Chapter 108: Furious for a Beauty

The protagonist wins with words, the villain dies from talking too much.

Lin Dao expressed strong agreement with this saying.

So he said nothing, stepped forward, and grabbed the hair of the two trembling, twitching, incontinent Tian Mansion lackeys.

The next moment, he only needed to transmigrate away, and these two Tian Mansion lackeys would forever disappear from this time and space.

Without a trace, not even leaving behind neutrinos.

The half-closed door of the East Room was pushed wide open.

A slender figure leaned against the doorframe, staggering.

Lin Dao turned his head, and his eyes lit up.

She wore a white silk jacket embroidered with moon lotus and gold thread on top, and a red silk horse-face skirt with silver threads below.

Her hair was arranged in a flat, round peach-heart bun, with a gold hairpin inserted.

On her slender neck, her skin was white as jade, fine as fat.

Her apricot eyes wide open, cherry lips slightly parted, her pretty face full of disbelief.

She had come over hearing the noise.

Unexpectedly, she saw such a horrifying scene before her eyes.

Releasing the two Tian Mansion lackeys in his hands, Lin Dao gripped the electric baton and walked toward the beauty at the doorway.

The undisguised killing intent on him made the beauty's legs go soft, and she collapsed to the ground.

"I am Concubine Chen, captured by the evil bandit and brought here."

"Saved by the hero, this great favor and virtue cannot be repaid."

"I am willing to give myself to you. Uh~~~"

'Zi zi zi~~~'

Lin Dao glanced at the woman collapsed and twitching on the ground, retreated two steps, and once again grabbed the two Tian Mansion lackeys.

"I don't care who you are, take you down first before talking!"

He took the two Tian Mansion lackeys and disappeared.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of hot tea, he appeared again.

He stepped forward and searched the woman, who had recovered somewhat.

Lin Dao usually did not lay hands on women, but he usually did not distinguish between men and women.

Feeling Lin Dao's big hand roaming over her body, the woman was grief-stricken and indignant, yet had no power to resist.

The bracelet on her wrist, the hairpin in her hair bun, anything hard was all taken away.

"Hmm?"

Lin Dao, searching for dangerous items, felt his hand was slightly damp.

He raised his hand and sniffed lightly, "Pee'd yourself?"

The woman finally could not hold back, her face blood-red as she cried out loud.

What sins had I committed, why must I endure all this~~~

Lin Dao stood up, his gaze gradually turning sharp.

Being caught in the act while doing business, as a protagonist of justice, he naturally should find a way to make her unable to speak.

Feeling the killing intent emanating from Lin Dao.

The Chen-surnamed woman quickly stopped crying, struggled and kowtowed on the ground, "Xiaonv Chen is willing to be an ox and horse, begging Young Master to show mercy~"

"Xiaonv Chen Yuanyuan has many friends and acquaintances in Jiangnan."

"Young Master, if you lack anything, Xiaonv is willing to do her best to flatter you."

Her reaction was still quick.

First she vaguely expressed her willingness to be an ox and horse, to be driven at will.

Then she expressed that she could get wealth, that not killing her could bring wealth.

Beauty plus wealth, the vast majority of people were powerless to resist.

Unfortunately, Lin Dao lacked neither of these two things.

What truly made him give up the killing blow was the woman's name.

"You are, Chen Yuanyuan?"

In the Modern World, Chen Yuanyuan's fame was extremely great.

The influence brought by the phrase 'Furious for a Beauty' was truly formidable.

Actually it was probably similar to Bao Si's 'Beacon Fires to Amuse the Lords' and Da Ji 'Assisting King Zhou in Tyranny'.

It was just that the big-headed ones were incompetent themselves, but instead shifted the blame and responsibility onto women.

And beautifully called it, 'Beauties are the source of disaster'~

Chen Yuanyuan, her body still numb, wiped her tears and told her own story.

