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

Chapter 107 A Scoundrel from the Capital
"I apologize for not being able to greet you properly, esteemed Master Ximen." Madam Lin began, her voice striving to maintain the steady and clear tone typical of a noblewoman, though a slight, almost imperceptible tremor could be heard at the end of her words.

Ximen Da Guanren raised an eyebrow. He had intended to address her as "Old Madam," a respectful term of address for a lady of high rank. However, she referred to herself as "this old woman," which, while impolite and proper, clearly indicated she was still putting on airs.

I didn't come here to see you putting on airs like some high-ranking noblewoman!
Thinking of this, the official sneered inwardly: "It is a sin to have presumptuously come to your door and disturb your peaceful life! It is only because I have long admired you, Madam, for your virtue and beauty, and for your strict management of the household, which is admired by the entire county. I admire your noble character, but I regret that I have no chance to meet you."

"I have prepared a small gift to present today as a token of my appreciation. I hope that you will not find it too humble and will accept it with a smile."

The word "Madam" made Mrs. Lin's heart skip a beat, and her ears secretly warmed.

This form of address... is a bit too intimate. She has been a widow for many years and is of noble birth; by all accounts, the other party should address her as "Old Madam."

That address of "Madam" seemed to instantly remind her of her identity as a woman, making her feel both slightly embarrassed and subtly pleased. Her lips moved slightly, but she ultimately did not correct it, only lowering her gaze slightly, tacitly acquiescing to this overstepping form of address.

"You flatter me, sir." Mrs. Lin felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze, as if his eyes were tangible brushing against her skin. Her heart pounded faster, but she forced a calm expression.

"My late husband was not famous, and I have only ever kept to my duty and kept to my family's name. What virtue or ability do I have to deserve such praise from a high-ranking official? I am truly unworthy of such a generous gift."

She maintained the dignified bearing of a noblewoman, and only instructed her personal maid standing to her side:
Meixiang, take two reliable people and move all these items to the back storeroom, then carefully register them. Master Ximen and I... still have some matters to discuss."

After all the gifts were carried out, she subconsciously wanted to call the maid to serve tea, only to suddenly realize that she had even forgotten to serve tea in her haste to get rid of the guests!
At this moment, apart from her and Ximen Qing, there wasn't even a single person serving tea or water in the hall!

A flicker of panic crossed her mind. She couldn't just leave Ximen Qing sitting there idly. Her status as a noblewoman required her to treat her guest with utmost respect. Besides, she needed his help, and they would be in-laws from today onward.

Mrs. Lin took a deep breath and gracefully rose to her feet, moving to the small, carved rosewood table beside her. The set of official kiln covered teacups was warming in the cozy mortar.

She stretched out her delicate hand, which hadn't served anyone for over a decade, and with trembling fingertips, lifted the lid of the warm nest, carefully holding up a cup of warm, fragrant tea.

"My lord... please have some tea." Madam Lin held the teacup and turned to walk towards Ximen Qing. Her heart was pounding like a deer's, and she felt as if the small cup of tea in her hand weighed a ton.

Ximen Qing hurriedly bowed to receive the tea, saying, "How could I trouble you, Madam, to serve me tea personally..." As he spoke, his large, warm hand intentionally or unintentionally covered Madam Lin's slender fingers as she handed him the teacup.

"Mmm..." Mrs. Lin couldn't help but let out a very soft, trembling sound. She felt a surge of heat rush from the fingertip that had been touched, instantly spreading throughout her body, making her heart tremble violently!
For over a decade! For over a decade, not a single man has touched her!
It was truly a case of: a sudden thunderstorm hitting a parched land, and a raging torrent crashing into a dry ditch.

The unfamiliar touch of skin against skin, mixed with the scorching heat from Ximen Qing's palm and his strong masculine scent, sent a tingling, electric-like sensation through her entire body.

With a flick of her wrist, the teacup made a soft "clink" sound, the lid almost slipped off, and a few drops of scalding tea splashed out, landing on the back of her hand, but she didn't feel any pain at all.

She recoiled as if stung by a scorpion, her fingertips curling inside her sleeve, trembling uncontrollably. Her fair face flushed crimson, the color spreading to the back of her ears and neck, even causing the pearls hanging from her five-phoenix crown to sway slightly.

Mrs. Lin hurriedly lowered her eyes, not daring to look at Ximen Qing again. She felt her heart pounding in her chest like a drum, almost jumping out of her chest, and her breathing became rapid.

The official took everything in and said with a smile, "Madam, be careful, this tea is boiling hot, don't burn your delicate hands."

