The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 224 The Official's Romantic Encounters, The Death of Clerk Wang
Li Ping'er was already deeply moved.

She raised her delicate, porcelain-white face, her eyes hazy and alluring, her breath sweet and fragrant, her voice filled with both intense longing and unwavering resolve as she gasped:
"My lord... good man... good man, please grant my request... my whole being, my heart, my life... along with all the gold, silver, valuables, land deeds, and property deeds of the Hua family inside and outside this house... are all yours!"

"I only beg you, my lord... to take me in soon... don't leave me to live like a widow any longer..." She pressed her burning cheek against the lord's rapidly heaving chest, feeling his powerful heartbeat, her voice filled with alluring charm and a naked promise:

"As long as you marry me, my lord... I'm willing... willing to offer you everything... just... don't betray my heart... um..."

Li Ping'er was already deeply in love, her heart burning with desire, her whole body weak and limp, as if she were immersed in boiling oil.

She glared at Ximen Qing, her eyes brimming with tears, and thought to herself, "This scoundrel! He's usually so charming and charismatic, but why does he act like a saint when he's with me? He's a real blockhead, suffocating me!"

On the other hand, she thought bitterly, "I don't believe you can just pretend to be aloof! Who in Qinghe County doesn't know about your shady dealings, Master Ximen? Today, with no one around and you in my hands, I'll definitely tear off your mask!"

The official was so entangled with her that he felt this woman was a once-in-a-century "obsessive and vengeful lover"! Her audacious and reckless charm was something he had never seen before.

He was a fifth-rank official in charge of criminal investigation, a man whose every move in Qinghe County could make the land tremble. He was usually the one who flirted with women and manipulated romance, never before had he been forced into this situation.
At this moment, the man looked exactly like a respectable woman who had been cornered in a dark alley by a rude thug and forcibly embraced and kissed!

His imposing official demeanor vanished like a stone thrown into the sea when confronted with the woman's passionate and shrewish entanglement; he was utterly powerless.

Seeing his eyes gleam and his chest heaving like a drum, Li Ping'er grew even more smug. She raised her porcelain-white face, so alluring it seemed one could squeeze water from it, her starry eyes half-closed, her lips slightly parted, her breath sweet as orchids, carrying an intense, desperate longing and a reckless decisiveness. Her breath was a mixture of honey and butter, seeping straight into one's bones:
"Oh...my dearest sir...please...please grant my request this time..."

As she spoke, her entire hot, delicate body seemed to lose its bones, softly pressing against him, her ample bosom pressed tightly against the man's violently heaving chest. Through the thin jacket, one could feel the pounding of his heart beneath.

She tilted her head back, her breath sweet as orchids, every word brimming with captivating allure and a blatant promise:

"If you just nod your head... the Hua family still has public property, and I'll move it all to the Ximen residence."

As she spoke, her slender hands gripped and twisted the muscles of her chest more tightly, her voice growing increasingly sweet and seductive: "...I only beg you, my lord...to have mercy...to take me in as soon as possible...so that I may no longer...be left...to guard this tomb of the living dead...enduring these long, agonizing nights..."

She pressed her burning cheeks even closer, almost burying herself in the man's arms: "As long as... as long as you're willing to marry me... I'm willing... willing to offer all of this, along with my whole heart... before you! With both hands I offer it! I only hope... I only hope you won't betray... this heartfelt affection... um... my dear..."

That last note, drawn out and alluring, was so captivating it could entice one's very soul.

The man felt hot all over from her rubbing, his throat was dry, and the sweet fragrance of the woman mixed with his sweat kept wafting into his nose.

He reached out to push it away, but his hand touched a soft, warm body, as if he had touched it willingly. Startled, he quickly withdrew his hand, still trying to argue:
"In broad daylight, what kind of behavior is this! If people see this, how will we save face? Stop...stop right now!"

Li Ping'er wouldn't listen. Seeing his pretentious act only fueled her anger, and she thought to herself, "Keep pretending! Let's see how long you can keep up this act!"

