Chapter 43

In the brothel, the red gauze tent is soft, and the aroma is lingering.

Because it was in the afternoon, it was not as noisy as at night, most of the girls were still resting, and only a few maids and the bustard mother poured wine for the two at the table.

“Young Master Li is so powerful that he even brought someone like Mr. Zhao here.” The bustard laughed.

“That’s right, I’m not very popular.” Li Yucheng laughed loudly. Seeing that she was about to pour wine for Zhao Yelan, he reached out to stop her and said, “Brother Zhao doesn’t drink, go and get a cup of tea.”

“Don’t worry, I have a very good Mingqian Dragon Well here, which is only for the distinguished guests.” The madam had already changed the pot, smiled coquettishly at him, and reached out to touch his face, touching Li Yucheng. Smirking non-stop, Xin Dao said that if she didn’t have a scar on her face, this charm would be considered stunning.

Zhao Yelan turned his eyes away, he couldn’t see it.

Seeing this, Li Yucheng immediately corrected his posture, and instead of laughing and laughing with the madam, he said seriously, “Have the gates been closed?”

“Naturally, since Mr. Li has already reserved the venue, I will do it for you, and there will never be a third guest coming in.” The madam laughed.

“Then can we ask Mrs. Miaoyin to come up now?” Li Yucheng asked eagerly.

“Wait a minute, she is dressing up, young master, don’t be impatient.” The madam lit incense in the incense burner on the table, a wisp of white smoke drifted out from the crack of the burner, and within a short while, the fragrance wafted everywhere.

“The fragrances in Hongxiulou are really diverse. Don’t you love sachets? You can ask them where they get so many strange fragrances. There are always occasions throughout the year. No wonder the business in the building is getting better and better.” Li Yucheng kept introducing the benefits of the brothel to Zhao Yelan, as if he came here for the incense and pastries in the brothel, “Don’t literati and elegant guests like some fine wine and ditties? This red sleeve building has everything you want, good time, good wine, beauties Good song, this is one of the great joys in life!”

Zhao Yelan saw that he had only had a couple of sips, and he drank the tea on his own, looking around from the corner of his eyes, and caught a glimpse of the madam passing by downstairs, and happened to be looking up, the two looked at each other, The bustard smiled and said, “Lord Zhao, don’t worry, the person you want has already arrived.”

Li Yucheng looked down excitedly, and saw the woman following her walking up slowly with a pipa in her arms, opened the beaded curtain, and bowed herself: “Mr. Li is well.”

“Well, well, well.” Li Yucheng’s face was beaming with joy, and he stepped forward to hold her hand, “A Chang, that’s Mrs. Zhao, please sing a tune for him to listen to, and if you’re not sure, he will replace her.” I begged my father to marry you back…”

A Chang pulled out her hand indiscriminately, looked at Zhao Yelan, nodded and said: “The little girl is making a fool of herself.”

“Not ugly, not ugly!” Li Yucheng said.

Zhao Yelan really used up his patience to come to listen to the music with this guy, and pushed the wine glass in front of him: “Can you shut up!”

A Chang pursed her lips and snickered, Li Yucheng was stunned, and immediately drank three glasses in a row.

The sound of the pipa sounded like weeping and complaining, with lingering sorrow, coupled with A Shang’s ethereal voice, complementing each other, just right. When singing emotionally, Li Yucheng rolled his tears and drank the wine silently.

Zhao Yelan: “…” Virtue.

After one song, Li Yucheng wanted to listen to it again, A Chang got up and drank a glass of wine with him, then went back to continue playing and singing. As Li Yucheng listened, he felt that the alcohol was coming, his head became dizzy, and he fell on the table with a “bang”.

The sound of the pipa didn’t stop, and after Ah Shang finished singing a song, he carefully put away the pipa, walked to the table, sniffed his breath, and called out: “Mr. Li, wake up.”

“In less than two hours, he won’t be able to wake up. Take him down.” The madam opened the bead curtain and walked in. A few maids behind her carried Li Yucheng to the side room.

“Yes.” A Chang stepped back slowly and went to guard Li Yucheng’s room.

There were only two people left in the room. The madam picked up the jug and poured all the wine mixed with Mongolian sweat medicine on the ground, then poured out a cup of tea from the teapot, and smiled: “I thought you wouldn’t be able to drink the tea from me this year.” gone.”

“If I hadn’t come here in person, would you still have to hide this tea for the next year?” Zhao Yelan asked.

