"Thank you both for your trouble today; this is just a small token of my appreciation."
Princess Ankang said to the two officials.
Yu'er also stepped forward cooperatively and handed each of them two pieces of broken silver.
The amount of silver wasn't much, just three taels per person.
However, Princess Ankang had inquired beforehand and knew that this was roughly their monthly salary.
Of course, in addition to their official monthly pay, their official uniforms also helped them earn a good amount of money.
But in terms of sincerity, what Princess Ankang gave was already very generous.
Today, they had merely accompanied Princess Ankang on her rounds; their task was just a bit boring.
But for a day of boring work to earn a month's salary, the two officials were more than willing.
However, they knew Princess Ankang's identity was extraordinary, and although tempted, they were hesitant to accept it immediately.
Seeing their hesitation, Princess Ankang, understanding their thoughts, immediately said:
"Today, I learned many interesting things from you both, so consider this my thank-you gift."
"Please don't despise the smallness of the gift."
Seeing that Princess Ankang had said so much, the two constables dared not refuse further and immediately bowed their hands in thanks:
"Thank you for the young lady's generosity."
After receiving the reward, the two officials looked upon Princess Ankang with even greater favor.
Having spent the day together, they realized that although this young lady had an extraordinary demeanor, she completely lacked any sense of superiority, and her attitude towards them was very amiable, completely different from the young masters and young ladies they had seen before.
And finally, she gave them such a thoughtful gift; how could they not feel good about her?
Princess Ankang and Princess Princess Yuan An left the Wannian County Government Office, accompanied by the record-keeping eunuch and the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs.
Princess Princess Yuan An looked at Princess Ankang, appearing somewhat thoughtful.
When she had dismissed the two officials earlier today, she hadn't given them any rewards.
She hadn't been keen on investigating the case in the first place, and during the day, she had merely walked around casually. Although she had inquired about the case, she was more interested in gathering information about the courtesan parade scheduled for tonight.
It wasn't that Princess Princess Yuan An didn't understand these things; she just felt it was unnecessary.
They were just two minor officials from the county government office; she might never see them again in her life, so why bother putting in so much effort?
Princess Princess Yuan An, being the empress's legitimate daughter, had always met people of wealth and nobility, so her horizons were exceptionally broad.
This couldn't really be called her fault, but rather an innate habit cultivated over a long period.
Ordinary people found it very difficult to catch Princess Princess Yuan An's eye.
The Wannian County Government Office was not far from the East Market, about a fifteen-minute walk.
And now, as dusk approached, the crowds on the streets did not diminish.
These were people who had been busy all day, rushing home for dinner, or rushing out to spend some money.
Most of those coming out of the bustling markets were heading home.
And those going in the opposite direction were rushing to start their nightlife.
In those bustling markets, buying a house there was not cheap.
Moreover, living in such a place was actually not very convenient, as there was no quiet time from morning till night.
And compared to selling residences, converting them into shops was clearly more profitable.
Therefore, the few markets near the East Market did not have many residents; most people there were either working or shopping.
Princess Ankang and Princess Princess Yuan An also followed the crowd towards the East Market.
The two handsome young masters quickly attracted the attention of many people.
Especially some young ladies strolling together, who stared at Princess Ankang and Princess Princess Yuan An without blinking.
Their appearance, along with the robust guards behind them, deeply captivated these young ladies, whose hearts were stirring with romance and who were naive about the ways of the world.
Some people on the road saw through the two princesses' disguises, but no one exposed them; instead, they watched with relish as other young ladies became infatuated with these two ladies disguised as men.
People were currently infatuated, so there was no need to burst their bubble and cause displeasure.
As long as there was no harm, a slight illusion could bring immense joy, and this was worthwhile.
And those with a little experience could quickly see through Princess Ankang and Princess Princess Yuan An's clumsy disguises.
They had not systematically learned the techniques of disguise and makeup.
This was a profound skill; Chief Steward Shang had once demonstrated it before Li Xuan.
The courtesan parade was a famous spectacle in the capital, and it inevitably made some girls curious about what these courtesans, who made men linger, truly looked like.
Furthermore, the atmosphere in Great Xing was relatively open, and girls from better-off families could go out and play together even at night.
Of course, they would always be accompanied by guards.
When they went out together, it was also to concentrate the guards' strength and give them more a sense of security.
After all, very few women became skilled in martial arts, and they inevitably suffered disadvantages in conflicts.
When encountering unreasonable scoundrels, the combined family backgrounds of several girls could also hold their ground.
However, due to the unique customs of Great Xing, if a man bullied a weak woman in public, he would be collectively attacked and then handed over to the patrolling martial officers for punishment.
This was not a question of punishment or no punishment; it was primarily about losing face.
Anyone who did such a thing would be ridiculed for a lifetime.
Of course, this was only if the other party was a weak woman.
If the woman also had strength, they could also resolve the dispute through a fair martial arts contest, and outsiders would never interfere.
But regardless of the outcome, both sides would be applauded and encouraged.
Ultimately, Great Xing valued martial arts, and it made no distinction between men and women.
As long as one had strength, whether male or female, they could step onto the stage and compete.
But if one bullied others through influence, they would never be tolerated by people of the same class.
Once or twice was fine, but if it happened every day, it would only invite contempt.
No matter how many times one heard about such things, experiencing them firsthand was always more impactful.
Li Xuan lay on Princess Ankang's shoulder, curiously watching the endless stream of people and experiencing this so-called Great Xing custom.
