Read It Aloud

The shopkeeper of Xuanyun Textile heard this and remained calm, wearing only his trademark smile as he asked softly, "Do you two ladies know that man?"

Xuanyun Textile's businesses were spread throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty. Anyone chosen to manage one of its shops was naturally a smooth operator who could handle any situation.

He had met countless people, and Xu Suwen's clothing and bearing were no ordinary sort.

What was more, her speech carried a faint hint of the capital's accent.

The steward thought for a moment, then said, "If you two ladies wish, Xuanyun Textile can have that scoundrel driven away."

At that moment, a commotion and Liu Xudong's shouts kept coming from outside Xuanyun Textile. "I told you, the honored guest who went in is my concubine. What gives you the right to stop me?"

"My name is Liu Xudong. Send someone in to ask her if she knows me."

Hearing the commotion outside, Xu Suwen furrowed her brows. She had secretly asked the Nanzhou Prefecture Office to investigate Jiang Yun.

She had also taken a glance at Jiang Yun's crowd of dubious friends and remembered some of them.

Was it him?

But when she turned back, Jiang Qiaoqiao's expression was tinged with fear. She asked quietly, "Sister Xu, Tong Sheng Liu is my brother's friend. Could what he said be true?"

Xu Suwen replied, "Your brother cares for you so much. How could he possibly marry you off to someone as a concubine?"

"Looks like that scholar Liu is talking nonsense."

"Rest here for a moment. I'll go take a look."

Xu Suwen rose after speaking and strode outside, her gaze sharp.

At first, Xu Suwen had thought to simply have Xuanyun Textile's shopkeeper drive Liu Xudong away.

But on second thought, that would not do. If Liu Xudong kept spreading these claims, Jiang Qiaoqiao's reputation would be ruined.

Those people outside would pass it from one to ten, then from ten to a hundred. Who knew what the story would become in the end?

Quite a few passersby had already gathered outside Xuanyun Textile. Watching the commotion was human nature.

What was more, this scholar had caused a scene right outside Xuanyun Textile, drawing plenty of people to stop and watch.

Liu Xudong wore a spotless white scholar's robe and held a folding fan. Xuanyun Textile's staff were blocking him, refusing to let him go any farther.

Seeing that he could not force his way in, Liu Xudong could only spread his hands and turn around to call out, "Everyone, you must help me judge this fairly today."

"I am Liu Xudong, courtesy name Chen Yun. Not long ago, I made an agreement with Jiang Yun of Jiayun Street: he would give me his younger sister, Jiang Qiaoqiao, as a concubine, and I would give him ten taels of silver."

"Shut up..."

A clear, melodious voice came from behind him. Liu Xudong turned to look, and his eyes immediately lit up.

Xu Suwen was tall and beautiful, with a bearing rarely seen anywhere in Nanzhou Prefecture.

Liu Xudong couldn't help cursing Jiang Yun in his heart. That bastard had married into a family and found himself such a beautiful wife.

Judging by her clothes, she was probably quite wealthy, too.

Xu Suwen's gaze was icy. She paid no mind to Liu Xudong's leering eyes and said, "Jiang Qiaoqiao has nothing to do with you."

"I am Liu Xudong. May I ask your name, miss?" Liu Xudong hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting, putting on the airs of a scholar.

Of course he knew Jiang Yun would never really give his sister to him as a wife. He was doing this only to extort some silver from this rich young lady.

Liu Xudong had seen plenty of wealthy young ladies like her. All he had to do was shamelessly cling to them and refuse to let go.

In the end, they would always choose to pay him a little silver to settle the matter.

Xu Suwen narrowed her eyes and did not reply. Liu Xudong chuckled and said, "Miss, you think you can just say she has nothing to do with me?"

"Their parents died when they were young. As the eldest brother, Jiang Yun is like a father to her. He personally promised to marry her off to me as a concubine."

"Unless, miss, you give me..." Liu Xudong paused to think it over, then boldly said, "Twenty taels of silver!"

"Otherwise, this matter isn't over. Once everyone in Nanzhou Prefecture knows she's my concubine, let's see which family dares to take her in!"

Liu Xudong was making it plain: either she paid him, or he would smear Jiang Qiaoqiao's name everywhere.

Xu Suwen glanced over the crowd. Seeing people whispering among themselves, she furrowed her brows, knowing that if this was not handled well, Jiang Qiaoqiao's reputation could suffer.

Then Xu Suwen calmly said, "Giving you twenty taels of silver is no problem."

"Paper and brush." Xu Suwen turned and called out to Xuanyun Textile's shopkeeper.

At her words, the shopkeeper hurriedly took out paper and a brush and brought them over.

"I can give you the money." Xu Suwen took out a pouch of silver and weighed it in her hand. "There are a full thirty taels in here."

"All you have to do is write on the paper that everything you said today was made up by you, and that you slandered Jiang Qiaoqiao."

Liu Xudong stared at the bulging pouch, his eyes practically popping out, but he still frowned and said, "But everything I said is true..."

Xu Suwen made as if to put the silver away. Liu Xudong hurriedly said, "Add five more taels, and I'll write it."

"I'll add another thirty taels."

As she spoke, Xu Suwen took out a banknote and had Xuanyun Textile's shopkeeper exchange it for silver.

After taking the money, Liu Xudong counted it several times before he was finally satisfied.

Without a care for appearances, he squatted on the ground, stuck his rear in the air, and scrawled out a whole piece of writing.

"Are you satisfied, miss?" Liu Xudong put down the brush and handed over the paper.

Xu Suwen took it and glanced at it, then nodded. "To prove you wrote it, sign at the bottom and press your fingerprint beside it."

"Shopkeeper, please bring the seal paste."

Liu Xudong nodded, smiling broadly as he signed his name and pressed his fingerprint into the seal paste.

Xu Suwen folded her arms and reminded him, "Read it aloud in front of everyone."

"Once you've finished, I'll give you another ten taels."

"Of course, of course. If you want to hear it, miss, I can read it several times." Liu Xudong picked up the paper and proclaimed, "I am Liu Xudong, courtesy name Chen Yun. Everything I said today at Xuanyun Textile was fabricated by me. Jiang Qiaoqiao is a chaste woman and has no marriage agreement with me whatsoever."

A wave of disdainful looks swept through the crowd, and people thought even less of Liu Xudong.

For a little silver, he was willing to do something like this. And he called himself a scholar?

But when they thought of the seventy taels of silver that had fallen into the man's hands, their teeth ached with envy.

Seventy taels of silver! That was enough to buy a small courtyard in Prefecture City, Nanzhou.

After he finished reading, Liu Xudong handed the paper to Xu Suwen. "Miss, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave..."

"Wait." Xu Suwen took the paper, then picked up the brush and added:

"By means of this incident, I extorted seventy taels of silver from Xu Suwen and Jiang Qiaoqiao. The evidence is conclusive, and I confess to my crimes."

"You... What are you doing?" Liu Xudong's face changed when he saw the few new lines she had added. He reached out to snatch the paper.

Thud!

Xu Suwen kicked him to the ground, then stepped forward and planted her icy shoe on his face.

Liu Xudong struggled to get up, but could not move at all. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Everyone saw it! You added those last lines yourself!"

"I've been framed!"

Xu Suwen kept her foot on his face and gently blew on the ink to dry it. "Whether you've been framed or not, tell Constable Qian when he gets back."

"He should enjoy hearing your story."