Even when fallen into destitution, young women still held higher aspirations for their lives.
Given Lingyan Pavilion’s current dilapidated state, how could wealthy patrons condescend to patronize it? Only those lacking money and wives would frequent such a place.
To suffer hardship and poverty, which girl would willingly endure that? Thus, anyone with connections sought to leave. Such a vicious cycle made it astonishing that Lingyan Pavilion could even stay open.
Lu Nianfu waved her small hand, "First, close shop and renovate."
Mama Jin, having received fifty thousand taels of silver, was joyfully counting the money. With this sum, ensuring the livelihood of the over thirty girls in the establishment for the rest of their lives was no issue. Despite its central location, Lingyan Pavilion’s current state made it far from worth that price.
Fifty thousand taels was less the price for Lingyan Pavilion and more like a redemption fee for the lady present. Because of this money, she was not forced to entertain guests again, preserving her purity and reputation.
Come to think of it, it felt like extortion.
Mama Jin, feeling a twinge of guilt, advised, "Madam, renovating again will cost a great deal of silver. It would be better to open for business sooner and earn back something, even if it's just a little."
"It's alright, a sharp axe can fell a tree faster," Lu Nianfu replied.
Otherwise, with the current Lingyan Pavilion, not only would it fail to make money, but it might even incur further losses.
Mama Jin considered it and agreed, "Then I will go to the matchmakers tomorrow and pick out a few beautiful maids to train. Don't worry, though our current girls are a bit older, they understand the art of seduction far better than youngsters."
Lu Nianfu said, "Once the new girls are bought, I'll have to trouble all of you to train them well. However, buying them in the capital is out of the question; the truly beautiful ones wouldn't end up at Lingyan Pavilion."
Mama Jin felt dejected upon hearing this. Matchmakers were discerning, and if they had beautiful young girls, they would surely offer them to the most prestigious brothels, as those establishments could afford the price. For Lingyan Pavilion, even if they weren't plain, it was impossible to acquire beauties who could overthrow cities.
"Then, Madam, what do you propose we do?"
"I will arrange for people to buy them from other regions." It would be best to select a few 'thin horses' from Yangzhou, though their price was a bit steep.
In truth, she could have had the girls in the brothel switch professions. The wine shop and the Xiangdai Pavilion were in dire need of female workers, and accommodating these dozens of women would not be a problem.
However, a brothel was not just about making money; it was also the best source of information. In her previous life, Situ Jue had been able to garner so many followers, and the bits of gossip collected by Lingyan Pavilion had played a significant role.
Now, Gu Yanchen had become Situ Yan. Even if he had no intention of vying for that position, he still needed to guard against the schemes of his other brothers. Given the opportunity to recreate this intelligence network, Lu Nianfu naturally would not miss it.
She discussed the matter with Mama Jin and finalized the details, then instructed Mama Jin to proceed with her plans while she returned to the mansion. Qingya looked puzzled, "Miss, why do you trust that Mama Jin so much? She doesn't seem like a good person."
"One should not judge a person by their appearance; judging solely by looks is not wise."
"Regardless, I don't see anything reliable about her."
"You will know in the future."
Soon, the news of Gu Yanchen’s audacious arrest of the Right Prime Minister’s son from the Hanlin Academy spread throughout the official circles. Everyone speculated about what had happened. The Right Prime Minister remained calm, asserting that his son was law-abiding and favored by the Emperor, and the Dali Temple must have made a mistake.
However, the Right Prime Minister’s wife could not remain still. Without waiting for her husband to return home, she hastily sent someone to summon him. Upon their reunion, she anxiously pleaded, "My lord, you must save Yonghe."
The Right Prime Minister frowned, "He was merely apprehended by the Dali Temple? They will release him once they realize they have the wrong person."
The Right Prime Minister’s wife was agitated, "How can Yonghe fall into Rui Wang's hands? Who knows if they will resort to torture and coercion to extract a confession?"
"They won't. Rui Wang's skill in handling cases is top-notch. Since he took office, how many miscarriages of justice has he resolved? I've never heard of any defendants being forced into confessions. You should wait patiently at home and send servants with food and necessities. Yonghe is an official appointed by the court, and they would not easily resort to torture." Speaking of handling cases, Rui Wang's reputation for impartiality was well-earned.
"But, but Yonghe has a grudge against Rui Wang."
"How could Yonghe, a scholar from the Hanlin Academy, possibly have a grudge against Rui Wang?" A bad premonition stirred within the Right Prime Minister. He seized his wife's hand, "What did Yonghe do behind my back?"