“How can it be? It’s a waste of me to exist. I planned to send it to you in a few days, but I didn’t expect you to come here on my own initiative. Everything has been arranged outside?”

“Well, thanks to this kid, I’m afraid there are rumors outside that I was dragged by Li Yucheng and fell into the dust.” Zhao Yelan laughed.

She frowned, fumbled for the teacup with her fingers, and laughed inexplicably: “Falling into prostitution… You are not afraid of other people’s eyes and words, are you also afraid of General Yan?”

Zhao Yelan paused slightly: “What are you afraid of him doing?”

“I’m afraid that he will get angry at the crown and step down my little brothel. You don’t feel bad, but I still feel bad. You are not afraid that he will overturn the jealousy jar? Last time, I carried you from this brothel in front of everyone. Go back, I’m not sure how to get you back this time, in case you are imprisoned/imprisoned for life…”

“Gu Niaoyao!” Zhao Yelan put the teacup on the table heavily.

“Oh, I’m getting angry from embarrassment.” Gu Niaoyou giggled while covering her handkerchief.

“Stop messing around and get down to business.”

“It’s rare to get together, and I don’t know how to reminisce about the old days. I really have a strong heart~”

“Is that what you call reminiscing about the past?”

Gu Youyou laughed twice, then suppressed the smile on her lips, and said seriously: “The cell boss is in the cellar now, what do you want to do with it?”

Zhao Yelan tightened his fingers, holding the teacup, his veins stood out: “Are you sure you didn’t admit the wrong person?”

“No mistake, I would recognize him even in ashes.” Gu Niaoyou said in a deep voice.

Zhao Yelan got up and suddenly heard the sound of soldiers’ horseshoes outside. He walked to the window and glanced out. He came back from the school grounds. Looking at the sky, Yan Mingting should also leave the school grounds.

“Bring people here.”

Gu Niaoling left for a while, and when she came back, the maids behind her dragged a tall and thick man, and after throwing him down, they were sent to guard the gate.

“Mmmmmmm—!”

The man was filthy, **** with five flowers, his mouth was stuffed with a dirty cloth, and he hadn’t eaten for two days, the cloth covering his face was suddenly torn off, his eyes shrank a few times before adapting to the light, and opened his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he saw a young and handsome man with gloomy eyes, as if he wanted to eat him alive, but he couldn’t remember when he provoked this man.

“Uh-”

Zhao Yelan glanced at Gu Niaoyou, and Gu Niaoyou pulled out the cloth strip from his mouth.

“Do you want to ask who we are?” Zhao Yelan squatted down and looked at him.

The man subconsciously took two steps back, nodded, and was about to speak, but a reflected light suddenly appeared in front of his eyes, and then a sharp short knife was pressed against his mouth.

“But I don’t want to hear your voice, you just need to nod and shake your head, do you understand?”

“You…” As soon as the man made a sound, he felt the knife cut in a little bit, and blood oozed from his mouth, so he nodded in fright.

“Have you ever served as the head of a jail?”

The man continued to nod, staring anxiously at the knife in front of him, but he didn’t dare to tap too hard to avoid poking his nose into the blade.

Zhao Yelan looked at him in disgust for a while, then got up and asked Gu Niaoyou for a jar of salt.

“Who are you? What are you going to do!” The man finally had a chance to catch his breath, and asked a few questions, “I have no grievances with you, why did you tie me up?!”

“Did you talk?” Zhao Yelan looked back at him with dark eyes, slowly wiped the salt on the blade, and then walked in front of him, his voice was like a demon crawling out of hell, “Listen up, wait If you dare to make a sound, I will cut you one more time. The more you scream, the more pain I will make you.”

The man looked at him and the knife in his hand, as if he had guessed what he was going to do, his face was covered with cold sweat, he fell to the ground, crawled forward, and the next moment, his waist was stepped on by the woman’s feet, and then his feet There was a sudden pain in the wrist, the hamstring was broken, and the wound and blood were stained with salt, it was a heart-rending pain.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“Hush.” ​​Zhao Yelan comforted him softly, “Didn’t I tell you to keep quiet? Why are you disobedient?”

The veins on the man’s forehead popped out, watching him come forward again and breaking his tendons.

The man still couldn’t hold it back, screamed sharply, and struggled on the ground.

Zhao Yelan’s ears hurt when he heard it, and said: “If you call again, I still have other ways to play with you, such as skinning, cooking, inserting bamboo sticks, or quartering the body? Which one do you like best?”

The head of the prison shrank suddenly, forgetting the pain for a moment, and only looked at him with tearing eyes.

