This made Li Shimin anxious, and he wanted to trade one for one with me.

Pingkang Ward was one of the most famous wards in Chang'an.

This is where courtesans reside, and it's a popular gathering place for young heroes, wealthy men, and high-ranking officials from the capital.

Like other neighborhoods, Pingkangfang has a main street with ten large characters and four smaller cross streets, and the entire neighborhood is divided into sixteen sections.

Each neighborhood has a name, and the brothel was located in the area "east of the North Gate".

This place is also known as the "Land of Three Bends".

The two rode their horses into Pingkangfang through the west gate. As they walked through the area, they saw rows of luxurious mansions, which piqued Cheng Jun's curiosity.

Seeing his expression, Cheng Chumo deliberately tugged on the reins, walked alongside him, and grinned as he asked:

Are you curious as to why high-ranking officials and nobles still live in these bustling streets and alleys?

"Yes!"

Cheng Jun nodded.

Cheng Chumo explained to him, "That's because Pingkangfang is a good location."

“Pingkangfang is bordered by Dongshi, one of the two markets, to the east; Chongrenfang, where literati and scholars gather, to the north; and Xuanyangfang, where high-ranking officials and nobles reside, to the south. One can imagine what kind of people come here.”

"Therefore, apart from the Sanqu area and its surroundings, there are mansions of high-ranking officials and nobles in other parts of the town."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Jun recalled the history books he had read before and asked, "Brother, the Three Bends you mentioned, are they called Southern Bend, Middle Bend, and First Bend?"

Cheng Chumo laughed and said, "That's right! Those who stay in the Southern and Central Music Halls are all courtesans, skilled in literature and dance, and their acquaintances are all officials, scholars, princes and nobles, so they are all people with names and status."

"As for this song, it's completely different. The women there are all ordinary people. They don't have household registration, and they even use the same name all the time. In short, don't go to this song. It's not a place for people like us. What we need to go to is the best of the three songs, the Southern Song!"

"Today, your big brother will show you the world!"

Cheng Chumo laughed heartily, raised his whip and lashed the horse's rump, urging the horse forward while shouting, "Third brother, hurry up and catch up!"

"drive!"

Cheng Jun decisively cracked his whip and spurred his horse to follow behind him.

Soon, the two arrived at a brothel with the name "Leyunlou" written on it in the southern section of the three bends of Pingkangfang.

Looking through the carved doors of the brothel, Cheng Jun was truly shocked.

Although he guessed that the people who frequented the Sanqu area were either wealthy merchants or powerful officials, the brothels must be luxurious.

But Cheng Jun discovered that the place was far more prosperous than he had imagined.

Inside Leyun Tower, beaded curtains sway gently, and the sound of a zither drifts on the air.

Up close, the corridors meander and wind; from afar, the pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and flowing water create an extremely magnificent sight.

Were you shocked?

Cheng Chumo dismounted from his horse and, seeing him constantly looking at Leyun Tower, asked smugly, "Let me tell you, it's not so easy to stay overnight at Leyun Tower. It's not just about having money; you also need power!"

"Big brother, you know so much."

Cheng Jun looked away and turned to him, asking curiously, "Does Dad know?"

Cheng Chumo's smile froze.

After a long pause, he coughed lightly. "I don't care whether Dad knows or not, I just want you to know."

“After our mother passed away, you usually just stayed at home studying and never came out. Today, I’m taking you to see the world and broaden your horizons.”

Cheng Chumo watched Cheng Jun dismount, walked to his side, tugged at his cloud-patterned blue robe, and sighed, "Looking at you dressed like this, I feel like bringing you to a place like this will make me dream about my mother scolding me tonight."

"This clothing has a history?" Cheng Jun's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Asking questions knowingly!"

Cheng Chumo touched the cloud pattern on the blue robe and said slowly, "The cloud pattern on your clothes was embroidered by my mother stitch by stitch. She hopes that you will rise to great heights in the future."

"Of course, your second brother and I also have an identical set, but we keep them in the house. We only take them out to look at them when we miss our mother."

"There's also the bronze mirror that our mother bought for the three of us brothers. I always thought that only women used bronze mirrors. After our mother passed away, I would look at myself in the bronze mirror every day. When I saw myself in the mirror, it was as if I could see our mother again."

Cheng Chumo sniffed, lowered his head to wipe the corner of his eye, and grinned, "Let's not talk about it anymore, or I'll start to cry! Today is to celebrate your appointment as an imperial censor, Third Brother, let's not talk about sad things! Let's go inside!"

As he spoke, he led Cheng Jun to the entrance of Leyun Tower.

"The eldest son of the Cheng family is here!"

When the servants of Leyunlou saw the two, they hurriedly came out to greet them, bowing and smiling obsequiously as they took the horse reins from their hands.

"Where's Xu Niang? Tell her to come out!"

Cheng Chumo stepped into Leyun Tower and shouted loudly.

At this moment, a woman in her forties, dressed in gorgeous clothes and carrying a wine pot, walked over with a smile and said:

"Hey, isn't this Cheng Dalang? Our honored guest has arrived! What are you all standing around for!"

She yelled at the servant beside her, then opened her palm to Cheng Chumo and smiled sweetly, "Brother Cheng, please come to the private room upstairs!"

