Hu Po and Qian Wen returned to Fanlou and saw the Second Young Madam, who was almost passed out drunk. They simply thought she had had too much to drink.
They carefully helped up Wang Xi Feng, who was still conscious.
Wang Xi Feng, upon being helped up, glanced at Jia Yu, her eyes filled with shyness.
Earlier, she thought Jia Yu was carrying a weapon. Now, sitting on a chair, she regained some clarity.
As a married woman, she knew exactly what that object was.
She recalled herself grabbing Jia Yu’s member, breathing in and out against it.
She was so close, so close to it.
The more Wang Xi Feng thought about it, the more embarrassed she became, feeling a mixture of shame and embarrassment.
She endured the dizziness and walked away with the two maidservants.
Inside the private room, only Jia Yu and the four burly men remained.
“I think I heard the voice of the Half-Veiled Owner. Is the Half-Veiled Owner also at Fanlou?”
Jia Yu had a distinct memory of beautiful voices.
The Half-Veiled Owner’s voice was extremely pleasant, with an indescribable quality that made one feel drawn to her.
Wang Xi Feng’s voice, on the other hand, was like a blazing fire, fiery and impulsive, making one want to set the world on fire.
Jia San, the most intelligent and memory-gifted individual under Jia Yu, was responsible for managing Jia Yu’s vast and loyal army.
He was not only intelligent but also possessed considerable strength.
He paid close attention to anything his lord cared about.
When he went upstairs, he saw the Half-Veiled Owner.
He took note of the person dining with her.
A very handsome young man in blue robes.
It must be the newly appointed champion scholar, Ouyang Xu, who had topped the recent imperial examination.
Jia San had worked overtime the previous night to gather information on the Half-Veiled Owner.
It was unavoidable.
After all, his master had a fondness for her.
Jia San immediately replied, “The Half-Veiled Owner is currently dining with the new champion scholar, Ouyang Xu. They seem to be having a disagreement.
The woman beside the Half-Veiled Owner appears to be about to attack Ouyang Xu.”
“The woman beside the Half-Veiled Owner?” An image came to Jia Yu’s mind – a woman with a pair of large, prominent breasts. While not as stunning as Zhao Pan’er, she would still be considered beautiful elsewhere.
“San Niang?” Jia Yu remembered Zhao Pan’er’s name for the woman and rose to his feet.
The dishes on the table had already been devoured by him.
He never wasted a single grain of rice.
“Come, take me to see this so-called champion scholar,” Jia Yu’s past memories, the memories of Earth, were still alive within him.
His intelligence could also lead him to make foolish decisions.
“Champion scholar, am I more handsome than you?”
To become a champion scholar, one needed not only talent but also good looks during the imperial examinations.
In essence, he was the most handsome man in this exam cycle.
Since his arrival in this world, Jia Yu had seen his own reflection – he was undoubtedly handsome.
The only ones who could rival him in looks would be the readers of his past novels.
No one else stood a chance.
Thinking this, Jia Yu pushed open the door and headed towards the source of the voice he had heard earlier.
Sound identification was a basic skill. On the battlefield, one’s ears needed to gather information, such as the location of the enemy commander.
How many enemy soldiers were surrounding him.
This could be gleaned from the low murmurings or loud shouts of enemy soldiers.
In the era of cold weapons, battlefield command, besides flags and drums, also relied heavily on voice signals.
Jia Yu’s enhanced body had also improved his hearing.
Turning around, he saw a man, two women, and a steward at a table.
Before he got close, he heard Ouyang Xu say in a flat tone, “I will give you another sum of silver. Half-Veiled will transfer it to you, and you will return to Qiantang.
I know your good friend Song Yin Zhang is also on her way here.
She belongs to the Jiangnan Private School. This trip north is clandestine. If she is discovered, she’ll be in deep trouble.”
Ouyang Xu, with his connections to the Gao family, had access to a wealth of information. Often, he didn’t need to ask anything, as those eager to curry favor would provide him with the answers he sought.
He relished this lifestyle, this convenience.
He didn’t want to return to his previous days of hardship.
Zhao Pan’er was beautiful and kind to him.
But beautiful women were aplenty in the world.
How could he possibly abandon his promising future for a woman who had escaped from her lowly status?
If he weren’t afraid of a murder charge, Ouyang Xu would have wished for Zhao Pan’er and San Niang to disappear from the face of the earth.
“What if we don’t want to?” Zhao Pan’er looked at Ouyang Xu with cold indifference, devoid of any emotion, “We don’t need your silver, and rest assured, I won’t stop your marriage with the Gao family’s daughter.
Our past grievances are settled.
Why won’t you let us go?”
“You’re the ones who won’t let me go!” Ouyang Xu suppressed his voice, “The capital isn’t as simple as you think. Do as I say.
If you don’t want to leave gracefully, don’t blame me for making things ugly.”
Ouyang Xu knew he couldn’t delay any longer and needed to resolve this matter quickly.
His voice held a threat, “A mere hundred-household captain of the Jin Yi Wei can’t protect you. I was only trying to avoid making things too difficult before.
If you don’t do as I say, Half-Veiled will never be able to open again.”
“Half-Veiled can’t open again?”
“Jia San, when did such a powerful figure appear in Xicheng District? I haven’t even spoken, yet he can prevent someone’s shop from opening.
Is he the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture? Or perhaps the Commander of the Five City Military Patrol Department? How powerful is he?”
“Master, if he was truly that powerful, he would have already done something, instead of threatening others here.”
Their conversation, though not loud, was just audible enough for Ouyang Xu and his group to hear.
De Shu glared furiously in the direction of the voices…