I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 377 Entering the game personally
Inside the painted boat, Yu Nu, dressed in new clothes, knelt beside the table, her slender hands holding up a tea tray and offering a teacup to Ming Jing.

Ming Jing didn't take it, but looked at Yu Nu with a faint smile, "How can you know the temperature of the tea if you're using a tea tray?" He pinched Yu Nu's chin, "Wouldn't you be heartbroken if you burned your master?"

"It hurts," Yu Nu said, her brows furrowing slightly in pain.

So what should we do?

Yu Nu put down the tea tray, held the teacup with both hands, and brought it to Ming Jing's lips.

Ming Jing lowered his head, took a sip, and said calmly, "It's cold."

Looking at the still steaming tea, Yu Nu explained, "I just brewed this tea."

"Like drinking water, only the person drinking knows whether it's hot or cold. Haven't you heard the words of the sage?"

Yu Nu lowered her eyes, "This servant has never studied."

"You haven't read 'Rules for Women' or 'Precepts for Women'?"

Yu Nu shook her head.

Ming Jing laughed, "I almost forgot, you are a courtesan of lowly status. You learned to serve others from a young age, so naturally you are not qualified to read and write. It's a pity that you have such a good pipa playing skill."

Even if she wasn't from a noble family, but just an ordinary, respectable woman, her exceptional pipa skills would give him every reason to take her on as a disciple and nurture her with care.

Yu Nu whispered, "It is because I am unlucky."

"It's alright, I'll teach you properly tonight."

Mingjing poured out the tea from the teacup, placed the empty teacup in Yu Nu's hands, used a cloth to hold the kettle on the stove, and poured the boiling water into the teacup.

The heat seeped through the teacup, burning Yu Nu's fingertips. Yu Nu's hands trembled, and it looked like she was about to drop the bowl.

Mingjing threatened, "If you break the teacup, you'll have to catch this scalding hot water with your bare hands."

Yu Nu trembled all over, not daring to let go, and kept switching her fingers to relieve the pain.

Mingjing put down the kettle, sat back in his chair, found a comfortable position to lean back, and admired Yu Nu's forbearance.

Only after the steam from the teacup had dissipated did Ming Jing speak, "Put it down, be careful not to break it. This is the latest blue and white porcelain produced by the official kiln; you couldn't afford to pay for ten of them."

Yu Nu carefully placed the teacup on the table.

"Come here," Mingjing beckoned.

Yu Nu crawled forward on her knees, and as soon as she got close, she was pulled by the arm and dragged into Ming Jing's arms.

Mingjing stroked Yu Nu's face with affection, "What a pitiful sight you look like. Is this how you usually seduce men?"

Yu Nu retorted, "No, I am a virgin, I only play the pipa, I do not sell myself."

"A courtesan?" Ming Jing twisted Yu Nu's waist hard. "She's just waiting for the right price to go up. What's the difference between her and those who sell themselves?"

Yu Nu was in so much pain that tears streamed down her face instantly.

"Crying now? How useless!" Ming Jing pinched her hard again, his eyes full of nostalgia. "I once met a woman who was extremely fierce. No matter how much I struggled, she wouldn't shed a single tear. Why can't you learn from her?"

A flash of hatred crossed Yu Nu's eyes, but she quickly lowered her gaze to hide it. "This servant... this servant is afraid."

Ming Jing pushed Yu Nu away, saying, "In the end, she's too delicate. That won't do."

He walked to the corner of the cabin, picked up a box, placed it in front of Yu Nu, and opened it, saying, "Come and take a look."

Yu Nu shrank back to where she was, too afraid to move.

Outside the cabin, the servants yawned as they listened to the men's whipping and cursing and the women's cries of pain inside. They calculated in their minds how long they could hold out this time, and each found a place to doze off.

The manager kept a close eye on the surroundings. Seeing that everything was normal, he gradually lowered his guard, leaned against a pillar, and closed his eyes to rest.

When the steward opened his eyes again, it was already dawn. He was about to go into the cabin to give a warning when he suddenly heard an unusual sound coming from underwater.

The steward leaned out to look, and an arrow shot out from underwater, piercing straight into his heart. Before he could speak, he slumped and fell into the lake.

Pfft!
"What's that sound?" The dozing servants were awakened and leaned out to look into the water.

With a whoosh, several arrows shot out from underwater. The servant screamed and immediately fell silent.

"What happened?" Mingjing heard the servant's voice asking from inside the cabin.

"Mr. Ming, someone has attacked!" The servant stumbled into the cabin. "We'll escort you out!"

Ming Jing suddenly stood up and had just stepped out of the cabin when he saw several men in black climb onto the deck, brandishing knives and charging at them.

The servant pushed Mingjing aside, drew his dagger to fight back, but was killed in a few moves.

Ming Jing's face turned ashen, and he stumbled into the cabin to hide.

Yu Nu raised her head and saw Ming Jing's flustered attempt to escape, a mocking smile appearing on her lips.

After a short while, the sounds of fighting ceased outside the cabin.

Hiding in the corner, Ming Jing only mustered up the courage to open the window and look out when he heard the shouts of the people on the shore.

The deck was empty except for the corpse of the servant from the Yang family.

Ming Jing sensed something was wrong and was about to try to leave when Yu Nu, who was lying on the ground, suddenly found the strength to crash into him.

Caught off guard, Ming Jing was knocked flat on his back.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yu Nu ran out of the cabin and shouted towards the shore, "Help! Mr. Ming An, he's trying to kill me!"

Ming Jing sat on the ground, his expression terrifying, "You bitch!"

The people on the shore were drawn over by Yu Nu's shouts.

Yu Nu climbed onto the ship's railing. "Mr. Ming'an, I am a courtesan. No matter how you humiliate me, I would rather die than sell myself!" With that, Yu Nu jumped into the water.

The people on the shore immediately erupted into chaos.

"Quick, save people!"

A woman who knew how to swim quickly took off her outer garment and handed it to her husband. She then jumped into the river, scooped up Yu Nu, and swam to the shore with her.

The women formed a circle, completely blocking the onlookers from outside.

Seeing the bloody wounds on Yu Nu's body, the timid woman gasped and turned her head away, unable to look any longer.

"What a tragedy!" The woman who had saved the girl took the coat her husband had thrown to her and covered Yu Nu with it. "How could such a good girl have suffered so much!"

Yu Nu lay in the woman's arms, trembling uncontrollably, whether from the cold or fear, it was hard to tell.

Several men had already boarded the pleasure boat and dragged Ming Jing out of the cabin.

"Go report to the authorities immediately!" The leader wiped the water droplets from his face. "There's a dead person on the pleasure boat!"

What? Someone died? The people were in an uproar and rushed to report it to the authorities.

In the Suzhou prefectural government office, Min Zhuang, dressed in official robes, was sitting in the main hall handling government affairs when suddenly his right eyelid started twitching, and an ominous premonition rose in his heart.

Sure enough, a constable came to report, "Sir, a murder has occurred on a pleasure boat on the Wusong River!"

As Min Zhuang walked out, he asked, "How many people died?"

"I don't know!" The constable jogged after Min Zhuang. "The people who came to report the news didn't dare to investigate in detail, but it's said that the deck was covered with corpses."

Min Zhuang's heart sank. Someone who could commit such a serious crime was probably no ordinary person.

When Min Zhuang arrived at the Wusong River in an official sedan chair, he saw the steward of the Yang family as soon as he got off the chair, and his eyelids twitched even more vigorously.

Just as the steward of the Yang family was about to step forward to speak, a loud shout came from somewhere, "The Prefect is here!" This immediately attracted the attention of the people on the riverbank.