Chapter 30

First Volume, Chapter 30: Knowing People and Putting Them to Good Use

Qin Feng reached out and pinched Xiao Xiangxiang's nose, grinning mischievously: "What's there to fear? I'll take responsibility for you—even if you can't be the principal wife, being a concubine won't leave you shortchanged."

Qin Feng had long coveted the era's Three Wives and Four Concubines. A man's life, boiled down to its simplest form, really comes down to one sentence.

Live for your wife, die for your wife, strive your whole life for your wife. What's the point of earning so much money if not to find a beautiful bride?

Xiao Xiangxiang felt both thrilled and shy, as if she might faint at any moment; she curled up, blushing and timidly said: "Young Master is speaking nonsense again. You are the son of the current Minister of Revenue—let alone the principal wife, even a concubine isn't someone just anyone can match. You need either a beauty of national splendor or a gifted young lady who excels in music, chess, calligraphy, poetry, wine, and flowers. How dare this humble servant dare to dream of such a thing?"

Xiao Xiangxiang was certainly no beauty of national splendor, but she possessed a delicate charm unique to the modestly elegant. Whenever Xiao Xiangxiang was nearby serving him, Qin Feng felt far more at ease. Besides, choosing a bride is like ordering dishes—you can't have nothing but rich meats and seafood, or even the finest will eventually bore you; you need some light side dishes to balance it out.

Xiao Xiangxiang was just such a dish.

Qin Feng pulled Xiao Xiangxiang tightly into his arms, wearing an expression of pure, innocent charm: "I like girls just like you."

"Ah." Xiao Xiangxiang couldn't suppress her heart's flutter and let out a soft cry, then her whole body began to tremble violently.

At this very deadline, the door burst open from outside.

Qin Xiaofu stumbled in, about to shout loudly, but froze solid at the sight before him.

Xiao Xiangxiang trembled in terror, forcibly broke free from Qin Feng, jumped off the bed, and sat aside with her head bowed low, utterly silent—clearly terrified.

Someone had ruined his good fortune. Qin Feng gnashed his teeth in rage—why now? Why at this exact deadline?

"Brat, don't you even know to knock before entering? You didn't do this on purpose, did you?" Qin Feng strongly suspected Qin Xiaofu was a spy sent by Liu Hongyan to surveil him! Otherwise, how could he always show up at just the right moment?

Feeling Qin Feng's murderous gaze, Qin Xiaofu reacted quickly, rubbing his eyes: "Young Master, I got sand in my eyes the moment I stepped in—I saw nothing just now."

Qin Xiaofu wasn't stupid. Even if Qin Feng and Xiao Xiangxiang hadn't done anything, let alone if they had, he had to pretend he saw nothing. Reporting on the Young Master was disloyalty—and that alone was enough to get Qin Xiaofu beaten to death.

Qin Feng leapt off the bed, grabbed Qin Xiaofu by the collar, narrowed his eyes like interrogating a criminal: "You enter my room without even knocking—who gave you the nerve? Confess honestly: are you a spy sent by my sister? Infiltrating my private life—or my business secrets?"

Hearing this, Qin Xiaofu turned pale, his face twisted in protest: "Unjust! Even if you lent me a hundred times my courage, I'd never betray Young Master! If the Master found out, he'd execute me on the spot for 'disloyalty.' Today's intrusion into your quarters was not without cause—please, Young Master, understand."

Qin Feng stared into Qin Xiaofu's eyes for a moment, confirmed the boy lacked such boldness, then reluctantly released him, grumbling: "Xiao Xiangxiang is my Tieshen Yuhuan..."

Before Qin Feng could finish, Qin Xiaofu beamed, rubbing his hands in flattery: "I understand, I understand completely."

"You understand a damn Hammer!" Qin Feng gave Qin Xiaofu a sharp tap on the forehead, narrowing his eyes in threat: "If Xiao Xiangxiang suffers even a hair's breadth of harm, I'll make you the first to pay!"

Since becoming Qin Feng's personal servant, this brat had grown increasingly arrogant—he needed a good beating, lest his morals slip and he start bullying others, relying on Qin Feng's backing.

As the saying goes: the King of Hell is easy to deal with, but the Little Ghosts are hard to handle. Throughout history, servants have caused their masters no end of trouble—Qin Feng had no intention of becoming another example.

"Tell me, what's really going on," Qin Feng yanked Xiao Xiangxiang back as she tried to slip away, signaling her not to fear—on his One Mu Three Fen Land, even Heaven's Emperor himself wouldn't scare him.

Xiao Xiangxiang sat shyly beside Qin Feng, helpless to resist his control.

Qin Xiaofu's playful grin vanished; he grew serious: "Report, Young Master: we just received word that Li Ninghui has taken the Qiyang Commandery Princess to Qingya Pavilion."

Qin Feng's heart sank. Li Ninghui was an old acquaintance—Li Rui's sister. Though born of a concubine, she was sharp-witted and greatly favored by Minister of Revenue Li Huan. As a result, she mingled often with the elite daughters of Jingdu, especially the Qiyang Commandery Princess.

The Qiyang Commandery Princess was the daughter of Chang Princess Xiao Yunrui and the Marquis of An. The Marquis had rendered great service to Shedynasty and died a few years ago; the Liang Emperor personally presided over his funeral and showed special care for his orphaned daughter. With her status as Imperial Clan and the Liang Emperor's personal favor, the Qiyang Commandery Princess was arrogant and dismissive of everyone.

But according to Qin Feng, the Qiyang Commandery Princess had never had any feud with the Qin Family—why would she suddenly go to Qingya Pavilion?

The owner of Qingya Pavilion was Qin Feng's elder sister, Shen Qingci—a gathering place for countless literati and scholars of Jingdu.

Clearly, the Qiyang Commandery Princess's sudden visit was instigated by Li Ninghui, using the Princess's hand to destroy Shen Qingci and thereby damage the Qin Family.

Qin Feng had long anticipated the Li Family wouldn't let this go—especially after humiliating the Cheng Family and offending Zui Xian Lou. The Li Family now saw Qin Feng as a thorn in their side, desperate to remove him.

Qin Feng leaned lazily against Xiao Xiangxiang, ignoring her shy, half-hearted pushes: "Those two women went to Qingya Pavilion—surely not just for the sake of cultured elegance?"

Those two women... Hearing Qin Feng's phrasing, Qin Xiaofu couldn't help smirking.

In Heaven and Earth, only his own Young Master would dare call two Jingdu elite ladies that.

"Report, Young Master: the Qiyang Commandery Princess went to Qingya Pavilion to request poetry—but she's also declared that if she doesn't get a poem to her satisfaction, she'll shut down Qingya Pavilion."

Hearing this, Qin Feng scoffed: "Shut down Qingya Pavilion if she doesn't get a poem? Who does she think she is? Heaven's Emperor? Is there no law in Jingdu?"

"The Qiyang Commandery Princess is Imperial Clan, true—but the Qin Family are high-ranking ministers of the court, not clay figures anyone can trample on."

"If the Qiyang Commandery Princess shuts down Qingya Pavilion, I'll go straight to the palace and file a petition with the Liang Emperor," Qin Feng declared, utterly unconcerned—he'd already secured the Liang Emperor's favor and couldn't afford to show weakness.

Beside him, Xiao Xiangxiang whispered a warning: "Young Master, ministers must never make enemies of the Imperial Clan. The Qiyang Commandery Princess only wants a poem—grant her one. It's better to resolve enmity than to deepen it."