“Ah!” The woman whose wrist Liang He had seized instantly shifted from mournful wails to sharp, short cries of pain.
She desperately wanted to escape, but Liang He’s martial skills were not for show.
At this moment, Liang He harbored nothing but hatred for this woman who had suddenly rushed out.
Military men held lowly positions, and even those serving as Guanjia’s blades in the Imperial City Surveillance Agency were no exception.
To secure this assignment of guarding Prince Yu during his outing from the palace, he had nearly exhausted all his dignity and offended many colleagues.
After rehearsing countless times in his mind, he had finally succeeded in submitting his name, only hoping to return safely to the palace.
Who would have thought such a pest would suddenly appear!
In his overwhelming rage, he could hardly discern whether this woman’s collision with the young master of the Cao family was fortunate or unfortunate.
His five fingers formed a claw-like grip, like iron pincers; with a twist and turn, he had already pinned the woman face-down on the ground with one hand.
“You wretched woman! If you want to die, go throw yourself in the river! How dare you bring misfortune upon me! If you dare cry out again, I’ll knock out all your teeth, strip you naked, and throw you into a brothel!”
His fury was so intense that he couldn’t hold back, letting out the kind of language he typically used.
Only when he regained his senses did he notice that both Cao Ping and Zhao Xin were looking at him strangely.
The former’s gaze held scrutiny, while the latter’s was filled with amusement.
No matter how much Liang He wished he could turn back time and strangle his earlier self, he could only hurriedly explain: “Young masters, you may not know, but this kind of old hag usually makes a living by lending money at high interest, oppressing good people and committing all sorts of wicked deeds.
“This little girl is certainly not her biological daughter; she must have been used as collateral by families who couldn’t repay their debts.
“She saw the two young masters being generous and latched onto you under the pretense of selling her daughter. If you had agreed to buy her, she would have drawn up a contract.
“But this contract wouldn’t be an official red contract; it would be a white one. Even if you paid, you wouldn’t be able to take the girl away, and you might even end up getting beaten.
“Isn’t that right!”
The last sentence was directed at the woman he held in his grip.
Liang He clearly had blood on his hands; his murderous aura surged like waves in his fury. Having laid bare the woman’s money-making schemes, the woman knew she had met her match and lay limp on the ground like a pile of mud, not daring to make another sound.
Cao Ping, however, was confused and asked, “What is high-interest lending? And what are red and white contracts?”
Noble youths of his age were typically focused on studying, practicing martial arts, building their physiques, and learning etiquette and rules. It was only around thirteen or fourteen that they would be taught about economic matters.
Zhao Xin slowly slid down from Liang He’s back, took Cao Ping’s hand, but spoke like an adult: “High-interest lending is usury, also called ‘donkey rolling over.’ ‘Nine out, thirteen back’ is one of the milder forms.
“As for red and white contracts, it’s about whether the contract is registered with the authorities. A white contract is an agreement between commoners, which saves on taxes compared to an official one but offers no protection.
“Commoners often use white contracts to save on taxes, but they usually seek out respected elders or officials to act as guarantors.
“This woman likely has connections with some local headman or relies on a government clerk, which is why she targeted us.”
Liang He: …
Your Highness, it’s quite awkward that you know so much about this! You’ve said everything there is to say—what’s left for me to add?
This is about the only skill I have that’s presentable. You’re making me look utterly useless.
Yet Cao Ping’s eyes sparkled like stars, his gaze at Zhao Xin nearly turning into one of admiration.
Truly a man chosen by heaven, extraordinary indeed!
Zhao Xin shifted his gaze to the girl who had been so frightened she forgot to tremble.
She looked about six or seven years old. Though her padded jacket was patched in many places and the sleeves were a bit short, it was starched and clean, clearly showing she had been well cared for.
Zhao Xin stepped forward and, under Cao Ping’s apprehensive stare, stood on tiptoe, straining to pluck several dried weeds stuck in the girl’s hair. Then, mustering all his strength, he whipped them across the silent woman’s face: “This child couldn’t possibly have been kidnapped by you, could she?!”
Amid the flying bits of grass, a swollen red welt instantly appeared on the woman’s face.
Unable to bear the pain, the woman immediately wanted to wail again, but a glare from Liang He made her quickly switch to quiet sobs. She couldn’t help but plead her case: “Young master, please investigate clearly. This humble woman only deals in legitimate business. I wouldn’t even dare think of deceiving you, young master. How could this child be kidnapped?”
Although brokers often dabbled in shady dealings, one could never admit to it, even under threat of death.
