Chapter 41: What Dignity Does a Fool Need?

Upon hearing the two words "brothel," a flash of light intertwining eagerness and shyness immediately burst into Sword Seven’s eyes. However, his posture grew even straighter and his expression tightened, making him look more than ever like a detached martial arts hero untainted by worldly desires.

Xue Yuan could understand Sword Seven’s desperate desire to maintain his persona without letting it crack, but feeling somewhat sympathetic toward how hard he was struggling to put on an act, he said, "We are brothers after all, there's no need to be like this. Relax, we're just going to test the waters and observe the lifestyle of the young ladies there."

Sword Seven replied indifferently, "If Your Highness wishes to go, I shall accompany you."

His forced demeanor reminded Xue Yuan of the first time he ever visited a high-end club, when he had probably said the exact same thing to his eldest cousin.

Back then, his eldest cousin had merely smiled faintly and said nothing, but thinking back on it now, the way he had turned cartwheels in his heart must have been completely transparent to him.

Yet, Sword Seven’s reaction did not come as a surprise to Xue Yuan. After all, pulp novels frequently featured protagonists visiting brothels; having read so many, how could Sword Seven not be curious?

There were eighteen large brothels in Ning'an City, with countless smaller ones, though none were strictly divided into superior or inferior tiers—the larger establishments emphasized romantic ambiance while the smaller workshops offered wilder experiences, each possessing its own unique strengths and weaknesses.

Sword Seven might have had a preferred brothel in mind and instinctively turned left upon stepping outside, but Xue Yuan chose to turn right.

Naturally, he had no intention of going anywhere else; he headed straight for the Spring Celebration House, because Lin Shishi was the reigning courtesan of that establishment.

During last night's sacrificial ceremony, Lin Shishi had been injured by the Confucian Master Chu. Coupled with the current citywide martial law and the Divine Catch Bureau operatives searching everywhere, Xue Yuan figured that Lin Shishi was highly unlikely to flee and would instead continue hiding within the Spring Celebration House.

As long as he could confirm her presence there, capturing her would be as easy as turning over his hand!

Setting out from the prince's estate, they crossed a single street to reach the Spring Celebration House.

The moment he stepped inside, Xue Yuan was hit by a staggering wave of heavy incense mixed with the scent of rouge, drifting from a twenty-pound bronze censer.

Looking into the main hall, he saw a multi-zhang-wide screen made of Shu brocade standing right in the center, while the floor was covered with a West Asian cashmere rug sprinkled with freshly plucked peony petals. On the left side stood a row of female musicians dressed in thin, translucent gauzes playing *Flowers in the Backyard of the Jade Tree*, while on the more than ten slender dancers from Jiangnan sang soft, delicate tunes on the right.

There were over twenty tables set up in the hall, and everyone seated at them was dressed in wealthy attire. Women wearing various semi-transparent gauze garments darted back and forth among the tables, offering dazzling glimpses of bare arms, legs, and bosoms—what a scene of debauchery, luxury, and unrestrained extravagance!

Seeing how thriving the entertainment and cultural industry was within his domain, Xue Yuan felt deeply gratified.

Yet, quite some time had passed since he entered, and aside from a few courtesans coming over to greet them, not a single madam had come forward to welcome them, which greatly annoyed Xue Yuan.

Therefore, he roared at the top of his lungs, "Where is the madam? Why hasn't she come out to welcome guests?"

This single shout immediately caused Sword Seven, utterly devoid of any romantic experience, to gaze up at the ceiling as if he had been caught red-handed stealing!

He simply could not fathom why, when visiting such a place, one needed to make a spectacle of it for everyone to hear.

But Xue Yuan knew that unless he made a huge scene, the injured Lin Shishi would likely refuse to see him.

Fortunately, he was a fool; no matter how big of a scene he made, nobody would suspect a thing!

As soon as he bellowed, he instantly drew the gaze of nearly everyone in the hall!

The patrons looked over closely, and lo and behold, wasn't that the foolish prince?

This immediately stirred the flames of gossip.

Even a fool knows how to visit a brothel now?
Tsk tsk, this world is growing more depraved by the day!

Before long, a heavily adorned, well-matured woman rushed down from the second floor.

"Oh my, if it isn't His Highness! Forgive this old woman for failing to welcome Your Highness from afar. I deserve to be punished, truly I do!"

