Chapter 83: Which Unit's Horse Are You? [Many Thanks for Everyone's Support!]

They were youths in the prime of their blood and vigor; who could withstand such a trial?

Xu Xu Zaijing felt nothing much, his face merely hot and red; though a stray lustful thought arose, his memories still held far too many super beauties, both natural and artificial, seen in his previous life.

His aesthetic standards had long become absurdly high; otherwise, the energy accumulated from daily strength training and physical exercise would have been enough to blow up the Qiyun Tower.

Fortunately, few of these young ladies possessed innate, peerless beauty.

Even courtesans of the Flower Queen caliber were not present downstairs.

As for Hu Seeing Hu Yanjiong, needless to say, he was truly still a youth.

Gu Gu Tingye glanced around at the women of Qiyun Tower and whispered, "Brother Jing, why don't we just tonight—"

For Gu Gu Tingye and Hu Seeing Hu Yanjiong, this was like Tang Seng in the Kingdom of Women from Journey to the West; extremely perilous, truly a case where even a hero cannot pass the barrier of beauty!

Xu Xu Zaijing said, "Shut up. If you don't want your father to punish you by making you kneel, come back with me."

At this moment,

Wei Wei Faqi, a companion of Han Han Chengyun downstairs, spotted the three of them.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, it was clear they had been drinking; Wei Wei Faqi exchanged a glance with Rong Rong Xian beside him, knowing that alcohol easily leads to chaos.

His eyes darted, and he immediately approached, he and Rong Rong Xian each leading two women from Qiyun Tower.

"Xu Han Wulang, Eleventh Lang, Second Lang!"

"Eh~ Yo!"

The four young ladies were pushed by the two men to a spot not far in front of Xu Xu Zaijing and his companions; with a shove below their waists,

instantly, the four girls shrieked in surprise and lunged toward the three.

Gu Gu Tingye's eyes still held the joyful haze of drunkenness, and his body leaned forward.

Then he felt himself flying backward.

Brother Qingyun, Zhique, and Hu Seeing Hu Yanjiong's young servant, Fuding, stepped forward, blocking the extremely perilous attack.

The four young ladies were blocked by the three servants; someone even reached out and groped Brother Qingyun's chest.

If their Young Master had not been behind them, the three servants truly would not have been able to hold the line.

Gu Gu Tingye was dragged by his clothes by Xu Xu Zaijing and pulled to the rear.

Yet amidst the scent of clothing and the rustle of skirts, the two were tempted, their hearts wandering like monkeys and minds galloping like horses, restrained only by sheer self-control.

They dared even less to look closely at these women.

Seeing the embarrassed expressions on the two, Wei Wei Faqi and Rong Rong Xian burst into laughter.

"I say, could it be that you three are still virgins?"

Wei Wei Faqi shouted loudly with laughter.

This loud proclamation drew low chuckles from the crowd within the tower,

while guests who loved watching spectacles flocked to the railings to see if they recognized anyone.

The young ladies who had been pushed over glanced at the three; seeing their luxurious attire, they knew these were wealthy men,

and furthermore, they dared not offend the family of the Marquis of Fu'an, so they could only pretend to be hurt, emitting delicate moans full of seductive intent,

hoping that one of them would lose control, perhaps even staying the night.

The onlookers around did not dare to laugh aloud, only watching the spectacle.

For judging by the dress of Xu Xu Zaijing and his master-servant group, they were no ordinary folks easy to deal with; if one laughed too loudly and became the bird that sticks its head out, inviting disaster, the loss would outweigh the gain.

Gu Gu Tingye, slightly intoxicated by the wine, saw the women around looking at him while covering their mouths with handkerchiefs as they spoke,

and after speaking, they giggled at him, with four women standing right before him.

His face flushed red; just as he anxiously wanted to say something, Xu Xu Zaijing patted him. He turned to look and saw Xu Xu Zaijing holding back Hu Seeing Hu Yanjiong, who was preparing to throw a punch.

Since there were men provoking them, the women were set aside.

Xu Xu Zaijing waved his hand, and Brother Qingyun stepped up to push the four brothel girls aside,

then, taking advantage of his current clear-mindedness, he smiled and spoke loudly with full vigor:

"In this array of romance and field of rouge, we naturally cannot compare to Brother Wei, but looking at Brother Wei, so young yet with unsteady steps, dark circles under your eyes, and no light in your gaze! Your attire even suggests you fear the cold and dread the chill.

Oh?

Now I see you are also irritable and prone to anger; could it be..."

Hearing these words, Wei Wei Faqi's face turned ugly, his eyes full of rage as he looked at the three.

