Chapter 10

Gao Fangping was taken aback, stopping in his tracks to turn and look at her.

Gao Fangping didn't read much poetry, but he had heard of Li Qingzhao's name. After observing for a long time, he murmured, "Only you deserve such a name."

Li Qingzhao, who had originally planned to tease this unscrupulous and incompetent Li Qingzhao, was taken aback. She vaguely felt that this guy didn't match his reputation as a playboy, and the difference seemed quite significant.

"Names are used to match people, not the other way around," Li Qingzhao said, with a hint of testing.

Gao Fangping spread his hands, "Overall, I am uneducated and unskilled. I just heard your name before I met you. So I said it like that. It might be inappropriate, but there's no need to fuss over the details."

Li Qingzhao was taken aback, then smiled, "You seem crude and frivolous, but your behavior is unexpectedly clever and unconventional. Those who don't fuss over details might lack literary talent but have a grand vision. You are indeed the son of a military family. Perhaps you are really uneducated, but knowing your own ignorance is a form of knowledge."

After saying this, she bowed in a manly manner, "I wonder if my words have reached your ears?"

"Too good, I like it," Gao Fangping blinked, "I said I like you, I wonder if you'll hit me?"

Rustle—

All of Fu An's lackeys fell to the ground, almost wetting their pants. They all felt that following the young master was too dangerous. Was it really a good idea to tease the current prime minister's daughter-in-law on the street?

Li Qingzhao, however, laughed heartily, and after a while said, "You are indeed clever and unconventional, but your frivolous and dissolute appearance is just a facade. The world has misjudged you. Your dissolute appearance is just a surface, but I know that the real you hides great wisdom in your seemingly foolish behavior. You are grand and direct, rough but not vulgar. Young Master, is my evaluation of you appropriate?"

Gao Fangping frowned, feeling as if he had been stripped bare on the street.

His corrupt father had long said that the officials in the court only wanted to see the dissolute Gao family, not the talented Gao family. But interestingly, he was seen through by this talented woman who understood him?

Zhao Mingcheng frowned, "My lady, have you praised him too much?"

"Don't be jealous, Xiao Zhao. You're not stupid, but it's not very useful. In terms of intelligence, you are far behind your wife," Gao Fangping put on a dissolute appearance and chatted with Zhao Mingcheng.

Zhao Mingcheng frowned deeply, "Is this kid crazy? Was his head kicked by a donkey last night?"

"What! You want to kick my head with a donkey? My father ordered that anyone who touches my head will be beheaded. Don't you know?"

"Who can he behead? Can he behead my father?" Zhao Mingcheng was furious, feeling that the Gao family father and son were just rats, extremely hateful.

"Okay, I was wrong... I thought your father was my father's subordinate, but I was mistaken. Sorry?" Gao Fangping looked embarrassed.

Zhao Mingcheng almost fainted, unable to find a way to scold this playboy who was full of flaws and roughness.

"Never mind, my husband. Gao Brother is not as annoying as I imagined. Why be angry? Lack of tolerance means lack of vision," Li Qingzhao suddenly spoke up.

"But this scoundrel teased me on the street and declared his love for you. How can I be tolerant of that?" Zhao Mingcheng stomped his foot.

Li Qingzhao leaned in, "My husband, don't say that. If he didn't declare his love, he wouldn't be him. Besides, isn't Li Qingzhao lovable? He just said a few words, he didn't do anything. Look at the expressions of the people on the street. They are used to Gao Brother's dissolute behavior but not to your pettiness. This time, Gao Brother has won the popularity, while you have lost in terms of wisdom and tolerance. I made a mistake. Let's go."

Zhao Mingcheng glanced at the people on the street and found it to be true. He sighed, politely bowed to Gao Fangping, and left with his wife.

Before entering the ox cart, Li Qingzhao glanced back at Gao Fangping, and her clear figure disappeared into the cart. The cart slowly vanished at the end of the long street.

"Young Master is mighty! Mighty and wise!"

Fu An and the other lackeys were really in tears, thinking that such a domineering young master only appeared once in a thousand years.

Some of the people on the street also joined in, "Young Master is mighty, as long as you don't bully us, you are mighty!"

Gao Fangping laughed, walked to the center, and bowed, "Thank you, neighbors. But have you paid the protection fee?"

Hearing this, some people packed up their stalls and fled, as if they had seen the city management.

Fu An pointed and cursed, "You ran fast this time, but don't let me see you here next time."

The others who didn't run looked at Gao Fangping awkwardly, thinking, what kind of protection fee, trying to rob the poor again.

A young woman selling beans approached timidly, "Young Master?"

Gao Fangping waved his hand, and a lackey grabbed a chair from the street, wiped off the dust, and served the young master.

Gao Fangping held a fan and said in a refined manner, "What do you want?"

The young woman selling beans said, "I don't know what the protection fee is. Is it expensive?"

