Chu Qiao strolled along the street for a couple of rounds and swiped a money pouch from a dandy young master. Dressed in Zhuge Yue's clothes, which billowed noisily in the night breeze, she looked as if she were wearing a Taoist robe. Leaning against a large tree, she opened the pouch and saw heavy silver ingots gleaming with a bright, white light. The girl's eyes lit up, and she happily whistled. Then, she briskly walked down the street and turned into a clothing store.
In no time, a handsome young gentleman emerged from the shop. His eyes were like autumn waters and cold stars, his lips as red as cardamom and cinnabar. Holding an elegant folding fan, he was dressed entirely in the manner of a scion of a noble family.
Just as Li Ce had said, Tang Capital City was in turmoil. The Central Army had been instantly sidelined, many noble families had been uprooted and expelled from the capital, and people were panicked, with a huge influx of transient population. Those hunting for Chu Qiao were numerous; aside from Li Ce, various factions were secretly searching for this woman, who was extremely important to Yanbei, Daxia, and even the Crown Prince of Bian Tang. As a result, inns and taverns everywhere became must-check locations, teeming with spies.
After weighing her options, Chu Qiao decided it was better to hide in brothels and gambling houses rather than stay at an inn. Although these places were crowded and gossip-ridden, they were the best hiding spots. No one would expect a severely injured woman, wanted by multiple forces, to boldly take refuge in a gambling house.
It was already very late, and the main streets like Central Avenue were quiet, but Yanhua Street was bustling and lively. The street was somewhat narrow, lined with numerous brothels standing shoulder to shoulder, their decorative lanterns brightly lit. On the upper floors of the brothels, gaudily dressed courtesans giggled and coquettishly flirted; the powder scent from their handkerchiefs was almost suffocating. On the street, plenty of streetwalkers frequently approached to solicit customers, even getting handsy.
"Young gentleman, are you alone? Why not come in and sit?"
Her arm was suddenly grabbed, and Chu Qiao stopped, immediately feeling a chill. This woman was no longer young—at least thirty-five years old. The cheap powder on her face smelled pungent and seemed to flake off with her movements. Her garish red dress was also cheap, her breasts already sagging, the exposed half of her chest a pallid grayish-white. One glance was enough to know her profession. Yet her eyes held the shrewdness of a seasoned veteran. Seeming to notice Chu Qiao's youth, she placed a soft hand on Chu Qiao's shoulder, leaned in close, and said with a smile, "Would you like some company?"
Chu Qiao was slightly taken aback, not expecting Bian Tang's customs to be so liberal. In Daxia, such open solicitation on the streets was not permitted. Even though Daxia had brothels, they were mostly government-run, and ordinary commoners couldn't even enter.
Though surprised, Chu Qiao hid it well. After all, she was a high-ranking commander from the 21st-century Military Intelligence Department—there was no situation she hadn't seen. With practiced ease, she teased back, "Sister, what's your price?"
The prostitute was startled. Though Chu Qiao seemed young and her voice somewhat tender, her demeanor was very experienced. Not daring to quote an exorbitant price, the woman smiled and said, "A boat ride costs five weizhu, or two qian of silver per session. Since you're such a charming young gentleman, I'll give you a discount for the night—five qian of silver."Ten weizhu make one qian, ten qian make one zhu, and ten zhu make one gold zhu. Back when Chu Qiao and Liang Shaoqing were bought as slaves, the price was only a few gold zhu. This woman clearly knew she was past her prime and didn’t set her price too high.
Chu Qiao smiled faintly and shook her finger.
The prostitute thought she was haggling and quickly said, “Then one qian for one time, two qian for the whole night. Young gentleman, you look like a regular—you know the going rate. I can’t go any lower.”
Chu Qiao shook her head. “It’s not that I think it’s expensive, but you and I aren’t a good match. How about this: find me a quiet, nice place, and I’ll give you one gold zhu. What do you say?”
The prostitute was overjoyed. One gold zhu was probably more than she could earn in half a year. She happily led the way.
Chu Qiao had originally planned to go to a gambling house, but those places were crowded and chaotic, not ideal for resting. She knew that a prostitute like this would surely be familiar with some well-known brothels. Sometimes, if a client wasn’t satisfied with her, she would refer them to a brothel she knew, earning a bit of commission in the process. This actually saved Chu Qiao a lot of trouble.
Following the prostitute, Chu Qiao soon arrived at the entrance of a brothel. The establishment was quite large and had an air of elegance, though its location was somewhat remote, not as bustling as the ones up front.
A man who seemed to be in charge hurried out, bowing and scraping obsequiously, addressing Chu Qiao as “young master” and “sir” with flattering sweetness. But when he turned to the prostitute, his expression changed. Though they deliberately lowered their voices, Chu Qiao could still hear them clearly.
