Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Four Beauties?

Four Beauties? Upon hearing these two words, Xia Wenjin’s eyes slightly moved. She had heard of the Four Beauties around Huangfu Yuxuan.

However, she had never seen them, and Huangfu Yuxuan never mentioned them in front of her, almost making her forget.

It’s said that the Four Beauties are stunningly beautiful, skilled and cunning, scattered in different places, each with an independent identity, adept at gathering information and assassinating. They only acted on Huangfu Yuxuan’s orders.

Back then, the Court’s highly respected Scholar Chu opposed Huangfu Yuxuan becoming the Imperial Grandson, and he sent one of the Four Beauties to assassinate him.

Many officials in the Court, who previously opposed or were neutral, were all bribed and blackmailed by the Four Beauties sent by Huangfu Yuxuan through despicable means.

These Four Beauties did all sorts of dirty work for him, each with many lives in their hands. Later, two of them were lost, causing Huangfu Yuxuan to fly into a rage.

It turns out, even so early on, Huangfu Yuxuan already had the Four Beauties by his side.

Xia Wenjin coldly glanced at him, “Is that something you should be asking?”

Jue Zhou quickly smiled apologetically, “I asked something I shouldn’t have, please do not be angry, young lady.”

Previously, he thought the woman in front of him was beautiful, and if given the chance, he would not let it pass, imagining the lingering pleasure of having her submit to him.

But now, how could he dare harbor any such thoughts?

This showed the high status and ruthless methods of the Four Beauties around Huangfu Yuxuan.

Xia Wenjin said coolly, “Enough, you failed to accomplish anything and even got caught, utterly disgracing the Second Young Master.”

“Please help me, young lady. Just let me go, and I can escape on my own. I won’t involve you!”

“Do you think I’m afraid of being implicated?” Xia Wenjin glanced at him sideways.

“Yes, yes, you’re right, young lady. I’m not too concerned about those people, I just want to ask for your help!”

“Speak!”

Jue Zhou lowered his voice and said, “Please put in a good word for me in front of the Second Young Master!”

Xia Wenjin looked him up and down, impatiently saying, “I can help you, but you know the Second Young Master’s principle: he doesn’t keep useless people!”

“I know, I know, I’m useful! Young lady, I still have thirty thousand taels of silver notes, all to be presented as homage to you, please be kind and help me!”

Thirty thousand taels of silver, that’s quite a sum. Xia Wenjin said, “Where’s the silver?”

Jue Zhou rejoiced, “Does this mean you agree, young lady?”

Xia Wenjin said indifferently, “For the sake of the silver. However, I can speak well, but I can’t guarantee the outcome, I don’t have a say in the Second Young Master’s affairs!”

If she agreed immediately and said it could be done, Jue Zhou might become suspicious, but saying it this way, Jue Zhou no longer had any doubts and quickly said, “I understand, I understand, as long as you speak well, I would be immensely grateful. I am absolutely loyal to the Second Young Master, and I want to continue working for him…”

“Don’t speak nonsense, where’s the silver note?”

Jue Zhou was about to say where the silver notes were hidden when suddenly he suspiciously said, “Young lady wouldn’t go back on your word, would you?”

Xia Wenjin’s face turned cold, and she said indifferently, “You’d better take your silver notes to your grave!”

Seeing her turn to walk away, Jue Zhou hurriedly said, “Don’t go, young lady, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have doubted you, I was just uneasy. I’ll tell you where the silver notes are!”

Xia Wenjin turned around and said, “The matter of the silver notes is not urgent, first tell me what you’ve been doing all these years, if I am to speak for you, there must be something worth speaking of, if you’re useless, you know the Second Young Master’s rules, thirty thousand taels of silver notes can’t buy your life!”

Hearing this, Jue Zhou’s trust in Xia Wenjin increased, and a glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes, he urgently said, “Young lady, ever since I came to Shian Temple four years ago, I’ve been secretly working for the Second Young Master, although on the surface I’m just a Deacon, I’ve done far more work than Ming Qing. Most of the Court officials in the entire Qu’an Prefecture, from the Prefecture to the County Magistrate, to the headmen below, would give me some face.”

Xia Wenjin skeptically sized him up, “In their eyes, you’re just a monk, why would they all listen to you?”

Jue Zhou chuckled, “You don’t know, young lady, with my skills, I’m nearly unbeatable in this area. It’s also convenient to secretly investigate some things. Those court officials, they look upright but don’t they have some dirty deeds in their belly? Once you find those dirty deeds and obtain those handles, it’s hard for them not to listen to me, right?”

Xia Wenjin chuckled and said, “You’re not stupid, so how did you end up caught like a dead dog?”

Jue Zhou grinned, “Enjoyed eating, drinking, and playing too much these years, a bit weak, haha, and I underestimated the enemy momentarily, seeing as they were young, or I wouldn’t have capsized in the ditch.”

The more Xia Wenjin scolded him and held him in contempt, the more he believed she was indeed one of the Four Beauties, and his attitude became more reverent, his tone fawning and obsequious, as if he had a tail that would wag fiercely enough to sweep away the ground’s dust.

Xia Wenjin snorted, “Are your words truthful? Don’t end up getting played by you.”

“Absolutely true!” Jue Zhou hurriedly replied, “Where I hid the silver notes, there’s a roster with the officials’ handles, please young lady, help present that roster to the Second Young Master, so he knows I’ve done real work. He won’t make it difficult for you either!”

Xia Wenjin nodded and said, “Good for you, knowing not to trouble me! Speak, where’s the silver note?”

Jue Zhou said, “There’s a courtyard to the east, in the first room on the east side of the courtyard, there’s a bookshelf. In the lower right corner of the bookshelf, there’s a very thick book, hollowed inside, upon opening, you’ll find both the silver notes and the roster there!”

Xia Wenjin beamed, “Understood.”

Jue Zhou fawned, “Please let me go, young lady!”

Xia Wenjin smiled, “I’ll retrieve it first, then come back and release you!”

Jue Zhou hurriedly said, “Young lady…”

Xia Wenjin had already walked out.

In the courtyard, everyone was there. As soon as Xia Wenjin entered, she saw it was another scene of bloodshed in the courtyard. She took a step back and said, “What happened here?”

Kong Chan whispered, “Biting, scratching!” pointing at the women being calmed down.

Those women, having vented, remembered all they had suffered, and couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with sadness, crying hoarsely.

Xia Wenjin pointed to the door, “I haven’t finished questioning, guard the door for me, let no one in and no one out!”

Ming Xuan frowned, “This isn’t good, is it?”

Kong Chan glared, “What’s not good?”

Ming Xuan immediately said, “Amitabha, the humble monk means, how can the master guard the door? I can do it!”

Kong Chan said, “No need!”

Huangfu Jingchen caught up with Xia Wenjin, “Do you need help?”

Xia Wenjin looked back at him, “No need, your wound has been treated, don’t move around, rest for a while!”

She was off to collect the silver, of course, the fewer people that knew, the better. Exiting the courtyard, she walked east, found the courtyard Jue Zhou spoke of, entered the first room on the east side, it was a study room.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep