Jiao, the eldest son, went to Changxing Inn late at night. The news was not particularly secret, and those who needed to know were aware of it. However, the subsequent reports shocked those who had been waiting up all night.
"What did you say?" Magistrate Zhu shot to his feet. In his shock, his arm hit the desk, and the teacup tumbled to the floor with a crash, startling the three people waiting in the study.
Waving his subordinates away, Magistrate Zhu frowned. If the men sent out were not the Zhu family's personal guards, he would have doubted the accuracy of the news.
"Not only were more than twenty people captured alive, but the key is that they disappeared without a trace. This is not something an ordinary person can achieve," Deputy Magistrate Wei said, his face also filled with shock.
Jiao, the eldest son, went to see Zhan Feiyu, ostensibly about a recipe for noodle cakes, and to ask Zhan Feiyu not to interfere with Zhao's pastry shop.
As for the more than twenty desperate outlaws who followed, their origins were known to Jiao, the eldest son, as well as Magistrate Zhu and Deputy Magistrate Wei.
Ultimately, it was a matter of coercion and temptation. If Zhan Feiyu was sensible, it would be a peaceful night. But if she refused to cooperate, and these twenty-odd people made their move, the Changxing Inn would likely witness a murder that night.
Yet, no one expected Zhan Feiyu to be unharmed. Not only were these desperate outlaws injured and captured, but where they were taken in the end was unknown to anyone, a method that sent a chill down one's spine just thinking about it.
If Deputy Magistrate Wei was merely surprised, then County Captain Cheng, seated below, looked extremely grim. With no sight of the individuals, dead or alive, this had happened in Liu County. If it weren't for the Zhu family's personal guards who had investigated the news themselves, County Captain Cheng would not have believed it.
Magistrate Zhu sat back in his chair, gazing at the pitch-black night outside the window. "No wonder she didn't put this official in her eyes before. I underestimated her."
Zhan Feiyu's refusal to Magistrate Zhu had indeed angered him. However, as an official appointed by the court, he would not stoop to retaliating against a young girl.
But after Jiao, the eldest son, arrived in Liu County and targeted Zhan Feiyu, Magistrate Zhu pretended not to see. Who would have thought there were greater powers beyond imagination?
"My lord, it's only been an hour since the incident, and these twenty-odd people have vanished. Does Liu County harbor other hidden forces?" County Captain Cheng asked with deep concern, a sinister glint in his eyes.
Hearing this, Magistrate Zhu cast a meaningful glance at County Captain Cheng. The latter had lost his composure and resorted to sowing discord.
...
Night fell upon Changxing Inn.
Standing by the window, He Nuan withdrew her gaze. "Miss, there are at least twenty experts outside. Judging by their techniques, they should all be desperate outlaws."
Since Hong Saozi and Old Wu, the two human traffickers imprisoned in the jail, were released, and the human traffickers with broken legs in the clinic had also escaped, He Sheng had contacted the Jinlong Guard.
Let alone twenty desperate outlaws, even the trained death warriors of the Jiao family could capture these people at the first command from Miss.
Under the bright candlelight, Zhan Feiyu was still seated at the table, writing. The scent of ink mingled with incense, filling the room and inexplicably bringing a sense of peace.
"After all, the Jiao family is a family of officials. Jiao, the eldest son, would not dare to act openly," Zhan Feiyu said, not worried at all.
Even if they were targeting her, these martial artists outside were merely for intimidation. If they dared to kill in the inn, the San Si of Qianzhong Circuit were not to be trifled with.
He Nuan nodded, listening to the footsteps outside the door. After a while, a rhythmic knock sounded.
"Go, and ask Jiao, the eldest son, to wait in the private room," Zhan Feiyu said without looking up, continuing her unfinished writing with a flowing brush.
With a creak, the sound of the door opening in the quiet night seemed particularly abrupt. He Nuan blocked the doorway. "It's almost the third watch, and the eldest son visits so late at night?"
Ignoring He Nuan's questioning, Jiao, the eldest son, cast a cold glance into the room. The inn's room layout was simple, allowing him to see Zhan Feiyu sitting at the desk at a glance.
Not to mention the books piled on the table, the scent of ink alone indicated Zhan Feiyu's diligent study; it was no exaggeration to say she studied arduously.
"Miss Zhan is indeed diligent," a mocking voice sounded. Looking at Zhan Feiyu, Jiao, the eldest son, couldn't help but think of his second brother at home, who was also studying diligently. Despite having similar talent in studies, he was so hardworking that he completely overshadowed the eldest son.
