The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 101 The Most Suitable Candidate

Aunt Xue paused for a moment and then said, "Did you really see that? The moment that damp cloth was applied, it swayed with every step, truly captivating! Such a beauty, if she cannot be brought into your room, sir, wouldn't that be a waste? Sir, you are such a hero, a little trouble is just to add some fun, how can you really let her fly away?"

Hearing Xue Sao's blatant flattery, Ximen Qing's lips curled into a smile. He casually took a few pieces of silver from his purse and tossed them into Xue Sao's arms.

The silver coins landed on Xue Sao's coarse cloth lapel, making a sound. Xue Sao hurriedly caught them with both hands, her face beaming with joy, and repeatedly said, "Oh! Thank you for the generous gift, sir! Thank you for the generous gift, sir!"

The official laughed and said, "Sister Xue, you've worked hard running around for me, Ximen Qing. I, Ximen Qing, have always been clear about what I do. Whether the task is successful or not, those who do things for me will be thanked in full."

Having received the silver and hearing Ximen Qing's softened tone, Aunt Xue felt much more at ease. Holding the loose silver, she repeatedly bowed and said, "Your righteousness is widely praised in Qinghe County!"

Ximen Qing waved his hand to stop her flattery, and lowered his voice: "Take this money first. Now, do something else for me."

"My lord, just give the order! This old woman will brave any danger without batting an eye!" Aunt Xue patted her chest and assured him.

Ximen Qing turned his gaze to the direction Meng Yulou had left: "Keep a close eye on Meng Yulou. She ran into a brick wall with me today, and her attitude is so tough, she won't budge an inch. This is not normal. I saw with my own eyes how hard her late husband's family was pressuring her. If she didn't have any backing, how dare she disrespect me, Ximen Qing, like this?"

The official paused, then waved his fan: "I suspect she must have secretly found a new client! Or she has other support! I'll trouble Sister Xue to find out for me."

Aunt Xue's heart skipped a beat. She immediately dropped her fawning smile and put on a shrewd, calculating expression, her eyes darting around rapidly:
"Oh, my sir! You are truly insightful and discerning! This old woman was just wondering the same thing! Who are you? In this Qinghe County, which woman or girl could marry into such a high-ranking family? They would be incredibly lucky, like they'd be laughing in their dreams!"

"But Meng Yulou, she's putting on airs, acting all virtuous and chaste! There's no doubt she has some cunning man backing her up! Or maybe she's found some other sucker! My lord, you can rest assured, leave this to your old woman!"

"Hmm." A satisfied smile appeared on Ximen Qing's lips. "If you handle it well, you'll be richly rewarded. Remember, keep your mouth shut!"

"Yes, yes, yes! I understand! I understand!" Aunt Xue nodded vigorously, her waist bent like a shrimp. She had already clutched the few heavy pieces of silver tightly in her sleeve, and then quickly tucked them deeper into her sleeve pocket, close to her skin, before she felt safe.

Master Ximen stepped out of the cloth shop, watching Aunt Xue's retreating figure, and thought to himself:

"Meng Yulou is a good helper who knows how to manage things, but right now, the most important person to me is still Mrs. Lin."

"These cunning matchmakers are all talk, they can talk the dead back to life! It's just a pity their mouths are too big, they can't keep their mouths shut!"

"Mrs. Lin is the most important person to me. If I don't want to be inferior to others everywhere, I must make this happen."

Suddenly, a timid yet sharp and calculating figure burst in!

Sister Li Gui!
The image of her kneeling before him that day floated before his eyes. This woman was skilled in singing, reciting, acting, and fighting; with just a few words, a cry, and a kneeling, she had managed to sway him to some extent...

Tsk tsk, it seems like she's the only one who can do it.
Meanwhile, in Li Guijie's room, she and her aunt Li Jiao'er were embracing and sobbing, their faces streaked with tears.

The madam, Li Mama, held an oil-soaked leather whip in her hand, her face contorted with rage, her chest heaving as she pointed at Li Jiao'er and began to curse:
"You damned little slut! You rotten-tongued hussy! I warned you a thousand times not to mess with those filthy scoundrels! Did you stuff your ears with donkey hair or have your heart blinded by lard? You insisted on going to pick up that scoundrel! Now you've caused trouble and even dragged your old mother into it! I'll break your leg tendons!"

Li Jiao'er was both angry and frightened. She gritted her teeth, a surge of injustice rising in her chest, and was about to protest, "Mom, it was clearly you who wanted me..."

Before she could finish speaking, Li Guijie suddenly pushed her away. With a thud, her knees slammed hard onto the floor. Ignoring her delicate face, she crawled two steps on her knees and grabbed the whip tip that Li Mama was holding high with her hands.

"Mother! Good mother! Dear mother!" Li Guijie cried out, tears streaming down her face, her voice filled with anguish, putting on a full display of her crying prowess. "If you want to hit me, then hit me to death! It's all my fault! It's all my fault, this shameless little slut! I begged my aunt to go and pick up those guests! My aunt only agreed because she felt sorry for me! All the blame is on me! Mother, hit me! Hit me hard! Kill this troublemaker, and it will be clean!" Seeing her niece so "selflessly" protecting her, Li Jiao'er thought Guijie was afraid she would be beaten. Her heart ached with pain and shame, her soul breaking. She cried out in a pitiful, mournful voice, "My dear sister... Aunt's life is so bitter!!"

