Chapter 926: Chapter 537: Contact with the Huai’an Prince Mansion (Part 2)
Zhao Douan stepped back half a step sharply, pointing to a square table in the corner, declining the offer to join for drinks, and only ordered a few exquisite dishes and drinks.
The woman merely smiled, her service attitude excellent.
Before long, a pot of clear wine, accompanied by a fruit platter and two plates of snacks, was served. Zhao Douan drank by himself, listening to the music, waiting.
After two cups of wine and a few peanuts, the sound of strings and flutes on stage paused. A dancer wrapped in light garments appeared on stage, her white, smooth body emerging as she spun and leapt with the music. Her raised hands revealed glimpses of her milky skin, her movements taut, and the previously quiet hall began to grow lively and ambiguous along with the song and dance.
The target had not yet appeared. Zhao Douan’s hearing expanded, capturing the conversations of the surrounding guests.
He had just arrived in Yongjia and needed to gather as much information as possible about the latest situations in the city to avoid being misled by delayed reports.
Guests who could enter such a high-end establishment were sure to be prominent figures, possessing more information.
A middle-aged man, holding a prostitute, caressed the woman’s small hand, gazing at the singing and dancing on stage, and lamented, "A war made even this place so quiet. In the past, sitting in such a front row seat would cost more than this bit of silver."
His companion chuckled, "Isn’t it because of the battle at Linfeng? I heard that the ’Scholar General’ was going to burn the city, but was stopped by the legendary Commander Zhao, said to be a divine descent, with torrential rain within a hundred miles. What a spectacle! Now that the court has retaken Linfeng, the army is at the city gates. If General Zhao hadn’t blocked the roads, who knows how many would have fled by now. Could you think of visiting a brothel when you can’t even save your life?"
The middle-aged man sighed, "True. But it’s said that Xue Shence has already left to deal with Jiancheng’s troops, while Commander Zhao remains stationed at Taicang. I wonder if he plans to attack or defend."
Zhao Douan showed a curious expression, not expecting the latest hot topic in Yongjia to be himself.
He relaxed his hearing, taking in the conversations of the guests at each table in the hall. About four-fifths mentioned words like Commander Zhao, the rain, the Divine Mechanism Camp weaponry, and Yama Zhao.
The remaining fifth were mumbling things like "Master, stop touching..."
It seemed the great victory on the western front at Linfeng left the people of Yongjia City feeling uneasy, far from the facade of tranquility.
At this moment, several soldiers entered from behind the screen in the hall, and instantly, the guests tacitly shut their mouths, ceasing the previous topic discussions.
Then, a slightly well-fed, fair-skinned middle-aged official with very faint eyebrows and a ruddy nose walked in.
Supervisor Wang Qi!
Zhao Douan’s eyes lit up slightly at the comparison of the appearance.
Wang Qi, clearly a regular patron, was warmly greeted by the brothel’s madam, calling him "General Wang" and personally leading the stout Wang Qi to a private seat on the second floor.
"General Wang is just back from discussing affairs at the government office, very fatigued. Quickly, serve the fine wine and dishes!" a soldier arrogantly urged.
The madam quickly summoned a group of girls to swarm around, and Wang Qi’s calm face seemed satisfied only then, as he headed to the second floor like a moon surrounded by stars.
"Pah, he’s just a retainer of the royal mansion, yet he puts on more airs than a magistrate," a guest muttered in a low voice.
A friend quickly forced wine into his mouth to silence him, "General Wang’s status now indeed surpasses the magistrate! Don’t be fooled by his lesser rank; even Zhao Shixiong doesn’t dare slight him. Drink up, drink up."
Zhao Douan drank alone in the corner, silent and unobtrusive.
An invisible divine thought gathered and returned from afar.
Hmm...this Wang Qi is just a mortal, but the four ’soldiers’ by his side are not simple. Two are in the Divine Chapter Realm, two are mortals...they belong to the protective guard detail...outside the brothel, there’s another team of soldiers following...Zhao Douan calculated silently.
With such protection, assassination would be nearly impossible for anyone below the Worldly Realm.
But if Zhao Douan made a move, he was confident he could kill him within ten breaths.
And retreat safely.
Yet Zhao Douan was not thinking about assassination at this moment, but another matter.
Could the "supervisor" sent by the Mu Prince to check Zhao Shixiong truly not keep his pants on?
Even when on the front lines, he frequently visits places of indulgence?
Though there are many guards, and the timing is irregular, this brothel is just one of the places Wang Qi regularly visits.
But...
Something still felt off. As long as someone intent on watching closely, there would definitely be an opportunity for assassination.
Luckily, across in Taicang Prefecture, there’s more than one person in the Worldly Realm.
Is Wang Qi really that confident nothing will happen, or is he...baiting?
Zhao Douan’s eyes flickered. He sipped from his cup, his brows lowered, suspecting that Wang Qi was using himself as bait to deliberately attract the attention of hidden court personnel in the city.
"Therefore, we must not act rashly; patience is key," Zhao Douan murmured in his heart.
Time waits for no one, and he had to stir up some commotion as he ventured into Yongjia City.
Similarly, due to the time constraint, he could not slowly infiltrate like the Kuangfu Society, using soft and covert means to insert spies little by little or subvert the core of the rebel army.
He could only use more intense, effective methods, like kidnapping or assassinating some people, to gain intelligence and weaken the Vassal King’s power.
"This Wang Qi, I must succeed. But I must not rush; more preparation is needed."
With Wang Qi’s departure, the hall’s atmosphere quickly returned to bustling life, the guests more uninhibited in their embraces, big hands groping, murmuring sweet nothings, red lips singing softly, the atmosphere becoming more heated and noisy.
More and more guests were entering the brothel, among them a young man in blue, with elegant manners and the air of Jianghu Guests, caught Zhao Douan’s attention.