The sky was just beginning to lighten. In a small, narrow room, Jin Ge’er, sitting on the floor and leaning against a low table, let out a yawn.
Beside him, thunderous snores filled the air. The room reeked of alcohol, foot odor, and sweat, mingling with an underlying cloying sweetness that made one feel nauseous.
Jin Ge’er carefully moved the arm of a burly man draped over his legs before finally surveying his surroundings.
The light from outside filtered in through the red-papered window lattice, casting a hazy, dreamy glow over the room. However, the seven burly men sprawled across the floor gave the scene an eerie twist.
Jin Ge’er tiptoed to the door, cautiously pulling it open.
The courtyard was similarly cramped and low, with more than half of it hidden from the sunlight. Red lanterns hung from the trees and under the eaves, still glowing faintly. Soft, flirtatious laughter drifted over, drawing Jin Ge’er’s attention.
Turning instinctively, he saw the door of the neighboring house open. A disheveled couple was reluctantly saying their goodbyes.
“Master, you must come again tomorrow. Without you, I can’t sleep peacefully at night,” the woman cooed.
“My sweet little thing, you miss me that much?” the man teased, punctuating his words with smacking kisses.
Jin Ge’er’s eyes widened in shock. His gaze fell on the woman’s bare skin, and he slammed the door shut with a loud bang, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of his throat.
What kind of godforsaken place is this…?
The loud bang startled the burly men inside the room, and they instinctively reached for their waists.
“Jin Ge’er, you’re awake,” one of them was the first to react. Seeing Jin Ge’er by the door, looking frightened, he sat up while speaking in a muffled tone.
“Brother Jianglin, let’s hurry and find my mistress,” Jin Ge’er quickly said.
Their conversation stirred more of the men awake.
“Is it morning already?” they mumbled, sitting up and momentarily disoriented, unsure of where they were.
Someone shook the nearest wine jar, disappointed to find it empty, and tossed it aside.
“Damned Xiang Qi, that ungrateful bastard,” he muttered angrily. “Back in those tough times, he spoke so sweetly, but now he tries to dismiss us with just a few taels of silver? What does he take us for, beggars? This little bit of money is barely enough to stay in a brothel, let alone afford a woman!”
“He’s been saying we’re deserters, marked by a crime. We can forget about rejoining the army—we’d better just go home and farm,” another man said, sitting up with a sullen face. “Why did we come to him in the first place? Wasn’t it to clear our names? That bastard forced us into fleeing so he could frame us as deserters. Now he refuses to help us overturn the charge and sends us away like this!”
A man who had been lying on the ground, his hands behind his head, chuckled.
“For what Xiang Qi has done, you could say he’s already gone above and beyond,” he remarked.
His face was scruffy with an unkempt beard, and he still had a disheveled appearance, but his voice was deep and mellow, with a measured tone that stood out from the others. It was the same man who had once been a sickly scholar, known for having read a few books.
“Brother, what do you mean by that? Back then, if it weren’t for us, Xiang Qi would’ve lost his life. How else would he have made it to the capital, married into a wealthy family, and secured an official position?” a man beside him retorted, glaring in dissatisfaction.
“Exactly! Back then, it was you who the Dong family who had their eyes on, Brother. You knew Xiang Qi liked that Dong family girl, so you deliberately stepped aside…” another man chimed in.
The guy chuckled, withdrawing his hands and sitting up with swift, practiced movements.
“He didn’t turn us over to the authorities—that’s already his way of repaying the debt. Who would go out of their way to help if it’s not their own business? That’s just how the world works, so let’s not dwell on it,” he said calmly.
“Who would go out of their way to help?” one of the men repeated, glancing around until his eyes landed on Jin Ge’er, who was standing blankly like a wooden figure. After a moment of confusion, he seemed to remember who Jin Ge’er was.
“Ha! Isn’t that exactly what the lady, the one who saved your life, did?” he exclaimed.
At the mention of the lady, everyone in the room seemed to come to their senses and turned to look at Jin Ge’er.
“Yeah, that’s right! How did we manage to find the lady so easily?”
“Wasn’t this kid saying he lost her?”
Amid the growing chatter, the guy raised a hand to quiet everyone. He moved to sit in front of Jin Ge’er.
“Jin Ge’er, think carefully again. What does your mistress’s residence look like? We’ll go and search for it again,” he said gently.
Jin Ge’er nodded and was just about to speak when one of the men sitting by the door suddenly shushed the group.
The chaotic room fell silent in an instant.
“Big Brother, what is it?” someone whispered.
The man sitting by the door, peeking out through the crack, turned back with a grim expression.
“There are soldiers searching for something,” he said quietly. “Could it be that Xiang Qi…?”
Everyone in the room immediately stood up, their faces tense and serious.
“About this tall, with a Jiang-zhou accent,” one of the soldiers at the courtyard gate said, gesturing with his hand while handing a sketch to the brothel madam.
The madam leaned in, scrutinizing the drawing carefully.
“Looks somewhat familiar,” she remarked.
A courtesan with disheveled hair sidled up for a look as well.
“Oh, that’s him!” she exclaimed. “He came last night, sandwiched between a group of men, his face all tear-streaked.”
