As the month entered the height of summer, Xi’an’s weather was so swelteringly hot that sleep became impossible. Thunder constantly rumbled faintly within the cloud layers, yet the dense clouds stubbornly refused to release their rain. During these dog days of summer, insects fell silent and birds vanished from sight. Even the watchdogs completely forgot their duties, finding shaded spots to lie down with eyes half-closed, tongues lolling out. The oppressive stillness felt as if some momentous event was about to unfold, making people’s hearts restless and anxious, creating an urge to tear open one’s throat and let out a great roar.

On street corners and in alleyways, elderly people constantly fanned themselves while sighing in chorus, saying they hadn’t encountered such steamy, sultry dog days in a full sixty years—this year’s harvest would surely be difficult to preserve. These were topics that could be discussed openly on the streets, but the private conversations could only be heard deep in the night within the courtyards of old neighbors in familiar quarters.

“Don’t think this unusual heat is necessarily bad—it might actually be Heaven helping us.”

“How so?”

“I heard this from the resident doctor at the pharmacy at the end of the street,” the speaker looked around cautiously left and right despite being in his own courtyard, and his listener wisely leaned in closer. “They say the Mongols come from the grasslands and can’t stand the heat. These days, many of them are getting heat rash and falling ill. If this continues…” his voice dropped even lower, “they might have to retreat without fighting.”

“Really?” The listener expressed doubt. “The Nian rebels attacking the city isn’t just idle talk—just last month they probed our defenses several times. Withdrawing troops at this point, the court wouldn’t agree to that either.”

“Tsk! You don’t understand. Being unsuited to the local climate only wastes military provisions, not to mention they’re suffering from heat plague. At a time like this, they should properly dispatch southern troops to assist in suppression—for instance, the Hunan Army or the Huai Army.”

“If Minister Zeng or Minister Li really came, that would be wonderful. They’re both reasonable officials, unlike this demon king…”

“Shh! Hold your tongue! Do you want to die?” The response came in an alarmed tone, barely stopping short of covering the man’s mouth with his hand.

The person who had uttered the words “demon king” was startled with fear, his face drastically changing color. Unconsciously, he turned to look back at the courtyard gate behind him. Though all was silent, in the pitch darkness it seemed as if a pair of malevolent eyes were staring intensely at them. The two men looked at each other and simultaneously shuddered, not daring to utter another word for a long time…

“Sengge Rinchen truly is a demon king!” At the same moment, an angry shout erupted from a monk’s quarters in an ancient temple within the city. Though this monastery wasn’t located in deep mountains but within the bustling city, its meditation halls were secluded and profound, with courtyards paved in blue brick. The meditation room doors and windows stood wide open, and young novice monks frequently drew well water to splash on the blue bricks in the courtyard, allowing wisps of cool air to seep into the rooms—making it a rare haven from the summer heat. Every evening, many Buddhist laypeople and benefactors from the city would gather here to enjoy the coolness. Naturally, most of these people were merchants wealthy enough to make donations. Over time, they had formed their own circle, all congregating in several large meditation halls beneath the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda to drink tea and chat idly. Though called idle chat, many people were visibly anxious and troubled, having no real interest in casual conversation. Their discussions inevitably returned to the current catastrophe facing Shaanxi’s merchant community.

“Loose lips bring disaster, loose lips bring disaster!” A man in a long gown and jacket beside him kept urging restraint, offering a bowl of lotus seed tea. “Come, drink a bowl to cool your temper.”

The one cursing continuously was a short, stout man in his early thirties, slightly bow-legged—anyone who regularly worked with horse caravans would recognize him as a merchant specializing in horse fodder, surnamed Gong. Though completely illiterate, he spoke quite bluntly. Being the second son in his family, people called him “Second Master Gong.” The man trying to calm him was his biggest annual customer—Eastern Merchant Xu of the Chengjiang Horse Caravan, who had a round, pleasant face and was famous for being a good-natured person. Knowing his temperament wasn’t suited for commanding others, he had entrusted his inherited family business to several caravan leaders while contentedly enjoying his wealth at home.

“Eastern Merchant Xu, you can’t say that. We’ve had dealings for over ten years—have I ever delayed business with you? If it weren’t for that demon Sengge Rinchen coming to Xi’an and stirring up trouble, I wouldn’t be unable to supply your caravan’s horse fodder. Don’t you agree?” Second Master Gong unceremoniously accepted the tea and drained it in one gulp, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before speaking even louder.

“Sigh!” Eastern Merchant Xu shook his head. His horse caravan traveled the Shaanxi-Gansu-Qinghai route, transporting goods for Yellow Sect lamaseries, much of which consisted of essential items for the summer Buddhist festival ceremonies. Therefore, contracts were extremely strict—even one day’s delay in delivery was unacceptable. With no fodder arriving now, the horse caravan couldn’t depart, making contract violations inevitable. Most worrying was that this might anger the Living Buddha and cost them the business of all the lamaseries in Qinghai Province—an immeasurable loss that could potentially dissolve the entire caravan.

Seeing that delays had become inevitable, the caravan’s major leaders spent an entire day in frantic consultation and finally devised a desperate solution: this delay in the caravan’s departure was fundamentally due to inadequate supply from several major merchants dealing in grain, cloth, candles, northern and southern goods, and horse fodder. Though the circumstances were understandable, the financial losses couldn’t be borne by the caravan alone—they must be shared. As for credibility, they would have to squeeze oil from stones to scrape together compensation for the lamaseries to retain this major customer.

With the plan decided, the leaders split up to negotiate. Due to the complexity of matters, even the eloquently-challenged Eastern Merchant Xu couldn’t remain uninvolved—he was assigned to approach Second Master Gong, the horse fodder supplier, since everyone knew Second Master Gong was straightforward and quick-spoken, presumably not difficult to handle. When Eastern Merchant Xu inquired and learned that Second Master Gong was enjoying the cool air at the Great Ci’en Temple’s meditation halls in the city, he arrived at the meditation room with great anticipation, only to find Second Master Gong sitting in the center holding a tea bowl, spittle flying as he enthusiastically recounted some strange tale. Having a favor to ask, Eastern Merchant Xu feared interrupting his storytelling mood, so he sat aside and listened.

“Everyone knows I sell fodder, and logically speaking, the fodder business is pretty dry—what fresh incidents could one encounter? Heh heh, if that’s what you think, gentlemen, you’d be quite wrong. Just a few days ago, I, Gong Er, encountered something fresh that happens once in a century.”

At this point, Second Master Gong deliberately stopped speaking, taking a sip of tea and savoring it slowly in his mouth—this was a feint, waiting for others to inquire so he could continue gloriously. However, after the time it takes to smoke a pipe, no one paid him any attention, leaving him hanging there awkwardly. Second Master Gong’s hot temper and tendency to offend people were well-known, but this cold reception wasn’t merely due to poor relationships—most of those present were in troubled spirits and unwilling to engage with such topics. Just as the situation grew embarrassing, a young man’s voice came from behind the crowd: “Oh, I’d be glad to hear the details.”

This concise phrase immediately rescued the red-faced and red-eared Second Master Gong, who gratefully smiled toward the source of the voice: “Which friend might that be? May I have your honorable name?”

Standing at the doorway was a person who had apparently just entered, with a smiling expression. One could immediately tell he was an extremely handsome and socially adept individual, distinguished by an scholarly air rarely found among ordinary merchants.

Just as he was about to speak, a man beside him wearing blue silk clothing and trousers with an unrestrained and elegant appearance snapped his folding fan shut and interjected: “This is Ancient Shopkeeper Gu Pingyuan from the ‘Taiyufeng’ Exchange House in Taigu County, Shanxi.”

Second Master Gong was also a man of social circles who frequently attended gatherings. He knew all the prominent figures in Shaanxi’s merchant community, and even recognized eight or nine out of ten wealthy merchants from other provinces who had business dealings with Shaanxi merchants. Though the young man standing up had an unfamiliar face, the blue-clad refined gentleman who had spoken was extraordinary—wasn’t this Eastern Merchant Qiao Zhiyong from Qiao Family Fort in Qi County, Shanxi, known as the “Bright Wealthy Master”?

Truly “a person’s reputation precedes them like a tree’s shadow.” Qiao Zhiyong possessed enormous wealth and was known in business circles as controlling “one of every three parts of Jin merchants’ wealth.” Though he was from a neighboring province, his reputation wasn’t limited to Shanxi alone. With Jin and Shaanxi provinces being close neighbors, Shaanxi merchants were particularly familiar with him. When Second Master Gong saw that Eastern Merchant Qiao’s friend had rescued him from the awkward situation, his face immediately lit up as if covered in gold, and he repeatedly cupped his hands in respectful greeting.

“Ancient Shopkeeper, I’ve long admired your reputation.” Second Master Gong completed the proper courtesies, then continued with that once-in-a-century fresh tale. Speaking of this matter, it was indeed extraordinarily strange, and Second Master Gong had witnessed and heard it firsthand. With his vivid storytelling, the crowd involuntarily became absorbed in listening.

The incident began over ten days ago. Due to the fodder shortage in the city, Second Master Gong couldn’t deliver on several previously agreed deals, and was pursued to his home by several donkey traders who pleaded desperately, leaving him at his wit’s end. These traders were willing to pay several times the normal price to obtain fodder because their animals couldn’t go hungry—one day of hunger meant weight loss, and prolonged hunger would result in total financial ruin. Second Master Gong spread his hands helplessly—there was truly nothing he could do. Even if he had fodder, he’d have to prioritize the Chengjiang Horse Caravan as his primary customer first. If he couldn’t even supply the caravan’s fodder, how could he help a few donkey traders?

As the argument escalated and faces were about to be torn apart, suddenly a companion of one donkey trader rushed in from outside, whispering that someone was currently willing to purchase a batch of large braying donkeys at reasonable prices. Since their current worry was being unable to sell their livestock, the donkey traders stopped pestering Second Master Gong upon hearing of potential customers and hurried off to conduct business.

Two days later, Second Master Gong was riding through the southern city market when he encountered those same donkey traders from the other day, all looking panicked and being escorted by bailiffs straight toward the city outskirts. Being someone who enjoyed excitement and having no business to attend to, he tugged his reins and quietly followed behind, wanting to see why these donkey traders had gotten into trouble.

