Four hours later, their assignment could already be considered barely complete. Whether they left or carried on depended entirely on their mood.
Old Liao licked his lips, still wanting more, and the Yamen Constables under him felt the same. Wanting to make a good showing before Officer Hou and avoid causing trouble, they had asked each pleasure house for twenty or thirty percent less than usual this time. Hou Niao was naturally pleased, but their own takings had also shrunk by twenty or thirty percent. Getting out here was no easy matter, and they were reluctant to return just like that.
They were old hands at dealing with this sort of situation, too. If they asked less from each establishment, they could naturally visit a few more to make up the difference. The prefectural office had set proportions for these spot checks, though exact compliance was naturally impossible. Checking one or two extra establishments would be no problem.
A Yamen Constable named Da Long sidled up to him with a rotten idea. "Chief, the Heavenly Fragrance Tower seems to have plenty of customers today. We only need to give them a little hint..."
The Heavenly Fragrance Tower occupied no ordinary position on Wide Street. It was a place halfway between the vulgar and the refined. It offered the business everyone enjoyed, but also hosted high-end social gatherings and banquets, where the girls danced and sang merely to enliven the atmosphere.
With such a large business, its backing could hardly be insignificant. Thus, the Yamen Constables generally avoided coming here to stroke the tiger's backside during their spot checks. That, too, was an established custom.
But things were somewhat different today. Da Long smiled shiftily. "Chief, I went over for a look just now. Lots of the carriages and horses parked