Upon hearing the arrows hit the vase, Xu Qi An’s smile grew uncontrollably. He removed the blindfold and pointed at the gold and silver ingots on the stall, exclaiming, “Haha, old Taoist, these are all mine now.”

The old Taoist glanced at him, calmly packed away the gold and silver ingots, then pointed to the bodhi bead bracelet and a small jade mirror at the top, smiling, “Young master, choose one of the two.”

Xu Qi An tried to negotiate, “Old Taoist, I don’t want those. I just want the silver.”

The old Taoist refused mercilessly, “Rules are rules.”

After a pause, he added, “These two items are rare treasures, how could they be compared to mere gold and silver? Young master, don’t let your eyes be blinded by worldly riches.”

No, I just want those worldly riches… Xu Qi An asked, “Treasures? What are their uses?”

“This old Taoist doesn’t know. I only know they’re waiting for the right person,” the old Taoist replied nonchalantly.

Xu Qi An suspected the old Taoist was deceiving him, but had no proof. Considering his inexplicable streak of luck, he hesitated. Whether they were treasures or not, who could say for sure? Silver was more practical.

At this moment, an armored soldier approached and said, “Young master, my lord requests your assistance.”

Xu Qi An turned his head to look at the luxurious carriage not far away. “What does your lord want?”

“That string of bodhi beads,” the soldier’s gaze moved from the stall to Xu Qi An. “My lord is willing to offer sixty taels of gold.”

So this is where my luck comes in… Xu Qi An’s face broke into a warm smile. “I’m honored. It’s a deal.”

He had the soldier pay one qian of silver for three arrows.

The soldier said, “My lord says you can throw multiple times. We’ll cover the silver. It doesn’t matter if you fail…”

Before he could finish, he saw Xu Qi An, already blindfolded, casually throw the arrows.

Thunk, thunk, thunk… The three arrows hit the vase with unerring accuracy.

The onlookers once again let out exclamations of amazement.

The soldier’s gaze towards Xu Qi An was now filled with respect. If one could be lucky, twice meant this person was no ordinary individual. This young man, dressed as a scholar and appearing unremarkable, was undoubtedly a master.

Sixty taels of gold in hand… Xu Qi An was immensely pleased. He removed the blindfold just in time to see the curtain of the luxurious carriage fall.

…I wonder who the important person inside is… He dared not look too long, turning back to the soldier and cupping his hands in respect: “I’m glad I didn’t disappoint.”

The soldier returned the gesture respectfully and then returned to the carriage. Shortly after, he came back with a bulging money pouch.

Xu Qi An accepted the pouch, retrieved the jade mirror from the old Taoist, and watched as the carriage departed. He tucked the palm-sized jade mirror into his robe and happily weighed the bulging money pouch.

It seemed to weigh about three or four jin, too heavy to tie to his waist.

“This won’t do. I need to exchange it for silver notes. Carrying such heavy gold around is too foolish…”

Thinking this, he couldn’t help but turn back, only to find that the old Taoist had disappeared, the stall cleaned up without a trace.

Xu Qi An stood silently by the roadside for a long while.

He made another trip to the money house, exchanging the gold for four 100-tael silver notes, one 50-tael note, and three 10-tael notes.

Gold wasn’t part of the currency system, so it needed to be exchanged for an equivalent amount of silver, for which the money house would issue silver notes.

The exchange rate between gold and silver was 1:8, so sixty taels of gold equaled 480 taels of silver.

With 480 taels of silver, there would be more than enough to fan Aunt’s pretty face… Why do I always involuntarily think about fanning Aunt with silver notes whenever I make money? The original owner’s resentment towards Aunt must have been incredibly strong… Also, this amount of silver probably could only buy a small courtyard in the Inner City… To buy a large residence with three courtyards, one would need at least ten thousand taels of silver… Xu Qi An felt a bit troubled.

Whether in this world or his previous one, housing prices were always a source of despair.

“With 480 taels, it should be enough to redeem a lower-ranking courtesan, but that wouldn’t be cost-effective. You see, with 480 taels, I could enjoy the company of multiple courtesans for several months. Redeeming one courtesan would not only exhaust my fortune but also require me to provide for her daily needs. If she accidentally became pregnant, that would be another huge expense. My current salary is only enough to support one proper wife; I can’t afford the boring life of a rich man with multiple women. Besides, I wouldn’t redeem a courtesan anyway. Using public resources for private gain is asking for divine punishment.”

