The madam waved her round fan, her gaze sweeping over Meng Anci as if assessing merchandise.
"Young lady, let's not beat around the bush. If you're short on cash and can't come up with fifty taels, I won't make things difficult for you. You can leave the child here, and I'll give you another twenty taels of silver, how about that?"
Jin Shanyao coldly, and she was about to lash out when Meng Anci gently tugged at her hem.
He tilted his delicate little face up, blinked his big eyes, and asked, puzzled, "Auntie, do you mean that if I can't come up with fifty taels, I have to stay... right?"
The madam was amused by his bewildered expression. "Oh my, what a clever young master! I just love someone like you."
As she spoke, she bent down and looked at Meng Anci, "Young master, would you like to stay? Auntie will make you new clothes and buy you candy."
Meng Anci's innocent eyes sharpened, and she said crisply, "So you were interested in me, not fifty taels."
Then I'd like to ask you, Auntie, do you know the law states that anyone who sets up a brothel and forcibly forces innocent people into prostitution shall be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane, exiled three thousand li, and have their property confiscated?
The madam's expression changed slightly. She hadn't expected a five-year-old child to be so familiar with the law. After a brief moment of shock, she felt as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world.
He gently waved the round fan, but his eyes turned cold.
"Ha! What an ignorant brat, daring to talk to me about the law. Do you even know who stands behind my Jade Terrace House?"
Jin Shanyao, who was standing to the side, was already impatient. She thought to herself, "Is this person sick or something?" How would she know who was behind Jade Terrace House? She had never been to the backyard.
Jin Shanyao, too lazy to argue with her, said coldly, "I don't care who's behind you. Get out of the way."
The madam was momentarily stunned by the imposing presence of the Jin Shanyao, then suddenly let out a cold laugh, "Young lady, I'm not threatening you, but in our Qingzhou Prefecture, the prefect is number one, and the assistant prefect is number two."
She paused deliberately, her expression turning fierce. "This Jade Terrace House is the property of the Assistant Magistrate. If you know what's good for you, leave this child here obediently, and I won't pursue this matter today. Otherwise..."
The madam raised an eyebrow and said sternly, "I'll make sure you regret this!"
"Tongzhi..." Meng Anci murmured, repeating the official title.
Although he was precocious and well-versed in the law, he was at an age where he only believed in justice and thought that everyone would act in accordance with the law and that even if someone did something wrong, the government would punish them.
I never imagined that officials would knowingly break the law, nor did I ever imagine that power would be above the law.
If everything the madam said was true, then what about all the laws he studied from morning till night? Was it just a matter of his good memory?
The unprecedented realization was like a sharp blade piercing his heart, leaving an indelible scar on his young mind.
A sense of panic welled up inside him, and he instinctively gripped the hand that was waving the Jin Shanyao. If the law couldn't protect them, what could?
"What are you babbling about?" Jin Shanyao was annoyed by the bastard's dawdling. She reached out, grabbed the madam's belt, gave it a light lift, and tossed it into the air. The madam let out a scream as the bastard slammed onto the table.
A crash... the sound of porcelain shattering, followed by screams from a man and a woman.
The madam was stunned by the fall, vegetable leaves and soup spilled all over her. She sat on the ground in a disheveled state, staring at the Jin Shanyao for a long time before she came to her senses.
He immediately clutched his chest and roared, "What are you all standing there for? Go! Kill this little bitch!"
Before the words were even finished, everyone saw a blur before their eyes, and the two burly men who had just been blocking Jin Shanyao's path were sent flying with screams, crashing straight into a pillar and losing consciousness.
The sudden turn of events caused everyone present to scream and flee. A group of burly men wielding sticks swarmed in and, without a word, began to attack Jin Shanyao.
In an instant, a pair of cats and dogs appeared out of nowhere and shielded the two children to their sides. The two little ones nervously clutched their purses and looked at Jin Shanyao with worried eyes.
The moment the club fell, Jin Shanyao dodged it so fast that even her afterimage was invisible. The burly man felt a buzzing in his head and then passed out.
Jin Shanyao his tongue, feeling a bit of pain from hitting his head with his hand, so he grabbed the tablecloth next to him and wrapped it around his hand. The thug instinctively backed away when he saw this.
The madam roared, "Cowards, get him! What use are you all if you can't even beat a woman?"
The thugs exchanged glances, steeled their resolve, and simultaneously attacked Jin Shanyao. But the next moment, the tablecloth whipped away the sticks like a whip, and to the horrified eyes of the burly men, the sticks turned to dust.
The bizarre scene terrified the burly man so much that his legs went weak and he knelt on the ground with a thud.
Jin Shanyao's calm, unwavering eyes finally landed on the madam. The madam was so frightened that she hunched over and backed away, but Jin Shanyao gave her no chance.
He stepped on her wrist, a forced smile on his face, and asked, "Commander? Are you talking about a short, stocky man with a belly like an upside-down pot?"
The madam was in so much pain her face turned deathly pale, and she glared at her fiercely through gritted teeth. Jin Shanyao chuckled and casually pulled up a chair to sit next to her.
"Send someone to find him now, I'll wait here... Oh, and don't forget to call Su Wenqian, Lord Su... He still owes me three things."
Upon hearing this, the madam panicked instantly. She thought Jin Shanyao was a country bumpkin from out of town, unfamiliar with the place, so she could bully her as she pleased. She never expected that Jin Shanyao would know Su Wenqian.
The madam's expression instantly changed. "Oh dear, girl, what a mess this is! If I had known we were family, I would have said whatever I wanted... Ah..." The madam let out a scream.
Jin Shanyao lifted her foot, "I don't know you, don't try to claim any connection," she said, glancing at the people at Jade Terrace House, "Aren't you going to find someone? If not, I'm leaving."
"Oh, girl, you must be joking. Since you know Lord Su, how could I dare to seek out the Assistant Magistrate?"
Feeling bored, Jin Shanyao released the madam, shook her clothes, stood up, and led the two little ones out of the Jade Terrace House with her head held high.
In the private room on the second floor, Lu Mingche frowned impatiently, planning to give the Assistant Magistrate a warning tomorrow, lest he cause trouble at this crucial moment and ruin the Third Prince's grand plan.
Marquis Lu Zhennan, had two wives. His first wife, Qin Yan, was Lu Chi's biological mother and the elder sister of the current Empress. His second Wei Tingwan, was Lu Mingche's biological mother and the younger sister of Noble Consort Wei.
The Crown Prince, born to the Empress, and the Third Prince, born to Noble Consort Wei, are both trying to win over the Marquis of Zhenyuan. Lu Chi is the Marquis of Zhenyuan's heir and the Empress's trump card.
With Lu Chi's death, the political situation in the court changed instantly. However, no one expected that Lu Chi would come back to life and hide in this remote border region to detoxify himself.
A ruthless glint flashed in Lu Mingche's eyes; he absolutely could not allow him to return to the capital alive.
Back at their lodgings, the two little ones stayed up late, writing about decadent pleasures and lustful desires while gazing out the window at the Hidden Fragrance Pavilion.
After writing each page, I would look up at the window... trying to feel it more deeply.
Years later, when Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci saw brothels, the first thing that came to mind was always the phrase "indulging in extravagance and being blinded by lust."
It is easy to imagine the immense harm that the Jin Shanyao caused to their young minds.