Chapter 4, may I ask how to get to the brothel

After Li Xin clarified the directions, he bid farewell to the lewd middle-aged man and turned to walk towards the Qinhuai River.

This person is beyond redemption

The middle-aged man's smiling expression froze on his face, and he stared blankly at Li Xin, unable to regain his composure for a long time

At this moment, on the street of Victory Avenue, a young man of rather average height, carrying a bamboo basket, was walking along the street with a shivering demeanor

The so-called "Spring Breeze Brings Success, Horses Gallop Swiftly" refers to the De Yi Lou, a favored place for scholars who have achieved the degree of Jinshi. Although it is a brothel, it is relatively upscale, and instances of direct prostitution are quite rare. The courtesans of De Yi Lou are all literate and well-educated. To engage with them, it is not enough to simply have money; one must also personally pursue them.

It is now morning, and the Deyi Building has not yet opened for business. Li Xin, carrying a basket of charcoal, gently knocked on the door of the Deyi Building.

In his view, the young man before him was probably in the capital to seek a relative and was looking to ask for directions. Therefore, he clasped his hands behind his back, smiled at Li Xin, and said: "Young brother, feel free to ask any questions. I have lived here for several decades, and there is no place in this capital that I am not familiar with"

However, Li Xin currently has no intention of dealing with this fat man; he must hurry to the Qinhuai River to sell the basket of counterfeit beast charcoal on his back.

Li Xin chose this middle-aged man because he noticed his unsteady gait, pale complexion devoid of color, and lewd demeanor, which clearly indicated that he was a frequent visitor to brothels.

This is the distinction between the high-end and low-end of the industry; this feeling of wanting to refuse yet being welcoming is precisely the tone that those well-read individuals favor the most. Therefore, among the ten miles of Qinhuai, this particular De Yi Lou has the best business and is also the easiest to make money.

Li Xin looked at the lewd fat man with a face full of speechlessness

This young man, not only dressed in shabby clothes, but also with unwashed coal dust on his face, clearly comes from a poor family, and speaks with a regional accent... How is it that he opens his mouth to inquire about a brothel?

One hundred wen per piece

The middle-aged man furrowed his brow and gave a rather lewd smile: "Isn't it true that men go to brothels just to take care of business? This is something everyone understands. However, at this hour, the larger establishments are all closed. If you are truly in a hurry, I can take you to a few smaller places..."

Since then, this street has become one of the symbols of the capital and has also become the most prosperous street in the capital

Fortunately, today is sunny, and the sun shining on him finally allows Li Xin to feel a bit more comfortable. He glanced around the street for a moment, then fixed his gaze on a middle-aged man of slightly plump build, sporting a pair of small mustaches. Li Xin approached and gently patted the man's shoulder.

De Yi Lou

Li Xin shook his head and said, "Elder brother, I have matters to attend to at the brothel, I kindly ask for your understanding..."

Li Xin bent down to express his gratitude, then seriously asked: "Elder brother, where is the largest brothel in the capital?"

He currently has only two pieces of clothing, one inner garment and one outer garment, which are suitable for autumn. However, it is now already December, and the New Year is approaching. The cold wind blows against him, causing him to shiver uncontrollably

This young man is naturally Li Xin

Before parting, the fat man told Li Xin that his name was Wu Daohang

Ultimately, after several entanglements, Li Xin finally inquired about the location of the brothel in the capital, or rather, the location of the most expensive brothel in the capital

The middle-aged man's eyelids twitched, and his smile was quite stiff: "Young man, it is broad daylight right now... it is still morning... asking this is inappropriate. If you really have ideas, I can take you to a few good places with Brother Tu Shu in the evening..."

At this point, Li Xindun paused briefly before continuing to speak

With this wish in mind, Li Xin arrived at the largest brothel by the banks of the Qinhuai River

The one who opened the door to welcome Li Xin was a rather frail maid. This maid appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old. After sizing up Li Xin from head to toe, she spoke in a crisp voice: "Young master, our Delight Pavilion will not open until the hour of You. If you wish to come, please return at that time."

The Yan Zhi River was originally called the Qin Huai River. Along the river, there are ten miles of painted boats and pavilions at every step. Every night, the Qin Huai River is brightly lit, as the courtesans in the brothels often wash rouge by the riverside. Over time, the water of this river has subtly emitted a fragrance, which is why it is referred to as the Yan Zhi River

At this point, his gaze towards Li Xin had become considerably more affectionate, clearly regarding Li Xin as a kindred spirit

In the capital city, the largest street is Desheng Street, which runs across the entire city, extending from the West City Gate to the East City Gate. Thirty years ago, when Emperor Wu of the Great Jin led his troops to conquer the world and returned to the capital, he passed through this street, hence it was named Desheng Street.

Li Xin's tone is polite

However, there is a problem here, which is that ordinary charcoal and bamboo charcoal do not have prestige when burned, and truly high-quality charcoal from precious woods is also unaffordable. If at this moment, a type of charcoal that resembles beast charcoal appears, yet is much cheaper than beast charcoal...

Miss, I am here to see your master. Please convey a message to her, just say that I have beast charcoal for sale

The reason he shrank back was not due to fear, but rather because of the cold

The moral standards of society are declining

In this era, charcoal holds a position in winter that is roughly equivalent to that of air conditioning in later generations. In other words, if you are in the service industry, you must burn charcoal in the room, as no one is willing to spend money while enduring the cold. Therefore, for brothels, charcoal is a necessity, an essential item

Hello, elder brother. I am new to the capital and have a matter I would like to inquire about.

He is well aware that the "beast charcoal" he carves out cannot be presented in public; truly wealthy families are unwilling to purchase it, while those who are slightly less affluent would not be willing to spend a price far exceeding that of ordinary charcoal. Therefore, the best selling point for these counterfeit charcoals is the brothels.

What has happened to this society? Is it that I, Wu, am unable to keep up with the times? Is this how the youth are now?

That is the Rouge River located in the southern part of the city

It must be said that when Li Xin simply asked for directions, this chubby man felt an instant familiarity with him, almost wishing to become sworn brothers with Li Xin right there on the street. Li Xin spent a considerable amount of time before finally shaking off this chubby man's persistent entanglement

The middle-aged man stopped in his tracks, turned around to take a glance at Li Xin, and upon seeing Li Xin dressed in a single garment, a hint of disdain flickered in his eyes. However, as a citizen of the capital, he still had to maintain his "status." The middle-aged man cleared his throat and began to regard Li Xin with a serious demeanor

Li Xin took off the bamboo basket from his back, then selected the most finely carved tiger-shaped charcoal from inside, held it in his hand, and presented it in front of the young maid.

Li Xin saw that he was stunned and thought that this big brother did not understand, so he patiently added: "A brothel, that is, a house of prostitution, a den."

Despite the heavy snowfall that has lasted for three days, the area outside the city remains a pristine white. However, on Victory Street, there are not many traces of the snow left. After all, this is the capital city, where there are dedicated personnel to clear the streets regularly, and in places bustling with people, little evidence of nature can be found.

Those who truly excel in business often do not create difficulties for their customers. After all, a smile and a polite word come at no cost. Therefore, the habit that this maid has developed over the years makes her quite courteous when facing Li Xin