The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

The pair—a distinguished and somewhat aloof young wealthy merchant (or scion of a prominent family), and a refined and reserved young nobleman with a touch of arrogance—while not the most conspicuous in the decadent and chaotic Drunken Dream Pavilion, still stood out from the unrestrained wanderers or mere pleasure seekers.

Soon, a sharp-eyed and experienced pimp approached with a beaming smile, his eyes quickly scanning Yi Huawei and Shan Meixian, assessing their identities and potential profits in his mind.

"Oh! You two are unfamiliar faces. Is this your first time visiting our Cui Bi Lou?"

The pimp's voice was enthusiastic and professionally obsequious: "Please come in! Our girls here are skilled in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. We guarantee you two will have a wonderful time!"

While greeting him warmly, he subtly tried to lead the way, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on Yi Huawei, trying to judge the background and generosity of this person in charge from the details.

Yi Huawei's gaze remained indifferent, as if he hadn't heard the pimp's flattery, nor cared about the curious or provocative glances directed at him. He simply lifted his foot casually, his steps unhurried, and walked straight towards the most bustling core area.

Shan Meixian took a deep breath, suppressing her discomfort, and immediately composed herself, following closely behind, playing the role of 'young master'.

The scene inside the building was far more extravagant and noisy than what was seen from the outside.

The interior of the Emerald Pavilion is extremely spacious, with a double-height ceiling. In the center is a huge atrium, above which hang layers of colorful gauze curtains and glass palace lanterns, illuminating the entire hall with dazzling light, as bright as day.

The first floor was a spacious lobby, furnished with dozens of wooden tables of varying sizes made of rosewood or sandalwood, almost all of which were occupied. Guests of all kinds—wealthy merchants in brocade robes and jade belts,江湖豪客 (jianghu heroes) dressed in tight-fitting or outlandish attire, and even a few scholars pretending to be refined—mingled among them. Some were flirting with girls, some were playing drinking games loudly, and some were gathered around the small central stage watching the song and dance performances, the noise almost lifting the roof off.

The air was thick with an overwhelming, cloying scent of perfume, a pungent, overpowering odor of alcohol, the smell of sweat, the greasy aroma of food, and an indescribable, chaotic atmosphere. The sounds of string and wind instruments were constant, but completely drowned out by the clamor of the crowd.

The walls were covered with gilded and painted murals, mostly depicting enchanting ladies or mythological tales. Brightly colored silk ribbons were wrapped around the vermilion pillars. The wide staircase leading upstairs was carpeted in scarlet, and stood on either side of burly guards with wary eyes and bulging waistbands that clearly concealed weapons.

Scantily clad and heavily made-up young women flitted among the guests like butterflies, their giggles, calls for drinks, and playful scoldings rising and falling. Waiters, carrying dishes and drinks, moved nimbly through the crowd. Several middle-aged men in steward's uniforms, with shrewd eyes and large gold rings on their fingers, patrolled the corners.

Yi Huawei's gaze swept calmly over the bizarre scene, a faint, almost imperceptible hint of amusement flickering deep in his eyes.

He had traversed several worlds, served as prime minister for decades, and governed the country for over a century. He had witnessed the heights of the imperial court, the far reaches of the common people, and the fierce battles of the battlefield. But this place of brothels and pleasure quarters was truly a first for him. The extreme extravagance and clamor before him was, to him, a vivid and lively yet decadent portrait of humanity.

Seeing Yi Huawei's extraordinary demeanor but unfathomable methods, the pimp grew even more anxious, yet dared not linger too long. He could only follow closely behind, wearing a fawning smile: "Honorable guest, would you like to join in the lively atmosphere in the main hall, or perhaps enjoy the quieter atmosphere of a private room on the second floor? There are even more private rooms on the third floor..."

Yi Huawei didn't stop walking, casually stopping at an empty table near the stage with a passable but not ideal view. The pimp immediately and deftly smoothed the already clean chair with his sleeve: "Honored guest, please have a seat! Please have a seat!"

Then he stared longingly at Yi Huawei.

Yi Huawei did not sit down immediately, his gaze still calmly sweeping around as if admiring some scenery. Just as the pimp's forehead was about to break out in a sweat, Yi Huawei casually took out a thin gold leaf from his sleeve, and without even looking at it, flicked it at the pimp.

