[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful":3,"chapter-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-86":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Even a Gentleman Must Be Careful",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2268706,4429,"Chapter 86","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-86",86,"\u003Cp>Ninety-Three: Xie Ling Jiang: Think About What Your Senior Brother Would Do\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the private booth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Liu Ziwen gave his casual order, the atmosphere instantly fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men at the table wore varied expressions, but none spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this silence, Yingniang’s reaction became startlingly loud, drawing everyone’s gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“L-Lord, spare me! I’ll do anything you say—I’ll be your ox, your horse…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yingniang lunged forward, clutching Liu Ziwen’s pant leg, weeping uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ziwen stared at his wine cup, brows slightly furrowed; the lame servant beside him noticed at once, stepping forward to draw a short sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade, two feet long, was slender and glinted coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soft “thump.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was casually tossed onto the Persian rug beside Yingniang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lame servant spoke softly to her:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let go. Pour wine for our esteemed guests.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Ji nearly collapsed. She trembled as she rose, swallowed hard, wiped her face with the silk sleeves meant to adorn her, then lifted the delicate white porcelain cup with both hands and shuffled forward shakily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Central Asian courtesan was clever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before her stood two esteemed guests. She timidly glanced at the calm, handsome young man, then quietly circled away, approaching the woman with lowered eyes and tightly pressed lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong’s silent aura seemed to unsettle Yingniang; she wisely avoided him and chose Xie Ling Jiang, who had once kindly saved her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because this woman was good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Xie, please… please drink tea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yingniang spoke weakly to Xie Ling Jiang, who kept her eyes lowered, avoiding eye contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Ling Jiang did not move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong noticed beneath the table—her clenched fists on her knees trembled silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yingniang dropped to her knees before Xie Ling Jiang, face pale with despair, both hands holding the cup, tear-red eyes lifting to meet the lowered gaze of the woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtesan pleaded desperately:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Xie, Master Liu has truly bought me back—if I don’t pour wine, he’ll kill me. Please, please, Sister Xie, just drink one sip, save this lowly life of mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearby, Liu Ziwen observed Xie Ling Jiang’s expression with keen interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had once heard this saying: Someone who has helped you once is more likely to help you again than those you have helped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Ouyang Rong also watched his junior sister closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At one moment, he saw her trembling fists—her knuckles white, bloodless from clenching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she had repeatedly asked him to discipline her, a person’s nature and behavior aren’t so easily changed, especially in such a short time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s hesitation, beneath the table, Ouyang Rong’s right hand silently reached out—moved by pity, seeking to offer her support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His long right hand halted halfway in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He withdrew it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he was her senior brother, this was not his past life; the boundaries between men and women were stricter than damming a river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ouyang Rong had not expected that, beneath the table, a slender hand suddenly reached out and seized his withdrawing right hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Ling Jiang gripped his right forearm tightly through the fabric of his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fell silent, feeling the trembling struggle in her grip; he did not pull away, letting her hold him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Xie Ling Jiang did not look at the wine cup offered by the pitiful, hateful courtesan before her. She turned her head and glanced at Ouyang Rong’s profile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Think about what your senior brother would do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Ling Jiang whispered silently to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she turned back and suddenly spat out one word:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire room fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even Liu Ziwen and the others could hide their shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Yingniang’s sobs choked off mid-cry, her face stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she recovered, she screamed and scrambled to grab the hem of Xie Ling Jiang’s scholar’s robe, face streaked with tears, begging humbly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Xie, I was wrong—I was so terrified, I only wanted to live, and I did that to you. I’m sorry. I beg you, I kneel before you—please, just one sip, just one sip…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtesan pounded her head against the floor, hoping this once-kind woman would soften and drink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Ling Jiang remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gripped her senior brother’s hand tightly, then suddenly kicked the courtesan away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lying on the ground, Yingniang stared at Xie Ling Jiang’s stern face, her tear-streaked expression blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned again to look at Liu Ziwen, whose eyes were half-lidded; the lame servant was bending to retrieve the blade, approaching her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Central Asian courtesan screamed and retreated, her body trembling as the servant advanced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait—aren’t there still two of you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Ouyang Rong, who had remained silent throughout, suddenly spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Xie Ling Jiang and Liu Ziwen turned in surprise; the lame servant halted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes! Yes! Yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yingniang seized this as her last lifeline, crawling with the cup toward Ouyang Rong, reaching his feet, rising to kneel, offering the cup with hopeful eyes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, please… please drink.