Chapter 12 The Bully Returns from the Poor Alley
Chen Liangyu spent half a day lying across from the brothel, observing the beautiful girls waving their delicate and charming handkerchiefs, which were incredibly alluring.
She tried to imitate him, but her body, accustomed to wielding guns and bows for years, was not as flexible as the girls'; she looked like a monkey stealing peaches.
She sighed. She shouldn't have mocked Dong Shi; even imitating Dong Shi was hard work.
Upon seeing the person she was looking for, she hurried down, leaned against the stone lion at the alley entrance, and wiggled a couple of times in a very professional manner, waving to the people on the street like a courtesan.
After drawing the man's attention, she flicked her handkerchief twice, then quickly turned into the alley, her hurried footsteps following closely behind.
She wandered through many twists and turns before finally entering a dead-end alley.
The person following closely behind was Qiu Shiyan.
Qiu Shiyan politely bowed to her with a scholar's salute, and said with longing, "Miss Chen."
Chen Liangyu gave him a flirtatious wink, her eyes and body language exuding the coquettish charm of a young girl. Qiu Shiyan, unable to resist such blatant seduction, was instantly overjoyed and was about to pull her forward.
Taking advantage of the moment he lunged at her, Chen Liangyu swung her arm in a wide arc and slapped him hard across the face, then kicked him. With her long arms and legs, the kick landed squarely on his chest.
Qiu Shiyan was thrown to the ground like a lump of mud, and half of his face slowly puffed up as if being inflated.
Chen Liangyu twisted his neck left and right, swaying to hold Qiu Shiyan's arm in place. With a twist, the sound of bones cracking and breaking came from the joint, and a scream startled a flock of sparrows that were foraging for food. Still not satisfied, he kicked him a few more times, not paying much attention to which part of his body he kicked.
At first, Qiu Shiyan panicked and dodged, but after a few kicks, he could only curl up and clutch his stomach.
At this moment, Qiu Renshan was looking at everything in horror through the window of a private room on the second floor of Yueyang Tower, which was facing this poor alley. He almost crushed the wine glass in his hand. Shocked and terrified, he turned his head to watch Jingming's expression.
"You unfilial son, how dare he! How dare he!"
The conversation below couldn't be heard from the private room, but everything in the alley was seen by the two people at the window. It turned out that Chen Liangyu was being followed by Qiu Shiyan and was running away in a panic, but accidentally entered a dead alley. Qiu Shiyan stepped forward to harass her, and Chen Liangyu was frantically trying to avoid him. When she realized that she couldn't avoid him, she took action to defend herself.
Jingming immediately flew into a rage: "Lord Qiu, what a fine family tradition! Your son dared to harass my young lady in broad daylight. I think there's no need to discuss the matter of land reclamation anymore; let's just drop it here."
Qiu Renshan's face turned pale, and he swallowed his pride and kept apologizing.
The Crown Prince wanted to reform the tax system and introduce new tax laws, which would require a re-survey of the entire country's land. Families like his, who "had shady dealings," naturally used all their connections to seek protection. When Jingming came to him, he was overjoyed. If he could get in touch with the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion, or even just with Chen Linjun behind Jingming, he wouldn't have to be in such a mess.
Jingming mentioned that his young lady had offended the Vice Minister at Yong'an Prefecture that day and asked him to forgive her. Qiu Renshan, of course, understood his implication. He simply said that Chen Liangyu was wearing the fish-shaped tally of the Marquis of Xuanping that day, which indicated that the woman was pampered and had been bestowed a title and official position by the Emperor. She must be a troublemaker. Since she had already intervened in this matter, if things didn't go her way, it would likely cause even more trouble. It wouldn't be worth it to make enemies of the Marquis of Xuanping's family over a woman. Therefore, Qiu Renshan immediately said that he would make proper arrangements for Zhou Pei, sending her to a manor or a temple in the mountains. Whether she stayed or left was entirely up to her.
Since that was the case, Qiu Renshan wanted to sound him out. Chen Linjun was close to the Crown Prince and might know things that others couldn't understand. Just as the main course and wine were about to be served, he witnessed the scene of following them through the window.
Chen Liangyu grabbed Qiu Shiyan by the collar and lifted him off the ground, then punched him several times in the face. Qiu Shiyan's already irregular face was distorted by the blows, and he curled up on the ground, clutching his abdomen and vomiting blood. In the blood were two tooth-shaped objects.
Backed into a corner, Chen Liangyu stood up and said, "Today I'll give you a small punishment to teach you a lesson. If you don't play dirty tricks again, I guarantee I'll make sure you die quietly."