Mrs. Lin composed herself, suppressing the surging passion in her heart. She patted the back of her hand, which was dry, with a handkerchief, and said in a voice with a barely perceptible breath: "It's...it's alright. Please sit down, sir."

"Widow Lin! Get out here and pay back the money!" "Paying back debts is a matter of course! You can run away now, but you can't hide forever!" "If you keep playing dead, we'll smash your Zhaoxuanfu signboard!"

Suddenly, a cacophony of foul language erupted outside the gate, accompanied by the pounding of the door, sounding like the barking of wild dogs—truly jarring.

It was that gang of hooligans from Beijing, relying on their connections, who came to collect their gambling debts again!

"Ah—!" This thunderous roar startled Mrs. Lin, causing her heart to tremble with fear! She let out a short, panicked scream, and her plump, ripe body shuddered violently like a goose struck by an arrow! All her dignity as a noblewoman and her composure vanished in an instant.

Filled with boundless fear, she instinctively lunged towards her only solid support—Ximen Qing's robust body! Her soft, plump body landed firmly on Ximen Qing's chest without any gap!

In her panic, Madam Lin wrapped her arms around Ximen Qing's waist tightly, almost hanging on him. Ximen Qing immediately felt a hot, soft body pressed against him.

The man subconsciously gripped Mrs. Lin's plump and full waist with his large hands!
Her face turned deathly pale in an instant. Her panicked and helpless appearance completely robbed her of any semblance of the demeanor of a noblewoman. She looked more like a desperate little woman being chased by villains.

"Don't panic, Madam!" Ximen Qing said with a smile.

Having said that, Ximen Qing gently released Madam Lin and helped her to a small table. Madam Lin was still shaken, her watery, alluring eyes filled with tears, gazing at him with dependence. Ximen Qing straightened his robes and strode out of the hall.

"Dai'an!" Ximen Qing stood under the eaves, his voice not loud, but icy cold.

Dai'an, who had been waiting in the shadows at the corner of the corridor, immediately ran forward upon hearing the sound: "Father, I'm here."

Ximen Qing didn't even lift his eyelids, but just gestured towards the noisy gate of the mansion: "Go, clean up those noisy stray dogs outside the gate for me. Don't disturb the lady's peace and quiet."

"Yes, Father, don't worry!" Dai'an bowed and accepted the order, then turned and quickly walked across the courtyard.

Outside the gate, a dozen or so hooligans were shouting and cursing. Their leader, a burly man with his chest hair exposed, was about to kick down the vermilion gate. The gate creaked open, and Dai'an's thin figure appeared in the doorway, his face plastered with the slick smile typical of street urchins.

"Hey gentlemen, you're getting quite worked up, aren't you? It's the middle of the day, and you're disturbing my master. Let's talk this over."

The noisy Zhang Sheng, known as the "street rat," suddenly saw a servant squeeze through the crack in the door. Before he could even speak, Zhang Sheng spat a mouthful of phlegm, the spittle landing directly on Dai An's face.
"You bird snob! Who the hell is your bird daddy? Tell that widow Lin who owes you money to get out here! Do you think you can just renege on our hard-earned money? If you don't pay up today, we'll make sure you know our fists and feet, and we'll tear this bird's nest down!"

Dai'an forced a smile onto his face, but his eyes were icy cold: "Let my brothers know that my master is the powerful official Ximen of Qinghe County!"

"Grass Snake" Lu Hua spat out a mouthful of yellow phlegm: "West Gate? East Gate? Those are worthless names. We big shots in the capital have never heard of this filthy scum!"

Dai An's smile remained, but his cheeks tightened, and a cold laugh squeezed out from between his teeth: "Heh heh, good! Good! Today I'll show you what Qinghe West Gate is all about!"

Before the words were finished, there was a loud crash, and about twenty strong servants from the Ximen family, who had been lying in wait behind the door, each carrying a hard wooden carrying pole, a door bolt, and a whistle, pounced out like hungry tigers and immediately surrounded the dozen or so ruffians.

Dai'an didn't hesitate and simply gestured towards the shade of a tree at the street corner. There, a group of idle men were resting, some squatting, some leaning, seemingly asleep but not quite, lazily basking in the sun.

Upon receiving the signal, they leaped up like jackals smelling blood, their eyes gleaming with ferocity, and charged forward! In the blink of an eye, more than forty strong men, layer upon layer, had completely surrounded the dozen or so ruffians from the capital!

The thugs' faces instantly drained of color. "Grass Snake" Lu Huaqiang, though trying to keep his neck straight, stammered, "What...what? You think you can get away with this just because you outnumber me? You want to...you want to commit violence? We...we live on the edge in Beijing, we're not afraid of...a bird like you..."

