Chapter 61

Wang Yang was startled and asked: "Do you want to, or does your father want you to?"

"It's..."

Father said that following Young Master Wang is destined to be a concubine, maybe not even a concubine, just an outside mistress.

But this is an outside mistress of the Langya Wang clan! It's more noble than being the legitimate wife of those great clans! If she gives birth to a son, and is lucky, maybe there's a chance to enter the genealogy! That would be stepping into the ranks of the aristocrats! And a top-tier aristocratic clan at that!

"This is a once-in-a-century opportunity for our Jiao family to soar, you must seize it! Of course, father won't force you. If you don't want to, then forget it."

The gap between aristocrats and commoners, the gap between aristocrats and commoners!

Jiao Yan's ears echoed with Jiao Zheng's words. She remembered the sight of those aristocratic ladies laughing and getting into gorgeous ox carts, then looked at Wang Yang's delicate features, and said firmly: "I want to."

Wang Yang shook his head and said: "I don't need anyone to serve me."

"Ref... refused? Did you bend over as much as I told you to?"

"He doesn't want me, what can I do!" Jiao Yan was both ashamed and annoyed.

Seeing his daughter's eyes turn red, Jiao Zheng sighed and said:

"It's okay. People like this either have a very strict upbringing or grew up in a pile of women. Looking at his actions, I thought he was a playboy, so I thought he wouldn't be used to not having a woman tonight, and wanted to take advantage of the situation. I didn't expect this kid wouldn't eat what's delivered to his mouth—"

"Father!" Jiao Yan stamped her feet and cried.

"Don't cry, don't cry, if he doesn't want you, forget it! With our family's foundation and father's official position, we can't climb up to the aristocrats, so let's strive to marry into a commoner family, that can also bring glory to our ancestors."

The bright moon is like frost, the good wind is like water.

After Wang Yang sent Jiao Yan away, he sat alone in front of the desk, facing the bright moon outside the window, thinking of his relatives and friends left in modern society, feeling very nostalgic. Unconsciously, he had the urge to write an article. Taking advantage of his drunkenness, he picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote on the paper:

"In the past, I saw Uncle Yang sigh that things in the world are not as one wishes, always seven or eight out of ten.

Although I am young and have not yet had encounters, I still cannot let go of it in my heart.

Every time I think of things from the past that cannot be chased back, I am depressed and cannot be released.

Occasionally pouring out accumulated feelings in dreams, entrusting sighs to the short time.

Until I look at the moon shadow and wake up to the fact that it cannot be changed again, I rise in a daze, feeling as if I have lost something.

Zhuangzi said that dreaming of drinking and weeping in the morning must have a deeper meaning.

In the past, when there was nothing to do, I often traveled with friends.

Alone, I entertained myself with poetry and books, and when feasting together, I was unrestrained, blowing bubbles and talking and laughing.

But since crossing over, relatives and family, close friends and acquaintances, not a single one is by my side—"

Just as the article was getting interesting, a black shadow flew in from outside the window!

The bamboo stick supporting the window was swept away, and the green-latticed carved window slammed shut with a crisp sound!

In the blink of an eye, the candlestick fell, the candle went out, and the paper flew.

A cold object was placed across Wang Yang's throat.

It was a dagger!

A female voice sounded from beside Wang Yang, her voice slightly cold: "Don't make a sound."

Immediately after, a series of noisy footsteps sounded in the courtyard, and the light of torches shone through the gaps in the carved windows, making the faces of the woman and Wang Yang dim and unclear!

"It's you!" Wang Yang was surprised after seeing the woman's appearance clearly.

Her nose was straight, her eyebrows were sharp, her eyes were as clear and deep as a pool, and her skin was as cold and white as frost, revealing an aura of being otherworldly and unapproachable.

It was exactly the woman in green who saved A-Wu in the market yesterday!

"Get up." The woman's face was like ice, forcing Wang Yang to leave the window with the dagger to avoid being illuminated by the firelight.

She was very tall, almost reaching Wang Yang's forehead. The night clothes fit her slender and upright figure, looking tight and powerful.

The two faced each other, their footsteps moving at the same time, as if dancing.

The woman's breath fell on Wang Yang's face, adding a bit of romantic scenery to the originally tense atmosphere.

Clang, clang, clang.

A knock on the door sounded!

"Young master? Are you asleep? A thief broke into the house just now. The thief is very skilled. Did he disturb you?"

The dagger moved slightly horizontally, ready to cut Wang Yang's blood vessels at any time!

Wang Yang adjusted his breathing and called out: "I'm asleep. I'm fine here. Sorry to trouble you, Military Advisor Jiao."

There was a pause outside the door, and then: "It's good that you're fine, young master. Your subordinate will take his leave."

The footsteps gradually moved away.

Wang Yang pretended to be happy and said: "Don't you remember me? Yesterday at the Jingzhou market, you saved a little girl from under the horse's hooves! I wanted to thank you properly, but you disappeared in the blink of an eye."

