Blue Satchel Poem

Capital City · Hundred Flowers Pavilion

The Capital City lay beneath the emperor's feet. Officials, gentry, and scholars came and went beyond counting, while wealthy merchants passed through constantly. Plenty visited several times a year.

The brothels and pleasure houses were divided into every rank by these people's lavish spending, and every one of them made money hand over fist.

Those in the highest tier had more than prime locations, fine interiors, and beautiful, accomplished women. Each also had a patron powerful enough to serve as a shield even in the Capital City.

Hundred Flowers Pavilion was just such a money pit. It stood in a bustling district, not far from Prince Qi's Residence, with three stories facing the street. Three stories might not sound like much, but with the Imperial Palace and the major government offices in the Capital City, buildings outside the palace could rise no higher without special permission.

Yet Hundred Flowers Pavilion occupied a vast plot. Entering through the front door and making a full circuit would take some time, to say nothing of the captivating women who might steal a visitor's soul and stop him in his tracks every few steps.

A place so popular, so crowded, and so disinclined to investigate anyone's true identity was ideal for gathering intelligence. It was also ideal for meeting dangerous figures within the Capital City.

When those figures belonged to the Demon Race, a pleasure house offered some cover as well.

"Those not of our kind can never share our hearts!"

On the third floor, in a room no outsider had entered since Hundred Flowers Pavilion opened, Prince Qi stood motionless by the window. He watched the traffic stream below, his expression grave.

The room still held the air of a conversation that had gone badly, thick with