Upon reaching the destination, Second Master Gong was greatly surprised. The donkey traders were merely there to provide identification, and their pointing fingers all indicated the same person—the famously beautiful and capable Du’er, the wealthy widow from Du Family Village. Watching this beauty being bound with ropes, Second Master Gong found it impossible to look away and followed all the way to the entrance of the Chang’an County courthouse, the primary county under Xi’an Prefecture.

When the county magistrate opened court and inquired about the case, both the courtroom and its surroundings erupted in uproar. Even the legal secretary recording the testimony stopped his brush and stared at Du’er the widow in amazement.

It turned out that Du’er the widow had a strange addiction—she craved eating donkey genitals, but only those taken at the moment of maximum arousal during mating. She would suddenly strike with a blade to sever the organ, extracting the donkey’s genitals from the male during copulation, then steam and consume them, calling this the ultimate delicacy. She needed to eat eight to ten such organs monthly to satisfy her craving.

Du’er the widow knew this was extremely cruel and shocking behavior, and being a widow made it doubly inappropriate for anyone to know, so she concealed it carefully. All the inner household servants involved in this matter were paid handsomely to prevent disclosure. Since she needed to prevent secrets from leaking, her personal maids naturally couldn’t be married off. The twenty-five or twenty-six-year-old senior maids, with their desires awakened, remained pitifully in the upper rooms. When they heard cats in heat at night, they could only bite through the bed corners, mending them repeatedly—their mental anguish was imaginable.

To maintain secrecy, Du’er the widow had always purchased live donkeys from distant places. This time, due to the Nian rebels’ activities making travel unsafe, her supply source was cut off. After enduring two months, she finally couldn’t bear it any longer and boldly took the risk of approaching local donkey traders.

When this group of donkey traders came to conduct business, one experienced philanderer among them took the opportunity to seduce one of the inner household maids whose eyes dripped with suppressed desires. During their intimate encounter in the rear courtyard’s woodshed, he naturally inquired why she had missed her prime years, resulting in hearing a bellyful of bitter complaints plus this strange tale.

Being someone capable of seducing maids in others’ households, he naturally wasn’t a gentleman who would keep secrets. Returning to the city’s mule and horse market, during wine-fueled celebrations in taverns, he proudly publicized this romantic conquest, inadvertently revealing Du’er the widow’s secret. With many loose tongues in taverns, one person present happened to be a relative of the Chang’an County magistrate. Without waiting for rumors to spread from one to ten to a hundred, by the next day, Magistrate Lu of Chang’an County, the provincial capital’s primary county, had heard this strange tale.

Magistrate Lu was a graduate of the imperial examinations who had passed both the provincial and metropolitan examinations and was originally appointed to the Hanlin Academy with prospects for refined scholarly positions. Unexpectedly, after three years of probationary service, he only received the lowest-ranking assignment to the “Tiger Class”—provincial appointments to fill vacancies as they arose—not even securing a capital position. This persistent resentment remained lodged in his chest, making him inevitably harsh when handling official matters. When others told him about Du’er the widow’s case as a joke, he immediately glared and declared, “The primary county is the model district—how can such morally corrupting affairs be tolerated!” He immediately issued an urgent warrant dispatching bailiffs to arrest Du’er the widow and all related parties, leading to the scene Second Master Gong witnessed.

The trial involved a graceful and outstanding young widow, with questions about such salacious strange news—naturally, the common people listening outside the courthouse gathered until the area was completely impenetrable. Du’er the widow knew that if she signed a confession in court, she would never be able to hold her head high again, so she gritted her teeth and refused to admit anything. Several maids and servants involved in the matter, seeing their mistress’s stance, also stubbornly denied everything, which angered Magistrate Lu, who ordered face-slapping. After more than ten slaps drawing blood from mouths and noses, one servant couldn’t endure it and revealed everything in detail. With one person confessing first, the others naturally followed, and combined with testimony from the group of donkey traders, even without Du’er the widow speaking, this could be considered a case with complete evidence of both witnesses and physical proof.

According to Qing Dynasty law regarding “morally corrupting” crimes, one could choose between corporal punishment or monetary fines. Du’er the widow had already lost ninety percent of her face—if she also suffered public humiliation through street parading, she truly couldn’t continue living. Her family owned a thousand acres of good farmland and inevitably dealt with yamen personnel during annual tax collection, so she knew many people in the county office. At this time, she approached a secretary to plead with Magistrate Lu, hoping to resolve the matter with monetary fines alone. Though this case was strange, it wasn’t particularly serious, so the secretary felt confident and accepted a hundred taels of silver as gratitude money before privately reporting to Magistrate Lu. After hearing this, Magistrate Lu merely smiled coldly and nodded noncommittally. Given his characteristically arrogant nature, the secretary didn’t dare press for a definitive answer, but since he hadn’t explicitly refused, he assumed the matter was settled.

Who could have known that during the next day’s judgment, a fire tablet thrown to the courtroom floor struck like thunder from a clear sky, announcing “Twenty strokes of the cane on the back!” The crowd of onlookers surrounding the courtroom erupted in noise upon hearing this punishment, and Du’er the widow nearly fainted.

What Qing law called “caning the back” was actually “beating the buttocks”—stripping off lower garments for public spanking. While men could endure this, for women it was tantamount to ultimate humiliation. Legal statutes clearly stated that except for “adultery” crimes, this punishment should not be applied to women. Regarding this case, Du’er the widow indeed had improper conduct for a woman, but she never dreamed Magistrate Lu would treat it as “adultery.” For momentary gluttony, she was publicly stripped of trousers and undergarments, beaten until both buttocks were bloody and bruised. The pain was bearable, but with so many people watching outside, the shame was truly unbearable. Her family hired a small sedan chair to help her into it for the return home. When they reached the family courtyard and set down the sedan, she didn’t respond to the first or second call. When they lifted the sedan curtain to look, Du’er the widow had already died by biting off her own tongue in shame and anger.

“When a person dies, it’s like a lamp being extinguished—only her relatives benefit, gaining much property for nothing. The hired servants were immediately dismissed, but the purchased maids couldn’t be disposed of easily, so they were sold again through official matchmakers. The lucky ones remained as maids, but most fell into brothel fire pits. Among them was the maid who had been seduced by that donkey trader. The donkey trader’s conscience troubled him—he hadn’t expected that loose talk would lead to a family’s destruction. At this point, he rushed over to purchase that maid and took her as a concubine, barely making token compensation.” Second Master Gong’s story also came from that donkey trader’s own account.

“This counts as improper punishment—Du’er the widow’s death could be considered wrongful. Didn’t her relatives file complaints?” Someone raised a question.

“File complaints? That requires money. She was a widow whose parents were both gone. Her relatives were only busy dividing the money—who would be willing to spend bright silver coins to fight lawsuits with the government for a dead person, especially one who had ruined her reputation!” Second Master Gong sneered coldly, and everyone naturally shook their heads and sighed.

“Second Master Gong, Second Master Gong!” Eastern Merchant Xu from the horse caravan had also been listening in amazement. Only now did he remember he had urgent business, and hurriedly approached while calling out repeatedly. When he explained his purpose, Second Master Gong didn’t even furrow his brow, but instead of responding to his topic, he unexpectedly began cursing Sengge Rinchen.

The Sengge Rinchen he cursed was a commanding prince currently suppressing the Nian rebels in Shaanxi. He had received imperial orders to control all civil and military officials and military forces in the three provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, and Shanxi—his authority in these three provinces was heavier than the emperor’s. Saying his power exceeded the emperor’s wasn’t mere words. Regardless of whether officials or commoners committed crimes, the emperor’s punishments had to go through the Ministry of Justice, with major cases requiring joint trials by the Three Judicial Offices. Death sentences required full court approval—not a simple matter. But if Sengge Rinchen wanted to kill someone, he only needed to produce the royal command flags and tablets for immediate execution without appeal, because he held the power of expedient judgment and could execute first and report later. This high-ranking, powerful prince was currently unable to deploy troops due to an unexpected matter, spending his days in furious rage at his main camp. He had simply begun “suppressing Nian rebels” within Xi’an city, extensively searching for Nian rebel spies. Anyone with the slightest suspicion was arrested for severe torture. Under the three wooden instruments of torture, forcing out a “yes” meant immediate execution with the yellow-flagged executioner’s blade and hanging heads on high poles. This had everyone in the city living in fear, communicating only through glances.

Eastern Merchant Xu was timid. Seeing Second Master Gong actually dare to point his criticism at the murderous Sengge Rinchen, calling him demon king repeatedly, he turned pale with fear and kept trying to dissuade him. But Second Master Gong wouldn’t listen, continuing to stand in the middle cursing incessantly. Eastern Merchant Xu rubbed his palms anxiously, not knowing whether he should flee or wait for Second Master Gong to finish cursing before discussing compensation for losses.

“Great deception appears straightforward.” Gu Pingyuan and Qiao Zhiyong, who sat nearby drinking tea, had been watching for a long time. At this moment, they looked at each other and shook their heads, with Gu Pingyuan softly uttering four words.

“Exactly—he’s merely using curses against Prince Sengge to frighten people. If that honest Eastern Merchant Xu still doesn’t get the hint, this seemingly straightforward Second Master Gong will probably drag him to the military camp to ‘collect debts.'” Qiao Zhiyong nodded.

“At that point, wouldn’t the honest man be scared into wetting his pants? That debt would never be mentioned again.” Seemingly unwilling to watch further, Gu Pingyuan stood up and walked into the temple’s courtyard.

Night had fallen deeply. Under scattered starlight, the famous Giant Wild Goose Pagoda of the ancient city stood close at hand, like a enormous demon-subduing pestle erected in the temple grounds. At this midnight hour, a breeze brought slight coolness, causing the copper bells on the pagoda corners around the tower spire to ring. Gu Pingyuan looked up at the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, which “rises like a surge, solitary and tall reaching the heavenly palace,” remaining silent. After a long while, hearing footsteps behind him, he knew Qiao Zhiyong had also come out.

“They say the underground palace of this Giant Wild Goose Pagoda contains Buddhist scriptures brought back by Tang Xuanzang, capable of subduing demons and eliminating evil—I wonder if it’s true or false?” Qiao Zhiyong’s tone carried unconcealed sarcasm. Xi’an was ancient Chang’an, with the most remaining ancient temples from the Han and Tang dynasties. This single Giant Wild Goose Pagoda was reputed to suppress evil demons in all ten directions, being completely immune to all poisons, yet it couldn’t prevent one human demon from turning everything upside down.