“You guy, don’t you like Ling Chi to play tricks on people the most?” Zhao Yelan twitched the corner of his mouth, and plunged his knife into his chest, but it didn’t hurt his vitals. The knife was stained with salt, and it hurt him to death.

The man didn’t dare to scream anymore, he bit his mouth tightly, and endured it, the veins on his forehead were almost popping out, and he was covered in sweat.

“It turns out that you can listen to people.”

After an incense stick, there was a sudden knock on the downstairs door: “Zhao Yelan, Zhao Yelan, are you in there?”

“Open the door?” Gu Niao glanced at Zhao Yelan, Zhao Yelan nodded.

The door opened, Yan Mingting rushed into the hall in two or three steps, and the door closed again. He looked around, and found that the whole building was empty, very strange. He subconsciously searched for Zhao Yelan’s figure, and then he heard muffled groans from upstairs. He ran up quickly, opened the bead curtain, and saw Zhao Yelan holding a The dagger, the sleeves and clothes were stained with a lot of blood, and there were a few sudden drops of blood on the white cheeks, which was very coquettish.

There was a dying man lying on the ground. He was stabbed to the brim with blood and flesh flying everywhere. He seemed to be unconscious of the pain. He took a breath and stared blankly at the sky.

“What are you doing?!” Yan Mingting stepped forward in two or three steps, only to see the large bloodstains covered by the table, some of which had dried up, and new ones covered the upper layer, and Zhao Yelan stepped on these bloodstains, smiling slightly for a moment.

He was obviously smiling, but Yan Mingting only felt that the surroundings were very cold, so he reached out and grabbed his wrist: “Come back with me.”

“Let go!” Zhao Yelan withdrew his hand, pointed the dagger at him, and curled his mouth, “Didn’t you always say that my knives are useless? Today I will ask you to see if it is useful.”

After saying that, he squatted down and slashed the prisoner’s leg again. The man on the ground twitched twice and passed out again.

Zhao Yelan splashed the tea on the table on his face: “Don’t pretend to be dead, wake up for me.”

“Zhao Yelan, that’s enough.” Yan Mingting reached out to stop his knife and looked at him with heavy eyes, “It’s getting late, follow me back.”

Zhao Yelan looked at him with a complicated expression, and his eyes turned hard: “Go away, you are in my way.”

“Come back with me!”

The two were at a stalemate, Zhao Yelan said: “Yan Mingting, we are not the same after all, you go back to your Yangguan Road.”

Yan Mingting took a deep breath, was pushed away by him, and then continued to torture the prisoner.

Yan Mingting took one last look at his back, turned around and strode away.

As soon as the door opened and closed, the silence returned. Zhao Yelan paused for a moment, then turned to look at the closed door downstairs. The knife fell to the ground weakly, and was picked up by Gu Niao.

“You… I really don’t know what to say about you. You have been tossing around for so long just to wait for him to stop thinking about him. Do you really care about him or not?” Gu Niaoyou said, wiping the prison. He spit a few mouthfuls of saliva at the corpse, as if he felt unresponsive, and then thrust into his heart. Seeing that he swallowed his breath, his eyes suddenly turned red, and tears welled up in his eyes.

After a while, she wiped away her tears, looked up to the sky and sighed, and said weakly: “It’s over, it’s finally over…”

Zhao Yelan was a little tired, so he stood up slowly, sat aside, picked up the teapot and wanted to pour a cup of tea, but it was empty, he threw it aside vigorously, and it shattered into a pile of porcelain pieces after hitting the pillar.

Gu Niaoyou wiped her face, finished her makeup, and sent someone to tidy up the house, then put the hairpin on her head into the hidden compartment next to the porcelain, inserted it into the crack, and a secret door slowly opened.

“Let’s go, go get the medicine.” Gu Niao said.

Zhao Yelan calmed down and followed.

Ten years ago, relying on Zhao Yelan, Gu Niaoyou became the new owner of Hongxiulou from a handyman, doing business while getting news for him. The brothel is a mixed bag, and there are many high-ranking officials and guests, so it is easy to grasp the handles of many people in the court. There are also merchants and strange people traveling from south to north, and Gu Niaoyou also learned that there is a kind of fake death medicine in the Western Regions through exchanges with a group of people from the Western Regions. will come back to life.

“This medicine is not completely safe. It is very powerful. After taking it, your memory will gradually decline, and your brain will not be as good as before. In short, you will become a fool.” Gu Niaoyou said pretending to be relaxed, and opened the A drawer, take out the box inside, open it with a walker, and there is a smaller box inside.