Qiu Shiyan was in excruciating pain, sweating profusely as he wiped the blood from his chin: "You dare! My father is a high-ranking official of the third rank in the imperial court. If you dare to kill me, my father will make you pay with your life."
The sound of metal scraping reached Qiu Shiyan's ears. He looked up and saw Chen Liangyu holding a short knife, its blade gleaming. In the blink of an eye, the cold blade was already pressed against his throat.
"What a joke." She laughed with contempt and disdain. "From the day I crawled out from under the mountain of corpses at the bottom of Horseshoe Valley, I no longer need to abide by many of the rules of this world. Today, if I cut your neck with this knife, I'll get a scolding, and that'll be it. At worst, I'll get a beating, lose my title and rank, so what? Even if I really commit a capital crime someday, as long as the sword isn't hanging over the emperor's neck, there will be censors and officials to petition for my life, sparing it out of consideration for my past military achievements. Even your father, Qiu Renshan, I can kill him if I want to. What does your worthless life matter?"
Qiu Shiyan spat out another mouthful of blood, which seeped into the remaining snow and stained it red. His whole body went limp, but he remained defiant: "Although your Chen family is powerful right now, you can't be arrogant for long. Don't be so smug. I'm waiting for you to be forced into prostitution so I can support you."
Chen Liangyu moved his fingers slightly, and the blade instantly sliced through the skin, drawing blood.
In that instant, Qiu Shiyan's pupils dilated.
Chen Liangyu said in a sinister tone, "Do you know how many people I killed to survive and return to Shangyong from the Northern Border? Do you know how many mortal heads like yours have been plucked from this blade?"
Her appearance naturally carried a sense of aloofness and coldness, with a high nose bridge and upturned eyes. Once she was expressionless, she looked extremely unapproachable.
The swirling snow and the sharp blade in her hand blended seamlessly with her aura, creating a natural image of a decisive and ruthless female general.
Having been well protected by his family's influence, this spoiled brat had never seen anything like real fighting. Qiu Shiyan was terrified.
Fearing that she might act impulsively and actually kill him, Jingming quickly snatched the exquisite cup from Qiu Renshan's hand, held it between two fingers, and used his internal force to send it out.
The wine glass shattered on the wall, creating a small dent. The two people below simultaneously looked up at the window, but Jingming had already swiftly closed it.
Taking advantage of Chen Liangyu's momentary daze, Qiu Shiyan turned and ran, stumbling out of the alley while clutching his broken arm.
Jingming had no intention of lingering any longer. He took the cloak hanging on the rack, kicked off his boots, and was about to leave: "Lord Qiu, it's best if we keep what happened today to ourselves and pretend nothing happened. You must also keep quiet about your son. You know, if this matter gets out, my young lady's reputation will be damaged, and it's hard to say whether the Emperor and the Marquis will spare your son's life."
Qiu Renshan hesitated and said, "Lord Jing, then you..."
"Lord Qiu need not worry about my words. I am concerned about my young lady's reputation and will not say a word to anyone."
Qiu Renshan felt as if he had been granted a pardon and immediately said gratefully, "Lord Jing is right. Thank you for your understanding. I will certainly discipline this brat strictly and keep him confined at home so he can't go out again. Please take care, Lord Jing. Lord Jing, about the matter of the military farms..."
Jingming opened the door and stepped out: "Let's discuss it again."
Chen Liangyu sheathed her sword, inwardly blaming Jingming for throwing that cup at her. She knew better than to kill someone right under the nose of the capital.
I was hoping to take drastic measures to eradicate the lustful desires of that gluttonous young man at their root, but I don't know if I've scared him enough.
As Chen Liangyu walked back, she heard a burst of loud laughter overhead. Looking up, she exclaimed that she deserved her bad luck for not checking the almanac before going out today.
She encountered both the bad apples and the troublemakers on the same day.
Zhang Jialing peeked half his head out from behind a low wall in the second-floor corridor of a small house, accompanied by a beautiful woman. "Chen Liangyu, why are you still using entrapment tactics?"
The bizarre story of Zhang Jialing crawling out of a coffin had long been woven into tales of ghosts and spirits, becoming a popular topic of conversation. Even though she wasn't particularly interested, those absurd tales still reached her ears, intentionally or unintentionally. The Zhang family valued strict family rules, forbidding concubines before marriage. However, in the short few days since waking up, he had taken three beautiful mistresses outside the marriage. Zhang Diancheng was so angry he almost committed suicide, telling everyone he met that he would rather he were dead.
Chen Liangyu glanced at the bystanders on the wall and asked, "When did you get here?"
"I've always been here, ever since you did that." He mimicked Chen Liangyu's seductive pose as she leaned against the stone lion and beckoned to Qiu Shiyan, his figure alluring and his eyes dreamy, even more so than the girls in the brothel. "But don't worry, I won't tell anyone!"
