Young Master

Rustle, rustle, rustle…

A light drizzle fell into the silent courtyard.

The four walls in the room were bare, and the roof was leaking. The situation was really not optimistic.

Ye Jingtang opened his oil-paper umbrella to cover the hole in the roof. He lay down with his saber in his arms and tilted his head to look at the side. The fluffy bird was lying on the pillow with its claws facing the sky and its head tilted. Its sleeping posture was really unsightly.

Although the stupid bird was naughty and unreliable most of the time, it had been taught to ‘watch and scout’ since it was young. It was not sloppy at all when it came to work.

In the past, when they were on escort missions, the bird had always been on guard, and nothing had ever gone wrong.

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But there was only one man and one bird now. It would be inhumane to get the bird to work the day and night shifts continuously. So Ye Jingtang slept for half the night and woke up in the early morning to change shifts so that the bird could rest.

In this era, there was no entertainment equipment, and it was a little lonely to lay alone in bed in the dark in the middle of the night.

Ye Jingtang was 18 years old, and he had been practicing martial arts all year round. Due to biological nature, it would be strange if he didn’t miss women at this time.

So after lying down for a while, the image of Pei Xiangjun leaning out of the window and the heavy arc in front of her clothes appeared in his mind…

Now that he thought about it, it was really big…

Half-asleep, half-awake, he heard a faint voice come from the rain.

“Eh? Why are there people living here? How poor are they?”

“It’s probably a scholar who came to the capital to take the exam. He doesn’t have the money to stay at an inn and is hiding here from the rain… Yunli, let’s go…”

…

Ye Jingtang instantly came back to his senses and listened carefully. The sound came from the entrance of the alley. From the direction, it was not from the road but above the house.

The voices sounded like those of two women. One was a young girl who was no older than 18 years old, and the other was an older woman’s voice. It was light and gentle, and it was difficult to determine her age. From their tone, they seemed to be a mother and daughter.

Ye Jingtang quietly held the saber in his arms and waited. The sound quickly disappeared. There was the sound of raindrops hitting bamboo hats that gradually faded into the distance.

They seemed to be Jianghu people looking for a place to stay…

Ye Jingtang immediately understood where the hair he had found on the bed came from.

Double Osmanthus Alley was very remote, and no one cared about it all year round. It was a suitable place for people to hide. It wasn’t strange for Jianghu people to find such a place to stay.

After the two of them left, the chances of encountering another wave of Jianghu people were extremely low. He thought about it and decided not to change places.

With this interruption, the ‘fantasy’ from before naturally couldn’t continue.

Ye Jingtang wiped his face and swept away the miscellaneous thoughts. He felt that he had too much energy, so he got up, took the broom, and pondered over the spearmanship of the Red God of Wealth in the room.

An hour later, the sky gradually brightened.

Ye Jingtang tidied up his clothes and put on a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat. He hugged the sleeping bird under the straw raincoat and led the horse out of the alley.

The sky was bright, but it was raining. There were very few people on the streets.

After Ye Jingtang ate some steamed buns, he walked along the street for about a kilometer and arrived at Heavenly Water Bridge.

Heavenly Water Bridge was the property of the Pei family. There were all kinds of shops here, including rice shops, cloth shops, escort agencies, and taverns, all of which were open.

Ye Jingtang arrived outside the Zhenyuan Escort Agency. He wanted to call the escort who was washing up, but from the corner of his eye, he saw a maidservant holding an oil-paper umbrella appear in an alley not far away. It was Third Lady’s maid he had seen yesterday.

“Young Master Ye, you’re here so early?”

Ye Jingtang was slightly surprised and led his horse over. “I came to take a look. Why are you waiting here?”

“Last night, Escort Yang said that you have something to do at home. Third Lady is waiting for you at home. Let’s go. I’ll bring you there.”

As the maidservant Xiuhe spoke, she took the reins and wanted to hug the bird.

But the drowsy bird glanced at Xiuhe’s clothes… without any interest.

Ye Jingtang handed the stupid bird to Xiuhe. When they arrived at the depths of Bluestone Lane, they could see that the courtyard wall of a family’s residence stretched the entire length of the lane. The internal buildings were irregular and disorderly, which was a typical example of a rich family’s residence.

