Chapter 7: Beyond the Plan

The night had already drawn its curtain. Even inside the room, Jiuqing could sense the boisterous, bustling scene outside. She sat composed before a bronze mirror, allowing two skillful maidservants to dress and groom her. Because there were others nearby, Jiuqing did not speak another word to that little maid.

The Yihong Courtyard was one of the top brothels in Shengjing; it was well-deserved to call it the premier establishment. Even if she had never been here before, Jiuqing had heard its name. For a brothel to possess such scale, there must certainly be someone backing it from behind.

Originally, she could have remained indifferent, letting each go their own way, but now that it had encroached upon her, there would come a day when she would uproot the Yihong Courtyard entirely. The murderous intent on her face was so obvious that it gave the hair-combing maid a fright.

"Sister Hua'er, I'm going to relieve myself. I'll leave this to you," Qiuhe finally requested to leave. Seeing the little maid glance back at her with a smile in the bronze mirror, Jiuqing understood her intentions well and suppressed the smile at the corners of her brows.

The scene that had been desolate during the day had, in just half an hour, been flooded with many people. The madam looked upon the crowd of strangers and familiar faces with a beaming smile, fawning over the patrons; even the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, which could have pinched a fly, seemed to have lessened significantly.

Only after everyone had been seated did the madam take the stage, her heart racing with the excitement of being about to make a massive profit. After all, her opening remarks were nothing new, but before she could even finish, someone in the crowd began to shout: "Are you done yet? We paid our money to see beauties, not an old hag like you!"

"Exactly, exactly! Where are the beauties, my lords? Hurry up and call them out!"

Facing the clamor from below, the madam's face turned green with anger. Fortunately, her rouge was applied thickly enough today that no one could see her expression. Fine, for the sake of money, this old lady will endure it. The madam suppressed her fury and immediately put on a sycophantic smile again.

"Oh, my lords, please don't be in such a hurry. Before our Courtesan appears, there will be a performance by the four beauties of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Although these ladies cannot compare to the beauty of our Courtesan, each is a top-tier beauty in her own right, and their prices are relatively much cheaper. My lords, you must keep your eyes wide and look closely!"

Upon hearing there were beauties to see, the crowd immediately fell silent. Whether they were the Courtesan or not didn't matter, as long as they were beautiful. The crowd gradually stilled. The first floor served as the main hall, where most commoners sat.

The second floor was distributed into four elegant private rooms, divided into Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. The "Heaven" room was the best; the usage fee alone was one hundred taels of silver. Few were willing to spend such a price on a place they would only sit in for a short while. When the window frames of the private rooms were opened, the situation below could be seen in its entirety.

"This Fifth Brother has truly become idle lately. Choosing this place for a meeting is one thing, but even now, he has yet to appear." An elegant young gentleman in white opened the folding fan in his hand, fanning himself aimlessly. Though a smile played on his lips, his expression held a hint of irritation.

A man in white would have been an extremely conspicuous presence in a crowd, and sitting beside him was a man dressed in black. The man did not utter a word, yet his entire being radiated a chilling aura.

The man was exceptionally handsome, his features possessing a transcendent purity. He lowered his head slightly, concealing the momentary gloom that flashed through his eyes, which were like black obsidian.

His thin lips were tightly pressed together as he lifted a delicate porcelain cup. The edge of the cup shimmered with fine, silvery-white light. "It is obvious that Fifth Brother's intentions lie elsewhere."

"Regardless, this isn't the first or second time he's acted this way. Since we are already here, Second Brother, why don't you evaluate the four dancers below? Is there anyone you have your eye on? If you like one, it might be better to take her back to decorate your manor," the man in white teased.

The man in black swept a glance over the dancers, unhurriedly bringing the wine cup to his lips. He took a small sip and said slowly, "Mediocre trash."

"True. Second Brother has collected the beauties of the world; there isn't a type of charm he doesn't possess. Tsk tsk, it's truly a pity that these delicate flowers will soon be plucked," the man in white said. Though he was dressed in a refined, scholarly manner, his words carried a hint of schadenfreude.

"If you feel such pity, why don't I buy them and pack them up for your manor? Wouldn't it be better to have them for your amusement?" the man in black replied, glancing at him.

"Enough, enough. Second Brother, you know I hate trouble most of all. If I truly brought them home, I'd be annoyed to death."

The man in black gave a light chuckle, then turned to withdraw his expression. In an instant, his face became neutral once more. "Since he isn't coming, I have lost interest. Let's return."

"Hey, Second Brother, Fifth Brother designed this to keep us here. Shall we stay and watch the show before we leave?" the man in white urged.

The man in black lowered his brows and said in a deep voice, "Since you understand, then you should know that I... I will not grant him his wish." With that, he flicked his sleeves and departed.

The madam had already called out the Courtesan. In the center of the stage, amidst a giant floral arrangement, a woman lay reclining. She was draped in red gauze, a design that was extremely eye-catching.

From her ankles to her thighs, she was covered in red gauze, but the fabric was so thin it was almost transparent, allowing one to see the scenery beneath at a glance, yet at the most critical points, one could see nothing at all.

The low neckline exposed a vast expanse of cleavage, and the gauze clothing tightly outlined the woman's enchanting figure. Even without looking at her face, the men present were already parched.

The woman's skin was as white as snow, and her earrings shimmered brightly under the lights. Her face, however, was not overtly seductive; beneath her red lips, her white teeth were slightly bitten, and her eyes were as mesmerizing as shifting stars.

Her elegant brows were only lightly dusted with powder, which only served to make her appear more delicate. Her face was of a pure, city-toppling beauty, yet her figure was infinitely voluptuous—as if ice and fire had melted together.

What man in the world could resist such an enticing creature? The madam's face was almost twitching with smiles, her eight large yellow teeth constantly on display. The way she looked at the crowd was as if she saw gold after gold blooming before her.

The madam praised herself inwardly. In reality, she had long been drugged; otherwise, why would she lie there so obediently to be viewed? Now, it was time for the final step.

"My lords, you have already seen this beauty. Next, it will depend on your sincerity. Whoever shows the highest sincerity will naturally be the winner of our beauty!" The madam's face was smiling like a chrysanthemum.

The men in the hall began to boil with excitement, waiting to bid. At that moment, a sudden female voice rang out: "Wait. Has the Madam forgotten? I have yet to perform a program for you, my lords."

Everyone looked toward the sound. The person who had been lying down had actually stood up. A smile curled at the corners of her mouth as she walked toward the madam with slow, deliberate steps. Everyone's gaze was concentrated on her, and none noticed the madam's face turning pale with dread.