Several servants quickly stepped forward to do as they were told; with money to be made, how could they not work their lives away!
Nan Aoyu watched as Ji Wushang was stuffed into a sack and carried out by several servants. Seeing that no one was around, she immediately ordered him to be thrown into a carriage through the back door and sent towards the Yihong Courtyard.
After finishing these tasks, Nan Aoyu hurriedly entered Yuxue Garden, where she was greeted by Nan Jinxue. The two exchanged a glance and quickly went into a side room.
"I've already had the Crown Princess moved to Yixiang Tower. You should send someone there immediately!" Nan Aoyu said as soon as no one was around.
"Good! I know a burly man who can sleep with seven women in one night. He saves up a lot of money before he dares to come to Yixiang Tower! Hehe!" Nan Jinxue's eyes flashed with a hint of lewdness. "But to be honest, it's a real pity that he ruined such a beautiful woman as my sister-in-law!"
“You can do it yourself!” Nan Aoyu looked at his lecherous face. “I know you like her, don’t you? What a pity, that little hussy Ji Wushang actually likes that guy Nan Xuzong! You can do it first, and then throw it to someone else when no one is looking, right?” Nan Aoyu said immediately when no one was around.
“You’re right! I’m not afraid to tell you, Uncle. A year ago, she was so devoted to me, she was willing to die for me! But then she had a high fever and she became a completely different person. I just don’t understand why she changed like this! You know, men always want what they can’t have, but once they get it, they don’t cherish it as much!”
So, I was just curious at first, and I swore I'd get her, have her, and then dump her. You know, she's just a woman! As long as we're powerful enough, we'll never lack women! But damn it, I got tricked by her and that bitch Ji Yinxue! I ended up having to marry Ji Yinxue, and then, I don't even know how, I got involved with Ji Meiyuan. Thankfully, she didn't marry me in the end! I've been played by these women so many times! It's infuriating!"
Nan Aoyu had naturally heard such stories before, and hearing them again from Nan Jinxue's mouth made her even happier. How stupid! You're undeniably naive! Otherwise, how could you have been outsmarted by three young ladies from a general's mansion?
"Don't be angry. If this matter succeeds, won't your wish be fulfilled?" Nan Aoyu said.
"I know!" Nan Jinxue said coldly. "Without further ado, hehe, let me tell you, I suspect my elder brother has never tasted Ji Wushang!"
"How do you know? I heard that the two of them do 'that' every night! But they just don't have the fertility!" Nan Aoyu said with a gossipy look on her face.
"Look at my older brother, he's in a wheelchair and always needs someone to serve him. What ability does he have to stand up? Can he do *that* kind of thing? Can he satisfy a woman? If he could, tell me, why hasn't my older brother had a woman in over twenty years? Is it because he got married that he lost his virginity? Bullshit! Besides, they've been married for so long and they don't even have a child! Is that possible? I saw Wu Shang's face was so embarrassed when Dad asked! She's still a virgin! So, I suspect their affection is all an act, just for everyone to see!"
"Alright, alright!" Nan Aoyu smiled. "If it's true, you've really gotten a good deal!"
"That's right!" Nan Jinxue felt extremely relieved after saying what was on her mind. She was even happier thinking about the fun she was about to have.
The two discussed the matter furtively for a while before immediately splitting up to carry out their plans.
While having someone keep an eye on Moxuan Garden, Zhao Yirou heard from a maid that Ji Wushang had gone to the accounting office, and immediately rushed to Aunt Jin's place. She was determined to invite many, many people to see just how shameless Ji Wushang was; she would make her lose all face and die of shame! The Marquis's mansion was blind to have such a mistress! This position of mistress should belong to her, Zhao Yirou!
Ji Wushang was jostled around in the sack, struggling for a moment before he could breathe a little better.
Hongfei climbed out of the carriage. "Princess Consort, would you like to untie the bag and get some fresh air?"
"How much further?" Ji Wushang asked. "Yixianglou, humph!" Yixianglou is owned by the Marquis of Jinnan, while Nan Aoyu manages it on his behalf, secretly pocketing a lot of money! This time, he'll make him cough it all up!
Moreover, we'll put on an unparalleled spectacle for them! Everyone in the capital will know! From now on, they'll never be able to hold their heads high again!
"It will probably be less than the time it takes to drink two cups of tea," Hongfei replied. Because Ji Wushang was tied up in the sack, Hongfei couldn't see her expression. Hongfei was still a little worried, concerned that she might not be able to withstand the strain and would suffer health problems.
"Where is Lady Qi?" Ji Wushang continued to ask.
