Chapter 1389 - Zhou Yu Beats Huang Gai
Wu Zhixiang found himself in an awkward position. Perceptive as he was, he could see immediately that this girl had likely been favored by Master Zhao in the past—inevitably spoiled by such favor. Making unauthorized decisions, acting impulsively—no wonder this usually gentle and refined Master Zhao would be so furious. As the saying goes: deep love, severe responsibility.
Seeing the servants standing frozen, Zhao Yingong grew even angrier. "What are you standing there for? Drag her out!"
This time, the Inner Direct Squad family soldiers who had been following for security dared not hesitate. They lifted the tear-streaked Xihua and carried her away.
Seeing she did not speak a single word of plea for mercy, yet her eyes were full of attachment and reluctance toward Zhao Yingong, Wu Zhixiang—himself a sentimental soul who had been entangled with several maids at home—felt his heart soften. He smiled. "Brother Zhao, why such anger? This girl is merely ignorant. Give her a few boards as a lesson—why go to such lengths?"
Everyone present was frightened and trembling. This Xihua was no ordinary person. She was one of the few most favored maids at Master's side—nominally a servant, practically a student. Master had personally selected her to teach by his side. She usually wielded considerable authority. That she should suddenly encounter thunderous rage left everyone bewildered.
Some with quicker minds had already guessed this was Master making an example of Xihua. The forewoman servant reacted fastest, walking to Zhao Yingong and dropping heavily to her knees, kowtowing with force:
"May Master calm his anger! This time it cannot be blamed on Miss Xihua. It was this servant who spoke too much, saying the workshop was terribly hot and that everyone could not bear it... Thousands of mistakes, all are this servant's alone. This servant begs Master to spare Miss Xihua and punish this servant heavily instead—"
Zhao Yingong's face shifted slightly. "What is your name?"
"This servant is Huang Xiang—"
Seeing Master Zhao's expression darken further, Huang Xiang felt a twist of fear, uncertain whether her gamble had been correct. But matters had come to this; bracing herself and pressing forward was the only option. She kowtowed heavily again:
"This servant begs Master to show great mercy! Spare Miss Xihua!"
"Enough of this performance of virtue. I have been occupied with many matters recently and have neglected supervision of the Villa. You all grow ever more presumptuous! How can this continue? Since you've come forward to accept guilt, at least you show some loyalty. I will spare you the rod today—Fenghua! Tell the Steward Office: dock her one month's wages!"
Outside, the punishment had already begun. The sound of bamboo boards striking flesh and muffled sobbing filtered in. Female workers and slaves stood silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to speak. Wu Zhixiang, hearing the sounds, could not bear it and tried again to intercede:
"Even with a thousand faults, she is after all a delicate woman. Brother Zhao runs Cihui Hall and the silk factory to accumulate kindness and virtue. If she were truly beaten to death, it would harm your dignity and violate the way of benevolence—I fear it would invite unwelcome scrutiny."
Seeming to realize that "beating to death" was indeed excessive—actually killing a slave maid would also be troublesome—Zhao Yingong exhaled heavily. "Since you plead for her, I'll spare her this time. Pass down the order: sixty boards, administered diligently!" He waved his hand. "Tell everyone to be careful. Whoever dares speak wildly about Villa matters or leak information will not be forgiven lightly!" With that, he stood and left.
Just as Zhao Yingong had estimated, by the following evening, Hao Yuan, lurking in Nanxiawa, had already learned of this incident. Gou Chengxuan rushed to Nanxiawa immediately upon receiving the news to tell him.
"This Xihua is no ordinary person—she's one of the most favored maids at Zhao Yingong's side," Gou Chengxuan said excitedly. "She usually wields real authority and can even enter and exit Zhao Yingong's inner study. If we can seize this opportunity to bring her over, it would be of tremendous benefit to our operation."
Though their plan, formulated some days ago, had already begun and was proceeding smoothly, critical data remained insufficient. Phoenix Mountain Villa, after years of development, had become a vast estate stretching from the riverside to the mountain, containing dozens of buildings. Which locations were vital to the Villa's operations, where Zhao Yingong usually rested and worked, where documents and valuables were stored—all remained unsolved mysteries.
They had cultivated quite a few informants within the Villa, but these people were all ordinary slaves or refugee workers without access to the core. They could only observe and report on superficial matters.
Gou Chengxuan, Hao Yuan, and Gou Chengxuan's master all shared the same philosophy: strike the snake at its vital point. If all their painstaking efforts failed to deliver Zhao Yingong's faction a fatal blow—one from which they could not recover—then given their strength, his people would inevitably make a comeback sooner or later.
According to current reports from informants within the Villa, they knew a sizable family soldier unit was stationed there. Understanding where these soldiers patrolled and were deployed became essential intelligence for any action. Rushing the Villa blindly, charging about without knowing the layout, would likely result in being repelled by the Villa's family soldiers.
Hao Yuan's attitude was far more measured. "Could this be a bitter meat trick?"
