Inside the Flying Phoenix Mansion, Phoenix Vane smiled as Aurelian Dragon entered and asked, "How's it going for you as a new official?"
"Oh dear, I'm so tired!"
Aurelian Dragon first found a chair and sat down comfortably. Then, she pretended to be so busy that she couldn't breathe properly, and took a deep breath, which made the women giggle.
Lynette Quill then said to Tian Tian, "Quickly serve our Governor-General tea and show him some appreciation!"
"I think we should skip the tea and let me feel the pain first!"
Aurelian Dragon grabbed Tian Tian, whose face was flushed, and began to grope her, while saying to Lynette Quill, "Hey, I still prefer Lynette's treatment!"
Amidst giggles, Obsidia Shade pushed Lynette Quill to Aurelian Dragon's side.
"Young master, I've brought your favorite treat!"
Aurelian Dragon laughed heartily, and with great joy, he pulled the coy Lynette Quill into his arms, embracing her on both sides and shamelessly fondling her soft, beautiful bodies.
Shy and bashful yet thoroughly enjoying herself, Lynette Quill and Tian Tian awkwardly pushed away the shameless man beside them. Her delicate body, however, swayed and danced gracefully to Aurelian Dragon's unrestrained hands. The scene was quite erotic and passionate, even stirring the emotions of Obsidia Shade, who was watching from the side.
Phoenix Vane was unsurprised. She now fully understood what kind of person her husband was, and such situations were extremely common among the powerful families of the Empire. So she simply watched with a smile as Cynthia reported on the day's events.
Upon hearing Aurelian Dragon's words and arrangements to his lieutenant general, Phoenix Vane couldn't help but feel secretly delighted. She hadn't misjudged her husband; he had come up with such a method—one that both won over his men and effectively arranged their positions. With her exceptional intellect, she quickly realized the practicality and feasibility of Aurelian Dragon's approach, something she might use again in the future.
After Cynthia finished speaking, Phoenix Vane asked Aurelian Dragon with a smile, "Aurelian, how did you come up with the idea of entrusting the specific tasks to Shi Yixin?"
Aurelian Dragon was extremely busy at the moment. While he was busy making great movements on Lynette Quill and Tian Tian's delicate bodies, he was also eating the fruit that Obsidia Shade handed him. After hearing this, he mumbled, "Because I am a lazy person, this way I can have a lot of free time."
Lynette Quill said breathlessly, "Hmph, so you have plenty of free time? Then you can go find several more women to have fun with, right?"
"You're so talkative, just wait and see how I deal with you!"
Aurelian Dragon gave her breasts a hard squeeze, and Lynette Quill couldn't help but let out a soft cry. Amidst laughter, she encouraged Tian Tian to join her in a rather entangled struggle with Aurelian Dragon, oblivious to her disheveled clothes and disheveled hair.
"Alright, stop fooling around!" Phoenix Vane said, seeing that it was almost time. "Aurelian, here are two invitations. Take a look."
The man, still wanting more, took the note from Phoenix Vane's hand, and didn't forget to gently pinch her smooth, jade-like hand. Phoenix Vane couldn't help but say coquettishly, "Can't you be serious for a moment?"
"Hehe, of course! Once we're in bed, I'll be the most proper person!" Aurelian Dragon replied without blushing, taking the sidelong glances from the women as the greatest reward.
It turns out that both invitations were for the newly appointed Governor of the East to attend a banquet at the most luxurious and extravagant place in Esnia, the "Hidden Fragrance Pavilion," and were signed by Governor Jeff of the West and Governor Marco Bwe of the South, respectively.
Phoenix Vane smiled slightly as he saw Aurelian Dragon put down the invitation, saying, "The two major factions have begun their first round of contact with you, the Governor who holds the safety of Esnia in your hands."
"Oh dear, being a man is really hard work!"
After changing her clothes, just before leaving, Aurelian Dragon suddenly sighed to the women in a serious tone.