Not only did she not stop, but she twisted her serpentine waist even more rapidly, tilting her face up so that her red lips almost touched his chin, breathing out hot breath, and adding more pressure in a low voice:

“My lord… kind sir… if you find this place inconvenient… I… I have a small, secluded building in the back… the bed curtains are freshly scented… I… I’ve just acquired a jar of fine Jinhua wine… and… and a few delicate side dishes…”

Her eyes sparkled, her allure was palpable, and her voice was even lower, laced with seduction: "...I...I'm wearing a light red gauze blouse under my jacket...it's brand new, made just the other day...it's so thin...it'll tear easily...it'll rip right off...don't you want to see it?..."

As she spoke, her cherry lips, exuding a sweet and moist breath, rushed towards the man like a bee that had found honey, without a care in the world! She didn't care about his neck or chin at all.
Those hot, wet, and lingering lips pressed directly onto the official's sharply defined chin, then haphazardly nibbled down his neck, leaving wet marks and saliva stains, and even—boldly—rubbed against his official badge, a symbol of his fifth-rank official status!

"This is official attire! Official attire!" The official was both amused and exasperated.

"Official uniform... um... official uniform, that's what I crave."

That wasn't all! Li Ping'er's red lips gripped the official's robe tightly, growing even more excited. Her two restless little hands, now seemingly out of their minds, frantically and haphazardly explored, rubbed, pinched, and twisted his hot, hard chest!

"Hiss—!" The official gasped. This woman was incredibly ruthless! The force with which she pinched and twisted him, driven by lust and savagery, actually caused him pain.

He tried to grab the hands that were causing trouble, but they were as slippery as eels. As soon as he managed to hold one down, the other would climb up and twist him hard in the chest!
"It hurts! It hurts!" The official grabbed Li Ping'er's two small hands and pushed her away. He wanted to straighten his back and scold her, but the woman's whole body was limp and heavy, hanging on him. Her rich body fragrance was mixed with her rapid breathing.

Hearing him cry out in pain, Li Ping'er not only didn't stop, but seemed encouraged and became even more energetic.

She tilted her face up, flushed with desire, her eyes brimming with naked possessiveness and triumph. She breathed heavily, her voice both seductive and fierce: "Pain?...My dear lord...this is already painful?...My heart...is filled with thoughts of you day and night...that's what you call needle pricks and oil-fried pain!"

"You've dodged me time and time again?... You've hidden yourself to the ends of the earth... Today I'll still... I'll knead you into my body!... Hmph... Let's see how hard you are... can you withstand my kneading!"

As he spoke, his wicked hands became even more vicious, pinching, twisting, and kneading his chest like dough, as if they really wanted to melt and crush this dignified Chief Censor, and swallow him whole!

The official saw that the lust in Li Ping'er's eyes was burning even more fiercely, as if she was about to pounce on him and devour him alive at any moment!

Thirty-six strategies, walking is the best strategy!
Suddenly, the official used a clever trick and finally broke free from Li Ping'er's warm and soft embrace!

He staggered back two steps, not even having time to straighten his crumpled official robe, which was stained with Li Ping'er's lipstick, nor did he care about the patch on his wet and dirty shirt. He felt that this place was like a dragon's den and a tiger's lair, and he could not stay there for even a moment longer!

"Just wait patiently for your Hua Zixu!" The official said this politely, then turned and ran away!

"Boom!"

Ximen Da Guanren's tall figure practically burst out of the hall and disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Li Ping'er was startled by his sudden break and escape, and almost fell over.

Once she had regained her footing, she could only see the man's back.

"You...you...!" Li Ping'er trembled with anger. Her previous fierce and persistent behavior, as well as her aggrieved confession, all turned into soaring rage and the shame and anger of being rejected!
She stomped her foot hard, with such force that it seemed she could stomp through the floor tiles!
"Run?!...You can run away, but you can't hide!...You can dodge the first day of the month, but you can't dodge the fifteenth!...I...I'm not finished with you!"

The official, like a frightened bird, disregarded all decorum and ran wildly out of that intoxicating and perilous haven of gentle pleasures.

