"I want to get out of the carriage now!"
Meng Zhaojun held her head high; a mysterious yet slightly wicked smile played across her brows. In reality, she was chuckling to herself, anticipating how Tang Shunyan, this young Master, would react when he heard that she wanted to enter the brothel... She was very curious to see the expression he would make.
Would he follow her in? Or would he reject her suggestion? However... today, she had the final say in their outing, hmph!
Determined to alight, Liang Chen had no choice but to first step down with a stool to assist the Lady in disembarking.
The Mengs’ carriage came to a halt. Seeing Lady Meng Zhaojun’s intent to get off, Tang Shunyan had no choice but to instruct the driver to stop.
Tang Shunyan was born in this county, and they often passed by this area en route to the academy. They would take a detour just to avoid this particular street.
Today, with Meng Zhaojun playing the capricious guide insisting on going out, he thought that even if this woman was willful, it was merely a wish to stroll around and buy some gifts.
Considering she was about to embark on a long journey, he was willing to take out his private savings to comply with her requests, driven by the friendship they had developed over the many years they had spent together.
But something seemed amiss before his eyes. What exactly did Meng Zhaojun want to do?
Why did she want to stop in front of the brothel?
During the daytime, the brothel didn’t have ladies welcoming guests at the door. However, music and the sound of women’s laughter mingled with the joyous voices of male patrons could still be heard from within.
Perhaps because it was daytime, the commotion inside the brothel was not as noisy as at night.
In any case, Tang Shunyan could never have imagined that Meng Zhaojun would consider entering the brothel for amusement.
Meng Zhaojun got off the carriage and then hesitated. She realized if she were to enter as she was, her mother and father would surely deal with her upon her return.
With this thought, she retracted the leg she had extended out and pondered her next move. Liang Chen, prepared to assist her in alighting, failed to grasp the Lady’s intention.
Usually, she understood the Lady’s intentions best, yet today she had not caught on to whatever medicine the Lady had in her gourd.
Liang Chen, her hand now empty, was at a momentary loss. Seeing the Lady close all the windows of the carriage, the astute maid guessed that the Lady might be planning to disguise herself.
Meng Zhaojun was no stranger to disguising herself and going out with her maids for she had often imitated others in a manner that made one unable to see her clearly or recognize her features.
She definitely couldn’t allow others to clearly see her and cause her father any embarrassment.
Menswear, after all, was more convenient for outings than women’s clothing. Meng Zhaojun often did this and her maids were also used to preparing male clothing for her.
Meng Zhaojun and her maids did this frequently, of course, behind Mrs. Meng’s back. As for how she managed to do so many things unnoticed, it was not only because her identity offered some protection but also because her parents knew and covertly safeguarded her.
Due to her young age and slim build, with no prominent features developed yet, in winter she only needed to remove her jacket, the white fox fur leather vest, and then slip into a man’s brocade coat. After changing her shoes and making some adjustments to her head adornments, she transformed from a charming and adorable little girl into a handsome young Master.
Meng Zhaojun looked at her reflection in the mirror with satisfaction; now she could play however she pleased.
She even pondered changing her name, allowing her to indulge in the pleasures inside without feeling burdened.
When Meng Zhaojun was fully disguised and pulled back the carriage curtain, Liang Chen, waiting outside, thought to herself, "So it is," and silently moved to assist the Lady in disembarking.
Before Meng Zhaojun placed her hand in Liang Chen’s, her gaze met a pair of ink-black eyes, deep like a spring flowing into the ocean, and she was mesmerized.
Tang Shunyan had already stepped down from the carriage and surveyed the street. The street wasn’t particularly bustling during the day, with only an occasional passerby.
Those who walked by couldn’t help but glance at the carriage, assuming that the individuals inside must be wealthy playboys seeking pleasure without regard to the time of day!
There stood Tang Shunyan, a Young Master on the street, feeling somewhat embarrassed under the scrutiny of onlookers. He had guessed that Meng Zhaojun intended to do something unseemly.
Waiting there, he thought to persuade Meng Zhaojun; after all, they were just kids, and the one before him was a little girl. Even if she went inside only for tea, the gossip wouldn’t sound good.
There were plenty of teahouses elsewhere—why insist on visiting such an expensive brothel for tea, where the cost was like that of gold?
Tang Shunyan knew that his family also owned brothels. This brothel in front of them was precisely one of the Tang Family’s properties. He wondered whether Meng Zhaojun had deliberately or inadvertently chosen this place. Out of all the places on this street, why come to the Tangs’ property? Was it to create a scene?