The soldiers were overjoyed.
After searching all night, they finally had a lead.
“Those men were fierce and rough. Came to the brothel without any money, ordered a feast and ate,” the courtesan quickly added, eager to chime in. Thinking about how she hadn’t secured any clients last night and had wasted her time on those men, she now seized the opportunity to embellish her story. “That little boy they brought along was huddled in the corner crying. Who knows if they kidnapped him…”
Menacing men, a crying child, visiting a brothel yet refusing female company—this combination instantly gave the soldiers some grim ideas.
The boy in the drawing didn’t look special, but the amount of chaos he had stirred since last night had sent countless people in the capital scrambling. The low-ranking soldiers didn’t know the specifics, but rumors had it the matter involved the Chen family. Several of the Chen sons had been scouring the streets late into the night searching for someone.
Could this child be the pampered young master of some prestigious family?
A delicate and privileged young master from a wealthy household…
The soldiers exchanged glances, their hands instinctively tightening on the hilts of their swords before slowly retreating out of the courtyard.
Their chance to earn merit had arrived!
“Jintian Alley?” Zhou Liu-lang asked, looking at the servant who had come to report.
“Yes, young master, both the county office and the City Watch’s troops have gone there,” the servant replied excitedly.
The maid grabbed Cheng Jiao-niang’s arm in delight.
“Miss, they’ve found him! They’ve found him!” she exclaimed, then suddenly gasped in surprise. “That little rascal, how did he end up there?”
Cheng Jiao-niang glanced at her.
“It’s… the red-light district,” the maid whispered softly, leaning in to explain.
“According to the county office,” the servant quickly added, “it seems Jin Ge’er was abducted and taken there.”
“Abducted?” the maid repeated, her expression shifting to one of worry. “Then, did you tell them to be careful? Don’t push those kidnappers too hard and risk them hurting him!”
At this moment, more soldiers had gathered outside the brothel in Jintian Alley.
The madam, trembling slightly, pointed them in a certain direction. The soldiers moved silently, circling to approach the location.
Stopping outside the door, they tilted their heads, listening intently to the faint sound of snoring from within.
The prostitute had said these men had arrived late last night, drinking until almost dawn before finally falling asleep. They were most likely still in a drunken stupor.
The soldiers positioned themselves, exchanged glances, and raised their blades. Suddenly, they shouted in unison, kicking the door open as they charged in.
“Officials on duty! Surrender and you won’t be killed!”
Inside the room, a chaotic noise erupted, but it quickly faded away. The soldiers and attendants looked at each other in confusion.
The room was empty, with no one in sight. The back window was wide open, and the oiled paper had been torn, causing a snoring-like whistling sound as the wind blew through.
“They’ve escaped!”
“Indeed, they’re thieves!”
“Quick, chase after them!”
At the entrance of the alley, the man peeked his head out, waved his hand behind him, and a few people quickly stepped out.
“This damn city is full of alleys, where’s the city gate?” one man murmured.
“We can’t go to the city gate now; there’s probably already someone waiting there,” said the third brother, walking in the front.
“Third brother’s right,” said the elder brother behind him, glancing around.
Passing through the alley, they reached the bustling market. By early morning, the market was already very lively, and more people were walking through the alley. The group of seven, along with a half-grown child, attracted curious glances from those passing by.
The group instinctively lowered their heads, but unexpectedly, the third brother in front stopped, causing the others to bump into each other.
“Over there!”
A group of people ran down the street and suddenly spotted them, one of them shouted.
“Quick, go!” Third brother yelled.
The group quickly turned and fled.
Jin Ge’er was so scared he was stunned. What was going on? Lost, and now they were being chased by the authorities for no apparent reason.
“Jin Ge’er is getting involved in this if he keeps following us. Find a place to leave him behind,” the elder brother said.
“Brother Jianglin!” Jin Ge’er cried out in a trembling voice.
“Even though you got lost, your mistress will definitely find you. As long as you’re in the capital, she’ll find you. But if we get you caught and thrown into prison, you might never see your mistress again,” Third Brother said, walking quickly.
Jin Ge’er dared not speak anymore, he just kept running behind, head down.
“There’s a pile of firewood over there, go hide there,” the elder brother whispered, quickly pushing Jin Ge’er toward the pile.
Jin Ge’er hesitated to move, but then saw another large group of people coming from that direction.
“Over here, we’ve found him!” they shouted loudly, waving their weapons as they rushed forward.
At this point, even if they separated, Jin Ge’er wouldn’t be able to escape blame. Third Brother reached out and pulled him back.
“Climb over the wall to the roof,” he shouted.
The seven men immediately scattered, each climbing the nearest wall.
Third Brother lifted Jin Ge’er up, and the man who had jumped earlier reached out to grab him, pulling him over the wall.
The people coming from both sides quickly surrounded the courtyard.
“What are you doing there for?” Zhou Liu-lang reached out and grabbed Cheng Jiao-niang’s arm, raising his eyebrows as he shouted.
Cheng Jiao-niang turned her head and glanced at him.
“Just looking,” she replied.
