Chapter 157 Even with such beauty, she couldn't keep a man.
Lin Shiyuan glanced indifferently at the short Yang Kuan, a disdainful sneer playing on his lips: "You think you can beat me?"
"I—" Yang Kuan gasped for breath, his eyes darting around. He caught sight of Xiao Pingfeng out of the corner of his eye and shouted, "Why aren't you getting up! If he's going to become an official, what chance do we have of living?!"
"And you lot!" He pointed to the foremen on the dock. "Who are you? You haven't forgotten all about yourselves after a few good days, have you?"
Those people also stood up, staring straight at Lin Shiyuan, their eyes flashing with ferocity.
Yes, they all wanted to live a good life, not a life of constant danger, not to be wanted by the police, and even less to be captured and beheaded!
Yang Kuan pointed at Xiao Pingfeng: "And you, what are you standing there for?"
Another manager, looking at Xiao Pingfeng, this "oddball," said sarcastically, "Manager Xiao, you don't feel embarrassed to take action just because you've spent a lot of time with Lin Shiyuan, do you?"
As he spoke, he walked over with Yang Kuan, and the others followed, surrounding Lin Shiyuan.
With so many of them, how could they possibly lose to Lin Shiyuan?
Lin Qiao put one foot on the stool, grabbed a chicken leg and started gnawing on it, then watched the commotion.
Taoye whispered to her, "Your brother is about to get beaten up, aren't you going to help him?"
Lin Qiao also lowered her voice: "Sister Taoye, no matter how many of them there are, they can't beat my brother."
Lou Yue became nervous upon seeing the situation and whispered to Xia Chan, "We came here to eat, and we haven't even had a chance to eat yet. Why are we fighting? Isn't Miss going to do anything about it?"
Xia Chan glanced at her, picked up a piece of roasted venison and put it in her bowl, and said calmly, "You eat yours, they fight it out, it won't affect you anyway."
Lou Yue glanced at her, wondering if she really thought Lou Yue was heartless. A fight was about to break out; how could Lou Yue possibly eat?
Lou Yue glanced at Qing Ling out of the corner of her eye, thinking to herself: I wonder what Miss is thinking. Harboring bandits is a serious crime; how can she let General Lin leave without worry?
Qingling acted as if it were none of her business, and no matter how noisy it was over there, she just leisurely read her notes.
"Lin Shiyuan, do you think you're better than us just because you've been on the battlefield? Which of us hasn't killed someone? Which of us didn't survive by fighting to the death?"
If a group of people take another step closer, the circle shrinks until they are within striking distance, where they could easily punch each other in the face.
Lin Shiyuan dropped his indifferent expression, his gaze shifting from casual to cold, exuding an air of authority, like a drawn sword gleaming with a chilling light.
Yang Kuan and his associates were ultimately feeling guilty.
Lin Shiyuan was fighting against enemy soldiers who were equally armed, troops that surged up like a tide; and they had gradually transformed from disaster victims into bandits, from the weak killing each other to robbing and killing the escorts, their ferocity accumulating little by little.
Their most intense fight was against the warrior monks and guards at Yongning Temple.
However, these people cannot be compared with well-trained officers and soldiers.
Lin Shiyuan certainly had the right to look down on them, but now, he was all alone.
Yang Kuan clenched his fist and said, "Lin Shiyuan, unless you give up your official career, we will let you go."
"Yes, you can't become an official!" the managers at the dock shouted fiercely.
They were Sheng Dahe's people, not under Yao Qingling's control, and were more anxious than Yang Kuan and his group.
Sheng Dahe had no connection with Lin Shiyuan. Yao Qingling was a young lady from the Marquis's mansion and was close to the Prefect. Yang Kuan and Xiao Pingfeng had someone protecting them.
They didn't.
Out of consideration for the woman, Lin Shiyuan's knife would miss its mark and end up at their necks.
