The moon rose above the branches. Paulownia Street teemed with carriages and horses, and men and women out enjoying themselves were everywhere.
Dressed as an ordinary wandering swordsman, Ye Jingtang wore a bamboo hat and looked from side to side at the buildings lining the street, like a country visitor who had never seen the world.
Paulownia Street was the most prosperous street in the Capital City, famous for its pleasure quarters. But the street stretched for miles, and not all its establishments were brothels. Luxury shops were the most numerous, along with restaurants and teahouses that catered to ordinary customers. Many young ladies and married women strolled here at night too; they simply did not linger outside the two great brothels at its center.
The owner of Dragon Roar Tower had extensive business interests in the capital and owned more than one establishment. Another on this street was Four Directions Studio, whose head chef came from a family of imperial chefs stretching back generations. Enthusiasts respectfully called him the Cooking Overlord, or one could say an immortal of cooking. He had actually turned a vinegar-fried fish dish common in Jiangzhou into one of Yunzhou's Eight Great Dishes. Hosting guests at Four Directions Studio was much like throwing a banquet at Golden Screen Tower: it was considered the highest standard of hospitality in the Capital City. Seats therefore usually required a wait, and whether one got to eat there depended entirely on luck.
Ye Jingtang strolled leisurely down the street and soon arrived outside Four Directions Studio. The building was filled with noisy merriment, but two men dressed as waiters stood at the entrance. Whenever diners approached, they smiled and said a few words:
"Our apologies, honored guests. A young master from the Duke of Liang's Residence has reserved all