It was not that Xu Xu Zaijing's words were particularly harsh, but that he spoke the truth.

After Xu Xu Zaijing finished speaking, the three walked forward; Gu Gu Tingye sized up Wei Wei Faqi from head to toe as he walked, his gaze carrying ambiguous meaning.

"Unable to win on the polo field, yet playing the hero in the field of romance; truly admirable." Hu Seeing Hu Yanjiong cupped his fists to assist the attack.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, continuing like this is surely not a sign of longevity."

Having said this, Xu Xu Zaijing shook his head and continued walking outward.

As Gu Gu Tingye passed by Wei Wei Faqi, he even let out a scoff, making Wei Wei Faqi's face turn even uglier.

Han Han Chengyun stopped what he was doing and said, "Brother Jing, what a sharp tongue."

Xu Xu Zaijing looked at him with a face full of smiles and said, "I wonder if Fifth Brother Han has any instructions? Shall I diagnose you?"

Han Han Wulang blinked his bruised eyes, said nothing, then turned his head to look at Gu Gu Tingye and said:

"Naturally not needed; it is still Marquis Gu who is vigorous despite old age; we juniors admit defeat."

Gu Gu Tingye, with an ugly expression, said, "Han Han Wulang, what do you mean?"

Lü Zhang Sanlang from the Duke of Ling's family leaned in: "Brother Ye, we are all friends! Brother Yun, calm your anger too!"

Han Han Chengyun cast a glance over, and Lü Zhang Sanlang smiled awkwardly and shut his mouth.

Xu Xu Zaijing patted Gu Gu Tingye and said, "Let's go; Fifth Brother Han should first seek instruction from his own elders."

On the floor beside them, descendants of noble families who were at odds with Han Han Wulang watched the show from above; hearing Xu Xu Zaijing's words, one shouted loudly:

"Indeed, Han Han Wulang, you are not old, yet you have fewer concubines than your second uncle! Could it be that your body is even inferior to your second uncle's?"

The noble young masters upstairs burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!!!"

Hearing the laughter, Han Han Chengyun's expression turned somewhat ugly, but he knew Xu Xu Zaijing's fearsome reputation, having once competed against him at the polo field.

Thus, he walked toward the noble scion whose laughter had just been the loudest.

'You thieving bird of a wretch, if I cannot beat Xu Xu Zaijing, can I not still beat you?'

All around,

whether it was the Qiyun Lou they had just passed or the Pan Lou where they were currently staying,

the guests on both floors at this moment were not all there merely to seek pleasure; there were also officials and titled nobles hosting banquets to thank others for matters concerning their families or official duties.

Seeing that although Xu Xu Zaijing and his two companions had been drinking, they walked with chests out and heads high, possessing an imposing demeanor, with firm steps, bright eyes when looking at others, and no fluttering beauties by their sides.

As for Han Han Chengyun and his group, forget it; everyone knew what sort of goods they were.

The contrast between the two groups of youths downstairs sparked widespread discussion.

Most were inquiring which household these three, including Xu Xu Zaijing, belonged to.

Although they themselves were romantic and free-spirited, they naturally hoped their own daughters would find a good destination in marriage.

The female steward who had just gone to Hu Yan Dong's room to convey a message quietly revealed the identities of these three.

Seeing such a scene, with the conflict ending as one party was silenced and the opponent shifted targets,

the Shopkeeper and stewards of Pan Lou hurried out to smooth things over, summoning several Yang Yang Xingshou and famous courtesans to surround them and lead Han Han Chengyun away.

Xu Xu Zaijing and his companions then laughed as they exited the main gate of Pan Lou.

Seeing Hu Yanjiong patted Xu Xu Zaijing on the shoulder, saying, "Brother Jing still has a sharp tongue; if it were me, I would have directly used my fists!"

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled and glanced at him.

"Brother Ye, is your mother still not returning to Hou Fu? I see these rumors have already spread far and wide," Xu Xu Zaijing said.

"I do not know; she is quite content at the separate courtyard, where she does not need to train so early."

Seeing Hu Yanjiong said, "Who told you that not training is a good thing?"

"Are not the families of the Duke of Ling and the Duke of Han all like this? We, the children of titled nobles, need only wait to inherit titles through protection!"

Xu Xu Zaijing looked at Gu Gu Tingye before him, who was the same age as himself, and said little, feeling much as if he were seeing a child from his past life claiming that studying was useless.

The three each boarded their carriages and departed in three different directions.

Upon returning home, after paying respects to his mother and recounting what he had seen and done at Pan Lou, Sun Shi nodded.

Then she sighed and said nothing more.

She was also worried for her friend, Bai Shi.