Once he rushed out of the Hua family's gatehouse and plunged into the biting cold wind, he felt his heart, which had been pounding in his chest, finally settle down a little.

He abruptly stopped, panting heavily, his breath condensing into thick fog in the cold air.

Just now, his body, which had been aroused to the point of burning a charcoal temperature by Li Ping'er in the warm pavilion, was suddenly chilled by the sharp north wind. His hot sweat instantly turned icy cold, sticking stickily to his inner clothes, making him extremely uncomfortable!

He leaned against the cold, blue brick wall of the alley, tilted his head back, and let the biting wind blow straight into his collar, which Li Ping'er had just ripped open, trying to extinguish the still restless fire and heat in his heart.

But involuntarily, images of Li Ping'er's alluring face, her burning, clinging body, her seductive breaths, her cherry lips that recklessly nibbled at his chin and his shirt, and her mischievous little hands that pinched and kneaded his chest flashed through his mind...

What's even more devastating is her final, tearful, humble yet passionate confession!
"Hiss..." The official gasped, instinctively raising his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. He felt his throat was dry and tight, as if it were stuffed with sand.

Which man could resist that? Li Ping'er was already stunningly beautiful, and her fair skin was an absolute advantage. Against her radiant white skin, her blush and fragrant sweat were exceptionally alluring.

Add to that Li Ping'er's figure and appearance, that desire and that heartfelt, desperate clinginess... truly... truly no less than Jin Lian'er... even more so, possessing the delicate, aristocratic air cultivated by a lady of high society...

She's a real stunner!
The more he thought about Li Ping'er's exquisite porcelain-white face, the more he felt the embers of his passion rekindle. He quickly shook his head and vigorously rubbed his cheeks, which had become numb from the cold wind.

Just then, a few cold things quietly landed on his burning neck, making him shiver again.

Looking up, I saw that fine snowflakes were silently falling from the gray sky, fluttering down like sprinkled salt or flying catkins.

"Sigh..." Ximen Da Guanren looked at the early winter snow and sighed deeply and complicatedly.

He looked down at his wrinkled, tear-stained blue official robe, especially the insignia on his chest that symbolized the prestige of a fifth-rank official, which seemed to still retain the lingering scent of Li Ping'er's body.

He stood in the cold wind for quite a while until the biting chill completely suppressed the heat in his heart, making his hands and feet numb. Only then did his "fire" truly subside, and he was able to start walking again.

"Enough! Enough! Enough!" He stomped his slightly frozen feet, then carefully and deliberately straightened his black gauze hat, which had been rubbed askew by Li Ping'er, and smoothed out the wrinkles in his official robe before taking a step towards his own Ximen residence.

As soon as I arrived at the imposing black lacquered gate of the mansion, I saw many figures.

Several strong servants were carrying several heavy boxes to the sedan chair parked outside the door.

The steward, Ping An, dressed in a thick cotton robe and holding a list, was directing several servants: "Be careful! Check that fox fur cloak again, don't forget anything! Is the charcoal in the hand warmer full? The old lady can't wait to get cold!"

The official was taken aback. He had just returned from a thrilling "love affair," so why was his house making such a commotion, as if he was about to go on a long trip?
He frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Ping An! At this hour, and with snow falling, what's all this commotion about, carrying boxes and preparing sedan chairs? Who wants to go out?"

Ping An turned around and saw that it was her master returning. She quickly ran over, bowed, and replied with a smile on her face:
"Reporting to Uncle, it's the Qiao family! The Qiao family has a new daughter, and today is her third-day celebration. They've sent an invitation to our mistress to come and offer her congratulations! The mistress said that it's close by on this snowy day, and since it's in the courtyard diagonally across the street, we're practically old neighbors, so it wouldn't be right to refuse. She's just instructing the servants to prepare, and we'll be setting off now."

Upon hearing this, the official suddenly realized. "Master Qiao?"
Diagonally across from Qiao Hong, who runs a pawnshop business?
Oh, right, I heard a while ago that his wife was about to give birth.