“Eastern Merchant Qiao, you saw what happened in the room just now. Ten-plus years of old friendship, forced by Sengge Rinchen to the point where ‘lifelong friends still press sword hilts’—this is the great misfortune of honest merchants. I abandoned scholarly pursuits for commerce, always harboring one wish in my heart—hoping that merchants could be respected like scholars! Achieving these three words ‘being respected’ isn’t difficult if you put it that way—it all depends on one word: ‘trust.’ But now in Xi’an city, who knows how many merchants have been forced like Second Master Gong to resort to such desperate measures? With merchant community morals failing so catastrophically, if I stand by with folded arms, I’ll never again be able to take pride in being a merchant!”

“Taking pride in being a merchant!” Qiao Zhiyong came from a merchant family, but this was the first time he’d heard such words. He was moved: “I know you’re not only doing this for these Shaanxi merchants, but also for me, Qiao Zhiyong, for Lei Granny, for us Jin merchants…”

“And for that Fourth Sister Chang too.” Seeing that Qiao understood his intentions, Gu Pingyuan smiled with relief. “Eastern Merchant Qiao, rest assured—I won’t walk into a death trap unless absolutely necessary. Even if I must die, I’ll certainly die contentedly and happily!”

Qiao Zhiyong’s eyes filled with tears, yet he couldn’t help smiling at these words, shaking his head: “Ancient Shopkeeper, you as a person…”

“Open the door! Open the door quickly!” Before Qiao Zhiyong could finish speaking, the temple’s silence was suddenly shattered by frantic door pounding. Gu and Qiao looked at each other, knowing this wouldn’t be good news. The night-duty guest monk hurriedly opened the temple gates, and a pack of wolf-like soldiers burst in. These murderous-looking soldiers whirled into the courtyard like a tornado, with their leading battalion officer shouting loudly: “Go identify him—which bastard dared curse the prince?”

He was speaking to a small man. By this time, people from the room had naturally all come out. Upon seeing this small man, everyone’s hearts tightened—this was a famous local rogue and scoundrel who had also been listening in the room but had disappeared without a trace, apparently to inform on them. Looking at the battalion officer, several people recognized him as well—he was one of Sengge Rinchen’s personal guard battalion officers. Despite being called a battalion officer, his rank was considerable—a fourth-rank military commander named Tie Haqi.

Second Master Gong’s eyes bulged wide, his heart pounding like drums. His cursing of Sengge Rinchen had been a desperate measure—if this debt could be repaid, why would he resort to such tactics that offended a ten-plus-year-old customer? But now, forced into desperation by Sengge Rinchen, cursing him served two purposes: escaping debt and venting anger. He never imagined that in this deep-night, vast meditation forest, there would still be some bastard who would report to officials overnight for money. Sure enough, the small man pointed: “That’s the one surnamed Gong!” Second Master Gong’s vision went black and he nearly fainted. Immediately two soldiers came over to bind his arms behind his back and push him into the center of the courtyard.

“Anyone else?” Tie Haqi asked again. Everyone present felt their hearts leap to their throats again—naming one more person meant one more share of reward money. This fellow had already lost his conscience—would he randomly accuse others?

“This…” The small man first looked at Gu Pingyuan, who had echoed the sentiments in the room, intending to point him out. Qiao Zhiyong, seeing the danger, stepped forward to block Gu Pingyuan, glaring coldly at the small man. The small man wasn’t a mad dog—he couldn’t afford to provoke the Qiao family! So he shifted his gaze to the round-faced Eastern Merchant Xu. Actually, he didn’t dare accuse Eastern Merchant Xu either—the Chengjiang Horse Caravan traveled through Shaanxi, Gansu, and Qinghai, often dealing with horse bandits, and the caravan had many skilled martial artists. The small man didn’t dare provoke such trouble. But his hesitation proved disastrous—Eastern Merchant Xu had a heart condition. Seeing the small man staring at him intently, his face involuntarily turned yellow, then from yellow to white. Just then, Tie Haqi roared: “Are there others or not?”

With a “thud,” Eastern Merchant Xu collapsed headfirst to the ground, foam flowing from his mouth corners, and a foul smell emanated from his crotch. When the guest monk rushed over to check, the man had already been scared to death—his gall bladder had burst from fright, and even if Hua Tuo were reborn, he couldn’t be saved.

“Hmph, Han Chinese, cowards!” Tie Haqi cursed contemptuously, then turned to ask Second Master Gong, “It was you cursing the prince just now, wasn’t it?”

“I…” Second Master Gong wanted to argue, but Tie Haqi didn’t listen at all. The moment he opened his mouth to say “I,” Tie Haqi drew a sharp dagger and stabbed it into his mouth. The blade didn’t go all the way in—only about an inch of the tip entered. He stirred it around in Second Master Gong’s mouth, then pulled it outward with force. A bloody chunk of flesh accompanied by an indistinct cry of pain fell onto the blue brick ground with a “splat.” With his arms bound, Second Master Gong could only hop about wildly with both feet, crying “ah ah ya ya” as blood gushed from his mouth in great streams, instantly staining the ground red.

Everyone watched as Second Master Gong, who had just been telling the story of Du’er the widow biting off her own tongue in suicide, suddenly had his own tongue cut off. They couldn’t help but be terrified. Seeing everyone silent as cicadas in winter, Tie Haqi smiled with satisfaction, clapped his hands twice, and two agile soldiers came forward to hold down Second Master Gong.

“By the prince’s military order, this person is a Nian rebel spy. His family property shall be confiscated for the state. As for the person himself…” Tie Haqi paused, scanning the entire scene, “These days, hanging you Han dogs’ heads on high poles doesn’t seem very effective. The prince says we should simply suspend this man from the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda’s spire for all the Han dogs in the city to see, as a warning to others!”

“Military Sir, this absolutely cannot be done!” The commotion had long since alarmed the abbot of the Great Ci’en Temple, who rushed over and heard these final words. In his anxiety, his robes trembled as he hurriedly intervened, “The court has its own laws for dealing with criminals. We religious folk dare not comment inappropriately, but the Great Ci’en Temple is a thousand-year-old monastery, and the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is a sacred Buddhist tower. Even Emperor Kangxi came here to worship Buddha—how can it be used as a place of execution?”

“Won’t work? Let me show you whether it works or not!” Tie Haqi was originally Sengge Rinchen’s household slave who had followed the Mongol prince through countless campaigns, learning an air of arrogance. His temperament was as violent and cruel as his master’s. With a wave of his hand, a squad of fully armed soldiers drew their steel sabres in unison, blocking the way before the monks. The two strong soldiers pushed and pulled Second Master Gong to the base of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, kicked open the tower door, and shoved him inside.

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda stood seven stories tall, representing the Buddhist Seven Treasures. Each level had eternal lamps offered by devotees, so the three figures climbing the wooden stairs could be seen clearly through the arched doorways on all four sides. Second Master Gong had lost too much blood and was half-unconscious by the time they reached the upper levels. The two soldiers dragged him to the seventh floor, where one climbed out through a window while the other, fearing Second Master Gong might suddenly struggle, struck him twice on the head with his sabre hilt. The sound of his skull cracking was clearly audible. They then passed him outside, and together hung Second Master Gong from the eave corner where copper bells were suspended beside the pagoda’s spire.

Second Master Gong wore white clothing and trousers, already conspicuous with blood splatters. Now suspended high up and illuminated by lamplight, the sight was truly shocking. “Amitabha Buddha!” The monks of the Great Ci’en Temple were filled with grief and indignation, never expecting their pure land to suffer such desecration. Following the abbot’s loud invocation of the Buddha’s name, they all prostrated themselves, with some sobbing audibly.

“Ha ha ha…” Tie Haqi laughed maniacally, waving his hand. “What, you sympathize with this spy? Hmph, it seems you’re all accomplices! Arrest all these monks and search this temple thoroughly to see if they’ve harbored Nian army rebels.”

The monks were shocked by these words. The Great Ci’en Temple had existed for a thousand years, containing countless Buddhist treasures from the West and precious items bestowed by emperors throughout the dynasties. It seemed Tie Haqi had developed thoughts of plunder. The people in the courtyard were all vegetarian Buddhist laypeople and disciplined monks—how could they tolerate Tie Haqi’s outrageous behavior? The crowd surged forward indignantly, wanting to reason with Tie Haqi.

Only two people in the courtyard didn’t move—one was Qiao Zhiyong, the other was Gu Pingyuan. In the past, Gu Pingyuan would have been the first to step forward, but having experienced several tragic changes, his thinking had become increasingly deep and mature: when dealing with venomous snakes, if you’re not certain of striking their vital point, it’s better not to strike at all, or you’ll inevitably suffer retaliation.

Tie Haqi’s heart was more poisonous than a snake’s. A sinister smile played at the corner of his mouth as he waited for the crowd to rush forward so he could order his soldiers to “cleanse the rebels.” Afterward, he would plunder the temple’s gold, silver, and treasures, then simply burn down this thousand-year-old monastery. With the dead unable to testify, who in Xi’an city would dare offend the Mongol prince by standing up for rebels?

Tie Haqi had already raised his hand, and just as the Great Ci’en Temple was about to meet disaster, suddenly the flocks of birds roosting in the surrounding meditation groves took startled flight, momentarily blocking out the sky. As everyone stared in amazement, the twenty-eight massive copper bells hanging around the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda began ringing on their own without any wind, producing a deafening “clanging” sound that disturbed everyone’s mind.

“This is…” The monks and the soldiers with drawn weapons all looked at each other. Before they could ask questions, suddenly the earth trembled and their footing became unsteady. Gu Pingyuan felt as if he were back in the Black Water Marsh, with his feet unable to find purchase on the soft ground. Fortunately, Qiao Zhiyong was standing beside him, and the two supported each other by linking arms, barely managing to stand steady. The people around them swayed and tumbled like drunkards.

Among the cries of alarm, two were particularly shrill. Gu Pingyuan glanced upward and saw the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda swaying like grass in the wind, and those two shrill cries came from the two soldiers who had climbed the tower. Originally, if they could have held tight to the pagoda’s eaves, they might have been fine, but the earthquake’s power was extraordinary. Finding themselves atop the Buddhist tower, they thought divine retribution had come swiftly. Terrified beyond measure, they tried to scramble back into the tower, but one carelessly lost his grip and fell from the tower, while the other, his courage shattered by his companion’s cry, also plummeted down with weakened legs.