Chen Liangyu's temples throbbed with veins, and she tugged at the corners of her mouth. Her expression happened to fall on Zhang Jialing's eyes.
"Hey, what's with that expression? You don't think I'm the same kind of person as him, do you?" Zhang Jialing said anxiously. "Chen Liangyu, stop right there! This needs to be made clear. I'm not the same kind of person as him. Although I've married many women, they all came to me willingly. I paid betrothal gifts, gave them money, and bought them houses. I don't do things like forcibly taking women. Don't compare me to that kind of idiot, do you hear me? Hey!"
Chen Liangyu waved her sleeve, not listening to a single word, and turned to meet Jingming, who had come looking for her.
Jingming was a deputy general under Chen Linjun. He accompanied Chen Linjun back to Yongdu twice a year to report on his duties. He became a familiar face in the court and could speak with officials of all ranks.
She asked, "Jingming, how is it?"
Jingming waved his hand, "Flawless."
It refers to the acting skills she painstakingly learned.
Still holding the dagger, Chen Liangyu walked side by side with Jingming, arms crossed. "Qiu Renshan entered officialdom through the Six Examinations and rose to the rank of Third-Rank Vice Minister. He should know that a bright official career must be paved with self-cultivation and family management. How could he have raised such a disgraceful and shameful son?"
Jingming looked at him with a different eye and said, "You know all this?"
"I didn't know, but isn't there someone who does know at home?" With Xie Wenjun, a strategist and advisor, at home, she didn't hesitate to ask for advice. "The current emperor values social customs and traditions the most. With Qiu Shiyan's behavior, his career as an official, even if he only reaches the position of Vice Minister, is over. If Qiu Renshan doesn't shut down Qiu Shiyan and correct his behavior, allowing his descendants to do evil, someone in the world will eventually take over his role as a strict father." The short sword sheath twirled in her palm, knocking away the snow falling from the eaves. "Others don't know how to use their strength."
The "other person" here naturally refers to herself.
Jingming said, "I was worried that you really wanted to take that guy's life. I've already thought about how to explain it to the young marshal."
Turning the corner, the snow that had collapsed and crumbled along the eaves was gone. Chen Liangyu stamped his foot. "We must keep this a secret. If my elder brother finds out, he'll make a mountain out of a molehill and cause me a lot of trouble."
Jingming nodded in agreement, then turned his head and his face instantly twisted as if he had eaten a bitter melon: "I'm afraid we can't hide it anymore, the young marshal already knows."
Following the reflection in Jingming's pupils, Chen Liangyu saw Chen Linjun standing there with a stern face and an imposing figure, like a roadblock.
Oh haha! It's over.
Chen Linjun walked over through the snow, his boots kicking up a swirl of snow as he hurried along. "Jingming, go and collect your twenty military whips."
Jingming remained silent for a moment, then said, "Yes, young marshal."
After announcing the punishment for Jingming, Chen Linjun glanced at Chen Liangyu and said, "You've come back to bully others by relying on your power? What did Uncle Yan teach you? 'Those who can devise a plan should not resort to force. Can force really solve problems?'"
Chen Liangyu put away the knife that had been twirling in his fingertips and put the new words he had just memorized into practice: "Force may not solve problems, but it can deal with idiots."
Although the meanings of words and phrases in ancient and modern civilizations are not entirely the same, they do share some similarities. Chen Liangyu did not understand the essence of this phrase, but he could tell that it was not a good phrase and that it was inexplicably fitting for Qiu Shiyan.
"..." Chen Linjun was stunned for a long time, as if a thunderbolt had struck his head, leaving him dumbfounded. After regaining his senses, he was furious: "Where did you learn such vulgar language? What kind of shady people have you met?"
Chen Liangyu pointed to the wall behind him.
The 'shady character' was still peering out, watching the spectacle.
When Zhang Jialing was stared at by Chen Linjun's sharp gaze, he immediately withdrew his bared teeth, gave Chen Linjun an awkward smile, and fled.
Chen Linjun didn't want to say anything more and said sternly, "Go home and kneel in the ancestral hall. You are not allowed to eat dinner. Also, you are not allowed to send medicine to Jingming."
"oh."
Chen Liangyu and Jingming lowered their heads and stood with their hands down, ready to be punished.
After walking about ten steps, Chen Liangyu noticed what appeared to be drag marks on the snow where Chen Linjun had just stood, revealing the bare bluestone ground, followed by a series of messy footprints. He wondered which unlucky soul had slipped and fallen.
People with bad luck have different ways of having bad luck. For example, there was her and Jingming who were caught red-handed, and there was that unknown guy who fell in the snow.
A note from the author:
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