Chapter 7

The night was as dark as ink.

In the desolate outskirts of Ye City, there stood an old temple.

The flickering torchlight illuminated the calm and composed young face.

Footsteps sounded outside the temple, and Yuan Fang's eyebrows furrowed as he subconsciously gripped the sword at his waist.

A moment later, his trusted servant Yuan Gui entered the temple with seven or eight masked men, carrying a sack.

Only then did Yuan Fang loosen his grip on the sword.

The men threw the sack to the ground, and muffled sounds came from inside as the contents writhed and struggled.

"Did everything go smoothly?" Yuan Fang asked.

Yuan Gui smiled and said, "I followed him out of the mansion and into an alley. I gave him a good whack and stuffed him into the sack. No one noticed."

"Nicely done." Yuan Fang nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand.

Yuan Gui instructed his men to stand guard outside, then drew his dagger and cut open the sack.

A middle-aged man, bound and gagged, appeared before them.

Yuan Gui removed the gag, and the man immediately shouted, "You dare to do this? I am the steward of the Chariot General's mansion! You dare to bind me, you dogs—"

Before he could finish, Yuan Fang kicked him in the face.

The man's mouth was full of dirt, and he was both shocked and angry. He was about to curse again when he saw Yuan Fang, and he froze.

"Second... Second Young Master! Why is it you?"

Yuan Fang's gaze was like a blade as he said coldly, "Steward Zhao, here there is no one to protect you. I advise you to restrain your arrogance and not bring suffering upon yourself."

The man before him was indeed the steward of the Yuan family.

The Yuan family had two stewards: Steward Zhao and Steward Zhou.

Steward Zhao was a confidant of Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi, while Steward Zhou was a confidant of Yuan Shao's second wife, Lady Liu, and Yuan Shang.

If the Zhen family really intended to send money to Yuan Xi, to avoid suspicion, Yuan Xi would certainly have Steward Zhao receive it outside the city and transport it to his private residence.

Yuan Fang had brought this Zhao here to interrogate him about the matter and to take revenge.

"Why is Second Young Master doing this? Why did you bind this old servant and bring him here?"

Steward Zhao, having seen the world, quickly regained his composure after the initial shock and glared at Yuan Fang, demanding an answer.

"Why?"

Yuan Fang's gaze was like a blade, and his killing intent surged. "That day in the hall, you, under Yuan Xi's orders, deliberately did not set a seat for me, making me lose face in front of everyone. You still dare to ask why?"

Steward Zhao was stunned for a moment, then realized Yuan Fang's intentions. Not only was he not afraid, but his arrogance grew even more.

He sneered and said, "So it's about that. I apologize to Second Young Master. If you let me go, we'll call it even, and I won't hold it against you."

Zhao's tone was extremely arrogant, daring to say he wouldn't hold it against Yuan Fang.

Yuan Fang's brows furrowed, and he shouted, "Yuan Gui, give this arrogant dog twenty lashes."

Yuan Gui, following the order, kicked Steward Zhao to the ground and raised his stick to strike.

Steward Zhao was shocked. He never expected that the usually weak Second Young Master would become so bold, not only daring to secretly bind him but also to use private punishment.

"Yuan Fang, you have a lot of nerve! I warn you, if you dare to touch me, I'll make you pay!"

Steward Zhao remained arrogant, warning Yuan Fang. Even at this moment, he still didn't believe Yuan Fang would dare to harm him.

"Arrogant dog, you still dare to be so insolent. Yuan Gui, give him thirty lashes." In his anger, Yuan Fang added ten more.

Yuan Gui wasted no time, and the stick came down on Steward Zhao's buttocks.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

After a few lashes, Steward Zhao was in excruciating pain, howling, "Yuan Fang, I am a servant of two generations of the Yuan family. If you dare to hit me, not only will the First and Third Young Masters, but even Lord Yuan will not forgive you, ah—"

Yuan Fang stood with his hands behind his back, watching the spectacle of the dog being beaten, waiting to see how long he could endure.

In a moment, after a dozen lashes, Steward Zhao's buttocks were torn and bleeding, and he was in such pain that he could barely spit.

"Second Young Master, spare me! Let's talk this out. I was wrong, Second Young Master, spare me!"

Steward Zhao's arrogance finally gave way to the pain, and he begged for mercy.

Yuan Fang was unmoved. If it weren't for Zhao's potential usefulness, he would have beaten him to death on the spot.

Finally, the thirty lashes were over.

Steward Zhao was beaten to a pulp, wailing and crying, a far cry from his earlier arrogance.

