Yuwen Lan couldn't hear the system's voice, so at this moment he only heard this sentence—
"Yanglou Street, Ruyi Brothel, the famous duck restaurant."
"???"
Duck restaurant?
They had just finished eating chicken, did she want to eat duck now?
...He wondered what kind of duck this Ruyi Brothel sold?
Roast duck? Braised duck?
Or perhaps salt-water duck?
How could duck be so famous?
Many questions flooded Yuwen Lan's mind, and just then, he heard a series of clicks coming from Yanshu's thoughts—
[Indeed, a woman's peak is still to be a princess! She can behead men at will, eat ducks whenever she wants, and even the top ones! I'm so envious!!!]
"???"
He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow secretly. It's just eating duck, why be so envious of Yuwen Yan?
So he spoke up, "Are you still not full?"
Yanshu, who was staring enviously in the direction of the Princess's departing carriage, absent-mindedly responded, "No, this humble consort is already full."
Tsk, her stomach might be full, but her eyes were still so hungry.
She really wanted to see what that duck restaurant looked like...
Even if she couldn't eat, just looking would be fine, oh...
Yuwen Lan, who had been listening silently, "..."
It's just a place that sells duck, if you want to go, why not just go? Why act so pitiful?
He decided to take the initiative and said, "I heard there's a good duck place on Yanglou Street, do you want to try it?"
After all, she had been separated from her family for so long to enter the palace and be by his side, it really wasn't easy.
So after hearing her inner thoughts earlier, he decided that from now on, he would take good care of her, even better than her father, to give her a solid sense of security.
After such reflection, he saw Yanshu staring at him with wide almond eyes, full of surprise, stammering, "Your, Your Majesty... you don't mean... a place called Ruyi Brothel?"
[Could it be that he also knows it's a duck house???]
Yuwen Lan nodded lightly and said, "I believe that's what it's called."
Ahem, although he had just learned about it, it wasn't too late.
So he added, "If you want to go, I'll take you."
It's just a place that sells duck, how could it be so unattainable?
But he saw that she still looked surprised and cautious, "I want to... but... can I really go?"
Tsk, as if the duck there was something she could casually taste...
Yuwen Lan frowned and said, "Why not? Let's go now."
With that, he directly pulled her out of the elegant room, down the stairs, and onto a carriage by the road. After giving instructions to the driver, they headed straight for Yanglou Street.
As the wheels rolled along, Yanshu felt both excited and skeptical.
—The Emperor actually wanted to take her to a duck house???
No matter how she thought about it, it seemed unbelievable.
Tsk, could this be a trap, waiting to see if she would be dazzled by the place and ignore him once they arrived?
Yuwen Lan, who was silently listening, "???"
Why would she think that?
It was just going to eat duck, would he really worry about being ignored by her?
But come to think of it, it wasn't the first or second time she had tricked him for food...
But that didn't matter, as the emperor, how could he quibble with his woman over such a small thing?
That was just food, while he was her husband.
Thinking this way, in the blink of an eye, they had arrived.
The two got off the carriage, and sure enough, there was a restaurant by the road with three large characters hanging at the entrance: "Ruyi Brothel".
Looking closer, it appeared very luxurious and obviously newer than the surrounding shops.
Yanshu was extremely excited inside.
The place she had been curious about for so long, today she could finally explore it!!!
What more could one ask for in life than to visit such a place once!!!
Yuwen Lan thought to himself, this shop seemed to have only been open for a few years, yet it could already make a name for itself in the capital?
It was well known that those famous shops often had decades or even centuries of heritage.
However...
Perhaps this place had some unique secret recipe?
In any case, since they were here, they might as well try it first.
Thinking this, he entered the shop with her.
After entering and looking around, Yuwen Lan was surprised again—
The interior decoration of this shop was even more luxurious than it appeared from the outside.
It could be said to be the most unique eatery he had ever seen.
—Unlike other restaurants filled with tables and chairs, this shop was full of potted plants, surrounded by artificial mountains and flowing water, and even had a wooden pavilion in the center.
A man was playing a seven-stringed zither there, dressed in white robes, with fair skin and hair loosely draped over his shoulders, his features somewhat effeminate.
Yuwen Lan secretly raised an eyebrow.
—This was the first time he had seen someone playing a seven-stringed zither in an eatery, and such a man at that.
