Chapter 496: One-Stop Service
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Yong’an Inn was situated in the busiest part of the western market in the entire Imperial Capital.
The Imperial Capital had its eastern and western markets, with the east being the more esteemed one.
Most of the businesses in the east market catered to the wealthy and were well-organized and systematic. The west market, on the other hand, was different.
In the west market, there were treasures priced outrageously high, and there were also things so cheap they couldn’t fetch a single copper coin. In short, everything imaginable was available, making it akin to an online marketplace like Taobao.
Therefore, the people who strolled through the western market came from all walks of life. It was not only crowded but also chaotic, with individuals of various statuses present.
Yong’an Inn was the largest inn in the western market, and it was also the most disorderly place in this part of the city.
Its storefront wasn’t particularly spacious; three shopfronts led inside, but it held a vast interior world.
Officially, it was an inn, but in reality, it was similar to Liu Shimei’s Fusheng Pavilion, divided into several sections, albeit many times larger than the pavilion.
Moreover, it housed a wide variety of businesses inside…
“I wonder where Ninth Brother is.” After pulling her dog inside, Liu Shimei observed the surging crowd and thought, ‘Is this really an inn? It’s more like a market!’
She absentmindedly moved forward when suddenly her hand was yanked hard. She had to stop and look up at her silly puppy who had grabbed her, asking, “What’s wrong?”
“Wife, don’t go over there! That place…” Huangfu Lingyao carefully chose his words before saying, “Smells really bad!”
“Smells bad?” Liu Shimei was puzzled. How could an inn smell bad inside?
But upon closer inspection, she noticed that everyone heading in that direction was male!
Each of their faces bore an expression that said ‘You know what I mean’, and when she scrutinized the semi-aged women standing at the doorway dressed in flashy and colorful clothes…
She suddenly understood. “Is there… a red-light district here?”
A brothel!
She suspiciously looked up at her dog and asked, “Lingyao, how do you know? Have you been there?”
Huangfu Lingyao felt a pang of injustice, thinking, “No, no! Why would I go there? Do they look like they would let me in?”
Liu Shimei thought, ‘My silly dog, he used to go out without a clue, no idea he needed money. Later, after he met me, he started carrying a purse, which I gave him. The madam of the brothel had eyes like a hawk. Him being the Silly Second Prince, clueless and penniless, would surely cause trouble if he got in. It’s reasonable for the brothel to keep him out.’
She didn’t doubt him and said, “Let’s ask someone where the dining hall is.”
After taking a turn and before finding the inn’s waiter, they heard a bustling noise again!
This time, without Huangfu Lingyao explaining, Liu Shimei also understood, “There’s a gambling den here too?”
It seemed that everything from eating, drinking, and entertainment was available inside the Yong’an Inn!
Eating, drinking, tea, alcohol, sleeping, whoring, gambling… an all-in-one service, just like a modern high-end entertainment club!
At the same time, Liu Shimei realized, “No wonder there are people selling information here.”
The more chaotic the place, the more widespread the information.
Why is it that in those martial arts novels, the heroes would go to taverns and teahouses all over to gather information? Because these places were usually hubs of gossip!
“We can’t just wander around here aimlessly.” Liu Shimei frowned, saying, “I’ll go ask.”
She was about to grab anyone to ask, even a waiter would do.
But Huangfu Lingyao pulled her back, his iron arm casually wrapping around her shoulder. He said, “Wife, I’ll go ask!”
You must be joking, his wife was so beautiful. In such a chaotic place, what if someone coveted her beauty?
In a place like this, how could he allow his wife to show her face?