Cheng Chumo turned around and gave Cheng Jun a wink, signaling him to follow. Then he followed the woman known as "Xu Niang" and headed towards the second floor of Leyun Tower.

"Please, gentlemen!"

Xu Niang opened a private room facing the street. The room was spacious and had a faint fragrance of incense.

The floor was covered with an expensive dark carpet, on which were placed a small table and cushions.

The overall environment is clean, tidy, and very comfortable.

Cheng Jun followed Cheng Chumo into the private room. Seeing that the window was closed, he went over, opened the window, and looked down.

At that moment, a brown carriage stopped directly below the window.

"Third brother, what do you think of this room? If you don't like it, we'll change to another one!"

Just then, Cheng Chumo's voice rang in his ears. Cheng Jun turned his gaze away and said to him, "No need, I think this place is fine."

"Are you the third son of the Cheng family?" Xu Niang suddenly stepped forward, her eyes shining as she looked at Cheng Jun and praised, "When the eldest son of the Cheng family came to visit us, he praised the third son for being both literate and skilled in martial arts. Seeing you today, he is indeed dashing and handsome!"

Cheng Chumo waved his hand and said, "Alright, enough of this nonsense. Go and call Miss Ruyan over. She'll keep us company while we drink today!"

Ruyan... Cheng Jun pricked up his ears to listen.

As soon as Cheng Chumo finished speaking, he leaned close to Cheng Jun and whispered, "Third brother, this Ruyan is the top courtesan of Leyun Tower. She's beautiful and talented, and she's famous in Chang'an. I heard she even came from the Imperial Music Bureau!"

The Imperial Music Bureau... Cheng Jun was stunned. Such a powerful background?

In his previous life, he had read several historical books that recorded things related to courtesans in the Tang Dynasty.

Therefore, he knew a little about courtesans in the Tang Dynasty.

Tang Dynasty courtesans belonged to the music register system, which refers to the system of registering musicians.

The system of registering musicians originated in the Western Han Dynasty. It refers to registering the wives, daughters, and descendants of criminals and prisoners of war in a special register, forcing them to engage in music for generations.

This also resulted in their low social status, and they suffered from discrimination and oppression in the society at that time.

Tang Dynasty courtesans were divided into four types: those in the imperial court, those in government offices, those in scholar-official families, and those in Pingkang.

Court courtesans lived in the imperial music and dance troupe, primarily performing songs and dances for the royal family and nobility.

Those who performed exceptionally well could also receive rewards from the emperor.

The courtesans of the government were distributed among the government offices of various prefectures and counties. As courtesans of the government, they were directly managed by the prefectural and county officials and provided with clothing and food by the government.

The courtesans of the literati were the household courtesans of scholars, whose status was between that of a maid and a concubine. Sometimes, when guests came, they would also need to sing and dance to entertain them, and they had the characteristics of entertainers.

The prostitutes of Pingkang were women living in the Sanqu area, commonly known as folk prostitutes.

During the Tang Dynasty, the Jiaofangsi was equivalent to a national performance institution. It was not until the Ming Dynasty that the Jiaofangsi became official prostitutes.

Having connections with the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) at that time made one very popular among high-ranking officials and nobles.

Because they came from the imperial court, their every action, from standing to sitting, from eating to sleeping, from speaking to laughing, was full of charm that captivated high-ranking officials, nobles, and literati.

Moreover, she is not only beautiful, but also very talented, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting.

So when Cheng Jun heard that the woman named Ruyan came from the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution), he was surprised and asked in confusion, "Why would someone like that come to a place like this?"

Xu Niang seemed lost in thought when she heard Cheng Jun's words and subconsciously replied, "Isn't it normal for them to come here?"

Soon, Xu Niang understood Cheng Jun's implication and solemnly said, "Cheng Sanlang, people like Ruyan, who come from the brothel, only sell their art, not their bodies, here!"

Cheng Jun thought for a moment and asked, "That's not right either. Would the current emperor allow women from the Imperial Music Bureau to come to brothels to perform?"

Xu Niang paused for a moment, then waved her hand and said, "The current emperor? Of course not."

"She came from the former Sui Dynasty's Imperial Music Bureau."

"Former Sui Dynasty..." Cheng Jun twitched the corner of his mouth. No wonder. If a woman from the current imperial court were to go to a brothel to perform, there would be officials in the court who would report it to the authorities, and the brothel would have been shut down long ago. It would be impossible for it to continue operating.

"It's been ten years since the Sui Dynasty, hasn't it?"

Cheng Jun asked again.

The woman laughed and said, "No, it's been eleven years!"

"Eleven years..." This time, Cheng Jun didn't intend to beat around the bush and asked directly, "How old is this young lady Ruyan?"

The woman replied, "I just turned twenty."

Cheng Jun understood and shook his head, saying, "I'm fine."

Xu Niang said meaningfully, "It's alright if you have questions. Cheng Sanlang looks like he's visiting a place like ours for the first time. Newcomers here are all like you, always asking a lot of questions. You'll understand in time that the women here are like wine—the older the wine, the better it gets, and the older the women, the more wonderful they are!"

"Of course, when I say 'big,' I don't mean the woman's age."