Chapter 2

Listening to Lu Zheng's words, Qiulan became tense immediately. She looked at Ye Yu with unease, her hands, twisted together due to nervousness, had turned pale.

"Master Lu, you can't afford it!" Ye Yu's left eyebrow twitched slightly as he mocked Lu Zheng.

"Boastful! My father is the magistrate of this county. Whatever Master wants, everyone in Qingliu County will offer it with both hands. How could I not afford a mere servant girl by your side?"

The arrogance of the servant made Ye Yu displeased. However, what surprised him was that the Lu Zheng before him was the son of Magistrate Lu Kun. Ye Yu then became serious and said to Lu Zheng, "That's true. Qiulan is not a commodity but a close relative of mine. How can we talk about valuation? Even if mountains of gold and silver were placed before me, I would not change my mind!"

His words were firm and resolute, making Qiulan's eyes moisten. The words 'close relative' made her feel that all her past hardships were worth it.

Lu Zheng did not expect Ye Yu to be so resolute, leaving no room for negotiation. He asked coldly, "Hmph! It seems you are determined not to part with her?"

"Impossible!"

"You are really ungrateful, boy! Master, let me teach this blind fool a lesson!" The servant rolled up his sleeves, ready to step forward and teach Ye Yu a lesson for Lu Zheng.

This time, Ye Yu did not remain silent but sternly said, "What? Entering a private residence without the owner's permission is already a violation of Song law! Now you want to take by force, Master Lu. Since your father is the magistrate, you must know the consequences of breaking the law..."

"I don't need your reminder!" Lu Zheng's eyes narrowed, revealing a cold light, and he waved his hand, signaling Lu San to step aside.

"Although I have lived in this county for a short time, I have heard that County Lieutenant Liu is a fair and just official..."

Ye Yu always spoke to the point. It was no secret that the County Lieutenant and the Magistrate had different political views.

Magistrate Lu Kun was greedy and skilled at amassing wealth, while County Lieutenant Liu Yuanshan was the opposite. As the County Lieutenant in charge of the county's security, he was known for his fairness and had a good reputation among the people.

At this moment, Ye Yu mentioned Liu Yuanshan to remind Lu Zheng not to act recklessly.

Indeed, when Lu Zheng heard Liu Yuanshan's name, his expression became strange, as if he had swallowed a fly. It was clear that this young master often faced obstacles due to Liu Yuanshan.

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Zheng huffed and then instructed Lu San, "Bring me my jade qilin!"

Lu San did not dare to delay and quickly took a green silk-wrapped object from his bag, respectfully handing it to Lu Zheng.

Ye Yu did not know what Lu Zheng was up to, so he looked at Qiulan for guidance. However, Qiulan was also puzzled and did not know the reason. Although Ye Yu did not understand Lu Zheng's intentions, he could sense that Lu Zheng was not someone who would easily give up.

Indeed, after receiving the green silk-wrapped object, Lu Zheng said to Ye Yu, "My father's birthday is coming up, and this jade qilin was the gift I chose. However, it was broken by your servant girl on the way to Yong'an Street. How should we resolve this, Ye Yu?"

"You! You're lying! It was clearly you who deliberately got close... Besides, I didn't break your jade qilin!" Qiulan was both embarrassed and angry, her face flushed as she argued.

Although Ye Yu could not determine the truth of Lu Zheng's words, seeing Lu Zheng's sinister expression, he realized that Lu Zheng was intentionally making things difficult. He then asked sternly, "Can I see the jade qilin?"

Lu Zheng did not refuse Ye Yu's request and handed him the green silk-wrapped object. When Ye Yu gently opened the wrapping, a jade qilin the size of a child's fist glowed green in his palm, indeed a high-quality piece.

However, as Lu Zheng had said, the jade qilin was indeed broken. The cracks and damage were all recent.

"Master, he is framing..."

"Master Lu, how do you propose we resolve this?" Ye Yu's face was dark, ignoring Qiulan's explanation, and he glared at Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng looked around the dilapidated courtyard and then sneered, "Two options! The first is compensation. This jade qilin is worth 200 guan! Can you afford it?"

"What is the second option?"

After a long silence, Ye Yu wanted to know what Lu Zheng's next move would be. 200 guan was a large sum, and he could not afford it in his current situation.

"The second option is to prepare a banquet to apologize. If you do so, I will be magnanimous and not pursue the matter of the broken jade qilin!"

Is it that simple? Ye Yu did not believe that Lu Zheng would be so magnanimous. He then asked sternly, "Let's hear it!"

Lu Zheng smiled sinisterly and continued, "The apology banquet should not be too meager. By noon tomorrow, there should be 100 bowls of wine and 99 dishes! And these 99 dishes must include birds from the sky, beasts from the land, and creatures from the water... Only then will it show sincerity! If you cannot meet either of these options, don't blame me for not giving you a chance, and I will use your servant girl as collateral!"

