Note 1: Vermilion gates. In the Tang Dynasty, there were strict regulations regarding the color of the main gates of commoners' homes. Only those who had attained a certain official rank could paint their gates red. No matter how wealthy an ordinary family was, they were not allowed to paint their gates vermilion.

Note 2: Shengye Lane was a gathering place for courtesans in ancient Chang'an. Chongren Lane, located slightly west of central Chang'an, was one of the residential areas for the nobility. Xinchang Li was where examinees gathered for the imperial exams. Later in the text, Mingke Alley is mentioned as a famous place for keeping mistresses in golden chambers. These four locations are referenced in Tang Dynasty tales and storybooks.

Chapter One: The Sound of Autumn (Part One, Lower)

Mandarin duck pillow, red bed curtains, threads of spring filling the bedstead. A hint of vermilion lips slightly parted, two starry eyes half-open. Burning hot, burning hot, calling out, "Little troublemaker, don't be so flustered..." At first, the two were still playfully teasing each other, but as things progressed, a fire surged in both their hearts. Just as they were about to "risk it all for a single day of joy," a sudden rush of footsteps sounded from downstairs. With a creak, the door was pushed open, and Alice Clark's personal maid and zither player, Little Grace, hurriedly ran in.

"Young Marquis..." Startled by the intimate atmosphere in the room, the maid Little Grace stood with one foot inside the door and one foot outside, looking extremely awkward.

Henry Carter was furious, tossing the beauty in his arms onto the bed and turning around to shout angrily, "Has no one taught you manners? Always barging around everywhere with your hands all over the place. If this were my house, you'd have been dragged out and beaten to death with a stick by now!"

"I..." Little Grace's eyes turned red from his scolding, tears welling up. Seeing this, Henry Carter felt even more unsettled and uncomfortable. He couldn't help but glare and scold in a low voice, "Why are you crying? Besides crying and causing trouble, what else can you do?"

Alice Clark had already been prepared to give her all, and being interrupted at such a passionate moment naturally left her in a foul mood. So, seeing Little Grace being scolded, she didn't step in to help. She simply propped up half her face from the bed, gazing dreamily at Henry Carter's back.

As a courtesan, she had long understood her fate in this life. She never expected to marry into someone else's family as the main wife, only hoping to remain a favored concubine for life, and not be passed around as a plaything. Therefore, even for the maid destined to warm her husband's bed, she held high expectations, not wanting the man to look down on her in the future because of a maid. Just as she was feeling frustrated at Little Grace's incompetence, a muffled shout suddenly came from downstairs, "Second Brother, Second Brother, don't blame Miss Grace. I was the one who sent her to call you. Hurry up and get yourself together and come down—something big has happened!"

"What big thing? Come up here and say it! Is the sky falling or what?" Seeing someone stand up for Little Grace, Henry Carter couldn't keep pressing the issue. He glared fiercely at the doorway and shouted loudly.

"Then I'll come up and say it. I hope I'm not disturbing Miss Bai!" The rough voice downstairs called out again, then hurried up the stairs in a few strides. "I didn't mean to interrupt you, Second Brother. But the brothers were bullied badly today. If you don't stand up for us..."

As he spoke, he had already arrived. Alice Clark peeked around Henry Carter's back, frowning her willow brows to look. She saw the newcomer with a big black eye over his left eye, two bruises on his right cheek, and his nose and mouth stuffed with a wad of hemp cloth, blood still oozing out. He really looked like he'd been beaten badly—no wonder he came to Jinhua Tower for help.

"Who was it that dared to hit you so hard?!" Seeing his childhood friend beaten to such a state, Henry Carter's desire instantly vanished. He pulled over a stool, pressed the other down onto it, grabbed a towel from the dressing table, tossed it into the washbasin, and angrily questioned him.

"A bunch of damned outsiders." Black Eye took the towel Henry Carter had washed, wiping the dirt and blood from his face as he answered aggrievedly. "Second Young Master, you have to go quickly. If you wait any longer, the cockfighting ring will be wrecked by them!"

"He wouldn't dare!" Henry Carter shot to his feet, grabbed his bright red cloak, and said, "This is Chang'an, under the Son of Heaven's feet. Is there no law here?"

"It's worse than lawless! Me, the two young lords from the Qin family in the west, and the fourth young master from the Ma family in the north—we were all beaten up by them! I even reported your name, Second Brother, and they didn't give a damn!" Black Eye stood up as well, dragging Henry Carter by the arm as he headed out.

Alice Clark had already recognized this uninvited guest. His surname was Bennett, given name Edward. He and Henry Carter had been close friends since childhood. But his temperament was very different from Henry Carter's—he was always getting into trouble and making his friends clean up after him. Out of respect for the men, Alice Clark hadn't planned to interfere, but seeing Henry Carter about to stand up for him without even asking what had happened, she couldn't help but frown and call out softly, "You're leaving already, Second Young Master? Young Master Bennett's nose is still bleeding, you know?"

"It's nothing!" The man with the black eye, addressed as Young Master Bennett, turned back and cupped his fists to her with a big grin. "Sorry to trouble you, Miss. Once my face heals, I'll definitely host ten tables of wine at Jinhua Tower and apologize to you in front of everyone!"