Chapter 438
Yuan Kangping had initially believed this endeavor would be a smooth success. Not only was Zhan Feiyu a mere country girl, but even if he himself hailed from an official family, with his uncle being a prefect, Yuan Kangping would have been tempted by even a hundred thousand taels, let alone five hundred thousand.
Perhaps also convinced that Zhan Feiyu was greedy, Yuan Kangping cast aside his previous resentment. A mocking cold smile played on his lips as he waited.
"A merchant's trade is built on trust. I regret I cannot agree to your terms, Second Young Master," Zhan Feiyu politely refused, glancing at Yuan Kangping, whose expression had drastically changed. "A Nuan, see our guest out."
"Zhan Feiyu!" Yuan Kangping shot to his feet, utterly enraged. His eyes, now even more sinister, fixed on Zhan Feiyu. "Since you know the Jin family is behind me, are you refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit?"
"Second Young Master, please!" He Nuan urged coldly, maintaining proper etiquette but with an extremely firm demeanor.
Observing Zhan Feiyu, who remained seated at the head of the table, unmoved, Yuan Kangping's face turned ashen with fury. He abruptly flung his sleeve and strode out of the side hall.
The moment Yuan Kangping left Mu Xiang Ju, two figures in the shadows silently followed him. Yuan Kangping was quite vigilant, but alas, he was merely a scholar with no strength to even truss a chicken, completely unaware he was being trailed.
The Jin family's estate was located in the east of the city, the ancestral home occupying an entire street. The rows of civilian residences in the back alleys were occupied by the Jin family's household guards and servants.
As the head of the Jin family, Master Jin Jiu resided in the ancestral home year-round. His brothers and cousins of the same generation were dispersed across various prefectures, managing the family's businesses in different regions.
The third generation of the Jin family, the younger generation, also lived in the ancestral home. Besides receiving instruction from tutors in the clan school, Master Jin Jiu personally reviewed the younger generation's studies every five days. The older juniors, under Master Jin Jiu's assignment, were responsible for the businesses in Minhe Prefecture, which served as a form of training.
"What did Doctor Wang say?" Upon hearing the report from a subordinate, Jin Xu strode towards the rear residence, his expression somewhat grim. Despite his dislike for his arrogant and overbearing wife, in Minhe Prefecture, the Sixth Madam represented their sixth branch and his own dignity as the Sixth Young Master.
"The Sixth Madam took a kick to the chest. Fortunately, it was only a superficial wound; a few doses of medicine to dispel bruising will suffice," the attendant quickly replied, detailing what had happened at Sheng He Xuan.
His movement to enter the room paused. Jin Xu's brows suddenly furrowed. Instead of entering, he walked towards the adjacent corridor. "It was a young girl? Could it be Zhan Feiyu?"
The attendant cautiously glanced at Jin Xu, whose expression grew even more somber, and replied respectfully, "I had sent people to investigate Sheng He Xuan earlier. According to the description of her appearance, it was indeed Zhan Feiyu. The one who kicked the Sixth Madam was her attendant, not the He siblings. It was a middle-aged man..."
The attendant's voice grew softer. The Sixth Madam, being a woman of the inner chambers, was only concerned with vying for favor and asserting dominance. She knew nothing of the significant events happening in Minhe Prefecture.
However, the attendant responsible for gathering information knew the inside story. On that day, outside the prefectural yamen, the formidable individual who single-handedly slew over a dozen experts from the Commandery Guard was precisely this middle-aged guard accompanying Zhan Feiyu. The fact that the Sixth Madam did not perish and only received a kick was undoubtedly because the other party had shown restraint.
"She dares to provoke the Imperial Guards now?" Jin Xu chuckled, but his teeth were grinding audibly, clearly indicating extreme anger.
A moment later, his turbulent emotions subsided. Jin Xu looked at the courtyard with a sinister gaze. "Zhan Feiyu said that Uncle Jiu favors the fourth branch more, which is why he arranged for me to marry the Zhao family's daughter?"
Yuan Kangping's example was a stark illustration! Prefect Yuan had arranged for his eldest son to marry a young lady from the Fu family, a family of scholars and farmers. Although their family background was not prominent, she possessed a virtuous and intelligent nature.
However, Yuan Kangping, his nephew, married Yao Zhenyi. While she was said to be of royal lineage, everyone in Minhe Prefecture knew that Yao Zhenyi was a vulgar shrew who, relying on her maternal grandmother who died early, ran roughshod over Minhe Prefecture. He himself had offended...