Chapter 1099: Collision

Pei You was dumbfounded, still finding it hard to believe. "Was her deep affection for Shen Zhou also an act?" he asked.

Zu An sighed. "Precisely because it was so convincing, otherwise we wouldn't have been deceived so easily."

If Tao Hong had remained there, he wouldn't have thought much of it.

But coincidentally, she vanished, clearly indicating a guilty conscience.

Pei You still found it hard to believe. "But the Duke of Yunzhong has returned safely now. Couldn't we just ask him?"

Indeed, asking the Duke directly could clear up the confusion about why the escape tunnel from his secluded chamber led to the Jade Pavilion.

Zu An's expression stiffened. "The Duke is currently recuperating and not seeing outsiders. Besides, even if we asked him, he might not tell us the truth."

He himself was the current Duke of Yunzhong; whom could he ask?

Talking along the way, they soon arrived at the Jade Pavilion.

Zu An went straight to the madam to inquire about Tao Hong.

At first, the madam, realizing they weren't there for entertainment, became somewhat dismissive. But Zu An wasted no words and immediately revealed his identity as an imperial envoy.

The madam's expression immediately changed. "My lord, I knew there was something off about Tao Hong! That little hussy didn't even have much business; how could she possibly save enough money to buy her freedom?"

"When did she come to your Jade Pavilion?" Led by the madam, they arrived at Tao Hong's room.

Revisiting the familiar place, everything had changed.

"Oh, she transferred from the neighboring prefecture about two years ago, I think," the madam explained, noticing the state of the room. "Normally, we wouldn't take in people like her, but she told a pitiful story, and she was quite pretty, so we figured she wouldn't be a loss and took her in. We were planning to clean it up for another girl, but we haven't gotten around to it yet."

"More likely, someone paid you to take her," Pei You, being experienced, remarked. He knew it was highly unlikely for a brothel to casually accept adult women from outside.

The madam gave an awkward smile. "Tao Hong was good at handling things, so we couldn't very well refuse her."

"Two years ago..." Zu An fell into thought. Jian Yanyou's incident occurred about a year and a half ago, so it seemed Tao Hong had set things up here in advance. He then casually asked, "Which neighboring prefecture are you referring to?"

"Yi Prefecture," the madam replied.

"Yi Prefecture?" Zu An stopped, and even Pei You realized something was amiss.

"What about Yi Prefecture?" the madam asked, puzzled.

"Nothing." Zu An didn't want her to know more. He searched the room and found many dresses still left behind, his brow furrowing. "Tao Hong left so many clothes behind?"

The madam replied, "That's perfectly normal. In our line of work, if someone wants to reform and cut ties with their past, they won't take these clothes with them. After all, what respectable woman would dare wear such revealing garments?"

"Did Tao Hong return home? Where is her hometown?" Pei You, standing by, asked. He was quite annoyed, thinking about how he had been fooled by this woman's feigned affection all this time.

"I think it was Qian Shui City, in Yi Prefecture," the madam added.

"Yi Prefecture again?" Pei You frowned deeply.

Zu An, however, didn't pay much attention to this information. Even an ordinary courtesan might not leave her real hometown address, let alone someone who came with a mission.

Zu An then looked at the madam. "Who is your boss? Take him... take us to see him."

He had initially intended to say, "bring him to me," but fearing the boss might be tipped off and escape, he decided to go in person.

The madam dared not disobey and quickly led him to the back courtyard.

Soon, a man who looked like a wealthy merchant came out to greet them. Zu An questioned him thoroughly, but the man seemed to be just an ordinary merchant, and no useful information could be extracted from him.

Just before leaving, Zu An suddenly remembered something and asked, "Has the Duke had any close acquaintances at the Jade Pavilion over the years?"

The boss quickly chuckled apologetically. "My lord, you jest. The Duke has concubines of exceptional beauty at home, and Madam Yu is like a celestial maiden. How could he possibly take an interest in the common women of our Jade Pavilion?"

"Oh, that's true," Zu An smiled and didn't press further.

As they left the Jade Pavilion, Pei You couldn't help but complain, "Brother Zu, why did you ask that question at the end? It's highly unlikely the Duke would come to a place like this. With the most beautiful woman as his wife, no one would possibly frequent a pleasure house like this, right?"