At least, Li Xuan felt that the atmosphere in the capital was quite relaxed; everyone seemed to be in a state of peace and prosperity, without any gloomy or sorrowful emotions.
When they arrived at the East Market, the sound of the gong signaling its closure rang out, indicating that they had arrived just in time.
And today's East Market was clearly different from yesterday's.
The main street, which ran through the east and west gates, was adorned with beautiful red lanterns, illuminating the entire sky in a fiery red hue.
Along the way, the entrance of every brothel had an elaborate stage set up, which was still being decorated in a hurry.
These stages would soon carry the courtesans of each establishment for a grand parade.
Each stage had its unique style, each with its own merits, clearly having its own theme.
The entrance to the East Market, which was about to close, was much livelier than when they had visited yesterday, practically overflowing with people, making every part of the street impassable.
And still, many people were entering the East Market.
"How lively!"
Even though she had seen the East Market during the day, Princess Princess Yuan An couldn't help but exclaim.
Princess Ankang also looked at the crowded flow of people before her with sparkling eyes.
They were protected by the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs beside them, so a space was cleared for them in the crowd.
Princess Ankang and Princess Princess Yuan An did not experience any crowding at all.
They strolled leisurely along this Red Lantern Street, admiring the sights.
Tonight, every brothel had pulled out all the stops, decorating their establishments beautifully.
The street vendors were even more numerous than during the day.
Perhaps because today was the day of the courtesan parade, they specially opened their stalls at night.
Given tonight's crowd, they were probably more than willing to work overtime.
As long as they earned a lot, what was an extra night of work?
Princess Ankang and Princess Princess Yuan An walked a full circle along Red Lantern Street, witnessing the prosperity of the East Market at night.
However, according to passersby, the courtesan parade wouldn't start for another half an hour.
"Sister, why don't we find a place to sit for a while?"
Princess Princess Yuan An shouted into Princess Ankang's ear.
The surrounding noise was too loud; if she didn't shout, the other person wouldn't be able to hear what she was saying.
Princess Ankang nodded, and began to look for a suitable place to rest, and also to serve as their lodging for the night.
Even with their abundant energy, they couldn't possibly spend the entire night wandering the streets; they had to find a place to sleep beforehand.
With so many people in the East Market tonight, if they didn't make arrangements early, they might not find a place to sleep.
They searched along the street but found everything unsuitable.
The young ladies soliciting customers on the street were much more enthusiastic than during the day.
Because of this enthusiasm, the amount of fabric on their bodies also significantly decreased.
Princess Ankang and Princess Princess Yuan An blushed fiercely at the sight on the main street.
And along the way, these scantily clad young ladies were enthusiastic towards everyone, yet they completely ignored Princess Ankang and Princess Princess Yuan An.
Li Xuan knew that this was because the two girls' cross-dressing was too clumsy, and these sharp-eyed young ladies had seen through it.
Some places that were not suitable for female guests simply did not solicit them.
They also tried to enter some lively places, but they were politely asked to leave, being told that it was not convenient to invite them in.
They knew their own situation; they were aware that their disguise had not fooled anyone, so they didn't press the matter further.
As they reached the crossroads of the East Market, Princess Ankang's eyes suddenly lit up, and she pointed to a storefront ahead, saying:
"Princess Yuan An, what do you think of that place?"
Everyone followed the direction Princess Ankang pointed, and saw a sign with elegant, flowing calligraphy.
[Hu Yu House]
"Oh, isn't this place…?"
Apparently, Princess Princess Yuan An also recognized the name on the sign.
Previously, Zhao Four had mentioned that he and Third Young Master Hou had a conflict because they both fancied a new Western Region Girl at Hu Yu House.
And the Hu Yu House Zhao Four spoke of must be this one.
"Shall we give it a try?"
Princess Ankang suggested.
The two of them were now tired of being rejected, unsure if this place would welcome them.
However, as soon as Princess Ankang and Princess Princess Yuan An arrived at the entrance of Hu Yu House, they were met with a warm welcome.
A group of golden-haired, blue-eyed Western Region Girls, dressed in transparent light gauze, surged forward like a tide, surrounding Princess Ankang and Princess Princess Yuan An completely.
These Western Region Girls had originally intended to press their dazzlingly fair bodies against them, but they were stopped by the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs.
These Western Region Girls had clearly entertained noble guests with guards before, so they respectfully refrained from advancing further, instead gathering a few steps away and calling out in a chorus of sweet voices.
"What handsome young masters you are!"
"Young masters, would you like to come in and play some games? Our beds at Hu Yu House are very soft."
"If the two young masters prefer quiet, there are also private rooms prepared, absolutely silent."
The Western Region Girls all spoke fluent official language, which Li Xuan found a bit jarring.
Li Xuan had heard that west of Great Xing, there was a vast Western Region.
These Western Region Girls were from there.
There were many tribes in the Western Region, just like these Western Region Girls before him: some had golden hair and blue eyes, some had wheat-colored skin, and some had white hair and silver eyes... If distinguished by eye color, one could probably count quite a few among this group of Western Region Girls.
Therefore, they were also called 'color-eyed people' by the people of Great Xing.
What was even more striking was that these Western Region Girls all had physical features somewhat different from Great Xing women, each with exaggerated curves, making the two girls silently feel inferior.
Princess Ankang and Princess Princess Yuan An didn't realize that their eyes had unconsciously fixated on the chests and buttocks of these Western Region Girls, unable to look away.
It seems that the allure of certain things transcends gender.