Chapter 39: Better to Be Feared Than Pitied

"Bring Zhou Miaotong out!"

"That's right! Bring her out! I paid good money for this! How is it that I can't even catch a glimpse of her? Do you look down on me or something?!"

Facing the three aggressive patrons, the procuress said with a helpless expression, "Gentlemen, please don't misunderstand. It is simply that Miaotong is feeling unwell today."

"Unwell, my foot! I think you just don't consider us human beings!" A young dandy, dressed in a fine long gown of Jiangnan craftsmanship, huffed indignantly. "Last time I came, you said there was someone in Zhou Miaotong's room. The time before that, you said the same. It’s not as if she’s giving birth; how can her room never be empty for a single moment?"

"And now you tell me she's unwell? Do you take me for a fool? I must see Zhou Miaotong today! You won't be able to stop me!"

The dandy was quite temperamental. After speaking, he turned his face away and fanned himself vigorously, displaying his resentment.

Another middle-aged man spoke in a much colder tone, addressing the procuress: "Isn't this just a ploy to hoard a rare commodity? Can't I just pay more? If ten taels won't do, how about twenty? If twenty won't do, fifty. You run a business here; surely you wouldn't turn away silver?"

The procuress gave a bitter smile. "If I could, why would I refuse? It is precisely because I cannot accept it that I am stuck guarding a treasure like Zhou Miaotong while unable to earn much money."

After speaking, the procuress heaved a deep sigh, as if she were a victim herself.

This sparked dissatisfaction in a third man, who asked, "Why can't you accept it? You run an open business; how could you be coerced by others? Rest assured, if there are truly any villains involved, I will certainly ask my father to step in and deal with these lawless ruffians."

"It is an officer from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, seemingly a Captain," the procuress said, looking at the man. "That officer came to our Warm Fragrance Pavilion some time ago and took a fancy to Miss Miaotong alone. He told me that very day that Miaotong was not to receive any more guests and was to wait solely for his arrivals."

"But this Warm Fragrance Pavilion is, after all, an establishment under the Ministry of Rites’ Music Bureau. No matter how powerful his Embroidered Uniform Guard is, what can he do? Surely he wouldn't seal off the entire pavilion?" the dandy couldn't help but interject.

The procuress shook her head. "It is not that simple. While the Embroidered Uniform Guard's power in the capital is immense, sealing off the Warm Fragrance Pavilion would indeed take some effort. However, getting rid of me personally would be effortless. Do you think I have any choice but to comply?"

At these words, everyone fell into a slight silence.

The procuress added, "Don't be impatient. I have already sent for Miaotong to come and have a single drink with each of you. That is all I can manage, so please show some understanding for my difficulties. I will arrange better things for you gentlemen later."

The group felt a sense of melancholy, though the procuress's words had ironically stirred a sense of defiance within them.

Just then, the clear, beautiful voice from the courtyard earlier rang out, "Madam, Lady Miaotong will be here momentarily."

The procuress said happily, "You see? I wasn't lying. Gentlemen, please take your seats; as soon as Miaotong has finished her toilette, I will have her come down to drink with you."

After the dandy sat down impatiently and was about to vent his frustrations, he noticed that the man who had previously bragged about having his father deal with the Embroidered Uniform Guard had vanished without a trace.

Before long, Zhou Miaotong descended, wearing a veil.

At the same moment, Wang Lu, dressed in his flying-fish robe, walked in through the entrance.

Compared to the women in the room, Zhou Miaotong appeared colder, and with her face obscured by the veil, she left much to the imagination.

"Miaotong is deeply grateful for your favor, gentlemen. However, I have other matters to attend to, as you are likely aware. Therefore, I have come to offer you a cup of wine as a token of my apology. Please forgive me."

As soon as she finished speaking, she gestured, and a young girl brought over a cup of wine. Zhou Miaotong tilted her head back and drank it in one gulp, then turned the cup over and bowed.

By now, she had already spotted Wang Lu walking in from the entrance. The flying-fish robe was impossible to miss, and Wang Lu, having practiced diligently for many years, possessed a physique that—while not overly bulky—perfectly accentuated the lean, agile build of an Embroidered Uniform Guard, looking truly imposing.

As he walked slowly across the first floor, everyone who noticed him instinctively backed away.

"Wait," the dandy complained. "Oh, so just one cup of wine is enough to brush us off?"

The procuress, being older and currently under great tension, had not noticed Wang Lu approaching. She could only bow and explain humbly, "Young master, I have already said what needed to be said. Why don't you understand? I am doing this for your own good."

"Pah! You old hag, you’re spouting nonsense. On such a beautiful night, you claim an Embroidered Uniform Guard is coming? Curfew is in less than an incense stick's time. Even if what you say is true, and some guard really did take a fancy to Zhou Miaotong, he surely won't be coming tonight, will he?"

The dandy stood up, looked at Zhou Miaotong, took a few steps closer, and said, "Since he isn't coming, we can't let Miss Miaotong spend the night alone, can we? Let’s drink and listen to some music; surely this long night will pass before we know it?"

As he spoke, the dandy reached out directly toward Zhou Miaotong's veil.

*Slap!*

The dandy's hand was suddenly struck hard. A sharp, stinging pain made him jump, and he clutched his wrist between his legs, hopping twice before he could cry out.

"That hurts! Which bastard..." The dandy frantically rubbed his wrist and turned around to look.

However, he stopped mid-sentence.

He didn't recognize Wang Lu's face, but he recognized the uniform.

"Of-officer," the dandy stuttered.

Wang Lu smiled slightly and asked, "Do you believe me if I say I don't need to ask who you are to find out which family you belong to by noon tomorrow?"

"I believe! I certainly believe!" The dandy nodded repeatedly, sweat instantly breaking out across his forehead.

The middle-aged man immediately stood up and said, "I was merely curious and came to look; please, officer, do not misunderstand."

As he spoke, he turned decisively to the procuress. "Cover the expenses for today for this officer and the others, as an apology for my ignorance in offending both the officer and Miss Zhou."

Without waiting for the procuress to respond, the middle-aged man shoved silver into her hands and bowed to Wang Lu. "Curfew is almost upon us, and I recall that my wife at home has been suffering from insomnia recently; I should return to care for her. Would the officer allow me to leave?"

What was it like to have a man more than a decade older than oneself bow and beg for release?

Wang Lu thought it felt quite good. It was better to be feared than to be pitied.