Night fell without a moon.
Inside the pleasure house.
Patrons came and went, women in gauze weaving among them.
Li Zheng held a woman in gauze close, opened his mouth to drink the wine she offered, then slipped a hand into her clothes and fondled her.
A Bronze Captain sat nearby, now dressed in casual clothes. Like Li Zheng, he had a woman from the pleasure house in his arms and was teasing her.
After several rounds of wine and five courses of food, a knock sounded at the door.
The Bronze Captain released his companion and went to the door. After exchanging a few words with the visitor, he turned and gave Li Zheng a look.
Li Zheng understood. He patted the woman's rounded backside. "Wait outside. Unless I call for you, neither of you is to come in."
The Woman in Gauze rolled her eyes at him and slithered out, her waist swaying like a water snake.
She closed the door behind her.
Li Zheng straightened his slightly disheveled clothes, drained his cup of fine wine, and said, "Speak."
The Bronze Captain bowed at once. "My lord, Qin An has spent most of his time lately at the Blacksmith Shop or with Cheng Sufeng. We haven't been able to learn what he's doing there."
Ever since Qin An and Cheng Sufeng had made him look a fool, Li Zheng had tasked the Bronze Captain with watching Qin An's every move.
But Qin An's recent behavior had left the captain puzzled.
If Qin An wasn't at the Blacksmith Shop, he was at Cheng Sufeng's residence. Add his own lodgings, and his days followed almost the same three-stop route.
The captain didn't know what Lord Li intended, but with nothing to report, he feared Lord Li would punish him.
Li