While the boat on the Shengda River was still drifting on the water, they were decapitated!
Lin Shiyuan only said one word: "No".
Tao Ye broke out in a cold sweat.
She glanced at Yao Qingling and couldn't help but say, "Miss, we can't let them fight. Please go and try to stop them."
Xiao Pingfeng remained calm throughout.
He is, after all, an educated man who has experienced a few things and can use his brain.
He wondered if Yao Qingling had arranged this meal in the hopes that they would stop Lin Shiyuan and detain him.
Just as the two sides were about to fight, Xiao Pingfeng stood up and said, "Yang Kuan, if you start fighting now, it will really be considered assaulting an official of the imperial court, and you will go to jail."
Yang Kuan glared at him with red eyes: "You coward! I always thought you were no good, and you're still a spineless coward. If he doesn't agree today, don't even think about leaving this room!"
Turning to Lin Shiyuan, she continued angrily, "The moment you arrived, I knew you weren't here to work. You lied to Madam Yao; you came to investigate us so you could become a high-ranking official!"
Xiao Pingfeng frowned: "Yang Kuan, think about it, do you think Madam Yao is so easy to fool?"
Yang Kuan suddenly turned to look at Yao Qingling, but still insisted on his own idea.
He was breathing heavily through his nose, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.
Yao Qingling was, after all, just a woman, and she was divorced.
With Lin Shiyuan's face, it's hard to say she wasn't bewitched by this pretty boy's good looks.
If a man says a few sweet words to coax her, she'll be completely bewitched, as if she's been given a magic potion.
Yao Qingling glanced at Yang Kuan: "Manager Yang, if you have anything else to say, feel free to say it all at once."
Yang Kuan snorted: "Madam Yao, I respect you. You promised to lead us in business and give us a better life. But I don't trust your judgment."
"You're so beautiful, yet you couldn't keep this man. You're such a coward."
Yao Qingling: "..."
She never expected that this roughneck would say such a thing at the end.
Lou Yue's maids were also dumbfounded, and for a moment they didn't know how to react.
How could this roughneck possibly think that the young lady was using her beauty to seduce Lin Shiyuan and keep him around?
The young lady is pregnant, and this Lin Shiyuan... no, now that this roughneck says it, something seems off.
There was a strange atmosphere between Miss and Lin Shiyuan before; they often talked together when they were in the shop.
But it seems that after Lin Shiyuan went to work at the dock, the two became estranged.
Did Lin Shiyuan find out that Miss was pregnant and then start to dislike her?
Everyone present looked at Yao Qingling.
Fortunately, Yao Qingling had strong self-control and didn't immediately throw a tantrum and run away crying like a shy young lady.
She walked up to Yang Kuan: "Say it again?"
She put her hands on her hips and tucked her skirt into her waistband, instantly revealing her protruding belly.
Yang Kuan stared at her large belly, then moved his gaze from her belly to her face.
Pregnant woman?
Yang Kuan asked blankly, "The child... is his?"
Wow, that's fast! Judging by that big belly, she must have been pregnant for quite a while.
He gestured towards Lin Shiyuan, so shocked that he momentarily forgot what he was supposed to be doing.
"Hehe, Madam Yao, you're really something. You just left that second young master of the Duke's mansion, and now you're sleeping with another man."
The men burst into laughter.
The dock manager couldn't resist adding a dash of cold water: "But it was all for nothing. They still want to become officials, don't they?"
Even though Yao Qingling was already a married woman, she still couldn't resist the lewd talk from the men.
She was a respectable young woman, not a prostitute. She couldn't remain calm and composed after being humiliated like this.
She clenched her fists, her face turning bright red.
Suddenly, Yang Kuan was splashed with wine all over his face.
Taoye, holding an empty bowl, said, "Wash your stinking mouth! Who are you talking to? How dare you insult my young lady!"
Lou Yue and Xia Chan both came closer, staring at Yang Kuan with hostile eyes.
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