With a dark expression, Xue Yuan grabbed the madam's hand and shouted loudly, "Take me to see Lin Shishi at once! I showered her with all those flower tributes to make her the top courtesan, yet she didn't even grant me a single word of thanks. It's utterly infuriating!"

Upon hearing this, the madam's expression shifted slightly!

As a maidservant to the Princess of Yeliang, she knew that the princess must not be disturbed under any circumstances!

She hurriedly placated him, saying, "Please calm your anger, Your Highness! Lady Shishi appreciates your kindness! It's just that she is feeling unwell today and truly cannot receive guests!"

Pausing for a moment, she added, "Rest assured, our establishment has recently welcomed several gorgeous new maidens who are guaranteed to delight Your Highness!"

No sooner had her voice trailed off than a row of women wearing tight bodices and revealing long legs stepped out before Xue Yuan.

This efficiency took Xue Yuan aback, and he nearly blurted out the familiar phrase, "Bring out the next batch!" After all, anyone who had frequented clubs knew that unless a familiar manager was leading the girls, the first batch... cough, anyway, that was not the point!

The point was that he had to see Lin Shishi today to determine whether she was actually hiding in the brothel!

He immediately shook his head vigorously and declared, "No, no! I only want Lin Shishi! If I can't see her today, I'm going to burn this place down!"

The patrons in the hall chuckled quietly among themselves—this fool was truly throwing a tantrum!

The madam quickly threw herself into Xue Yuan's arms, patted his chest soothingly, and simpered, "Oh dear, calm down, Your Highness! If you wish to see her, that is her great honor. However, she really isn't feeling well today, and Your Highness wouldn't want to lack chivalry and gentle care toward a delicate beauty, right?"

In a refined establishment like a brothel, anyone with even a shred of self-respect—even a wealthy playboy—would never resort to forcing the issue. After all, acting like a desperate monkey who hadn't touched a woman in eight hundred years would become the laughingstock of the town the moment word got out!

The madam resolved that she must talk this fool out of it no matter what, because the princess was currently at a crucial juncture!

Yet she overlooked one single detail—did a fool care about pride or face?

If he cared even a little bit about face, would Xue Yuan have roared that loudly the moment he walked through the door?

Turning his head, he demanded of Sword Seven, "Sword Seven, explain this to me: what does it mean to be chivalrous and tender to a fair lady?"

"Huh?"

"What the hell does being tender to a fair lady actually mean?"

"Your Highness..."

"Go on, quickly summon the guards from the estate and tell them to prepare a hundred torches. I'm going to burn this place to the ground, humph!"

Sword Seven shifted his gaze from looking up at the ceiling at a forty-five-degree angle down to staring at the carpet at a ninety-degree angle, his eyes filled with sorrow.

In pulp novels, he had read of romantic entanglements between talented scholars and top courtesans, as well as inspiring tales of imperial scholars sponsored by brothel maidens eventually topping the imperial examinations. In his eyes, this was a place of elegance, but now all those illusions were shattered.

Who on earth would forcefully insist on bedding a lady when she was unwell? In novels, villains who pulled such stunts usually didn't survive a single chapter before being slain by the protagonist!

His first experience visiting a brothel was bleak and gloomy, making him begin to detest this place.

Yet, he still nodded and said, "Understood!"

Seeing that the fool was actually serious, the patrons seated around the hall could no longer sit still and rose to their feet one after another!

Panicking even further, the madam hurriedly said, "Please calm your anger, Your Highness! I will go ask Lady Shishi right now..."

On the second floor, inside Lin Shishi's bedchamber.

Through the translucent turquoise gauze curtains, the madam spoke in a low voice, "That fool seems completely impervious to reason and is terribly stubborn. This maid has tried every possible persuasion..."

"Enough," Lin Shishi's frail voice drifted from behind the turquoise curtains. "Let him in. I shall deal with him."

"But Princess, your current condition..."

"It's fine, *cough, cough, cough*... I have a feeling things are not as simple as Helm Leader Zhou claimed. We may have been deceived!"

"This, how can that be? Why would Helm Leader Zhou deceive us?" The madam's eyes widened in sudden terror!

"Let's not discuss this for now. Send him in; I will dismiss him first," Lin Shishi said, gathering her remaining strength.