Phoenix Vane smiled and before he could answer, Lynette Quill pouted and said, "You're going to 'Dark Fragrance Pavilion,' which is known as a man's paradise in Esnia. I bet you're having a blast. Don't put on airs in front of us."
"Heh, you really know how to cause trouble. I'll teach you a lesson when I get back!"
Aurelian Dragon grinned and lightly pinched Lynette Quill's smooth, delicate face, then turned to leave happily, only to be stopped by Phoenix Vane.
"Aurelian, remember this: we're going to do a thorough check when you get back. Don't go out and do anything too outrageous, or you'll be in trouble!"
"Oh no, Phoenix is unhappy!"
Aurelian Dragon was secretly surprised as she looked at Phoenix Vane, who was maintaining a serious and dignified expression. However, she then saw a gentle smile suddenly appear in the beautiful female general's phoenix eyes, and a huge weight was lifted from her heart.
"Hey, Phoenix, you really gave me a fright!" Aurelian Dragon looked at Phoenix Vane ingratiatingly, then solemnly assured the stunning beauty that he would remain chaste.
Phoenix Vane nodded with a smile, and said coquettishly, "Fine, you can go now!"
Watching Aurelian Dragon depart surrounded by eighteen female guards—a title Phoenix Vane came up with to distinguish her from his own Golden Phoenix Guards—Lynette Quill said to Phoenix Vane, "You knew this guy was just being polite, so why didn't you say anything?"
Phoenix Vane had already discerned his status and importance in Aurelian Dragon's eyes from the change in his demeanor. Upon hearing this, he couldn't help but laugh and say, "Lynette, think about it. What difference does it make whether I say it or not?"
Lynette Quill laughed at this, and finding it funny herself, she said, "Actually, I know that too, but I just couldn't help it when I saw how eager he was."
Phoenix Vane laughed and said, "Silly sister, with such energy, why don't you find a way to drain his energy in bed? Then he won't have so much energy left."
Lynette Quill nodded repeatedly and said, "That's right, how come I didn't think of that? I need to go and study the book Lunaria Dawn gave me." With that, she turned and ran into the inner room.
Phoenix Vane watched Lynette Quill's retreating figure, shaking his head with a smile. Lynette's straightforward temperament had never changed since childhood, which was precisely what made her so attractive.
※ ※ ※
When Aurelian Dragon arrived at "Dark Fragrance Pavilion," the city lights were already on. Countless large lanterns were lit in front of the pavilion's gate, illuminating the surroundings as bright as day. The area was bustling with activity, a scene of constant activity.
The "Dark Fragrance Pavilion," touted as the premier establishment in Esnia, is indeed impressive. Entering through its grand and ornate gate, one is greeted by a large parking lot with hitching posts and all the necessary amenities. All carriages and horses proceed from the left to the bottom of the steps, where waiters naturally greet distinguished guests and guide them directly up the steps. The carriages and horses then circle around to their parking area from the right. Everything appears so orderly and the atmosphere is quite grand.
Moreover, the prices at "Dark Fragrance Pavilion" are among the highest in Esnia; it's not surprising that a single banquet could cost a fortune. Here, wealthy gentlemen can purchase delicacies specially transported from all over the land. The most famous is the six-winged flying fish from the Luochuan River in the southern part of the Fast Empire. These are transported by fast horses to ensure their freshness and liveliness. A three-pound six-winged flying fish served on the table costs a full ten taels of gold. The value of just one such fish could support a poor person for a year.
However, what this place is most famous for isn't its food, but rather its beautiful women. If you have money, you can find any kind of girl you can imagine here—beauties of all shapes and sizes, from all over the mainland, tall and short, thin and plump, from innocent courtesans to seasoned veterans in bed, from poets to musicians, the choice is yours. Even women from official and wealthy families are available, because the wives and daughters of those who lost in power struggles were often sold as female slaves by the government.
Just as Aurelian Dragon and his companions stepped onto the stairs, they suddenly heard a clear voice call out, "Lord Ye, please wait!"