"In another carriage, Cuiwu is watching!"
"Fine!" Ji Wushang said coldly, "Just let them handle it! Help me out when necessary!"
"Princess Consort, please give your orders, and I will do my utmost, even at the cost of my life!"
"You hide first, I'll bear with it!" Ji Wushang said. They actually thought of joining forces to scheme against me, Ji Wushang? Then I'll play along!
"Yes!" Hongfei nodded, then thought for a moment before speaking, "Princess Consort, please take good care of yourself. Otherwise, if the Prince finds out that you're suffering like this, tied up in this sack, he'll kill us."
Ji Wushang paused for a moment, then said, "It's alright, I'll explain to him. He won't punish you."
"Thank you, Princess Consort!" With Ji Wushang's guarantee, these servants only had a tiny chance of survival!
Hongfei immediately hid under the carriage.
Upon arriving at Yixiang Tower, the carriage entered through the back door with virtually no resistance. Ji Wushang understood that Nan Aoyu and the others had surely arranged everything! Were they just waiting for him to fall into their trap?
The carriage stopped, and Ji Wushang immediately stopped moving, listening intently to everything happening around him.
"The person has arrived. Take them to the left-hand wing on the third floor. You don't need to worry about anything else!" a middle-aged man's voice said.
"Yes, please bring the person here and go up this way," a younger voice said.
"Hmm." The middle-aged man nodded and immediately waved for several servants to carry Ji Wushang down from the carriage. Then he followed the pimp from before down another staircase.
Hongfei carefully observed everything around him, then sent out a signal. Immediately, several men in black rushed in from outside and knocked out all the servants, maids, pimps, and other laborers working in the backyard. They were then replaced by their own men.
At that moment, another carriage came in through the back door.
Ji Wushang was carried into the left wing room on the third floor.
There were already people waiting in the side room, and everything was going so smoothly! No one in Yixianglou knew that the back room was so exciting! Ji Wushang was carried to the bed, and then several servants came forward to untie the ropes on the sack.
The servants watched as Ji Wushang slept soundly, his appearance even more beautiful, his tranquility stirring a desire within them.
The middle-aged man slapped the group of men on the head. "Go away, go away, go away! How dare you look at her like that? If the second young master finds out, you won't have enough lives to spare!" The middle-aged man immediately shooed them out. "Hurry up, hurry up, or there won't be time!"
"Have some water, have some water! We're all dying of thirst!" several servants said, then immediately rushed to grab the tea on the table and pour themselves a drink. The middle-aged man also felt thirsty; after all, he had come up with them and had been running around for quite a while. He'd have a few sips of tea first!
As Ji Wushang listened, his understanding deepened. This was a trap set by Nan Jinxue and Nan Aoyu! But wait, did this person mean that Nan Jinxue was targeting him? This… fine! He would let them make things even more chaotic! It was a pity that the Marquis wasn't at the manor. If he were, and then came here and learned everything, he wondered if he would vomit blood?
However, there's still no news from Tie Feng. If the Marquis of Jinnan was tricked and deliberately chosen by the Emperor for disaster relief, then it should be time by now! If things go smoothly, this could be quite a show! Then, hmph!
Ji Wushang's thinking was not without merit, three days ago.
The Marquis of Jinnan had never known that overseeing such a disaster relief effort would be so difficult! Moreover, the weather was so unpredictable. Although he had raised a lot of silver in the capital and the court had allocated a considerable amount, looking at the disaster victims along the way, the Marquis of Jinnan knew that the silver he had raised and the money allocated by the court were simply not enough! It seemed he would have to be very frugal!
Knowing full well that transporting this silver on the road would make it vulnerable to robbery, the Marquis of Jinnan employed his business acumen, devising a clever scheme. He ordered everyone to dress as merchants, concealing the silver or stones among silk and cloth. The silver was transported in several batches, creating a deceptive mix; some batches carried real silver, while others carried stones or other counterfeit goods. However, the Marquis kept this plan a secret from everyone; the fewer people who knew, the better! The escorts were all highly skilled members of the Ma family army, guarding the imperial city, and the young general Ma Rui of the Ma family army was also in charge of this transport.
Of course, there was another person in charge, the Left Prime Minister of the Prime Minister's Office!
At this moment, Prime Minister Gao Zuo was sitting in his sedan chair, looking at the Marquis of Jinnan who was standing in the distance. Seeing his worried and distressed appearance, he felt disdain!
