The cruel little princess

Shen Youyou followed the crowd into the central hall of the building. This place covered a very large area. The hall alone was more than a thousand square meters. It was full of carved beams and painted buildings, and it was magnificent and beautiful, which was dazzling.

There are countless pavilions and terraces built around the hall, with a scene every five steps and a pavilion every ten steps. There are pavilions decorated with plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, inspired by the works of literati, and pavilions decorated with swords, spears and axes, inspired by the chivalrous warriors. It is elegant and graceful, without any trace of worldly feeling.

Everything here seemed so elegant, a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle outside. There were no girls leaning against doors, posing, making faces, or shouting, "Brother, come on!" Everything was quiet and peaceful, like a beautiful painting.

Occasionally, a dignified woman would sit in the Plum Hall and play the guzheng, its melodious, lingering notes echoing like a plaint; or a valiant woman would gracefully dance with a sword in the Jiange Pavilion, its shadows darting and flitting in a breathtaking display of beauty. These displays of talent were captivating, captivating, and enchanting. Just watching them, you'd mistakenly believe you'd arrived at a modern-day upscale club, never suspecting it was a den for men's illicit spending.

Shen Youyou and Chuntao found a corner table and sat down. Immediately, a waiter came up and asked if they needed water. Shen Youyou replied that she didn't need any, and that a pot of tea would be all that was needed. The waiter didn't get angry or think they were too poor for just ordering tea. Instead, he asked if they had any girls they knew who they wanted to meet. If not, would he introduce them to one?

Shen Youyou suddenly became interested. "I don't know any girls. This is my first time secretly coming here to play without my family's knowledge. Introduce me to some girls. If you do a good job, I'll give you a generous reward!" As she spoke, she tossed a five-ounce silver ingot up and down, making the servant's heart flutter. "Mother, I don't want to say this either, but this young master gave me too much..."

So the waiter said, "Sir, please wait a moment!" and went to make tea. When the tea was ready, the waiter came back and served the tea, then asked, "Sir, what do you want to know?"

Shen Youyou threw five taels of silver onto the table in a domineering manner, "Tell me all the interesting and new things in the capital, as well as the fun things happening in your Chun Man Lou! Tell me well, and I'll reward you handsomely!"

The servant quickly picked up the ingot of silver and put it in his arms. "If you want to talk about interesting things in our capital, there is indeed one." Xiao Si suddenly lowered his body and whispered in Shen Youyou's ear, "I heard that the Rui'an County Master, who was personally appointed by our Majesty some time ago, is a fool!"

Shen Youyou: ...How does it feel like to eat a melon and suddenly eat yourself?

"Change one, change another! What's new about this? Isn't this something known to everyone in the capital? And who did you hear this from? Is it credible? Rumors stop at the wise, I don't think so!" Shen Youyou tried her best to prove that she was not a fool.

"Here's something new! It is said that our Prince Jin may have a homosexual tendency!" The servant said mysteriously again.

"Puff!" Shen Youyou spat out a mouthful of tea, having eaten the melon all over her boyfriend... She was also drunk. She suddenly became interested and wanted to hear about Chu Huaijin's reputation in the capital. "How did you hear that? Who told you? Is the information reliable?" She deliberately covered her mouth with her hand, feigning mystery and interest.

The servant looked around. It was quite good. It was in the corner of the hall, so few people were paying attention. They had either gone off to find their favorite girls, or gathered in groups of three or five to pretend to recite poetry and write couplets. "Of course, I heard that from Miss Shaoyao in our building!"

"Well, it was when Prince Jin came to look for Miss Shaoyao that Miss Shaoyao discovered that he was not capable enough?" Shen Youyou looked at the servant with an irritated look on her face.

"No! Miss Shaoyao used to be the most popular courtesan in our Chunmanlou, and her lover is our Fifth Prince! Your Highness Prince Rui! Do you think this news is reliable?!" The servant said mysteriously.

"Then this... might indeed have some truth to it." Shen Youyou rubbed her chin in a pretentious manner, changing the subject. "Are there any new things going on in your Chun Man Lou?" He was the perfect example of a young master, too well-protected by his family, ignorant of the dangers of the world. He was inexperienced, playful, and curious about everything.