Looking around again, he saw some tables and chairs arranged around the pavilion, all separated by specially carved wooden railings with gauze curtains hung on them, allowing only a vague glimpse of the diners' silhouettes inside, but not their features.
However, those who occasionally came out were always in pairs of one man and one woman.
It was completely unlike other eateries where diners gathered in groups of three or five, or seven or eight, with lively scenes of dice games and drinking contests.
Those women all wore veils or face coverings, their appearances unclear, but regardless of height or build, they were all dressed very luxuriously.
The men accompanying them were all in their early twenties, and all had strong, tall builds...
Especially... there was a strange fragrance wafting through the shop, clearly not the smell of food.
Yuwen Lan had already furrowed his brow.
—Why was this place so strange?
But looking beside him, he saw Yanshu peering around with wide eyes through her veil, inwardly clicking her tongue, [So this is what a duck house is like! The environment is indeed nice!!! Look at how well these private rooms are designed, no one can recognize anyone, it really protects privacy!]
Yuwen Lan, "???"
What did she mean by "privacy"?
Before he could figure it out, he heard her say, [Tsk tsk, these men really do all have good physiques! Worthy of being the best in the capital! Oh? There are even really foreigners?]
Foreigners?
Yuwen Lan followed her gaze and indeed saw several men moving about the hall, all with high brows and deep-set eyes, their hair with a slight brownish tint.
He couldn't help but think of the man beside Yuwen Yan earlier...
Suddenly he felt something was amiss.
—This place was some distance from the Foreign Envoys' Hostel on Horse Market Street, how could there be so many foreigners here?
Just as he was puzzled, he saw a man passing by them, who stopped to look him over and asked, "New here?"
Yuwen Lan was stunned.
New here?
Is this how the waiters here greet customers?
Before he could speak, he saw the man look Yanshu over and then chuckle to him, "You're lucky to be able to serve this madam today."
With that, he entered one of the screened compartments.
Yuwen Lan, "???"
What did he mean by that?
Just as he was frowning, he heard a woman's voice from behind—
"This one's not bad, what's the price?"
Then, a plump, half-veiled woman came up to him, fanning herself with a feather fan, her eyes looking him up and down.
Another woman hurriedly followed, saying with a smile, "This gentleman doesn't seem to be from our shop..."
She also looked him over, suddenly revealing a look of amazement, "Although not a foreigner, his build and looks are truly outstanding..."
Yuwen Lan, "???"
...These two actually dared to evaluate him like this???
At this moment, Yanshu suddenly stepped in front of him, saying very impolitely, "This is my man, stay away."
As she spoke, she took off her veil hat and put it on his head.
Yuwen Lan, "???"
And then, he heard the plump woman with the feather fan laugh and say, "Miss, if you already have a man, why come here? Could it be you're here to show off? How about this, name your price, and lend me your man for one night."
What???
Name a price?
Lend him for one night???
This woman actually dared to say such a thing!!!
Yuwen Lan was furious, while Yanshu said again, "Stay away, no one can have my man!"
With that, she pulled him towards the exit, saying, "Let's go, this place is not suitable for us."
Little did she know that as soon as she lifted her foot, the woman spoke again, "Not enough? How about this - I'll make an offer. 500 silver taels, what do you say? The top courtesan here only costs 600 taels for a whole night. I'm not even asking for the whole night, just two hours and then I'll return him to you. How about it?"
As the words fell, Yanshu paused in her steps.
Yuwen Lan: "???"
What did this mean?
Surely she wouldn't sell him for money...
Fortunately, he saw her only turn back to give the woman a cold smile, saying, "You think I need that 500 taels? Laughable! Even 50,000 taels wouldn't be enough!!!"
With that, she continued pulling him towards the exit.
Yuwen Lan secretly let out a sigh of relief, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted.
However, the plump woman behind them still wouldn't give up. She snorted and said, "You look young, but you've got quite the attitude! If you're not selling, why bring a man here? To make others envious???"
Then she turned to the woman beside her and said, "This Ruyi Brothel of yours is really getting out of hand! You said I could come see Zai'an, but then you let someone else take him away. Are you playing games with me?"
The brothel woman quickly put on a placating smile and said, "Zai'an is accompanying the Princess tonight. You know that no one dares to snatch someone from the Princess's hands, right? Please don't be angry."
