Princess Promotion

Yu Zhijian took out the account book and went straight to the point, asking, "Manager Liu, can you tell me what the money in this account book is used for?"

Liu Rushi thought to herself: Here it comes, here it comes, she must stay calm and not lose her composure.

Liu Rushi cleared her throat and replied, "Master Yu, this is the dividend that Baihualou gives to you."

Liu Rushi pondered over it for several days and decided that as long as she could make the bribe amount reasonable, it would not be illegal.

Yunhua's eyelashes trembled and she turned her eyes away gently.

Yu Zhijian frowned and asked, "Did these people invest money in Baihua Tower?"

Liu Ru explained calmly, "That's not the case. Lord Yu, you don't know that the most important things in our line of work are connections and reputation."

Liu Rushi began to talk and explained to Yu Zhijian the ins and outs of running a brothel.

The key point is fame. As long as many important people come, guests will flock to Baihualou.

Otherwise, how could her Baihualou sell ten cents worth of wine for ten taels of silver?

This is the celebrity effect. In the eyes of outsiders, the places chosen by those dignitaries must be good and high-end.

In this way, the gentry, landlords and wealthy businessmen will feel that Baihualou is the center of attention and that it is an honor to entertain guests and discuss business here.

This Baihua Tower is a den of luxury that only high-ranking officials can enjoy, and it is a place that ordinary people cannot afford to go to.

Anyone who can set up a table here for a banquet is not an ordinary person. At the very least, it proves that they have financial resources.

Therefore, Baihualou would invite all the important people to come to eat, drink and have fun, even if it meant paying for them.

If these nobles could secretly bring other nobles or famous talents to Baihua Tower.

They will all receive rebates from Baihualou, which is the origin of the dividends in these account books.

After finishing speaking, Liu Rushi looked at Yu Zhijian confidently. If these words were to get out today.

Baihualou committed fraud, and its hard-earned reputation was completely ruined.

Although I feel a little sad, I have to do it to protect your majesty's reputation.

Not to mention one Baihualou, she would be willing to give up even ten of them.

Wu Qi was taking notes on the side, his mouth wide open in shock.

This is also possible, isn’t it free?

Yu Zhijian glanced at Liu Rushi, closed the account book in his hand and put it on the table next to him.

Liu Rushi looked at Yunhua, who was imprisoned next door, through the cell bars with a dazed look on her face.

Yunhua saw that Liu Rushi looked deeply shocked.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. God is indeed fair.

Liu Rushi was given a beautiful face but not a bright brain.

Seeing Yunhua stretching her arms, Liu Rushi hurriedly stopped her, saying, "Yunhua, please don't be impulsive. I think I still have a chance. If it doesn't work out, I still have that. There's really no need to bother you."

Yunhua didn't say anything. He stood up, turned his back to Liu Rushi, and looked quietly at the small window in the cell.

Liu Rushi finally breathed a sigh of relief, but then she squatted down in frustration and followed Yunhua's example, looking at the small window in the cell.

What went wrong? She felt that her reason was perfect.

At the same time, Baihua Tower.

Yue Niang paced back and forth in the room, looking up at the door from time to time.

The door of the room was opened from the outside, and the maid who went out to inquire about the news came back.

Yue Niang hurried over and asked, "How's Liu Niang?"

The maid's face was filled with anxiety and uneasiness as she said, "Oh no! Manager Liu has been detained by the government."

Yue Niang was horrified: "What should I do?"

Liu Rushi was detained by the government officials. In the past, as long as it was not a serious matter, she could have just said hello to the higher-ups and everything would have been fine.

It can even be said that no one would dare to touch Baihua Tower.

But things are different now, and this Lord Yu, the new official, has three major tasks to do since taking office.

Several powerful officials have already been burned to death, and now everyone is in danger.

Those who had taken advantage of Baihualou on a daily basis, let alone lending a helping hand, would be considered having a conscience if they did not take advantage of their misfortune.

Now the more difficult thing is that the Feng family sent servants to Baihua Tower.

He said that a distinguished guest had come to his house and he wanted to invite a dancer to dance to entertain him.

Yue Niang could guess what the Feng family was planning even with her heels.

Yue Niang turned her head and looked at her. She was wearing a light green dress with cinnabar dots on her eyebrows. Her eyes were full of charm, making it difficult for people to look away.

In the past, Liu Rushi was the most popular courtesan in Baihua Tower. After she was redeemed, Mengyue became the most popular courtesan in Baihua Tower.

But since Liu Rushi took over Baihua Tower, she returned the indentures to the sisters in the tower.

Mengyue naturally had some too, but she chose to stay and continue to be the mainstay of Baihua Tower.

But she no longer sells her body, but only her art.

The Feng family was a well-known rogue family in the city, and they made their fortune by lending money at high interest rates.

He was engaged in shady business and built up a fortune, becoming a famous wealthy businessman in the area.

