In the hall, Prince Qing lounged on the soft couch at the head of the room, teacup in hand, languid and seductive.

A good twenty-odd pretty boys stood in two neat rows in the middle of the floor.

Ning Chen knew they were pretty boys because every one of them had red lips, white teeth and a fine-looking face.

When the steward led Ning Chen and Feng Qizheng in, Prince Qing didn't bother to get up. "You're here? Sit wherever you like," she drawled.

She said anywhere, but she patted the empty spot right beside her.

Ning Chen rolled his eyes. He'd always known this painted slut was after his body.

He went over and took a chair off to one side, well away from her.

Not for his own sake. For hers. If the woman emperor ever found out, she'd chop Prince Qing's head off for sure.

Prince Qing waved a hand. "Someone bring tea!" she called sweetly.

A maid served the tea.

Ning Chen took a sip, then looked at Prince Qing and pointed at the pretty boys. "What's this... carnal pleasures in broad daylight?

Did we come at a bad time? Should I come back later?"

Prince Qing gave a coy smile. "The girl-alike house just sent them over so this prince could pick a few to keep for personal use. You two just happened to walk in on it."

A girl-alike house was a male brothel, also called a beehive... It was the same difference as between the courtesans' quarter and the pleasure houses: one was a state-owned enterprise, the other private. (TL Note: 象姑館, literally "house of those who look like girls." 象姑 also puns on 相公, an old word for a male prostitute. "Beehive" (蜂窠) was another period name for such a place.)

Prince Qing went on, "Well? What do you think of these little singers?"

In a girl-alike house they were called rabbits, little singers, little whores.

Only once they had a master were they called pretty boys.

Ning Chen looked the pretty boys over curiously. Good grief, a few of them were…