"Zhao, I have a few questions for you. Answer honestly, and I might spare your life. If you lie, next year will be your anniversary."

Yuan Fang's voice was stern, his eyes filled with a fierce killing intent.

"Second Young Master, ask anything. I will answer honestly." Steward Zhao, terrified, bowed and agreed.

Yuan Fang's killing intent subsided, and he asked, "Is it true that the Zhen family is secretly sending one million coins to Yuan Xi, to be delivered to Ye City tomorrow?"

Steward Zhao was stunned, looking at Yuan Fang in shock. Clearly, Yuan Fang had hit the mark, but he was surprised how such a secret could be known.

"Yes... Yes, it is true." Steward Zhao, unable to hide it, confessed.

Indeed, it was true.

Yuan Fang was now certain that the contents of the secret letter were true, and that someone in the Zhen family was secretly helping him.

"Who could it be?"

Yuan Fang's thoughts raced, and suddenly, the image of the servant girl dressed as a boy from that day came to mind.

That day, she had been roughly pushed by Yuan Xi. If he hadn't intervened, she would have fallen down the stairs.

Could it be that she hated Yuan Xi and was grateful to him, so she secretly informed him?

Yuan Fang thought about it but couldn't be sure. However, he was certain that the Zhen family's support for Yuan Xi was real.

"Hmph, Yuan Xi, you withhold my pay, but secretly accept the Zhen family's bribes. I will take this ill-gotten wealth..."

A cold smile appeared on Yuan Fang's lips, and he had a plan.

Swish!

The long sword was drawn, the sharp blade pressed against Steward Zhao's neck.

"Zhao, I now order you to cooperate with me. If you dare to disobey, I will take your head."

Yuan Fang's eyes burned with killing intent.

Steward Zhao was terrified, and he dared not disobey, quickly agreeing with a servile attitude.

...

The next day, on the northern outskirts of Ye City.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the road was still empty of travelers.

Yuan Fang, with Yuan Gui and seven or eight trusted men, stood on the road, waiting quietly.

Steward Zhao, pale and trembling, sat on his horse, looking miserable.

Soon, a convoy of carriages appeared at the end of the road, escorted by about twenty armed men, slowly approaching.

The young man leading the group, dressed in fine clothes, was Zhen Yao, the eldest son of the Zhen family.

"Steward Zhao is indeed punctual." Zhen Yao recognized Steward Zhao from a distance and greeted him with a smile.

Yuan Fang, hiding behind Steward Zhao, said in a low voice, "Zhao, play your part well. If you make a single mistake, I will take your life."

With his hands bound, a sword at his back, and his horse controlled, Steward Zhao dared not disobey.

He took a deep breath, forced a smile, and said, "Lord Zhen is so generous, giving us so much military pay. My young master is deeply grateful and would never be late."

The sky was still dark, and Yuan Fang and his men were disguised as servants of the Yuan family. Zhen Yao, an outsider, couldn't see through the ruse.

He confidently handed over the carriages filled with coins.

Steward Zhao thanked him repeatedly on behalf of Yuan Xi, playing his part well.

Zhen Yao smiled and said, "Third Young Master is too kind. Father wants to help you capture Bing Province and defeat that scoundrel Yuan Fang. Only then will he give my sister, Mi, to you in marriage. We are already family, so there's no need to be so formal."

Mi?

Yuan Fang's heart shook. He thought, "Could it be that the Zhen family's daughter is named Zhen Mi, the famous beauty of history?"

In fact, if he hadn't been so focused on escaping the Yuan family, he would have realized long ago that the Zhen family's daughter was the famous beauty, Zhen Mi.

If he hadn't appeared, according to history, Zhen Mi would have married Yuan Xi and become a daughter-in-law of the Yuan family. Later, when the Yuan family fell, she would have been forcibly married to Cao Pi.

Now, reminded by Zhen Yao, Yuan Fang realized that the woman he was competing with Yuan Xi for was Zhen Mi.

"Hmph, a man does not lack for wives. What I do is not for a mere woman. However, Yuan Xi, a useless man, can't even protect his own woman. It would be a waste for a remarkable woman like Zhen Mi to marry such a man. I will do a good deed by taking this money."

Zhen Yao praised Yuan Xi and mocked Yuan Fang, then turned and left with his men.

Looking at the carriages filled with one million coins and the retreating Zhen Yao, who thought he had completed his task and looked down on him, Yuan Fang felt a sense of satisfaction.

"I will take this million coins. I wonder what expressions Yuan Xi and Zhen Yi will have when they discover the money is gone, hahaha—"

With a mad laugh, Yuan Fang spurred his horse and rode away with the vast fortune.

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