Two more days have passed in the blink of an eye.
These past two days, Xu Xiao has been taking Wang Yuyan and the other two girls sightseeing in various parts of Hebei, having a wonderful time.
The next evening, just after dinner, Wu 1, dressed in black, came in to report.
An informant discovered that Qiao Feng, the current leader of the Beggar Clan' Sect, has appeared in Hebei Province and is heading towards the main headquarters. He is expected to arrive there by noon tomorrow.
"They've finally arrived, Qiao Feng of the North and Murong of the South. This Qiao Feng is the first key figure in our efforts to subdue the Beggars' Sect."
Xu Xiao tapped the table with one hand as he spoke:
" Wu 1, keep a close eye on the enemy. If he enters the city, bring him to see me first."
"Yes, sir."
The man in black Wu 1 in acceptance and then left.
Only Wu 1 was allowed to enter the villa where Xu Xiao resided when there was news to report; no one else was permitted to enter.
Because the place was full of women, all the food, drink, and sanitation needs of Wang Yuyan and the other two women were taken care of by women; not a single man was allowed to be there.
Xu Xiao disliked eunuchs who were neither male nor female, so he only hired a team of about twenty well-trained female officials and nannies from the palace to serve the three women.
As soon as Wu 1 left, A Zhu, who was standing to the side, asked:
"My lord, didn't you subdue the court with force before? Why do you insist on seeing Qiao Feng this time?"
Wang Yuyan and the other two girls standing nearby also showed curiosity upon hearing this, but they refrained from overstepping their bounds.
In the past few days, after truly experiencing the power and status that Xu Xiao's strength brought, the three women all changed their attitudes and completely accepted Xu Xiao's status as their woman.
Power brings authority, and authority brings constraints, causing the three women to become somewhat cautious towards Xu Xiao.
Apart from A Zhu, who was bolder and dared to ask more questions, the other two girls were timid and didn't dare to ask any questions at all.
Seeing A Zhu speak, Xu Xiao naturally wouldn't remain silent, but instead teased her:
"Didn't you say you wanted to meet the great heroes and valiant figures of the world? Didn't I do as you wished?"
"Nonsense, my husband, you're teasing me again." A Zhu spat lightly.
She knew Xu Xiao was teasing her; after she lost her virginity, she had been crying and sobbing about it constantly.
"In this world, there is probably no man as capable as my husband. They are all just joking around and playing around. My husband is truly concerned with the great things in the world."
"If we're talking about heroes, only my husband can be considered a great hero."
A Bi, standing to the side, spoke timidly, her eyes filled with adoration.
In the past few days, the three women have been constantly by Xu Xiao's side, and have come to understand this man better and better.
Compared to the young master Murong Fu they once served, this is a true man who keeps his word.
Not only does he always keep his word, but he is also more skilled and capable, and his results are impressive. What woman wouldn't be captivated by such a man?
"Oh, you little A Bi, you're teasing me with your husband."
A Zhu's pretty face turned even redder, and she pounced on him to tickle him.
Seeing that her two older sisters had spoken, Wang Yuyan, taking advantage of the relaxed atmosphere, also spoke up:
"I think my husband has his own considerations. After all, the martial world is different from the imperial court, and blind oppression may not necessarily achieve good results."
"Not bad, Yuyan is so clever. Come here and give your husband a kiss."
Xu Xiao laughed heartily and casually pulled Wang Yuyan into his arms.
"No, my husband, it's not dark yet."
"What, can't I kiss my Yuyan before it gets dark?"
He was unrestrained and carefree, and the maids and nannies around him quietly withdrew.
They were all used to it. This Military Command Commissioner was good in every way, generous with rewards and never harsh on his servants, except that he often disregarded etiquette.
Fortunately, Xu Xiao wasn't really going to do anything in the main hall. He simply gave Wang Yuyan a light kiss amidst the playful gazes of the other two women, and that was it.
Holding the beauty in his arms, Xu Xiao revealed his purpose:
" Yuyan is right; the methods for dealing with the martial arts world and the imperial court are different."
"Those people in the halls of power are used to being superior; they have too many things they can't let go of. By using force to subdue them and their lives as bargaining chips, no one dares to disobey."
"But the world of martial arts is indeed different. Since ancient times, it has always been the scholars who are ungrateful, while the righteous are mostly butchers."
"There are many people in this martial arts world who are not afraid of death. Threatening them with death alone won't be very effective, and it'll only cause trouble."
"Take the Beggar Clan for example. In the beginning, they were just a bunch of starving Delia banding together for warmth. Most of them had nothing to lose and weren't afraid of dying at all."
"Moreover, they are numerous and widely distributed; to control them through killing would be a losing proposition."
"Besides, people at the bottom of society are easier to fool, and they are also more likely to fight desperately for their ideals."
"To deal with these people, all you need to do is suppress them with principles of national righteousness, benevolence, and morality, restrict them with rules and regulations, and then find someone they trust to lead them. That will save you a lot of trouble."
"And Qiao Feng is an excellent choice, both in terms of martial arts skills and character, so naturally I want to meet him."
Xu Xiao's words silenced the three women. This kind of theory was incomprehensible not only to them, who were just girls, but also to many scholars of the time.
After all, this is the true art of controlling people.
This has always been true, from a single family to a nation or ethnic group.
For example, the most honest members of a family always do the most work, get scolded the most, and enjoy the least.
On a national level, the dirty, tiring, hard, and even life-threatening jobs are not done by people at the bottom, but by those at the top who can be driven by some benevolence, morality, and etiquette.
"But... didn't my husband say before that Qiao Feng was Khitan? How could a Khitan possibly convince the Beggar Clan' Sect disciples?"
A Zhu realized what was happening and pressed for an answer.
"Yes, Qiao Feng is a Khitan, but so what?"
"What I told you before hadn't happened yet, and not many people knew that Qiao Feng Khitan was a Khitan."
"Since I'm going to use Qiao Feng, I naturally won't let this happen again."
"Those insiders weren't exactly good people to begin with; we can just make them disappear when the time comes."
Xu Xiao spoke calmly.
He had already made preparations, and since the incident at Apricot Grove had not yet occurred, it was the perfect opportunity for him to prevent this tragedy.
In any case, Xu Xiao felt that exchanging the lives of a bunch of lowlifes for the heroic and chivalrous Qiao Feng was a worthwhile deal.
"Alright, my husband has his reasons for acting; we women can just listen and have some fun."
A Zhu sensed the murderous intent in Xu Xiao's words and immediately shut up.
"Okay, let's not talk about that then." Xu Xiao could tell that the three women were disgusted by the topic of murder, so he immediately changed the subject.
"Ladies, now that our doubts have been resolved, how about we... hehe."
"You're so naughty, never serious."
"Food and sex are basic human needs, how could they be bad? Come with me, let's go together."