Chapter 36: A Nocturnal Visit to the Pleasure House

Luo Yunzhen let out a cold snort. "Why should you pity me? You are merely lucky, that is all."

"Lucky?" Luo Yunqiao frowned, shaking her head in disapproval. "It is not just luck. Luo Yunzhen, you pride yourself on being the most talented woman in the capital, yet you have never realized that everything you have learned is, in the end, only to serve your dependence on men."

"But what if one day, you have no one left to depend on?"

Luo Yunqiao blinked. "When that day comes, Sister Yunzhen, how will you be any different from a common prostitute selling her crafts?"

Luo Yunzhen immediately thought of the report from the maid she had sent three days ago to find the Third Prince. The Third Prince had recently been keeping very close company with Luo Yunqiao. This wretch, Luo Yunqiao, must have re-established ties with the Third Prince; she was here to gloat! Yet, as things stood, Luo Yunzhen had no choice but to avoid a direct confrontation. She closed her eyes, deciding not to retort and simply acting as if Luo Yunqiao did not exist.

Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Luo Yunqiao did not linger and headed to the Old Madam’s courtyard. Whether by design or coincidence, she arrived at Shouchun Pavilion exactly at lunchtime, so she naturally took over the task of serving the Old Madam from Nanny Chen.

The Old Madam said indifferently, "Given your current status, it is no longer appropriate for you to do such things."

Luo Yunqiao smiled. "No matter what my status is, serving food to my grandmother is what I ought to do. There is nothing inappropriate about it."

The Old Madam was of an advanced age, focused on self-cultivation and Buddhist studies, and adhered strictly to the rule of silence during meals. She did not speak again for the rest of the meal. With the Old Madam silent, Luo Yunqiao naturally said nothing, attending to her with devotion.

Once the meal was finished and the Old Madam had cleansed her hands and rinsed her mouth, she finally spoke. "You came today to discuss the matters concerning the welcome banquet, didn't you?"

Luo Yunqiao, who had been kneading the Old Madam’s shoulders, stopped and knelt directly before her. "I acted on my own initiative to invite the Clan Head to preside over the matter. Firstly, I feel I overstepped my bounds by bypassing you, Grandmother; secondly, I caused my father trouble, which was truly wrong. I beg you to punish me."

Luo Yunqiao did not want this incident to cause a rift between her and the Old Madam, as she was the only person in the manor she could truly rely on.

The Old Madam remained calm. "I have heard a little about the welcome banquet. Since when is a young person like you capable of summoning the Luo Clan Head? It must have been the work of your muddle-headed father. Though the current situation is shameful, he brought it upon himself; it is mere karma. Why should I blame you?"

Luo Yunqiao was surprised. After all, Luo Chao was the Old Madam’s own son and the Marquis of Jing'an. Why was her reaction so detached? And what did she mean by "karma"? Luo Yunqiao felt there was an unknown past in the Marquis's manor, one that perhaps held the reason for the Old Madam’s coldness toward her own son. However, now was not the time to dwell on it; she made a mental note to investigate the truth when the opportunity arose.

At a look from the Old Madam, Nanny Chen helped Luo Yunqiao to her feet. The Old Madam sipped her tea and said slowly, "Now that you are the legitimate eldest daughter of the Marquis's manor, do you have any plans for the future?"

Luo Yunqiao pondered for a moment before voicing her thoughts. "My next step is to uncover the truth behind how I was swapped at birth."

The Old Madam murmured, "So much time has passed; that will not be easy to investigate."

Luo Yunqiao nodded, her gaze firm. "It is precisely because of that that I have come to seek your help, Grandmother." She knew that with the Old Madam’s influence, she could not be entirely ignorant of the matter. If she were willing to share even a hint, things would be much simpler.

The Old Madam sighed. "It is difficult—" She turned to Nanny Chen. "I am tired. Help me inside to rest."

Nanny Chen obeyed, helping the Old Madam up and toward the inner chambers. Luo Yunqiao felt a flicker of disappointment; it seemed the Old Madam did not wish to be entangled in these affairs. Perhaps she felt that after so much time, the rights and wrongs no longer mattered.

Disappointed as she was, Luo Yunqiao maintained her manners. She bowed and watched the Old Madam leave. She heard the Old Madam’s aged voice fading into the distance: "I wonder where that girl Hehua has gone to run wild."

"Old Madam, you have forgotten; the Master ordered Hehua to be sold to the Wanhong Pavilion."

Hehua? Wanhong Pavilion? Luo Yunqiao sensed that the Old Madam was pointing the way for her.

Back in her courtyard, Luo Yunqiao had Jinxin and Yinxin investigate, and the results were unexpected. Hehua had once served the Old Madam before being sold for a mistake. She was one of the maids Luo Yunqiao had been searching for. As it turned out, her mother was the very nanny who had been in charge of delivering Luo Yunqiao.

The Old Madam had been quiet, but she had actually helped her a great deal. Luo Yunqiao was grateful, but now was not the time for thanks. The matter could not be delayed, so she decided that night to dress as a man and infiltrate the brothel with Jinxin and Yinxin.

In front of the Wanhong Pavilion, Jinxin looked at the flirtatious women inside casting glances at her and nearly burst into tears. "Miss, shouldn't we go back? If the Master finds out, our legs will be broken."

Luo Yunqiao had finally found a lead; there was no way she would give up now. She patted Jinxin’s hand. "If anything happens, I will take full responsibility. Once we are inside, do not make eye contact with anyone and just do what you need to do. Also, do not call me 'Miss' inside—call me 'Young Master'."

"Yes, Young... Young Master."

And so, Luo Yunqiao led Jinxin and Yinxin into the Wanhong Pavilion. Because Luo Yunqiao was not very tall and had delicate features, the women immediately spotted her as a "novice" and scrambled to serve her. After all, naive young masters were not only generous with money, but if satisfied, they might even redeem a girl, and they lacked the twisted habits of the older patrons.

For a moment, the three of them felt like Tang Sanzang entering the Spider Cave.

"Young Master, come feel if my heart is racing~"

"Young Master, don't you want to have some fun with me?"

"Young Master, come here—"

Jinxin and Yinxin blushed, unable to speak, but their young mistress remained calm. "My thanks to you all, but I am here to see Mother Wang."