This time she opened it with a hairpin, and there was still a small box inside.

“Are you finished?” Zhao Yelan frowned, “What’s the point of hiding like this?”

“It’s about showing off my jewelry.” Gu Niao said proudly.

Zhao Yelan took a look at her head full of jewels, and didn’t know how long it would be open, so he simply found a chair and sat down, and said, “What’s there to show off, these accessories can be bought everywhere.”

“I didn’t learn from you. If you have some money, you have to spend it, so that you don’t have to work hard all this time.” Gu Niao smiled, and asked while opening the box, “Why, I heard What do you mean, you still have good accessories that you can’t buy?”

Zhao Yelan raised his jaw proudly.

“Where? Let me see?”

“I didn’t bring it.” Zhao Yelan paused, and added, “It’s a relic from the previous dynasty, and this is the only one.”

“There’s no evidence to say it, unless you use it to identify it for me. I’ve seen no less treasures than you before.” Gu Youyou snorted disdainfully, and then said after hearing a “click”, “Okay.”

Zhao Yelan looked at her, she picked up a pill and walked over.

“Before you take it, ask Xiao Gao to come out with a secret signal, so I can prepare for the follow-up matters. If you really can’t bring any news, it’s okay. The General’s Mansion will definitely arrange a funeral for you. At that time, I will arrange someone to pick you up, so you can rest assured.” go to hell.”

“…” Can you speak?

Gu Niaoyou wrapped it in a brocade handkerchief and put it in front of him. Seeing that he didn’t put it away immediately, she teased, “What? Can’t bear to part with the life now?”

“Nothing.” Zhao Yelan put it in his bag.

This was a plan two years ago. At that time, the seizure of the throne was at its most intense, and Zhao Xuan had no time to consider that he already had his own property and deployment in Beijing. He ordered Gu Niaoyao to send more people to find the fake death medicine, and at the same time helped Zhao Xuan ascend the throne. Both sides had a way out, but the medicine was not easy to find, and Zhao Xuan ascended the throne first.

He naturally understands the reason why all the birds are hidden. After Zhao Xuan took the throne firmly, he planned to resign and travel around the world. However, there were still a few enemies in the officialdom that needed to be resolved, so it was delayed for some time.

Unexpectedly, Ye Chang had many dreams, and suddenly a marriage decree broke his original rhythm.

This edict also dispelled his plan to resign voluntarily. After years of ups and downs in office, he and Zhao Xuan are no longer what they used to be. Even if he resigned sincerely, the other party will only think that he is planning a bigger conspiracy. That’s why he restrained him with the imperial decree without saying a word.

Zhao Xuan had long forgotten that his purpose from the beginning was revenge and survival.

If you don’t leave again, I’m afraid you won’t end well in the future.

“This is the bank note I exchanged. It can be used in the Xuan Dynasty. If you go to the southern border of the Western Regions or beyond… Remember to send a letter occasionally, so that I can know whether you are dead or alive.” Gu Niaoyou road.

Zhao Yelan took it over and smiled: “Aren’t you going with me?”

“No, you spend money like running water, who will earn money for you when I leave?” Gu Niao snorted softly.

“Thank you.”

“Okay, isn’t it a bit weird to say thank you between us?” Gu Youyou smiled helplessly, “But…the outside is ready, but as for the capital, are you really willing to leave?”

Zhao Yelan glanced at her: “If you have something to say, just say it.”

“Yan Mingting… are you willing?” Gu Niao said, “Although he doesn’t know me, I found out a lot of things. One day when I was eating at the Huichun Building, I saw him drinking too much. I keep telling my subordinates how beautiful your paintings are, how beautiful your calligraphy is, and how beautiful your clothes are…everything is close to you, and the three words ‘I like you’ are almost printed on the forehead.”

Zhao Yelan moved his fingers slightly, and said, “So what? Do I have to take responsibility for those who like me?”

He is not a fool, so he cannot fail to see Yan Mingting’s intentions.

Gu Yanyou laughed: “There are many people who like you, but there is only one person who likes you…”

Zhao Yelan glanced at her, but said: “People’s hearts are subject to change. Even Zhao Xuan said in the early years that he would never be suspicious in this life, so what is going on now? Yan Mingting and I have only known each other for less than half a year, so we should leave as soon as possible. , it is a good thing for me and him.”