Aurelian Dragon frowned immediately. He recognized the voice and turned around helplessly. He saw three handsome young men getting off an exquisite carriage and running towards him.
Before the boy in the lead even reached Aurelian Dragon's side, he said with great joy, "I thought I'd missed you! I've finally found you!"
Aurelian Dragon sighed inwardly and said softly, "Your Majesty..." It turned out that these three were none other than Princess Selene Qian and her two twin sister maids.
Princess Selene Qian quickly waved her delicate white hand, stopping Aurelian Dragon from speaking, and said, "Don't shout it out. Can't you see what we look like now?"
Aurelian Dragon shook her head and said, "How did you end up here?"
"Am I well-informed?" Princess Selene Qian said smugly as she moved closer to Aurelian Dragon. "I knew you, this womanizer, would attend their banquet, so I've been waiting here for a long time."
Aurelian Dragon muttered to himself, "This is terrible!" He looked at Princess Selene Qian's pretty face and said gently, "This is not a place for you. You should go back with Xiaochun and Xiaoqiu."
"No!" Princess Selene Qian shook her head vigorously. "I want to go in with you. Everyone says this place is very interesting."
The man, inwardly lamenting his misfortune, frowned even more deeply. He knew without a doubt what the consequences would be of bringing such an energetic young woman to a place like this. What troubled him even more was how Princess Selene Qian, with her noble status, could be allowed to come to such a place. If someone saw through this and reported it to the Emperor, it would be a serious offense.
No matter how much Aurelian Dragon tried to persuade her, Princess Selene Qian insisted on joining in the fun. The man, at his wits' end, realized that if he continued to linger at the door, he might soon become the center of attention. In fact, people were already starting to notice them standing on the steps.
Aurelian Dragon said helplessly, "Fine, you can come in with me, but you can't let anyone see your identity. Also, don't cause me any trouble!"
Princess Selene Qian was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly. She would agree to any condition as long as Aurelian Dragon was willing to take her to see it. Smiling radiantly, she said, "I knew Aurelian was the best to me! Let's go inside quickly!"
Aurelian Dragon chuckled inwardly, then said with a very serious expression, "Don't forget, if you go in looking like this, everyone who knows you will recognize you unless you can change your appearance." Seeing Princess Selene Qian's stunned expression, he couldn't help but feel secretly delighted, thinking that this time he had really stumped this precocious little princess.
Little did anyone know that Princess Selene Qian's eyes darted around, and she suddenly tugged at Aurelian Dragon's sleeve, pulling him inside while whispering, "I have a plan, let's go inside first!"
Aurelian Dragon had no choice but to go inside with her. Obsidia Shade and the others behind him found it amusing to see Aurelian Dragon looking so helpless.
Upon entering the main hall, the guide waiter withdrew, and from this point onward, all the waiters were beautiful women.
A charming young woman stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Honored guest..."
Princess Selene Qian waved her hand and said, "Arrange a private room for us first, so we can have a few words."
Princess Selene Qian had eighteen female guards stand watch at the door, and then pulled Aurelian Dragon into the room.
Aurelian Dragon looked at Princess Selene Qian and said, "Alright, what tricks are you going to pull?"
Princess Selene Qian glared at him and said coquettishly, "You'll find out soon enough."
Before Aurelian Dragon could answer, Princess Selene Qian smiled mysteriously and then softly chanted two lines.
"What's this?"
While Aurelian Dragon was still confused, Princess Selene Qian's pretty face suddenly changed. Although it was still the same pretty face, the shape of her face was completely different. Apart from the look in her eyes, there was no way to tell that she was the same Princess Selene Qian as before.
Looking at the dumbfounded man, Princess Selene Qian said smugly, "Am I amazing? This is an extremely rare spell in white magic, called 'Face Changing Spell.' Very few people know this spell nowadays."
Aurelian Dragon was quite surprised. Just how far could this willful and beautiful princess go? He pretended to be full of admiration, which made Princess Selene Qian giggle.
