Zhu Yan’s words were not false. Since she dared to make such a promise, she would certainly fulfill it.
At this point, Ji Dafu was like meat on a chopping block, with no way out except to be at others’ mercy. Therefore, he had no choice but to confess honestly.
The fighting below the city wall continued, while Ji Dafu began to recount the past events to Zhu Yan and Pan Chi.
The root of all this trouble is traced back to the death of Ji Dafu’s wife, Li Xiulian.
Li Xiulian was as gentle and caring as her name suggested. She was beautiful both inside and out, and deeply in love with Ji Dafu.
Though merchants were considered a lower class in the social hierarchy of “scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants,” money could still buy power. Thus, Ji Dafu’s family lived a relatively prosperous life without facing much disrespect.
Out of love for his wife, Ji Dafu treated Li Kaixiang and Li Kairui well too. To support the Li family, he even brought Li Kaixiang into his business. The whole family lived in harmony and happiness.
However, Li Kaixiang had a bad temper, often becoming irritable and impulsive. Even when discussing business, he wouldn’t back down. If things didn’t go his way, he would resort to insults, offending many people.
Despite Ji Dafu’s repeated advice, Li Kaixiang refused to listen. With no other choice, Ji Dafu had to distance himself from Li Kaixiang in business matters to avoid trouble.
Little did he know that his concerns would soon become reality.
Ji Dafu and Li Xiulian had been married for many years but remained childless, which worried Li Xiulian greatly.
She heard that the Qingshan Temple outside the city was very efficacious, granting all wishes. Therefore, every few days, Li Xiulian would bathe, fast, and visit Qingshan Temple to pray and offer incense, hoping for a child.
Usually, Ji Dafu would accompany her, but this time he was tied up with business matters.
Letting Li Xiulian go alone made Ji Dafu uneasy. He suggested, “I need to personally check the goods on the ship and can’t spare the time. Why don’t we postpone it for a day? I’ll accompany you to Qingshan Temple tomorrow.”
The ship couldn’t stay at the dock for too long. He had to verify the goods and have them moved quickly to avoid delays.
Li Xiulian chided him gently, “It’s broad daylight, who would dare to cause trouble? Besides, Qingshan Temple is just outside Yingzhou City. We’ve been there many times, there won’t be any danger. Praying to the Bodhisattva requires sincerity. Since we’ve set this date, we shouldn’t change it. Don’t worry, dear. I’ll take Xiao Cui with me, ordinary people can’t harm us.”
Xiao Cui was a new maid Ji Dafu had bought, skilled in martial arts. She could handle most ordinary people.
With this, Ji Dafu had no reason to object. He could only agree, “Then go and come back quickly.”
“I understand,” Li Xiulian agreed and left with Xiao Cui.
At Qingshan Temple, they burned incense, prayed, and offered money as usual. Li Xiulian was about to head back when she learned that a master at the temple was going to give a sermon to enlighten the masses. So she changed her mind and stayed with Xiao Cui to listen.
By the time everything was over, it was quite late.
Out of sincerity, they had left their carriage at the foot of the mountain and walked up. Now, they had to walk back down before they could take the carriage home.
Halfway down, Xiao Cui became alert. “Madam, something’s not right.”
As a martial artist, Xiao Cui had keen hearing. She had noticed the sound of footsteps approaching them.
Qingshan Temple was popular, and it wasn’t unusual to see pilgrims going up and down the mountain. But these footsteps sounded unusually chaotic.
Sure enough, just as Xiao Cui finished speaking, a group of men emerged from the woods, blocking their path down the mountain. There were six of them, all burly men.
Li Xiulian was startled. She stood close to Xiao Cui and questioned the men, “Who are you? Why are you blocking our way down the mountain?”
The men didn’t answer.
The leader opened a portrait, looked at Li Xiulian, and asked, “Li Xiulian, Li Kaixiang’s sister? Is that you?”
Xiao Cui quickly understood the situation. She shielded Li Xiulian and said, “You’ve got the wrong person. My mistress is not Li Xiulian, and we don’t know any Li Kaixiang.”
Ji Dafu had bought Xiao Cui specifically to protect Li Xiulian, fearing that Li Kaixiang’s enemies might come after her.
Usually, Li Xiulian rarely left the house, so it wasn’t a problem. When she did go out, Ji Dafu would bring people to accompany her, so they wouldn’t encounter any trouble.
Who would have thought that on the one day, Ji Dafu couldn’t come, enemies would show up?
The burly man sneered, “Still denying? Even the tear mole under her eye matches almost perfectly. How can you say she’s not Li Xiulian?”
“Brother, stop wasting time talking to them. Let’s get this over with quickly and go back for our reward,” said one of the men with a pointed face and thin lips.
The others agreed.
“Alright, let’s do it,” the leader said with a wave of his hand, and the other five men pounced.
Xiao Cui, loyal to her mistress, pushed Li Xiulian away, telling her to run while she held them off.
Li Xiulian had never encountered such a situation before. She was terrified, her legs already weak. When Xiao Cui pushed her, she stumbled a few steps and fell to the ground.
Although Xiao Cui knew some martial arts, she was outnumbered. It didn’t take long before she was captured.
Both mistress and maid were bound tightly, their mouths gagged, eyes blindfolded, and then knocked unconscious and taken away.
Who knows how much time had passed when Li Xiulian woke up. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Li Kaixiang, also bound tightly. She exclaimed in shock, “Elder brother? Why are you here? Who were those people?”
She tried to struggle, but it was useless. She was bound too tightly.
Looking around, she found herself in a dilapidated temple. The roof was leaking, tattered cloth fluttering in the wind, tangled with cobwebs in the corners. The ground was covered with straw.
Li Xiulian had been thrown on the ground with her hands tied behind her back, while Li Kaixiang was tied to a broken chair. Looking around, there was no sign of Xiao Cui.
Li Xiulian couldn’t help but worry, “Where’s Xiao Cui? Brother, have you seen my maid?”
They had been knocked unconscious together, so logically, if she was here, Xiao Cui should be too.
Li Kaixiang’s face darkened. He hesitated for a long time before saying, “She… she’s dead.”
“What?” Li Xiulian cried out in disbelief.
Before Li Kaixiang could explain further, the old wooden door was pushed open with a creaking sound.
A man walked in from outside. He had a scar on his face that made him look terrifying. He glanced at Li Xiulian, then stared intently at Li Kaixiang. “Have you made up your mind? If you don’t agree, your sister will suffer the same fate as that woman.”
Li Kaixiang spat, a glob of thick saliva landing near the man’s feet. “You’re dreaming! I did this, I’ll take responsibility for it. If you have the guts, let my sister go and settle accounts with me. Why involve an innocent person?”