"Based on your turnover, it's voluntary. After paying the protection fee, your safety is my responsibility. If someone bullies you, Fu An will beat them. If you bully others, Fu An will still beat them. How does that sound?" Gao Fangping said seriously.

Fu An felt very honored, walked forward, rolled up his sleeves, and flexed his muscles, showing off his tattoos.

"Great!" Seeing his imposing appearance, the neighbors clapped and cheered.

Gao Fangping stood up and slapped Fu An on the head, "If you want to show off, change your position. You're blocking my view. You're not even a good lackey."

Fu An covered his head and retreated.

"How much is the protection fee?" the young woman selling beans asked curiously.

"Two percent. That means if you sell a hundred, you give me two coins," Gao Fangping chuckled.

So cheap?

The young woman was taken aback. This way, she only needed to give the young master one coin a day. She paid one coin without hesitation, "Can I really get protection? There are too many hooligans in Tokyo, at least three to five groups come to harass me every day. Just the beans they eat without paying cost me more than ten coins."

Gao Fangping was furious, "They dare to cause trouble on my turf. Tell me who they are quickly."

The young woman hesitated for a moment, then bravely looked at the street entrance.

There, a group of idle men, also tattooed but not as imposing as Fu An, were squatting.

"Beat them up like a lion rolling a ball!"

Fu An had long wanted to fight. He couldn't fight this one, and he couldn't fight that one, but fighting hooligans was just right for practice.

He rushed over, and a battle between the lackeys and the hooligans ensued, causing a commotion.

If Fu An were sent to the Western Army to fight the barbarians, he would definitely be a deserter. But in Bianjing, fighting for territory with hooligans, he would probably be better than most.

The hooligans were quickly beaten to a pulp, with bruised faces and noses, and were all caught and made to kneel.

"Young Master, you can't set up a private court. Even if they are wrong, they should be handed over to the Kaifeng Prefecture. Don't beat them anymore, we can't take it," a hooligan said with a crying face.

Fu An gave him a hard slap on the back of the head, "Private court? My Young Master is the court. What if I beat you to death on the street? You old rascals, the Kaifeng Prefecture can't do anything to you, but my Young Master is the law. The rule on this street is to pay for what you buy. Have you seen my Young Master eat beans without paying? How many heads do you have to eat without paying?"

"Yes, yes, we know we were wrong," the hooligans said meekly, not afraid of the Kaifeng Prefecture, but afraid of encountering a more ruthless person.

"If you dare to cause trouble here again, I'll chop off your legs. Get lost!"

Fu An gave them a few more hard slaps on the head and chased them away. Finally, he had the chance to hit someone on the back of the head.

"Young Master is mighty!" The neighbors started chanting, with great enthusiasm.

"But, chanting doesn't do much. Do you want to pay the protection fee?" Fu An imitated the young master's speech.

Plop, plop, plop—

People around started throwing copper coins, as if Gao Fangping and his group were street performers or beggars. Each person threw a few coins, and soon the whole street was throwing money, too much.

The small stalls ran out of coins, and the shopkeepers around joined in, throwing money.

Sometimes silver pieces were mixed in with the copper coins. Fu An, with a head full of bumps, still loyally protected Gao Fangping from being hit by the coins.

Finally, they bought a large bag on the street and carried a whole bag of money home, estimating at least ten guan, or ten thousand coins.

After Gao Fangping and his group left, a pair of beautiful eyes on the second floor, which had been watching the street scene, murmured, "Okay, he doesn't seem to be a fool..."

Back at the mansion, after sorting the money, it was twelve guan, which was credited to the account in Gao Fangping's name.

Then Gao Fangping instructed the two lackeys, "Lift Fu An by the feet and shake him. Maybe some money will fall out."

Fu An was howling as he was pushed down and lifted by the feet and shaken.

Thump, thump—

Sure enough, money fell out, some silver pieces, about three liang.

Fu An blinked, wailed, and knelt, "Young Master, spare my life, I was momentarily confused."

Gao Fangping chuckled, "I estimate one liang is yours, and the other two liang are mine. Fool, these two liang would have been yours, but you tried to cheat me. I won't ask for compensation, but you will suffer. Fu An, you lost this time, doing a losing business. The income is the same, but you will get beaten."

After saying this, Gao Fangping raised his voice, "Drag this fool away and beat him twenty times." He leaned in and whispered to the executor, "Don't hit too hard, he needs to collect the protection fee tomorrow."

"Young Master is merciful, I understand," the lackey nodded.

"If you do it again, I'll really send you to the Western Army to fight the barbarians, and let someone else fight the hooligans. You are smart, think about it," Gao Fangping patted Fu An's head.

Fu An howled as he was dragged away. Although the beating wasn't too severe, he realized that following the young master wouldn't be a loss. There was no need to be clever, or he would lose his job, which would be a big loss.

Fu An secretly decided not only to stop cheating but also to watch the others closely to prevent them from cheating the young master...

Page break for Page break for AD end