Tang Dynasty Prison Administration

056: Steamed Bun Shop

Before long, Su Wen and Xu Ge arrived at Wangyue Tower. Although the madam of Wangyue Tower had been thrown into jail, the owner of Wangyue Tower was still there. It was just a matter of losing a madam, so Wangyue Tower was still open.

Since Han Xuan frequently visits this building, and given the diverse population here, it is naturally the best place to gather information.

The place was bustling with people. There was a stage in the middle of the main hall where people were playing music and singing. The building had three floors, and every floor was packed.

The side rooms were all in the backyard. After Su Wen and Xu Ge arrived, they looked around. At that moment, a beautiful woman dressed in a light gauze came over and casually pulled Xu Ge, saying, "Gentlemen, there are seats here, please sit down!"

Xu Ge was quite startled by this scene and wanted to postpone his refusal, but Su Wen gently nudged him and said, "Come on, let's find somewhere to sit!"

After walking a few steps through the crowd, several women approached and immediately grabbed Xu Ge.

Su Wen followed behind Xu Ge, but he seemed rather lonely. Well, what could he do? Xu Ge was just too handsome.

A woman was about to go up and pull Su Wen away when she saw that Su Wen had a droopy face and a serious expression, as if someone in his family had died. Su Wen was not good-looking and was just an ordinary person. His clothes did not look like those of a rich person. He was dressed in plain clothes.

Looking at Xu Ge, he was not only tall and strong, but also exceptionally handsome. He was dressed in fine clothes, clearly a wealthy man. Who wouldn't want to chat with such a handsome and rich person?

Xu Ge reached out as if to ask for help, but Su Wen immediately said, "Young Master, there's no need to worry. We've come here to broaden your horizons!"

Upon hearing this, the bystanders realized that Su Wen was a servant, and immediately moved further away from him, crowding around Xu Ge.

A group of people came to a table with a soft couch on each side, covered with cotton and with mink fur on the backrests, like a modern sofa, or even more luxurious.

As soon as Xu Ge sat down, a woman sat on each of his left and right sides. One of them had one arm around Xu Ge's arm, while the other woman was even more unrestrained. She poured a glass of wine and tried to sit on Xu Ge's lap.

Xu Ge had never seen anything like this before. He tried to break free and stand up, but Su Wen reached out and pressed him back down, saying softly, "Young Master, please enjoy this!"

After speaking, Xu Ge merely glanced back at Su Wen, but the woman had already sat down in Xu Ge's lap and picked up her wine cup, saying, "Young Master Xu, you are truly a handsome man! Come, have a drink to moisten your throat!"

After saying that, she gave Xu Ge a drink, and then the woman started to touch him inappropriately.

Just as Xu Ge was about to speak, Su Wen asked softly, "By the way, ladies, my young master and I have come from Luoyang. We've heard there's a renowned physician in this county named Han Xuan. Do you know him?"

Upon hearing this, one of the women couldn't help but laugh and said, "What kind of divine doctor is Han Xuan? He can't even heal himself, so how can he be called a divine doctor!"

Upon hearing this, Su Wen asked with some curiosity, "What do you mean? Does he have some kind of illness?"

Upon hearing this, the women couldn't help but smile, but none of them spoke further. Xu Ge sensed something amiss and decisively pulled the woman in his arms into his embrace, saying with a smile, "I heard he's a divine physician, which is why I rushed here from Luoyang. If he isn't, I can return to Luoyang. But could you please tell me, my lady?"

The woman smiled and said softly, "Han Xuan used to come often, but he hasn't come since that incident!"

Xu Ge asked anxiously, "What is it?"

The woman smiled, then pretended to jump down, saying, "My lord, kiss me first, and I'll tell you!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Ge hesitated for a moment and looked at Su Wen, who turned away, pretending not to see.

Xu Ge steeled himself and kissed the woman's cheek. Seeing this, the two women beside him grabbed Xu Ge's hands and kissed him too, one after the other. The woman in his arms then wrapped her arms around Xu Ge's neck and whispered, "My lord, one more kiss, and I'll tell you!"

Before Xu Ge could react, the woman kissed him on the lips. Su Wen, who was behind her, couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

Xu Ge hurriedly asked, "Can you tell me now?"

The woman smiled and said, "Of course, my lord!"

As she spoke, the woman deliberately lowered her voice and said, "This matter must not be known to outsiders, otherwise Han Xuan will go crazy and beat people up!"

Xu Ge nodded.

The woman laughed and said, "That Han Xuan is a eunuch!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Ge asked with a blank expression, "How did you know?"

The woman smiled and said, "It was Xiaoyue who said it!"

Upon hearing this, Su Wen immediately frowned, and Xu Ge looked at Su Wen with a look of sudden realization: "Master?"

Su Wen nodded, pondering for a moment, then looked at the woman and said, "I heard from your madam at Wangyue Tower today that Xiaoyue'er is not talkative and has only sold herself twice, once to a merchant named Mo Chuan and the other to Han Xuan. Logically speaking, such private matters shouldn't be told to you. How did you find out?"

The woman replied, "That day, Han Xuan and several of his friends came together. They were drinking and having a good time when Xiao Yue'er's mother fell ill and needed money. So she decided to sell herself. It was her first time selling herself, so naturally she had to pay a high price. Han Xuan bought her. Not long after, Xiao Yue'er needed money to treat her mother's illness, so she sold herself a second time for a much lower price."

"But afterwards, Mo Chuan gave the madam a lot of money, claiming it was Xiao Yue'er's first time. So the madam went to ask Xiao Yue'er, and then everyone found out that Han Xuan was a eunuch and had absolutely no ability to have sex!"

As she spoke, the woman gestured with her finger, saying, "They say it's only this tiny bit, not even as thick as a nail!"

Upon hearing this, the women laughed, but Su Wen remained serious, his mind racing with thoughts.

Xu Ge then looked at Su Wen and asked, "Master?"

Su Wen frowned and said, "This is the motive for murder!"

Su Wen thought for a moment and said, "Xu Ge, we can arrest him now. If I'm not mistaken, the victim's head should be in his home, hidden away by him!"

Upon hearing this, the women's smiles vanished instantly. They stopped what they were doing and looked at Su Wen with fear in their eyes. One of them asked timidly, "Are you from the government?"

Su Wen smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for informing us of this. Young Master Xu cannot accompany you today. We'll meet again another day when he has more time!"

After saying that, Su Wen turned and walked towards the door. Xu Ge also quickly pulled her hands out of the women's arms and followed behind Su Wen.

After leaving Wangyue Tower, Xu Ge asked with some confusion, "Master, since you knew you could get some information from here, why didn't you just summon them to the county government?"

Su Wen glanced at Xu Ge and said, "Wangyue Tower is a major taxpayer in this county. If you summon everyone back to the county office for questioning, will they still be able to do business? If they go bankrupt, what will happen to Fei County's tax revenue? Also, what do you think of Wangyue Tower?"

Xu Ge turned around and said, "Extremely luxurious; even the drinking cups are made of glass!"

"That settles it then. This place is clearly run by powerful and influential people. The madam was thrown into death row, but the owner behind Wangyue Tower didn't even bother to acknowledge it and continued operating. Can't you see the power behind Wangyue Tower?"

Xu Ge exclaimed as if suddenly realizing something, "Oh, I see!"