“Master Zhuang has given orders recently—no strangers allowed. Didn’t you know? The higher-ups seem to be searching for someone.”
Money truly makes the world go round. The prostitute replied, “He’s not a stranger—he’s a regular of mine.”
The man was clearly skeptical. “With you? You’re practically old enough to be his mother!”
“Get lost! He appreciates my lingering charm, alright? This client is especially generous. If you don’t want him, I’ll take him elsewhere!”
“Fine, since you’ve already brought him here. But if anything goes wrong, I’m holding you responsible.”
“Don’t worry!”
Chu Qiao’s expression remained unchanged. She wondered who this Master Zhuang was—likely either a government official or a local faction bought off by some party. Sure enough, a few burly middle-aged men were posted at the entrance, their eyes scanning passersby like daggers. They glanced at Chu Qiao twice but didn’t pay her much attention, focusing instead on women passing by, especially those dressed as lone streetwalkers.
They really leave no stone unturned!
Chu Qiao sneered coldly.
“Young gentleman, it’s settled. I’ve made all the arrangements. Recently, the higher-ups are hunting someone down. Inns and brothels aren’t supposed to take in unfamiliar guests from out of town. I had to pull quite a few strings.”
Seeing the woman’s exaggerated, fawning smile, Chu Qiao understood perfectly. She took out a gold zhu, placed it in the woman’s hand, and said with a smile, “Thank you. It’s yours.”
The prostitute thanked her profusely before leaving. The brothel runner, bowing and scraping, approached Chu Qiao and asked casually, “Young gentleman, you carry yourself with such grace. May I ask where you’re from?”
Chu Qiao deliberately put on a mysterious and serious expression. “What I tell you, you must not share with anyone else.”The brothel runner froze in his tracks upon hearing this, then stopped walking as Chu Qiao said, "I'm from the palace. I'm here to select women for my master."
The brothel runner was immediately startled and looked Chu Qiao up and down. She appeared young, generous with money, and quite handsome, yet carried an air of subtle femininity. Suddenly understanding dawned: "Could you be the eu... from the Crown Prince's residence?"
"Shh!"
Chu Qiao quickly said, "You mustn't speak of this, or you'll bring great trouble upon yourself."
The brothel runner nodded eagerly, overjoyed as he said, "I've often heard the Crown Prince frequently visits the top courtesans at major brothels like Yuhua Tower, but I never thought our establishment would have such fortune."
Chu Qiao shook her head and sighed, "Always visiting those same places gets tiresome. Minister Sun recommended your establishment, saying it's quite good here."
"Minister Sun?" The brothel runner paused, then suddenly understood: "Sun Di, Minister Sun! Yes, yes, he's a regular on this street, but we never realized Minister Sun had visited our humble establishment."
"Well, the court doesn't permit officials to visit brothels after all. When they come, it's discreet - who would make a show of it? So you must be careful with your words."
The man quickly nodded: "You can rest assured, I guarantee everything will be handled with utmost discretion."
Chu Qiao pulled out two gold coins and tossed them generously: "For you!"
The man profusely thanked her, thinking to himself that those from the palace were indeed different.
This brothel was called Fragrant Pavilion, decorated quite elegantly. The man led her to a quiet small room, then hurriedly rushed out. For most of the evening, the brothel arranged four or five young, beautiful courtesans to meet the guest. Since they assumed Chu Qiao was a eunuch, the women mostly dressed modestly, engaging in activities like playing chess or the zither. Chu Qiao sat there bored, nearly dozing off. Seeing this, the manager immediately dismissed the women and arranged for Chu Qiao to rest, saying they could continue selecting tomorrow.
Lying in bed, Chu Qiao finally dared to relax. Zhuge Yue hadn't exaggerated at all - the situation was even more serious than he had described.
Since she knew Yan Xun had entered the city disguised as Liu Xi, she could find Yan Xun's whereabouts by inquiring about Liu Xi's location. Liu Xi came from a prominent family in Xianyang - it was impossible for him to enter the city without any rumors circulating. She would rest tonight and make inquiries tomorrow.
Chu Qiao woke early the next morning. The entire brothel remained quiet, as the courtesans were accustomed to sleeping late - it was indeed still too early.
As soon as Chu Qiao stepped out, she encountered the same brothel runner waiting at the door. Chu Qiao smiled and said, "I'm going out for a stroll, I'll return in the evening."
The understanding brothel runner replied, "Yes, yes, since you've managed to get out, you should indeed enjoy yourself. Would you like me to arrange someone to accompany you?"
Chu Qiao shook her head: "No need, I'm familiar with this area."
