Chapter 37: How Should I Toy with You?

“This is really too much!”

At an alley entrance on Fuchengmen Street, Yang Xin, who was wearing a square bamboo hat, muttered to himself as he looked at two figures up ahead.

The latter two were pasting big-character posters.

Although it was already late at night, and a light rain was falling from the sky, with the help of a nearby tavern’s lamplight, Yang Xin could still make out the handwriting on the big-character posters. And the content of these posters was even more blatant. They talked about sharing carriages when going out, staying together in private rooms, and spending the night at someone’s home. In short, it was all content that clearly pointed to something. It did not name Fang Tinglan and Wang Wang directly, but it used vague terms to make viewers think of the Fang Village and the Governor-General of Ji-Liao’s family.

One had to say the person who wrote this was definitely an old hand; even in modern times, he could become a celebrity opinion leader. Even Consort Zheng was not spared, though more subtly, but people could still vaguely guess.

This was indeed too much.

Yang Xin did not mind fighting with them, nor did he care about big-character posters. As a modern person, he had seen everything. Such elementary tricks would at most make him laugh. Besides, not many people in the Capital City knew him.

But dragging innocent women into trouble was too much.

Even though he didn’t have many thoughts about Fang Tinglan, and his relationship with Wang Wang was purely innocent, using slander about their relationship to attract public attention was still despicable. Especially since both of them were considered well-bred young ladies, and Wang Wang had come to the capital this time to find a suitable husband from a good family. With this commotion, that idea was pretty much gone.

The two quickly finished pasting and then looked at a squad of patrolling soldiers not far away.

These were from the Patrol Camp.

The two hurriedly turned and walked in this direction. Yang Xin quickly hid in the shadows. They passed right in front of him without noticing a thing. Yang Xin immediately followed them, soon leaving the light range of the tavern. The two lit a lantern and continued forward in the light rain. They wound through the streets and alleys, and after walking for over ten minutes, stopped at a doorway. They knocked, entered, and the door closed behind them. Yang Xin quickly climbed a big tree by the roadside and looked down from above, watching their lantern move. It was a regular three-courtyard house. The lantern’s light went straight to the main room of the second courtyard and then went out at the door. Yang Xin immediately jumped down, took a few running steps, leapt up, stepped on the top of a tethering stone mid-air, then leapt a second time and was instantly on the Eight-Shaped screen wall. He stepped onto the tiles atop the Eight-Shaped screen wall and got onto the roof of the outer reception rooms.

Below, two dogs alertly raised their heads.

Soon they spotted Yang Xin, and the two slender dogs began barking fiercely.

The gatekeeper came out immediately to look. Yang Xin quickly hid in the darkness where the gatehouse connected with the outer reception rooms. The gatekeeper saw nothing unusual. He even opened the door to look outside specifically. Seeing that there was indeed nothing out of the ordinary, he went back and scolded the two dogs, then returned to his gatehouse.

Yang Xin immediately took out beef liver balls mixed with a large amount of a certain well-known brand’s plant flowers and threw them right in front of the two fiercely barking slender dogs. The latter lowered their heads to sniff the delicious food. No dog could resist the temptation of liver, especially beef liver. In the end, they betrayed their duty. They lowered their heads and happily ate away. Yang Xin continued to hide in the shadows, quietly waiting. Soon, the drug took effect on the two dogs, and they began to lose control, lying down as they entered their own world, completely ignoring the enemy who was sneaking in…

These were the same two dogs from last time.

The gatekeeper remained unaware, after all, they were just acting a bit strange.

On the roof, Yang Xin crouched like a wild cat and silently moved to a tree inside the courtyard. After estimating the distance, he untied the rope from his waist and threw it. The flying tiger claw quickly tangled among the tree branches.

Yang Xin grabbed the rope and leaped down.

But he did not land on the ground. After swinging down, he directly climbed up the tree. After untying the rope, he similarly threw it towards another nearby tree. The branches of this tree pressed against the courtyard wall. Yang Xin quickly got onto the wall, carefully stepped on the tiles atop the wall like walking a tightrope until the end, then got onto the roof of the side room and continued to the end.

At that moment, the door of the main room opened.

Yang Xin quickly lay down, pressing close to the roof ridge to lower his height as much as possible.

“Young Master Wang, there’s no need to see me off!”

A middle-aged scholar cupped his hands and said to Young Master Wang.

“Brother Wang, I really owe you this time! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to vent this anger!”

Young Master Wang said with a smile.

“It won’t be long now. Tomorrow, Censor Xue will submit a memorial to Your Majesty clarifying how to deal with that villain. The memorial will likely be kept within, as expected. We’ll continue then. At that time, Censor Yang will find Zuo Guangdou. That Zuo Guangdou still hates evil deeply. He can be said to have widespread support in the Censorate. We’ll have him lead the censors in jointly submitting a memorial. This time, we’re not only venting your anger, but also venting the anger of your father and all the virtuous officials who suffered under evil factions during the last capital review. Consort Zheng and Grand Secretary Fang are shielding this villain, aren’t they? Let’s see how they handle the joint memorial from so many censors. Even if we can’t bring them down, we must make them lose face thoroughly. When the blade falls on that villain’s head at the execution ground, the slap will land on their faces!”

