After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

With Si Xue... disguised as a man... they infiltrated a brothel...

As the sky began to darken, Ning Changling stared wide-eyed, processing the news in her mind.

"Where is Madam? What did Madam say?" He murmured, his lips twitching, clinging to a sliver of hope.

His wife's surname is Xiao, and he married her as a second wife many years ago.

His wife, who had shared his hardships, had passed away before he went south across the river, leaving him only a son. However, his son also died of illness the year he came of age.

Madam Xiao was his wife after he crossed the river. She was the legitimate daughter of the current Minister of Rites, a well-bred lady from a scholarly family. She was much younger than him, and he had truly wronged her over the years. She gave birth to a daughter for him more than ten years ago, and she was only just over forty years old.

"Madam wants to go too," the servant said in despair.

Ning Changling closed his eyes.

I knew it... He slowly inhaled and then slowly exhaled, the long breath suppressing the discomfort in his lungs and throat, and he did not cough.

"Did she go?"

"Miss scolded me back." The servant shook his head violently.

Ning Changling's stiff neck finally relaxed.

"Zhi'er is sensible." The old Marquis breathed a sigh of relief.

The woman disguised herself as a man to attend a poetry gathering at a brothel, but she knew not to bring her mother along.

"My lord," the servant's eyes gleamed as he strode forward, "should we use a curfew as an excuse to have the Five Cities Military Command shut down that poetry gathering?"

The old marquis opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, but it didn't last long before it gradually faded away.

The Five City Military Commands were divided into five military command offices: East, West, South, North, and Central. They were subordinate to the Ministry of War and were in charge of the safety of the capital.

"never mind……"

The old marquis waved his hand listlessly, his voice somewhat desolate, and said...

"Let Zhi'er go and join in the fun."

Without his instructions, the Marquis's residence would naturally send people to accompany him, ensuring his safety.

The servant nodded and comforted the old marquis, saying, "Don't worry, Your Highness. Young Master Ning was also invited to Yanchun Pavilion tonight. With him there, Miss will be fine."

Ning Changling glanced at the servants' expressions, which showed a deep trust in the Second Young Master Ning, and even a hint of pride.

He remained noncommittal, and said gently, "Let's go back to the manor."

...

...

As the sound of erhu drifted from the street, Ning Nan walked out of Shangchuntang, humming a tune all the way, until she reached a tavern near Yanchunge.

The tavern looked dilapidated from the outside, and when Ning Nan went inside, it was just as dilapidated. He was relieved; it probably wasn't expensive... He walked to the counter.

"Two hundred coins a night," the innkeeper said, fiddling with his abacus.

Ning Nan took a breath.

In these years of good weather and abundant harvests, an old hen costs around forty coins, and a peck of rice costs only eight coins. But in this seemingly dilapidated tavern, the cheapest room for one night costs two hundred coins!

"Sir, right outside here is the Yanchun Pavilion. Just listen to the sweet, coquettish voices of the girls outside. What fine man wouldn't feel weak in the knees after hearing that? ... Tonight, as long as you don't block your nose, the intoxicating scent of the girls from Yanchun Pavilion will keep seeping in all night long!"

The shopkeeper stroked his mustache, and his upturned lips and the way he spoke revealed his extreme confidence in the tavern's location.

Ningnan eventually paid the money.

It wasn't to indulge in the scent of other people's cosmetics, but because it was the most convenient place to live. Yanchun Pavilion was right outside the door, and it was easy to come back as well.

There is a curfew in Nanjing at night. If you wander around, you will be arrested on the street, and in serious cases, you may even be shot on the street. This tavern is nearby, so it is very convenient to come back. It's just a few steps away.

He took out the iron key given to him by the shopkeeper, opened a room on the second floor facing the street, pushed open the door and looked inside. Overall, he was satisfied.

There was a bed and a tatami mat, the furniture and doors and windows looked old, and the environment was cramped and narrow, but it was clean.

Ning Nan tossed her gray luggage onto the tatami mat and went out to a clothing store, where she bought herself a slightly more presentable moon-white long robe and a pair of cloth shoes.

The shopkeeper initially ignored him, focusing only on tidying up the fabrics with a sidelong glance. However, after Ning Nan took out a tael of silver and casually stroked it, the shopkeeper smoothly picked up a long robe and said with a smile, "I observe that you, young master, possess an imposing presence, and this robe suits you perfectly."

