Chapter 644: Teach Guild's Top Courtesan

Consort Bai's worried, tearful expression was truly enough to melt any man's heart. Zu An wondered if she was one of those 'green tea' women – the type men always fall for.

He quickly comforted her, saying, "Consort Bai, don't worry. Although the female assassin wasn't caught, His Majesty personally wounded her severely. She'll be half-crippled if not dead, so how could she stir up trouble?"

"His Majesty truly is unmatched in the world," Consort Bai murmured, her expression a little dazed.

Zu An continued, "What's more, Lord Zhuxie is now fully engaged in pursuing her. The assassin is too busy hiding; how could she dare to cause trouble in the palace?" Anyway, Sister Cult Master can't hear me now, so there's no harm in saying a few bad things about her.

Consort Bai smiled slightly, "Thank you, Lord Eleven, for comforting me. I feel much more at ease now."

Just then, the cry of a baby sounded from a distance. Consort Bai quickly stood up. "Excuse me, the Imperial Grandson might be hungry. I need to go check on him."

Zu An subconsciously glanced at her full chest, thinking, "Aren't there wet nurses in the palace? Which consort would personally breastfeed?"

Noticing his gaze, Consort Bai's face flushed, followed by a faint hint of annoyance.

"I'll take my leave now," Zu An said, quickly departing.

Consort Bai then said, "I'll have the palace maids and eunuchs send your rewards to your courtyard." With that, she left quickly, leaving behind a graceful figure.

Soon after, the palace maid who had brought him earlier led a group of eunuchs to deliver several boxes to Zu An's residence.

"What's your name, miss?" Zu An asked, looking at the pretty palace maid in front of him. He didn't have any ulterior motives; he just instinctively wanted to build good relationships with the people close to important figures. As the saying goes, "It's easier to meet the King of Hell than to deal with the imps." Getting on good terms with these people was quite useful.

"Reporting to Lord Eleven, my name is Xinrui," the palace maid replied timidly.

"A lovely name," Zu An couldn't help but chuckle. "You have the same gentle temperament as your mistress. No wonder Consort Bai trusts you so much." Consort Bai clearly loved flowers, even naming her maid after one.

Xinrui replied softly, "I wouldn't dare compare myself to Her Ladyship."

Throughout their conversation, Zu An employed his eloquence, honed from his previous life, making Xinrui giggle and blush. From her, he learned quite a bit more about Consort Bai. Apparently, Consort Bai didn't normally reside in the Eastern Palace and didn't seem particularly close to the Crown Prince. She mostly kept to herself in her own palace, and her greatest hobby was cultivating various flowers and plants. Neither the Crown Prince nor the Crown Princess ever seemed to visit her, and she rarely paid her respects to them, living as if detached from worldly affairs.

Could that Crown Prince be an unwitting father? Zu An fell into thought. How could a woman as exquisite and graceful as Consort Bai possibly fancy that idiotic fatty? But if not the Crown Prince, then who? Could it be the Emperor, as rumored? Alas, there's too little information to make a judgment.

After Xinrui had her subordinates put down the boxes of rewards, she left. Once Zu An closed the courtyard gate, Yun Jianyue appeared from the room, her face cold. "You're such a scoundrel, not even letting a young maid go untouched!" Clearly, Zu An's earlier flirtation with Xinrui hadn't escaped her notice.

"What do you know?" Zu An scoffed, ignoring her. "This palace is full of dangers. Of course, I need to be careful and forge as many good connections as possible."

Yun Jianyue knew this was true and didn't press the issue further. Glancing at the silks and satins in the boxes, she couldn't help but remark, "You really do have a way with women. Both the Crown Princess and Consort Bai are vying to send you gifts."

"It's only because of my unique status," Zu An said, not getting ahead of himself. "By the way, I need to leave the palace for a bit. I can't let Cheng Xiong keep targeting me. It's time I fought back."

"Alright," Yun Jianyue nodded, saying nothing more. She lay back down on her silk ribbon and closed her eyes, resuming her recovery.

Zu An was speechless. Had she become addicted to acting like Xiaolongnü?

As he stepped out, an Embroidered Envoy approached him. "Lord Eleven, this is the information Grand Commander Zhuxie asked me to give you."