The earthquake stopped after a short while. The Great Ci’en Temple’s buildings were solid—not even a single wall had cracked—but the continuous screams from all around indicated that civilian houses had collapsed and many people were surely affected. Although Tie Haqi was a fierce general, faced with this great disaster he lost his previous arrogance. He no longer mentioned searching the Great Ci’en Temple, had his men carry away the two soldiers’ corpses, and led his troops away until they vanished from sight.

Everyone was still dazed by the earthquake when Gu Pingyuan and Qiao Zhiyong, along with two Qiao family servants, had already climbed the tower. When they took down Second Master Gong, he was beyond saving. They could only carry his body to the meditation courtyard and place it under the corridor. People gathered around with indignant expressions on their faces. Though Second Master Gong was indeed straightforward and quick to offend people, he wasn’t an evil man—losing his life like this was truly not worth it.

“Heaven shows warning signs! Even the Mongol prince cannot ignore Heaven’s will. We should petition the Governor-General of Shaanxi-Gansu!” Qiao Zhiyong had remained silent before, but now seeing that popular sentiment could be used, he raised his arms and called out. Everyone responded, and a large crowd including several white-bearded old monks surged out of the temple gates toward the Governor-General’s yamen in the western part of the city.

The monastery instantly became cold and deserted again. If not for the several large pools of bright blood remaining beneath the tower, that heart-stopping scene might never have happened. Gu Pingyuan didn’t follow the crowd. He kept staring blankly at Second Master Gong’s eyes that wouldn’t close, his thoughts returning to a month ago when he had similarly gazed at someone’s eyes—and that person had also died with eyes wide open!

Before dawn had fully broken, Wang Tiangui was already pacing his bedroom for the seventh or eighth time, his gaze never leaving the unconscious person on the floor. He stroked his goatee in silent contemplation, occasionally glancing at the expressionless “Old Crooked” beside him.

“I never expected that Old Crooked, who usually leaves no survivors, would show mercy this time and spare this man surnamed Gu’s life. Though it worked out by accident, what should we do next?” Wang Tiangui pondered, his expression hesitant and uncertain.

“Why didn’t you kill him?” he suddenly asked.

“You only told me to kill two people. I brought this third one back for you to decide.” Old Crooked answered quickly. The moment he had drawn his blade, he had indeed intended to kill, but seeing Gu Pingyuan’s fearless gaze, he changed his mind and used the hilt to knock him unconscious before bringing him back to the Wang residence.

Wang Tiangui knew this wasn’t Old Crooked’s true thoughts, but he also knew that if he didn’t want to talk, no one could force a word out of him. After a long time, Wang Tiangui still pondered without decision—he truly couldn’t bear to waste Gu Pingyuan’s commercial talent. This man had already proven himself at the Wanyuan Pawnshop to be a powerful weapon in business. Looking at all the main and branch offices of “Taiyufeng” and their various enterprises, no one could match him. Used properly, this person would be like adding wings to a tiger for himself. To say “kill” would truly be difficult to give up, especially since there was currently an urgent matter that required Gu Pingyuan’s handling.

“Master.” A trusted household servant called from outside the window: “The county magistrate has sent someone to inform us that there’s been a murder case involving our business. If the master has time, please go to the north gate to take a look and discuss how to handle it together.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Tiangui immediately understood—the bodies of Ding the Second Assayer and Jin Hu must have been discovered. This was expected, and Old Crooked always worked cleanly and efficiently, never leaving any traces. As for County Magistrate Chen asking him to go, this was giving him face, wanting to hear whether he was willing to get involved in litigation. Otherwise, within a county’s jurisdiction, the magistrate had exclusive authority over major murder cases and didn’t need to listen to anyone’s opinion. This was quite a significant favor, and he couldn’t fail to appreciate it.

“Prepare the sedan chair, I’ll go immediately.” He then whispered instructions to Old Crooked: “Lock Gu Pingyuan in the stable in the back courtyard. Wait for me to return before deciding what to do.”

Wang Tiangui hurriedly left through the front door, while Chang Yu’er in the back room was in anxious uncertainty. Yesterday evening, when she went to warn Gu Pingyuan, after returning, Ruyi had been subtly probing about her whereabouts. She had made up a story about running out of rouge and going to Drum Tower Street to buy new ones, but Ruyi clearly didn’t believe her, maintaining a mocking smile. Chang Yu’er thought about how her assignment to “eavesdrop” in the room next to Wang Tiangui’s bedroom had come from this Concubine Ruyi, and couldn’t help feeling uneasy, suspecting she had done it intentionally.

Now that Wang Tiangui had left, Ruyi also emerged from her bedroom, saying she didn’t need company and would sit alone by the fish pond in the front hall. Chang Yu’er remained in the room, lost in worried thoughts.

This had originally been Chang Yu’er’s bedroom. She had never slept outside since childhood and knew every crack in the window lattice clearly. Now that the house had changed owners, the furniture and objects were no longer the same as before, even the incense burning in the brazier had a completely different fragrance. Only the bed had caught Ruyi’s fancy and been kept. Looking at the bed frame, Chang Yu’er couldn’t help thinking about when Gu Pingyuan had hidden in her room—had he touched her undergarments? This was something Chang Yu’er couldn’t verify, only knowing that although she had felt somewhat embarrassed and annoyed at the time, every time she handled that garment afterward, it brought sweet, romantic thoughts.

She slowly walked to the rear window while stroking the bed frame, pushed open the window, and was delighted to discover that the swallows in the nest under the eaves had returned as they did every year. “I wonder if they know that the owner of this room is no longer the person who used to feed them!” Chang Yu’er was lost in her own wistful thoughts. Later, thinking that swallows return on schedule, she quietly calculated that five days had passed since her last visit to the prison. Although her father’s situation in jail had improved considerably, the prison only provided food and drink but no medical care. The prison was a cold, damp place, and Chang Si’s rheumatic legs needed medicated plasters from the Tonghe Pharmacy to relieve pain. These plasters could only be bought in five-day quantities at most—they lost effectiveness after longer periods. Thinking of this, Chang Yu’er stood up and took out this month’s wages from her only clothing chest, preparing to buy medicine for her father.

She had just stood up to go out when she reached the door, but the door was pushed open with a “creak” by Ruyi. Chang Yu’er was startled by the surprise, but Ruyi paid no attention to her expression, only staring intently at her eyes with an unusual gleam.

“Yu’er, tell me the truth—where did you go last night?” Her smile contained a hint of malice, like a stepmother coaxing a child to eat a poisoned candy.

Chang Yu’er suddenly felt extremely panicked for some reason, forcing herself to remain calm as she answered: “Didn’t I already tell you? I went to buy rouge.”

“Really? But I remember someone bought you rouge from the Beijing West Rouge Shop, which you haven’t used even now. Why would you go out of your way to buy new ones?”

“That’s none of your business!” When others mentioned Gu Pingyuan it was fine, but when Ruyi brought him up, Chang Yu’er felt disgusted, as if seeing that night’s scene again. She involuntarily raised her voice and turned her head away.

Ruyi wasn’t angry but instead moved closer to Chang Yu’er, saying softly: “I may not be able to control it, but I can guess—you’re keeping it to use for visiting that man surnamed Gu’s grave, aren’t you?”

“What are you saying?” Chang Yu’er never expected her to say such a thing, turning back to stare at Ruyi in shock and anger.

“I’m not trying to scare you. If you still want to see that man surnamed Gu again, honestly tell me about last night’s events.” Ruyi’s smile disappeared as she put on a stern expression.

Chang Yu’er looked carefully at Ruyi’s face but couldn’t detect any false threats. Combined with yesterday’s overheard conversation between Wang Tiangui and Old Crooked, she felt even more that things were going badly. After hesitating briefly, she told the whole story in detail.

“Mm, mm…” Ruyi nodded as she listened. She understood both Wang Tiangui and Old Crooked too well, and combined with what she had seen and heard while walking around the residence, the entire sequence of events immediately became clear.

“Since you’ve told me the truth, I’ll tell you the facts. That Ding the Second Assayer from Wanyuan Pawnshop somehow crossed the master, and now he and a shop assistant are both dead outside the north gate. That aside, this Gu Pingyuan escaped by coincidence thanks to your warning. It’s strange that Old Crooked didn’t kill him, but he’s tied up in the stable with Old Crooked guarding outside. I’m afraid when the master returns, he’ll be dealt with.”

“Ah!” Chang Yu’er cried out involuntarily, feeling her hands and feet turn cold. So she had harmed Brother Gu! She steadied herself and hurriedly tried to go outside.

“Where are you going?” Ruyi blocked her way.

“To report to the authorities and save him!”

“Are you stupid?” Ruyi scolded: “Have you forgotten how your father ended up in prison? If you don’t report to authorities, one person dies. If you do report, two will die, and I might get implicated too.”

“Then… then… in any case, I can’t just watch Brother Gu die like this for no reason.” Chang Yu’er was truly at her wit’s end, biting her lower lip anxiously.

Ruyi’s expression was strange, as if she couldn’t decide something. She sat on the bedside with one hand supporting her cheek, silent for a long time. Regarding Gu Pingyuan, Ruyi’s feelings were complex—a trace of admiration, a trace of infatuation, and a trace of hatred that if she couldn’t have him, she might as well destroy him. Toward Chang Yu’er, she felt even more envy and jealousy, for no other reason than that Gu and Chang might one day achieve happiness that she could never obtain, and she would stop at nothing to destroy it. Now the opportunity had come—if she did nothing, Gu Pingyuan would very likely meet his end. Watching Chang Yu’er’s heartbreak would bring some satisfaction, but thinking of that Gu Pingyuan who made her love and hate in equal measure, Ruyi hesitated again.

“Only I can save him now!” Ruyi suddenly decided and spoke.

“Then…” Chang Yu’er knew she should speak softly and entreatingly at this moment, but facing Ruyi, she just couldn’t open her mouth.

“You don’t need to beg me.” Ruyi had dealt with countless people in the brothel and was hundreds of times more sophisticated in human nature than Chang Yu’er. She could tell at a glance that Chang couldn’t bring herself to ask, which suited her perfectly. “Just consider that you owe me a favor. When I ask you to repay it someday, you cannot refuse.”

