After strolling through the main street, Miss Hou Tianying, the eldest daughter of the Hou family, returned to the estate and headed straight for Old Master Hou’s study.
Unfortunately, Old Master Hou wasn’t in his study at the moment.
Under the scorching sun, Miss Hou’s face turned purplish with anger.
"Has Father gone to see that Aunt Mei again!"
A servant boy answered tremblingly.
Hou Tianying trembled with rage and stormed off, flinging her sleeves behind her.
She turned and made her way to the Main Wife’s courtyard.
As soon as she entered the room and saw her daughter overheated , the Main Wife hurried forward with concern.
"Oh, my Tianying, where have you been to get so hot!"
Without missing a beat, she gave orders.
"What are you all standing around for? Hurry and fetch water to wash the Young Miss’s face!"
The maids around the room were so frightened that they hurriedly agreed.
After washing her face and redoing her makeup, Hou Tianying dismissed the servants and threw herself into the Main Wife’s embrace.
Still seething with anger inside, the thought of Third Master Huang made her feel somewhat coy!
"Tianying, what’s the matter with you today?"
The Main Wife rarely saw her daughter so affectionate, which softened her heart, and she asked.
"Mother, today on the street, I met someone, and I want to marry him!"
Upon hearing that her daughter finally had someone she fancied, a look of surprise and joy appeared on Lady Hou’s face.
After all, her daughter was already seventeen this year. Many matchmakers had visited, but she hadn’t liked any of them, which almost drove her mother to despair.
Now... finally there was one, how could she not be delighted?
"Which family’s son has caught Tianying’s eye?"
If the match was socially suitable and her daughter liked him, she wouldn’t hesitate to put her pride aside.
After thinking it over, Hou Tianying spoke directly.
"I had someone make inquiries. I was told he is Third Master Huang, but as for where he’s from, I don’t know! I’ve never seen him before!" Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on NoveI(F)ire.net
"Third Master Huang?"
There were indeed families with the surname Huang in Jinling City, but... they were all from minor households, nowhere near a match for her own daughter.
Thinking this, Lady Hou was slightly displeased.
"Tianying, don’t be foolish over someone from a minor household!"
Hou Tianying was a bit upset.
"Mother, you’re underestimating me too much. Am I so foolish? This Third Master Huang, he must not be from Jinling; I’ve never seen him before!"
"Although... I don’t know which family he’s from, but at one glance, you can tell he must come from a prestigious and wealthy family!"
As she spoke, Hou Tianying’s heart fluttered with infatuation.
He was wearing a white jade robe, had an emerald-colored belt with a rectangular jade pendant hanging from it, and held a folding fan in his hand.
The jade crown on his head was made of fine white jade, and the hand that held the teacup was long and lovely!
His handsome and dashing appearance, refined bearing, and defined features were all etched in her mind, impossible to forget.
"Mother! Please have someone thoroughly inquire whether any new people have come to our Jinling recently!"
Hou Tianying began to plead coquettishly.
Lady Hou, unable to resist, agreed.
As mother and daughter were talking, a servant boy suddenly came in to report.
"Madam, Madam, it’s terrible! The young master has been beaten up!"
Upon hearing this, Lady Hou immediately stood up, and Hou Tianying was also extremely shocked.
"Beaten up? Who would dare to be so bold? Daring to cause trouble in Jinling City!"
With that, Hou Tianying rushed out, followed quickly by Lady Hou.
The servant boys hastily prepared the carriage, ready to escort the lady and her daughter out.
Zhao Junyao, accompanied by Xia Ruqing, hadn’t spent too much time strolling either. They found a place to drink some tea, have a meal, and then headed back the way they had come.
Upon returning to Jingtai Tower, he encountered someone.
Indeed, it was Hou Tianbao, the eldest son of the Hou family.
"Oh... Is this the man who occupied my room last night?"
Hou Tianbao pointed at Zhao Junyao and asked the innkeeper of Jingtai Tower.
The innkeeper smiled with a bit of embarrassment.
For some reason, even though Third Master Huang was just a merchant, the moment he stood there, without uttering a word, he emanated an overwhelming presence.
He wanted to offend him, but he didn’t dare!
For a while, he could only offer an apologetic smile to both sides.
"Young Master Hou, you’ve been tired all day. The inn has prepared hot water for you. Why not take a bath?"
Then he looked towards Zhao Junyao.
"Third Master Huang, there’s also hot water in your room. Why don’t you and the young lady go up first?"
Had the innkeeper not mentioned the young lady, things might have been fine. But the moment he did,
Hou Tianbao saw that behind Third Master Huang stood a young lady dressed in a lake-blue gown with her hair done up in a round bun.
A typical Jiangnan woman’s attire.
However, this lady was truly beautiful. Even though her face was veiled, one could still tell that her skin was as white as jade, her eyes like autumn waters, shimmering and shining, her gaze spirited and compelling.
With just one look, he felt his bones turn to mush.
Zhao Junyao nodded to the innkeeper, not wanting to clash with Hou Tianbao prematurely, and was ready to leave with Xia Ruqing.
Hou Tianbao suddenly intervened.
"Third Master Huang..."
He approached slowly with an ill-intentioned, lecherous grin on his face.
Zhao Junyao turned around, his gaze cold as he looked at him.
"Young Master Hou, what do you want!"
Hou Tianbao moved even closer, his elongated eyes filled with a lewd smile.
"Third Master Huang, you look good, and you’re well-dressed. Not like us Jinling locals. You must be from some other place in Jiangning..."
After all, the Huang family of Jinling didn’t have such a person.
And that girl with her round bun hairstyle probably couldn’t be from anywhere but Jiangnan.
Jiangnan women are easy to handle. As long as they don’t leave Jiangnan, there isn’t a beauty I can’t get my hands on!
Thinking this, he spoke again.
"I’ve taken a liking to this girl. If you hand her over to me today, I won’t hold you accountable for taking my room. How about it?"
After speaking, he wobbled his head, waiting confidently for ’Third Master Huang’ to nod and bow in agreement.
To his surprise, Zhao Junyao suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"Your room? This Jingtai Tower is an inn. How did it become your room?"
The innkeeper stood by the side. Seeing the palpable animosity between the two young masters, he didn’t dare intervene. Reason told him that he couldn’t afford to offend either of them. He was just an innkeeper; whom had he ever wronged? Besides, he wasn’t even the owner of this inn!
Hou Tianbao suddenly burst out laughing.
"Third Master Huang, seeing that you’re an outsider, I, Hou Tianbao, will do you a kindness and let you in on a secret!"
"This Jingtai Tower is owned by my Hou family!"
Xia Ruqing stared in disbelief.
The innkeeper was rendered speechless. Blood rushed to his head, and he nearly had a heart attack from anger! Oh my, Young Master, you truly fear neither heaven nor earth! How could you, the great Young Master Hou, let such a confidential matter slip? After all, the laws of Great Chu prohibit officials from engaging in commerce. If discovered, it could mean prison. In serious cases, it could even lead to beheading! With so many people on the street, how could you blurt it out! Should I find a new master? This one seems doomed!
Zhao Junyao narrowed his eyes. On the metaphorical little black book in his heart, he added another mark against the Hou family.
No rush. When the time is ripe, not one of you will escape. All the schemes of Jiangnan will be swept away at once!