This time, he was determined to seize this opportunity to crush the Marquis of Jinnan's mansion! If the silver being transported for the imperial relief supplies ran into trouble, the Marquis of Jinnan's mansion would certainly be stripped of its marquisate! And the Ma family army would definitely be implicated. If things got serious, with Empress Yao and others exerting pressure, the Marquis of Jinnan's mansion would surely be exterminated, and those involved would naturally be General Ji's mansion and the Right Prime Minister's mansion, since the Marquis of Jinnan's daughter-in-law, Ji Wushang, controlled two powerful families. Perhaps, she could even destroy the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion! The Marquis of Jinnan's heir apparent was on good terms with the Prince of Zhenbei's heir apparent! This intricate relationship was absolutely crucial!
If I can't destroy the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion, I can regain the favor of Empress Yao with this achievement. I will definitely regain the Emperor's favor. At that time, why should I worry about not wiping out all these people in one fell swoop?
Thinking this, Prime Minister Gao Zuo couldn't help but feel pleased with himself.
"Stop the sedan chair!" Prime Minister Gao Zuo said at this moment.
"What's wrong?" Although the Marquis of Jinnan liked to climb the ladder of wealth and power, he also knew the importance of this escort mission. If there was even the slightest mistake, his life would be over. If it involved the entire Marquis of Jinnan's mansion, he would become the sinner of the Marquis of Jinnan's mansion for a thousand years!
"I'm tired and need to rest!" Prime Minister Gao Zuo stepped out of the sedan chair. "The air here is quite nice. You can all rest here for a while before setting off again!"
"No, we can't rest here!" said the Marquis of Jinnan. "Prime Minister, look, this is a forest. If someone steals all our things, we'll be beheaded! You know how important these things are!"
"I am the Left Prime Minister, how dare you question my question?!" The Left Prime Minister was naturally unhappy when Marquis Jinnan rejected him outright, and immediately rebuked him angrily.
"Prime Minister, I am telling the truth! His Majesty has entrusted me with such an important matter, so I have no choice but to be cautious!" Marquis Jinnan was quite anxious at this moment, looking around warily, afraid that someone might suddenly appear.
Ma Rui rode up from the front on a tall horse. "What's wrong?"
"I'm tired and need to rest! I'm over sixty, you people should be more considerate of me!" With that, Prime Minister Gao Zuo was unwilling to say anything more and walked to the side.
Ma Rui dismounted and walked to the side of the Marquis of Jinnan. "My Lord."
"General Ma, look, what should we do? If we don't hurry on our way, something might happen!" Marquis Jinnan felt a tightness in his chest.
"Please rest assured, Lord Marquis, I will keep a close watch on him. Please don't worry!" Ma Rui immediately said, cupping his hands in greeting.
"Hey, go and rest quickly. We need to get out of this forest soon, or there might be trouble!" Marquis Jinnan waved his hand.
Ma Rui nodded, thinking to himself, "I thought this Marquis of Jinnan was only good at business, but I didn't expect him to be so vigilant. It's unbelievable!"
"Young General Ma!" the Marquis said, turning around at this moment.
"Please speak, Your Excellency." Ma Rui immediately bowed and clasped his hands in greeting.
"Are you married?" The Marquis thought of how Aunt Jin kept asking him if he knew any good young noblemen he could introduce to Nan Xianxian. Nan Xianxian was already thirteen, almost of marriageable age, and needed to be found a good husband! And through his observations over the past few days, he realized that although Ma Rui was the second son of a concubine from General Ma's household, he had already become a young general guarding the capital at a young age, and his future was undoubtedly bright. He had been quite polite, and his martial arts skills were not weak; he also seemed very family-oriented and respectful of women. Entrusting Xianxian to him would be a good choice!
Moreover, Xianxian is the eldest daughter born out of wedlock, and Ma Rui is also the son born out of wedlock. So, they are considered a good match!
"This junior doesn't understand what Your Excellency means..." Ma Rui's face flushed slightly, and he felt awkward. Why would the Marquis ask about his private matters at this time?
Marquis Jinnan glanced around, then pulled Ma Rui aside slightly and whispered, "To be honest, young general, I have a daughter who is just coming of age. Her name is Xianxian, and she is thirteen years old. Her aunt has been urging me to find some virtuous and good men. I think that young general Ma is a hero at such a young age. I wonder if he would be interested in my daughter?"
"Ah, this matter..." Ma Rui scratched his head, looking somewhat foolish with his honest appearance, his face full of embarrassment. "My lord, this marriage was arranged by my father and mother, and I have no say in it. Perhaps you should talk to my parents about it."
"So you have no objections? Alright, I'll go back to the capital and immediately go tell your parents. Hehe!" Marquis Jinnan nodded and smiled.