The source was still Imperial Concubine Tian's father Tian Hongyu, who sent people to Jiangnan to select concubines.

Several famous beauties and courtesans in Jiangnan were all targeted by the lackeys sent by Tian Hongyu.

Dong Xiaowan, Bian Yu Jing, and others avoided them.

But Chen Yuanyuan, because she was anxious to find Mao Xiang, was caught by the lackeys.

If nothing unexpected happened, within two days she would be sent to Tian Hongyu's mansion in Jing Shi.

Lin Dao was somewhat troubled.

The simplest disposal method was unusable, so how to arrange her became a problem.

Chen Yuanyuan observed his words and expression, and quickly declared, "Xiaonv, saved by Young Master, from now on belongs to Young Master, willing to be an ox and horse for Young Master."

"Oxen and horses can work—what can you do?"

Lin Dao shook his head, staring around. "This isn't the place to talk. Let's go outside first."

Chen Yuanyuan lifted her head, about to say something.

"No~~~"

'Zizi zi~~~'

Chen Yuanyuan, carried on Lin Dao's shoulder, thought to herself, 'If others learn of this, I'd rather die cleanly~'

They vaulted over walls all the way out, arriving at the street outside.

Lin Dao began to feel troubled.

His previous plan had been to kill those rich slaves, then return to Yonghe Spacetime after getting out.

The sweet-smelling girl was still waiting for him.

But now he was lugging a burden around, and how to settle her had become a problem.

"Young master~~"

Chen Yuanyuan on his shoulder spoke weakly, "Concubine, concubine has a place to settle, where she can rest for a while."

That made things convenient.

Lin Dao planned to settle Chen Yuanyuan in her own house, then simply leave on his own.

Carrying Chen Yuanyuan, he advanced according to her instructions.

Amid the bleak wind and bitter rain, several beggars hiding in Cheng Huang Miao watched Lin Dao pass by in front of the temple, exchanging glances.

"It's the legendary flower-picking thief~~~"

"Look at that woman's clothes—she must be a daughter of a great household."

"This thief is going to have a good time tonight~~~"

The Beggar Gang of ancient times did not have the righteous, heroic aura seen in films and TV dramas.

They were trash of the times, walking in darkness, utterly evil scoundrels.

Kidnapping children, harvesting the living, capturing and plundering women, extortion and fraud—these were all everyday fare for the beggars.

Merely going door to door to beg for money could be called righteous beggary.

Lin Dao merely glanced at them and paid them no mind.

His own matters were more important.

Chen Yuanyuan's place to settle was a small courtyard.

There were no servants inside.

She relied on her own fame, and her income was quite rich.

Many were willing to throw away a thousand gold just to see her once, drink tea, and listen to a song.

With money, she bought property.

So Chen Yuanyuan had houses not only in Jinling City, but also in Suzhou and other places far away.

Lin Dao carried Chen Yuanyuan straight to the main room, entered, and threw her onto the bed.

"Is it coming?"

Chen Yuanyuan lying on the bed closed her eyes.

Two lines of clear tears slid down her white, tender cheeks.

To survive, she had given far too much—worth at least several thousand taels, by a modest estimate.

Given her fame, if she truly dolled herself up, there were plenty of powerful nobles willing to spend a thousand gold on her.

Chen Yuanyuan with her eyes closed quietly awaited the mountain pressing down on top.

But the mountain did not come; instead came the sound of footsteps receding and a door closing.

Chen Yuanyuan, full of doubt, opened her eyes and looked around, but Lin Dao's figure was already gone from the room.

She got up, opened the door, and came into the courtyard.

Empty and bare, nothing at all.

"This~~~"

Chen Yuanyuan didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

Was she angry that her charm was too poor, or laughing that she had escaped a calamity?

"Forget it."

She turned and entered the room. "First change clothes—so embarrassing."

Several days later, Lin Dao appeared outside Qian Qianyi's home.