Yuwen Lan paused when he heard this.
The Princess?
So that foreign man beside Yuwen Yan earlier was also from this place?
Just then, he heard the brothel woman continue, "We have several other handsome young men here. I'll call them all out for you to choose from as you like."
But the plump woman snorted disinterestedly, "They're all just mediocre beauties."
As soon as she finished speaking, a tall man came down from the second floor and said, "Madam, who are you calling mediocre? It's only been a few days, has Yi Cai fallen out of your favor already?"
The plump woman glanced at him, then turned up her nose and snorted, "You rascal, I thought you were going to stay in Yangzhou and not come back."
The man called Yi Cai laughed and said, "I was just delayed on the road for a few days. But I'm here now, aren't I?"
With that, he went over and put his arm around the woman's waist, accompanying her up to a private room on the second floor.
Yuwen Lan: "..."
Seeing this scene, even the most naive person would understand what kind of place this was.
He glanced meaningfully at Yanshu through the curtain and said, "So this isn't a place for dining after all."
So this was what she meant by... "ducks"?
She actually wanted to come to a place like this???
To his surprise, Yanshu acted as if it had nothing to do with her and said, "Indeed, I also felt it didn't seem like a place for eating at all. My lord must have made a mistake... Let's leave first."
She continued pulling him towards the exit, thinking to herself, [Good heavens, the Emperor actually thought this was a place to eat??? No no no, we need to leave quickly. If he stays any longer and learns bad habits, that would be terrible.]
Yuwen Lan: "..."
He would learn bad habits from those men who sell their looks???
Just as they stepped out of the establishment, before they could get into the carriage, Yanshu hurriedly pulled Yuwen Lan to the side into a shadowy area.
She seemed to be hiding from someone.
So Yuwen Lan asked, "What's wrong?"
He saw her pointing at a woman who had just alighted from a carriage on the roadside, whispering, "That... looks like the Ankang county lord."
What?
The Ankang county lord?
As in, the daughter of the Princess?
Yuwen Lan quickly took a closer look.
Although the woman was wearing a veil, her figure did indeed resemble that of his cousin.
As she got down, five or six young men immediately came out from the establishment to welcome her, all calling out, "The county lord has arrived."
Yuwen Lan: "..."
It really was An Kang.
She actually came to a place like this?!!!
It's worth noting that unlike Yuwen Yan who had divorced Zhao Chengwen, she still had a husband!!!
...
On the way back to the palace, Yuwen Lan kept brooding over this matter with a dark expression.
As he pondered, he couldn't help but laugh coldly and say, "To think such a place exists in the capital!"
-- He remembered that during the Lantern Festival, when he first took her out of the palace, she had mentioned this place. But at that time, he thought it was far removed from his life. He never imagined he would actually set foot in it today.
Setting foot in it was one thing, but that plump woman actually wanted to pay for him to go...
How utterly absurd!!!
Hearing this, Yanshu secretly glanced at his expression, thought for a moment, and said, "I thought it was just a restaurant. I never imagined it would be such a filthy place! It's truly despicable!!!"
In her heart, she couldn't help but think, [The physiques and looks of those men were actually quite good. No wonder they've managed to establish themselves in the capital.]
Yuwen Lan: "???"
What does she mean by "quite good"?
Could it be that she's taken a fancy to them???
He raised an eyebrow at her and asked, "You like that place too?"
"No, no," she said, shaking her head like a rattle drum, with a serious expression, "How could I like such a place? As soon as we entered, I felt chills down my spine!"
But in her heart, she thought, [Tsk, wouldn't any woman like it? After all, no matter your height or build, as soon as you enter, you're surrounded by handsome men calling you 'darling'. It makes one feel so warm and confident!!!]
In short... it was probably like how men enjoy visiting brothels.
Yuwen Lan: "???"
What? Those types could actually be considered handsome men???
He couldn't help but ask again, "You like the men in there too?"
She immediately shook her head again, "How could that be possible? How could those mediocre beauties compare to Your Majesty? In my heart, there is only Your Majesty!"
Yuwen Lan: "..."
Was that supposed to be a compliment?
But why did it sound so strange???
Just then, he heard Yanshu ask him, "How did Your Majesty know to bring me there? Where did you hear about this place?"