Princess Selene Qian then exchanged clothes with her maid, thus impersonating Aurelian Dragon's attendant and following him around.
When Aurelian Dragon and his companions reappeared in the hall, they were taken aback. There stood twelve women, each as beautiful as the receptionist, lined up in the hall. In the center was a graceful and elegant woman accompanied by two stunningly beautiful young women, far surpassing the others in looks and dressed in a very alluring manner.
Upon seeing Aurelian Dragon, the beautiful woman stepped forward, bowed, and said very warmly, "This is the first time Governor Aurelian has graced us with his presence. I, Gao Xiaolan, have failed to greet you properly and am truly humbled. I hope you will forgive me!"
Could such a woman be the madam of "Dark Fragrance Pavilion"? It seemed quite different from his previous understanding. The man, who considered himself an expert in this field, couldn't help but stare at Gao Xiaolan, who looked like a noble lady, and was speechless for a moment.
Princess Selene Qian leaned close to Aurelian Dragon's ear and whispered, "This girl is the owner here. Everyone calls her Boss Gao. She's very famous in Esnia."
Aurelian Dragon thought to himself, "How do you know so much?" But before he could speak, the beautiful woman to Gao Laoda's left said with a smile, "Oh my, Lord Ye has come here with such a beautiful maid. Is it because you're afraid we don't have any ladies you like? We heard that the Eastern Governor is coming, so all the sisters in our courtyard have dressed up carefully, hoping to win his favor!"
Old Gao laughed and scolded, "How rude! How can you be so disrespectful in front of our Eastern Governor, Lord Ye?" Then he said to Aurelian Dragon, "Lord Ye, this is Miss Ruixue from our East Tower. She is very straightforward and outspoken. We hope you will understand!"
Aurelian Dragon laughed and said, "How could I bear to be offended by such a beautiful girl like Ruixue? With such intelligence and grace, Ruixue must be the leader of the East Pavilion, right?"
Ruixue winked at Aurelian Dragon and said in a sweet voice, "Lord Ye, you flatter me. I hope you will visit me more often in the future!"
At this moment, another equally beautiful woman glanced at Ruixue, then smiled seductively at Aurelian Dragon and said, "This humble concubine, Jiang Qianqian, on behalf of the sisters of the West Tower, welcomes Lord Ye. We humbly request your guidance!" It seems Jiang Qianqian and Ruixue are secretly vying for dominance. Apparently, within the "Dark Fragrance Pavilion," the East and West Towers have always been locked in a power struggle, with each young lady wanting to outdo the other.
Aurelian Dragon knew what was going on. He glanced intently at Jiang Qianqian, his gaze lingering on her high, firm breasts, and said with a smile, "Alright, I'll definitely give you some pointers, young lady."
Jiang Qianqian seemed overwhelmed with shyness, lowering her head slightly in character, then glancing sideways at the man before her with her watery, alluring eyes. Aurelian Dragon lightly reached out a hand and stroked her smooth, tender face; the skin beneath his touch was smooth and elastic, exuding youthful vitality.
"You're so naughty!" Jiang Qianqian leaned closer to Aurelian Dragon, her voice sweet and cloying, displaying her captivating charm. Ruixue, not to be outdone, released her own fragrance, pressing half her body close to Aurelian Dragon, her soft voice dripping with seductive allure.
While enjoying himself, Aurelian Dragon chuckled to himself, "Good heavens, trying to pull this on me? I've seen it all, all brothels are the same." However, he had to admit that the two beauties in front of him were extremely skilled at seduction, even he, a man who had once been involved in the world of pleasure, was somewhat tempted.
Boss Gao watched closely from the side, thinking to himself, "I was just afraid you wouldn't eat this, this is good!" This man was indeed as lecherous as the rumors suggested, which was something to be very happy about.
