Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 100 Drunken Romance

As the sun rose high in the sky, Lin Chen yawned as he emerged from his second sister-in-law's courtyard.

Chu Yueyao saw him to the door, her face still flushed from the night before, and carefully straightened his clothes:

"Eighth brother, are you going to a brothel again today?"

"Go ahead, why not?" Lin Chen said matter-of-factly.

"Second sister-in-law, I'm now the Duke of Zhenguo, the number one playboy in the capital. If I don't go to brothels, won't my image be ruined?"

Chu Yueyao rolled her eyes helplessly, but still gently instructed:

"I heard that a new courtesan from the Western Regions has arrived at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. Her dancing is unparalleled. Don't forget the time while you're watching her."

"Don't worry, don't worry, I'm just going to experience the joys of being rich." Lin Chen kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll come here again tonight."

"Then I'll prepare a medicinal bath for you." Chu Yueyao's cheeks were slightly flushed, but her eyes were full of smiles.

Lin Chen led Lin Wu out of the mansion in a swagger.

The carriage slowly made its way to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion in the east of the city. He leaned against the carriage, pondering his next steps.

The Tiger Legion's inspection is imminent, and preparations for the coming-of-age ceremony are also on the agenda... The northern border patrol is an even more troublesome matter... Just thinking about it gives me a headache.

"It's still more comfortable to be a playboy," he muttered.

"After I get married, I'll marry eight wives and spend my days drinking, listening to music, and playing with the children. How wonderful that would be!"

The carriage stopped in front of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.

Baihualou was one of the most famous brothels in the capital.

A three-story carved wooden building, with colorful ribbons fluttering in the wind, and the sound of a zither lingering in the air.

Although it was morning, many luxurious carriages were already parked in front of the building.

"Oh, the Duke is here!" The madam, with her sharp eyes, immediately swayed forward to greet him.

"We've been waiting for you! Our freshly arrived wines from the Western Regions, along with a newly choreographed Sogdian whirling dance, are all waiting for you to sample!"

Lin Chen casually tossed out a gold ingot:

"Find a quiet, private room and bring over the finest wine and food. Oh, and I heard you have a new courtesan from the Western Regions?"

"Your Excellency is truly well-informed!" The madam took the gold, her smile widening even more.

"Miss Yueji is indeed from the Western Regions. Not only is her dance unparalleled, but she can also play the pipa very well."

However… she was proud and only performed her art, not her body, and only saw three customers a day.

"Then let's meet," Lin Chen said nonchalantly.

"I'm here to listen to music and watch dances, not to seduce prostitutes."

He spoke with such confidence that the surrounding young men were all taken aback.

If you come to a brothel and don't go to a prostitute, what's the point of coming?

The private room is on the third floor, facing the street, with a wide view.

Lin Chen leaned against the window, looking at the street scene below, while Lin Wu stood beside him.

Soon, the food and drinks were served.

The chef at Baihualou is indeed excellent. The eight dishes and one soup are all delicious and visually appealing, and all made with the finest ingredients.

The wine is from the Western Regions, packaged in a glass bottle, and its color is like amber.

Lin Chen poured himself a glass of wine and sipped it slowly.

He came to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, of course, not just for fun.

Brothels are places where all sorts of people gather, and they are the most well-informed.

Sitting here for an hour, you can hear more gossip and secrets about the capital than you would in three days in the mansion.

Sure enough, murmurs could be heard coming from the private room next door.

"Have you heard? Vice Minister Ma of the Ministry of War was impeached by the censor yesterday for allowing his servants to seize farmland from the people..."

"What's so new about that? I'm more interested in what's happening in Beishuo. I heard that General Wanyan Honglie, the Grand General of Beishuo, personally led 30,000 elite troops to the border to suppress bandits!"

"Does suppressing bandits require such a large-scale operation? I think their real intention is something else entirely."

"Watch your words, watch your words. How can we discuss such matters?"

Lin Chen's lips curled up slightly.

These young masters may be good for nothing, but they are well-informed.

Just then, the sound of a pipa came from outside the door.

Clear and melodious, like pearls falling onto a jade plate.

Then, a figure gracefully entered.

She wore a Western Region dance dress, her face veiled with a red veil, revealing only a pair of azure eyes.

She held her pipa and bowed slightly.

"This humble woman, Yueji, greets Your Excellency, the Duke."

The voice was clear and crisp, with an exotic accent.

"Please have a seat, Miss Yueji." Lin Chen gestured to the seat opposite him.

"I've heard that your dancing is unparalleled, young lady. May I have the pleasure of seeing it?"

Tsukihime gently shook her head:

"Please forgive me, Your Excellency, but I can only perform three times a day, and today's performance is already full."

If Your Excellency does not mind, I may play a few tunes.

"Okay," Lin Chen said nonchalantly, "Then let's play."

Tsukihime sat down and plucked the strings with her slender fingers.

The sound of the pipa began, first gentle as the wind, then gradually becoming as intense as the rain, and finally returning to calm.

The song ended, but the lingering melody still resonated.

"Excellent!" Lin Chen clapped. "Miss Yueji's pipa is indeed well-deserved of its reputation."

Yueji bowed her head slightly: "You flatter me, Your Excellency."

Lin Chen looked her over and suddenly said:

"You're not from the Western Regions, are you?"

Tsukihime trembled, a flicker of panic crossing her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure:

"Why do you say that, Your Excellency?"

"While the Western Region people's pipa playing is skillful, it lacks some of the charm of the Central Plains," Lin Chen said with a smile.