He grabbed Gui Jie, who was kneeling on the ground, and the two of them burst into tears, their cries shaking the earth.

As Li's mother held the whip, she saw Li Guijie's face, which was as round as a dumpling, covered with tears, her almond-shaped eyes red and swollen from crying, and she clung tightly to the end of the whip. Hearing her repeatedly say "beat me to death," half of the evil fire in her heart was extinguished.

How could she dare to hit Li Guijie? Li Guijie was now the apple of Ximen Qing's eye, a precious treasure he had entrusted to him! If she were to get whipped or even scratched in her brothel, what kind of person would Ximen Qing be?
That's the unlucky star of Qinghe County! If you anger him, not only will you be unable to open this courtyard, but he might even tear your old bones to shreds!
Speaking of the underworld, Qinghe County does have a few powerful clans, such as Zuo Di Hu, who runs an illegal gambling den. He has connections with big shots in the capital and is quite influential in Qinghe County, but he keeps to himself and Ximen Qing.
To put it bluntly, Ximen Qing was the magistrate's agent. Although the county magistrate had received a lot of bribes from the brothel, if he really wanted to sue Ximen Qing, he probably wouldn't even be able to submit the complaint!

Thinking of this, Li's mother felt the whip was as heavy as a burning coal, and she couldn't bring herself to strike it or let it go. She felt a lump in her throat, and her old face twitched a few times. After a long while, she finally managed to squeeze out a hateful "humph!" through her teeth. Her wrist went limp, and she didn't dare to bring the whip down in the end!
He merely swung the object against a nearby pillar with a bang, making a crisp "smack" sound, thus saving himself a way out.

She glared at the aunt and niece who were crying on the ground, muttered a few more filthy curses under her breath, stomped her foot, wiggled her sack-like hips, and stormed out, slamming the door shut.

Li Jiao'er hugged Li Guijie tightly, tears streaming down her face. Her cold fingers trembled as she stroked her niece's rosy cheeks, her fingertips caressing the delicate flesh, as she sobbed:

“My darling! Look at your face… you’re like a beauty straight out of a painting! Even I, your aunt, am trembling with delight at the sight of you! You were originally a top-notch courtesan, and now you’ve managed to climb up to the towering tree of Master Ximen, escape this fiery pit, leave this filthy brothel, and live a clean and respectable life. It’s a blessing you earned in your past life! It’s far better than me wallowing in this filth, being trampled on by everyone…”

Li Guijie lowered her head, tears glistening in her eyes, and listened to her aunt's words, obediently replying, "Auntie loves me, Guijie understands..."

Li Jiao'er was sobbing and about to say a few more intimate words when she suddenly looked up and saw what looked like the living Yama! Inside the carved door frame, Ximen Da Guanren was standing there like an iron tower, with a half-smile on his face.

"Oh my goodness!" Li Jiao'er was so frightened that she fell straight to her knees on the floor with a "thump".

Ximen Qing didn't even bother to lift his eyelids; his gaze remained fixed on Li Guijie's pretty face, which was streaked with tears.

If one didn't know that she had betrayed her aunt, one would truly be fooled by her tears.

The official snorted:
"Gui-jie, come with me."

Li Guijie's heart pounded. Forgetting about her aunt, she hurriedly wiped away her tears with her sleeve and followed Ximen Qing unsteadily into the outer room.

"Look at you, you're quite clever and perceptive. There's a very important 'private matter' right now, which requires a trusted confidant who's discreet and resourceful. If you handle it cleanly and efficiently, and satisfy me..." Ximen Qing deliberately paused, his gaze lingering on Li Guijie's face, "then your bound feet will... truly be stepping into the Ximen family's threshold!"

"Then... do you know Mrs. Lin from the manor?"

Li Guijie replied with a respectful expression:

"You asked about Mrs. Lin, and I do indeed have a connection with her from the past!" Her eyes sparkled with a hint of ingratiating reminiscence. "Speaking of which, it was about two or three years ago. The Zhaoxuan Mansion was celebrating the New Year, and they invited me and a few of my sisters to come and perform for a few days."

"But...but later...alas! My lord, you are a wise man. The accounts of such high-ranking families are always the kind that are 'never being paid back even after a thousand years'! My sisters and I have made three or four trips."

"My legs have become so thin, and that pitiful amount of money seems to have fallen into a bottomless pit, without even a ripple! The head maid's face grew colder and colder with each passing day, and her words became more and more unpleasant... We servants are of lowly status and have no power, how could we dare to provoke that bad luck again? We could only accept our bad luck and consider it as burning incense for the Bodhisattva... From then on, we never dared to step over that high threshold again."

[Third update, at least two more tomorrow, please give me your monthly votes!]

(End of this chapter)