"Master, he is deliberately making things difficult!" Qiulan did not expect Lu Zheng to set such a difficult task. For ordinary people, this was not giving them a chance but forcing them into a corner.

Ye Yu was also shocked by Lu Zheng's demands. These two options were no options at all for him. Lu Zheng's true intention was clearly to get Qiulan.

At this moment, Ye Yu fell into deep thought, needing to consider how to deal with this difficult situation.

Just as Lu Zheng was becoming impatient and about to urge Ye Yu, Ye Yu suddenly looked up, his worried expression gone, and asked Lu Zheng seriously, "Master Lu, are you serious about this?"

"Of course!"

"Then fine! Let's put it in writing! If I prepare the apology banquet on time, this matter will never be pursued. Otherwise, it will be as you wish!" Ye Yu raised his voice and then picked up the brush on the stone table to write the agreement.

Ye Yu's confident actions made Lu Zheng's heart skip a beat. Lu Zheng had thought that using compensation as a threat would make Ye Yu give in, but he did not expect Ye Yu to make such a choice.

At this moment, he did not understand where Ye Yu's confidence came from, given his impoverished circumstances.

While Lu Zheng was pondering, Ye Yu had already written two copies of the agreement and then smiled at Lu Zheng, "Master Lu, please!"

"Hmph! I want to see how you will resolve this!" Lu Zheng signed both copies of the agreement.

"Since that's the case, Master Lu, please leave. You are welcome to come to my humble abode for the banquet at noon tomorrow!" Ye Yu blew on the ink to dry it and then put one copy in his sleeve, dismissing Lu Zheng and his servant.

As the son of the magistrate, Lu Zheng was used to being treated with respect in Qingliu County. He had never been spoken to so coldly before.

"Hmph! Let's go!" He closed his fan and left with a flick of his sleeve.

After leaving the residence, Lu San, who followed behind, grumbled, "Master, why not let me teach that boy a lesson and help you vent your anger?"

Lu Zheng's anger flared at these words, and he kicked Lu San hard, "Do you think I don't want to teach that despicable Ye Yu a lesson? Didn't you hear him mention Liu Yuanshan?"

At this point, Lu Zheng clenched his teeth in anger, "Since Liu Yuanshan became the County Lieutenant, I have never been able to act freely. Liu Yuanshan opposes us at every turn. If I don't restrain myself, won't he find a way to catch me?"

Lu San, who had been kicked by Lu Zheng, stumbled and quickly agreed, then suggested flatteringly, "I can see that Master is very fond of that servant girl. Why not... tonight..."

"Are you an idiot? That would clearly raise suspicion. Besides, that Ye Yu is not someone to be underestimated!" Lu Zheng was extremely disappointed by the servant's suggestion.

He then took out the agreement, still wet with ink, and smiled confidently, "I want to see how that Ye Yu will manage! He boasted that he wouldn't trade Qiulan for mountains of gold and silver. Since he won't give in, I will make him bankrupt!"

"Why not directly demand compensation to force that Ye Yu to comply?"

"Hmph! Do you not know how the jade qilin was broken? If that boy panics and disputes the matter, it will end up in court. If everyone finds out that I framed him for a servant girl, it would damage my reputation."

He put the agreement in his sleeve and continued confidently, "Now that this boy has signed the agreement with me, when the time comes..."

"When the time comes, if that Ye Yu fails to prepare the banquet, Master can have the girl!" Lu San chuckled and flattered.

Lu Zheng smiled smugly, "You finally said something right! Investigate the backgrounds of this master and servant. Also, send a few people to keep an eye on them and report any unusual activities!"

"Master is wise!"

...

At the same time, in the courtyard, Qiulan stood like a child who had done something wrong, her head lowered and her face flushed with guilt. She knew that if it weren't for her, her master would not have been put in such a difficult situation.

Seeing Qiulan's state, Ye Yu couldn't help but laugh, "You silly girl, you rarely go to Yong'an Street! This time, you met a lecher!"

Yong'an Street was the most bustling market in the county. In Ye Yu's view, it was Qiulan's feminine nature that led her to Yong'an Street. Women generally love shopping, a fact that has remained unchanged for thousands of years.

"Master, I'm sorry..." Ye Yu's words made her already flushed face even redder, her voice barely audible.

"No worries, if it's not a problem, it's not a problem. I know the jade qilin was not broken by you!"

However, at this point, Ye Yu calmly said to Qiulan, "Even if it were your fault, I wouldn't blame you! Don't talk about a piece of jade qilin. Even if it were the imperial seal of the Song Dynasty, so what if it's broken?"

Ye Yu's sincere words moved Qiulan. After a long time, her trembling body finally calmed down.

Finally, she bit her lower lip and said worriedly, "But the banquet that Master Lu demands is something we cannot afford. This matter is all because of me, Master..."

"Say no more. Since I have agreed to this, I will find a way to deal with it! That Lu Zheng is a playboy; I won't let you fall into his clutches!" Ye Yu said, comforting her while tidying up his drawings.