As dusk fell, Xu Qi An arrived at the famous Imperial Entertainment Bureau in the capital, located in an alley. The lanterns were just being lit, and various carriages were parked outside the alley. The sound of string and wind instruments drifted from the courtyards, along with clear, enchanting singing voices.

He knew the beautiful nightlife was beginning.

Walking along the interconnected paths of the alley, Xu Qi An recalled the cultural essence he had learned from Constable Wang.

A normal brothel was typically a two or three-story building, and having one or two separate courtyards was considered quite prestigious. The Imperial Entertainment Bureau didn’t need such tall buildings because the entire area of courtyards in this alley belonged to it.

State-owned enterprises were indeed wealthy and imposing.

The Imperial Entertainment Bureau had a threshold; common people couldn’t afford to spend here. It wasn’t due to any regulation, but because the minimum spending was five taels of silver. This wasn’t for sleeping with a courtesan, but just the table fee.

Five taels of silver were equivalent to several months’ income for an ordinary family, and that’s for a well-off household. Therefore, the Imperial Entertainment Bureau’s clients mainly fall into three categories:

First, wealthy merchants and local gentry. These clients were the most willing to spend money because, given their lower social status in daily life, they had an intense obsession with sleeping with the wives and daughters of convicted officials.

Second, government officials. For them, the Imperial Entertainment Bureau was a place to drink tea and socialize after work. Whenever they had social engagements, they liked to come here.

It’s worth mentioning that officials from the Ministry of Rites could enjoy services for free because the Imperial Entertainment Bureau was under their jurisdiction.

Third, scholars. This group was more refined than wealthy merchants and local gentry. They enjoyed composing poetry and were less demanding than officials, making them the favorites of the courtesans at the Imperial Entertainment Bureau.

The courtesans at the Imperial Entertainment Bureau also fell into three categories:

First, the wives and daughters of convicted officials. These women were the most pitiful, forced into prostitution and suffering abuse.

Second, women were captured during wars. Without going too far back, just considering the Battle of Shanhai Pass twenty years ago, the Western countries and Da Feng, as the victors, had captured countless women from the north and south, filling the Imperial Entertainment Bureaus in various prefectures and counties.

Third, courtesans were recruited by the Imperial Entertainment Bureau. These women voluntarily became glorious seafood merchants, contributing to Da Feng’s abalone business. Their spirit was admirable.

“One truly learns as long as one lives. Constable Wang is indeed my teacher…” Xu Qi An sighed, finally finding his target for this visit to the Imperial Entertainment Bureau.

He stopped in front of a courtyard. The plaque above the gate read: Yingmei Pavilion.

The gate was open, with two bright red lanterns hanging on either side. Inside the courtyard were plum trees, their branches adorned with buds about to bloom.

A young doorkeeper, about sixteen or seventeen years old, stood at the gate, eyeing Xu Qi An scrutinizingly.

He had another well-known title.

“I am Yang Ling, a scholar from Changle County. I’ve long heard of Miss Fuxiang’s reputation and have come to pay a visit,” Xu Qi An said politely, imitating a scholar’s bow as he spoke to the doorkeeper.

Yingmei Pavilion was the residence of the courtesan Fuxiang.

The table fee here was ten taels of silver, twice as expensive as ordinary courtyards.

The Imperial Entertainment Bureau had a total of twelve top courtesans, ranked into four tiers based on their charm, grace, talent, and beauty.

Miss Fuxiang belonged to the first tier, renowned for her mastery of both poetry and the zither.

“Ten taels of silver,” said the young doorkeeper, accustomed to seeing important guests, his attitude indifferent. After receiving Xu Qi An’s silver, he allowed him to enter the courtyard.

Xu Qi An’s heart leaped with joy. The sounds of laughter and music drifted from the courtyard; the tea party had already begun. But since the doorkeeper had let him in, it meant the courtyard wasn’t reserved for a private party, but open to individual guests.

There were two modes of entertainment: private bookings and individual guests. If it had been the former, Xu Qi An’s efforts today would have been in vain.