“Agreed!” Chang Yu’er answered without hesitation.

“Empty words are useless—you must make an oath.”

Chang Yu’er nodded and was about to speak when Ruyi added: “You must swear on your father’s life for me to believe you.”

Chang Yu’er’s expression changed immediately. How could a filial child swear by their parents’ lives? Ruyi glanced at her expression and smiled: “As long as you’re determined not to go back on your word, the oath won’t come true—what are you afraid of?”

Chang Yu’er thought about it and realized this was indeed true. To save Gu Pingyuan, she could climb mountains of knives or descend into seas of fire. Whatever Ruyi asked in the future, she would comply—it would never harm her father. So she steeled her heart, knelt facing the direction of the family’s Buddhist shrine, and said word by word: “I, Chang Yu’er, swear to Heaven that if Concubine Ruyi can save Brother Gu’s life, I’m willing to repay this favor. If I violate this oath, let my father, let my father…” She was kind-natured and had never made vicious oaths, especially involving her own father—she didn’t know how to continue.

“Die by random blades piercing his heart, meet no good end, have no complete corpse after death, be unable to reincarnate, and suffer eternally in hell.” Ruyi gently bent down, leaning close to Chang Yu’er’s ear, speaking in a quiet but crystal-clear voice.

Chang Yu’er drew in a sharp breath, turning to stare blankly at Ruyi. She hadn’t expected this woman with her pretty face to have such vicious thoughts. However, the arrow was already on the string and had to be released. She could only endure the grief in her heart, close her eyes as tears streamed down, and quietly repeat Ruyi’s words.

Ruyi had already straightened up and listened calmly to Chang Yu’er’s oath before turning to walk outside. “Follow me.”

Chang Yu’er wiped the tears from her eyes and followed Ruyi toward the back courtyard stables. For two weak women to rescue someone from the martially skilled Old Crooked’s hands, Chang Yu’er’s heart was pounding. This had been her home, and she knew the layout better than anyone. As they walked, she thought of a plan and whispered to Ruyi: “In a moment, you distract Old Crooked while I take Brother Gu to the back garden and have him climb over the wall from the artificial mountain to escape.” She thought again and shook her head. “No, outside the wall is the back street, and there are already early vendors setting up. If they see him climbing over, won’t they catch him as a thief? Better to take advantage of Master Wang’s absence and lead him openly out the front gate—no one should stop us.”

She continued planning aloud while Ruyi walked without stopping, ignoring her completely. When they reached the stable entrance, Chang Yu’er expected Ruyi to have some elaborate explanation ready. Unexpectedly, she simply asked Old Crooked, who was leaning against a pillar: “Is Gu Pingyuan still locked inside?”

Chang Yu’er’s heart immediately sank, but Old Crooked’s expression remained unchanged—he merely nodded slightly.

“Release him!” Ruyi gave this simple command. Chang Yu’er stared wide-eyed in disbelief as Old Crooked actually obeyed submissively, turning to enter the stable, drawing his knife to cut the ropes binding Gu Pingyuan, then pushing him outside.

“You should still escape. Don’t stay in Shanxi anymore. The master won’t let you go, and you can’t fight him. I’ve seen too much over the years—those who cross him meet no good end.” Ruyi said indifferently.

Having experienced this great change, Gu Pingyuan was mentally exhausted but still forced himself to stay alert. Facing Ruyi, he was also greatly surprised, never expecting Old Crooked to obey her words so completely, even violating Wang Tiangui’s orders for her sake. He looked at Old Crooked, then at Ruyi, and finally his gaze fell on Chang Yu’er.

“Brother Gu, she’s right. A wise man doesn’t suffer immediate losses—take care of yourself first. Otherwise…” Chang Yu’er didn’t finish, but Gu Pingyuan understood everything. They had already torn off all pretenses—if he didn’t leave, forget about revenge and rescue, he’d first lose his own life for nothing.

He looked again at Old Crooked, who had been assigned to guard him. The man’s face showed complete indifference, arms crossed and eyes gazing skyward, seemingly paying no attention to him at all. In an instant, Gu Pingyuan’s mind raced with thoughts. Suddenly he turned back into the stable and picked up the two sections of hemp rope Old Crooked had cut, vigorously rubbing them against the horse trough.

This was a completely unexpected move. Ruyi frowned, and Chang Yu’er also followed him in, asking urgently: “Brother Gu, what are you doing?”

“Anyone can see this rope was cut. I can’t leave evidence that would implicate this brother.” He glanced toward Old Crooked outside the door. Old Crooked’s eyes flashed briefly upon hearing this, but immediately returned to his cold, impassive expression.

“What a pedantic scholar! His life and death have nothing to do with you—hurry up and leave.” Ruyi was greatly annoyed and came over to pull Gu Pingyuan away. Chang Yu’er blocked between her and Gu Pingyuan: “You don’t understand—Brother Gu never betrays anyone.”

Ruyi laughed angrily: “You two really are… Fine, I don’t care anymore! When the master returns, you won’t be able to leave even if you want to.”

“Where did Manager Wang go?” Gu Pingyuan suddenly looked up and asked.

“Outside the north gate, invited by the county magistrate to examine the corpses.” Ruyi noticed Gu Pingyuan’s pale complexion and added: “How ridiculous—there should have been three corpses, but now there are only two, yet someone still doesn’t know enough to be afraid!”

Gu Pingyuan ignored the sarcasm in her words. Seeing that the rope was sufficiently frayed, he tossed it aside. “Good, I must leave now.”

Chang Yu’er didn’t know how to express even a fraction of her maiden’s heart. She felt that a thousand words wouldn’t suffice to describe her feelings, yet this situation made it impossible to pour out her emotions. So despite having countless sorrows, she swallowed them all back and only said: “Brother Gu, take care on your journey.” She handed him a silver coin she had originally intended to use for buying her father’s medicine.

Gu Pingyuan hesitated briefly but still accepted it, nodded, thanked Ruyi and Old Crooked, and walked directly toward the back gate.

After he turned the corner and disappeared from sight, Ruyi smiled and said: “The maiden has feelings, but the gentleman is heartless—how pitiful. Look how quickly this Gu Pingyuan left. You stared without blinking, but he didn’t look back even once.”

“You, you…” Chang Yu’er was already feeling wronged and couldn’t bear such provocation. Angry and anxious, she immediately began crying.

“Enough, dry your tears. It’s not too late to cry now—what were you doing earlier? With no man present, who are you crying for to see?” Ruyi curled her lips dismissively, then said: “Come on, let’s go out together.”

“Where to?” Chang Yu’er asked in bewilderment.

“To finish the second half of this drama. With someone having escaped from the house, if you and I want to avoid suspicion, the best approach is to be with the master. Come, let’s also go to the north gate to watch the excitement.”

Outside the north gate beside the hillside, it was indeed quite lively!

Ding the Second Assayer’s parents and his pregnant wife had all rushed over upon hearing the news. Seeing their relative dead in such a tragic state, they couldn’t help but collapse to the ground wailing. The villagers who followed naturally tried to console them, but thinking that the family’s pillar had fallen and the household would now lack food and clothing—especially pitying the unborn child who would never see their father’s face—tears involuntarily began falling with “pitter-patter” sounds.

“Sister-in-law Ding, stop crying. At least think of the child in your belly. Crying like this might disturb the fetal qi, which would be terrible.” A familiar neighbor woman saw Ding the Second Assayer’s wife crying until she was convulsing all over and nearly fainting, so she quickly came over to pat her back consolingly.

The flesh in her belly was the only blood relation her husband had left behind, so Sister-in-law Ding couldn’t ignore it. But when she opened her tear-filled eyes to look at her husband’s corpse and thought of the uncertain future ahead, she couldn’t help but burst into tears again.

The government bailiffs, coroners, and others had arrived long ago. They were all experienced case handlers, but at this moment they remained motionless, just watching. With two lives suddenly lost, this was no ordinary case. As the saying goes: “Work without the master’s direction, and you’ll die of exhaustion without merit.” They didn’t know whether the county magistrate wanted to make a big fuss or minimize the matter. Without him speaking to establish guidelines, if they handled the case wrongly, not only would their efforts go unappreciated, but they’d likely receive a severe reprimand.

“Righteous magistrate sir, my son died so tragically! Please uphold justice, uphold justice!” The Ding family naturally sought to speak with the authorities, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly while choking with sobs. Unfortunately, these old clerks had hearts of iron and stone. They remained silent, just watching. When pressed urgently, they only said: “Wait for County Magistrate to handle it!”

County Magistrate Chen should have arrived long ago, but he was feeling unhappy. In just over ten days, it would be the Provincial Governor’s birthday, and all counties would go to the yamen to offer congratulations. With such a murder case occurring at this time, if the murderer couldn’t be caught, it would be embarrassing when colleagues were all present at the yamen. If someone took the opportunity to add insult to injury, and the Governor blamed him in person, official matters would be even more difficult to explain—he might even receive severe censure. Therefore, before even arriving at the crime scene, he had bailiffs investigate the victims’ identities. Learning that both were employees of Wang Tiangui’s businesses, his heart immediately relaxed. He knew Wang Tiangui was crafty and resourceful—since this matter could be connected to him, there was no worry he wouldn’t help resolve it.

So County Magistrate Chen wasn’t in a hurry. He sent someone to invite Wang Tiangui, and after receiving a reply, stopped his sedan chair outside the north gate. Seeing Wang Tiangui arriving from afar, only then did he order “lift the sedan.” When they reached the pine grove hillside, he and Wang Tiangui alighted from their sedans one after the other.

County Magistrate Chen glanced at the blood-soaked slope and agitated crowd, secretly frowning, then turned to Wang Tiangui: “Elder Wang, I apologize for the trouble this causes you.”

Wang Tiangui sneered inwardly, knowing the magistrate was trying to shift the burden onto him. He feigned shaking his head with a pained expression.

“Sigh, these two were both capable hands in the shop. I don’t know why they died here overnight—truly regrettable and lamentable!” He kept making clicking sounds with his tongue. “I’m also thinking that the county’s public security has always been good, yet this major case has occurred unexpectedly. I hope the higher-ups won’t completely negate your achievements because of this incident.”