Ning Nan, too lazy to say much, picked up the moon-white robe she had her eye on. It was of ordinary style, made of cheap silk, probably mixed with a lot of hemp, and asked, "How much?"

The shop owner said this garment was exquisitely crafted, with intricate patterns and superior weaving... 800 coins.

Ning Nan first asked, "Would you sell it for a hundred?" and the shop owner knew that a skilled person had arrived.

The two haggled all the way down to 208 coins. Amidst the intense atmosphere of the shopkeeper's red face and repeated "No way, no way, I'm losing money!", the two happily completed the transaction.

The price was that I spent another 120 coins at the shop to buy a pair of black cloth shoes. The soles were thick and the material was a bit better than the clothes.

"Please take care, distinguished guest—"

Ning Nan waved his hand.

In ancient times, clothing stores were divided into two types: ready-made clothing stores and silk shops.

The former is similar to the later ones, where the sizes are already made and you just need to buy them. The latter means that you buy the fabric and either make it yourself at home or you can have it measured at the store and have a tailor make it to order.

My mother and Cuicui live in the countryside, so naturally they can't come here to have their measurements taken.

So he went to a silk shop and bought a piece of green silk, of medium quality, fine, smooth and soft. It cost one tael and two taels of silver, which was quite painful, but he had to bring something nice back for his family after going out, otherwise his mother might not let him go out next time... He returned home with his purchases, holding the silk tightly in his arms.

The sky gradually darkened.

On the Qinhuai River, various painted boats began to light up and gradually converged on a certain spot along the river.

There's no other reason than that a grand poetry gathering is taking place there tonight.

Talented men from both the North and South have gathered to celebrate this grand event, intending to select a top courtesan from either region tonight who can hold her own.

As the city lights came on, the atmosphere was both lively and orderly.

The graceful young women of Yanchun Pavilion stood in front of the pavilion, welcoming the distinguished guests. Tonight was more than ten times more lively than usual, and Ning Nan felt that the girls' faces were almost frozen from smiling.

He stood with his hands behind his back, not far from the entrance of Yanchun Pavilion, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Yanchun Pavilion was extremely large, covering an area of ​​about half a hectare. Rather than a brothel, it was more like the largest commercial and entertainment center in Nanjing.

Five buildings, three-story pavilions, with carved beams and red pillars, built with hipped roofs, with a solemn and grand appearance, and the tiled roofs are mostly glazed, reflecting various colors of light.

The buildings are connected by flying bridges and corridors, with at least a hundred eaves. The buildings are lit up everywhere, and as night falls, red and yellow become the main colors of the buildings. The liveliness and tranquility seem to be integrated, just like the fragrance of cosmetics and wine emanating from the buildings.

Ning Nan couldn't quite describe what it tasted like, but thought it was pretty good.

The reason I stood outside the building instead of going in was firstly because Shangguan Xiuxiu hadn't arrived yet, even though I had arrived a little early.

The second reason was that entering the building required spending one or two taels of silver to buy a red card, on which one could write some blessings or the like, and then vote for one's favorite courtesan during the climax of the party. To put it bluntly, it was an entrance fee, which he was reluctant to pay.

At that moment, a somewhat bewildered and surprised voice came from behind, its tone seemingly filled with great disbelief.

"Brother Ning?"

Ning Nan frowned and looked back.

"Well……"

Upon seeing the person who arrived, he paused slightly; it was not Shangguan Xiuxiu.

"Brother Yang?"

Ning Nan was taken aback; Yang Bing, Yang Qiniang's nephew, had also come to this poetry gathering.

He glanced around and saw that Yang Bing hadn't come alone; there were probably seven or eight people with him, likely his colleagues.

After greeting him, Yang Bing's eyes looked a little strange, but he quickly returned to normal.

He came to the poetry gathering with his superior, Tian Xiong, and several colleagues to join in the fun, watch Miss Jin'er's sleeve-flicking dance, and also to admire the beauty of the Northern Dynasty's most beautiful courtesan... This was the main reason why everyone was so excited.

Such a lively scene is a rare sight, perhaps only once every ten years. It would be a shame not to join in. This farmer from Lijia Village must have heard the news in the city, so he changed his clothes and came to see for himself.

Even if he only stood in Yanchun Pavilion for one night, it would be enough for him to brag about for the rest of his life when he returned to his hometown... Yang Bing smiled to himself.