The guests were taken aback at first, then burst into laughter and excited shouts.
"Qiu Niang, are you sure she's a virgin? Then I'll have to get my money ready, hahaha!" A portly merchant shouted, his eyes filled with lewd laughter as he stared at Su An with lustful eyes.
The applied makeup made Su An's originally fair skin even more translucent and radiant, like a piece of mutton fat jade.
Her slightly upturned, alluring eyebrows and her bright red lips painted with lipstick were as delicate and tempting as a red rose blooming on a branch. Even though Su An had a dark face and kept her head down, it was still taken as a coy refusal, and it all spoke of temptation.
"I'll offer one hundred taels!"
"You think you deserve a hundred taels? I'll offer two hundred taels!"
"Get out of my way, all of you! I'll pay five hundred!"
Qiu Niang instantly grinned from ear to ear, watching the crowd below the stage bidding against each other as if a pile of gleaming silver was beckoning to her.
Su An's body grew increasingly tense and stiff, his eyes quickly scanning his surroundings to observe the environment.
She has to run!
Or should we just jump ship now?!
But just then, a somewhat familiar yet distinct voice rang out like a heavy hammer: "One thousand taels."
The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of contempt and authority.
Everyone turned to look, and saw a middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes and exuding a noble air, raising his hand slightly. It was Xia Yuandao, the Prefect of Jinzhou.
When they saw his face clearly, everyone immediately booed.
They must be crazy to try and snatch people from the governor!
"Never mind, I'll wait until next time..."
Upon hearing the price, Qiu Niang's eyes lit up, and with a beaming smile, she pulled Su An toward the latticed window: "Lord Xia is truly generous! To be chosen by Lord Xia is a blessing this young lady has accumulated over many lifetimes!"
She eagerly pushed Su An forward, and the moment Su An saw Xia Yuandao up close, she finally realized she wasn't hallucinating and excitedly exclaimed, "Lord Xia!!"
Heavens above! We've finally found a lifeline!
Xia Yuandao nodded slightly to Su An, then turned to Qiu Niang, raised an eyebrow, and casually tossed out a silver note: "This thousand taels is for redeeming this young lady."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Niang's smile instantly froze.
Her brows furrowed, a hint of difficulty and displeasure flashing in her eyes: "Lord Xia, this...this won't do. This virgin is new here, and I was planning to promote her as a top courtesan to attract customers. Besides, even if I wanted to redeem her, the price is..."
Xia Yuandao's lips curled into a half-smile, and he narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold glint flashing in them.
“Qiu Niang, you’ve been operating on this river for many years, so you must know my temperament, Xia Yuandao. It’s best not to be too greedy about some things, otherwise…”
He didn't finish his sentence, but the imposing aura of a governor was palpable, and the threat was clear.
Qiu Niang's expression changed slightly, naturally aware of Xia Yuandao's power in Jinzhou.
If I offend him, I'm afraid my pleasure boat won't be able to continue operating!
Thinking of this, she could only force a smile: "Lord Xia, look at what you're saying. Since you've spoken up, how could I, Qiu Niang, dare not give you this face? This girl is yours."
Su An still couldn't believe that he had escaped the nightmare.
As she followed Xia Yuandao off the pleasure boat, a gentle breeze blew by, and the fresh air outside cleared her mind considerably.
Su An took a deep breath and bowed to Xia Yuandao with gratitude in his eyes: "Thank you so much for saving me today, Lord Xia. All my money was stolen, and I will definitely return double the amount of that thousand taels in the future!"
No wonder they say you should leave a way out for others so you can meet again in the future. Luckily, she didn't offend Xia Yuandao too badly last time. This is definitely a good connection!
Su An secretly felt relieved, but failed to notice the fleeting glint of cunning in Xia Yuandao's eyes.
He smiled and waved his hand: "Miss Su, there's no need to be so formal. I was just helping someone in need. But how did you end up in Qiu Niang's hands?"
When this matter was mentioned, Su An felt like beating his chest and stamping his feet, lamenting the hardships of his life. He briefly recounted his previous experience of being assassinated and escaping by jumping into the river.
After speaking, worry appeared in her eyes, and she looked at Xia Yuan with a pleading expression, "Is this Jinzhou? The Marquis who was with me before is still missing. I wonder if you could help send people to search for him?"
I wonder how the Marquis is doing. The two of them are floating with the current, but the Marquis is injured, so his situation is probably worse!
"This is Jinzhou. Don't worry, Miss Su, I will send someone to find the Marquis as soon as I turn around."
Xia Yuandao was very polite. He glanced at the dark night and even considered her feelings, saying, "Why don't you rest for the night first? Tomorrow morning I will prepare a carriage to take you to the Prince of Jizhou. That way, I can explain things to the Prince. Otherwise, if you are in trouble in Jinzhou, I will be very worried!"
"Very well, then I'll trouble you, Lord Xia." Su An readily agreed, feeling a touch of gratitude welling up inside him.
Look at him, what a wonderful person!
Although it involves currying favor with the powerful and bullying the weak, being good at handling things is a skill in itself!
Xia Yuandao led Su An to an inn and arranged for her to stay.
Su An sighed and was exhausted, barely managing to rest for the night at the inn.
The next morning, Xia Yuandao's carriage was seen parked in front of the inn.
"I am truly grateful to Lord Xia. I will remember this kindness and repay it tenfold!" Su An thanked him again as soon as he got into the carriage.
Xia Yuandao, riding beside him on horseback, appeared to be there to protect him. Upon hearing this, he simply smiled and nodded, immediately ordering the group to set off.
The carriage moved slowly, its wheels turning, and soon it left the city and entered the main road, where it began to accelerate.
The high speed caused the carriage to bounce violently, making it extremely uncomfortable.
But thinking of finding Fu Zhun as soon as possible, Su An covered her mouth, held on tightly to the carriage, and remained silent.
However, after an unknown amount of time, just as Su An felt dizzy and wanted to vomit countless times, the carriage stopped in a secluded and gloomy place.
The surrounding area was overgrown with weeds and jagged rocks, and the sky seemed to be shrouded in a layer of gloom, exuding a strange chill.
"Where is this..." A sense of unease suddenly welled up in Su An's heart. She had just lifted the carriage curtain when Xia Yuandao grabbed her wrist and dragged her off the carriage.
"Lord Xia? Where is this? What are you doing?" Su An opened his mouth in astonishment, trying to break free from Xia Yuandao's restraints, only to find that he was incredibly strong.
Xia Yuandao sneered, his eyes no longer concealing his triumphant contempt.
"Stop talking nonsense, you'll find out soon enough!"
Ignoring Su An's struggles, he forcefully dragged her into what appeared to be an abandoned courtyard.
The courtyard was filled with a putrid smell, and the walls were covered with moss; it was clearly a good place to kill and dump a body.
Then Su An was pushed into the dimly lit room, which was filled with dust. Only a sliver of light could seep in through the small, closed windows.
"Hiss! No, what exactly do you want to do?" Su An staggered and fell to the ground, his eyes full of shock and confusion, truly dumbfounded.
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