness of the ocean. Qin Mu looked around and deeply understood how formidable this empire was.
The village chief and the others had once said that Yan Kang was a nation disguised as a sect. Now he realized just how powerful that sect truly was!
"Brother Qin, do you have a place to stay?"
Wei Yong invited him, saying, "If not, why not stay at the Duke's mansion for a few days? When the Imperial Academy opens, we can go take the exams together."
Qin Mu hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "I have acquaintances from my hometown in the city. I plan to seek them out. Brother Wei Yong, let us part ways here."
Wei Yong had no choice but to give up. "Once you're settled, send someone to the Duke's mansion to let me know."
Qin Mu smiled. "Certainly. By the way, Brother Wei Yong, where can I find a brothel?"
Wei Yong's expression turned strange. "I didn't know Brother Qin was such a... a man of refined tastes, fond of such things. The largest brothel in the capital is on Flower Alley. Walk down Fenghua Street to the end, turn right, then pass three more streets, and you'll see Flower Alley. The best brothel there is called the Rain Listening Pavilion. Ahem, don't ask how I know—I've never been there... Take care of yourself!"
Qin Mu was puzzled. What kind of "refined taste" was visiting a brothel? And what did it have to do with taking care of himself?
The two parted ways.
Qin Mu, with Fox Ling'er in tow, walked forward along Fenghua Street.
"This isn't a brothel..."
In Flower Alley, Qin Mu looked at the buildings on both sides, confused. The tiles were green, but the buildings themselves were vermilion, with lanterns hanging in front of the doors.
"Little brother, come up and play!" Some young ladies on the upper floors waved at him.
"Master Mu, do you know them?"
Fox Ling'er asked curiously, "They're shouting so enthusiastically!"
"The same thing happened when I went to Xianglong City last time. Some sisters were very warm. I'm not used to it."
Qin Mu walked deeper into the alley, looking at the signs. Flower Alley was very deep, winding and twisting. Farther in, it wasn't as lively. The girls here were more reserved, holding pipas as they leaned by the windows, half-hiding their faces with the instruments, playing softly—cold, quiet, and plaintive.
Going even deeper, the sound of low qin music reached him. Qin Mu looked through an open door and saw light gauze fluttering in a courtyard. Several young girls ran back and forth among the gauze curtains, while another woman was tuning her qin.
Further in, some girls were practicing singing and dancing upstairs. Crisp, bell-like laughter came from time to time, playful and endearing. By this point, there weren't many pedestrians in the alley. Occasionally, a man would walk out of a courtyard, looking like the master of the house, while a gentle woman tidied his clothes and saw him off reluctantly.
But every man who came out, upon seeing Qin Mu, would cover his face, as if afraid of being recognized.
Qin Mu was puzzled. Coming out of one's own home wasn't shameful—why cover one's face?
"City people are really strange."
He walked to the deepest part of Flower Alley and saw a building with the words "Rain Listening Pavilion" written on it. The doors and windows were locked tight, but the courtyard looked deep and quiet.
Qin Mu went up and knocked. After a moment, he heard soft footsteps approaching, and a gentle, tender voice came from inside: "Coming, coming."
The sound of a bolt being drawn came from within, then the door opened a crack. A girl peeked out from behind it. Seeing Qin Mu, she asked curiously, "Sir, who are you looking for?"
Qin Mu replied politely, "Is Fu Qingyun here?"
The girl opened the door halfway and said with a smile, "May I ask for your name, sir? I'll go in and announce you."
"Tell her my surname is Qin."
The girl closed the door again, and her footsteps faded away as she went to report. After a moment, the door opened again, revealing a familiar face—it was the Brothel Hall Master, Fu Qingyun. Seeing Qin Mu, she was both surprised and delighted. "Young master, you've finally come! Quickly, please come in! Sisters, why aren't you serving tea? The young master has arrived!"
"The young master has arrived?"
Voices of girls came from inside, crisp and chattering like spring birds gossiping in trees with newly sprouted leaves. Green, blue, red, and purple skirts fluttered before Qin Mu's eyes as the girls of the Rain Listening Pavilion came out one after another to greet him, dazzling him.
The girls of the Rain Listening Pavilion each had their own unique charm. Some were soft and warm as jade, some cold as ice, some delicate and alluring, some passionate as fire. It was like a riot of flowers gradually captivating the eyes.
Fu Qingyun quickly said, "Move aside, all of you! The young master has traveled a long way and is tired. Don't pester him! Why aren't you getting the tea ready?"
The girls scattered like a flock of butterflies. Some went to fetch clear spring water, some to wash the tea sets, and some to light the lamps and boil water. Qin Mu felt the pressure ease and let out a sigh of relief. Fu Qingyun led him to an elegant chamber and said, "These girls are a bit unruly. Please forgive them, young master. Outside, things are gradually becoming chaotic and dangerous. You must have encountered quite a few troubles on the road, right?"
Qin Mu smiled. "I did run into some small problems, but fortunately, nothing serious. Notify the higher-ups in the sect and have them inform the Patriarch."
Fu Qingyun said with a smile, "The Patriarch has been waiting for you for a long time. In fact, he has already instructed us that if we meet you, we are to send you to see him."
A girl came up to serve tea, stealing glances at Qin Mu and giggling softly.
Qin Mu smiled back and asked, puzzled, "Sister Yun'er, where do I go to see him?"
Hearing Qin Mu call Fu Qingyun "Sister Yun'er," the girl giggled again.
Fu Qingyun shot her a glare and shooed her out. She said with a smile, "Naturally, to the Imperial Academy. Young master, have some tea."
"The Imperial Academy?"
Qin Mu was surprised. He picked up the teacup but forgot to drink. Wasn't the Imperial Academy where scholars studied? Why go there to see the Young Patriarch?
"Young master, don't you know?"
Fu Qingyun laughed. "The Patriarch is the Grand Academician of the Imperial Academy, a third-rank official of Yan Kang. He oversees the Imperial Academy, so naturally, he lives there. Although the Imperial Academy's students are honored as disciples of the Son of Heaven, in truth, they are all disciples of the Patriarch."
Qin Mu's heart shook violently. All the students of the Imperial Academy were disciples of the Young Patriarch of the Demon Sect?
How could Yan Kang's National Teacher and Emperor Yanfeng dare to give this position to the Patriarch of the Demon Sect? Weren't they afraid he would become too powerful to control?
Fu Qingyun seemed to read his thoughts and said, "The Patriarch roams the mortal world, and no one knows his true identity. In truth, he is a highly respected figure, a reclusive master who made a name for himself even during the previous emperor's reign. He is very mysterious. Even Yan Kang's National Teacher once sought his guidance and asked him questions. It was the National Teacher who personally vouched for him, allowing him to become the Grand Academician of the Imperial Academy."
Note ①: Grand Academician (Guozi Dajijiu), a Tang Dynasty official position, similar to the president of a highest-level educational institution.