After returning to his own courtyard to change clothes, Xu Xu Zaijing went to the horse track, dragged out a cargo cart from the side, removed its wheels, and then stacked onto the cart the stone locks Brother Qingyun used for strength training.

He tied the stone locks with ropes.

Why remove the wheels?

Hmm.

Subsequently, under the astonished gaze of the horses in the stable, Xu Xu Zaijing dragged this heavy load around the horse track.

For a moment, dust flew wildly across the horse track,

and his groom master, watching Xu Xu Zaijing who looked like a beast of burden, shook his head and said, "Youth, it is truly good."

Having spoken, he waved away the dust flying toward him, turned around, and returned to his small hut.

Bai Family

Separate Courtyard

Bai Bai Wanshu looked at his daughter and said:

"My child, I do not wish to make you yield either, but if this continues, your reputation for jealousy will spread throughout Dongjing; today I have already heard rumors and gossip concerning the Gu family."

"In the end, she is merely a concubine with some background; even if you do not agree, has she not already moved into the Gu household? With Gu Dalang Gu Gu Dalang, Yuan Erlang Gu Gu Tingye, and Gu Tingyi, what do you have to fear?"

Bai Shi, tears streaming down her face, said:

"Father, that woman resembles the late Da Niangzi Da Qin by sixty or seventy percent; how can I rest easy letting her enter the door!

Previously, whenever anything happened, the Marquis would rush to the ancestral hall and embrace Da Niangzi Da Qin's spirit tablet; now that there is a person right before his eyes, who knows what might happen?"

Hearing his daughter's words, Bai Bai Wanshu fell into deep thought.

He had heard just how much Gu Yankai cared for the deceased Da Niangzi Da Qin.

"Even so, you should not have rushed to the separate courtyard in a fit of anger; are you not simply handing your own home over to others!"

"Father, now that I have left the Gu family, see how many days they can last; by the day after tomorrow, they will not even have silver for purchasing supplies..."

Bai Bai Wanshu: "Silence!"

Bai Shi was startled; she had never heard her father speak in such a severe tone.

"Father?"

Bai Bai Wanshu said softly, "Daughter, Marquis Gu was born a military general; by cutting off his provisions, you have violated his greatest taboo! Does this not play exactly into that wretched woman's hands? If the Gu family lacks money for purchases and this spreads, will your reputation sound any better?"

"Father, I..."

"If someone whispers further into his ear, do you think he would dare not act ruthlessly against you? Since divorce is impossible and he cannot cast you out, if he reports your death by illness, could you escape that? Would anyone speak up or seek justice for a woman from a merchant family?" Bai Bai Wanshu's voice grew even lower.

Bai Shi's face turned pale.

"Since when have you been so rashly shouting and ready to tear off all pretenses? Plan before acting; have I not taught you such principles?!"

After speaking, Bai Bai Wanshu glanced at his daughter, whose face showed some shame, took a deep breath, and continued:

"You need not be overly afraid; I entrusted someone to inquire, and regarding the scholarly abilities of the Gu family's Gu Dalang, there is an eighty or ninety percent chance he will pass the imperial examinations; once he achieves the Five Jinshi degree and marries the eldest Miss of the Xu family, you will naturally gain an additional ally."

"But, Father, since that woman resembles Da Niangzi Da Qin so closely, I fear that Gu Dalang he..."

"If I were to find someone similar to your mother, what would you think?"

"Father, I would... I understand."

Finally, Bai Bai Wanshu spoke in a voice only the father and daughter could hear:

"I sent people to investigate; Gu Yankai took that woman in merely four or five days after her father died!

Hmph! Lust has clouded his judgment! If that woman harbors no ulterior motives, all well and good; but if she dares, I have plenty of leverage against her!"

"Yes, Father."

"At the time, I was truly blind. Furthermore, the eldest Miss of the Xu family is definitely going to marry into our home; what our family lacks least is silver, so treat her well. You must maintain good relations with Da Niangzi Sun of the Xu clan; in critical moments, she can back you up."

At this very moment,

Gu Gu Tingye entered the Bai family courtyard with a broad smile.

【Deleted 200 characters, it's fine now.】

I polished it quite well myself, only to get flagged by the censors.

Next time, I will remember not to over-polish.

Sorry to keep everyone waiting.

Many thanks for everyone's support!

Bowing again!

The author, too excited during this first VIP release, hasn't eaten yet; going to eat now.

Approximately 12,000 characters updated.

Thanks to all readers for the 2,000 coin tips; once it reaches 20,000, I will add an extra chapter!

There might be another chapter tonight.

Grateful.





(End of Chapter)