"The girl's finger technique is clearly from the Jiangnan school, and... although she deliberately changed her accent, the pronunciation of certain words still gave it away."

After a moment of silence, Tsukihime slowly removed her veil.

Beneath the veil lay a stunningly beautiful face, with exquisitely beautiful features and skin as smooth as jade, truly possessing a touch of exotic charm.

But upon closer inspection, the outline of a woman from the Central Plains is still visible.

"The Duke has discerning eyes," she said softly.

"I am indeed not from the Western Regions, but from Jiangnan. Due to a family tragedy, I was forced into prostitution and had no choice but to disguise myself as a dancer from the Western Regions, just to... find a way to survive."

"From Jiangnan?" Lin Chen raised an eyebrow. "What's your surname?"

"...His surname is Su."

A glint of light flashed in Lin Chen's eyes.

The Su family of Jiangnan is Su Xiaoxiao's ancestral home.

This month, Ji's surname is Su, and she comes from Jiangnan. Could she be related to the Su family?

But he didn't delve into it further, he just smiled and said:

"I see. But now that you've been honest, there's no need to pretend anymore. In the capital, I, Lin Chen, will protect you."

Yueji was taken aback, tears welling up in her eyes: "Thank you, Your Excellency..."

"No need to thank me." Lin Chen waved his hand.

"I can't stand seeing a beautiful woman suffer. Alright, you may leave now. I'll come back another day to hear you play the pipa."

Yueji gave him a deep look, then bowed and withdrew.

Lin Wu said in a low voice, "Eighth Master, this woman's background is unknown. Should we investigate her?"

"Investigate what?" Lin Chen asked lazily.

"She's just a woman who's fallen into prostitution, what waves can she stir up?"

Besides, if she really has a problem, she'll eventually slip up. Making things difficult now would be counterproductive.

"Yes."

Lin Chen continued drinking and listening to music until the afternoon before getting up to leave.

As he walked out of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, he stretched and said to Lin Wu:

"Let's go to Zuiyue Pavilion. I heard that Mr. Bai has a new piece to play today. We can't miss it."

……

The music room is located on the third floor of Zuiyue Pavilion.

Dongfang Bai, dressed in white, was playing the zither.

The clear and melodious sound of the zither, like flowing water in the mountains, captivated the guests downstairs.

Lin Chen entered through the back door and went straight to a private room on the third floor.

Wen Ruoxi was already waiting for him. When she saw him arrive, she smiled and said:

"Has Eighth Brother returned from the Hundred Flowers Pavilion? How is Miss Yueji?"

"It's alright." Lin Chen sat down next to her, "but compared to Mr. Bai, it's still far inferior."

"You're so glib." Wen Ruoxi rolled her eyes at him and handed him an account book.

"These are the accounts from Zuiyuexuan yesterday. Take a look."

Lin Chen casually flipped through the pages, and his eyes lit up when he saw the income figures:

"70 spirit stones? That's a lot?"

"This is just the income from membership fees and spirit tea and spirit wine," Wen Ruoxi said proudly.

"The meditation hall is already booked until next month, and the beauty cream is in high demand and short supply. If you include these..."

My total monthly income should exceed three thousand spirit stones.

Spirit stones are the hard currency in the world of high-level martial arts, with one spirit stone worth a hundred taels of gold.

Of course, spirit stones are mainly used for cultivation, are extremely precious, and rarely circulate outside the market.

Transactions were usually conducted using gold and silver, and ordinary families would never even have seen gold in their entire lives.

Zuiyuexuan's monthly income of three thousand spirit stones is equivalent to three hundred thousand taels of gold or three million taels of silver, which is indeed an astonishing figure.

"Not bad, not bad." Lin Chen nodded in satisfaction. "Fifth Sister-in-law is very capable. By the way, how is Her Highness the Eldest Princess doing?"

"His Highness has been in seclusion for ten days and has not left the meditation hall," Wen Ruoxi said.

"However, the spiritual food sent in every day has been used up, so it seems that the cultivation is going very smoothly."

I instructed them not to disturb us and to supply everything to the highest standards.

"Yes." Lin Chen nodded. "The eldest princess is His Majesty's elder sister. If we take good care of her, it will also benefit the Lin family."

As they were talking, the music stopped.

Dongfang Bai, carrying his zither, entered the private room and nodded slightly to Lin Chen: "My lord."

"Mr. Bai, you've worked hard," Lin Chen said with a smile. "What's the name of this new song you're performing today?"

"A Poem for the Drunken Moon," Dongfang Bai said calmly. "It was an impromptu piece; I hope Your Majesty will forgive my impetuousness."

"Not at all, Mr. Bai's musical skills are unparalleled in the capital." Lin Chen said, then suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, Xiaoxiao has been coming to learn the piano quite often lately. What do you think of her aptitude, Mr. Bai?"

"Miss Su has good talent and is very diligent," Dongfang Bai said. "With another month of study, she should have made some progress."

"That's good." Lin Chen said with satisfaction. "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Bai."

Dongfang Bai nodded slightly and withdrew.

Wen Ruoxi watched her retreating figure and whispered:

"Eighth Brother, how could a master like Mr. Bai be content to play the zither at Zuiyue Pavilion?"

"Everyone has their own ambitions," Lin Chen said vaguely.

"Ms. Bai prefers tranquility, and Zuiyue Pavilion is just right for her. We provide her with a platform, and she enhances Zuiyue Pavilion. It's a win-win situation."

Wen Ruoxi knew that Lin Chen was unwilling to say more, so she didn't press him further.

The two talked for a while longer before leaving Zuiyue Pavilion together.

The carriage returned to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion in the evening.