I Quit Being This Female Lead (GL) - Chapter 32

Mangkai’s desire to visit a pleasure house was not a one-time thing. Who comes to ancient times and doesn’t want to visit one? If you’re not eager to go out and shop, there must be something wrong with your head!

However, Mangkai’s status was special; she shouldn’t have left her sleeping quarters, much less the palace itself.

“What does it matter?” Mangkai said while being helped into her clothes by the maids. “I remember we can get out through the side gate. Xiao Lu told me yesterday I could wander around freely, so I just want to go out and look around.”

She had been here for a month. If she didn’t get out, she’d go crazy.

Chun’er was still somewhat hesitant. Since she arrived in this novel, she had come straight to the palace in a sedan chair and had never visited the bustling pleasure house street. Although Mangkai had piqued her interest, she was a little scared, saying, “Is it really alright? Will we get caught and beaten?”

Mangkai blinked playfully and laughed. “If you don’t tell anyone, won’t it be fine?”

“Your Highness…”

Xiao Lu stood nearby, trembling with fear. She said in a shaky voice, “Do you really want to leave the palace?”

Mangkai chuckled. “Yes. The weather is quite nice today… perfect for shopping.”

“But, you only just came out of the Cold Palace yesterday.”

“It’s precisely because I stayed too long in the Cold Palace that I want to go out and walk around.”

Mangkai took the palace plaque from Xiao Lu’s hand and asked, “Do you want to come with us?”

Xiao Lu immediately shook her head, but just as she finished shaking her head like a rattle, she realized something was wrong. She quickly nodded and said, “I must accompany Your Highness. I’m afraid Your Highness might do something wrong!”

Mangkai’s eyes curved in a smile. “Then tell Xiangxiang that if anyone comes looking for me, just say I was tired yesterday and need to sleep more today.”

Xiao Lu eyed Mangkai nervously, nodded, and went out to prepare.

Chun’er watched Mangkai with wide, round eyes, unable to contain her curiosity. She said, “Sister, I find you more and more fascinating.”

Mangkai blinked and said, “Don’t overthink things, okay?”

There won’t be any result between the two of us!

The process of leaving the palace was very simple. Xiao Lu was a maid, so it was no big deal for her to take the palace plaque and lead two young attendants out to run errands. With so many guards in the palace, not everyone had the chance to see the Empress and Consort Chun.

And so, the three of them brazenly slipped out through the small side gate, ready for a good outing.

Chang’an Street was bustling and diverse. Chun’er was out for the first time, and her eyes were wide with wonder.

Mangkai held her arm like they were good friends, pointing to the small stalls ahead. “Let’s go look over there!”

Chun’er nodded. Then, as if remembering something, she blushed and said, “Um, Sister…”

“Yes?” Mangkai looked at her suspiciously.

“It’s been so long, and I don’t think I’ve told you my name,” Chun’er said, blushing. “My name is Jiang Chun’er. Sister can call me Chun’er from now on.”

Mangkai looked at her and couldn’t help but smile. “Alright~”

Having one more friend was better than having one more enemy. Mangkai was still shy around strangers and didn’t like fierce girls—Xun Fangwen being the exception, of course.

They wandered around the street, looking at many trinkets, but neither of them bought anything. The reason was very simple:

They were all fake, so what was the point of buying them?

“Sister,” Jiang Chun’er pointed to a three-story, brightly decorated building not far away. “Look, we’re almost there!”

Mangkai followed her pointing finger and saw the three-story building adorned with ribbons that fluttered gracefully in the wind, looking like soft hands playfully teasing the heart.

“It looks like it is,” Mangkai turned to Xiao Lu and asked, “Look, is that the pleasure house?”

Xiao Lu wrung her handkerchief. “That is indeed the place… But it’s daytime now. Is it really alright to visit a pleasure house in broad daylight?”

Jiang Chun’er laughed. “What’s wrong with visiting during the day? A pleasure house doesn’t necessarily just do flesh trade. They also have music to listen to during the day~”

That was true. While pleasure houses were more lively at night, they also had quiet and refined times during the day.

Furthermore, with a Female Emperor on the throne, the status of women in the current dynasty was not inferior to that of men. Occasionally visiting a pleasure house was no big deal.

Just as Mangkai and Jiang Chun’er were about to go over, Xiao Lu stood rooted to the spot.

Mangkai was surprised. She looked at Xiao Lu and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xiao Lu appeared confused, and her response to Mangkai’s question was very strange.

“I can’t go over there,” Xiao Lu said. “I can’t get past it. There’s a wall here. I can’t get past it.”

As she spoke, she touched the air in front of her with her hand, as if there really were a wall.

“Xiao Lu will wait for Your Highness here,” Xiao Lu said with a smile. “Your Highness, please be quick.”

Before Mangkai could react, Jiang Chun’er looked enlightened and whispered, “Action range restricted, huh.”

Mangkai turned to look at her.

Jiang Chun’er pouted, looking at Xiao Lu. “There’s no helping it. Their scope of activity is limited to the palace. They are restricted outside the palace. This is probably her limit.”

“Is that so,” Mangkai replied. “I thought I could take Xiao Lu with me to the pleasure house.”