-- Tsk, even if he mistook it for a place to eat, where did he hear about it from?
After all, this Ruyi Brothel was a secret known only to a small circle of noble ladies in the capital!
It was too strange that he, the Emperor, would know about it.
Yuwen Lan: "..."
He couldn't very well say he heard it from her thoughts, so he could only say, "We heard about it by chance..."
Yanshu: "???"
Heard about it by chance?
She thought to herself, could it be from the ministers?
But that's not right. If those old-fashioned ministers knew there was a place specifically for women's entertainment...
Tsk, for something so against the patriarchal order, wouldn't they immediately submit a memorial to the court to raze the Ruyi Brothel to the ground?
Yuwen Lan inwardly scoffed.
That's right, he now wanted to send people to raze that disgusting place to the ground!
How dare they ask how much he cost???
It was utterly absurd!!!
Upon returning to the palace, Yuwen Lan immediately dispatched the Imperial Guard to investigate the Ruyi Brothel.
By the evening of the next day, the Imperial Guard came to report, "Your Majesty, we have discovered that the Ruyi Brothel was originally established three years ago by a female merchant surnamed Ji. Initially, it was an embroidery shop that also sold jewelry and accessories, used to curry favor with the wives of powerful families in the capital. After gradually gaining a reputation, this female merchant spent money to hire various young men and started the current business."
Yuwen Lan asked further, "What about the foreigners in their establishment?"
The Imperial Guard replied, "As the tastes of their patrons became more discerning, the female merchant recruited a group of foreign men from the border regions, mostly from Dangxia and Rouran. On the surface, they appear no different from the previous men, all pleasing women and earning money from them."
Yuwen Lan furrowed his brow and said, "Those men have strong physiques and don't look like ordinary people. Continue investigating, especially the one called Zai'an who has been associating with the Princess recently."
The Imperial Guard immediately complied.
At this time, the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration was drawing near.
In recent days, many noble families from other regions had successively arrived in the capital, specifically to congratulate the Empress Dowager on her birthday.
Some of higher status came to the palace early to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager, so Yanshu, as a palace consort, had the fortune of accompanying the Empress Dowager and meeting many new faces.
The Empress Dowager was indifferent to most visitors, with one exception.
That was the elderly lady Mu Yunying from the Marquis of Zhenhai's Mansion in Mingzhou.
It was said that this Lady Mu was a sworn sister of the Empress Dowager, and every year she would travel thousands of miles to the capital to wish the Empress Dowager a happy birthday.
The Empress Dowager would always personally receive her, and even invite her to stay in the palace for a short while, showing their close relationship.
However, Yanshu had originally thought the other party would be a white-haired old lady. It wasn't until she met her that she realized this elderly lady was actually only in her early forties, quite young.
It turned out that her husband had passed away early, and after her eldest son got married and inherited the title, he became the new Marquis of Zhenhai, and she was respected as the old madam of the mansion.
At this moment, meeting her surprised gaze, Madam Mu entered the Palace of Benevolent Peace and first bowed to the people in the palace.
"This humble subject pays respects to the Empress Dowager and all the ladies."
The Empress Dowager quickly smiled and said, "Rise, there's no need for such formality between us."
She didn't even use the royal "We" to refer to herself.
As she spoke, she even personally reached out to help Madam Mu up.
Noticing Yanshu's surprised expression as she looked at Madam Mu, the Empress Dowager laughed and said, "Look, your title of old madam has scared them all."
Yanshu quickly smiled and said, "The Empress Dowager is right. This subject didn't expect the old madam to be so young."
As she finished speaking, Consort Zhou secretly rolled her eyes beside her.
— This Li Yanshu, flattering even Madam Mu just to curry favor with the Empress Dowager, how thick-skinned!
Of course, with the Empress Dowager present, she only dared to grumble in her heart, and no one heard.
Hearing Yanshu's words, Madam Mu also smiled and said, "Lady Yipin is too kind, making this humble subject feel unworthy."
As she spoke, she called to a 12 or 13-year-old girl behind her, "Xiangwan, come quickly and pay your respects to the Empress Dowager and the ladies."
This was Madam Mu's adopted daughter, named Ni Xiangwan.
