Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

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In the twilight, Gaoyang Tower resembled a giant sword forged from black iron, piercing the skyline of this small, remote county. Seven tiers of eaves stacked one on top of the other, each corner adorned with ferocious bronze beasts, casting ferocious shadows in the setting sun. The vermilion-lacquered doorposts were so thick that they required two people to embrace them. The three gilded characters "Gaoyang Tower" atop them were even more imposing than the plaque on the county government office.

This building is built in a very ingenious way, right at the highest point of the gentle slope in the north of the city. Standing on the top floor, you can overlook the entire county.

The gray-tiled houses crept beneath it like anthills, and even the hip roof of the county government office looked like a shabby pavilion. Even more bizarre was the building's complete blackness, except for the scarlet window paper covering every window frame. When the lights were on at midnight, it looked like a giant beast with eerie pupils gazing down upon the world.

Zhang Jingwei was used to seeing tall buildings, but the building in front of him really shocked him.

Qian Ming looked up at the half-open carved window on the top floor, his Adam's apple rolling up and down. A dead leaf swirled down from the eaves, taking a long time to finally hit the ground. "Master," he said, tugging at his sweaty collar, his voice trembling, "why don't you go back to the county government office and bring more people with you?"

Zhang Jingwei, who had just gotten off his donkey, raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are you scared?"

"I'm not scared!" Qian Ming waved his hands anxiously, the ribbons on his hair trembling. He said, "Look at this building... It's like the Yunzhou Observation Tower..." His voice gradually trailed off, "I just feel... creepy."

Zhang Jingwei laughed and said, "It's called a sense of oppression. Our Master Qian... has gigantic fear."

"Master!" Qian Ming jumped back as if scalded by fire, sweat stains visible on the back of his clothes. Ever since the incident at the kiln camp, the name "Master Qian" had been like itching powder, making him tingle all over.

Zhang Jingwei laughed and whipped away his horsewhip. As his patent leather boots stepped onto the bluestone steps, a chilling breeze seeped through the cracks. He suddenly stopped and, without turning back, said, "Take your things with you." His voice echoed eerily on the empty steps.

……

As soon as I stepped into the building, I ran into a middle-aged man dressed in brocade. His round face was covered in an attentive smile, and a few fine lines appeared at the corners of his eyes. "Ah, Master Zhang," he said, stepping forward and bowing, the jade pendant at his waist jingling. "I apologize for not welcoming you in person. I hope you will forgive me."

Zhang Jingwei stood with his hands behind his back, looking over his shoulder at the room. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I haven't asked you anything yet."

"My name is Shen, and I'm the owner of Gaoyang Tower." The man stepped aside, the cloud pattern embroidered in gold thread on his sleeves gleaming in the light. "My master has been waiting for you for a long time."

Zhang Jingwei sneered, "Mr. Shi is so polite. He didn't come out to greet me himself, so he asked you to run errands for him."

Shopkeeper Shen's smile froze for a moment, but soon returned to full force. "Well...my master is old," he said as he led everyone inside. "Master Zhang is a young and talented man, so I'm sure he won't take it too seriously."

"Well," Zhang Jingwei casually stroked the mother-of-pearl inlay on the corridor column, "You are quite pleasant to the ear."

"It is my duty to please you, my Lord." Shopkeeper Shen bowed and pushed aside the gilded screen. "Please come in, my Lord."

Dusk had fallen outside, but inside, the hall was as bright as day. Sixteen crystal palace lanterns hung from the dome, each adorned with hundreds of intricately cut crystals, illuminating the entire hall with a dazzling brilliance. The walls were hung with woven gold tapestries, tributes from the Western Regions, and the floor was covered with an inch-thick scarlet Persian rug that sank half an inch when stepped on.

The most dazzling feature was the central white marble stage, three times the size of an ordinary brothel. Twelve Hu girls danced gracefully to the music of guzheng (Chinese pipa), golden bells tinkling on their snow-white ankles. The lead dancer had cat-like blue eyes, her face covered by a veil. With a twirl, her pomegranate skirt flared like a flower, revealing a waist chain adorned with pearls.

Zhang Jingwei suddenly narrowed his eyes. "Manager Shen, this building is strange." He pointed at the spiral staircase. "It looks like there are seven floors from the outside, but how come there are thirteen floors inside?"

Shopkeeper Shen smiled and called over a beautiful wine waiter. He slowly poured out a glass of wine and respectfully handed it to Zhang Jingwei, saying, "This is called having a world within. The outside is a beautiful scenery, and the inside is another world."

"Xing!" Zhang Jingwei took the wine glass, flicked the rim of the glass with his fingertips, making a clear sound, then shook the glass and murmured, "The Shi family is really generous." The light from the crystal lamp passed through the wine, casting a swaying spot of light on his face.

"Thank you for your compliment, sir." Shopkeeper Shen lowered his head modestly, but he couldn't hide the pride in his eyes.

At this moment, a Hu Ji on the stage happened to bend down, her golden curls falling to the ground, drawing applause from the entire audience. The musicians suddenly changed the tune, the pipa strings pounding like a torrential rain, and the Hu Ji's swirling skirts brought gusts of fragrant wind.

Shopkeeper Shen stepped aside, bowed and directed the stairs, "Sir, please go upstairs!"

The stairs were very steep. Zhang Jingwei was afraid of heights, so he held on to the handrail tightly and climbed up carefully step by step. He couldn't imagine how the elderly Mr. Shi, who had difficulty walking, had managed to climb up.

Zhang Jingwei found that there were different entertainment activities on each floor. There was nothing much on the lower floors, just like other taverns, with people drinking, playing pitch pots, tasting tea, and appreciating flowers.

As he went up the floors, all the halls were transformed into private rooms. He could clearly hear people gambling and "making friends" inside.

The higher you go, the more disgusting it becomes. Even at the upper levels, men and women meet each other openly, indulging in wine and women, living a life of luxury and debauchery, and indulging in excessive desires.

Qian Ming panicked and pulled up his sleeves to hide the "unbearable sight" he saw. However, in stark contrast to him was Zhang Jingwei, who watched all this with an expressionless and indifferent face.

Shopkeeper Shen was secretly observing Zhang Jingwei from the side, and couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration in his heart.

He thought to himself that it was rare for a young man like Zhang Jingwei to be so calm and composed in the face of such a sensual and exciting scene. You know, most young people would have been distracted and unable to control themselves after seeing such a scene.

Shopkeeper Shen couldn't help but admire him, "Master Zhang is indeed from a wealthy family and has a wide range of knowledge! Facing the Paradise Pavilion in the building, he can still be so calm and composed."

Zhang Jingwei raised the corner of his mouth slightly, revealing a disdainful smile, and snorted coldly: "Hmph, I just think it's really inappropriate for them to be naked like this, just like livestock."

Shopkeeper Shen quickly explained, "The floors below the seventh floor are pagodas, and the floors above are paradise. Paradise means having no restrictions and being able to do whatever you want."

Zhang Jingwei frowned slightly when he heard this, and said with a half-smile, "What a shame! You have no taboos! Do whatever you want!"

While talking with Shopkeeper Shen, Zhang Jingwei observed him calmly. Shopkeeper Shen, dressed in a brocade robe, looked like a man of wealth. However, after climbing several flights of stairs, even Qian Ming was sweating profusely, while Shopkeeper Shen hadn't even broken a sweat. This was clearly not normal. Zhang Jingwei secretly speculated that Shopkeeper Shen might be a skilled martial artist.