People nicknamed him Feng Lao Hu, and he was a wicked man who ate meat without spitting out the bones.

Feng Lao Hu had been coveting Meng Yue's beauty for a long time, but at that time Baihua Tower was at its peak.

Many dignitaries were guests of honor at Baihua Tower, and in the eyes of the people, Feng Lao Hu was a man of great power.

But he was just a small minion in front of the real powerful people. After being directly driven out of Baihua Tower by Liu Rushi, he did not dare to cause trouble.

As soon as Liu Rushi was detained in the yamen, she assigned Mengyue to dance.

It was obvious that they saw that Baihua Tower was on the verge of collapse, so they began to make moves.

Now it's like adding insult to injury, the ship is late and encounters headwinds.

Yue Niang hesitated for a long time and said, "Mengyue, why don't we postpone it and have the Feng family's guest banquet instead? That Feng Lao Hu obviously has bad intentions."

Meng Yue shook her head and said, "I can't refuse!"

Yue Niang was puzzled and asked, "Why? Business at Baihualou isn't doing well right now, but it's not so bad that it can't cover its expenses."

Meng Yue's fingers gently stroked the cup and said, "We all know that Feng Lao Hu is no good. Now that he dares to let me dance with him, it must be because he sees that our backers are broken."

Although Mengyue never asked about Liu Rushi's affairs, she was not stupid.

Before Liu Rushi was redeemed, she was sold into the village like her, and they all came from poor backgrounds.

The mysterious man redeemed Liu Rushi just to make her work for him.

Later, Liu Rushi used the money given by the mysterious man to buy Baihualou and run it.

Outsiders saw that Baihualou was crowded with guests and thought that it made a lot of money.

But in fact, the money earned by Baihualou was not enough for Liu Rushi to give gifts several times.

Moreover, unlike other brothel madams, Liu Rushi did not withhold money from her sisters. On the contrary, she was very generous.

Even if it is for charity, no one would keep a brothel that spends money like water.

Mengyue realized that the main purpose of Baihua Tower was not to make money, or not to make this little money.

The main business of Baihualou is to collect intelligence and act as a middleman to win over high-ranking officials.

Mengyue knew that what Liu Rushi was doing was walking on the edge of a knife.

Once the big shot that Liu Rushi had brokered connections with fell, the court would begin a thorough investigation, and Liu Rushi would be the first to bear the brunt.

Mengyue is grateful to the people behind Liu Rushi, regardless of whether he is using them or not.

But at least he gave these people a choice, the choice to refuse.

So even though Mengyue realized that Liu Rushi was doing a job that would cost her her life, she still chose to go all the way with Liu Rushi.

Now that the State of Yan is finished, the people behind Liu Rushi are probably in trouble too.

The new imperial commissioner Yu Zhijian is specifically responsible for investigating and punishing corrupt officials, and Baihualou is unlikely to escape.

If we reject Feng Lao Hu's request now, he will bring his men to destroy Baihua Tower.

It would be the same if he took her away again, she would still be destined to be the same.

If you can't escape either way, then don't implicate Baihua Tower.

Now they are promised that at least they can get some money. If Liu Rushi is really convicted, they still have the money to smooth things over.

At least I can go to the prison to see her off for the last time and give her a bowl of food before her execution.

Meng Yue looked calm and said nonchalantly, "Well, if I go, the worst that can happen is someone takes advantage of me. I'm not a virgin. After a few years of good life, do you think you're a decent woman?"

Yue Niang said with sour eyes: "This is different!"

Meng Yue suppressed the bitterness in her heart, smiled faintly and said, "What's the difference? One is also a catch, so what difference does it make if there are more?"

Yue Niang wanted to say something, but Meng Yue interrupted her and said, "I've made up my mind, go get ready!"

In the end, Yue Niang was unable to persuade Meng Yue and could only watch worriedly as Meng Yue was taken away by the Feng family's carriage.

As the sky gradually darkened, Wu Qi walked into the study and lit the oil lamp.

Yu Zhijian frowned in thought, looking at the names of Baihualou and Liu Rushi in the account book.

He rubbed his temples with a headache. This woman was full of lies and never told the truth.

She said bribing officials was dividends. How could she come up with such a ridiculous excuse?

I hope that after locking that woman up for one night, she will behave herself when I interrogate her tomorrow.

As time passed, the only sound in the study was the burning wick of the oil lamp and the crackling sound.

"Bang" "Bang" "Bang"

Yu Zhijian seemed to hear a faint and urgent knock on the door, but it was not from his study.

After a while, Wu Qi walked quickly into the study, walked to the desk and said, "Sir, someone from Baihualou just came over and said they have something urgent to talk to you about."

Yu Zhijian paused his writing, looked up in surprise, thought about it and decided to go and see what was going on.

He nodded and said, "Bring the person in!"

Wu Qi got the answer and turned to leave the study.

