Volume 1 Chushan Bandits Chapter 22: Wind and Moon Crossing the River
Tang Lingde has studied poetry and books for several years and usually likes to show off his literary taste.
Even though he had never seen Wang Bing's handwriting, after reading the lyrics, he concluded that it was impossible for anyone in Huaiyuan to forge handwriting of such skill.
"Bring Liu Qiong'er's indenture here." Tang Lingde said in a deep voice to his trusted confidant who was in charge of accounting.
"So, if we really let Liu Qiong'er redeem herself, her red pill has already been ordered..." Nanny Wang asked in disbelief.
Liu Qiong'er is not only in her prime, but more importantly, she is now a symbol of Yue Hong Lou.
Even if another two or three years pass, the routine of selling her art but not her body will no longer work for her. By that time, if she opens her door to receive customers, the price of the red pills will be shockingly high, not to mention that more loafers and butterflies will be attracted to her in the future.
If such a cash cow was really let go, how much money would Yue Honglou lose?
Nanny Wang thought to herself that she was almost fifty years old, and when she met someone with special hobbies, she had to personally take charge. Was it fair to let Liu Qiong'er go now?
"So much nonsense!" Tang Lingde glared at Nanny Wang angrily.
He didn't want to let her go, but the facts were clear. This time it was Wang Bing who wanted the person, and the Tang family insisted on keeping Liu Qiong'er. How much was they prepared to pay?
Wang Bing was demoted to Tangzhou and had no official position, but he was also a plucked phoenix!
Seeing that Tang Lingde had no intention of verifying the authenticity of the silver ingot, Liu Qiong'er held the indenture in her slightly sweaty palm, and her heart finally settled down a little.
…
…
When the maids and servants who had served them helped pack up the valuables, chess books, paper and inkstone and loaded them onto the hired carriage, Tang Lingde had already left in a huff, leaving Nanny Wang here to finish the job.
Liu Qiong'er walked out of the yard and got into the carriage. She saw the guard who was kicked into the yard by Xu Huai was still sitting against the corner with his head drooped, and he had not yet recovered.
"How hard was that kick you just now? You really wanted to kick him to death. How would you have ended it?" Liu Qiong'er complained in a low voice after Xu Huai opened the car window and got in.
"I didn't hold back my strength, and that person was not prepared for my kick. His internal organs must be broken. Whether he can survive it depends on his life!" Xu Huai said indifferently.
"Ah?" The carriage was dark, and Liu Qiong'er could only see the vague outline of Xu Huai. She asked in shock, "Are you crazy? Will the Tang family suffer this loss?"
"Tang Lingde has let you go, what else can't you suffer? Do you think your lives are really that important in their eyes?" Xu Huai said, "These thugs hired by Yuehonglou are as fierce as wolves and tigers. Which one is easy to deal with? If I don't use ruthless hands to discipline one of them, how can I scare them? Of course, in their eyes, I am just a fool. If I hurt someone, it was you and Mr. Wang who hired the killer to hurt them. They dare not bleed in Yuehonglou today, can they run to the county government to sue you for hiring a killer to hurt people? There is a reason for every grievance, and you are the creditor. I am the knife in your hand."
Most of the people in Yuehonglou are accomplices of the evil, and Xu Huai doesn't even think that Liu Qiong'er is a good person. Before he takes action, he needs to weigh the limit that Yuehonglou and the Tang family can bear, rather than whether to show mercy.
"you……"
Liu Qiong'er felt a chill run down her spine and subconsciously wanted to shrink into the corner of the carriage, as if there was a poisonous snake lying in front of her. If she was not careful, it would devour her whole body, flesh and bones. But she had to admit in her heart that if Xu Huai had not shown his murderous attitude today, Tang Lingde would not have surrendered so quickly with Wang Bing's support behind him.
"We've arrived at the ferry. The ferry is shaking violently. Miss Liu, we ask you to get off the carriage. It will be safer to walk onto the boat." The hired coachman said outside.
We can only stay in the post house temporarily tonight, so we have to cross the river to the military camp.
Liu Qiong'er and Xu Huai got off the carriage first, and waited for the carriage loaded with valuables to get on the ferry before they followed.
"What should we do next?" Liu Qiong'er couldn't help but ask after entering the military camp.
"I'm just an errand boy," Xu Huai laughed and said, "You must ask for my opinion. I think you should at least thank Mr. Wang for his help today."
Huaiyuan Town is neither small nor big. When they walked into the military camp, the soldiers guarding the gate looked at them with winks. Xu Huai knew that what happened today had spread in the military camp.
Xu Huai had to first prove that this matter was Wang Bing's fault before talking about anything else.
Only after it is confirmed in the eyes of many people in Huaiyuan Town that Liu Qiong'er is the woman of old husband Wang Bing, will it be convenient to act next.
"Is all this really arranged by Mr. Wang?"
Tang Lingde had no doubts, but Liu Qiong'er had seen all of Xu Huai's behavior over the past two days. Even if she blinded her eyes, she would not believe that Xu Huai was completely commanded by Wang Bin or anyone else.
"Didn't I tell you long ago that we each take what we need?" Xu Huai said.
Although Xu Huai was dragged into the whole thing because of the memory that inexplicably flashed in his mind , at this time it was objective facts that made it impossible for him to stay out of it. His position was not exactly the same as that of Lu Xiong, who was determined to protect Wang Bing's grandparents and grandchildren.