The official nodded and waved, signaling Ping An to continue her work. He then stepped over the high threshold, leaving behind the commotion of the sedan chair being prepared outside, the swirling snowflakes, and even the passionate figure in the Hua family courtyard... all for the time being.

But in his heart, there seemed to be a lingering, indescribable heat from being caressed by that beauty, a faint unease stirring within him on this cold night of the first snow.

Meanwhile, at Tongchifang, the number one den of iniquity and gambling den in Qinghe County, the usual hustle and bustle and shouting of gambling were gone, leaving only a scene of devastation after the raid.

After receiving a reply from Eunuch Yang, Magistrate Xia released Eunuch Chen, who was in charge of the affairs.

At this moment, his fair, beardless, chubby face was clouded with gloom, so much so that it looked like black water could be wrung out.

Wrapped in a dark purple silk overcoat, with his hands behind his back, he paced anxiously in the ransacked hall.

A pair of narrow, triangular eyes, gleaming with a cold light, swept across the mess like knives:
The overturned gambling table, the smashed dice cup, the dominoes scattered all over the floor, the torn gambling chips, and the crooked display cabinet—the precious jade artifacts that were originally displayed inside had all vanished, leaving only some worthless shards of porcelain, gleaming pale under the lamplight.

"Get your hands and feet moving faster! You filthy wretch who haven't eaten!" Eunuch Chen scolded in a shrill voice.

He directed a dozen or so black-clad thugs employed by the gambling den, along with a few pale-faced, beardless, and timid young men, who were frantically tidying up the scattered belongings and utensils.

"That damned servant Dai'an of the Ximen family! That brat with his yellow hair still sticking out, his heart is blacker than the bottom of his mother's pot! He devoured everything like a locust plague! Our family's hard-earned savings... oh dear..."

He was heartbroken and kept gnashing his teeth, but he dared not shout or curse. He could only grind his teeth so hard they made a grinding sound, wishing he could chew up Dai'an and his master alive.

This raid has resulted in the loss of real gold and silver that were intended as tribute to Lord Yang! What if the hole is too big to be filled... Eunuch Chen dared not think too deeply about it, only feeling a chill run down his neck and his spine go limp.

Frustrated, he waved his hand dismissively, shooing away those around him like flies. Alone, with a somber face, he strode into a well-hidden secret room deep within the gambling den.

The entrance to this secret room is hidden behind a twelve-foot-tall portrait of Guan Yu reading the Spring and Autumn Annals at night.

With practiced ease, Eunuch Chen moved the portrait aside. His withered fingers pressed and pried at several uneven spots on the wall. With a soft "click," a loose brick popped open, revealing a dark, hidden compartment inside.

Chen Gonggong's heart pounded in his throat, and his hands trembled like autumn leaves in the wind as he tentatively reached inside to explore.

Only when his fingertips actually touched those cold, hard, and heavy objects did his heart, which had been hanging in his chest, finally fall back into his stomach with a "thump".

He held his breath and carefully took out the object—a gold ingot weighing a full eight hundred taels!

"Amitabha! Buddha has shown his power! This trump card of ours was finally saved from being taken by that scoundrel Dai'an!" Eunuch Chen let out a long, long sigh.

Just then, a low, anxious voice came from outside the door from Wang Xian, a trusted clerk: "Eunuch? I am Wang Xian. May I come in and report something? The number of casualties outside... I've roughly tallied it up..."

Eunuch Chen's eyes suddenly sharpened, but his hands moved with lightning speed, quickly stuffing the gold back into the hidden compartment, locking the mechanism with a "click," and straightening the portrait. Only then did he straighten his clothes and cuffs, barely managing to put on that sinister, in charge-like demeanor, and said in a deep voice, "Come in."

Wang Xian, the clerk, slipped in and closed the door tightly behind him, his thin face clouded with worry.

He leaned closer, his voice trembling as he lowered his voice: "Father-in-law, something terrible has happened! The inventory has been completed, and most of the cash and valuables in the vault are missing! The accounts show a shortfall of at least four or five thousand taels! How can we possibly explain this enormous hole to Master Yang?!"

As he spoke, cold sweat streamed down his forehead and temples.

