The First Lackey Under The Empress

Zhu Kui was stunned. At that moment, the old clerk with a face full of橫肉 suddenly felt his heart pounding.

“Haha, just kidding,” Zhao Du’an said with a smile:

“I just wanted to find some trouble for him. We can't just let the last matter go like that. I, as the governor, also have a temper.”

His tone was casual and understated.

But Zhu Kui tasted a hint of bloodiness.

No, in the imperial court, people are killed without bloodshed. Zhao Du’an’s words carried a murderous intent.

To bring down the Zhang brothers, the first thing to do is to find a breakthrough.

Although Zhang Changshuo, in his opinion, wasn't smart either, he was relatively cautious. To create a "gentleman" persona, his actions were also cleaner.

Therefore, Zhao Du’an set his sights on Zhang Changji, who was full of flaws.

The White Horse Bureau was not an intelligence agency, but Zhu Kui, relying on his connections in the government office, managed to obtain information on the Zhang family's second son in a very short time.

According to the description on paper, after the Zhang brothers came of age, they separated and each established a family in the city.

It is worth mentioning that his elder brother, Zhang Changshuo, originally had a wife, but after his poems and eulogies were praised by the Empress, he decisively found an excuse to divorce her and restore his single status.

After being intercepted by Zhao Du’an, he was still unwilling to give up. He has not remarried to this day, "devotedly guarding his empty room" for the Empress for two years.

“He’s also a ruthless person… It’s a pity he thinks too much.”

Zhao Du’an muttered. Although their interaction was brief, he had already realized that:

Xu Zhenguan had no interest in keeping male concubines at all and was a workaholic.

From this perspective, her tacit approval of the rumors with Zhao Du’an might also be a way of using him as a shield.

Otherwise, countless ministers would rack their brains, trying to find ways to send men to the Empress.

… …

Back to the main topic.

Because Zhang Changji held a position in the Jing Camp, he was bound by military law. During the day, he lived a monotonous life, traveling back and forth between his home and the barracks.

He only went out to mingle at night or during his days off.

“Green Lotus Abode… What is this place?”

Zhao Du’an raised an eyebrow. The information showed that Zhang Changji had been frequently visiting this place for the past six months.

Zhu Kui chuckled, his expression slightly ambiguous:

“It’s normal that the governor, being so clean and self-disciplined, hasn’t heard of this name. It’s the private residence of a ‘talented woman’ in the city named Xiaoya. It’s quite famous, and every night she invites scholars and talents to gather.”

A talented woman?

Gathering every night?

Zhao Du’an was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized.

Unlike the famous "red-light district" of the capital, Rouge Alley, there were probably two types of ambiguous places in the Great Yu Dynasty.

One type was industrial clusters, that is, a large area where brothels gathered, attracting traffic to each other and building brand value.

Among them were the official Jiaofang Division and private brothels, which were divided into different grades according to price.

The other type was the "independent IP" operation route.

Usually, some officials committed major crimes, either being beheaded or exiled, but it had not yet reached the point where their families were implicated, leaving their wives and daughters to fend for themselves.

Those who had relatives to take them in were fine, but if they had nowhere to go, they had to go to sea to make a living.

Because they were born into good families, were well-educated, and mostly had a foundation in playing musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting, a new model emerged:

One or more women set up private banquets in their own houses and held "literary gatherings."

They spread the word through their circle of friends, inviting many men to pay for tea, listen to music, talk about poetry, and play games, and also undertake some private banquets and gatherings.

The surface was glamorous, but in the end, it was still a flesh-and-blood business.

Imagine, an official has fallen, and his former superiors, colleagues, and even subordinates, learn that they can go to participate in the "literary gathering" held by his family members…

It naturally comes with a role-playing game.

Isn't this more interesting than the Jiaofang Division?

Naturally, they become familiar after a few visits, and word of mouth spreads through their circle of friends, gaining a stable flow of customers.

Of course, in fact, it wasn't that dirty. After the novelty wore off, most people still regarded these gatherings as elegant places.