Wang Tiangui was truly an old fox—one sentence struck right at County Magistrate Chen’s heart. His face immediately showed several shades of worry. “Murder cases cannot be concealed. Within three days, a written report must be submitted to superiors. Those legal secretaries above are all experienced clerks who excel at nitpicking in case files. If we can report the captured murderer together, that would be manageable, otherwise…”

Hearing him speak this way, Wang Tiangui knew he wanted to close the case quickly, which suited his own intentions. Just as he was pondering how to speak, suddenly the crying ahead doubled in volume—Jin Hu’s family had also arrived.

Between the two families plus relatives and neighbors, the commotion was considerable. At this moment, they all cried out together: “Righteous magistrate sir!” Only then did County Magistrate Chen walk over with measured steps.

Wanting to cut through the mess quickly, he immediately asked the coroner about the cause of death. The coroner answered truthfully, saying that preliminary examination clearly indicated death by blade wounds. From the positions of the two corpses, it appeared that Jin Hu had wounded Ding the Second Assayer before being disarmed and stabbed himself, both dying in the wilderness.

“Mm!” County Magistrate Chen was very satisfied with this theory. Even the murderer was dead, so no testimony was needed. He turned to look at Wang Tiangui: “Since they were an assayer and clerk from the same shop, there would naturally be discipline during daily operations. Presumably some grudge developed, and this clerk harbored resentment and committed murder. Elder Wang is a local gentry leader, and these two were your subordinates. What do you think?”

Wang Tiangui moved closer and only then saw that Ding the Second Assayer and Jin Hu both had horrifying death expressions—their eyes were wide open with rage and wouldn’t close. At this moment, the first ray of morning sunlight had just rounded the hillside through the dense pine forest, and when the large pool of blood on the ground reflected the sunlight, it seemed something was stabbing toward Wang Tiangui’s eyes, making him involuntarily feel dizzy.

“Elder Wang, Elder Wang…” Seeing him not responding, County Magistrate Chen called out twice in puzzlement.

“Oh.” Wang Tiangui came to his senses. “Your Honor speaks reasonably. I know this Assayer Ding was responsible for personnel management at the pawnshop—he would punish clerks who made mistakes. This Jin Hu must have been insubordinate and had a violent nature, which led to this tragedy. Lamentable, lamentable!”

“Impossible! This is absolutely impossible.” Jin Hu’s old father was right beside them. Now with tears streaming down his face, he crawled forward on his knees a few steps: “My Tiger was kind-hearted by nature. Every time he came home, he spoke of how Ding the Second Assayer cared for him and how he wanted to repay that kindness properly in the future. How could he commit murder? Please, magistrate sir, uphold justice, catch the real murderer, and avenge my son!” After speaking, he kowtowed repeatedly without rising, his forehead turning purple and bleeding.

“Nonsense.” County Magistrate Chen was determined to close the case on the spot and wouldn’t tolerate such arguments. He immediately displayed official authority: “What you’re saying is the opposite—the more you speak this way, the more it proves his premeditation. You only defend your son from injustice, but wasn’t Assayer Ding’s murder also unjust!”

He originally thought that speaking this way would at least earn gratitude from the Ding family, but unexpectedly it didn’t. Sister-in-law Ding struggled to kowtow and knelt saying: “Sir, I just asked the shop clerks, and they said that yesterday evening someone sent false messages to trick my husband into returning home. The shop clerks saw this person—it wasn’t Jin Hu. So who was it? This person must be connected to this case. Also, Jin Hu took leave to go home claiming family emergency, but his family says that was false too. So where has he been these past few days, and what was he doing? Did he disappear for several days just to harm someone for one night? If he truly was the murderer, where did the murder weapon come from—did he buy it himself, or steal or rob it? There should be an explanation. Most suspicious is that after my husband left the shop to return home yesterday, Ancient Assayer from the shop hurriedly came looking for him, then chased toward the north gate. Where is Ancient Assayer now, and what connection does he have to this case? Shouldn’t all these questions be clarified? Otherwise, how can we comfort the wronged spirits of the deceased?”

“This…” The series of questions left County Magistrate Chen speechless, and even the surrounding bailiffs and coroners were stunned. They never expected a pregnant country woman to be so clear in reasoning, her words sharp as knives, pointing directly to the suspicious aspects of the case in sentences that seemed impossible to refute.

“Sister-in-law Ding is right! This case must involve injustice!” The watching common people didn’t care what County Magistrate Chen was planning—hearing reasonable arguments, they loudly supported her. County Magistrate Chen immediately broke into a sweat. He knew that improper handling of criminal law most easily incited popular unrest. Though it hadn’t reached that point yet, since this woman had found so many suspicious points, forcing the case closed would be difficult.

At this time, Ruyi and Chang Yu’er also arrived outside the north gate. Though Ruyi was bold, she didn’t dare look at gore, and Chang Yu’er was even more frightened, so they stood at a moderate distance from the crowd. Hearing this, Ruyi whispered: “It would actually be best to close the case confusedly like this, otherwise it won’t be good.”

Chang Yu’er looked at her questioningly, and Ruyi continued: “If we follow that woman’s reasoning, they’ll definitely need to find Gu Pingyuan to testify in court. When arrest warrants are issued, how could he escape the province? Moreover… the master definitely won’t allow him to appear in court to testify.”

If the master wouldn’t allow Gu Pingyuan to appear in court, what then? Following Ruyi’s implication, Chang Yu’er couldn’t help but shudder. But then she felt pity: “These two families are too pitiful.”

“Heh, who told them to be so stupid as to offend people they shouldn’t offend? A pig fighting a tiger—seeking their own death, they can’t blame others.” Ruyi laughed carelessly.

As the two were talking, another change occurred on the hillside. Wang Tiangui, seeing the unfavorable situation, moved closer to whisper in County Magistrate Chen’s ear. The magistrate nodded repeatedly and announced loudly: “The murder scene has all the facts present—normally no further judgment would be needed. But if you insist on investigation, then we must be thorough. Witnesses must be summoned, and corpses must be examined.”

“Corpse examination!” Everyone was in an uproar—such obvious deaths still required examination?

“Naturally, since the plaintiffs have doubts, we should decide the case according to coroner regulations. Besides obvious wounds, we must check for hidden injuries and poison. Coroner, how should we test for poison?”

The coroner was startled, but seeing County Magistrate Chen’s expression, he understood and quickly said loudly: “Naturally we must dissect the corpses and examine all the internal organs clearly.”

Before he finished speaking, both families’ parents burst into renewed wailing. Country people rarely engaged in litigation and never imagined that seeking justice for family members would require cutting open bodies, leaving their relatives unable to rest in peace even after death—they absolutely couldn’t accept this. But what if they didn’t allow examination? Looking at the magistrate’s attitude, without corpse examination, the case would naturally be decided on the spot without allowing objections.

“This… Sister-in-law Ding, we’ll follow your decision!” Jin Hu’s family were all honest people who, after much discussion, had no ideas. They neither wanted their son to bear the posthumous reputation of a murderer nor wanted him to have an incomplete corpse after death. Finally stamping their feet, they simply pushed this difficult decision to the Ding family.

Everyone present could see that the person who could make decisions now was this Sister-in-law Ding, who needed help even to stand. They saw grief on her face and clearly extreme difficulty in her heart. Without examination, her husband’s injustice would sink to the ocean floor; with examination, how could she be so heartless?

Chang Yu’er looked at Sister-in-law Ding, feeling extremely sorrowful. Knowing the truth but unable to step forward, how could she not feel guilty? She really couldn’t bear to watch and turned to leave, when suddenly she heard Sister-in-law Ding’s piercing shout: “Examine!” After this cry, her body swayed and nearly fainted, fortunately supported by many people around her.

County Magistrate Chen and Wang Tiangui hadn’t expected her to make this decision and both simultaneously drew sharp breaths, knowing the matter had become difficult. Wang Tiangui thought to himself: “Alas, what a pity about that Gu Pingyuan—truly a good businessman. Now he absolutely must be eliminated, or there will be endless trouble!”

Unexpectedly, before Sister-in-law Ding’s words had faded, a deep shout came from outside the crowd: “No need to examine!”

Everyone turned around in unison. Chang Yu’er saw the speaker and immediately turned deathly pale with shock. Ruyi’s expression also changed dramatically as she stamped her foot and cursed: “Madman, truly a madman! Isn’t this seeking death?”

The newcomer was none other than Gu Pingyuan, who should have been fleeing at this very moment!

He pushed through the crowd. Those who recognized him called out: “Ancient Assayer!” Gu Pingyuan acted as if he hadn’t heard, walking straight toward the two corpses on the ground. Passing Sister-in-law Ding, she disregarded propriety between men and women, reached out to grab Gu Pingyuan’s sleeve, and said tremblingly: “Ancient Assayer, how did my husband die? Did you see it? Please speak!”

Gu Pingyuan paid no attention, forcibly breaking free from Sister-in-law Ding’s grip. He walked to the space between Ding the Second Assayer and Jin Hu, bent his knees, and knelt down. He clenched his teeth and stared steadily at Jin Hu’s wide-open eyes, remembering how not long ago Jin Hu had spoken with him about working hard to earn money to buy a house in the city for his family, so that his father, who had been called a “mud-leg” all his life, could occasionally visit the bathhouse for a soak. Now these words still echoed in his ears, yet Jin Hu’s father would never again hear his son’s aspirations. Thinking of this, Gu Pingyuan’s nose stung and he nearly wept, but he forced himself to hold back. He took a deep breath, placed his palms over both men’s eyes, slowly closing them, silently saying in his heart: “Jin Hu, Assayer Ding, Heaven sees all!”

Everyone present watched this scene. Gu Pingyuan’s actions were so calm and solemn that everyone looked at each other uncertainly—for a moment, no one dared disturb him. Only after he turned to face everyone again did County Magistrate Chen think to ask: “Gu Pingyuan, it’s said you chased Ding the Second Assayer out the north gate yesterday evening. Did you perhaps witness the murder?”

From the moment Gu Pingyuan appeared, Wang Tiangui’s heart had sunk to the bottom. He didn’t know how deeply Gu Pingyuan was involved in this matter, but seeing Old Crooked kill someone was undoubtedly true. If he now spoke up to identify the killer, everyone knew Old Crooked was his personal bodyguard—staying out of it would be absolutely impossible. Wang Tiangui’s eyes flashed with murderous intent as he silently extended four fingers toward Gu Pingyuan—reminding him not to forget Chang Si still imprisoned in jail.

