GBP Chapter 161 Taking my second brother-in-law to a brothel
Chapter 161 Taking my second brother-in-law to a brothel
Wen Zongji bears the heavy responsibility of Pei Rujing on his shoulders, and he can't afford to gain nothing at all.
He asked Pei Shirong, "Then Second Brother should know what kind of woman he doesn't like, right?"
Pei Shirong immediately said, "A delicate, fragile girl who bursts into tears after saying just a few words. I want to run away whenever I see someone like that."
"Anything else?"
Pei Shirong shook his head: "No more."
Wen Zongji asked doubtfully, "Your mother-in-law has introduced you to so many girls, surely not all of them are delicate and pampered?"
"That's not it. It's just that some of them I don't feel anything for after just one meeting, and others, after only a couple of words, start asking about my future plans. They're too scheming, and I don't like that."
Wen Zongji understood.
To put it bluntly, Pei Shirong has not succeeded yet because he has not found a woman who satisfies him in both appearance and personality.
Even so, he still didn't know what kind of woman Pei Shirong liked.
Is there any way to make Pei Shirong realize what kind of girl he likes?
Wen Zongji thought and thought, then suddenly a brilliant idea struck him. He beckoned Chang Dong over and asked, "Are there any brothels in the capital?"
"What?"
Chang Dong almost thought he had misheard. In front of Pei Shirong, he asked the brothel if his young master had lost his mind.
Pei Shirong also stared wide-eyed at Wen Zongji.
Wen Zongji calmly explained to them, "I'm not talking about those brothels, but the kind of brothels that cultivate courtesans and provide music and dance."
Chang Dong breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Of course there are. Ri Mu Lou is the most famous brothel in the capital. All the girls there are prostitutes. The manager of Ri Mu Lou is said to have a powerful background and does not allow any prostitutes to contact guests privately, lest they damage the reputation of Ri Mu Lou. If someone wants a prostitute to serve them, they can only redeem her. As long as she belongs to Ri Mu Lou, the prostitutes inside cannot receive guests."
Why did Rimulou become the most famous Qing Dynasty brothel in Beijing?
It's because it strictly adheres to the rules.
Unlike other brothels that are all talk and no action, this one is not just a slightly higher-class prostitute who still arranges to see clients in private.
At the Sunset Pavilion, soliciting customers in private is a serious violation of the rules, and anyone caught doing so will be expelled from the pavilion.
This was the first time Wen Zongji had heard of the Sunset Pavilion: "I didn't know there was such a place. Second Brother, do you know about it?"
Pei Shirong: "I've heard of it."
"Then let's go to the Sunset Tower."
After saying that, Wen Zongji stood up and said, "Tell the waiter that we don't need to cook this meal. We'll eat at the Sunset Pavilion."
Pei Shirong, looking completely bewildered, got up with Wen Zongji. It wasn't until they left Wangchun Tower and got into the carriage that he realized what was happening: "Wait, brother-in-law, are you crazy? Taking me to a brothel? My sister will kill me if she finds out."
"No, I want to get off!"
Thinking of Pei Rujing's reaction, Pei Shirong's face turned very pale.
Wen Zongji pressed him down: "Second brother, you're overthinking it. If I really had other plans, how could I possibly take you with me?"
Pei Shirong thought he made sense: "That makes sense... no, you can't even have those kinds of thoughts!"
Wen Zongji said, "I know. I went to the Sunset Pavilion this time for my second brother's sake."
"For me?"
Pei Shirong pointed to himself and scratched his head: "You wouldn't be thinking like my father, finding a virgin to redeem me so I can get used to things between men and women beforehand, would you?"
He wasn't opposed to it, but the fact that Duke Pei wanted to force Wang Yiniang's niece on him was truly disgusting to Pei Shirong, so he lost interest in the idea.
Wen Zongji rolled his eyes: "You wish."
After hearing about the rules of the Sunset Pavilion, he knew that every courtesan they trained was extraordinary, and the price for redeeming them would be astronomical.
"Why is that?"
"Second brother will find out then."
Nighttime is the time for extravagance and revelry, the start of nightlife.
It's not curfew yet, and Changxing Street is bustling with people, no less so than during the day.
"Is Sunset Pavilion also on Changxing Street?"
It truly lives up to its prime location; all the well-known shops in Beijing are located here.
The carriage stopped in front of the Sunset Pavilion.
Wen Zongji alighted from the carriage, looked up and surveyed the three-story building in front of him, and could hear pleasant music even from the doorway.
There wasn't a sound of laughter or playful banter.
Stepping into the Sunset Pavilion, Wen Zongji was immediately captivated by its magnificent and elegant decor.
The manager of the Sunset Pavilion, with his sharp eyes, noticed the two men's distinguished bearing and stepped forward to greet them, saying, "These two young masters look unfamiliar. Is this your first time here?"
Pei Shirong was unusually nervous and remained silent.
Wen Zongji, on the other hand, remained much calmer and said, "Find us a private room. I have something I need you to do."
The steward immediately said, "Please come with me, gentlemen."
After finding a secluded private room on the second floor, the steward invited the two men inside, poured them a cup of tea, and then asked, "May I ask if you have any requests, sir? Our courtesans here are the most knowledgeable and refined, proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and we guarantee they will satisfy you both."
"That would be best."
Wen Zongji said, "I need you to find a few courtesans, of different styles. Except for the delicate ones, I don't want any of them. I want one of each type: gentle, feisty, or elegant."
The steward was bewildered by this request: "What do you mean, young master?"
He'd been here so long and had never heard of such an outrageous request.
Wen Zongji glanced at him: "Are you still doing business?"
"We'll do it! Of course we'll do it!"
Realizing he had asked too many questions, the steward quickly replied, "I will take care of it right away. Please wait a moment, gentlemen."
Pei Shirong turned to look at him: "Brother-in-law, what on earth are you up to?"
Wen Zongji leaned back on the soft couch, adjusted himself into a comfortable position, and toyed with his teacup, saying, "It's obvious. Let your second brother see all sorts of women so that I can help you determine what kind of woman you like."
He was thinking of the high-end clubs of later generations, where as long as you have money, they can even customize an ideal model for you according to your requirements, guaranteeing to meet all the needs of the guests.
He had no other choice but to resort to this desperate measure.
Pei Shirong hadn't seen many women and had no opportunity to meet any young ladies, so he could only resort to this method.
Pei Shirong hadn't expected Wen Zongji to have this purpose: "You can do that?"
"Why not give it a try? What if it works?"
It all depends on how many different kinds of courtesans there are in the Sunset Pavilion.
Perhaps the requirements were indeed a bit complicated, because the manager of the Sunset Pavilion left for quite some time before returning with three courtesans.
Wen Zongji could tell at a glance that these were three women with different styles.
The steward asked, "Young master, what do you think of these three?"
Wen Zongji pointed at Pei Shirong: "Go and talk to my second brother. If he is satisfied with one of them, that's fine. Otherwise, keep looking."
The main function of a courtesan is to sell her talents and chat with customers.
Seeing that they had no intention of appreciating the song and dance, the three courtesans exchanged glances and went to Pei Shirong's side to talk to him.