By the fourth day, an anecdote was already circulating in the streets.
That is, an eccentric alchemist came to the Privy Council. He spent a lot of time every day wandering around the brothels and incense shops. At the same time, he visited an astonishing number of women, ordering dozens of them at a time. In order to entertain this distinguished guest, the normal business of some brothels has been affected, so much so that when the doors open at midnight, other customers can't find the available girls.
This is simply a vulgar act that is despised by everyone!
It is understandable that high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen have some quirks that are a little different from ordinary people. They at least entertain themselves behind closed doors. How could they be so showy like this person? The key is that although his girls have many points, they rarely show mercy to someone. There are always as many people as there are when they come out when they enter the room, as if there has never been a woman who can win his heart. This kind of wasteful use of natural resources. This approach undoubtedly added fuel to the fire.
There were even rumors on the streets that the patrons wanted to boycott this person collectively.
The brothel has a different attitude.
Most well-informed madams are already aware of Xia Fan's style. If they are unwilling to offend the Privy Council, sending away one or two girls is an acceptable price. So much so that later, when Xia Fan arrived at the entrance of the brothel, the shop owner had already summoned the girl to the room in advance to wait.
Since we can't avoid it, it's better to let him finish speaking early so as not to delay the rest of the business - this is also the consensus of most stores.
Some madams even prepare a few newcomers with strong resistance and disobedience to discipline, or old girls that no one cares about, and send them directly to Xia Fan in order to avoid being poached. To be generous, he even waived the ransom fee, just so that he could gain favor from the Privy Council.
Xia Fan is naturally happy to see the success.
Anyway, it won't be him who returns the favor when the time comes.
"Today's briefing... No, let's stop talking about talent recruitment first. If you are interested in going to Jinxia City, you can come to me to discuss it in detail."
"Thank you for your kindness, sir." As if they had been warned, the girls all stood up and saluted, and then filed out.
"Is it over?" Fang Xiandao poked his head out of the back room.
"Well, the next step is to sign the tripartite agreement."
"Three parties... what?" Fang Xiandao frowned slightly, but quickly said with relief, "Forget it, tomorrow is the ceremony day, and we can go back to Jinxia soon."
"Indeed." Xia Fan walked to the window and opened the sash. A cold wind suddenly poured into the room. Although it was a bit cool, it also dissipated the strong smell of powder in the room.
At this time, the sky was getting dark, and the red lanterns on the street were all lit up one by one. From a distance, they looked like two neat rows of gratings. The direction of the palace is even more brightly lit, and the blazing torches at the top of the city outline the outline of the palace to every detail, while illuminating the nearby stone streets - as far as the night scene is concerned, in an era without electricity, the splendid image of Shangyuan City is indeed suitable. Earn the title of the capital of Qi Kingdom.
For the residents of the city, the crown prince's ascension to the throne was undoubtedly a major event worth remembering for a lifetime, but they would not have imagined that this was just the beginning of another earth-shaking upheaval, and that the new emperor was just a footnote to the upheaval.
Of course, Xia Fan no longer needs to worry about what kind of shock and changes it will bring to the capital after the news is made public. During the time he came to Shangyuan, he not only obtained a lot of information, secret records of magic techniques, and drawings of magic weapons from the Privy Council, but also poached more than ten enlightenment teachers who were well-educated and could start working immediately with a little training. It has already been considered a fruitful harvest. It is completely reasonable for him to request to return home for the New Year after the ceremony is over.
In fact, even if he leaves without saying goodbye, it is estimated that the Privy Council will not be able to respond in time - the news of the unification of the six countries will definitely impact the government and the public. With the visit and reception of the Seven Star Warlocks, it is already difficult for them to stabilize the Gyeonggi area. How can they have time to care about it? Yancheng, Shenzhou, thousands of miles away.
Just as Fang Xiandao said, the day of return is coming soon.
"But it's a bit deserted tonight." Fang Xiandao said with emotion, "It's obviously the time when the brothel welcomes guests, but there are not many people on the street - maybe everyone knows you are coming, so they avoid this brothel ?”
"It sounds like I'm like a disaster star." Xia Fan sneered, "Why didn't I see them avoiding me yesterday? There are even some who want to come and find trouble."
"It's not because you beat that guy so hard that everyone was afraid."
"Then there won't be any guests..." Xia Fan's voice suddenly dropped, and he vaguely felt that something was not right.
This street is not only filled with brothels. You can also see wine shops and a small inn further away. But at a distance of two to three hundred meters, not even a single moving figure could be seen, as if the city was still maintaining a curfew. And Xia Fan remembered that when he first arrived at this brothel, there were many pedestrians on the street and the lanterns were not lit. In other words, if there was news that the regulars could reach an agreement, they would decide to find another place to have fun because of his relationship. If so, it is impossible for the residents on the street not to know this. Then why do they go out of their way to hang up the lanterns
"What time is it now?"
"It's just past the fourth quarter of Xu Shi." Fang Xiandao thought for a moment and replied.
"It may not be surprising in other places, but at this point in time in Shangyuan City, no street should be so deserted, right?" Xia Fan questioned.
"It's a bit strange." Fang Xiandao also reacted. He took out a jadeite the size of a fingernail and seemed to want to do some fortune-telling. At this time, there were rapid footsteps outside the door.
A servant walked into the room out of breath, with fear in his eyes. When he saw the two of them, he immediately handed over a note, "Master Xia, someone asked me to give this to you! Please spare my life!"
Xia Fan and Fang Xiandao looked at each other, took the note and opened it.
There are only a few sentences above.
"Leave the attic immediately."
"Take the south side door and don't enter the main street. Act now!"
"Just let the man in front of you stay in the woodshed."
What's happening here
Xia Fan stared at the servant and asked, "Who asked you to deliver the message?"
"S-Sir, I don't know. He is wearing an alchemist's robe and has a hood on his head. I-I can't see his appearance clearly."
"Alchemist's robe?" Fang Xiandao said in surprise, "Do you have anyone with such connections in the Gyeonggi Privy Council?"
This is undoubtedly a warning message, and coupled with the unusual phenomena outside the street, the timing of its appearance is indeed intriguing. But at the same time, it may also lead the two people into a preset trap.
A figure of Qingjian suddenly flashed in Xia Fan's mind.
"Can you tell fortunes while running?"
"Of course not!" Fang Xiandao said that this was an insult. "For things like divination, you have to concentrate and devote yourself to it to get reliable results. I don't ask for bathing and burning incense, so I am considered a genius."
"Then just do what the note says." Xia Fan said immediately, "If it's a trap, you'd better prepare your best fighting skills."
Then he looked at the servant, "Can we go directly to the south wall from here?"
"Yes, yes. Go downstairs and cross the courtyard, then take the stone bridge on the left to cross the garden, then turn left and go straight to the south end." The latter said tremblingly.
"Okay, you can go and stay in the woodshed. You have nothing to do here." Xia Fan winked at Fang Xiandao and walked downstairs first.