Zhan Feiyu, a young girl, was still engrossed in her studies at this late hour. Jiao, the eldest son, felt an indescribable awkwardness and strangeness. Could this Zhan family, of unknown origin, have no male heirs, thus raising a young girl as a boy?
Otherwise, what family would have a girl raised in seclusion studying like this, especially when she didn't need to pass imperial examinations to hold office?
He Nuan spoke again, her voice cold, her right hand already resting on the hilt of the soft sword at her waist. "Eldest son, please move aside. My lady will be here shortly."
The two guards following Jiao, the eldest son, also became alert. This was no ordinary maidservant, but a martial attendant, skilled in martial arts and ruthless in her actions. Having broken the legs of the county constables and thrown them downstairs, they feared that He Nuan might lose her temper and kill the eldest son.
The eldest son was already married, and his eldest daughter was only two or three years younger than Zhan Feiyu. However, scholars of the Great Qing Dynasty always valued etiquette, so hearing He Nuan's words, Jiao, the eldest son, did not get angry. "Very well, I shall wait in the private room."
A quarter of an hour later, Zhan Feiyu put down her brush, washed her hands, and then walked towards the private room at the end of the corridor.
Holding the teacup with an arrogant air, Jiao, the eldest son, looked coldly at Zhan Feiyu as she entered. "The post stations are desolate and the sky is frosty, the night is deep and the verses are bitter, yet no chapter is completed. Does Miss Zhan know the next line?"
Zhan Feiyu raised her eyebrows. "Is the eldest son's late-night visit solely for reciting poetry and composing couplets?"
The next two lines of the poem were: "Closing the door, I ignore the moon in the courtyard, leaving the blooming plum blossoms to decide for themselves."
The original meaning was to close the door and disregard the moonlight in the courtyard, leaving the mood of appreciating the flowers to the plum blossoms to decide. However, Jiao, the eldest son, clearly implied that Zhan Feiyu was meddling in other people's affairs.
Zhan Feiyu knowing this poem proved that the young girl was not seeking fame but possessed genuine talent.
Although Jiao, the eldest son, disliked her, he dared not underestimate Zhan Feiyu. The Zhan family might not be a prominent aristocratic family in Jiangnan Circuit, but they were at least a scholarly or official family.
"I heard that Miss possesses a recipe for noodle cakes. My wife's dowry includes a pastry shop. If Miss Zhan is willing, I am willing to buy this recipe at a high price on behalf of my wife."
As Jiao, the eldest son, finished speaking, the guards behind him stepped forward, opening the wooden box they held, revealing a stack of banknotes.
"Five thousand taels in banknotes. Is Miss Zhan satisfied?" Jiao, the eldest son's gesture was one of wealth and power. Magistrate Zhu had also intended to buy the recipe before, but at most it was only a thousand taels.
However, Zhenwei Xuan had shops in every prefecture of Qianzhong Circuit. While five thousand taels seemed like a lot at first glance, as long as Zhenwei Xuan sold well, it could be earned back within three years.
Money that ordinary people could not earn in a lifetime, Zhan Feiyu glanced at it and then withdrew her gaze. "Is the eldest son intending to pay to avert disaster?"
His face instantly fell. Jiao, the eldest son, looked displeased at the outspoken Zhan Feiyu. These five thousand taels were meant to buy the noodle cake recipe, and also to ask Zhan Feiyu to stop interfering with Zhao's pastry shop.
Without Zhan Feiyu, the "uninvited guest," interfering, it was only a matter of time before Zhenwei Xuan took over Zhao's pastry shop, a matter that would be resolved within three months at the latest.
Unlike his previous condescension and disdain towards Zhan Feiyu in the courtroom, Jiao, the eldest son, suppressed his anger despite his displeasure. "As the saying goes, a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake. This is the territory of Qianzhong Circuit. Miss Zhan must know that by meddling, she has offended some people. If no one mediates, it will not be easy to leave Qianzhong Circuit safely."
Zhan Feiyu glanced towards the window. In the darkness of the night, a faint sound could be heard. A person in black tight-fitting clothes flew past the window, their large saber glinting in the night. Even though it was a fleeting glimpse, the cold light still inspired fear.
First politeness, then force? Zhan Feiyu withdrew her gaze and looked at Jiao, the eldest son, who was sitting leisurely opposite her. Her clear voice suddenly rose a few decibels.