Whether or not one could be kept overnight by the hostess depended on her willingness.

Because most of the guests were people with some status, at least scholars, the price per customer was relatively high, and the entrance fee was expensive.

Moreover, because of its concealment and the natural isolation of the class circle, ordinary people, even wealthy merchants, couldn't find their way in without an introduction.

Therefore, a chain of contempt was derived:

Only bumpkins from out of town who came to the capital were keen on frequenting brothels. The old-timers in the capital circle all went to private gatherings.

After Zhao Du’an gained power, he was also popularized with these cold knowledge by his cronies and had been there twice.

But the original owner, although tempted, was wholeheartedly devoted to the Empress and was afraid that the Empress would learn that he was frequenting such places during his "probationary period" and would be disgusted with him, causing him to fall out of favor.

So he stubbornly remained chaste for a year and did not break his body!

“Alright, I’m also a ruthless person…” Zhao Du’an ridiculed himself in his heart.

He relaxed his brow and said:

“So, Zhang Changji often goes to see this Xiaoya girl? Tsk, a military man who likes the persona of a talented woman…”

Understandable.

Zhu Kui nodded and said:

“The fact that Zhang Changji has been going for half a year in a row shows that he must have a close relationship with this Xiaoya. Many things that are not convenient to say to his family members may also be revealed to outsiders.”

That makes sense… Zhao Du’an nodded secretly. In that case, it might be possible to try to dig something out of this talented woman.

“Do you know where the place is?”

“I don’t know, but give this humble servant two hours, and I can find out.”

Zhao Du’an nodded approvingly, flicked his finger on the paper, and said:

“That’s the one.”

… …

… …

Nothing happened all day.

At dusk, Zhao Du’an, as usual, left behind his entourage and only took Zhu Kui with him, traveling light.

They arrived outside the "Green Lotus Abode."

The lights were just coming on. After nightfall, the city was brightly lit. The Green Lotus Abode was located in an inconspicuous alley, surrounded by normal residential houses.

Without a channel, ordinary people would never have imagined that there was something else going on here.

Zhao Du’an deliberately changed into a slightly plain long gown, dressed as a scholar. Zhu Kui also didn’t wear his official uniform, focusing on being low-key.

“Sir, it’s inside. The faint sound of the zither is coming from there.”

Zhu Kui stopped the carriage. “Do you want this humble servant to accompany you in?”

What are you going to do, wanting to establish a friendship beyond superior and subordinate? Zhao Du’an complained and said lightly:

“No need, just wait outside.”

After speaking, he walked alone towards the alley.

Following the sound of string and wind instruments, he arrived outside a house. Two red lanterns hung on the tall gate.

Zhao Du’an knocked on the door: “Dong dong — — dong.”

Two long and one short secret signals. Soon, the courtyard door creaked open.

The young doorman looked at him, stunned for a moment. He didn't expect such a handsome young man to come, and alone.

“Is this the Green Lotus Abode? A friend recommended me to visit.”

Zhao Du’an didn’t change his expression and handed over five taels of “entrance fee.”

Seeing his demeanor, the doorman knew that his identity was extraordinary and smiled:

“Please come in, young master.”

Zhao Du’an stepped into the courtyard and went straight into the main room.

The door was separated by a curtain. Inside, the sound of the zither flowed like water, and shadows could be seen crisscrossing on the window paper.

The sound of the zither came from behind the screen, probably the owner of this place.

“Please take a seat, young master.”

A maid came up to greet him, then froze, her face blushing. The other guests looked up and showed surprised expressions at the same time.

What a handsome man… Does someone with this level of looks also need to visit prostitutes?

The crowd's expressions changed, and their hearts sank:

He's a formidable enemy!

The rules of this banquet are that whether or not one can become an intimate guest depends on the hostess's attitude. Generally speaking, only those who are favored by Miss Xiaoya can stay overnight.

Zhao Du’an gave the men present enormous psychological pressure with just his face.