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong looked down at her, studied her for a moment, then gently shook his head: “Not me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He extended one finger, pointing to Liu Ziwen across from him, speaking calmly: “Take the wine to him. If he refuses, pour it on his face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ziwen’s expression shifted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtesan froze, then frantically shook her head: “That can’t be! Please, my lord, drink it yourself—I beg you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong reminded her softly: “Go pour the wine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtesan dared not approach Liu Ziwen. She tried again to cling to Ouyang Rong’s thigh and beg—when suddenly, a thunderous roar exploded through the room:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told you to go pour the wine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young county magistrate rose abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of cold light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Ling Jiang’s long sword was drawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With both hands gripping the hilt, he held the blade point-down, bowing downward as if in reverence, then slammed it down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp “zing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long sword pierced the floor squarely between the courtesan’s kneeling legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, the icy blade slid through the space between her hands holding the cup and her chest—making it appear as if she were embracing the sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few strands of brown hair drifted slowly to the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahhhh—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the blade mere centimeters from her nose, the courtesan shrieked in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Ling Jiang stared, stunned, as the calm-faced young man beside her gripped the sword’s hilt. He slowly knelt, leaning close to the trembling courtesan, studying her intently, then spoke slowly, word by word:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think good people have no swords? You fear that short blade—what about this long one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am a seventh-rank official of the court, a Metropolitan Graduate. Even your Master Liu bows his head before me. How dare you force me to drink?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And my junior sister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong pointed to Xie Ling Jiang beside him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Her family is a nine-generation noble house. In every previous dynasty’s histories, every person with the surname Xie is her kin—yes, even those without the surname are mostly related.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Her father is a revered Confucian scholar whom even the current Emperor cannot summon to court. She is the direct-line daughter of the Jinling branch of the Chen Commandery Xie clan—a family so prestigious, even the Chancellor’s son cannot marry into it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Liu family of Longcheng? They’re just playing with leftovers from her family’s old games… and you dare force her to drink tea?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Liu family’s swords are sharp—mine and my junior sister’s are no less so!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire room fell utterly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young magistrate, still crouching with his sword, pointed again to the space between the courtesan’s ribs and nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve heard that from the xiphoid process, just below the sternum, one can thrust straight into the heart without effort. Until tonight, I only heard of it. From now on, I can tell others I’ve done it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtesan looked fearfully at Liu Ziwen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong, as if expecting this, said directly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think I’d harm my reputation by killing a private slave, and that the Liu family would use it against me—so I won’t act? Hah. You’ve overestimated your Master Liu and misjudged the situation today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Liu Ziwen:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today, you dared command a slave to kill herself before my eyes. You wouldn’t be foolish enough to bear the blame for forcing her death—you’ve already prepared evidence of her crimes, haven’t you? Her corpse will be presented to the authorities tomorrow morning to clear your name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong nodded, speaking calmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. She’s mine now. Hand her over first, then we’ll talk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ziwen sighed, unable to refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtesan stood frozen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong withdrew his sword and glanced at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yingniang was utterly broken. She turned and scrambled to Liu Ziwen’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yingniang fell into utter despair, frantically turned, and crawled to Liu Ziwen’s front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Ji bowed her head tightly, yet raised both hands high, offering the cup of “toast,” now shaken and reduced to barely a quarter full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the private room, the situation shifted again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong ignored Liu Ziwen’s grim face, turned back, and knelt before Xie Ling Jiang, lowering his sword into the scabbard she held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Ling Jiang looked up, stunned, watching her senior brother’s focused face as he sheathed the sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this was how the senior brother did it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good people aren’t bullied; only the weak are.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why does a “good person” get a gun pointed at them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if you’re empty-handed or refuse to draw your weapon, who else would the bad man point it at?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of the young county magistrate and the Xie family’s noble daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ziwen fell silent for a moment, then took the white porcelain cup with slender legs that Hu Ji offered, tilted his head, and drank the “toast” he had poured himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Another chapter at midnight) Suddenly realized this month has only twenty-eight days—damn…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1647,"2026-06-19T21:28:25.445Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7786e705edbf8e3819fd7a5c218700c55bff309344992bd6241407687fc6ec35","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-87","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-85",864,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feven-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-cover.jpg"]