Chapter 371: Contending for the Prize

"Oh? And this gentleman here is...?"

Facing the other's interrogation, Tian Wan felt a surge of displeasure, but since the other's words were still polite, he could not easily fly into a rage.

There was no need to ask—this young man was surely one of the Gong or Zou families, someone who, seeing that the beauty he had long coveted was in danger of being snatched away midway, had stepped forward to pressure him with words into giving up the matter.

"This humble one is Zou Wenbing of Wujiang. May I ask your esteemed name, sir? From what place do you hail? Have you come here specially, or are you merely passing through? If business brings you past this place, then I, Zou, will later prepare a banquet and invite you, honored guest, to share a cup, after which we shall each go our separate ways; if you have come specially—heh heh—I would still advise you, sir, to extinguish that notion, lest you lose face in the end!"

The Zou family was a renowned clan in the Wujiang area, with ancestors who had produced any number of high officials and celebrated scholars, and they were a famously great family throughout the Suzhou region.

Relying on their power and influence, the Zou family engaged in commerce and ran workshops, and over the years they had amassed no small wealth and deep, broad connections—they counted among the few eminent and distinguished families of Jiangnan.

The one speaking, Zou Shu, was the young master of the Zou family, just twenty-three years of age. Though he had never passed the provincial examination, he had ridden on his family's influence to make quite a name for himself in Suzhou's literary circles.

The dashing and romantic Zou Shu already had one wife and two concubines, yet upon seeing Chen Yuanyuan he was struck as though by a celestial being, and immediately conceived the notion of bringing her into his household.

But because Gong Ruofu, the young master of another great clan of Wujiang, also had designs on the heavenly-beautiful Chen Yuanyuan, and because the friendship between the two families ran deep, they could hardly tear their faces apart over a woman—and so Zou Shu had never been able to get his wish.

Just as he was racking his brains for a plan without success and feeling extremely displeased, who would have thought that a Cheng Yaojin would suddenly leap out from nowhere—an outsider actually daring to stick his nose in! This made his already foul mood even worse.

Today Gong Ruofu had business and did not come. Zou Shu had thought to seize this opportunity, using the pretext of inviting the troupe into the Zou residence to perform, to keep Chen Yuanyuan in the house and accomplish his goal. By the time the rice was cooked, even if Gong Ruofu was furious and humiliated, he could only swallow this bitter loss in silence.

Who would have thought that just as success was within reach, Tian Wan's appearance would throw his plans into disarray.

"Oh, so it's Brother Zou. This humble one's surname is Tian; as for my origins, they are not worth mentioning. As for whether I came specially or am merely passing through—heh heh—there is no need to inform Brother Zou of that either. From the sound of Brother Zou's words, you must also have intentions toward Miss Chen, is that so? Heh heh! Then how about this: this humble one is determined to have Miss Chen. Madam, please name a price, and I will bid against Brother Zou—whoever offers more shall have her. What say you?"

The threat hidden in Zou Shu's words made Tian Wan's anger rise steadily, but recalling his father's repeated admonitions before leaving the capital, he forcibly restrained himself and did not flare up on the spot—though his speech was no longer polite either.

Tian Wan's words once again set the gathered crowd to clamoring, while Zou Shu's face abruptly darkened.

The two attendants in blue clothes and small caps beside Tian Wan sized up the people around them, their bodies slowly edging forward. One of them slipped a hand inside his lapel, and the expression on his face turned ugly.

These two were wandering knights-errant of the capital's streets. Because their martial skills were solid, they had been recruited by Tian Hongyu to serve under his banner, and this time they accompanied Tian Wan as his attendants.

"Heh heh, bidding? Could Brother Tian be treating Miss Chen as if she were merchandise? How is this different from a merchant's conduct? Observing Brother Tian's bearing, you should not be the sort to burn zithers and boil cranes, so how can your words be so crude and vulgar? I must offer you a word of advice here, sir: our Wu region is the very seat of elegance and refinement under heaven, and truly cannot tolerate those who would defile men's eyes and ears with gold and silver! I ask that Brother Tian take his leave! Otherwise, I fear you will incur the public's wrath, and that will not bode well for you!"

After Zou Shu finished his high-sounding speech, Tian Wan, who sat unmoving, merely sneered without end.