"beat!"

The fake smile on Dai'an's face vanished instantly, replaced by a grimace. He uttered only a single, cold word, without another utterance! He nimbly shrank back, shouting sharply:

"Brothers! These ignorant thieves dare to insult my master, Master Ximen! Fight them to the death! Kill or beat them! Anyone who draws blood will be richly rewarded by the Ximen family! If they are killed... hehe, that's helping the Ximen family 'slay a notorious bandit'... The reward money from the yamen will be paid by the Ximen family on behalf of the government!"

And such good things?

After hearing this, the group of hooligans rushed forward like they had been injected with chicken blood, charging recklessly and fearlessly, afraid that they would not be able to get the red mark!
"Attack them!" "Kill these blind thieves!"

"Go! Tear these bastards apart!"

The shouts of more than forty people were like a hungry tiger entering a flock of sheep, or a john entering a brothel!
Fists, kicks, carrying poles, whistles, door bolts—like raindrops and hail—were raining down on the dozen or so hooligans without warning!
"Ouch, Mother!" "Father, spare me! Spare me..." "My leg... is broken! Broken!" "Ah—!"

Screams, wails, the cracking of bones, the muffled thuds of fists hitting flesh... all erupted in chaos in front of the Zhaoxuan Prefecture! More than forty ruthless men, like wolves and tigers, ganged up on a dozen or so unsuspecting hooligans. The scene was truly:
Fists rained down like downpours, kicks lashed like meteor hammers. Where clubs struck, blood and foam flew; fists and feet pierced flesh, tendons snapped, bones broke. The scoundrel was beaten to a pulp, rolling on the ground like a donkey's testicles; the thug was sent fleeing in terror, like a stray dog. Cries for his parents echoed endlessly, wishing his parents had given him two more legs!

This group of hooligans are used to fighting in the mud, and they are extremely ruthless, targeting vulnerable spots, joints, and groin areas.

It's either a serpent peeking out from under a leaf, or a black tiger tearing out a heart in front, and a child worshipping Guanyin behind!
In no time at all, the dozen or so hooligans from the capital were covered in blood, their faces bruised and swollen, with many suffering broken arms and legs. The hairy-chested man who had been so arrogant just moments before was now being held down on the ground by two burly men.

Dai'an stomped hard on his face, the sole of his shoe grinding against his cheek, which was covered in mud and blood.

"You blind fool! Don't you even know whose house this is? How dare you cause trouble here!" Dai'an spat, stomping his foot so hard that the man screamed like a pig being slaughtered. "Go back to the capital and tell your master that Master Ximen of Qinghe County said he'll take responsibility for Madam Lin's debts! If you dare to make a fuss again, it won't be as lenient as just breaking an arm or a leg! You'll be thrown out of the city!"

These Qinghe hangers-on, who usually looked down on the Beijing hooligans, were overjoyed at their victory.

Like dragging dead dogs, they tossed the limp, wailing scoundrels onto the dilapidated mule carts they had brought, shouting and beating them as they drove them out of the city. Only pools of glaring blood remained on the streets.

Inside the main hall, Mrs. Lin leaned against a small rosewood table, listening to the deafening screams outside the door gradually fade away. She was terrified and her body went limp.

Although she hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes, the sound was terrifying enough. Only when Ximen Qing's tall figure reappeared at the doorway, a peaceful smile on his face, did she breathe a sigh of relief.

"Madam was frightened." Master Ximen walked back to her side. "It was a small matter, and it has been taken care of. From now on, no one will dare to disturb Madam's peace and quiet."

Mrs. Lin raised her head and looked at Ximen Qing's handsome face and tall figure, which were so close to her, as if they were towering trees!
An indescribable sense of security, completely enveloped by a powerful force, was heavy and warm, making her long-dormant body feel weak all over.

However, even more overwhelming and scorching than this sense of security was the thrill of being completely conquered by this iron-fisted strongman! An indescribable feeling, like a wildfire spreading, burned so intensely that her heart trembled.

"Thank you so much, my lord... If it weren't for you... I would be... I would be..." She stammered, her voice trembling like willow branches in the wind, adding to her alluring charm.

That self-reference had quietly changed from "this old woman" to the gentle and lingering "this humble concubine," like a cat's light scratch, with a hook.

Just then, Li Guijie's explicit flirting between women from the previous night suddenly scalded into her chaotic mind.

Mrs. Lin's gaze toward the man was restless and eager to reveal itself.

[Three chapters totaling 10,000 words, Mrs. Lin is begging for your monthly votes!]

Asking for a monthly ticket!
(End of this chapter)