Then, under the brothel runner's gaze, she left Fragrant Pavilion. As she exited, the two large men were still standing at the entrance, glaring at her fiercely when she emerged. Chu Qiao looked back at them challengingly, even snorting contemptuously. Seeing her arrogant demeanor, the two men hesitated to approach and question her.Chu Qiao swaggered down the street after leaving the Fragrant Pavilion, thinking how terrible portrait techniques were in this era. Back when she was in Daxia, she had seen those so-called wanted posters. Squeezing into a crowd back then, she had stared at them for a long while and still felt the drawings looked nothing like her. Now, dressed in men's clothing and strolling openly through the streets, she was even more convinced no one could recognize her.
Better find a place to eat first, then slowly gather information.
Just as she was thinking this, a commotion erupted from one end of the long street. Chu Qiao stopped to look and saw one person sprinting ahead, chased by seven or eight others—all local ruffians, swinging their arms and shouting curses as they ran.
At the sight, Chu Qiao’s mind went blank. Before she could turn away, it was too late. The person being chased spotted her with sharp eyes and shouted in a voice full of desperate hope, "Xiao Qiao! Xiao Qiao! Save me!"
Chu Qiao’s eyes darted around rapidly. With that one shout, over a dozen people of various appearances turned to look at her, their gazes sharp and unlike ordinary passersby.
"Xiao Qiao! I'm here, help me!"
Liang Shaoqing, carrying a tattered book bag and with disheveled hair, charged toward her like a child running to its mother, his grin stretching nearly to his ears.
The crowd surged forward with a roar. Liang Shaoqing grabbed Chu Qiao’s arm and laughed heartily, "Xiao Qiao, I’ve been looking everywhere for you! It’s wonderful—heaven rewards the diligent! I finally found you! Where have you been all this time? You look thinner. Have you been bullied out here? Huh? Why do you look so strange?"
Chu Qiao felt like crying. The burly men chasing Liang Shaoqing were closing in menacingly, and worse, the shout of "Xiao Qiao" had drawn countless suspicious glances. By now, she could almost feel the dense, rapid footsteps closing in.
"Who... who are these people?"
Chu Qiao had to interrupt Liang Shaoqing’s rambling, which seemed about to include his birthdate. The man who had been chased like a stray dog moments ago now seemed emboldened. He pointed angrily at the group and shouted, "It’s them! They’re bullying me!"
"You brat! Nowhere to run now!"
The burly men roared furiously.
Liang Shaoqing visibly trembled, but with Chu Qiao by his side, he regained his courage and yelled, "Xiao Qiao, teach them a lesson!"
His arrogance clearly enraged the men, who charged forward with furious shouts.
In that instant, Chu Qiao felt as though she faced the biggest dilemma of her life.
To beat others or be beaten? That was the question.
To keep hiding or reveal herself completely? Hiding meant getting beaten, but revealing herself could cost her her life. She sighed inwardly and, at the last moment, crouched down before Liang Shaoqing, covering her head with her arms.
Liang Shaoqing quickly followed suit, crouching beside her. A rain of fists immediately pummeled his head. The bookworm shouted in confusion, "Xiao Qiao, fight back!"
Bystanders could only sigh helplessly. A down-and-out scholar and a delicate-looking youth, yet they talked about teaching others a lesson—it was truly absurd.It was impossible to tell how much time had passed. By the time the group finally left, cursing and grumbling, Liang Shaoqing was barely clinging to life. Even the onlookers had dispersed to go about their business. Fortunately, the group had clear boundaries in their grudges and hadn't harmed innocent bystanders. Chu Qiao, completely unharmed, rushed to his side and asked, "Are you alright?"
Tears streaming down his face, Liang Shaoqing said pitifully, "Xiao Qiao, why didn't you fight them?"
Just as Chu Qiao was about to speak, a sudden roar erupted. Several Biantang bailiffs stood beside them, and one of them pointed angrily at Liang Shaoqing and shouted, "It's him! This brat never learns his lesson, posting things everywhere! Arrest him!"
"Ah!" Liang Shaoqing was horrified, his injuries suddenly half-healed as he nimbly leaped up to run, only to be grabbed immediately.
"Xiao Qiao! Save me!"
The bailiff roared furiously, "Well! There's an accomplice! Arrest them both!"
If one doesn't perish in silence, they become twisted in silence. Chu Qiao's eyes no longer held flames—what they emitted now was high-purity, concentrated sulfuric acid. She glared fiercely at Liang Shaoqing but couldn't utter a single word.
With their hands bound behind their backs, the two were escorted away by the bailiffs under the watchful eyes of a crowd of passersby.
The bounty hunters pulled out the portraits from their belts and examined them. There was some resemblance, but hadn't they been told the target was alone and possessed extraordinary martial skills?
No, no, it didn't match. They all shook their heads and dispersed with tacit understanding, rushing off with full determination to seize this once-in-a-century opportunity for fortune.
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