The gold leaf traced a dazzling streak in the lamplight, landing precisely in the pimp's instinctively outstretched palm. It felt heavy, its edges sharp, and its quality exceptional! The pimp's eyes widened instantly, his breathing became heavier, and the fawning smile on his face bloomed like a chrysanthemum. He bent over almost double, his voice trembling with excitement:

"Oh! Thank you so much for your generous reward! Thank you so much for your generous reward! I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize your greatness! Please have a seat, my two guests. Fine tea, fine wine, and fine girls are coming right away! Coming right away!"

He clutched the gold leaf tightly, bowed and scraped, and quickly retreated.

Shan Meixian stood quietly half a step behind Yi Huawei, secretly marveling at the young master's "newcomer to a brothel" demeanor. The casual control and nonchalant spending were not pretentious; rather, it was as if he were... inspecting a new and intriguing place? She tried to calm herself and cautiously observed her surroundings, especially the seemingly drunk but actually sharp-eyed wanderers and the guards in the corners.

Soon, a figure, accompanied by a strong fragrance, swayed and floated over quickly, like a moving, overly beautiful flower.

The visitor was none other than the madam of the Drunken Dream Pavilion.

The madam, around forty years old, was well-preserved and still possessed a captivating charm. Her face was thickly powdered, her eyebrows delicately drawn, and her lips painted a vibrant red. Her hair was styled in an elaborate high bun, adorned with gold hairpins, jade hairpins, and trembling pearl hair ornaments. She wore a luxurious, wide-sleeved, deep purple dress embroidered with gold peonies, over which was a sheer, gossamer-yellow gauze robe, revealing a glimpse of snow-white skin on her chest, adorned with a heavy, red-gold necklace. Her figure was voluptuous, and her gait was like that of a water snake. Before she spoke, she smiled, revealing a set of exquisitely white teeth, her eyes shrewd and worldly, seemingly overflowing with honey.

"Oh my goodness~~~ No wonder I heard magpies chirping this morning! Turns out, a distinguished guest has arrived, bringing great honor to our humble abode!" The madam's voice was both sweet and loud, with a powerful penetrating quality, brimming with exaggerated enthusiasm. Before the person even arrived, the fragrant breeze and laughter already filled the air. Her gaze swept over Yi Huawei and Shan Meixian like searchlights, lingering for a moment on Yi Huawei's seemingly understated yet exquisitely crafted dark casual clothes and his composed demeanor. Then, her gaze swept over Shan Meixian, this "refined young master," and she immediately made a decision—this was a real big fish!

She turned to the table and gave an exaggerated bow: "This humble servant, Jin Sanniang, greets the two young masters! My subordinates were ignorant and neglected our distinguished guests; they deserve a beating! They deserve a beating!"

She made a feint and then smiled broadly: "What kind of girls do you two gentlemen prefer? Our Drunken Dream Pavilion has girls of all shapes and sizes, from plump to slender, from elegant courtesans to top-tier courtesans, skilled in playing musical instruments, singing, and reciting poetry—we guarantee you two will be satisfied!"

Yi Huawei then slowly sat down in the main seat, and Shan Meixian followed suit and sat down beside him.

Yi Huawei's gaze lingered for a moment on Jin Sanniang's overly flamboyant face, a condescending scrutiny in his eyes, before he spoke calmly, his voice not loud, yet clearly drowning out the surrounding noise:
"A quiet place, someone who knows the rules, is fine."

"I understand! I understand! Young Master is clearly a refined person! He likes people who are elegant and sensible!"

Jin Sanniang immediately understood, her smile widening, while her mind raced. This gentleman was generous and had an extraordinary air about him; the young "young master" beside him also possessed a refined demeanor, clearly not the kind of vulgar patron who only knew how to vent his anger. She waved the fragrant handkerchief in her hand and called out in a shrill voice:

"Emerald green, verdant bamboo, lush greenery, fragrant greenery! Come quickly and serve our distinguished guest! All of you, perk up!"

At her call, four slender, elegantly dressed young women, like four summoned butterflies, gracefully gathered from different directions, surrounded the table, accompanied by a fragrant breeze.

The woman on the far right, about eighteen or nineteen years old, was tall and voluptuous, the most mature and full-figured of the four. She wore a bright turquoise, high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with a thin, sheer outer garment, the neckline slightly low, revealing a tempting glimpse of her snow-white cleavage. She had an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and phoenix eyes, her gaze radiating allure. Her black hair was styled in a low bun, adorned with a jade hairpin and several small velvet flowers. Her smile was the most enthusiastic and bold; she immediately tried to get closer to Yi Huawei, but was stopped by a calm glance from him. She then gracefully stood aside, her gaze fixed intently on Yi Huawei.