The heart that had just been put at ease suddenly jumped into Chen's throat again, and his face turned even more ashen than the mulberry paper used to paste on the windows.

Wang Xian glanced at his face, which was as dark as the bottom of a pot, swallowed hard, and tentatively asked in a low voice, "Father-in-law... just now when you went inside... did you go to see... that 'ballast stone'?"

He dared not mention the gold directly, but instead pointed vaguely towards the hidden compartment with his finger.

With a gloomy face, Eunuch Chen grunted an "uh-huh" through his nostrils, which was taken as an admission.

Upon seeing this, Wang Xian's worried expression vanished, and he let out a long sigh of relief as if he had been granted a pardon.
"Thank goodness! Thank goodness! As long as we still have those eight hundred taels of 'hard goods,' we've managed to save our lives! If we can get a little bit of the principal that the shops downstairs were supposed to repay to the lenders, we can fill about seven or eight tenths of this hole! Father-in-law, don't you think that makes sense?"

He felt he had found a way out, and his tone became a little lighter. He figured that with the eight hundred taels of gold in front of him, Eunuch Yang's wrath would be greatly reduced. As for the remaining deficit, everyone would tighten their belts and rob Peter to pay Paul to get by.

Of course!
As Eunuch Chen listened to Wang Xian's plan to "save his life," two extremely sinister and vicious glints suddenly shot out from his long, narrow, triangular eyes!

He stared intently at Wang Xian's face, which was slightly more lively with relief, while his mind raced with a thousand thoughts:

With such heavy losses, Yang Gong was furious and someone had to take the blame for this huge mistake!

There's no escaping Yang Gong's punishment; they'll be accused of "incompetence" and "lax supervision," which could mean anything from being skinned alive to losing their heads... better to...

It's better to live one than to die two! Wang Xian was just a dog running errands for us; his death is no big deal!

Perfect! Let's pin this heinous crime of losing gold and embezzling on him! Let's say he was tempted by the money, took advantage of the chaos to steal the gold, and fled to avoid punishment! There will be no way to prove it!

If Yang Gong loses the gold, he will surely be furious and will only be casting a wide net to capture Wang Xian. He won't have the time to investigate the messy accounts here.
A wicked scheme instantly took shape in Eunuch Chen's mind, hissing like a venomous snake!
His face remained impassive, and he even forced a forced, more sinister smile—more like a grimace—from the corner of his mouth as he slowly nodded: "Hmm... what Clerk Wang said... is... somewhat reasonable..."

Before he finished speaking, his withered hand, hidden in the wide sleeves of his robe, made a very subtle gesture to the two trusted guards standing in the shadows by the door—pressing his thumb down hard and then pointing it towards Wang Xian!
Those two guards were both seasoned veterans brought out of the palace by Eunuch Chen. They were ruthless and had countless murder cases on their hands.

Upon seeing this death knell-like gesture, their eyes instantly turned like those of wolves starved for three winters, their ferocity fully revealed! Without the slightest hesitation, the two pounced on him silently, like two gusts of cold wind brushing the ground!

Wang Xian was still basking in the relief of having "gold to pay off his debts," completely unprepared for this bolt from the blue!
I felt a chilling wind behind my head, and then everything went black!
A large, iron-like hand had already covered his mouth and nose, almost crushing his facial bones! Another equally powerful arm, like a venomous python, tightened around his neck with lightning speed!
"Ugh! Ugh—!" Wang Xian was terrified, his eyes widening so much they almost popped out of their sockets! A desperate sob escaped his throat as he struggled and twisted with all his might!

He saw clearly the cruel, cold smile on Eunuch Chen's face, as if he were looking at a dead object, and instantly felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and understood everything!
He wanted to scream, to plead, to question, but the hand covering his mouth was like cast iron, and the arm choking his neck was like cast steel, tightening and tightening! Tighter and tighter!

Suffocation! Excruciating pain! The chilling reality of death gripped him instantly!
His legs thrashed wildly like a fish out of water, and his fingernails desperately dug into the iron arm that was tightening around his neck, scratching bloody marks into the guard's thick flesh. But it was like an ant trying to shake a tree, all in vain.

