Chapter 51

The next morning, Su Mi fell asleep and was carried out by Qin Yan.

The two women who came last night actually danced all night. Su Mi was so sleepy that she fell asleep on Qin Yan’s chest and woke up when it was already dawn.

It was still early when they entered the brothel last night, and there weren’t many people awake at dawn. So when they walked from the Anxiang building to the main hall of Qingnanchun, there weren’t many passersby.

Su Mi sensed some movement and opened her eyes. She found her head resting on Qin Yan’s chest, as he had already reached the main hall.

There weren’t many men around, and occasionally a few would steal glances at her but were intimidated by Qin Yan’s presence and didn’t dare to look again. However, considering others were present, Su Mi felt a little embarrassed being carried like this. She buried herself in Qin Yan’s embrace and pretended to continue sleeping.

The madam smiled and escorted Qin Yan to the entrance, holding several silver notes in her hand.

“Did Master Su enjoy himself last night? The girls were exhausted. They’re still resting.”

Qin Yan smiled lightly, hinting at something. “Hmm, they were quite good. Reserve a room for me on the second floor in five days.”

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***

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However, in the MingYin dynasty, brothels were officially permitted businesses, and they operated openly based on monetary transactions. Many high-ranking officials and nobles frequented them. Therefore, on the surface, they still had to follow the rule that the highest bidder would win.

On the evening of the price increase day, the entrance of Qingnanchun was adorned with red banners, and the madam welcomed guests eagerly.

Zhou Feng was dressed in a luxurious golden cloud-patterned robe with slight plumpness, a round belly, and shiny golden threads along the edges of his sleeves, causing anyone who passed by to squint from the glare. He had a rough appearance, with a scar at the corner of his eye.

He had come this time to secure the courtesan named Xiaoxiao, whom he had set his sights on the previous month. With his identity as the nephew of the Minister of Revenue, he was sure to succeed.

Upon seeing his extravagant attire, the madam smiled and instructed a servant to take him to a private room on the second floor. Qin Yan happened to arrive at that moment, but he didn’t cross paths with Zhou Feng, even though he had come for him.

“Master Su, the private chamber on the second floor is ready. Allow me to take you up,” the madam said with a smile, her eyes twinkling. This time,he didn’t bring along that little concubine.

Huh, the madam squinted her eyes, but she did bring her along after all, just not holding her like last time.

Instead, she followed behind, her petite face revealed under the black cloak that wrapped her completely, leaving no room for ventilation.

The madam had seen the world and understood the possessiveness of some men. It was truly formidable…

Su Mi walked beside Qin Yan, with Qin Yan on her left, Ling An on her right, and Feng Bao trailing behind. The presence of these three men created an imposing atmosphere that deterred any ill-intentioned gazes.

She glanced down at herself, wrapped tightly in the cloak that didn’t allow any air circulation. Although it wasn’t the fifth or sixth lunar month, she had sweated beneath it during the journey. But it was the Lord’s order for her to wear it, and she couldn’t take it off, so she could only wait for them to go upstairs.

Having established a connection from their previous encounter, the madam didn’t ask unnecessary questions and promptly led them to the second floor.

Qingnanchun’s main building had four floors, and only the rooms on the second floor were used for bidding by esteemed clients. There was no balcony on that floor, so one could look down at the lobby on the first floor from the windows.

As Su Mi entered the room, she quickly glanced around. Compared to the strange atmosphere last time, this place seemed more normal, resembling a teahouse with its four-cornered tables and screens. It didn’t quite feel like a brothel.

This time, Qin Yan didn’t hold her back, but she still obediently sat next to him at the table. Together, they looked down from the window to the first-floor lobby. Feng Bao and Ling An stood on either side of Qin Yan.

Looking down, she saw the madam standing on a marble platform, surrounded by hanging red lanterns along the corridor, casting a vibrant glow over the entire lobby of Qingnanchun.

The opening music gradually began, and a group of graceful girls in flowing sleeves danced their way up. Su Mi found it pleasing to watch, but regular customers who came for the grooming day knew that these girls were candidates for the next round of selection. By gauging the audience’s reactions during the performance, the madam could make some decisions.

The girls gracefully moved their sleeves and twisted their slender waists, and their transparent veils failed to hide their beautiful figures. The second floor was filled with distinguished guests, and their voices were not very audible. However, the cheering and clamor from the first-floor hall suddenly heightened the evening’s atmosphere.

After the dance, the five courtesans who were part of this grooming day event finally came forward, not wearing veils and still adorned with youthful hairstyles and a touch of red flower decoration on their foreheads, looking alluring and inviting.

With a single glance, the last one stood out as the most stunning. She had a melon-seed face with a pair of upturned fox-like eyes, and as her gaze swept over the crowd below, her charming smile silenced the previously noisy crowd.