— It was said that Madam Mu, who had been widowed for many years, was one day offering incense for her late husband at a temple. On her way down the mountain, she came across a small baby crying in the bushes by the roadside. Madam Mu couldn't bear to leave it, so she took the baby home and adopted her, giving her the surname Ni from her husband's family and naming her Xiangwan.
At this moment, hearing her adoptive mother speak, this adopted daughter of the Ni family responded, stepped forward and bowed to everyone, "Xiangwan pays respects to the Empress Dowager and all the ladies."
The Empress Dowager sighed, "Xiangwan has grown so tall? Come, let Us have a look at you."
The young Miss Ni complied and stepped forward a few more steps.
The Empress Dowager held her and examined her carefully, then nodded and said, "You're becoming more and more beautiful. Good child, it must have been tiring to accompany your mother on such a long journey. Sit down and rest."
After speaking, she called for the palace servants to bring out the finest West Lake Dragon Well tea picked before the spring rains, along with freshly made chestnut cakes, lotus seed paste pastries, and cloud-like rice cakes.
This level of hospitality was clearly different from how she treated others.
Yanshu observed this while eating the snacks and quietly asked the system, [Given the Empress Dowager's personality, it should be difficult for her to be so warm towards someone. Did this Madam Mu perhaps save the Empress Dowager's life?]
The system replied, [More or less. The Empress Dowager and Madam Mu grew up together, so their friendship is indeed deeper than with others. When the Empress Dowager's eldest son was gravely ill, and no good doctor could be found in the capital, Madam Mu heard the news and found a secret prescription. She traveled thousands of miles from Mingzhou to the capital to deliver it. Although it ultimately wasn't used, it greatly comforted the Empress Dowager. After the crown prince passed away, Madam Mu left her family in Mingzhou and stayed in the palace to accompany the Empress Dowager for a full two months. It can be said that Madam Mu was a very important reason why the Empress Dowager was able to pull through.]
Yanshu nodded upon hearing this.
Indeed, traveling thousands of miles to personally deliver medicine to the capital was something that couldn't be done with just an ordinary friendship.
Especially when the Empress Dowager was about to lose her eldest son, and the emperor was favoring others, leaving the Empress Dowager's future uncertain.
The system continued, [That's right. So later, when the Empress Dowager secured her position, she intended to grant her son a duke's title, but Madam Mu firmly refused, making the Empress Dowager value her even more.]
Yanshu replied, [Putting everything else aside, Madam Mu is clearly a truly wise person. No wonder she can be good friends with the Empress Dowager.]
Just then, they heard the Empress Dowager ask the young Miss Ni, "Xiangwan, how do you find Our palace?"
Ni Xiangwan smiled and said, "With so many noble people here, the palace must be the best place in the world."
The Empress Dowager then said, "If that's the case, why don't you let your mother return to Mingzhou alone, and you stay here to keep Us company?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone paused—
The Empress Dowager saying this...
Could it be that she had taken a liking to this young girl? Did she want to keep her by her side to groom her and then send her into the harem later?
However, the young Miss Ni said, "This little one is grateful for the Empress Dowager's kindness. However, while there are several ladies to keep the Empress Dowager company in the palace, mother only has this little one. If I stay, mother will be lonely, so this little one should return to Mingzhou with mother. We can come visit you again next year."
Madam Mu also smiled and said, "Your Majesty thinks too highly of her. If she really stayed, I guarantee you'd regret it within three days. She's as mischievous as can be all day long."
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager also laughed, "I was just teasing you. She's the apple of your eye, how could I bear to take her away? As long as you remember to come back and see Us every year, that's enough."
She then specifically instructed the young girl, "In the future, even after you're married, don't live too far from your mother, or she'll miss you terribly."
The young Miss Ni responded with a shy smile.
Hearing this, everyone finally dared to believe that the Empress Dowager was indeed just joking.
Yanshu also marveled inwardly—
It seemed the Empress Dowager truly loved her best friend. Otherwise, if she had insisted on keeping this young girl as her pawn, Madam Mu would have had no way to refuse.
However, the affection between this adoptive mother and daughter was also incredibly strong, wasn't it?
This young Miss Ni had been raised to be so pure and carefree, clearly the result of her adoptive mother's doting love.
And the way Madam Mu looked at her was just like how other mothers looked at their own flesh and blood, full of indulgence and adoration.
Just then, the system said, [Well, that's because she is her own flesh and blood.]