Ma Rui smiled. He had no chance to say anything about the arranged marriage, so he just hoped that Nan Xianxian would treat him well and he would not mistreat her.
The Marquis of Jinnan felt a surge of joy, as if he had accomplished something great. He patted Ma Rui on the shoulder with a smile before walking to the side.
But not long afterward, a loud shout was suddenly heard: "Bandits!"
The Marquis of Jinnan was startled and immediately looked back. It seemed that about three to five hundred men emerged from all directions of the forest. Before they could even get ready to use their weapons, the men had already surrounded them all!
Ma Rui immediately drew his sword and stepped forward to protect the Marquis of Jinnan. He had just heard that the Marquis might marry his daughter to him, so he should make a good impression on him to increase his chances of success! However, judging from these people, they clearly had ill intentions!
Prime Minister Gao was thrilled. Finally, someone had arrived! Otherwise, he would have traveled all this way for nothing!
"How dare you show up here so suddenly! Get out of here!" Prime Minister Gao Zuo roared. He knew he had to be careful, even if he was with Marquis Jin Nan and Ma Rui. Everyone was worried about the danger of unpredictable attacks! Ma Rui was the most capable of this; he always insisted on bringing up his safety!
"Put down all your belongings, and I'll spare your lives!" The leader was a man wearing a wolf-head mask, who was sitting on a fine horse. Beside him were two women wearing bear-head and fox-head masks respectively. Behind them were many other people, all of whom wore masks, making it impossible to see their true faces.
"We are just some passing merchants, and our business is not very big. Please, sirs, let us off the hook. We would be very grateful! If our men have dirtied your place, please forgive us. We will clean it up immediately!" Marquis Jinnan stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"You're talking nonsense! Someone told me you were escorting the imperial court's disaster relief silver! That's hundreds of thousands of taels of gold! If we kill you all, those hundreds of thousands of taels of gold will be ours, enough for us to live on for several years!" Wolf Head said coldly.
Some say… Marquis Jinnan looked at everyone, someone must have leaked the information! Luckily, he came in batches, otherwise he would have been dead! But he can't die, if he dies, everything will be over!
"Heroes, perhaps you've only heard rumors, or maybe the shipment of imperial silver is still behind or ahead, but it's not us. Look, where would we get so much silver to transport? Those are just some silk and cloth. Please, sir, send someone to check. And please, sir, spare my life so I can go back and reunite with my family!"
"Family? Bullshit! I killed my whole family to become a bandit!" Wolf Head spat.
Lord Jinnan shrank back. Damn it, he'd run into a suicidal fool!
"Why waste words with them? Even if we fight to the death, it's not necessarily our loss!" Ma Rui said coldly. Immediately, all the members of the Ma family army drew their swords and sabers.
Marquis Jinnan immediately shouted, "Wait, wait!" Marquis Jinnan immediately went to Ma Rui's side, "We can't force it this time. You know how much stuff we're escorting. We must minimize the losses!"
Ma Rui nodded in agreement. "But they are all ruthless people. Would they let us go?"
"I'll give it a try." Marquis Jinnan was about to step forward, but at that moment, he turned around and saw Prime Minister Gao Zuo raising his sword and thrusting it towards his chest!
The Marquis of Jinnan stood there in astonishment, but Ma Rui quickly pulled him away, causing him to fall to the ground and avoid the fatal sword strike! Ma Rui immediately thrust out his longsword to block Prime Minister Gao Zuo's vicious attack.
Prime Minister Gao Zuo, being older than Ma Rui, immediately dropped the sword after being struck in the hand and rushed to the wolf head, shouting, "Quick, kill them! They've lost the court's relief funds; their entire families will be executed!"
"Haha!" Wolf Head laughed loudly, "Look, isn't this exactly what someone told us?"
"Gao Qihang, you'll die a horrible death, you traitor!" Marquis Jinnan was pulled up from the ground by Ma Rui and began to curse. After straightening his clothes, he thanked Ma Rui, "Thank you, my dear nephew!"
"My lord, there's no need for such formalities. This is what I should do!" Ma Rui drew his sword and stood protectively in front of the lord. "The Left Prime Minister Gao's actions are utterly outrageous! The Left Prime Minister Gao's family will be wiped out! Just you wait!"
"Bah! You two are the ones who deserve to die!" Prime Minister Gao Zuo roared. "Quickly, kill them! I'll have my own explanation when we return to the capital!"
Wolf Head snorted coldly, and the two sides immediately started fighting.
However, Wolf Head had a large number of men, and although they were called bandits, everyone knew that these men were all trained assassins. Therefore, they fought to the death with Ma's army and gradually gained the upper hand.