Gou Chengxuan seemed to have anticipated the question. "I questioned our informant in detail. This incident has clear causes and effects—it was absolutely not something that arose suddenly."
He recounted the intelligence obtained from their informant: Xihua had always focused on teaching and was reluctant to let her students perform miscellaneous duties; the filature's harsh conditions had already prompted various complaints within the Villa.
"This young lady Xihua was originally a xiucai's daughter—literate, supposedly capable of composing poetry. Her appearance also suits Baldy Zhao's taste, so she was highly favored. Her spoiled behavior isn't new. There's even talk of her being the preeminent figure among those at Baldy Zhao's side. That Zhao Baldy didn't make her his personal maid, choosing instead Fenghua—who is dark and plain—was originally meant to suppress her."
Hao Yuan maintained his silence, continuing to listen to Gou Chengxuan's exposition.
Gou Chengxuan grew more animated:
"...If she were targeted without cause, not only you, Brother, but even I would find it suspicious. But connecting all these threads, this matter is at least seventy or eighty percent genuine."
Hao Yuan nodded. "Brother Gou speaks reasonably."
He said "reasonably," not "correctly." Gou Chengxuan, no fool, recognized the reservation and was about to continue when Hao Yuan suddenly asked: "You said Xihua angered Zhao Yingong by pleading for the silk factory's female workers?"
"Correct!" Gou Chengxuan nodded repeatedly. "According to our informant, that silk factory is truly like hell on earth. Ordinary people who go in to work have to come out gasping after less than a shichen. Those who are weak faint within a quarter hour. The past few days the weather has been hot—several people faint every day and are carried out for medical treatment. Workers must labor six shichen daily, with no rest even on the first and fifteenth of the month. Female workers all say they cannot bear it, only gritting their teeth and enduring because the wages are high."
"How does Zhao Yingong usually treat slaves and female workers?"
"On that score, there's nothing to criticize—better than most aristocratic families and large households. But control is strict!" Gou Chengxuan said. "Our informant says the Villa pays generously in money and grain, but boards are also dispensed ruthlessly. Everything in the Villa follows rules, and violations are never forgiven lightly."
"Setting aside craftsmen and laborers, do ordinary slaves have much work?"
"Much!" Gou Chengxuan said without hesitation. "All informants say there are no idle people in the Zhao household. They work from morning to night. But with generous money and good food, everyone is willing to work harder."
"I see." Hao Yuan nodded thoughtfully, then asked again: "You said Xihua specifically brought students to boil water and wash towels for the female workers?"
"Yes—if not for that, how would she have angered Baldy Zhao?" Gou Chengxuan said. "In truth, this girl really does have a chivalrous heart."
"Is she usually a chivalrous woman as well?"
This question stumped Gou Chengxuan. When speaking with their informant, he had only cared about the details of this particular incident, not about related derivations.
"I didn't ask in that much detail..."
A trace of a smile appeared at the corner of Hao Yuan's mouth. "Brother Gou, in my view, the possibility of this being a bitter meat trick is extremely high." He stood up, walked to the door, peered outside, tucked the straw curtain tight, then returned to the table. "Zhao Yingong didn't beat her earlier, didn't beat her later—suddenly making an example of her at this precise moment. Doesn't it carry a distinct whiff of Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai?"
"But... this affair makes sense..."
"Emotionally and logically, yes, it makes sense. But the timing is problematic." Hao Yuan said. "We have informants in the Villa; Master Zhao has plenty of ears and eyes in Hangzhou—throughout Jiangnan, in fact. News that someone is plotting against him has probably already reached his ears."
Gou Chengxuan started. Hao Yuan was right. How had he forgotten this! After receiving yesterday's news, not only had he interrogated their informant in detail about the incident's causes and effects, but he had also discussed the matter repeatedly with Cao Guangjiu for more than a shichen, examining the whole affair from every angle. Both had felt the possibility of using this opportunity to recruit Xihua as an inside agent was considerable.
Yet they had all forgotten that while they plotted against Zhao Yingong in secret, Zhao Yingong was not entirely ignorant.
Since not entirely ignorant, there would be countermeasures. Currently they were in the dark and Zhao Yingong in the light. If he wished to reverse attack and defense, planting an operative among them was the most effective method.
Hearing Hao Yuan's analysis, Gou Chengxuan felt as if waking from a dream. This gang of pirates was indeed incomparably cunning! He gritted his teeth. "Thank you for the warning, Brother Hao! We nearly fell for Baldy Zhao's trick!"
"No matter," Hao Yuan said placidly. "Zhao Yingong is blinded by a single leaf. He thinks himself clever—we shall beat him at his own game." He opened his ink box, picked up a brush, and quickly wrote several lines on a piece of paper. "Trouble Brother Gou to summon the Villa informants again and ask about the matters on this paper, one by one. The more detail, the better."
"Excellent!" Hearing that Hao Yuan still intended to "beat him at his own game," Gou Chengxuan was overjoyed. He hurriedly took the paper, blew on it to dry the ink, tucked it into his shirt, and said, "I'll go at once!"
(End of this chapter)