Chen Youfu was a leisurely and carefree person. Once he sat down in the teahouse, it was as if his buttocks were glued to the seat—he couldn’t get up.

And Shi Ziran, following him, sat in the teahouse until noon.

That fellow either ate or drank. During this time, he even ordered several songs to listen to. He squinted his eyes with a lazy, idle appearance, occasionally even taking little naps. Holding a chopstick in his hand, he tapped it against a porcelain cup following the tune—except he was completely off-beat and it sounded terrible, simply asking to be beaten.

On the stage, a young lady with two braids tied was still singing little songs with great effort. Her voice was clear and melodious, echoing through the teahouse.

Even Shi Ziran was nearly entranced listening.

After a short while, Chen Youfu looked outside. Probably feeling it was about time, he patted his sleeves and stood up, took out some broken silver and placed it on the table, then raised his rear and left.

Shi Ziran also quickly followed.

Coming out of the teahouse, Chen Youfu plunged into the crowds. The street was bustling with people coming and going, heavy traffic everywhere. At a glance, it was all heads. Shi Ziran mustered up one hundred thousand percent of his energy, afraid of losing him.

Chen Youfu wandered east and looked west along the street, like a country bumpkin entering the city.

Probably tired from walking, he finally entered a brothel.

A brothel!

This…

Shi Ziran had never entered such a place before. He hesitated outside for a moment, deliberating whether to go in or not.

Thinking that he dared not fail to handle the matter Miss Ji had entrusted to him, he ultimately followed inside. But just as half his body entered, he smelled a pungent rouge scent that made him sneeze several times in succession. His whole body went numb all over—extremely uncomfortable.

He rubbed his nose and went further in. Inside could truly be called a hidden dragon and crouching tiger—a different world entirely!

The first floor was full of people—men and women embracing each other. Those drinking drank, those dancing danced, twisting their bodies as they walked about… All kinds of things. His eyes were dazzled.

Suddenly—

“Young master!” A woman’s coquettish voice called out.

Before he could react, he saw several chattering women twisting their snake-like waists charging toward him, their faces piled with hungry desire, like starving wolves pouncing on food, making one’s hair stand on end.

Shi Ziran instinctively stepped back several paces.

“Oh my, is this the young master’s first time here?” Several young ladies crowded around.

Surrounding him.

“Go away, go away.” He waved his sleeves in disgust.

But helplessly, he was surrounded by women on all sides, making it difficult to move.

“Why is young master so shy? Everyone who comes here is here to dispel worries. We sisters will keep you company for a few good drinks.”

“Look at young master’s outfit—you must be a swordsman? How mighty and imposing.”

“Come, come, come, quickly sit down.”

The women grabbed him while groping all over his body, wishing they could strip off all his clothes. At the same time, they pulled him to sit down at a table.

“What are you doing?”

“Serving young master, of course!”

“I don’t want you to serve me. Go away, go away.”

Just as he was about to stand up, a young lady in red sat down on his lap, then immediately wrapped her slender arms around his neck, forcibly pressing him down on the chair so he couldn’t move.

“…” He was completely panicked.

This was his first time in life having such intimate contact with a woman. If it were just one woman, that would be one thing, but there were several! For someone like him who was a bachelor and somewhat straight-laced, he was truly at a loss. All ten fingers were so stiff they couldn’t bend, not daring to even touch that woman.

What to do?

What to do?

Your Highness, save me!

His face was a complete mess.

The woman suddenly cupped his face with her hands, staring into his startled eyes and saying: “Young master is so handsome. This servant especially likes you.”

She firmly caressed his face.

Ugh!

Shi Ziran was completely dumbfounded, panicked and flustered, his brain blank. Now truly the heavens wouldn’t answer and the earth wouldn’t respond.

The women pressed even closer against him, pouring wine and forcing him to drink several cups.

“Come, drink…”

“Young master, how about… we also go upstairs for a bit?” the woman said suggestively.

He said with a trembling voice: “You all… don’t surround me. I didn’t come here to find young ladies.”

The women covered their mouths and laughed.

A woman in green at the side pinched her handkerchief and swept it across his face, saying: “All the young masters who come to our establishment say that, but after drinking wine they…”

Hehe.

What was all this! Shi Ziran suddenly raised his head and looked toward the second floor. He only saw Chen Youfu entering a private room. His mind immediately cleared. He sprang up abruptly, roughly pushing away the woman sitting on his lap without any tender feelings, his face dark, waving his hand and saying: “All go away. I don’t like vulgar rouge and powder like you.”

He spoke quite impolitely.

The faces of several women changed.

“Young master, that’s not right to say. Even if we are vulgar rouge and powder, we’re still flowers! You…” As she spoke, she prepared to throw herself at him again.

“Come any closer and I’ll throw you all in the prison.” He rebuked.

“Uh.” Several young ladies were startled, covering their chests with pale faces. When they reacted, they all felt extremely bored and gave him several eye rolls: “Really sick!”

“Isn’t that right?”

They all dispersed.

Shi Ziran was freed. He quickly shook his body, trying to disperse all that rouge scent from his body, and patted his chest.

Indeed, women were truly terrifying.

Being single was still better!

He found an inconspicuous corner to stand in to avoid those women coming over again. The position where he stood happened to allow him to watch that private room Chen Youfu had entered.

However, at the same time.

Right after Wang Zhe left his meeting with Yu Wei, he didn’t know that two people had been following behind him all along.

One was Jingrong.

One was Ji Yunshu.

The two hid in the crowd, wearing very plain clothing, quite inconspicuous. No one could detect them.

Jingrong turned his head and asked her: “You sent Ziran to follow Chen Youfu, and now you’re dragging me to follow Wang Zhe. What medicine are you selling in this gourd? So mysterious.”

Ji Yunshu smiled lightly, looking at Wang Zhe’s back and saying: “In any case, I won’t disappoint you.”

“…”

“Hurry and follow, or we’ll lose him.”

The two followed Wang Zhe to a somewhat secluded street, finally turning into a small alley.

Wang Zhe stopped outside a door and looked around several times.

Ji Yunshu and Jingrong immediately hid at the corner. Only after Wang Zhe relaxed his vigilance did he push the door and go in.

That courtyard was quite dilapidated. It seemed to be just a farmhouse residence, but the doorway was piled with much debris—it didn’t look like a place where people lived. Moreover, the courtyard was located at the very deepest part of the alley. So if one didn’t come here, one would never discover there was a hidden courtyard inside.

But what was Wang Zhe doing here?

Meeting someone? Then why so secretive? This couldn’t possibly be his home away from home. After all, a Ministry of Works vice minister—how could he be this shabby!