Chapter 43: The Advanced Version

Since transmigrating, Bai Yu truly had not eaten anything decent. That previous meal of plain boiled sliced meat with garlic sauce had been his only encounter with meat.

Upon hearing Centurion Qian announce a dinner invitation, he couldn't help but ask eagerly, "Where? What are we having?"

Centurion Qian replied generously, "The Deyi Tower at the east entrance of West Courtyard Alley! I'm treating you all to a mutton feast! Roast mutton!"

In this era, mutton was considered a rather high-grade dish for banquets. Judging by the location at the east entrance of West Courtyard Alley, one could tell this meal wouldn't be cheap.

At the mere mention of "roast mutton," Bai Yu's cravings were practically crawling out of his mouth. "How embarrassing, you really shouldn't spend so much on us, sir!"

Back in his university days, anyone in the dorm who treated others to barbecue or skewers would practically be revered as an adoptive father.

Centurion Qian couldn't help but chuckle softly. Only now did Bai Yu look somewhat like a fifteen-year-old youth.

Naturally, Bai Yu wouldn't be the only one attending the feast; several other flag officers were invited as well, making it a small gathering for Centurion Qian and his subordinate circle.

The next day, Bai Yu eagerly endured a tedious duty shift in the guard room.

By afternoon, Centurion Qian led Bai Yu and a few other flag officers to Deyi Tower.

Located at the east entrance of West Courtyard Alley—the renowned entertainment district—its location made it clear that its greatest advantage was the convenience of calling women over from the alley to accompany them for drinks, just a few steps away.

One of the flag officers winked and asked, "Sir Qian! Any other arrangements?"

Centurion Qian replied, "Naturally. Each person gets a companion worth two qian of silver to accompany us for drinks!"

A wave of lavish flattery instantly erupted. The flag officers chimed in, "Sir Qian is magnanimous! Sir Qian is most righteous!"

With both the banquet and female companions included, this single meal would likely cost around ten taels of silver—a considerable hemorrhage of cash for Centurion Qian.

In truth, within a top-tier entertainment district like West Courtyard Alley, companions costing two qian of silver were merely of the lowest grade; those currently in high demand commanded at least ten times that amount.

Yet for these rough-hewed military officers and guards, two-qian companions were already a splendid treat.

The beauties currently riding a wave of high popularity catered exclusively to high-ranking officials, wealthy nobles, and romantic scholars—circles far beyond the reach of these men.

Bai Yu, whose stomach was practically sticking to his spine, cared nothing for drinking companions; he only wanted to eat more roast meat.

When the group stepped into the private room, six or seven beauties were already seated inside, waiting for them.

With no need to stand on ceremony regarding rank and seniority, each man simply selected someone who caught his eye and sat directly beside her.

In a place like West Courtyard Alley, companions who came out for a price of two qian generally fell into two categories.

One group consisted of young girls sent out to gain experience in socializing; the other comprised older women who had yet to make a name for themselves.

Everyone had already chosen their targets, laughing and scrambling to grab their preferred spots.

Only Bai Yu lacked experience, and being young and embarrassed to push ahead, he remained standing at the back.

In the blink of an eye, seats beside all the fresh, youthful young girls were completely taken.

The aesthetic preferences of this group of older men were astonishingly uniform: young, fair, and slim.

Only one "older" woman of eighteen or nineteen was left. Though quite alluring, she remained sitting by herself with no one beside her.

Left behind with no other choice, Bai Yu took the seat next to her.

In any case, Bai Yu's sole purpose was to eat roast meat, and he wasn't picky about who sat beside him.

If not for the sake of blending in with the group, following the crowd, and saving face for Centurion Qian, Bai Yu wouldn't have wanted a female companion at all! Women would only slow down his eating speed.

A gathering of military men naturally lacked the refined airs of a literary literati assembly; everyone drank deeply, ate heartily, and bantered with absolute lack of restraint.

Bai Yu well knew that functions like AI poetry generation were utterly useless here, so he had no delusions of showing off, content simply to eat and drink in peace.

Once fully fed and satisfied, Bai Yu began chatting idly with the alluring companion beside him, whose stage name was Saiyu, inquiring about the market for poetry in West Courtyard Alley.

Though Bai Yu had long intended to develop a poetry business and peddle verses within West Courtyard Alley for profit, he had lacked both the opportunity and funds to conduct market research. Now that he had encountered an insider, he naturally seized the chance to gather information.

Saiyu frowned slightly and replied softly, "This humble servant does not understand poetry, nor have I ever accepted any, so I am not well-versed in such matters. However, I have a good younger sister in the same courtyard who is quite talented and frequently exchanges poems with scholars. The young master might go over and inquire with her."

Riding the momentum of her words, Bai Yu asked, "Could you introduce me to her? It won't take much time; I'll just exchange a few words and clarify the situation."

Saiyu hesitated for a moment, perhaps weighing whether it was worth her while, before finally nodding gently and agreeing:

"You may wait until the banquet concludes, young master, and accompany this servant back to the courtyard to speak face-to-face with my good sister."

As the sun slanted westward, the gathering came to an end, and the group stumbled down the stairs in a drunken haze.

Centurion Qian had consumed the most and was nearly unable to walk on his own, having to be supported by two men as they exited.

The two qian merely covered the cost of companionship during the drinking session; once the banquet ended, any warmth or affection naturally returned to zero.

As the men were bidding each other farewell downstairs, someone suddenly pointed toward the western alley and asked in astonishment, "Where is Brother Yu heading?"

The others turned their heads to look, only to see Bai Yu slowly following the female companion from earlier deep into the alley.

A wave of envy churned in the hearts of the flag officers. Centurion Qian cursed through hazy, drunken eyes:

"Damn it! Being young really has its perks! That little brat is clearly being invited back to the room by the beauty—for all I know, he's going to spend the night! And I'll wager he doesn't even have to pay extra, because the little punk hasn't a single coin in his pocket!"

West Courtyard Alley was quite long, and despite its name, it was actually broader than an ordinary street, easily wide enough for two carriages to pass abreast.

pavilions and courtyards lined both sides one after another. Since it was not yet peak hours, there were not many people moving about in the alley.

Bai Yu followed Miss Saiyu for a short while before turning into a courtyard gate adorned with colorful lanterns.

Saiyu exchanged a greeting with the procuress in the front hall, then led Bai Yu into a refined chamber in the east wing courtyard, where a young maid served them tea.

Saiyu explained, "Please sit and wait a moment, young master. This servant has already sent someone to invite my sister over."

As this was his first time visiting such a high-end establishment, Bai Yu curiously stood up to examine the calligraphy and paintings on the walls, as well as the ornaments on the shelves.

Pity that the AI lacked a camera scanning function; otherwise, he might have been able to authenticate what they were.

To his surprise, there was even a manual of erotic paintings on the bookshelf. Just as an intrigued Bai Yu was examining it intently, a piercing shriek suddenly rang out from behind him.

Taken completely off guard, Bai Yu jumped in fright. Unsure of what had happened, he hastily turned around to look.

To his shock, Saiyu's outer garments had somehow been half-torn away, exposing her snow-white shoulders and a large portion of her chest.

Bai Yu: "......"

Saiyu's face was plastered with an expression of "terror," her eyes brimming with tears as she continued to shriek loudly, "Aah! Master, please don't do this, aah!"

What the bloody hell! Bai Yu's brain let out an instant buzzing sound as his blood pressure skyrocketed rapidly! Countless unpleasant memories from his past life came rushing back.

He even recalled the warning given earlier by Lu Baiyi—truly, such traps were impossible to guard against, and the modus operandi was surprisingly advanced!