Eunuch Chen stood there coldly, like a wooden or clay sculpture, watching Wang Xian's face turn from a deep red to a purplish-red, then from purple to a terrifying ashen gray. His eyes bulged out, his tongue lolled out, and his body convulsed and twitched violently like a live fish thrown ashore.

In the entire secret room, only the increasingly faint and eerie "gurgling" sounds emanating from deep within Wang Xian's throat, and the rustling sound of his body desperately scraping against the ground, could be heard.

In the blink of an eye, Wang Xian's struggles grew weaker and weaker, until finally his body stiffened abruptly, and he fell silent, completely limp as mud. His bulging, bloodshot, dead fish eyes remained fixedly staring in the direction of Eunuch Chen.

The two guards released their grip, checked his breath and pulse, and gave Eunuch Chen a blank nod.

Only then did Eunuch Chen glance at Wang Xian's twisted and stiff corpse on the ground with extreme disgust, as if he were looking at a pile of stinking filth.

He slowly pulled a snow-white Hangzhou silk handkerchief from his sleeve and carefully wiped his well-maintained hands, which had just taken a life, as if to wipe away some unseen filth.

"Drag him out." His voice was flat and devoid of any human warmth. "Find a secluded, deserted wild riverbed, wrap him in a reed mat, weigh him down with a stone, and sink him cleanly and neatly, leaving no trace."

He paused, a sinister smile curving his lips, and added, "Once it's done, immediately dispatch a fast horse, traveling day and night, to report to Eunuch Yang's residence in Tokyo! Tell them... Tongchifang was raided and confiscated without cause by the Ximen Judicial Office, and all its assets were lost!"

"Wang Xian, the clerk in charge of the treasury, saw the large sum of money hidden in the treasury and, taking advantage of the chaos, suddenly became a thief. He stole eight hundred taels of gold that had been secretly hidden and fled in fear of punishment! I have implored the county government to issue an arrest warrant immediately, with a portrait and identification, and to ensure that this treacherous and wicked servant is brought to justice and the stolen money is recovered! We must find him alive or dead!"

"Yes!" The two guards responded in a muffled voice, like soulless puppets. They stepped forward and dragged Wang Xian's still-warm body out of the secret room that had just swallowed his life, as if dragging a sack of tattered chaff.

The door to the secret room creaked shut. Eunuch Chen stood alone in the dim light, gazing at the painting "Guan Yu Reading the Spring and Autumn Annals at Night" on the wall.

A complex expression appeared on Eunuch Chen's face as he murmured, "Wang Xian, Wang Xian... don't blame me for being ruthless... in this world that eats people alive... it's better for one to live than two to die... someone has to go down with them... you... just go and 'fly away' for me in peace..."

He immediately addressed the two guards in a deep voice:

"You two, listen carefully! Quickly take our family's name cards and go to the county government to report this crime! Tell them that our brothel has been robbed by an insider! Wang Xian, the treasury clerk, coveted wealth and stole eight hundred taels of gold from the treasury during the chaos, and his whereabouts are now unknown! We request that the county magistrate immediately issue a warrant for his arrest! We must find him alive or dead! We must recover the stolen gold to uphold the law and serve as a warning to others!"

He paused, his eyes flashing with even more ferocity, his voice low yet carrying a sinister, ruthless intent to eliminate any threat:
"Furthermore... since Wang Xian dared to commit such a heinous act, it's hard to say he didn't plan this all along! There must be accomplices in his home, or perhaps he's hiding stolen goods there!"

"You two, take this letter with you and immediately send it to the authorities in Jizhou. Request that they dispatch capable officers to arrest Wang Xian's father-in-law, wife Pan, and their accomplices! Interrogate them thoroughly and investigate the whereabouts of the gold! Confiscate the suspects and their property and send them to Qinghe County to compensate for Yang Gong's losses, and only then can we give an explanation to Yang Gong in Dongjing! Do you understand?!"

"Yes!" they both replied in unison.

(End of this chapter)