As he spoke, he naturally reached out to push the woman's dagger away.

The woman tightened the dagger, pressing it against the blood vessels on Wang Yang's neck, and said coldly: "Don't move."

Wang Yang smiled forcefully to get close: "I won't move, you move the dagger away a bit. You saved my little sister yesterday, I haven't repaid you yet, I won't harm you."

The woman's dagger did not relax at all, and her voice was emotionless: "Why are you here?"

"Shh." Wang Yang pointed to the door and whispered: "Get on the bed."

The woman thought there were footsteps outside and was listening intently, and then she saw Wang Yang start to take off his pants.

Rustle, rustle...

The woman's clear eyes widened instantly.

It took her a full three seconds to understand what was happening! A flush of red quickly appeared on her face, like a winter plum blooming in the ice and snow, beautiful beyond compare.

Her wrist turned, the cold light of the dagger flashed past...

Bang!

The door was kicked open!

Jiao Zheng rushed in with a knife, followed by six or seven guards holding weapons and torches.

The scene before them stunned them on the spot!

Wang Yang was sitting in front of the desk, his pants half-off, his lower body covered with messy paper, one hand still clutching the extinguished candlestick, and the candle wax left spots on the floor.

Wang Yang's face was pale, he covered his lower body with the paper, and roared in rage: "Get out, all of you!"

"Your subordinate will take his leave!"

Jiao Zheng led the crowd to retreat from the room in a hurry, everyone holding back their laughter, their expressions extremely strange.

After walking far away, Jiao Zheng was the first to laugh out loud, and then everyone grinned and laughed together.

Jiao Zheng waved his hand and said: "Alright, alright! Keep your mouths shut about this. Whoever dares to leak it, I'll cut off their tongue!"

The guards all obeyed.

Jiao Zheng looked back at the direction where Wang Yang lived, feeling emotional in his heart.

It's no wonder he's from the Langya Wang clan, his hobbies are also unusual!

And mother-f***er, he's even dripping wax, he really knows how to play...

Inside the room, Wang Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead. Thinking of the strong wind that stung his eyes and the dagger that grazed his face, he still felt lingering fear. While putting on his pants, he said:

"See, I didn't harm you, did I?"

A cold voice came from inside the gauze curtains on the bed:

"Within seven steps, the knife never misses. If you don't believe me, you can try."

"Why would I try this for no reason? You saved A-Wu, I still owe you a favor. Not to mention your flying knife is powerful, even if you couldn't throw a knife, I wouldn't run. Anyway, there's no hatred or resentment, and you wouldn't harm me."

Wang Yang certainly wanted to run, and before Jiao Zheng entered the room, he almost did.

But if he had really done that, there would likely be two results: one was being killed by the woman's flying knife, and the other was being held hostage.

He didn't know the woman's identity. If she were an ordinary thief, Jiao Zheng would try his best to ensure his life safety, but if the two had some deep hatred, it would be hard to say. It might end up in mutual destruction.

There was hope for a successful escape, but he didn't dare to gamble.

So after thinking about it, he helped the woman hide her tracks and repeatedly implanted the idea that he owed her a favor to lower her defenses.

The woman asked: "How did you know they would come back?"

She had no reaction to Wang Yang's previous goodwill, her voice remaining cold.

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Note: The concept of "commoner families" (hanzu) during the Northern and Southern Dynasties refers to local powerful families and lower-level bureaucratic landlord families, whose class status is much higher than that of ordinary commoners. For example, if the Jiao family could continue to serve as officials like "Military Advisor of the External Troops" for several generations, they could also be promoted to commoner families. Once they enter the commoner family class, the most obvious sign is the exemption from taxes and labor, which distinguishes them from the "service families" of ordinary people. (Because ordinary people have to perform labor, they are called "service families.")

The class of commoner families is fluid. If the family influence is not continued, they will be demoted back to commoners. For example, in the *Biography of Zong Yue* in the *Book of Song*: "Zong Yue was a man from Ye, Nanyang. Originally, he was a secondary family in Nanyang. When the General of the North, Zhao Lunzhi, was stationed in Xiangyang, there were many mixed surnames in Xiangyang. Lunzhi ordered the Chief Clerk, Fan Jizhi, to list the clans and distinguish their high and low status. Jizhi marked Yue as a service family."

A secondary family means a family lower than the aristocratic families. In a broad sense, it can be equated to a commoner family. Zong Yue's family was demoted from a commoner family to a commoner, and later Zong Yue was promoted step by step, petitioned the Emperor, and raised his family status back up.

The Emperor could intervene in the promotion and demotion of the status of commoner and secondary families, but it wouldn't work when encountering truly high-ranking aristocratic families. The phrase "The scholar-officials are not appointed by the Emperor" comes from this era of the Southern Qi. There is a profound historical and cultural background behind this. It will be reflected in more detail when the third volume reaches the capital.