“Master Su, the one on the far right is the woman Zhou Feng wants,” Ling An said.

“Hmm.”

The madam looked at the crowd’s expressions and walked up to the platform, satisfied, signaling that it was time for bargaining.

She exchanged glances with a few people in the audience, and those who were responsible for inflating the prices understood and cooperated accordingly. Starting with the first courtesan in a green silk dress, the atmosphere gradually became more lively.

Su Mi yawned lightly. She didn’t realize that the process of bidding would take this long. It had already been an hour, and it seemed like they had just begun. Bored, she rested her head on the table and eventually fell asleep.

When she woke up, Su Mi caught a whiff of the cool fragrance emanating from Qin Yan’s body. She looked up and saw his slender and exquisite jawline. As she listened to him speaking with Feng Bao, she felt a slight tremor in his throat. Her heart couldn’t help but beat faster. Had she fallen asleep and been moved into his embrace by the Master?

She glanced at Ling An and Feng Bao standing nearby and felt too embarrassed to continue leaning against Qin Yan.

“Master… Can I walk around in the room?” she asked hesitantly.

Qin Yan lowered his head and glanced at her. “Not tired anymore?”

“No,” she replied.

…

Downstairs, the bidding voices were gradually growing louder. Meanwhile, Su Mi casually glanced around the room.

The room wasn’t large, and she initially intended to take a brief stroll before returning to her seat. However, her steps halted when she noticed a blue porcelain vase on a long table. Suddenly, her face turned crimson.

On the plain bone china surface, there was a depiction of two intertwined, half-naked men and women. The woman’s expression seemed to be a mix of pleasure and pain. Somehow, this scene reminded Su Mi of the moans she heard in the Anxiang building that day.

Her heart pounded like a startled rabbit, and her ears and cheeks turned hot, spreading down to her feet. Did men and women have to be so intimate to experience true happiness? Then why was Qin Yan angry at her for merely helping him change clothes during their wedding night? 

Su Mi felt like she had figured something out, yet at the same time, she still didn’t fully understand.

In reality, she didn’t know that Yu Qingniang, considering Qin Yan’s eunuch status, had decided not to tell Su Mi anything in detail. Being a woman who rarely left her home, even if she had some intuition, she couldn’t comprehend the specifics. Ordinary women at least had their husbands or experienced mamas to teach them, but Su Mi’s close companion, Chun Mei, was just a young girl. The two of them couldn’t possibly grasp such matters.

***

The bidding voices downstairs continued, but it was evident that most of the bids were increased by tens or dozens of taels, with some pretending to be more extravagant.

“One hundred taels!”

“One hundred and ten taels!”

There were many people in the hall who could read the situation and knew that Xiaoxiao had already been reserved for the high-ranking official’s relative. The bidding was merely a show to raise the stakes. Who would dare compete with that person?

As expected, not long after, a deep voice echoed from the second floor.

“Five hundred taels.” Zhou Feng snorted, waving his large hand. The golden ring on his thick finger reflected a dazzling light that shimmered on the lacquered pillar in the center of the hall.

Seeing the silence around him, Zhou Feng smiled proudly, picked up a brown teacup from the table, and took a sip of tea.

Suddenly, a pleasant mid-tone sound emerged from the opposite room, as casual as flowing water hitting stones, saying, “One thousand taels.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the people below immediately became restless; even the madam was dumbfounded. After all, this was just the bidding for one night of grooming, and one thousand taels could already secure the top courtesan, Qingnanchun, for half a month.

Zhou Feng was both shocked and angry. He slammed the teacup down and gritted his teeth, saying, “One thousand one hundred taels!”

The voice from before seemed to carry a hint of amusement and replied, “Two thousand taels.”

Zhou Feng was angry but didn’t dare to bid any higher. After all, if he truly won, the grooming services of the Qingnan chun were not worth that price.

The Qingnan Chun, a brothel acknowledged by the imperial court, had a complex web of connections behind it. It involved not only the officials of Yingtian Prefecture but also others who openly engaged in business. The highest bidder would prevail. Even if Zhou Feng felt dissatisfied, he couldn’t directly demand someone in public, as that would be highly scandalous. However, whoever dared to snatch a woman from him, Zhou Feng, should at least find out who his uncle was.

Zhou Feng’s face turned dark, and he glanced at the room where the voice came from. “Go and find out who dares to snatch a woman from me.”

“Yes, sir.”

***

In the opposite room, Feng Bao bowed and asked, “Master, if we win the bidding, what should we do next?”

“Register under the name of Su Qi from the Su family in Jiaozhou.”

After Qin Yan finished speaking, his gaze swept across Su Mi, and he noticed her staring blankly at the table, seemingly lost in thought.

He furrowed his brow and asked, “What are you looking at?”