Go and capture those thirty-six fierce villains.

Inside the Drunken Flower Pavilion.

The ebony tables in the lobby were already mostly full.

Business looks good.

On the high platform in the middle, several girls dressed in light pink gauze were playing musical instruments, while the ones dressed the least were responsible for dancing gracefully.

Clearly, although the name "Drunken Flower Pavilion" sounds elegant, it was actually a place of debauchery.

After paying the entrance fee, Qin Ning was led by the pimp from that morning to a seat near the front of the hall. A maidservant came to pour wine and tea, and set out four kinds of fruits and snacks.

"Young master, please have some wine here and wait a little while, and Miss Lang'er will come out."

"Um."

Qin Ning nodded calmly, sipping the wine in his cup while stroking the slightly warm Bagua plate inside his sleeve.

According to the pimp, the opportunity for the Drunken Flower Pavilion's business to improve began with the arrival of this young lady, Lang'er. Therefore, the madam of the pavilion specially changed the previous business process of paying money, drinking, chatting, and sleeping for her.

It was changed to paying money to drink, and the highest bidder could sleep with Lang'er.

Believe it or not, this change not only improved business, but her Drunken Flower Pavilion has also recently become famous in several nearby red-light districts.

At the entrance to the back hall, the madam, dressed in a peach-colored brocade silk robe and holding a feather fan, secretly observed the guests in the main hall with a smug expression.

Saving a brothel from bankruptcy undoubtedly proves her professionalism!

Unfortunately, this young lady Lang'er's literary talent was truly lacking; otherwise, with fifty years of experience, she might have been able to cultivate a top courtesan in Bei'an City!

As the madam was pondering this, her gaze fell upon Qin Ning, and her eyes suddenly lit up; she even stopped waving her fan.

"Very well, very well! My Drunken Flower Pavilion has even attracted such a handsome young man. Who says a courtesan has to be both beautiful and talented? I'm determined to make Lang'er comparable to the top courtesan of the Imperial Music Bureau!"

He held his hands firmly in front of his chest, a professional smile on his face.

She staggered along, heading straight for Qin Ning from the back door.

This handsome young man is unlikely to be interested in her, but what if he is?

"Young master, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time visiting our place? If you have any questions, please feel free to ask..." The madam walked up to Qin Ning, but was interrupted before she could finish speaking.

"The second time."

"Huh?" The madam looked surprised.

She was certain she hadn't seen him before, but Qin Ning's certainty made her doubt herself. Was she really so old that she couldn't even remember such a handsome young man?

"Ahem, look at me, I'm really getting old and my memory isn't what it used to be. You there, go brew a pot of the new tea that was sent from Yuzhou, as an apology to the young master. May I ask your honorable surname, young master? And where are you from?"

What does your age have to do with anything? You were still sleeping when I arrived... Qin Ning glanced at the other person strangely.

The madam continued to smile obsequiously, trying to glean information about Qin Ning's family background from subtle clues in his words.

Throughout history, women in such brothels who aspired to fame and become top courtesans relied on the patronage of literati, scholars, wealthy merchants, and gentry.

Although Qin Ning is good-looking and has a good temperament, her clothes are too plain.

If the madam wants to use his looks to make her daughter famous, she needs to thoroughly investigate Qin Ning's background before she can be sure of success.

"Qin...is from Kyoto."

Although I've never been there, my household registration is there, so rounding up or down, it's perfectly reasonable for me to say I'm from Kyoto.

That's what Qin Ning thinks anyway.

"So you're from the capital. No wonder you're like this..."

Qin Ning interrupted again, "I prefer quiet. When will Miss Lang'er come out?"

O man!

Madam: "Oh, Young Master Qin, please don't be in such a hurry. Lang'er usually doesn't go on stage until after 5 PM. But since you've come all the way from the capital, I'll go and call her now."

After saying that, she swayed as she walked toward the back door, her hips embroidered with a large red pomegranate.

He kept muttering to himself, "Hmph, she's putting on such a cool act, but isn't it all because she's taken a fancy to my Lang'er?"

Since you've set your sights on my Lang'er, then I, as her mother, have plenty of ways to control you!

The music and singing on stage stopped, and red silk ribbons hung down on both sides, completely covering the two stages, one large and one small, upstairs and downstairs.

A regular customer in the hall wondered, "That's strange, why are you here a quarter of an hour earlier than usual today?"

Another person joked, "What's the use of doing this earlier? We still can't compete with others in terms of money."