But most merchant families kept a low profile. The entrance was not imposing, but there were high walls and small doors with lanterns with the word ‘Pei’ hanging on them.

Ye Jingtang followed Xiuhe into the residence. Just as he turned around the screen wall, he saw a group of maidservants appear at the corner of the covered corridor, looking at him curiously and chattering.

“That’s Young Master Ye, right?”

“Yes, not only is Young Master Ye handsome, but he’s also skilled in martial arts. Yesterday, I saw Young Master Ye beat Escort Head Chen on the street with my own eyes.”

“Compared to Eldest Young Master, the difference is like heaven and earth…”

“No, no, I heard from Sister Xiuhe that Young Master Ye is older. In the future, Eldest Young Master will have to be called Second Young Master…”

…

When Ye Jingtang heard this, he asked Xiuhe a few questions and learned that his ‘Uncle’ Pei Yuanming had an accident when he went out to do business and had passed away. He left behind an only son, Pei Luo, who was considered the only child of the Pei family. He was currently studying in an academy. There were no other males in the family.

They chatted along the way and soon arrived at the drawing room of the Pei residence.

Pei Xiangjun was already waiting in the drawing room, but she was not alone. Sitting opposite her were two old men in their fifties. Their brows were tightly furrowed, as if they were discussing something troublesome.

“Can’t we just ignore these hooligans…”

“That’s right. As long as we give them some benefits, those people will definitely push their luck…”

Seeing this scene, Ye Jingtang stopped in the corridor and waited for Pei Xiangjun to finish talking.

But the Pei family had already notified his arrival in advance. As soon as he appeared, the two old men stood up and cupped their hands. “Young Master Jingtang.”

Ye Jingtang didn’t really want to acknowledge the identity of a young master of the Pei family, but he was Pei Yuanfeng’s foster son. He couldn’t deny this, so he immediately nodded and returned the greeting. “You’re too kind. Third Lady, may I know who these two gentlemen are?”

“They’re the head shopkeepers of the family. They’re both old people in the family.”

Pei Xiangjun put away the ‘worry’ between her brows. “You two can go back first.”

“Yes.” The two shopkeepers immediately took their leave.

When the big bird saw the big-breasted sister, it was no longer sleepy. It flapped its small wings, flew to Pei Xiangjun’s lap, raised its head, and used its black eyes to act cute.

As a result, its vision was blocked by her clothes.

The bird tilted its head slightly, jumped curiously, and nudged its head against it.

Dong~ Dong~

Her clothes were trembling, and the scenery was beautiful.

Pei Xiangjun quickly pressed the bird down, held it in her arms, and fed it melon seeds. “Why are you so naughty?”

Ye Jingtang pretended not to see this scene. He came to the tea table and sat down. “Third Lady, you and the two shopkeepers don’t look very happy. Are there any trivial matters in the shop?”

“Sigh~” The Third Lady who had shown overwhelming strength last night had now become a frail and melancholic woman. She sighed bitterly. “How can business be smooth sailing? There’s no man in the family. Those local tyrants outside are all aware that the Pei family’s orphans and widows are easy to bully and often cause trouble…”

“Oh?” Ye Jingtang, sitting on the other side of the tea table, frowned. “What’s the trouble?”

“The local ruffians at River Shore Wharf want to collect ‘tribute money’ at Heavenly Water Bridge. My Pei family is doing proper business at the foot of the emperor, so we naturally can’t give it to them. As a result, those people look for trouble every few days. Today, they said that the food was so bad that they fell sick from eating it. Tomorrow, they’ll say that the cloth shop is selling inferior goods. They made a fuss for a day and made the shop unable to do business…”

Ye Jingtang came to a realization. He used to work in an escort agency and knew this kind of thing too well. “The Pei family does business in the capital. Is the government not doing anything? Or do the troublemakers have a background?”

“It’s the Blue Lotus Gang at River Shore Wharf that’s causing trouble. It’s also related to the government. As businesspeople, our relationship with government officials is made of real money. It’s not worth it to use it for such a small matter. We should solve it ourselves. You’ve also seen Deputy Head Chen. If we can’t settle it, we can only leave it like this.”

