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

Chapter 93 The Official Unleashes His Power

She gasped for breath, her eyes filled with sorrow, "Only by clinging to you, my lord, this mighty pillar, can this rootless duckweed of mine survive! Only then can I have any semblance of humanity!"

"My lord, you are my heaven and my earth! Whether I am adorned in gold and silver or rot in the mud, whether I am a superior being or ridden and oppressed by thousands, it all depends on your decision!" She spoke quickly and urgently, each word striking the ground. "I have staked my life, my fortune, and even my shame on you, my lord. I am even willing to be your servant. I ask you, who would want a servant who has betrayed her master?"

A smile that was almost tragic appeared on her face. "My lord, you say... how could I possibly dig my own grave! Wouldn't that be... wouldn't that be even more stupid than a pig or a dog?"

After she finished speaking, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength, and collapsed softly at Ximen Qing's feet, with only her shoulders still twitching violently, emitting suppressed sobs like the mournful cries of a young animal.

Her carefully chosen peach-pink silk jacket and emerald green skirt were now covered in dust and tear stains, crumpled beyond recognition, just like her body and soul at that moment.

Ximen Da Guanren looked down at the woman at his feet, who was like a lump of mud, and listened to her tearful confession.

Slowly bending down and extending his fingers, he used the cold back of his fingers to very lightly lift Li Guijie's filthy chin.

Under the moonlight, her face, covered in colorful smears, possessed a poignant beauty.

Her appearance when she cried was completely different from Xiangling's.

Xiangling's weeping was a result of numbness born of a lost soul, a conditioned acceptance of fate that rendered even pain dull and lifeless. Her tears were merely a way of proving she was still alive, yet she knew not why she lived, nor how to survive, like a fish waiting to be slaughtered on a chopping board, even her struggles tinged with a resigned dullness. Only after entering the Ximen mansion did a glimmer of light gradually appear.

But the scene of Li Guijie crying before my eyes was completely different!
Her tears were like boiling oil! Every drop that hit the dust seemed to burn a hole in it! Her cries were sobs, suppressed howls deep in her throat! There was no blank, resigned look in Xiangling's eyes, only a burning, almost frantic will to survive! It wasn't the weeping of someone waiting for pity or charity, but a desperate struggle to carve a bloody path out of this quagmire, using her tears, her innocence, her body, everything as weapons, as bargaining chips, as a pledge of allegiance!
"Wait!" The official left with those words, instantly giving Gui Jie a glimmer of hope.

Just as I was thinking about how to build up my reputation, someone came knocking on my door.

With the Jin army's attack imminent, if I want to play a role, having an official position is not enough; I also need prestige to shed my identity as a merchant.

Wang Zhaoxuan is a perfect stepping stone to fame.

With him, his status as a merchant would be enhanced by the aura of a hereditary third-rank official.

Ximen returned to the banquet.

Earl Ying laughed and said, "As expected of our own brother, even relieving yourself takes longer than usual. You shall be punished with three more cups."

The official sneered and recounted the sordid affair between Li Jiao'er and Wang Sanguan at the banquet. Before he finished speaking, Ying Bojue slammed his wine cup on the table, sending it flying and spilling wine across half the table. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he cursed, "Damn it! What kind of scoundrel is Wang Sanguan? He's just a rich kid who's got a title because his father's still alive! He's barely grown his hair yet, but he's already acting like a 'prostitute'? Daring to mess with us brothers, trying to bully us? He's really asking for trouble!"

Chang Shijie slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his face red and neck thick, shouting, "Exactly! That scoundrel is just a 'golden pillow on the outside, but a bag of chaff on the inside,' relying on his family's influence! He usually acts like a big shot in the brothel, but today he's run into our hands. We'll teach him a lesson he won't forget!"

Xie Xida, Sun Guazui, Zhu Rinian, and others added fuel to the fire, emboldened by their drunkenness, spewing vulgarities and cursing Wang Sanguan's ancestors for generations. One said he was "like a rabbit's tail—it won't last long," another called him "a toad trying to eat swan meat," and still others used the most offensive and vulgar language, comparing Wang Sanguan to a prostitute's offspring, a bastard worse than a pig or a dog.

Ying Bojue rolled up his sleeves, revealing half of his thick, dark arm, and roared, "Brother! How can you swallow this insult? Today, we brothers will avenge you! Let's go find that bastard! We'll beat him to a pulp, let him know that the land of Qinghe County is made of iron, and we'll write our names 'Ying the Beggar' backwards!"

The crowd roared in agreement, each one rubbing their hands together, their eyes gleaming with ferocity, their breath reeking of alcohol and filled with hostility, like a flood of ferocious beasts unleashed, all staring at Ximen Qing.

The official smiled slightly and shook his head first: "After all, she is the wife of a prince. Although Wang Zhaoxuan is dead, he has inherited the title of military officer and has a mother who is a third-rank noblewoman. Come here and listen to me!"

A group of people craned their necks to listen and nodded.

After Ximen Qing finished speaking, he nodded and smiled, "Then I'd like to thank you all brothers for helping me smooth things over."

A group of drunken thugs, fueled by the smell of alcohol, howled and shouted, ignoring the mess at the banquet. Led by Ying Bojue, they made a ruckus and rushed towards the main house in the backyard where Li Jiao'er was.

Meanwhile, Wang Sanguan, relying on his family background, was living a life of luxury in the brothel. Today, he was drinking and flirting with Li Jiao'er.

With one foot propped on the embroidered stool and the other arm around Li Jiao'er's fragrant shoulder, he squinted his drunken eyes and boasted, spitting as he spoke:

"...Jiao'er, don't be afraid of Ximen Qing! What is he? He's just a nouveau riche who runs a herbal medicine shop, and he runs rampant in the county because he has a few stinking coins. My ancestors were genuine princes! Even Ximen Qing would have to stay far away from the roadside when he sees my sedan chair!"

“What future do you have if you follow him? You’ll just be a prostitute! If you follow me, after a while, I’ll beg my mother to promote you to be a concubine, so you can wear gold and silver. Wouldn’t that be better than being a giggler in this brothel? That Ximen Qing… Humph! He can’t compare to me…” As he spoke, his dirty hand reached into Li Jiao’er’s bosom.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside, with a cacophony of voices and footsteps, as if heavenly soldiers had arrived. Just as they were wondering what was happening, the door slammed open with a loud crash, half of it smashed open by Ying Bojue's burly body! Immediately afterward, Xie Xida, Sun Guazui, Zhu Rinian, Chang Shijie, and their gang rushed in like wolves, instantly filling the small room to capacity.

Wang Sanguan looked up and recognized them as the notorious hangers-on and troublemakers of Qinghe County. Seeing their flushed faces and murderous glints in their eyes, he knew something was wrong. His nerves nearly left his body; his former airs of a young master vanished completely. He hurriedly pushed Li Jiao'er aside, stood up, his legs already trembling, and managed to stammer, "You...who are you? How dare you...how dare you trespass into my room..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ying Bojue had already stepped forward and delivered a punch right to Wang Sanguan's nose, cursing, "You dare barge into my room! Do you even know your ancestor Ying?!" The punch was quite powerful, and Wang Sanguan cried out in pain, blood streaming from his nose, seeing stars, and immediately fell backward.

(End of this chapter)