“Looking at what? Stay here and stop causing trouble,” Zhou Liu-lang said with a stern face.
Cheng Jiao-niang looked at him again, her gaze serious and scrutinizing, just like the time she examined the bare young man who had once come to apologize.
Zhou Liu-lang felt his hand burning and suddenly released it.
“Have you always been this stupid?” Cheng Jiao-niang asked.
“You’re the one who’s stupid!” Zhou Liu-lang’s face twitched, gritting his teeth and glaring.
“Yes, I’ve always been a fool,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, withdrawing her gaze and stepping forward. “But I’m not stupid.”
Jin Ge’er huddled in the corner of the wall, his expression a mix of fear and confusion.
In front of him, several big men were on high alert, while on the other side, the family was crying and huddling in a corner.
Outside, there was a loud knocking on the door.
“…Don’t be afraid. We had no choice but to hide here. We are using you as hostages only to buy some time. We will not hurt you,” Third Brother said in a low voice to the family.
However, this reassurance was utterly useless.
“Please spare us!” The family trembled, crying.
“Brother, stop wasting time. Take Jin Ge’er and go,” the eldest brother said.
“Let Bangchui take him,” Third Brother shook his head. “I’m not in good shape, I can’t carry him.”
“I’m not going!” A man immediately shouted, gripping a broken blade.
After a brief moment of silence outside, footsteps could be heard approaching.
“Listen inside, hand the person over, and we won’t pursue the remaining crimes,” a voice called out.
Naturally, no one responded.
One of the men couldn’t help but turn his head.
“This is strange, they keep shouting for us to hand the person over. Are they stupid? What do they want us to hand over? How could we possibly turn ourselves in?” he asked.
Third Brother furrowed his brow.
At this moment, the entire street outside was sealed off, crowded to the point that not even a drop of water could pass. Various speculations were rapidly spreading through the crowd.
“…A great bandit from the sea…”
“…The mountain thief who killed a hundred people…”
And other rumors quickly spread among the people.
“What did you say?” Cheng Jiao-niang asked.
The official who had been briefing Zhou Liu-lang about the current standoff looked over.
What was this lady doing here? Following Zhou Liu-lang?
But Zhou Liu-lang showed no intention of stopping or scolding her. He turned his head, and the official understood.
“…They’ve taken a family of four hostage, and everyone is afraid to force an attack,” the official said respectfully.
“Tell them, as long as they hand over the person, nothing will be pursued,” the maid hurriedly said. “We can offer money as well.”
The problem was, even with such words being said, the people inside wouldn’t believe them…
These matters, women would never understand.
The official nodded in agreement.
“What did the people that first discovered them say? I want to see that person,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
It wasn’t far from Jintian Alley, and soon the madam was brought over.
“We didn’t know, we run a business, and we have to receive whoever comes. We had no idea these people were kidnappers…” The madam protested, crying loudly.
“What were these people like?” Cheng Jiao-niang interrupted her.
“Stop crying and speak properly.” The maid scolded the madam, then repeated Cheng Jiao-niang’s question.
“How were they…?”
The madam pouted.
“They weren’t much, outsiders, very fierce, tall, with beards. The child was crying at the time, and those people even threatened him, saying if he kept crying, he wouldn’t be able to see his mistress again…” she said, exaggerating, hoping to make the criminals sound worse, so that she could appear to have been coerced and escape any blame.
“How many of them?” Cheng Jiao-niang interrupted again.
“Seven, I think…” The madam thought for a moment.
Before she could finish, Cheng Jiao-niang stepped forward, pushed her aside, and walked straight into the alley.
The maid hesitated for a moment but followed without hesitation. Zhou Liu-lang moved to stop her, reaching out to grab her arm.
“That’s enough,” he gritted his teeth, speaking softly.
“Fool,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
“Only you’re smart!” Zhou Liu-lang glared at her, gritting his teeth.
“That wasn’t kidnapping,” Cheng Jiao-niang said. “That was help.”
Zhou Liu-lang paused, confused.
On the other side, in the yard, Third Brother suddenly slapped his leg.
“Ah!” he shouted, “It’s a misunderstanding!”
Everyone turned to look at him.
“What misunderstanding?” the eldest brother asked.
“Open the door!” Third Brother didn’t bother answering, hurriedly shouting.
Everyone froze.
“Third Brother, we can’t back down now!” several people shouted, glaring at him.
Third Brother shook his head and strode towards the door.
“It’s not backing down, it’s just a misunderstanding, a joke!” he said, while shouting loudly again.
“Open the door!”
This time, it wasn’t just his voice. A lady’s voice also came from outside.
As soon as the voice was heard, there was a moment of silence.
“Open the door.”
Both inside and outside spoke at the same time.
Jin Ge’er, who had been crouched in the corner, suddenly stood up.
“Miss!” he shouted, immediately running toward the door.
Third Brother stepped forward and opened the door, looking at the lady standing outside, wrapped as usual in her cloak and hood.
They exchanged glances.
The man couldn’t help but smile first.
Cheng Jiao-niang’s lips curved into a slight smile, her head lowering slightly.
Zhou Liu-lang, following closely behind, watched this scene, his face tightening.
