Under the night sky, the lights of Bamboo Residence were bright, with the pleasant sounds of string and woodwind instruments along with women's singing voices drifting out.
In the Da Lan Dynasty, both casinos and brothels were legal, with brothels further classified into four ranks, managed specifically by the Inspection Bureau.
Fourth-rank brothels were the well-known dens of flesh, purely dealing in the flesh trade, high in turnover and varying in quality.
Third-rank brothels, known as the "lower places," had fixed locations. Although they also dealt in the flesh trade, the quality was comparatively higher.
Second-rank brothels, called "tea houses," were semi-professional, semi-flesh trade upper-middle-class establishments. Some middle-class individuals with a bit of spare change liked to call two or three good friends to "taste the tea" during their leisure time.