“Well, it makes sense, it seems that you are still that heartless guy.” Gu Niaoyou patted him on the shoulder, “Change your clothes, it’s full of blood, I can’t stand it anymore, it really dirty my beautiful eyes .”

“…”

There are usually spare clothes in the building for the needs of the guests. Zhao Yelan changed into clean clothes, went out through the secret door, passed the cellar, walked out of a small house, and hired a sedan chair nearby to go back.

After getting off the sedan chair, he realized that he had arrived at the General’s Mansion. Yan Mingting probably didn’t want to see him at this time, and he didn’t want to argue with him anymore, so he sat back in the sedan chair and said, “Go to Zhao’s Mansion.”

The street was still very lively, he was sitting in the sedan chair, he could hear the discussion outside, saying that Zhao Yelan went to the brothel with the rich man today, General Yan broke in angrily, but came out alone, it was obvious that he was caught/raped Bed, out of breath.

After the sedan chair stopped, he stood in front of the Zhao residence. The two guards were about to speak, but he raised his hand to stop them from talking. He didn’t want to listen to their polite nonsense, so he just wanted to go back to his room and lie down.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped into the gate, he heard a voice in his ears: “You still know how to come back.”

Zhao Yelan was startled, turned his head to look over, Yan Mingting came out from the darkness, and asked in surprise, “What are you doing here?”

“I knew you wouldn’t go back honestly.” Yan Mingting grabbed his wrist, “Can you go back with me now?”

“What are you going back for?”

“Of course he’s sleeping.” Yan Mingting picked him up without saying a word.

Zhao Yelan couldn’t dodge in time, and the world was spinning for a while. When he realized it again, he was already sitting on the horseback, and there was another person behind him.

Yan Mingting rode through the downtown area on horseback, immediately attracted countless eyes, some whispered, some pointed at them and laughed.

Yan Mingting suddenly said sharply: “Okay, you Zhao Yelan, you’ve been fooled by Li Yucheng! He forced you to go to the brothel, so you go to the brothel? Although the girl who sings is not selling herself, you can’t Go to that kind of place for recreation, the same tea is several times more expensive! Sooner or later, I will change your extravagant and wasteful habits, and see if I go back and clean you up!”

Zhao Yelan looked back at him, and asked in a low voice, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

At this time, a commoner shouted in the distance: “The general is mighty, teach him a lesson!”

“And Li Yucheng also cleaned up together, dude, everyone shouted and beat him!”

“Hongxiulou tea is expensive, but it’s really delicious!”

“It’s so easy to drink, I think you are full of girls! Madam, I will break your dog legs today, and see if you dare to run to that place!”

The common people quarreled with each other, no one seemed to care about Zhao Yelan’s stay in the brothel for an hour or two, and it was all because he and Li Yucheng listened to music and drank tea together.

Zhao Yelan was silent all the way, and when he got to a secluded place, he said: “You don’t need to deliberately say that, anyway, I…”

“Stop talking to me, I’m still angry now.” Yan Mingting snorted coldly.

Zhao Yelan shut up.

After a while, Yan Mingting said angrily, “Why don’t you ask me why I’m angry?”

“You kept me from talking.”

“I promise now.”

“Oh.”

“…Quickly ask me!”

Zhao Yelan sighed: “Then dare to ask this big brother, why are you so angry?”

“I’m angry with a certain person who clearly promised me that he would tell me everything, but in the end he broke his promise!” Yan Mingting said loudly.

Zhao Yelan was stunned for a moment, thinking that he would blame himself for being cruel, or for killing innocent people indiscriminately, but he never thought it would be such a reason, and said, “What do you want to know?”

“Who was that person you killed?”

Sure enough, I still asked this.

Zhao Yelan would not tell him, so he simply kept silent for a long time, but he heard him say: “Do you really think I don’t know anything? If I want to check, the person’s family history has already appeared in front of my eyes. Of course, including yours.”

Zhao Yelan’s eyes flickered, and he looked back at him suspiciously.

“Mengting, Zhao Mengting, this is not your nickname at all, but your original name?”

Zhao Yelan’s complexion suddenly changed.

Yan Mingting lowered his eyes and looked into his eyes, and said in a low voice: “I won’t investigate about Zhao Mengting, I’ll wait for the day when you take the initiative to tell me.”

——————–

The author has something to say:

I won’t be abusive, I’ll just dig some clues buried in the previous article by the way. The most important thing is that Mr. Zhao needs a little opportunity to change his mentality. I call this trick “put it to death and then love”! Pfft, slip away~