The stand-in didn't take it seriously for three years, and the minister was furious when they b

“Don’t worry, Mother Jin, I won’t disturb any girl without your permission, let alone a guest?”

Brothels and teahouses are the most well-informed places. If she wants to choose someone who can work for her, it is not enough to rely on liking him or spending some money. She has to investigate in person.

Mother Jin turned sideways and made a "please" gesture. Mu Lianzhi nodded in response and led people upstairs.

Although there were no guests welcome in the alley, there was an endless stream of servants and old women coming and going. Some of those who were not very good-looking or had lively personalities had already come out to look for prey.

After coming here once, Mu Lianzhi learned a lot. In addition to the poor people who had no choice, there were also some girls who came here voluntarily because they had nowhere else to go. No matter what the situation was, they actually had a mission to accomplish.

To put it bluntly, they have to earn at least a certain amount of money every month, and there are systems for rewards and punishments. And for each transaction, in addition to the private tips from the customers, they will also get a portion of their own pocket money, which is their capital for when they get old and lose their looks.

No matter in which dynasty or industry, there has never been such a thing as the chosen one or anyone who gets something for nothing.

"Hey, look, that woman is here again."

"It's really strange for a woman to spend money to visit a brothel. Strange things happen every year, but this year there are more of them. What do you think she is doing here?"

"She is either here to look for her husband or to catch him in an adultery. She looks like a bride dressed like this."

"How is it possible? Who has such a beautiful wife and concubine who would come here to sleep with us? Mother Jin said that she is a rare beauty, of the highest quality, and we should learn from her."

"Haha, you don't understand this, do you? Is there any cat in the world that doesn't steal fish? A wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as stealing, stealing is not as good as not being able to steal, even shit tastes good to a dog."

"Then she is almost like us. How pitiful."

"No, she is more pitiful than us. At least we never lack men to nourish us."

"Hee hee~"

……

As Mu Lianzhi walked along, she would hear such criticisms from time to time. She didn't take it seriously, but Chunmiao's face turned greener the more she listened, and she would turn back and glare at him from time to time:

"Miss, listen to them, they are full of shit and their words are really nasty."

"Why would you care about some fish on the cutting board? Some people choose to sit at the table, while others only appear on the menu."

Mu Lianzhi said casually, and the surroundings instantly became quiet. She had just turned the corridor when there was a sudden "bang" not far ahead.

A woman in disheveled clothes and with blood on her hair fell out from the door.

"Bitch, you still dare to run?"

"You are lucky that my young master likes you. You are a lowly person. You don't even know your last name when you are a little pretty? Do you believe that I will drag your useless parents and your stupid brother to feed the cuckolds?"

"My son Baer loves meat the most."

"Laugh, laugh for me, you can't laugh!"

"How can you stop when I haven't seen enough? They are just a few men. You are a lowly person and you want to act noble? Do you deserve it?"

"Climb in!"

"You'd better cooperate. Maybe I'll let you go when I'm in a good mood and have had enough fun!"

"hurry up!"

Following out was a young man in luxurious clothes. His clothes were slightly open, and he was swinging a whip in his hand. His attitude was even more wanton and arrogant. Although there was some distance between them, Mu Lianzhi could still vaguely hear the men in the room talking and laughing.

It seems like there is more than one person.

As she lowered her sight, she saw the woman's bloody and scarred hands and eyes filled with despair. For a moment, she clearly smelled the breath of death, but soon, that breath disappeared, replaced by the emptiness of a walking corpse.

The man dragged the woman half-up by her hair.

The area in front of the woman was filthy and messy. In addition to the obvious marks left by the man, there were also burns, knife wounds, and blood holes caused by something unknown, especially the woman's obvious features, which were clearly visible.

Even though Mu Lianzhi had seen many TV dramas about brutal murders in modern times, she had to admit that this scene was cruel and horrifying.

However, the woman only groaned in pain occasionally, without struggling, begging for mercy, and even crying was silent.

She was really being carried around by the man like a dead dog.

Her scalp felt numb and Mu Lianzhi felt a tightness in her heart.

It is either a blessing or a disaster for a beautiful woman to be born in a poor family, especially in this era of clear class divisions. Just now, she should have been unable to bear the torture and wanted to commit suicide.

But before she could jump down from the building, the man grabbed her legs and she fell.

Later, she gave up on her own.

She must have chosen to endure and compromise for the sake of her family.

Needless to say, even more cruel torture awaits her.

Sometimes, really, death is also a kind of relief, but often, the kinder people are, the easier it is for them to be bound, and death becomes a luxury.

……

Mu Lianzhi paused and continued to move forward. After passing the two people, she turned around and glanced at Chunmiao as if unintentionally:

"Is that the legendary Lord Beitang? I didn't expect to meet him here."

Although a little confused, Chun Miao understood her expression due to their long-standing tacit understanding, and subconsciously replied:

"Well, it seems so."

"I heard that Lord Beitang is a favorite of the emperor, ruthless, hates evil, and can supervise all officials and execute them first and report later. I didn't expect that he is so young and handsome. But why is he here at this time?"

"You're not here to look for someone like me, are you?"

Talking to himself, without anyone to interrupt, slowing down his pace, Mu Lianzhi screamed:

"Oh, I see. The Qixi Festival is approaching, and the end of the year is not far away. It will be time for the annual performance evaluation. Lord Beitang has gained the trust of the emperor, so his ability, performance, and achievements must be outstanding."

"Where there are good and bad people, there are the most cases. If I were in your shoes, I would come here more often."

"Even though a mosquito's legs are small, they are still flesh. I just don't know who is so unlucky this time?"

After hearing Mu Lianzhi's muttering, the two of them probably guessed her intention. Pretending to be scared, Leng Yun said anxiously:

"Miss, please be careful with your words. Lord Beitang has always enforced the law impartially. No one who was chosen by him to be a stepping stone was wronged. Even if you say something wrong, it is still a mistake."

"Miss, you can't judge a person by appearance. Lord Beitang is not someone we can casually comment on or covet. Let's go quickly."

Chunmiao gave her another push, and the three of them accelerated and disappeared at the end of the corridor. Seeing an open door, Mu Lianzhi took out some silver, threw it in, and walked in.

As expected, footsteps were heard in the corridor soon. A moment later, Leng Yun came in and replied:

"Miss, the three gentlemen are gone."

After walking out, Mu Lianzhi turned back to the room.

As soon as she stepped in, a strong and pungent masculine odor mixed with the smell of blood hit her in the face, and then she saw the woman in the corner with a dull look in her eyes, trembling with a sharp knife in her hand.

"If you are not afraid of death, why should you be afraid of living?"