This time, no one came to disturb them.
The panting in the inner room gradually subsided. Tang Xiao Bei lay gasping in Jin Feng’s arms, reached out to feel around a few times, and pulled out a white handkerchief stained with red spots.
“Is this thing so important?”
Jin Feng gently stroked her back and asked with a smile.
He did not particularly care, but perhaps due to her courtesan background, Tang Xiao Bei had stubbornly insisted on finding the cloth earlier.
“Of course it is important. Xiao Bei must give sir a pure body.”
Tang Xiao Bei said solemnly, “Though I came from a brothel, no man has ever touched me. Only old women taught me. That is the brothel rule.”
“Is that so?” Jin Feng asked with a smile. “What did the brothel teach you?”
“Does sir want to know?”
Tang Xiao Bei blinked, eager to try.
“Alright, alright, just teasing you.”
Jin Feng scraped her nose lightly. “You only lost your virginity today. Do not overdo it. I will experience it next time.”
“No!”
Tang Xiao Bei licked her lips and burrowed under the quilt.
A long while later, the satisfied pair embraced and fell deeply asleep.
…
Several streets away at the Zhou house, Zhou Changlin, who had been ready for bed, now held an envelope, wide awake.
Earlier, someone from the prefect’s mansion delivered a letter, instructing the gatekeeper to hand it to Zhou Changlin immediately.
Hearing it was personally written by the prefect, the gatekeeper did not fear disturbing Zhou Changlin’s rest and sent it right over.
Madam Zhou had been caring for their son in Zhou Dewu’s courtyard lately. She returned to fetch something and saw light in Zhou Changlin’s room, so she peeked in.
“Eh, my lord, why are you still awake?”
“What do you think?”
Zhou Changlin glared at his wife, fists clenching tighter, breathing growing heavy.
“My lord, is the new girl unsatisfactory?”
Madam Zhou sat nearby. “Xiao Wu keeps saying it hurts these days. I cannot leave him.
Once he improves, I will visit the broker for good ones. If not, I will pick a few from the brothel. They know how to please…”
“You still mention Xiao Wu!”
Zhou Changlin slapped her face. “If you truly love him, do not think of kidnapping Tang Xiao Bei!”
“My lord…”
Madam Zhou covered her cheek, staring at Zhou Changlin in shock.
She married him at fifteen, before he made his fortune. In toughest times, she sold all her jewellery, endured her sisters-in-law’s scorn, and secured money from her family to help him through.
After he prospered, she never boasted, managed the household dutifully, and every year or two arranged one or two concubines for him.
Though the concubines she arranged were sterilised and lost fertility forever, she bore him three sons. No one could complain.
Zhou Changlin, mindful of their marriage, treated her far better than most men of the era did their wives.
He rarely struck or scolded her. When angry, he only reprimanded.
A slap like today’s was a first.
Madam Zhou was stunned.
But Zhou Changlin’s words stunned her more.
“My lord, who told you nonsense? I did not kidnap Tang Xiao Bei…”
Madam Zhou instinctively defended herself.
“I know you have not yet, but dare you say you did not have Liu Er watch Tang Xiao Bei? Dare you say you did not have Zhang Laitou prepare men?”
“My lord, how do you know?”
Madam Zhou’s eyes widened.
She thought she had been discreet. Besides her son Zhou Dewu, no one in the house knew.
And Zhou Dewu, bedridden, would not speak.
“How do I know? The prefect told me!”
Zhou Changlin roared, clutching the letter.
The prefect wrote of Jin Feng’s background and his wife’s plan to kidnap Tang Xiao Bei.
“The… prefect? How does he know?”
Madam Zhou’s face changed.
“Guangyuan is the prefect’s domain. What happens in this city escapes him?”
Zhou Changlin said coldly, “Li Junxiu, you surprise me. After so many years married, I never imagined you capable of such schemes. Heaven knows what else you have done behind my back!”
“My lord, truly none. This time, that wretch Tang Xiao Bei bullied too much. Look what she did to Xiao Wu…”
Madam Zhou began crying.
“He deserved it. He knew Tang Xiao Bei was Jin Feng’s yet provoked her. She was leaving, but he jumped up cursing Jin Feng. Was that not courting death?”
Zhou Changlin fumed, “You should thank Tang Xiao Bei. If not for her striking, Xiao Wu would face more than a broken leg!”
“My lord, you are Xiao Wu’s father. How can you side with outsiders?”
Madam Zhou said, “His leg is broken. Is Jin Feng still unsatisfied? Will he kill him?”
“You think he dares not?”
Zhou Changlin shook the letter. “How do you think Jin Feng earned his title? Trading Dangxiang lives on the battlefield!
Killing one Zhou Dewu is nothing. Zhou Wenyuan kidnapped Tang Xiao Bei. Jin Feng chased a hundred li, exhausted over a dozen warhorses without giving up, reached White Midge River, killed Zhou Wenyuan’s guards. Had Zhou Wenyuan not luckily found a small boat, he would hang at the city gate with his guards and slaves!”
“Truly?”
Madam Zhou was terrified by his words. “He dares touch Young Master Wenyuan?”
“Jin Feng’s men shot an arrow at Zhou Wenyuan at the city gate. Think he dares not?”
Zhou Changlin said, “Zhou Wenyuan’s slaves and guards were killed by prefect soldiers and Jin Feng. Now limping on one leg, he may not even reach the capital alive.”
As Guangyuan’s top cloth merchant, Zhou Changlin was no fool.
He had not thought of it before, but learning Zhou Wenyuan kidnapped Tang Xiao Bei, he instantly understood the plan.
He even attributed the prefect’s search of Zhou accounts to Zhou Wenyuan.
When Jin Feng chased Zhou Wenyuan, Zhou Changlin secretly prayed he would kill him.
Now he prayed Zhou Wenyuan died en route.
If this sparked a fight between the capital Zhou family and Jin Feng, even better.
“This Jin Feng kills too readily. Good he does not know about Liu Er and Zhang Laitou.”
Madam Zhou patted her chest, somewhat relieved.
“Jin Feng rented several courtyards at Zhao Family Inn, all filled with people from Jinchuan!”
Zhou Changlin glared fiercely at Madam Zhou. “You think if he did not know, why bring so many to the prefectural city?”
“My lord, what do we do?”
Madam Zhou panicked.
“What else? Tomorrow, bring Xiao Wu with me to apologise to Jin Feng!”