Yue Niang stretched her neck at the door and kept looking inside, feeling regretful.

If I had been more resolute, I wouldn’t have let Mengyue go.

Yue Niang also knew that it was reckless and unwise to come to see the imperial envoy so late at night.

If one is not careful, Yu Zhijian will be angered and even Liu Rushi will be implicated.

But if she does nothing now, Mengyue will lose even the last bit of hope.

Wu Qi pushed open the door and called to Yue Niang, "Come in, follow me to meet the master."

Yue Niang looked excited, nodded repeatedly, and quickly followed Wu Qi in.

As soon as Yue Niang saw Yu Zhijian, she immediately knelt down and kowtowed, begging, "Please, sir, have mercy on me and let me see my shopkeeper. A matter of life and death has occurred."

Yue Niang never thought of asking Yu Zhijian for help. Even though Yu Zhijian was an honest official, officials all cherish their reputation.

Especially a good official who is honest and upright would definitely not want to have anything to do with prostitutes.

Yue Niang only hopes that Yu Zhijian will agree to let her meet Liu Rushi, as Liu Rushi knows so many people.

Maybe Liu Rushi knows who can rescue Mengyue. This is Mengyue’s last hope.

Yu Zhijian stood up slowly, walked up to Yue Niang and said, "What exactly is going on? Please tell me in detail."

Although Yue Niang was anxious, she did not dare to hide anything and told everything honestly.

"I beg you to show mercy, sir. Feng Lao Hu is a violent and ruthless person, especially in sex... He has caused several deaths." Yue Niang knew that she was being a little outspoken now, but she really had no choice.

The maid who followed Mengyue ran back and said that Feng Lao Hu was not a human being at all. He started to touch Mengyue not long after entering the mansion.

Mengyue was pulled into the room unwillingly, and the maid was stopped outside the door. At first, she could hear Mengyue crying.

Later, the sound became weaker and weaker, so he hurried back.

Yue Niang knew that if Meng Yue was tormented all night long, she would be tortured to death.

Feng Lao Hu's methods were notoriously cruel.

After hearing this, Yu Zhijian pondered for a moment and then said, "Let's go!"

Yue Niang didn't react at first and thought Yu Zhijian wanted to drive her away.

He immediately panicked, kowtowed and begged: "Sir, please, please be merciful and let me see my shopkeeper..."

Yu Zhijian interrupted Yue Niang and said, "What I mean is that I will go with you to find Feng Lao Hu."

Yue Niang stared at Yu Zhijian blankly, her mind a little stuck. Was what Yu Zhijian said what she thought?

Yu Zhijian picked up the cloak beside him, put it on as he walked towards the door and said, "Didn't you say Mengyue was in imminent danger? By the time you see Liu Rushi and then look for someone, it will be too late. Although my official position is not high, if what you said is true, I have no choice but to help."

Yue Niang seemed to have just woken up from a dream. This was a lesson for me. Meng Yue could really be saved.

Seeing that Yu Zhijian was really going to go with Yue Niang, Wu Qi shouted anxiously, "Sir, you can go alone. Otherwise, please wait a little longer. I will ask Captain He and the others to come over and accompany you."

Wu Qi just heard that Feng Lao Hu is a bully. What if he hurts Yu Zhijian?

Yu Zhijian thought for a moment and nodded in agreement, "Then I'll go first. You go get Captain He to bring his men over."

Who made Feng Lao Hu notorious? But Yu Zhijian didn't think Feng Lao Hu would dare to touch him, an official appointed by the imperial court, because of this matter.

Unless you are tired of living and want to stay at home and become a fugitive or bandit.

Saving lives is more important, so get there as soon as possible.

Yue Niang came in a carriage, and Yu Zhijian got on it without saying a word.

Not long after, they arrived at Feng Mansion in half a cup of tea.

Yue Niang trotted up and knocked on the door. When the doorman opened the door and saw that it was Yue Niang, he wanted to close the door immediately.

Yue Niang quickly put her foot against the door and shouted, "Do you know the Imperial Commissioner Yu? He's right outside the door now. Open your eyes and take a look."

Hearing this, the doorman eased his grip, opened the door a crack, and stuck his head out to look.

Before he could see clearly, Yu Zhijian pushed him hard, and he leaned back, and the door opened.

Yue Niang stared at Yu Zhijian with her big round eyes.

She had never seen such a down-to-earth official.

Generally, high-ranking officials don’t care about pomp and circumstance. They wait for someone to open the door and then respectfully welcome them in.

Unlike Lord Yu, who pushed the door open and walked in by himself.

Yu Zhijian stepped over the threshold and saw Yue Niang still standing there in a daze, saying, "Why don't you catch up!"

Yue Niang was surprised and puzzled: The lord is so skilled at breaking into the door!

Yu Zhijian: There is no special reason, it’s just that I’ve practiced a lot. I learned it when I followed Your Majesty to break into Huayang City at night.