Chapter 17

Fan Lian had never experienced such humiliation in his life, his emaciated body trembling with anger. Throughout his business career, he had encountered all kinds of difficulties, but all of them were merely about money. For a successful businessman, anything that could be solved with money was not a big deal.

But today was different. The bastard in front of him wanted to take away his most beloved daughter, and make her a concubine for a sixty-year-old old man. Fan Lian felt as if a bundle of dry grass in his heart had been set on fire, the pungent smoke choking him, even clearing his nasal congestion caused by a cold.

He decided to confront the issue head-on. There was nothing to talk about with such a beast. But could he really afford to do so? Since ancient times, commoners have not dared to challenge officials, especially those from the Internal Affairs Department, which was closely tied to the imperial power and could not be offended.

As the saying goes, a prefect can ruin a family, and a county magistrate can destroy a clan. In the eyes of common people, a county magistrate is like a marquis, capable of killing people in countless invisible ways. As for the Internal Affairs Department? That was a direct line to the Forbidden City, where even a county magistrate like Liu would dare not breathe heavily in front of Second Master Lian.

They could accuse you of treason, banditry, tax evasion, or even sleeping with your head facing the Forbidden City, and sentence you to death. Some might even mobilize their troops to intercept and kill you on the road, with no one considering the law.

To expect the Qing government to protect the life of a Han Chinese, especially a Han Chinese merchant, was as unrealistic as hoping Hong Xiuquan would summon ghost soldiers from the underworld to seek revenge.

Fan Lian wanted to confront the issue but didn't dare to. The cautious nature of a businessman made him hesitant. Second Master Lian narrowed his eyes, feeling that he had already seen through this blind old man. He had seen many such merchants in his life, and when he forged a deed to force the owner of a grain and oil shop in the southern city to commit suicide, the old man's expression was exactly the same as Fan Lian's.

Second Master Lian recalled the old man who had held a small knife, wanting to fight but not daring to. It was truly laughable. Damn, if this were the early days of the Qing Dynasty, he could have simply run horses around your land, and if you dared to fart, he would exterminate your entire family. He would take over your family's assets and comfort your daughters, and you would still dare to hesitate?

This group of worthless scoundrels, they truly deserved to die. Second Master Lian gradually lost his patience, the jade ring on his finger spinning faster and faster, as if he were about to explode.

"You must be dreaming!" At that moment, a cold female voice came from behind the screen in the living room. Hu Niu walked out with a stern face, "Second Master Lian, right? I advise you to give up. If you want me to agree, the answer is 'no way.' You can carry my corpse into your home if you want..."

Hu Niu's sudden appearance shocked both Fan Lian and Second Master Lian. However, when Second Master Lian saw Hu Niu's youthful and vibrant face again, he forgot to be angry, his face full of lecherous smiles, even drooling.

With a slap, Fan Ru hit the table, unable to bear Second Master Lian's pig-like expression. If Hu Niu fell into the hands of such a beast, her fate would be even worse than her mother's.

"Second Master Lian! I'm sorry, but our small family cannot match your noble family. You should seek a virtuous wife and concubine elsewhere..." Fan Lian actually served tea to see him off, not even glancing at him.

Hu Niu left, and Fan Lian ignored him. This left Second Master Lian completely stunned. He never expected a lowly merchant to dare to show such disrespect. At that moment, he forgot his anger, feeling only disbelief.

Rejected, actually rejected? Second Master Lian laughed in anger, "Ha ha ha, Fan Lian, are you joking? You dare to defy the decision of the head of the Fan family? You want to rebel against your family? You don't want to do business anymore? You don't want to be a royal merchant anymore?"

"Ha ha ha, Fan Lian, I advise you to calm down. Isn't a concubine's daughter just a tool for maintaining family interests? What's the difference between them and goods? It's not like she's your legitimate daughter..."

"Get out!" Fan Lian roared, wanting to slap him hard, but the last bit of business acumen controlled his anger. "Get out... I repeat, Second Master Lian, I cannot match your noble family!"

With a loud bang, Second Master Lian kicked over the table, shattering the delicate white porcelain teacup. "Fine, fine, fine, Fan Lian, I'll give you one piece of advice: don't regret it..." He turned and left.