…
…
Xu Wujiang took people to Hutouling to find out the situation and would not tell Su Di in detail. However, Su Di was always worried. When she ran into Xu Huai and Liu Qiong'er coming to see Wang Bing outside the yard, she had no intention of asking what happened in Yuehonglou tonight.
"Madam Su." Liu Qiong'er saluted.
"Miss Liu, come to see Mr. Wang." Su Di returned the greeting, glanced at the yard here, and went back.
Wang Xuan was originally standing in the yard. When she saw Xu Huai accompanying Liu Qiong'er in, she looked at Liu Qiong'er curiously, but raised her little chin slightly, fearing that Liu Qiong'er didn't know the contempt and disdain in her heart.
When Liu Qiong'er was about to salute her, she snorted and turned to go into the house.
"This is Mr. Wang's granddaughter Xuan'er." Xu Huai said.
Liu Qiong'er nodded, saying that Wang Bing was demoted to Tangzhou and stayed in Huaiyuan. During this period, the story of Wang Bing's ancestors had spread throughout Yuehonglou. She certainly knew that Wang Bing's granddaughter Wang Xuan was a rare little beauty.
It was a slightly chilly spring night. Lu Xiong opened the door of the east wing and, without saying a word, motioned for Xu Huai and Liu Qiong'er to come in and talk.
Wang Bing stood in front of the desk, writing with the help of a dim lamp.
Liu Qiong'er bowed and saluted.
Wang Bing turned his head to look at her, motioned the nurse to bring tea, and after he finished writing a couplet, he said, "This is the couplet that Cheng Yicheng asked for. I just felt like writing it to him today. I am being watched by poisonous snakes, so I have to behave myself. And these poisonous snakes are not just in the nest at Hutouling. There are many eyes in Bianjing City watching my every move in Tangzhou, waiting to report me openly."
Liu Qiong'er hadn't figured out all the situations yet. She didn't understand what Wang Bing said and looked at Xu Huai in surprise.
Of course Xu Huai knew what Wang Bing was talking about.
Apart from Cai Ying sending assassins to take Wang Bing's life, in fact, no one could predict what kind of evidence Wang Bing would have in Tangzhou, or even if it made him appear to be not so "law-abiding". No one could predict whether the person who could truly decide Wang Bing's fate, as well as the fate of the vast majority of Dai Viet's subjects, would punish Wang Bing more severely.
Wang Bing didn't mind doing things in his name, but he had to be careful not to end up making things worse.
"Miss Liu just came out of Yuehonglou and she has no servant around her. She hired me to run errands for her, but it has nothing to do with you, Mr. Wang." Xu Huai said.
Xu Huai originally wanted to announce to the public that Wang Bing hired him to take care of Liu Qiong'er. In addition to attracting more attention from assassins, he could also take advantage of Wang Bing's name.
However, Wang Bing's concerns were justified. He could not leave such an obvious handle for his political enemies to seize.
Of course, if he changed his words now, the effect might be weaker, but in the eyes of the Tang family and the assassins, he would still be considered as the person sent by Wang Bing, and that would be enough.
Wang Bin nodded, and Xu Huai said goodbye to Liu Qiong'er and left. He saw Su Di standing at the gate of the courtyard, looking towards the east gate of the military camp.
Xu Huai walked over and said to her, "Uncle Seventeen and the others won't be back tonight. Oh, by the way, Miss Liu has just redeemed herself from Yuehonglou, and she has no one to send her around, so she wants to hire me to help out for a while!"
Dai Viet prohibited civilians from owning slaves and abolished slavery. There was no such thing as death indentures when wealthy families hired servants.
Although slaves could be resold with their working contracts, they could theoretically be redeemed if enough money was saved; this was the case when Liu Qiong'er redeemed herself from Yue Hong Lou.
In addition, there are more general employment relationships.
No matter what, Su Di and Xu Wujiang would never sell Xu Huai to Liu Qiong'er as a slave.
If it really happens, Xu Wufu, the head of the Xu family, might intervene.
After all, Xu Huai is not out of the fifth degree of separation from the Xu family, so according to the rules of small clans, he is still a direct descendant.
If he sold himself as a slave, what dignity would the Xu family have in Tongbai Mountain?
Even if they are from a branch family that is five degrees out of five degrees of kinship, if they really can't make a living, they can just become a vassal of their main family. How can they just sell themselves to another clan?
Of course, even if it was an ordinary employment relationship, considering Liu Qiong'er's background, Su Di couldn't help but worry that her reputation would spread. How would she be able to help Xu Huai find a wife in the future?
Su Di looked towards the next yard with dissatisfaction.
She was sure that this was Wang Bing's idea, and wanted to talk about it. After hesitating for a long time, she said, "We have to wait for your Seventeenth Uncle to come back and make a decision. Also, although you haven't been assigned to the Inspection Office yet, your Seventeenth Uncle has saved up two years' worth of military pay for you, and it's also for when you get married. You have to let Mr. Deng know about this, too."
Su Di still didn't want Xu Huai to have anything to do with Liu Qiong'er. Even though Wang Bing was the former Chief Censor, she didn't want Wang Bing to use Xu Huai as a gun. Otherwise, how could she be worthy of Xu Huai's dead parents?
Xu Huai knew that Di Niang genuinely cared about him, but now the assassins had determined that his Seventeenth Uncle and the Xu family members who had returned from the Jingsheng Army were involved. How could he proceed slowly?
These things could not be discussed in detail, and Xu Huai did not want to argue with Su Di, so he said perfunctorily: "Then I will help Miss Liu for two days, and we can talk about other things after Uncle Seventeen comes back."