Gu Pingyuan didn’t look at Wang Tiangui at all. Facing County Magistrate Chen, he said gravely: “This commoner came to find Ding the Second Assayer due to unclear accounts and did indeed witness the crime scene. Therefore, I panicked momentarily, accidentally fell from the hillside, and was unconscious all night, only regaining consciousness just now.” He pointed out to the coroner the wound on his head from when Old Crooked had knocked him unconscious.

The coroner examined it carefully and reported: “Gu Pingyuan indeed has a fresh wound on his head, sufficient to cause unconsciousness.”

“Good, that proves you’re telling the truth! Tell us, who was the murderer?”

Everyone stared at Gu Pingyuan’s mouth. First he remained silent, looked up at the sky, let out a long breath, then slowly uttered two words: “Jin Hu!”

This was truly a shocking answer! Jin Hu’s family cried out in anguish, wailing in extreme grief. Sister-in-law Ding stared wide-eyed, constantly shaking her head and mumbling incoherently.

County Magistrate Chen breathed a sigh of relief. With witness testimony and such a clear crime scene, no matter what the families said, this case could be cleanly concluded without anyone finding fault. He looked approvingly at Gu Pingyuan and ordered: “Come, clean up here properly, then bring Gu Pingyuan back to court to sign testimony.” After bidding farewell to Wang Tiangui, he returned to his office.

Jin Hu’s family had already rushed forward to grab Gu Pingyuan, angrily shouting curses. Jin Hu’s father slapped him across the face, trembling as he cursed: “You’re lying with your eyes open, you heartless crooked merchant! Why are you slandering my son, my good boy…” Crying and wailing, he tried to hit him again. Some people restrained and advised, while others took the opportunity to vent their anger with random punches. Gu Pingyuan endured countless blows but only gritted his teeth silently, standing there like a wooden post. Though his body swayed from the beating, he neither dodged nor flinched.

Ruyi had initially been stunned, but slowly a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. She tugged at Chang Yu’er: “Let’s go, there’s nothing more to see.”

“Brother Gu, he…” Seeing him surrounded and beaten, Chang Yu’er was naturally anxious.

“It’s just venting anger—they won’t beat him to death. Besides, there are so many bailiffs nearby. This Gu Pingyuan is indeed a madman, but madly good, madly interesting.” Ruyi giggled aloud and pulled Chang Yu’er away without allowing discussion.

The bailiffs knew that if they didn’t let the aggrieved parties vent their anger, their own work would be difficult. So they waited a while, watching as Gu Pingyuan was beaten until his face was red and swollen, blood trickling from his mouth, and he was about to collapse. Only then did they intervene, separating the crowd from Gu Pingyuan.

Wang Tiangui had been watching for a long time. By now his heart had settled, and he strolled over to Gu Pingyuan, looking him up and down for a long time before finally asking: “How could it be Jin Hu? Shouldn’t it have been Old Crooked?”

Gu Pingyuan didn’t avoid his scrutinizing gaze and spoke with absolute certainty: “It was Jin Hu. I saw it with my own eyes. Even if brought before the Ministry of Justice, I would say the same thing.”

“You… how did you get here?”

“I frayed the rope and escaped.”

“Then why didn’t you flee far away?” Wang Tiangui pressed on with the question.

Gu Pingyuan looked quietly at Wang Tiangui, suddenly smiled mockingly, and asked in return: “I haven’t done anything wrong to Manager Wang—why should I flee far away?”

Wang Tiangui threw back his head and laughed loudly. “Good, Gu Pingyuan, once again you’ve impressed me. Go see a doctor about your injuries. Tomorrow afternoon I’ll wait for you at the vegetarian quarters of Wubian Temple.”

Gu Pingyuan’s injuries were all external wounds. After following the bailiffs to the county yamen hall to give testimony and sign documents with the legal secretary, he found a bone-setting doctor along the way who prescribed internal and external medicine powders. With such a major incident at the pawnshop, Gu Pingyuan knew he had to hurry back to discuss countermeasures with Chief Assayer Zhu. Enduring the pain, he rushed back to Wanyuan Pawnshop without stopping.

The moment he stepped through the pawnshop’s door, Gu Pingyuan knew the terrible news had already spread back—nearly every clerk was in tears, and the entire shop was filled with sobbing. Gu Pingyuan sighed silently and asked: “Where is the Chief Assayer?”

No one paid him any attention. Instead, over ten cold stares turned toward him, leaving Gu Pingyuan stunned. He hesitantly shuffled his feet and asked the nearest clerk: “What’s wrong?”

“Bah!” A spit landed on the ground, and the clerk contemptuously turned his head away.

Gu Pingyuan asked several more people, and each one first spat at him, then ignored him completely. Unwilling to give up, Gu Pingyuan asked repeatedly until the Third Assayer, his face dark with anger, walked out from behind the counter. His eyes were also full of rage as he approached Gu Pingyuan and demanded: “Gu Pingyuan, I ask you—Jin Hu killing Ding the Second Assayer, did you witness this with your own eyes?”

Only then did Gu Pingyuan understand that news of his testimony had also reached them—someone must have rushed to inform the pawnshop. While he could give false testimony publicly at the hillside, facing these clerks who had worked alongside the deceased day and night, he simply couldn’t bring himself to say “I saw it with my own eyes.”

He opened his mouth several times but couldn’t speak. The Third Assayer smiled coldly, suddenly grabbed his collar, pushed him out the pawnshop door, and pointed at him cursing: “Gu Pingyuan, you’re really something! We who spend our days appraising treasures and identifying fakes were all fooled by you. We thought you were a good man, never expecting you to be an ungrateful white-eyed wolf.”

“I need to see the Chief Assayer.” Gu Pingyuan thought that if Ding the Second Assayer and Jin Hu had conspired against Wang Tiangui, then this matter might very well have leaked from someone in the pawnshop. At this moment, only Zhu Sheng could be trusted with his innermost thoughts—all others were unreliable, including this Third Assayer who appeared furious. Who knew if he was putting on an act? Only Zhu Sheng could understand his bitter intentions. Chief Assayer Zhu had always been at odds with Wang Tiangui and harbored revenge for his father’s murder—only he could be a trusted ally who would surely share the same enemy.

“The Chief Assayer received the terrible news and was so enraged by you that he vomited blood. He was just helped home by servants.” The Third Assayer wouldn’t look at Gu Pingyuan anymore.

Gu Pingyuan immediately left and went to Zhu Sheng’s home. After knocking for a long time, the old servant opened the door just a crack. Seeing it was Gu Pingyuan, he shook his head: “The master is bedridden and unable to rise. The doctor says his heart fire triggered an old ailment—he needs extended care and rest. The master himself is in a foul mood and just said he won’t see any visitors!”

“I have urgent, pressing business!” Gu Pingyuan called out while clinging to the door.

However, no matter how he pleaded, the Zhu family’s gate closed and wouldn’t open again. Gu Pingyuan knew Zhu Sheng’s anger was probably extraordinary—without meeting face to face, he had no way to explain himself. This was truly maddening.

Unable to see Zhu Sheng, Gu Pingyuan returned to the pawnshop feeling extremely frustrated, only to find it had been boarded up. The Third Assayer, knowing he couldn’t manage the situation alone, had simply temporarily closed the business. Gu Pingyuan tried calling out several times, but no one answered. There were definitely people inside—since they wouldn’t respond, they no longer considered him part of the pawnshop.

Thinking of these past months—from hostility to acceptance to being genuinely beloved by everyone, and now becoming enemies again—Gu Pingyuan felt a pang of sorrow, but immediately raised his head stubbornly.

“Wang Tiangui, I’m keeping track of all these deep grudges and blood debts—we’ll settle them one by one in the future!”

Wang Tiangui didn’t go home but came to the back hall of the main office, summoning Manager Qu for a private discussion. His first sentence made Manager Qu’s eyes widen.

“Old Qu, you’ve often heard me say I want to become the top business among the Jin merchant exchange houses. Now the opportunity has come.”

Manager Qu knew that in terms of strength, among the three major exchange houses, “Taiyufeng” could only rank last. First should be Pingyao’s “Rishengchang,” and second would be Qi County’s “Wei Character Five United Houses.” Each family had their own business specialties—to suddenly surpass the first two would require some great opportunity.

“The opportunity is right before us!” Wang Tiangui’s expression couldn’t hide a trace of excitement, his eyes flashing and nostrils flaring. “The Kang family of Shaanxi wants to sell their assets. This deal is so large that no merchant house in all of Shaanxi Province can handle it. Beijing merchants are currently too busy with their own troubles, and the Hui merchants from the south are too distant and won’t dare take it on without knowing the details. The only ones who dare and can handle it are we Jin merchants.”

“This huge deal involves hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. Searching the entire province, only a few families have such appetite. The three major exchange houses are naturally the obvious choices. The Kang family is Shaanxi’s foremost merchant family—now wanting to sell their assets cheaply. If our Taiyufeng can swallow this fat sheep, hmph, we’d transform overnight into the province’s undisputed number one. Rishengchang and Wei Character Five United Houses tied together wouldn’t match my waist size.”

Manager Qu’s eyes also lit up with excitement. He had imitated Wang Tiangui’s style and grown a goatee, but kept it deliberately shorter to avoid overshadowing Manager Wang. Now stroking his beard and pondering, he said: “Such a major deal absolutely requires Manager Wang to handle personally.”

“I cannot go! The timing is unfortunate—in just over ten days, it will be the Provincial Governor’s sixtieth birthday. All counties must go to the yamen to offer congratulations, and I must personally present a valuable gift. Think about it—I visited to offer birthday wishes both the year before last and last year. If I don’t attend this year’s sixtieth birthday celebration, the Governor will certainly be displeased. He’s the pillar of Shanxi’s official circles—we absolutely cannot slight him.”

“Then…” Manager Qu felt he was the natural choice and volunteered: “I’ll go!”

“You won’t work either!” Wang Tiangui shook his head. Seeing Manager Qu’s dissatisfaction, he explained: “This deal is a hot potato. I’ve received reports that Manager Lei of Rishengchang and Manager Mao of Wei Character Five United Houses are personally setting out, currently raising funds to rush to Xi’an. Ask yourself honestly—do you have the strength to compete with them?”