He knew very well the filthy dealings these so-called refined gentlemen engaged in daily—they themselves treated women as playthings, yet put on the airs of upright gentlemen before the crowd.

Treating Miss Chen as merchandise?

Among the wealthy gentry and great households of Jiangnan, who did not keep beautiful singing girls for their own amusement? Which of those beauties had not been purchased at heavy cost like goods? And you, surnamed Zou—are you not lingering here precisely because you covet Chen Yuanyuan's beauty?

"Heh heh heh heh! From the sound of Brother Zou's words, does this Suzhou area perhaps answer to your Zou family alone? Though Miss Chen has a flower-like countenance, given her origins, does Brother Zou intend to marry her with full ceremony as his principal wife? Public wrath? I, Tian, have done nothing excessive in my conduct—how could I incur public wrath? Could Brother Zou be intending to bully a stranger? Let me tell you plainly, Brother Zou: if Miss Chen goes with me, she will surely enjoy great wealth and honor in the future—ten thousand times better than being taken into your household as a plaything! This Miss Chen, I, Tian, am determined to have! Brother Zou had best not stir up trouble!"

Tian Wan slowly rose to his feet, fixing his gaze on Zou Shu a few steps away, yielding not an inch in his words.

He had grown up accompanying Tian Hongyu and had seen no small number of scenes, and with the Tian family's current status as relatives of the imperial house by marriage, he simply did not hold people like Zou Shu in his eyes.

Seeing that Zou Shu seemed inclined to use his position as a local power to bully him, an outsider, Tian Wan could barely contain his anger.

Madam Liu, standing to one side, saw that both sides' tempers had flared, and if they kept talking, they would truly come to blows—and then the troupe would suffer collateral damage.

In her desperation she hurriedly spoke up to mediate: "Young Master Zou, and this Young Master Tian—could you both honored gentlemen please calm your anger? This slave first thanks you both for thinking so highly of my daughter. I don't know what blessings my daughter cultivated in her past life to earn the favor of several young masters! But she is not yet even thirteen this year—still not of an age to enter your households and enjoy such fortune. Might I beg both young masters to grant this humble woman a bit of face, and allow my daughter to grow a little older? This slave will immediately have a banquet arranged, to apologize to all the lords and young masters!"

"Hmph hmph! Madam Liu need not do so! The Zou family has dwelt in Wujiang for generations, and considers itself a family of officials and gentry, long renowned for virtue throughout Jiangnan. Whatever the matter, from the authorities above to the villages below, all must show the Zou family some face! Who would have thought that today an outsider would utter threatening words and seek to do the deeds of a villain! If I, Zou, were to yield so much as a step, then what face would my Zou family have left to stand on here? Today I, Zou, would like to see just what method this sort of person intends to use to take Miss Chen away!"

Zou Shu had not expected Tian Wan's tone to be so arrogant—an outsider, openly threatening him, the young master of a great local clan! This was simply courting death.

"That's right! You outsider, don't get so cocky!"

"You're surnamed Tian—are you trying to fill a well with yourself?"

"What sort of thing do you think you are, daring to threaten us locals!"

"Young Master Zou, don't waste words with him! If we don't teach this sort of person a lesson, he'll never know his place!"

The crowd around them all began shouting along with Zou Shu's words, and a few even rolled up their sleeves, looking as if they might surge forward and start a fight at any moment.

Tian Wan was not intimidated by the momentum of these locals before him.

He raised a hand to stop his two attendants from stepping forward, and with a smile that did not reach his eyes, said: "Young Master Zou intends to bully the few with the many? I have already spoken plainly, yet Young Master Zou avoids answering. I wonder what exactly Brother Zou intends to do? Might I ask Brother Zou to lay out his terms? I, Tian, have only refrained from blowing this matter up out of a desire not to make a scene—that is why I have yielded again and again. How is it that in your eyes I seem so weak and easily bullied? I once more advise Brother Zou: do not court disaster by coveting a beauty's charms!"

"Fine villain! Are you truly asking for a beating?! Do you think Wujiang has no men?!"

Tian Wan's repeated verbal provocations thoroughly enraged Zou Shu. His face flushed crimson as he stepped forward, eyes wide, pointing a finger at Tian Wan as he roared in fury.