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墨書 Inktalez
The thugs blocked Ye Xiaohan's path, clearly targeting the land deed in her hand.
Ye Xiaohan had no intention of letting them succeed; this was her legal property, and no one had the right to take it away!
She remained silent, calmly observing her surroundings, weighing the chances of a violent confrontation and considering various escape plans.
The thugs grew irritated as they noticed she wasn't intimidated. Most women would feel nervous when approached by strange men, but this woman stood her ground, unfazed by the gang of intimidating men surrounding her, even looking down on them with an air of superiority.
"Stupid woman, stop pretending! Hand over the deed now, or you'll regret it!" One thug could no longer contain his frustration and revealed his true nature, his menacing demeanor apparent.
Ye Xiaohan remained unmoved, sneering, "The deed is in my hand. It's up to you whether you have the ability to take it! You should be aware of your surroundings; this is the street."
She raised her voice, "If you kill me, the Government Office won't turn a blind eye. They'll come after you immediately. I might be alone, but dragging so many of you down with me won't leave me at a loss."
"You think we're fools?" one thug retorted. "We'll beat you half to death and leave you begging for mercy!"
Ye Xiaohan scoffed, "Unless you kill me, as long as I have breath left in me, I won't let you off! You run a gambling den; I'll just sit outside your establishment and let everyone know what you've done. There are plenty of gambling houses in the city; anyone who wants to gamble can go elsewhere!"
It's ironic how things work in this world; when faced with bad people, trying to reason with them often leads to being bitten back. Only someone worse can keep them in check.
Thugs often bully others because they rely on people's desire for a peaceful life and their reluctance to escalate matters. When it comes to their own interests, they feel the same way. If someone causes trouble at their gambling house, they too would be annoyed.
However, Ye Xiaohan's unyielding attitude only served to infuriate the thugs further.
They were used to threatening others; now being threatened by a woman made them furious. They cast aside any thoughts of consequences and only wanted to violently beat Ye Xiaohan to vent their anger.
Ye Xiaohan felt a jolt of alarm. Damn it, she had overestimated these thugs' intelligence! She thought they might weigh the pros and cons, but these brainless thugs were completely reckless!
As they moved closer, Ye Xiaohan was already calculating her escape route. Just then, someone approached them from the side.
If an ordinary person had walked by, Ye Xiaohan would not have noticed them during her moment of concentration. However, this person was different; she spotted him immediately.
He was not alone; a large group of people followed closely behind him.
Before he reached them, he shouted loudly at the thugs, "You scoundrels again! Haven't you learned your lesson from last time? How dare you show your faces again? You really must be blind to run into me today!"
"It's the Third Prince!" The thugs recognized him instantly and hurriedly turned to flee. "Run, run! We're in big trouble for crossing paths with him here!"
In the blink of an eye, the thugs disappeared from sight. The Third Prince snorted and turned his attention to Ye Xiaohan.
"Miss, are you alright? Those people are notorious ruffians in the city. You're not from the capital, are you? How did they manage to bother you?"
As if recalling something, he continued, "I am Murong Jing, the Third Prince of the current dynasty. You don't need to be afraid; those people won't dare come back to trouble you now that they’ve seen me!"
"Thank you, Third Prince, for your timely assistance. I am truly grateful." Ye Xiaohan was startled upon hearing his identity; he was a royal prince. No wonder he had such a grand entourage.
She felt a pang of regret for having engaged with those thugs earlier; she should have just slipped away quietly. Now that the thugs were gone, she had attracted someone even more troublesome.
If given a choice, she would rather take a beating. A beating would only hurt temporarily; once healed, it would be over. But getting entangled with someone of such high status could lead to endless complications in the future.
Especially considering Gu Bei's current special status, whether he could remain safe was still uncertain. She truly did not want to get involved with these powerful figures.
Ye Xiaohan quickly said, "I've been out for quite some time and have been threatened; I'm still feeling scared. I need to get home and rest properly. Thank you again, Third Prince; I must take my leave now."
After patiently bowing her head in respect, she turned to leave.
"Hey, don’t go! I’m not finished talking!" Murong Jing stopped Ye Xiaohan and said, "Let’s sit over there for a bit; it’s not appropriate to stand on the street."
"You, a prince, wandering around the streets like this is truly unbecoming!" Ye Xiaohan thought to herself, wanting to voice her thoughts but refraining from doing so.
In this wicked feudal society, even if this prince merely lifted a finger, he could easily pin her down, leaving her struggling helplessly.
Murong Jing probably never considered that someone would refuse his invitation. He paid no mind to Ye Xiaohan and walked straight into the tavern. As expected, Ye Xiaohan found herself unable to refuse.
Reluctantly following him to a seat, Ye Xiaohan could only pray that things wouldn't get worse.
"I wonder why the Third Prince called me here. Is there something you wish to discuss?" Ye Xiaohan asked, hoping to resolve the matter quickly and free herself from his presence.
Murong Jing waited for the guards to pour tea before taking a sip and saying, "Oh, I wanted to inform you that you were just deceived. The owner of that shop is in cahoots with those ruffians."
"What?" This topic was indeed shocking and completely unexpected for Ye Xiaohan. "Are you saying that Boss Yan is in league with those thugs?"
Murong Jing waited for the guards to place dishes in front of him before picking up his chopsticks and tasting a bite. Seemingly dissatisfied with the flavor, he displayed a hint of disdain.
"That's right. I don't know if that man’s surname is Yan, but I do know why he sold that shop."
The Third Prince continued, "Behind his shop, a Dye House opened recently, and the smell is quite pungent. He sells food there; who would want to eat in such a place? So his business couldn't sustain itself, and he had no choice but to sell the shop."
Ye Xiaohan was skeptical. Was the Third Prince lying? They were strangers meeting for the first time; why would he deceive her? It seemed unlikely since whether or not there was a Dye House could be easily verified.
"Then what about Boss Yan's son?" Ye Xiaohan asked. "Is his son's debt also a lie?"
Murong Jing nodded. "Yes, he doesn't have a son at all. It was all a setup to deceive kind-hearted people like you into believing he needed money to save his son, making you pay a hefty price for a shop that isn't worth much."
"That's outrageous!" Ye Xiaohan exclaimed angrily. "I even generously added an extra hundred taels! They set this trap just for that extra hundred taels!"
They were truly a group of excellent actors, their performances so realistic, their lines so smooth, and their expressions so on point. It would be a shame not to award them for their efforts!
Ye Xiaohan regarded these people as mere Last Straws in her heart, feeling as if they were all pricking her with needles.
And then there was the Third Prince—what was he thinking? While she was being deceived, he stood by, enjoying the show. Once everyone had dispersed, he emerged to reveal the truth.
Did he want to help her, or not?
Ye Xiaohan was filled with anger, her gaze towards Murong Jing betraying her fury. Murong Jing noticed and glanced back at her, his eyes full of indifference.
In that moment, Ye Xiaohan understood: it wasn't about whether he would help her; he simply wanted to watch the drama unfold.
What a thoroughly boring Prince.
After returning home, Ye Xiaohan did a little digging and discovered that this Third Prince was not only dull but also exceedingly arrogant.
He was born of the Queen, holding a noble status and favored deeply by her; no one dared to oppose him.
Within the palace, he could bully princes of equal rank. Outside the palace gates, he could walk through the imperial city with impunity.
Forget about those ruffians; even if they were a bit more formidable, no one dared to confront him. After all, who could be more powerful than the Queen or the Emperor?
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