“Yeah, I thought so too… ?!”

Jiang Chun’er turned to Mangkai, her eyes widening. “You understood what I just said?! Aren’t you… someone from the story?”

Mangkai blinked and smiled. “Did I ever say I was someone from the story?”

Jiang Chun’er: “…”

Jiang Chun’er: “Old pal/Hometown friend [Transmigrator]!!!!”

Mangkai: Who’s your old pal!!!!!

Inside the Imperial Palace.

After finishing the morning court, Xun Fangwen was changing into her comfortable casual clothes and asked, “What is the Empress doing now?”

The Chief Attendant lowered her eyes and replied, “This servant heard she was tired yesterday and is still resting.”

“Tired?”

Xun Fangwen pondered for a moment, pursing her lips into a smile. “Then I shall go visit her.”

The attendant was confused. What’s going on? The Female Emperor hasn’t been herself lately. Why is she running over to the Empress every other day?

When she used to climb the rafters, the attendant could pretend not to know, but now that climbing the rafters no longer satisfied the Female Emperor, had she started going directly to the door?

It was no wonder her head was full of questions. After all, Xun Fangwen used to get annoyed even by a glance at the Empress, and after banishing her to the Cold Palace, she felt as refreshed as if she had shed a skin.

Now, her eagerness made the attendant unable to comprehend.

But how could one disobey the Emperor’s command?

She lowered her head and said calmly, “Yes, I will arrange the sedan chair immediately.”

“No need to arrange one,” Xun Fangwen said. “It’s not far anyway. I’ll walk there. It’ll be a nice distraction.”

With that, she happily slipped out the door.

The other maids exchanged glances. When had they ever seen the Female Emperor so impatient?

The entourage arrived at the Empress’s sleeping quarters in a grand manner, only to find the main doors closed, with only maids and eunuchs sprinkling water and sweeping the courtyard.

Everyone was shocked when they saw Xun Fangwen approaching. They all ‘thump-thumped’ down onto the ground like dumplings being dropped, kneeling and trembling all over.

Though Xun Fangwen found it strange, her policy of intimidation had been in place for a long time, so it was normal for others to fear her. She didn’t pay much attention to it.

“Where is your mistress?” Xun Fangwen asked impatiently. “I heard she was tired yesterday. Is she alright?”

If such a considerate Female Emperor had appeared before, everyone in the palace would have been shedding tears of gratitude; it would have been a gift from heaven!

However, Xun Fangwen saw the maids and eunuchs weeping as if they were about to die, and her heart sank with a bad premonition.

“Wuwuwuwu, Her Highness the Empress, she…”

“Your Majesty, please spare our lives! Please spare our lives!”

“Spare our lives!”

Xun Fangwen’s beautiful brows furrowed. Ignoring the people kneeling on the ground, she flung her sleeve and rushed into Mangkai’s sleeping quarters.

She saw the bed neatly made, and the room was still as rich as ever, except…

“Where is she?”

Xun Fangwen turned to the maids. “Where is your Empress!”

The maids prepared to drop down again. Xun Fangwen flung her sleeve, smashing the purple clay teapot and teacups on the table to the ground, and roared, “Where is Mangkai!!! Where did the wife I’ve been searching for for so long run off to!!! Can you afford to lose her!!! Huh?!”

Chang’an Street, the most bustling area, was definitely the lane where the pleasure houses were located.

The wide road and the elevated brothels meant that even during the day, many people could be seen walking around, listening to music or chatting over drinks.

Without the cover of night, the area was as harmonious as a regular tea house.

However, the pink ribbons floating in the main hall and the impending Courtesan Queen selection battle highlighted the area’s nighttime prosperity.

Dusk began to fall. Mangkai and Jiang Chun’er had been out playing for a long time and still showed no intention of returning.

“Sister, my family is in the capital city. You can come visit me when you have time!” Jiang Chun’er said happily. “I’m in my senior year, so I have countless free time. If you come, I’ll definitely take you around the world!”

Her Sister Chun’er, aside from money, has nothing else!

Mangkai smiled and nodded lightly. She dared not say she was also in the capital city.

She was afraid that if she left, the girl would actually come looking for her.

Mangkai took a sip of the newly brewed plum wine. It was mellow, sweet, and had no discernible alcohol taste. It warmed her stomach, making her feel much more alert.

The two of them were chatting leisurely in a corner of the main hall when they suddenly heard a crisp drumming sound.

“Distinguished guests, distinguished guests~”

A seductively dressed woman walked to the center of the hall and announced to the crowd, “Tonight is our Yan Chun Lou’s annual Courtesan Queen election night! According to the rules, each gentleman and lady’s one gold piece counts as one vote. The one with the most votes will be this year’s Courtesan Queen!”

Some people in the hall applauded. Even Mangkai started looking forward to seeing what the Yan Chun Lou’s Courtesan Queen looked like.

Jiang Chun’er also craned her neck to look, laughing. “It looks like tonight will be lively. We don’t need to go back now. We’ll just wait and watch the Courtesan Queen selection!”

Mangkai also looked forward to it, wondering if the Courtesan Queen would be beautiful.

I wonder if she is more beautiful than Xun Fangwen?