After a sensual opening, Boss Gao presented a "Thousand Flowers" scroll at the opportune moment. The scroll, sprinkled with gold, displayed a thousand flowers of various shapes and forms, exuding a fragrant aroma; the entire scroll was exquisitely crafted. The cover featured a portrait of a woman in palace attire, her curves and posture flawless, clearly the work of a master. Strangely, however, the woman's face was veiled by a thin veil, obscuring her features and preventing any discernible identity. This, in turn, only heightened the viewer's curiosity, making them eager to see her true face.
"Lord Ye, our pavilion will hold the selection ceremony for the top scholar on the full moon of the fifteenth of next month. We cordially invite you to attend!"
"Oh, what kind of banquet was it?" Aurelian Dragon had only glanced at the Thousand Flowers Token when Princess Selene Qian secretly nudged his back. Understanding the gesture, the man had no choice but to hand the token over to satisfy the princess's curiosity.
"It's about choosing this year's courtesan!" Boss Gao explained with a smile. "Each of our distinguished guests will present flowers to their favorite lady on the spot, and the lady who receives the most flowers will be this year's courtesan."
After hearing Gao Laoda's explanation, Aurelian Dragon truly admired the woman's ingenuity in coming up with such a scheme to make money. Generally, men of status don't want to lose face in such situations, so they will naturally do their best to demonstrate their strength. Of course, this also has a prerequisite: the girls they choose must have the means to make the men spend a fortune.
Seeing that the women behind Aurelian Dragon were also about to follow, Elder Gao hesitated and said, "Lord Ye, we have a special place here for your guards to rest..."
Aurelian Dragon knew perfectly well what was going on, so she said to Obsidia Shade and Cynthia, "You two should take a rest!"
Before Obsidia Shade and Cynthia could answer, Princess Selene Qian objected, immediately replying, "Young master, Madam told me to stay with you the whole time!"
Aurelian Dragon glared at him, then straightened his face and said, "Who's in charge here? Stop arguing! Besides, the host has already said so, so we should go along with it!" As he spoke, he couldn't hide the smile in his eyes.
Princess Selene Qian suddenly realized that this man had planned to get rid of her here. Seeing Aurelian Dragon, accompanied by Boss Gao and flanked by Ruixue and Jiang Qianqian, strutting away, she couldn't help but stomp her feet in frustration.
A beautiful waitress led them to a flower-filled hall, served them fragrant tea and exquisite pastries, and then withdrew. Originally, "Dark Fragrance Pavilion" had also prepared pretty maids to serve the guests' guards, but seeing that Aurelian Dragon's guards were all charming women, they had to cancel this most popular service.
However, Aurelian Dragon's visit to a brothel with such a group of beautiful women later became a laughing stock, and this incident was recorded by later busybodies in "The Great Emperor's Strange Tales," becoming one of the many amusing examples among this man's many strange and unusual events.
Obsidia Shade glanced at Princess Selene Qian, who was secretly angry, and smiled slightly, saying, "Your Highness should know that having women like us around is just getting in the way, isn't it?"
Princess Selene Qian grabbed a pastry, popped it into her mouth, took a few big bites, and said, "So, do you have any ideas?"
Amazed by the princess's thoughtfulness and intelligence, Obsidia Shade smiled and said, "If the young master won't let us go, can't we go secretly?"
"You mean…" Princess Selene Qian's beautiful eyes darted around, and she clapped her hands, "That's right, how come I didn't think of using invisibility?"
Obsidia Shade nodded and said, "Smart!" Then she said to Cynthia, "You stay here and keep watch, I'll go in and take a look." Cynthia nodded.
Princess Selene Qian turned to look at the twin sisters who were hiding far away for fear of their mistress's anger, and said, "You two stay here too!"
Thus, the Dark Clan's expert used his most proficient invisibility technique, and the beautiful young woman, a Grand Master of Strategy, vanished silently from everyone's sight. Their abilities surprised even the goddess warriors present. It seemed that there were quite a few people among the human race whose skills were no less than theirs. Obsidia Shade was not surprising, but Princess Selene Qian's strength was not much inferior to those heroes in the War of the Hundred Races.