Chapter 425
Under everyone's nervous and uneasy gaze, Zhan Feiyu walked past Cai Bao. The latter, with a grim face and fierce eyes, did not move at all.
Seeing Zhan Feiyu take a seat at an empty table in the hall, He Sheng immediately stood behind her, with He Nuan flanking her on either side.
On the second floor, Cai Bao suppressed the surging anger in his chest. For a moment, he truly wanted to act. A delicate young girl, he could snap her neck with one hand.
But Cai Bao knew even better that if he made a move, he would likely have half his hand severed by her maid's sword before he could even touch Zhan Feiyu.
"Team Leader?" A subordinate looked at Cai Bao, whose face was like a Yama, and then glanced at Zhan Feiyu sitting downstairs. It was the first time he had seen his leader at a disadvantage, and the other party was a young girl.
"Get down!" Cai Bao roared, turning around and striding downstairs.
After a while, the two sides faced each other, sitting at opposite ends of the table. However, Cai Bao had lost the initiative from the start, and any talk of aggression now would seem ridiculous.
From the second floor, Prefect Yuan, using a pillar for cover, also looked downstairs.
"My Lord, Miss Zhan is indeed highly skilled and bold," the attendant whispered, his eyes filled with admiration. In Minhe Prefecture, Cai Bao was a notorious bully, extremely arrogant.
On the surface, he had never killed anyone, but he was a vicious dog raised by the Jin family. Those who had grudges against the Jin family often fell into Cai Bao's hands, suffering broken limbs at best, or ruin and death at worst.
"If she didn't have some courage, the ghosts and spirits of Suzhou Prefecture would have long ago devoured her. How could she have followed all the way to Minhe Prefecture?" Prefect Yuan stroked his beard. Zhan Feiyu not only had courage but also the capital for her arrogance.
Fang Xu, the Prefect's most trusted subordinate, was called an attendant but was actually Prefect Yuan's bodyguard. "My Lord, if Cai Bao had made a move just now, would Miss Zhan really dare to kill?"
Killing Cai Bao would not be terrifying, but the Jin family behind him was. Fang Xu knew the Jin family's methods well. Scholar Gu in the capital might not be able to deter the ruthless and fanatical Jin family.
Thinking of the tragic deaths of his second brother and sister-in-law, Prefect Yuan's thin face suddenly showed a hint of coldness. He looked coldly at Cai Bao and the others from the Weiwu Escort Agency downstairs. "Scholar Gu's help is too far away to solve the immediate problem, but with the Imperial Dragon Guards present, the Jin family will absolutely not dare to touch Zhan Feiyu if they don't want their entire clan wiped out."
Although the assassins who attacked Zhan Feiyu in Huaian Prefecture were not thoroughly investigated in the end, those forty-eight bodies were hung on the city walls for half a month. No matter how fanatical the Jin family was, as long as they feared death, they would not dare to attack Zhan Feiyu, who was backed by the Imperial Dragon Guards.
"The Jin family sent Cai Bao to test the waters," Prefect Yuan understood clearly. If Cai Bao had successfully intimidated Zhan Feiyu, perhaps the men from the Weiwu Escort Agency could have seized the roster in the chaos.
Even if Cai Bao's test failed, he was just a vicious dog they kept. Killing Cai Bao to apologize to Zhan Feiyu would not be a loss for the Jin family.
After that, the Jin family would only be more careful and cautious in their dealings with Zhan Feiyu. Coercion would definitely not work, so only persuasion was possible.
Tapping the table lightly with one hand, Zhan Feiyu smiled and looked at the more than ten burly men in the hall. "I only arrived in Minhe Prefecture yesterday. I haven't offended any noble person to have the team leader bring so many people to cause trouble."
What kind of scholar would say "cause trouble"? And what kind of well-educated young lady would want to kill people without a word?
Cai Bao suppressed his anger, his expression still unpleasant, but at least his arrogance was gone. "Miss Zhan, you exaggerate. Manager Hong and I, Cai Bao, have been friends for many years. He has been waiting to sell this house and return to his hometown to reunite with his wife and children. You want to buy Mu Xiang Ju, but you went back on your word and played a trick on Manager Hong. I was just impulsive and wanted to vent my anger for my brother."
"So that's how it is," Zhan Feiyu nodded in understanding, her clear, crisp voice pleasant to the ear. "The sage once said, 'In reflecting upon myself, have I been unfaithful in my duties? Have I been untrustworthy in my dealings with friends? Have I failed to practice what I have taught?' It seems Manager Hong and the team leader are not truly close friends. It's not that I'm going back on my word and unwilling to buy Mu Xiang Ju, but rather that Manager Hong wanted to raise the price from three thousand taels to five thousand taels."