For families with property who had also served as officials, they basically had real estate in various places.

This was one of Qian Qianyi's separate courtyards within Jinling City.

He was accompanying Liu Rushi to Jinling City to relax.

After all, because of the grand wedding welcoming Liu Rushi, Qian Qianyi and Liu Rushi had been scolded terribly by their family.

Qian Qianyi, who had long been waiting, smilingly introduced Liu Rushi to Lin Dao.

Liu Rushi was naturally a beauty.

But Lin Dao did not focus on her beauty; rather, he sensed her bearing.

First, she was not the green tea type—clear eyebrows and eyes, with a trace of sharpness in her gaze.

Lin Dao recalled, feeling somewhat like a domineering CEO's mother.

A strong woman!

In her twenties, married to a sixty-year-old man.

Not as a concubine, nor as a bed-servant maid, but married with grand ceremony.

No wonder she could manipulate that old man Qian Qianyi, even forcing him to jump into a lake.

Dong Xiaowan with her whole face full of green tea vibes — no wonder she was no match for Liu Rushi.

What use is green tea against an old man?

Only young men go for that sort of thing.

"Zihou." After exchanging a few pleasantries, Qian Qianyi smiled and said, "This old man originally thought that the Tian Mansion's arrogant slave would come looking for trouble with you."

"Unexpectedly, he has not appeared for several days; perhaps he has already returned to the Capital."

He didn't go to the Capital; they all went to the Yonghe Spacetime, chopped to bits as a treat for Huang Ear.

That Yao Yuanwai of the Yi Zhai, presumably, didn't dare make a fuss.

Skipping this topic that was no longer an issue, Lin Dao signaled the Qian Mansion servants outside to bring in the things he had brought.

"Hahaha~~~"

Upon seeing the standing mirror, Qian Qianyi laughed heartily with joy, "Good, good, good, Zihou, you have a thoughtful heart."

He turned his head to look at Liu Rushi, "This object is gifted to the Lord of Hedong."

Liu Rushi's eyes curved, clearly very happy.

After they had been affectionate for a while, Lin Dao reached out and gestured toward an antique-style mantel clock.

"This object is called a time bell, also known as a timekeeping device."

"This here is the dial; it divides the twelve double-hours of the whole day into twenty-four equal parts, and every half double-hour it will chime a reminder."

"As for the driving power, it is much the same as the Mo School Mechanism Beasts."

"Using a mainspring, etc."

Lin Dao introduced it, but Qian Qianyi and Liu Rushi stared with fixed eyes.

"This—" Qian Qianyi was astonished, "It resembles the Francois people's self-striking clocks."

As early as several decades ago, the Europe people began transporting clocks and watches to the Great Ming.

Of course, due to output, the distant distance, and other reasons, the quantity was extremely few.

In the ancient Central Plains, timekeeping mainly used gnomons (sundials), clepsydras, sandglasses, and the like.

By the time it reached the Great Ming here, even lamp clepsydras had appeared, already reaching the level of automatic time-telling with a bell at each quarter, a drum at two quarters, a chime at three, and a gong at four.

"Muzhai Sir."

Lin Dao patted the wooden mantel clock, which stood over a meter tall, "This object, could it win the favor of the great households within Jinling City?"

"Absolutely it can."

Qian Qianyi nodded vigorously, "Even if you sell this thing for a thousand taels each, there will be plenty of people who want it."

"Not just a thousand taels."

Liu Rushi at the side examined the mantel clock closely, "If some exquisite carved patterns and paintings are added, three to five thousand taels would not be impossible."

This kind of large mantel clock, in the Modern World, is only a few hundred bucks.

Small mantel clocks are even just a few dozen bucks each.

If calculated according to the Modern World's soft sister coins and the Chongzhen Spacetime's silver purchasing power~~~

Lin Dao nodded in satisfaction, took out a box, opened it, and took out the mechanical watch inside.

(End of Chapter)