Zu An took it and saw it was a report on Cheng Xiong. He was surprised. "That fast?" It had only been half a day since he spoke to Zhuxie Chixin.

The Embroidered Envoy smiled. "The Embroidered Tower keeps detailed files on every official. We merely updated it. Please take your time to review it. I'll take my leave now."

"Thank you!" Zu An finally realized. The Embroidered Envoys were the Emperor's secret agents for monitoring officials. It was perfectly normal for them to have such capabilities.

He took the detailed report and read it carefully. Cheng Xiong was born into poverty, achieved great merit on the battlefield, and was then appreciated by Qin Se, the Central Protector. He rose swiftly through the ranks to become General of the Left Guard, an important figure in Prince Qi's faction. Seeing Qin Se's name, Zu An felt a pang of discomfort. He hadn't expected to find out that Qin Se was from Chu Chuyan's maternal grandfather's side.

He continued reading, his brows gradually furrowing. After Cheng Xiong rose to prominence, he didn't remember the suffering of the poor from his past; instead, he intensified his corruption and abuse of power. The Embroidered Envoy's report listed several instances where he used his power to seize commoners' land and homes. In one case, he even coveted a wealthy man's wife, orchestrating events that led to the man's family being ruined, and successfully taking the wife for himself. His son, Cheng Gang, was also a notorious wastrel in the capital, frequently committing acts of bullying and harassment against men and women alike.

As he read each entry, Zu An's eyelids twitched. After a long moment, he exhaled, "Scum!"

Below, however, was a line of small red writing. The script was delicate yet had an eerie feeling, clearly indicating it was Zhuxie Chixin's. The note stated that these crimes were insufficient to bring down a distinguished General of the Left Guard and advised Zu An not to act impulsively.

Zu An's brows furrowed, and he immediately understood. Such acts of bullying and harassment were likely common among nobles and high-ranking officials. It was like how scholars of this era frequently visited brothels or imperial music houses – it was basic practice, and no one would bat an eye. To the Emperor and the court officials, these crimes were trivial, harmless matters. At most, Cheng Xiong would receive a reprimand. They weren't enough to bring him down completely.

Zu An felt a surge of frustration. Perhaps the powerful figures of this world were accustomed to such things, but as a transmigrator, he had been an ordinary citizen in his previous life and could better empathize with the common people. Matters that ruined families for the common people were seen as minor trifles by the high-ranking officials. That sense of injustice was truly hard to bear.

Suddenly, Zu An noticed another entry: Cheng Gang had recently become infatuated with a courtesan at the Imperial Music House. Unlike places like the Immortal's Abode in Brightmoon City, the Imperial Music House was government-run. Its performers were often female relatives of disgraced officials or captives from wars. Of course, some were also recruited through normal means, such as families so impoverished that they had to sell their young daughters. Overall, the Imperial Music House had a much higher status than privately-run brothels. Famous courtesans well-known in Chinese history, such as Dong Xiaowan, Li Xiangjun, Bian Yujun, and Chen Yuanyuan, were all products of the Imperial Music House, which speaks volumes about its standing. In places like Brightmoon City, privately-run establishments like the Immortal's Abode might be the most prosperous brothels, but in the capital, the largest and most luxurious brothel was invariably the Imperial Music House.

"The Imperial Music House, huh..." Zu An already had an idea. The report indicated that Cheng Gang had an appointment there tonight.

After leaving the palace, Zu An initially wondered if he should go find Chu Chuyan, considering she was probably furious about what happened that morning. However, he decided that important matters came first. Besides, if he went now while she was still fuming, it would be better to let time soothe her anger first.

As night fell, Zu An arrived at the Imperial Music House. Unlike typical brothels, there were no women standing on railings, striking provocative poses and calling out, "Come play, young master!" Since it was government-run, everyone still maintained a certain decorum.

A young attendant at the entrance noticed Zu An's distinguished demeanor and refined attire and quickly approached with a smile. "Young master, do you have someone you'd like to see?"

"I've long admired the famous beauty of Miss Shuangyue, and I've come specifically for her," Zu An replied. Miss Shuangyue was the courtesan Cheng Gang had recently taken a fancy to. He mused, "That name sounds familiar. Have I heard it somewhere before?"

The attendant looked troubled. "I'm sorry, young master, but Miss Shuangyue's courtyard has been booked for the entire day and isn't accepting other guests."