Chang'an Military Mansion, west gate.
Li Bao stood beside the brazier, craning his neck and looking expectantly into the distance. Beside him, the wily old Han Ya chuckled. "It's rare to see someone this eager while standing watch."
The brazier had turned Li Bao's face bright red. "I was just wondering whether to go home and sleep after my shift or have a drink."
"Want to go to Red Candle Street?" Han Ya stroked his chin. "Don't worry. Big Brother Ya will take you there and guarantee you find a woman who'll leave you thoroughly satisfied."
Red Candle Street was Chang'an County's famous red-light district. It had everything from high-end establishments to cheap ones. Every night, red candles were lit outside each building, resembling the candlelight used when newlyweds entered their bridal chamber. Han Ya was over forty and still a bachelor, yet he spent all his Jade Salary on Red Candle Street. Whenever he was on leave, he played the groom every night. He was the mansion's famous "commentator," and whenever everyone grew bored during training, they passed the time by listening to Han Ya's stories about entering bridal chambers.
"I wouldn't dare. I'd be punished for leaving the mansion without permission!"
"Then how about we go together when we're on leave in a couple of days?" Han Ya tempted him. "The girl I met last time—tsk, tsk, tsk. Her face was so tender you could squeeze water from it, and her butt was big and white. When she cried out, she clung to a man tightly like a female cat, screaming as if she were dying. Want me to take you there and let you try?"
Han Ya's description was crude and simple, but it was stimulating enough for a greenhorn like Li Bao. He shook his head