Translator – Xiao He Lian
This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.
Chapter 67.1
Lu Yan took a few officials and went to the Pingkang lane brothel.
As soon as he entered the door, the madam walked towards Lu Yan and said, “My Lord, you are finally here.”
Lu Yan frowned, “I heard that Prince Teng killed a singer yesterday. Where is she?”
The madam coughed twice and said, “Oh, Lord Lu, that was a misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding! What happened last night was all because she was ignorant and didn’t want to serve Prince Teng. She could have just told me instead she jumped down from the third floor wing without saying a word. It has nothing to do with Prince Teng.”
After that, she turned back and angrily shouted at a servant: “Go and find out who is so ungrateful enough to spread such a ridiculous rumor.”
Lu Yan raised the corner of his mouth.
The madam of the brothel has always been greedy for money and now she had suddenly changed her attitude presumably because the people from Prince Teng’s palace had already made the arrangements.
“Is an autopsy still needed?”
The madam quickly shook her head, “That girl didn’t have a decent life, now that she is gone, she doesn’t need an autopsy…”
After all, Lu Yan wasn’t the type to get to the bottom of things.
When he handled a case, he only looked at the complaint. According to the laws of the Jin Dynasty, if no one submitted a complaint, the government office had no right to intervene.
The madam smiled and pointed to the second floor, “Sir, Yunzhi was wronged last night and has been waiting for you to come…why don’t you go and take a look?”
Most of the eyes around were focused on him.
Lu Yan nodded, then went upstairs, walked to the room with a sign saying “Chun Xi”, and slowly opened the door.
Yunzhi’s face was covered with tears like pear blossoms in the rain.
A woman who can become the top courtesan must be extremely beautiful. Yunzhi has almond eyes, rosy cheeks, and a curvy figure. Once she glances at you, she is the kind that men cannot take their eyes away from.
But now, there is a three-inch long scar on the left side of her face.
“My Lord.” Yunzhi turned around and rushed towards Lu Yan in the blink of an eye. Her voice was a little hoarse, and it sounded extremely aggrieved.
The door was not closed when Lu Yan came in. There were many people outside, so Lu Yan couldn’t push her away.
After all, almost everyone knew that he was Yunzhi’s benefactor.
“Go and close the door.” Lu Yan said to Yang Zong.
“Yes.”
Once the door was closed, they were the only two left in the room.
Lu Yan pushed her hand away and looked down at her, “What happened?”
Yunzhi wiped her tears and said, “Yesterday, Prince Teng insisted that I accompany him. But I refused, so he cut my face with a knife. My Lord, do you know why I refused?”
Lu Yan glanced at her but didn’t respond.
Yunzhi has always been unable to understand or comprehend the man in front of her.
He paid a huge sum of money to keep her, but never touched her body. From last year till now, he only came here a few times to drink tea, and rarely even spoke to her. He came and went in a hurry, without a trace.
His only requirement was that no perfume should be used in this room or on her body.
But even so, Yunzhi still believed that he treated her somewhat differently. After all, she had inquired and found out that the Heir Apparent of the Duke of Zhenguo did not even have a single concubine.
Now that her appearance has been damaged in order to keep her purity for him, she naturally wants to fight for the man’s pity. She did not ask to enter the Duke’s Mansion, but only to be able to truly serve him once.
After all, some of the affection between men and women cannot be expressed by playing the pipa1a musical instrument 
…
With Lu Yan’s identity and appearance, he does have the capital to make the girls in the entire city to follow him wholeheartedly. What’s more, although not affectionate, his generosity had already given him a golden aura.
Yunzhi looked at him timidly, “My Lord?”
Lu Yan’s eyes were deep and he said calmly: “If you like Prince Teng, just let me know.”
“Why would you think like that, my lord?” Yunzhi’s eyes were filled with tears. “Can’t you see my affection for you, My Lord?”
“Between you and me, it is just a transaction, so where does the affection come from?” The man’s voice was neither hurried nor slow, without any emotion in his eyes.
Yunzhi clenched her fists, as if unwilling to give up, she whispered, “My lord, do you still want to listen to Yun’er playing the pipa? If you are tired and bored, then you can ……”
Before she finished her half-baked threat, Lu Yan walked past her, opened a window and said lightly: “Come here.”
Yunzhi walked over and stood beside him.
In fact, she really wanted to put her arms around his waist, but the man’s eyes were colder than his words, so she didn’t dare.
“Look.” Lu Yan pointed outside.
This is a brothel in Pingkang lane in Chang’an, surrounded by pink walls and black tiles, with the decadent sound of the pipa echoing continuously. The number of hospitable girls is countless.
Yunzhi’s body trembled. Although he didn’t say it explicitly, she understood what he meant.
He was warning her that there was no need to threaten him, if not her there are still others.
Yunzhi’s tears dried up, and she suddenly realized that even if she had all the skills to charm others, she couldn’t move this man, who was naturally heartless…
——
It was almost dusk when Lu Yan was about to leave. When he reached the door, he suddenly heard a cry of surprise coming from the private room on the first floor.
“You mean, Taoist Master Ge will come to Chang’an next month?”
Taoist Master Ge?
T/N – once again sorry for having to publish only one chapter per week, I’m currently busy some personal matters.