According to the law, whether by trickery or force, selling a child to another family would result in three years of penal servitude, while selling them into slavery elsewhere carried the death penalty.
Moreover, this child’s origins could withstand scrutiny.
Zhao Xin only sneered coldly in response.
The old saying, “Carriers, boatmen, innkeepers, porters, and brokers—even if innocent, they deserve death,” was born from countless tears and bloodshed accumulated over millennia in feudal times.
And he had never heard of anything in this world that couldn’t be uncovered if one tried.
If something couldn’t be uncovered, it only meant the pressure applied wasn’t enough.
Zhao Xin turned around.
Liang He understood his meaning and gestured behind him. Four sturdy, unremarkably dressed men pushed through the crowd and stood by his side, hands respectfully at their sides.
The citizens of Dongjing City had seen their share of the world. They instantly realized that this Granny Yang, who specialized in swindling unfamiliar faces, had kicked an iron plate today.
Thinking the other party was an outsider easy to bully, only to find they were a powerful dragon traveling incognito.
Knowing this spectacle was no longer safe to watch, they carefully memorized the features of the two young masters leading the group.
If they could come once, they could come again. They couldn’t control the whims of nobles traveling incognito, so they could only stay vigilant to avoid offending them.
Some of the more cunning rogues and ruffians, sensing trouble, immediately went to inform the backer behind this Granny Yang.
She was a rare money tree and couldn’t just be chopped down like this.
As the saying goes, under the three woods, nothing is unobtainable, let alone with Liang He, who was an expert in such matters.
Before Zhao Xin had even finished a bowl of plum drink, Liang He dragged the woman out of a dead-end alley and threw her in front of Zhao Xin like garbage.
However, the distance was perfectly judged—not a single speck of mud splashed onto Zhao Xin.
“Young master, everything’s been interrogated. Let this thieving woman speak for herself.”
Granny Yang looked no different from before, perhaps just with her hair bun slightly loosened.
But Cao Ping noticed her right arm hung limply, and she had used her left hand to push herself up just now.
He couldn’t help but frown slightly, disapproval showing on his face.
Yet, since Zhao Xin hadn’t spoken, he forced himself to hold back.
Zhao Xin seemed not to have heard Liang He’s words, still intently struggling with that bowl of dark plum drink. He manually removed the already bitten section of reed straw, then blew into the bowl to create bubbles.
It tasted good, quite similar to the dark plum soup he had drunk in his previous life, but the shopkeeper was too stingy, unwilling to add more sugar, leaving the aftertaste of this hot drink somewhat sour.
The woman surnamed Yang, having mixed in the market for many years and seen all sorts of people from various walks of life, knew deeply that this was her last chance. So she supported herself with one hand on the ground, kowtowed like pounding garlic, and spoke rapidly: “Allow this humble woman to explain to you two young masters, I’ll tell everything, everything.”
“This girl was indeed not abducted by me, but was pawned to me by her father.”
“What do you mean pawned to you?” Cao Ping, feeling that everything he encountered on this outing was novel, rapped the table and asked.
“It’s just that Erhua’s father owed gambling debts outside and came to my husband’s family for help settling them. His family had no spare money, so he had to pawn his daughter to me, promising to settle the difference afterward. I was anxious to recover my money, so I was blinded by greed…”
“Just wanting to recover the loan? I’m afraid there was also a ‘nine-out, thirteen-back’ interest scheme. And you two parties certainly didn’t sign any written contract, so you could later accuse the seller of abduction and extort another sum of money.” Zhao Xin finished the amber-colored sweet water in his bowl, using these words to end the performance of the person before him.
Liang He, listening nearby, almost wanted to applaud. At the same time, he silently warned himself: This prince is nearly demonically intelligent, almost like an adult. He must abandon that dismissive, perfunctory attitude of just accompanying a child to play and thinking everything would be fine with proper coaxing.
“You said the same thing last time about turning things around, and what happened? The Grand Councilors all say the Second Prince is clever, and people in the palace say Guanjia intends to make the Second Prince the crown prince. The Thirteenth General not only hasn’t been allowed back into the palace, but even the young lady of the Gao family has been sent out of the palace to await marriage.
“That was two strings of cash, two strings! Our family is almost starving!”
The argument in the courtyard fell silent.
Cao Ping, who wished he could plug his own ears, caught sight of Zhao Xin listening with great interest and felt his head was about to explode!
Then he realized he had exploded too soon.
“Don’t worry, wife, I’ve just landed a big job recently. As long as I sell these pieces of news, I can earn five strings of cash!”
“Bullshit! What news could possibly be worth five strings of cash? Let me see… Prince Yu is gravely ill and beyond cure?”