"My lord, it's like this every day in our Chunmanlou. There's nothing interesting or new." The servant was quite interested in the rumored gossip, but when he was in his own building, he still had professional ethics and kept silent about it.

"Then is there no fighting in your building? Is there no trouble?" Shen Youyou asked naively.

The servant felt relieved, "The master behind our Chunmanlou is powerful! No one dares to cause trouble here. If there is, they will be dealt with." These words seemed plain, but actually contained a deterrent.

"Then tell me about this Miss Peony!" Shen Youyou lowered his voice. "This is the first time I've secretly run out of Chun Man Lou without telling my family. I'm very curious about this Miss Peony. If I don't know anything about it soon, I'll be laughed at by others!"

The servant replied, "This Miss Peony! She is the most beautiful courtesan who came to our building half a year ago. She is so beautiful! Her appearance is unparalleled and she is so beautiful that she can topple a country! So when Miss Peony came, she replaced Miss Shaoyao and became the most beautiful courtesan in this building! More importantly, Miss Peony is a courtesan, and her piano playing is even more unique, her skills are the best in the city! Many dignitaries in the capital are happy to come here to listen to Miss Peony playing the piano. This time our Aunt Mei is going to auction Miss Peony's virginity! But it will not start until the evening, you came too early, sir." The servant was very proud to talk about Miss Peony! After all, this is the living signboard of their Chunmanlou!

"That's not fun! We have to wait until night. I don't know if I can sneak out at night!" Shen Youyou said loudly. "Let's talk about the delicious and fun places in the capital!"

"Besides the food at Chunmanlou, there are also many other places where people pay us to run errands and order dishes from Deshanlou. They say the crystal pork elbow is incredibly delicious! It's on par with the ones made by the imperial chefs back home!" The servant lowered his voice again. "Many people also ask us to order some medicinal food from the pharmacy. But I don't think it tastes that good, it's just that the effects are better!"

Hearing this, Shen Youyou couldn't help but ask curiously, "What medicinal food?" After all, she had a strong interest in medicine.

The servant glanced at Shen Youyou and replied softly, "It's that kind of medicinal food."

Shen Youyou asked doubtfully, "What kind of medicinal food?" She really couldn't think of any medicinal food that she didn't know about.

The servant hesitated for a moment, "Young Master, you can't use it right now." Then he lowered his voice and said, "It's a medicinal food for men and women to use for sex..."

After hearing this, Shen Youyou's face flushed red, and she muttered to herself, "Then I really don't need it." But she couldn't help but ask curiously, "Is there really anyone who orders this kind of medicinal food?"

The servant nodded and answered affirmatively, "Of course, those gentlemen often ask us to help order similar things. Think about it, the servants in your own family are more or less known to people in the capital. If you go to the pharmacy to order special medicinal food and get seen by someone with ulterior motives, wouldn't it be a complete loss of face and dignity! If a servant from our building went to order it, no one would guess who it was for. After all, we are used to running around."

Yes, people here care about face, and those who have some special hobbies or interests will choose to hide them secretly, and they must not be discovered and bring shame to the family. However, the aphrodisiac medicinal food mentioned by this servant reminded her that those rich families ordered it secretly, what if she opened a medicinal food shop? There is not only one kind of medicinal food, it is suitable for men, women, young and old, as long as it is suitable for the symptoms. Although it is not as effective as Chinese medicine when you drink it, if you take it regularly, you will see immediate results within three to five days! Children and the elderly can use it to help digestion, strengthen the stomach and spleen, mistresses and concubines can use it to beautify their skin, and masters and young masters can use it to strengthen the kidneys and strengthen their essence. When medicinal food becomes a fashion, who cares what kind of medicinal food you eat? This can even be made with ordinary ingredients, without the worry of "all medicines are three-quarters poisonous". Isn't this a way to make money!

Thinking of this, Shen Youyou asked the servant, "It's fun chatting with you. What's your name? I'll look for you next time I go out!"

"My name is Wang Quan! I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, sir! It's my blessing to please you, sir!" The servant kept saying flattering words.

Shen Youyou threw another five-liang silver ingot to him and said, "Take it and play with it!" Then she gestured for him to leave.