The Elixir is for You, The Poison is for Me

"I understand," Young Master Song surprisingly showed rare understanding, nodding and saying, "How could I bear to make Caiwei feel pressured? The wedding can be delayed by a month or two, but this charcoal kiln… your husband can help you manage it first."

After speaking, he winked at the knights behind him, but before they could move, they heard a loud and vigorous shout.

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"Bold! This charcoal kiln is my, Ma Zhongbao's, territory! I'd like to see who dares to mess with it!"

Seeing the situation was bad, Manager Ma had already turned back and grabbed a firewood knife, and now he ran back, blocking the group of knights.

As a result, Ma Zhongbao had just stood firm when he was struck across the face with a horsewhip, the place where he was hit burning with pain.

The one who attacked was Young Master Song. After striking the whip, he turned to Gu Caiwei and said, "Look, these servants are all lowly. If you don't manage them well, they will slowly climb over your head. If you don't show them some color, they won't remember who's in charge."

Gu Caiwei was trembling with anger, and no longer pretended to be polite. She pointed at the young man's nose and said, "Song Zhongwen, do you really think I don't know who's been causing trouble at the charcoal kiln and firewood shop lately? What, seeing that those dirty tricks didn't work before, you're planning to come at me directly this time?"

Song Zhongwen took out a folding fan from his waist and feigned surprise, saying, "Caiwei, what are you talking about? I specially brought people to help you because I saw you were alone and helpless. Even if you don't appreciate it, how can you slander someone's reputation without any evidence?"

After speaking, he said to the people behind him, "What are you still standing there for? Have you forgotten what you're supposed to be doing?"

So the knights all drew their weapons and began to drive away the workers in the charcoal kiln.

Faced with the gleaming blades, even Ma Zhongbao couldn't help but shrink back this time. After hesitating for a moment, he dropped the firewood knife, and the other kiln workers were so scared that they didn't dare to move.

Instead, Gu Caiwei took two steps forward, without any fear.

"Song Zhongwen, are you planning to disregard the law completely! Relying on your uncle who's a registrar, you dare to forcibly seize people's property in broad daylight. If this brings disaster, I'd like to see what kind of end your uncle and nephew will meet!"

Seeing that they had already torn off all pretenses, Song Zhongwen finally stopped acting and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Gu Caiwei said coldly.

"Sorry, sorry, I suddenly remembered something interesting." Song Zhongwen flicked open the folding fan, but didn't continue speaking. Instead, he suddenly asked, "Caiwei, in your eyes, am I stupid and annoying?"

"You're quite self-aware." A hint of disgust flashed in Gu Caiwei's eyes.

Song Zhongwen wasn't angry upon hearing this. He used the folding fan to lift Gu Caiwei's chin. "Tsk, tsk, I'm not like you. I like your know-it-all look the most."

"You!" Gu Caiwei was both angry and ashamed at Song Zhongwen's frivolous behavior.

"Seriously, I was almost fooled by you too, thinking you were some kind of chaste and virtuous woman, who would never remarry after her husband's death, and would keep her chastity for her husband. I was about to build a memorial arch for you. But what happened? You used the excuse of mourning to stall me, while on the other hand, you hurriedly wrote a letter to your distant cousin, the secretary in the capital, asking him to find you a new man among the sons of officials."

"And you even said that as long as things could be settled quickly, you would be willing to be a concubine. Gu Caiwei, ah, Gu Caiwei," Song Zhongwen leaned close to Gu Caiwei's ear, "Aren't you cheap?"

Because she was wearing a black veil, her expression couldn't be seen, but from her trembling body, it could be seen that she was extremely angry.

"It's a pity that man proposes, but God disposes. You just asked me what's so funny, and now I'll answer you, because I just got good news. Your distant cousin was impeached by the censor for writing poems after drinking, satirizing the government, and has already been imprisoned."

"Moreover, the case has solid evidence and witnesses, so it's basically a done deal. Calculating the time, he should be setting off for the South Sea right now. That's a good place, full of miasma, and man-eating savages. Maybe he can help you find a good husband there."

Hearing Song Zhongwen's words, Gu Caiwei, who had been calm and collected, finally couldn't help but panic. "You… you're lying!"

"Well, you can write another letter to your cousin, or anyone else you know in the capital, and ask them if this is true. But you'd better hurry, because I'm not the only one eyeing you and your family's property. Chairman Shen of the Southeast Chamber of Commerce, although nearly sixty years old, is still as vigorous as ever. I heard that he's also been inquiring about your family's affairs these days."

Song Zhongwen paused, "Even your husband's death may have had a lot to do with him, Caiwei."

Song Zhongwen's voice softened a little, "You know yourself that you can't handle it alone, right? That's why you're in such a hurry to ask your cousin to find you another husband. Since that's the case, why bother going so far? As long as you marry me, and with my uncle's support, who would dare to touch your property from now on?"

However, he didn't expect that this rather affectionate confession would only be met with three cold words.

"You're dreaming!"

Song Zhongwen's face darkened, and he closed the folding fan. "Fine, if you don't appreciate my kindness, this is your own doing, Gu Caiwei."

After saying the last word, he waved his hand. "Smash this place! This little girl has no backing anymore! Let's see who can save her today."

As the knights were about to move upon hearing the order, a cold voice suddenly rang out in their ears.

"May I ask if Young Hero Lu Jing is here?!"

Then, Lu Jing, who was watching the excitement in the crowd, saw Ma Zhongbao turn his reddened face towards him. Immediately afterward, the eyes of others also fell on him.

Finally, everyone looked at him.

Afterward, everyone turned their heads together to look in the direction the voice came from, only to see a man dressed in a scholar's robe and a turban, standing on the earthen slope outside the charcoal kiln.

Although that place was still some distance away, the scholar's voice was very clear.

"What's the situation?" Song Zhongwen frowned, and was about to send his men to drive away this inexplicable guy who had intruded to look for someone, when he saw a knight running to his side in a panic, "Young Master, the person who came is Protector Yin of the Three Tigers Gang. This person entered the Third-Rate realm five years ago and is a well-known expert in Wujiang City."

Song Zhongwen also felt a headache upon hearing this. As a local, he of course knew the great name of the Three Tigers Gang. The imperial court's attitude towards these Jianghu people has always been mainly appeasement, especially in the localities. Unless necessary, the government is not willing to offend these Jianghu sects.

Even when encountering some difficult wanted criminals and bandits, they still have to rely on local experts to capture them.

Generally speaking, the orthodox gangs would not go against the government. On the contrary, they would look for their own political allies in the court. The two sides rely on each other. Basically, civil officials above the seventh rank have sects behind them supporting them, and martial arts officials are even more needless to say. Many of them were originally Jianghu people who entered officialdom.

In short, the water here is very deep.

When a local official takes office, if he can't appease either the local gentry or the martial arts sects, he basically won't last long.