Fan Lian watched Second Master Lian leave, his body trembling with anger, his vision blurring. Hu Niu ran out from the back hall and quickly supported her father. "Father, don't be angry, we're not afraid of him. The Fan family is not to be bullied. If he dares to act recklessly, we'll go to the capital to file a complaint..."

Fan Lian shook his head. "Daughter, it's not as simple as you think... Where is Mr. Xiao? What did you say to Mr. Xiao last night? Tell me the truth, are you willing to entrust yourself to Mr. Xiao?"

Hu Niu's face turned red. Although everyone could see her feelings for Xiao Letian, being pointed out by her father was too much for her, even with her thick skin.

"Father..." Hu Niu hesitated, "Why bring him up?"

Just then, a shop assistant ran in and knelt down. "Boss, it's not good. A group of unknown people have suddenly appeared around our business, and we are surrounded... The clerks say they are soldiers from the Xiling Guard..."

With a sharp intake of breath, the father and daughter were stunned. "So fast? Is Second Master Lian already taking action? Is Yixian County his private domain?"

Now, around Guangde Business, every teahouse, hotel, and even street vendors were being watched by strong men, all of whom were Second Master Lian's subordinates. Their only purpose was to keep an eye on Fan Lian and Hu Niu, preventing them from escaping.

"Daughter, did Mr. Xiao tell you how to contact him last night? Does he have any other places to stay in Yixian County? Think hard..."

Hu Niu had never seen her father so anxious. In her memory, her father was like a mountain, always protecting her from danger. But today, he looked much older.

"He... he's a weak, pale-faced scholar, what can he do? What's the point of finding him?"

"Oh, my foolish daughter, who else can we rely on besides Mr. Xiao? Your uncle has already betrayed us, and although County Magistrate Liu has received our gifts, it's impossible for him to oppose Second Master Lian. This isn't Beijing, and none of our friends are here..."

"Mr. Xiao is not an ordinary person. He can write such groundbreaking books, he must be a celestial being. If he can't help us, then we'll just have to accept our fate..."

"What? Writing books..." Hu Niu didn't know about this, but under her father's urging, she finally said, blushing, "When Mr. Xiao and I parted last night, he told me that no matter what danger we face, we must not leave Guangde Business. He will find a way to save us..."

Fan Lian thought for a moment and then said to his kneeling confidant, "Go, bring the ten musketeers Mr. Xiao trained in the caravan. Tell them... secretly tell them that Mr. Xiao has given them orders..."

At the last moment, Fan Lian made up his mind. His family was unreliable, Qing officials were unreliable, and even his wealth was unreliable. As for whether Xiao Letian was reliable, the old shopkeeper couldn't be sure, but did he have a choice? Looking at his blushing daughter, could he make any other choice?

At this moment, Xiao Letian was eating a large bowl of beef noodles, the hot broth and large pieces of beef, along with the fresh scent of coriander and garlic, making him eat like a pig after a night of hunger.

This was the residence of Third Master Qing in Yixian County. Although the Qing family had fallen, they were still a branch of the prestigious Fuca family of the Bordered Yellow Banner, and even Second Master Lian had to treat Third Master Qing with respect, despite being his superior.

The reason was simple: the family of Empress Qianlong, the descendants of Fu Heng and Fu Kang'an, were considered a major family among the Manchu. Even Third Master Qing, a distant relative, had inherited the title of Fifth Rank Yunjiwei, an honorary title that still demonstrated his noble status.

Now, as he watched Xiao Letian eat in an unrefined manner and looked at the intriguing draft, he felt that this was not something Xiao Letian could write. In his imagination, a great Confucian scholar should have a long beard and a sage-like demeanor, not the shifty-eyed Xiao Letian.

"Can you eat a bit slower and more refined?"

"Cut it out, I spent the whole night running for my life and even got choked unconscious. I need to eat something warm to recover, or I'll be too heartbroken..."

Third Master Qing shook his head, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Xiao brother, you said you can recruit a band of fierce bandits. Is it true or false?"

"I know you have a lot of questions. If I don't give you a satisfactory answer, you won't let me go." Xiao