Several oil lamps in the hall were deliberately extinguished, leaving only the light behind the red silk.

A sudden burst of pipa music came from the corner.

The red silk was pulled back, and Miss Lang'er appeared on the small platform on the second floor. The corners of her lips were upturned, and her sharp eyes swept across the crowd below. She didn't look like a courtesan waiting to be favored in a brothel, but rather like a tribal chieftain on the grassland choosing a husband.

Her attire was different from that during the day, more wild and daring, with her limbs, waist and abdomen exposed, showing off her muscular lines. There were also some things woven with rattan ropes on her wrists and ankles, making her look very exotic.

With all this fuss, no wonder there are so many people in this Drunken Flower Pavilion... Qin Ning glanced back and saw that the small tables in the main hall were already full, and there were even quite a few people standing at the entrance.

He had just turned around when he saw that the girl Lang'er on the second floor, holding onto the railing with both hands, lightly leaped up and stood barefoot on the railing.

A gasp rippled through the audience, with some, eager to show off, exclaiming things like, "Miss Lang'er, don't fall! Miss Lang'er, be careful your feet are cold!"

Then, this wild woman shakily stood up amidst the concerned and nervous gazes of the crowd.

Midway through, she deliberately stumbled, eliciting another round of exclamations of "warm-hearted man" from the audience.

Once she was fully upright, she used her calves, waist, and abdomen to propel herself up, leaping into the air and tumbling down from the second-floor platform.

With a thud, Miss Lang'er landed barefoot, her body arched, one hand braced on the floor, resembling a female leopard, and grinned at the guests below the stage.

The scene instantly erupted in excitement.

"This Drunken Flower Pavilion has something..." Qin Ning listened to the bidding beside her, gently stroking the soft fur of the cat in her arms.

"15 taels!"

"Miss Lang'er, I'll offer twenty taels!"

"I've sold all the shops in my family; I'll offer 35 taels! Miss Lang'er is mine!"

"Tch, a bunch of paupers! I'll offer fifty taels of silver to spend the night with Miss Lang'er!"

Upon hearing this, the previously heated scene instantly quieted down considerably.

Fifty taels, not fifty yuan. That amount of money is enough for a normal family of three in Bei'an City to live on for three or four years, but here it can only buy one night's worth of a person.

Even the lesser-known courtesans in the brothel only charge this price for an overnight stay.

Seeing that the scene had quieted down, the madam standing at the back entrance turned her gaze to Qin Ning, who hadn't made a bid yet.

More expensive than a Qi-replenishing pill... Qin Ning tapped the square table lightly with her knuckles, her tone calm: "I'll offer 51 taels."

"Kid, are you sure you want to pay 51 taels?!"

Qin Ning looked in the direction of the voice and found that it was the same person who had called everyone poor earlier. He looked to be in his thirties or forties, with an average appearance and not particularly well-dressed, but for some reason, he always had an air of arrogance in his eyes.

It's as if they look down on everyone.

Not in the mood to argue with the other party, Qin Ningjing quietly waited for the new offer.

"I...I'll offer 51 taels and 4 mace!"

I thought I was about to witness some kind of pretentious slap in the face... Qin Ning said softly, "51 taels and 5 qian."

"You win!"

The man uttered a harsh threat, squeezed through the crowd, and slunk away.

"Not a buddy..." Qin Ning frowned. To be honest, he was starting to suspect that this person was hired by the Drunken Flower Pavilion. He left way too easily.

However, it seems that the commissioner isn't adding silver coins one by one...

No one else bid.

The madam walked onto the stage waving a feather fan, her smile impossible to hide. In terms of value alone, the "outstanding employee" she had discovered was comparable to the most beautiful courtesan in the brothel.

"The highest bidder tonight is Young Master Qin from Kyoto!"

No wonder he was so generous; he's from Kyoto.

People from Kyoto coming to Bei'an City? Isn't that young emperor at odds with our Prince Su...?

Brother Lin, you're drunk!

Whispers arose from the audience, but were quickly drowned out by the renewed sounds of music and singing.

Amidst envious glances, Qin Ning followed Miss Lang'er upstairs and entered the innermost room.

The door opened, and a wonderful fragrance wafted out.

Once inside the room, the fragrance became even stronger, so strong that the little black cat in his arms sneezed.

Qin Ning sniffed, and as soon as she sat down at the table, she collapsed onto it with a "thump".

Fell asleep.