Chapter 376 - 376: It Will Be Filled Into The National Treasury

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“Ruining a woman’s innocence is equivalent to taking her life. After a woman is violated, her only fate is death.”

“If he dares to come, I’ll let him die right here in this teahouse.”

“If this teahouse weren’t owned by the magistrate’s family, we would let him die outside to avoid implicating them.”

“You’ve been in the palace for so many years, yet your heart is still soft.”

“Well, fortunately, I haven’t given birth to a son. I don’t have to compete with them. It’s better to be a bit soft.

“But you are the one who benefits the most.”

“Hehe.”

The empress raised her teacup and handed it to Qiao Mai, saying, “Thanks to you for that.”

“If we don’t have dinner tonight, shall we go to the fireworks street?”

“What is that place?”

The three men looked at each other, feeling a bit awkward. Qiao Mai explained,

“It’s the red-light district, a street full of brothels.”

“What are we going there for? Are we going to order courtesans?”

“Experience local customs. This can’t be missed. The customer over there said the street behind the fireworks street is the gambling street.”

“Is this Liangzhou so corrupt?”

Qiao Mai cracked melon seeds and coldly snorted, “The capital is far away. Besides, the court has not prohibited it. Whether it’s one or ten, they are all open.”

“If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, let’s take a carriage. My feet are sore.”

The empress lightly pounded her legs. “Alright, let’s remove the canopy from the carriage. It looks more authentic that way.”

“Can you still do that?”

“Of course. Abroad, such carriages are called sightseeing carriages.”

“I feel eager.”

While chatting, drinking tea, and listening to music, time passed quickly. It was almost dark outside. They settled the bill and left.

Fortunately, what the waiter said didn’t happen. They went straight to the fireworks street.

The girls welcoming customers were all dressed up, standing outside waving at the men. At this time, the wealthy and influential people had not arrived yet. Those around were mostly pretending to be rich.

Qiao Mai and her group ignored those girls and chose the largest and most luxurious brothel to enter.

Seeing women, the girls in the building stared with wide eyes.

This was the first time they had seen women come here, and even the emperor and Yuan Jiaqi felt a bit embarrassed. Both of them were here for the first time.

Qiao Mai brought them in with a bold attitude.

The women in the building led them inside and found a bright place, ordering a table of the best food and wine.

“Bring the two best girls from your building.”

“Hey, the best girls in our building are the courtesans of Liangzhou. Even with money, it’s not easy to invite them. They are the darlings of the magistrate.” The group exchanged glances, and Qiao Mai smiled. “Then bring two girls who sell art but not their bodies.”

She patted a gold coin on the table. The brothel keeper, upon seeing the gold, immediately broke into a smile. She picked up the gold and stuffed it into her bosom.

“Guests, please wait. I’ll be right back.”

While the brothel keeper was away, the group pouted. “The smell of cosmetics is too strong and choking!”

“Can we eat the food here?”

“Of course. These are all dishes for the rich and powerful.”

None of them touched their chopsticks. They looked down on the food from this brothel; besides, they had drunk enough at the teahouse in the afternoon. Coming here was merely to broaden their horizons.

Qiao Mai signaled towards the entrance with a tilt of her head. “Look over there. Isn’t that Magistrate Wu?”

All four turned around simultaneously. “Is that him? The girls are welcoming him, calling him Mr. Wu.”

“He came to a place like this without any scruples. He’s going upstairs to find that courtesan.”

“He must be wealthy to afford this.”

“I heard that a year of governorship in Liangzhou makes you a hundred thousand silver coins. Liangzhou is indeed a good place for making money.”

The emperor snorted, “Let him save. Sooner or later, he’ll replenish the national treasury. I have ordered the Golden Dragon Guards to investigate. Soon, his secrets will be revealed.”

“Right, your journey has been pleasant. Investigating corrupt officials and filling the national treasury, killing two birds with one stone.”

“We have to rely on our in-laws.”

Qiao Mai lowered her eyes, responding with a faint “Hmm.”

In no time, two girls carrying musical instruments arrived. The empress chose a few tunes and had them play.

While listening, they observed the surroundings. The wealthy and influential were upstairs, and the lower level was filled with ordinary customers.

However, the more ordinary they looked, the more they could see and hear what they wanted.

Undoubtedly, there were many debauched people in Liangzhou city. This brothel was a miniature version of their revelry.

Except for Qiao Mai, the other four stared wide-eyed. Even the emperor was astonished.

Public displays of affection, kissing, and lewd actions were rampant. The people who usually appeared decent now revealed their true selves.

The display of debauchery and grotesque postures made them want to vomit. The empress turned red. “Uh, let’s go back. It’s better to rest early.”

Yubao quickly rewarded the two girls, placing a silver ingot on the table. The group left the brothel, taking a deep breath outside.

“The air outside is much better.”

“Let’s go back to the inn.”

Magistrate Wu watched them from the second floor, his eyes flickering. He had seen the emperor before but didn’t recognize him now.

Before they left, Qiao Mai had someone dye his hair black, making the emperor look at least ten years younger. Yubao had also made some disguises.

Those who rarely accompanied the emperor found it challenging to recognize him outside. Moreover, Magistrate Wu had been in Liangzhou for a long time. However, when he saw the empress, his eyes lit up.

Her appearance and demeanor surpassed many courtesans he had hired, not to mention the woman beside her.

Although Qiao Mai looked ordinary, her skin and flesh were exquisite, a top-notch beauty. Stripping her naked and holding her in his arms would surely be comfortable.

He stood by the street window, daydreaming about the empress and Qiao Mai. He thought no one would notice, but as they walked away, Qiao Mai used a mental force to knock him unconscious, almost causing him to fall from the second floor.

She had long noticed him peeping, and his gaze made her want to grind him into minced meat.

They roamed around the city for three days, eating, drinking, and sometimes buying things. Magistrate Wu, the old fox, woke up but couldn’t get the beautiful woman off his mind.

However, he didn’t dare to act rashly and had been observing from a distance.

His eldest son woke up and wanted to send someone to capture the empress, but Magistrate Wu stopped him.

He didn’t allow his son to act recklessly. The father and son fainted one after another. It was not a trivial matter.

Yet, his eldest son, with unbridled lust, ignored his father’s advice and rushed to the inn at night. Silently, he went upstairs without any notice.

But when he reached the third floor, the guards protecting the emperor were alerted, leading to a clash.

This inn belonged to the Wu family, and no one dared to step forward to help. The Wu family’s eldest son, leading people to abduct someone, was blatantly violating the law.

Qiao Mai leaned against the door window in her nightgown, watching the fight.

How could these bad apples compare to the guards protecting the emperor? In a few moments, they were knocked down. The eldest son was still clamoring on the side.

“Quick, don’t just fight. That woman is in that room. I only want her.”

The emperor and empress had already awakened. When they heard the man’s words, the emperor became furious.

Daring to covet his woman? How presumptuous!

“Bind them all and take them to the governor’s court. Ask Magistrate Wu to explain why, in his inn, his eldest son dared to act recklessly and abduct someone.”

The emperor suppressed his anger and decided.

After the guards bound them, they were taken to the court overnight. Upon hearing what his son had done, Magistrate Wu was so angry that he knocked over the incense table.

Without investigating their background, his son had caused such a disaster for him.

Upstairs in the courtroom, they did what they needed to do—those who needed to be beaten were beaten, and those who needed to be thrown into prison were jailed. These were all just for appearance’s sake..