Zu An thought to himself: *You don't know that the most beautiful woman can only be kept at home, completely untouchable. So Jian Yanyou still had motives.*

However, it was inconvenient to explain the various reasons to him, so he simply said, "After we get back, send people to investigate the Jade Pavilion's background. To run such a large brothel in this kind of area, they must have connections. Find out whose influence is behind them."

"Also, send people to investigate Tao Hong's whereabouts—her mentioned hometown and any other places she might have gone. Check everywhere."

Although he knew the chances were slim, he couldn't just let it go.

Just then, a clear, crisp female voice called out, "Young Master Zu?"

Zu An turned around to see a young woman in yellow, her face adorned with dimples, smiling sweetly and waving at him from the street.

Zu An's eyes lit up. He walked over and greeted her, "What are you doing here?"

Pei You, who was beside him, was first puzzled, then suddenly realized, pointing at the young woman, "Aren't you... aren't you the one from Xiaoyao Tower...?"

Tang Tian'er curtsied to him. "Greetings, Young Master Pei. I didn't expect you to remember me."

Pei You thought to himself: *Who could forget someone so beautiful after seeing them? And she was with Brother Zu in the private room...*

He quickly pulled Zu An aside. "Brother Zu, how did she track you down here? Is Xiaoyao Tower making any moves in this area?"

Zu An patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, she's a friend. You go back first and proceed with the investigation as we just discussed. I have something to take care of here; I'll be back later."

Watching the two leave, chatting and laughing, Pei You felt a pang of jealousy. "He's truly forsaken friendship for beauty. He's off on a date with a beautiful woman, while I'm left to toil away."

Although he was a bit annoyed, he didn't dwell on it, considering their friendship. He soon returned to the guesthouse to arrange everything.

Meanwhile, Tang Tian'er was teasing Zu An. "Young Master Zu, coming to a pleasure house in broad daylight—isn't that a bit too... well, you know."

"I just came to investigate some matters," Zu An said with a faint smile, offering no further explanation.

Tang Tian'er then leaned closer to him, stood on tiptoe, and sniffed his shoulder and chest before revealing a slight smile. "There's indeed no scent of those women's makeup. It seems Young Master is truly a gentleman."

Seeing her bright and sweet smile, Zu An's mood involuntarily improved. "Miss Tang, why are you also near the brothel? Surely you're not here for entertainment?"

"Well, some heartless person took advantage of me and then left without a word, never coming to find me afterwards. So I've been out and about, hoping to find that unfaithful man," Tang Tian'er said, twirling a braid with her finger and smiling at Zu An. "Young Master Zu, with your vast abilities, could you help me find that unfaithful man?"

Zu An recalled the scene of himself hiding in her bathtub, and her smooth, jade-like skin adorned with vibrant patterns. He awkwardly coughed a few times. "Please forgive me, Miss Tang. I've indeed been too busy lately and was recuperating from injuries in seclusion, which is why I haven't come to see you."

"That shows no sincerity at all! If you truly cared, wouldn't you have found a way to send me a message?" Tang Tian'er huffed, but quickly brightened. "However, I'm a forgiving person. As they say, meeting by chance is better than a planned encounter, so why don't you accompany me shopping today?"

Zu An hesitated. "Uh, I still have important matters to attend to right now, I'm afraid..."

"If you spend some quality time with me, perhaps I can give you the answer to your troubling problem," Tang Tian'er said, winking at him.

Zu An's heart lifted. "You know..."

Before he could finish, Tang Tian'er placed a finger on his lips. "You haven't spent time with me yet, so you can't ask questions first."

Zu An considered her special identity and realized she might indeed know something.

Just as he was about to agree, a delicate voice came from nearby: "What a loving couple! Am I interrupting?"

Zu An shivered and quickly turned to look.

Not far away stood a young woman in a red top and black skirt. Her oval face was incomparably beautiful, a hint of alluring smile played on her red lips, and the lingering sway of her bosom from her recent walk captivated every passing man.

*Could there truly be such a charming and enchanting woman in the world? Is she perhaps the new star courtesan of the Jade Pavilion?*

*If such a gem truly existed, one would be willing to spend all their fortune just to visit the Jade Pavilion once.*

Beside the charming young woman stood an adorable maid with a baby face. She was currently glaring angrily at Zu An and Tang Tian'er.

Rage value from Hong Zao +55+55+55...

Who else could they be but Big Manman and her maid?

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I'm not feeling well today, so there's only this chapter. No need to wait for more; please check again tomorrow.