Brother Wang said with a laugh.

“By tomorrow morning, the Fang family’s reputation will already be ruined. First, there’s Fang Shihong killing a prostitute, and now the seventh young lady of the Fang family keeping a man in her chamber, and even a fugitive murderer. The Fang family’s family conduct is truly worrying!”

Young Master Wang said happily.

On the roof, Yang Xin nodded with satisfaction. He had finally found the mastermind behind this.

But he did not move.

He stayed there like a boil growing on the rooftop, keeping his shape as he watched Young Master Wang below see Brother Wang off and return. Amidst the laughter of a beautiful woman, Young Master Wang held her and entered the room. A little maidservant closed the door. Not long after, happy sounds came from inside. Yang Xin still did not move. He lay there, listening while leisurely looking down, quickly figuring out the layout of the courtyard. He waited like this until midnight. By then, the rain was falling heavier and heavier, turning into a downpour. The entire courtyard was pitch black. Only then did he stretch his limbs and, accompanied by the thunder, jumped down. He took out a prepared hood and covered his entire head, then put the square bamboo hat back on. He stood before the main room door and waited. A flash of lightning split the night sky above, and the next moment thunder crashed. Yang Xin’s right foot instantly kicked out. The door was pushed open violently…

The main hall was empty.

Yang Xin directly turned into the inner room.

Just as he entered, the little maidservant sleepily opened her eyes.

“Shh!”

Like a little rascal, Yang Xin put his index finger to his lips.

The little maidservant opened her mouth to scream.

Yang Xin covered her mouth with his hand and then knocked her out. On the bed nearby, Young Master Wang remained completely unaware. This guy was clearly exhausted from overwork. After listening at the door for half the night, Yang Xin unceremoniously lifted the curtain and looked at the mess inside. At the same moment, a flash of lightning streaked outside the window. The beautiful woman sleepily opened her eyes and looked at him. With the hood on, his silhouette was backlit by the white lightning…

The beautiful woman’s eyes widened and her mouth opened…

Then Yang Xin covered her mouth too.

This woman struggled violently. Just as she was knocked out, she kicked Young Master Wang on the back. The latter mumbled in dissatisfaction and sat up on the bed with his eyes closed…

“What time is it?”

he said with his eyes closed.

Then he drowsily opened his eyes…

Yang Xin was staring at him from less than a foot away.

“T-t-t-this is a robbery!”

Yang Xin said.

As he spoke, he pressed a shortsword against Young Master Wang’s chest.

“G-good sir, l-let’s talk this over. The s-silver is over there, in that table!”

Young Master Wang stammered.

Yang Xin gestured, and Young Master Wang hurriedly scrambled up, went over, found the key, and opened the drawer. Yang Xin gestured again, and he had to pack up everything inside for Yang Xin. With a forced smile, he presented it to him. But Yang Xin did not take it. Instead, he looked Young Master Wang up and down with interest, especially at what was still hanging below. Young Master Wang felt uneasy under the stare but could only keep smiling…

“I’m taking you too!”

Yang Xin said.

“Huh?!”

Young Master Wang was confused.

The next moment, the sword hilt hit his head.

After knocking this guy out, Yang Xin quickly tied him up with clothes and such, stuffed the woman’s undergarment into his mouth, pulled off the bedsheet, wrapped him up into a roll, hoisted him over his shoulder, stuffed the bundle into his own clothes, and left the room satisfied. He walked out openly and boldly. The heavy rain provided him with the best cover. He walked straight to the courtyard gate, opened it, and walked out. In front of the outer reception rooms outside, the two dogs were already in happy dreamland; whether they would wake up was hard to say. Yang Xin continued forward and opened the latch of the outer gate. The gatekeeper showed no reaction. Using the cover of thunder, he opened the door and walked out carrying Young Master Wang. Outside, there was no one either. He proceeded unobstructed forward. Actually, Young Master Wang had woken up by then, but he was tied up like a rice dumpling and had no ability to resist at all. He could only let himself be handled, whimpering all the way.

Soon, Yang Xin carried him over the ward wall.

This kind of ward wall was mostly symbolic, less than two meters high.

Once out of the ward, it was Fuchengmen Street. In the heavy rain, there was still no one around. Those patrolling soldiers would not patrol in such weather. He walked west all the way near Fuchengmen, up to the city wall. Only then did he untie Young Master Wang and throw him aside. He first went into the gate tower and knocked out and tied up several soldiers who were already asleep.

In peacetime, not many soldiers guarded such gate towers. It was just a few on guard duty and patrol. The soldiers on duty slept in the hidden soldier caves below.

After dealing with the soldiers inside, he came out and unwrapped the bedsheet around Young Master Wang.

The latter looked at him with terrified eyes. By the light of the torches illuminating the city wall, he could be seen trembling all over from being drenched…

Of course, it might have been from fright.

“Young Master Wang, right?”

Yang Xin looked at Young Master Wang with a smile.

Of course, his hood still had to be worn, and even his voice had to be slightly altered. Necessary precautions still had to be taken.

“How should I toy with you?”

He said, using his shortsword to poke at a certain special organ of Young Master Wang.