The youngest beside them appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen, slender and petite, with a deliberately cultivated aloofness. She wore a simple, light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with only a few sparse clusters of ink bamboo embroidered on the hem and cuffs. She had an oval face, delicate eyebrows and eyes, and thin, slightly pursed lips, giving her a somewhat timid air. Her hair was styled in simple double buns, adorned only with a small white magnolia blossom. Unlike Cui Lü, she wasn't proactive; she kept her head slightly lowered, twisting the hem of her dress in her hands, occasionally glancing up at Yi Huawei and Shan Meixian, her eyes filled with curiosity and a barely perceptible nervousness.

The woman on the left appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, of medium build and with a petite figure. She wore a charming pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), the hem embroidered with fluttering butterflies. She had a round face, large eyes, and two deep dimples on her cheeks when she smiled, giving her a lively and spirited air. Her hair was styled in a playful, hanging bun. She arrived with a sweet smile, her gaze shifting curiously between Yi Huawei and Shan Meixian, displaying great energy and seemingly quite interested in these two uniquely charming "young masters."

The woman in the middle was slightly older, around twenty years old, and possessed the most gentle and composed demeanor among the four. She wore a soft, lotus-root-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), over which was a light gauze of the same color; the fabric was clearly of higher quality than the other three women. She had an oval face, with delicate and beautiful features, and a scholarly air about her. Her hair was styled in an elegant "chaoyun jinxiang" bun, adorned with a simple silver hairpin and a silk hibiscus flower. Her manners were graceful, her smile reserved, and her gaze gentle; she stood quietly to the side, like a solitary orchid.

Jin Sanniang proudly introduced them one by one: "Young master, look, these four young ladies are the most outstanding and sensible girls in our Drunken Dream Pavilion! Cui Lü is straightforward, Cui Zhu is elegant and charming, Cui Wei is lively and clever, and Cui Xiang is gentle and polite. They will definitely serve you two very comfortably! You see..."

Yi Huawei's gaze slowly swept over the four women, his eyes calm and unwavering, showing neither amazement nor intimacy, more like he was assessing some items. The four women felt a little uneasy under his gaze, even the boldest of them, Cui Lü, suppressed her smile slightly. Finally, his gaze lingered for a moment on Cui Xiang, who appeared the quietest and most composed, before he casually waved his hand, signaling them to take their seats and serve him.

Cui Lu immediately giggled and swayed her hips, trying to sit next to Yi Huawei, but Yi Huawei gestured with his hand, pointing to the seat next to Shan Meixian. Cui Lu's smile froze for a moment, then she turned to Shan Meixian as if nothing had happened and sat down next to her warmly: "This young master is quite handsome. May I serve you wine?" As she spoke, she reached out her slender hand, painted with nail polish, to take the wine pot.

Shan Meixian's body stiffened instantly! A strong, cloying fragrance assaulted her nostrils, and a hand adorned with bright red nail polish almost touched her arm! Almost instinctively, she wanted to push it away, forcibly resisting, but her body involuntarily leaned back slightly, avoiding the overly intimate contact. Although her face was concealed by her disguise, the fleeting resistance and embarrassment in her eyes were clearly visible. She stiffly raised her hand to block, her voice deliberately low: "No need, I can do it myself."

Emerald was taken aback by her reaction, then covered her mouth and giggled, "Oh my, is the young master shy? How adorable!"

Although she found the "young master's" reaction strange, she didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a shy virgin, and then she diligently served food to Shan Meixian.

Cui Zhu timidly sat down on the other side of Shan Meixian, gently tidying up the cups and saucers in front of her, and asked softly, "Young master... what kind of tea would you like to drink?"

Cuiwei poured wine for Yi Huawei with a smile, her big eyes curiously sizing him up: "Young master, you look unfamiliar. Are you from out of town? Your accent doesn't sound like that of someone from Baling."

Cui Xiang was the quietest. Seeing that Yi Huawei was alone, she silently sat down a little further away on the other side of him. She did not immediately move closer, but quietly took the pot and filled the wine cup in front of him with gentle and elegant movements. Then she lowered her eyes and stood there, appearing very dutiful.

Yi Huawei ignored Cuiwei's question and didn't even look at the wine in his cup. He simply picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and turned his gaze to the exotic Hu Xuan dance being performed on the central stage. But deep within his seemingly casual eyes, he subtly took in all the various expressions of people, the surging currents, and even the scrutinizing, greedy, or wary gazes hidden in the noisy corners of the Drunken Dream Pavilion.

This chaotic and extravagant place, which others see as a den of iniquity, may be, in his eyes, a crack in the grand scheme of Baling City, a glimpse into the undercurrents.

(End of this chapter)