Pei Xiangjun held her forehead and looked at Ye Jingtang bitterly. “Sigh, the shops they disturb the most can’t do business, but they don’t dare to do anything serious in the capital. I’m just a little aggrieved. I’ll just bear with it, and it’ll pass. You don’t have to worry…”

This aggrieved and bitter gaze was almost explicit.

Ye Jingtang naturally understood what she meant. He stood up and said, “Let me go over and have a look. Hmm… I’m new here, and it’s indeed difficult for me to find a job in the capital. When the matter is settled, I’ll be an escort with the Pei family. Third Lady, you can decide on the salary…”

Pei Xiangjun had already communicated with Ye Jingtang last night, so she naturally wouldn’t overdo it at this moment. She stood up and walked over to help him straighten his clothes.

“You’re a man who wants to earn his own living, so I naturally won’t force money on you. But when you go out to do things, you still have to use the status of the eldest young master of the Pei family. You’re Second Brother’s foster son. If I treat you like a hired escort, I’ll definitely be mocked.”

Pei Xiangjun moved closer. The fragrance drifting toward his face was quite alluring. Her face was beautiful to begin with, and she even had red rouge on. As her lips opened and closed, her teeth were faintly visible. Coupled with her gentle and mature temperament, she was like a red-sleeved knife that specialized in cutting young men.

Ye Jingtang’s willpower was not bad, but there was a limit. He couldn’t withstand Third Lady’s ‘soft knife’, so he took a step back and tidied his clothes. “Understood. I’ll get going then.”

“Change your clothes. You don’t look like a young master from a rich family. Xiuhe, get someone to bring the young master to change his clothes. Tell Chen Biao and the others to follow him later.”

“Yes…”

…

A moment later, outside the Pei residence’s door…

The old Escort Head Yang Chao stood beside a carriage with two expert escorts and waited.

Chen Biao brought the two of them and chatted with Yang Chao. “The leader of the Blue Lotus Gang is from the same family as you. His name is Yang Guan, and he has a powerful master. Have you heard of the Three Absolutes Elderly Immortal?”

“‘Three Absolutes Elderly Immortal’ Guanghan Lin? He’s a Jianghu Grandmaster who claims to have received guidance from Fengguan City?”

“That’s right. It’s him…”

The escort behind Yang Chao, Little Six, was young and asked curiously, “You can brag about it just because someone gave you some pointers? Are the Grandmasters of Jianghu so worthless?”

“What do you know?” Yang Chao stroked his beard and explained, “Fengguan City is publicly acknowledged as the number one city in the world. If the elder there comes out of conclusion, he will be invincible and can dominate the world. Not to mention being guided by the elder there, those who can meet him are all formidable people in Jianghu…”

While they were talking, the chattering of a maidservant came from inside the door.

“Wow…”

“Young Master, don’t go so fast…”

The escorts turned around and saw a figure with an umbrella walking out from behind the wall as if he was being chased away.

The figure was wearing an aristocratic robe. The inner clothes and outer robes were both black, and the fabric was made of valuable water cloud brocade. As he walked, the robe was like rippling water and flowing clouds. Its smoothness could be seen with the naked eye, and as the light changed, it faintly glimmered a dark golden color.

His long hair was combed meticulously and tied up with a black jade hairpin. He looked spotless, gentle, and refined. The only flaw was that he was carrying a saber in his hand, which seemed slightly degrading.

The escort Little Six didn’t recognize him. Escort Head Yang Chao was also stunned and sized him up carefully. “Young Master, your appearance is indeed extraordinary. I think many people will believe it if you say that a prince is visiting incognito.”

Ye Jingtang quickly walked out of the door and jumped into the carriage. “Let’s go. Those girls, sigh…”

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of maidservants chased after him. They stuck their heads out from behind the wall and looked at him with glowing eyes. They were just short of asking him if he wanted maidservants to accompany him.

Chen Biao found it funny. He jumped onto the carriage and sat in the driver’s seat. “Young Master, please be more refined with your words. It will spoil the mood if the madams and young ladies hear you.”

“That’s right. In this outfit, don’t carry a saber. You should take a fan.”

As they chatted and laughed, six horses followed the carriage out of Bluestone Lane…