"What?" Cai Bao roared, as if hearing this news for the first time. He slammed his palm on the wooden table. "You two, go immediately and bring that scoundrel Hong Tao here. This business relies on fairness and honesty. Hong Tao has broken the rules of Minhe Prefecture!"
Watching his two subordinates stride out of the inn, Cai Bao clasped his hands in front of Zhan Feiyu. "It was I who was misled by that scoundrel Hong Tao. Miss Zhan, please rest assured, I will bring him here to apologize to you now. Whether you want to kill him or punish him is up to you. If Hong Tao dares to disobey, I'll slap him to death!"
"Miss, do you need me to follow and see?" He Sheng asked in a low voice.
As for the hypocritical Cai Bao, He Sheng did not miss the fleeting murderous intent in his eyes. Was this a failed scheme, and another one was being hatched?
"No need," Zhan Feiyu shook her head. Since the stage had been set, it was time to see how these people intended to perform this grand play.
The hall fell silent again, everyone waiting for Manager Hong's appearance.
On the second floor, Prefect Yuan narrowed his eyes. He had secretly investigated the Jin family for several years and naturally knew their style of operation. Manager Hong would likely meet his end at the Dongsheng Inn.
...
Chapter 425
Under everyone's nervous and uneasy gaze, Zhan Feiyu walked past Cai Bao. The latter, with a grim face and fierce eyes, did not move at all.
Seeing Zhan Feiyu take a seat at an empty table in the hall, He Sheng immediately stood behind her, with He Nuan flanking her on either side.
On the second floor, Cai Bao suppressed the surging anger in his chest. For a moment, he truly wanted to act. A delicate young girl, he could snap her neck with one hand.
But Cai Bao knew even better that if he made a move, he would likely have half his hand severed by her maid's sword before he could even touch Zhan Feiyu.
"Team Leader?" A subordinate looked at Cai Bao, whose face was like a Yama, and then glanced at Zhan Feiyu sitting downstairs. It was the first time he had seen his leader at a disadvantage, and the other party was a young girl.
"Get down!" Cai Bao roared, turning around and striding downstairs.
After a while, the two sides faced each other, sitting at opposite ends of the table. However, Cai Bao had lost the initiative from the start, and any talk of aggression now would seem ridiculous.
From the second floor, Prefect Yuan, using a pillar for cover, also looked downstairs.
"My Lord, Miss Zhan is indeed highly skilled and bold," the attendant whispered, his eyes filled with admiration. In Minhe Prefecture, Cai Bao was a notorious bully, extremely arrogant.
On the surface, he had never killed anyone, but he was a vicious dog raised by the Jin family. Those who had grudges against the Jin family often fell into Cai Bao's hands, suffering broken limbs at best, or ruin and death at worst.
"If she didn't have some courage, the ghosts and spirits of Suzhou Prefecture would have long ago devoured her. How could she have followed all the way to Minhe Prefecture?" Prefect Yuan stroked his beard. Zhan Feiyu not only had courage but also the capital for her arrogance.
Fang Xu, the Prefect's most trusted subordinate, was called an attendant but was actually Prefect Yuan's bodyguard. "My Lord, if Cai Bao had made a move just now, would Miss Zhan really dare to kill?"
Killing Cai Bao would not be terrifying, but the Jin family behind him was. Fang Xu knew the Jin family's methods well. Scholar Gu in the capital might not be able to deter the ruthless and fanatical Jin family.
Thinking of the tragic deaths of his second brother and sister-in-law, Prefect Yuan's thin face suddenly showed a hint of coldness. He looked coldly at Cai Bao and the others from the Weiwu Escort Agency downstairs. "Scholar Gu's help is too far away to solve the immediate problem, but with the Imperial Dragon Guards present, the Jin family will absolutely not dare to touch Zhan Feiyu if they don't want their entire clan wiped out."
Although the assassins who attacked Zhan Feiyu in Huaian Prefecture were not thoroughly investigated in the end, those forty-eight bodies were hung on the city walls for half a month. No matter how fanatical the Jin family was, as long as they feared death, they would not dare to attack Zhan Feiyu, who was backed by the Imperial Dragon Guards.
"The Jin family sent Cai Bao to test the waters," Prefect Yuan understood clearly. If Cai Bao had successfully intimidated Zhan Feiyu, perhaps the men from the Weiwu Escort Agency could have seized the roster in the chaos.
Even if Cai Bao's test failed, he was just a vicious dog they kept. Killing Cai Bao to apologize to Zhan Feiyu would not be a loss for the Jin family.