Manager Qu’s heart skipped a beat, and he involuntarily shook his head. Suddenly remembering something, he asked: “What about Qiao Family Fort in Qi County?”

“Qiao Zhiyong hasn’t made any moves. The Qiao family’s business has become increasingly diverse in recent years—presumably they have no interest in competing for this deal.”

“Manager, we cannot be careless about this. Don’t underestimate Qiao Zhiyong despite his young age—he’s a formidable figure who can overturn situations with a flip of his hand. These past two years, he’s turned the Qiao family’s nearly failing business into a thriving enterprise. His surface inaction might conceal some scheme.”

Wang Tiangui nodded thoughtfully. “Your reminder is apt. Qiao Zhiyong excels at unexpected strategies in business—we must be on guard. Given this, I’m even more determined to send him.”

“Who?”

“Gu Pingyuan!”

Manager Qu was startled and couldn’t help but touch his left cheek—the burning sensation from when Gu Pingyuan had slapped him seemed to return. His heart filled with jealous hatred as he thought: Could it be that Manager Wang trusts him even more than me?

“Old Qu, don’t speculate randomly.” Wang Tiangui waved his hand. “The man surnamed Gu does have ability—expanding the pawnshop business throughout the province is unprecedented. But ability is secondary—I’m sending him to handle this matter for other clever purposes.”

“Manager’s plan must be excellent.” Manager Qu immediately bowed. He had an unchanging principle in his work: regardless of right or wrong, never oppose Wang Tiangui.

“Setting aside the Qiao family for now, just the financial power of Rishengchang and Wei Character Five United Houses makes us hard-pressed to compete. In a bidding war, Taiyufeng would certainly lose. So I want this Gu Pingyuan—who can work miracles with pawnshop business—to go to Xi’an, not to buy the Kang family’s assets.”

“Then why?” Manager Qu was getting confused.

“To take them as collateral!”

“Take as collateral?” Manager Qu was even more puzzled, repeating the phrase uncertainly.

“Exactly, take as collateral! I don’t care how others handle this deal. I want Gu Pingyuan to take the entire Kang family assets as collateral, and make sure the Kang family can afford to pawn but not redeem. This way, we can acquire the Kang family’s entire wealth with very little money. They want to sell cheaply? I’ll make them pawn cheaply! Only Gu Pingyuan can do this—understand now?”

Manager Qu fully understood, but secretly drew a sharp breath. The Kang family wasn’t easily fooled—their ancestors had built this fortune through generations of commerce. Kang family children had played with abacuses since childhood, learning to calculate before learning to write. How could they be taken advantage of so easily? Moreover, facing such formidable opponents as Rishengchang and Wei Character Five United Houses, trying to force the Kang family to pawn items they could clearly sell—even if the merchant sage Fan Li were reborn, he’d probably be powerless.

“Don’t think that because you’ve traversed Black Water Marsh and battled with princely mansions, if you can return beating victory drums this time, I’ll write my surname Qu backwards.” Manager Qu felt no jealousy now—Gu Pingyuan was essentially being sent to his death. The more miserably he died, the better, which perfectly suited his wishes.

A smug smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Just as he was feeling pleased, the door to this room—which normally no outsiders could enter—was suddenly pushed open. Ruyi appeared before them wearing a light gauze outer garment.

“Manager Qu, I have business to discuss with the master.”

“Oh, yes, yes, Fourth Concubine, please sit.” Upon seeing Ruyi’s dress and appearance, Manager Qu didn’t dare raise his head and quickly rose to offer his seat.

“You may go first. Quickly gather the silver—even if it’s just taking collateral, this will certainly require a tremendous sum. It must be ready within three days. That’s why I summoned you.” Wang Tiangui waved his hand.

Manager Qu agreed profusely, bowed, and withdrew from the room.

“Why aren’t you at home but coming here to find me?” Only then did Wang Tiangui look carefully at Ruyi, beckoning her into his embrace and reaching into her thin silk gauze to fondle her. Ruyi half-closed her eyes, letting him take liberties for a while before gently breaking free, adjusting her appearance, and saying with a seductive smile: “The matter you promised me at the beginning should be handled now, shouldn’t it?”

“What matter?” Bringing this up made Wang Tiangui frown somewhat. Ruyi’s seductive skills were truly remarkable—back at the Flower Moon House, she had used various means to make Wang Tiangui promise many things and spend considerable silver. Later, feeling this couldn’t continue, he had simply spent a large sum to marry Ruyi home as a concubine.

“The master truly forgets things easily. Two years ago, when you first established a branch office in Xi’an, didn’t you promise to take me to bathe at Huaqing Pool? Now that you’re going to Xi’an, you absolutely must take me along.” The bathhouse where Yang Guifei had bathed—though Ruyi came from a brothel background, she also wanted to bathe there, not for anything else but to prove her worth.

“How do you know about the Xi’an matter?” Wang Tiangui was startled.

“The pomegranate mutton fat I use for my hands suddenly went out of stock. This item comes best from Xi’an’s Kang family. When I sent a maid to ask at the general store, they said the Kang family’s business is failing, many items have lost their supply sources, and I heard they’re even selling shops to pay debts. I thought the master certainly wouldn’t miss this opportunity, so naturally I could fulfill this wish too.” She had been planning this for a long time—Wang Tiangui had readily agreed initially. Knowing the news, she didn’t want to waste even a day and eagerly came to report.

A woman at his bedside with such sharp thinking! Wang Tiangui immediately felt somewhat displeased and darkened his face: “I already know about this matter, but I’ve assigned someone else to handle it. I won’t be going.”

“Who, could it be Manager Qu?”

“No, it’s Gu Pingyuan!”

“Him.” This answer greatly surprised Ruyi, but her mind suddenly turned to another thought, making her even more determined to go.

“I don’t care about that. You’ve promised me for two years—now there’s finally an opportunity. Even if you don’t go, I must go.” Ruyi said petulantly.

“Nonsense!” Wang Tiangui’s face fell.

Ruyi had countless ways to handle men. In her eyes, these stinking men were all prizes in her bag—the only difference was what methods to use. For dealing with Wang Tiangui, throwing tantrums absolutely wouldn’t work—she needed patient, grinding effort, being sorrowful without resentment, angry without fighting was most effective. At this moment, she put on a melancholy expression, turned halfway away to sit, lightly sniffled, and took out a fragrant handkerchief to dab tears at her eyes.

Wang Tiangui most hated seeing Ruyi with this expression. He had married this courtesan to seek pleasure and joy—seeing her like this made even forced smiles pointless. “Alright, alright.” He moved closer and turned her shoulders: “How could you follow Gu Pingyuan to Xi’an? A lone man and woman on the road—what would that look like?”

“I’m not talking about that matter.” Ruyi suddenly looked up, staring directly at Wang Tiangui. “When you married me, your mouth was sweet as honey, making so many promises—saying you’d give me a large shop, saying you’d take me to live in the capital for half a year or more. How many of these have you accomplished?”

“Oh.” Speaking of this, Wang Tiangui felt somewhat embarrassed. “Business has always kept me busy…”

“Master.” Ruyi’s approach tightened and loosened according to her heart—now shifting from tight to loose, she adopted a consoling tone instead. “Don’t I know how you labor for the household? I’ve always felt sorry for you, but you don’t know how to feel sorry for me.” She pouted slightly, looking extremely disheartened.

“How can you say that? I have one wife and three concubines, yet only you constantly accompany me. How can you say I don’t cherish you?”

Ruyi thought: Who wants this old coffin board’s company—those wrinkled faces are disgusting to look at. Though thinking this, she said exactly the opposite: “I truly love you, master. Whether you truly love me depends on today’s decision.”

However shrewd Wang Tiangui was, he was still a lustful man. Swayed by Ruyi’s subtle smiles and gentle frowns, he finally uttered a sentence: “Fine, what kind of decision do you want?”

“Mm.” Ruyi’s beautiful eyes moved charmingly. “Either give me that Taiyuan Prefecture branch office you originally promised me—go to the yamen clerk today to change the shop deed to my name.”

Wang Tiangui laughed in amazement. That was the exchange house’s largest business after the main office—Ruyi was asking for it outright, wasn’t this wishful thinking? He reclined against the heated brick bed, stretched out his legs, and teased Ruyi: “Or what?”

“Or…” Ruyi quickly glanced at Wang Tiangui’s expression. “Let me go to Xi’an.”

“Hm?” Wang Tiangui suddenly became suspicious. Preferring not to take the large shop but insisting on going to Xi’an—could there be something between Ruyi and that Gu Pingyuan? He narrowed his eyes, shooting two cold beams directly at Ruyi. With her guilty conscience, Ruyi felt somewhat frightened by his stare and could only smile unnaturally.

“I mentioned earlier about lone men and women…” Wang Tiangui examined Ruyi while speaking deliberately.

“How would it be lone men and women? I’d naturally bring maids, and you’d certainly assign a trusted subordinate to accompany Gu Pingyuan. Once we reach Xi’an, I’ll enjoy my sightseeing while he handles his business. I’ll stay at the branch office, he’ll stay at an inn—where would there be any entanglement?” Ruyi finished speaking rapidly, then tapped Wang Tiangui’s nose tip with her red-painted finger, saying coquettishly: “Shanxi aged vinegar is the world’s best—you must have eaten too much of it.”

“That would be acceptable.” Wang Tiangui relaxed somewhat. Ruyi’s words reminded him that this business involved large sums of money—he needed to assign a capable and trustworthy person to watch Gu Pingyuan, preventing him from getting greedy and running away with the money.

“So what will it be?” Ruyi pushed his leg and asked sweetly.

“Do you want the shop or want to go to Xi’an?” Wang Tiangui asked deliberately.

“The shop!” Ruyi answered immediately without thinking. Clearly wanting one thing but answering another—she truly understood men’s psychology perfectly. Sure enough, she saw a smile appear on Wang Tiangui’s face.

“Forget it, forget it. That shop is Taiyufeng’s money source—you really dare to ask for it.” Speaking, Wang Tiangui remembered there was exactly the right person in the main office to monitor Gu Pingyuan, and his mood relaxed considerably. “Very well, I’ll let you make one trip to Xi’an.”

Ruyi was completely satisfied. Just as she left the doorway, she heard Wang Tiangui ordering: “Call Wang Chi!”

Hearing this name, Ruyi’s heart immediately tightened.

“Could he be sending this person along too? This will be difficult!”