Chapter 903: Silent struggles of two women
When Xu Donglin heard the princess request him as an escort, he was too scared to meet His Highness’s eyes. He felt like this was stealing His Highness’s things. Too scary!
“Your Highness Crown Prince, if you go over there, we might not even get past the door,” Han Yunxi teased.
Despite the joke, Long Feiye understood her meaning. Ning Cheng didn’t publicize the matter of Han Yunxi’s “hostage” situation, so he was even less likely to tell the Di Clan about their mutual romance. Thus, Han Yunxi had enough room to explain herself. If Long Feiye sent her to Myriad Merchant Hall, it’d only earn the Di Clan’s ire and cause her trouble.
After a period of silence, Long Feiye said coldly, “Xu Donglin, make sure to send her through the doors.”
“Yes!” Xu Donglin was really too afraid to lift his head.
Long Feiye’s eyes followed Han Yunxi as she left before he instructed his shadow guards, “Send a letter to Chu Tianyin and say that this crown prince will be waiting to meet him at the Three-Way Black Market.”
Saying he was going to Western Zhou was just a fit of fancy to tease Han Yunxi. He wouldn’t leave this spot for the next ten days--not even a step. But it was uncertain whether he’d set foot in Myriad Merchant Hall instead. By now, it was already late. Neither the scandals at the auction halls or gambling houses had petered out just because Ning Jing showed up. For some reason, Golden Wing Hall had unexpectedly exposed the dealings of both places and even sent out a few officials to sit in Thousand Gold Pavilion and demonstrated to the crowd, in slow motion, how the cheaters worked. It wasn’t long before they gathered a sizable crowd.
These actions with no limits made it impossible for Ning Jing and the rest to resolve their problems. Even the stupidest man could guess that the Golden Wing Hall was the mastermind behind this ploy. Yet the smartest ones amongst them couldn’t figure out what kind of deep-set grudge the hall had to screw with Myriad Merchant Hall despite all consequences!
Of the three powers ruling the Three-Way Black Market, Myriad Merchant Hall relied on its auction and gambling houses most for revenue. Han Yunxi inquired into the ruckus on her way from East Origin to Myriad Merchant Hall. She was currently sitting in a wheelchair and wearing a face mask to avoid being recognized on the road.
There were multiple establishments with booming business on the way, but Myriad Merchant Hall was cold and empty. Xu Donglin stopped her wheelchair in front of a side entrance before going to knock on the door. Unexpectedly, the door opened before he touched it, revealing Manager Jin standing inside. Xu Donglin recognized him at a glance.
“Manager Jin, who’s in charge at your Myriad Merchant Hall right now?” Xu Donglin asked seriously. He was sure that His Highness would be asking about the situation here once he returned, so he had to get a steward or something to pick Han Yunxi up properly.
Manager Jin examined him from head to toe before snapping, “Get lost!” Right now, Manager Jin was definitely the angriest man in Three-Way Black Market, if only because bad business at its gambling houses would mean the end of his own banks. His mood was as wretched as the skies before a storm. He had come to find Uncle Cheng and the head elder, only to hear that they were still at the casinos. Now he was on his way there to scope out the situation.
Xu Donglin wasn’t easy to bully. “What kind of tone are you taking? Do you know who she is?” He stepped out of the way to show the princess, but Manage Jin simply seized the chance to step out himself and shut the gate behind him. Xu Donglin would never let a member of the Di Clan pick on him, much less act so wantonly in front of the princess. He was about to attack when Han Yunxi stopped him with a look.
“Manager Jin, I have a favor to ask, so I hope you can help,” Han Yunxi said politely.
Manager Jin had naturally sensed Xu Donglin’s intent to attack. He looked at Han Yunxi next, but couldn’t recognize her as the bearded guest at the gambling table, much less her true identity.
“I don’t know you,” Manager Jin wasn’t necessarily a polite man outside of the casinos.
“It’s enough that I know Ning Cheng. Right now it’s inconvenient for me to move about, so I’d like to trouble you to send me inside,” Han Yunxi continued cordially. “I have something to speak with you in detail.”
On the way to Blacktower, she had gotten Manager Jin’s history in detail from Long Feiye and knew that the man had been sold to the Myriad Merchant Hall at a young age. Since Myriad Merchant Hall was the moneybags of Cloud Realm Trade Consortium, which itself supported the Di Clan, then winning over its members here was her foundation for controlling the Di Clan. To control Myriad Merchant Hall, she had to find someone who understood all the details that the elders weren’t willing to tell her in person. Manager Jin was a good choice, so here was a chance to talk now that they’d met.
Manager Jin didn’t answer Han Yunxi beyond a sardonic laugh. He turned to leave. Ning Cheng’s luck in attracting peach blossoms was no less inferior to his own, especially in the black markets. Many women who’d met him once often delivered themselves to his doors, but few ever entered the gates.
Seeing Manager Jin’s rudeness, Xu Donglin immediately flew in front of him and stopped the man. “What are you laughing about? Do you have any idea who she is?”
Manager Jin’s eyes flashed with impatience. He’d seen his share of women clamoring to be let in, but never one who brought a guard along to stop him. If he wasn’t mistaken, this man had impressive martial arts! Typically speaking, he would never pay attention to such females, but his mood was bad today. Add that to Xu Donglin’s forceful ways, and he snapped, “You broke your legs and still want to climb into Ning Cheng’s bed? Go back and keep dreaming!”
The truth proved that the sedate and quiet Manager Jin could be just as harsh as any woman when he turned sarcastic. Han Yunxi was startled…
Xu Donglin was so angry he promptly unsheathed his sword. If His Highness heard those words, Manager Jin would be drawn and quartered by now. As her guard, he’d be hard pressed to escape as well.
Although Han Yunxi was wearing a mask, Ning Jing was able to recognize her at a glance. The only one who would be knocking on their doors in a wheelchair now would be Han Yunxi. Meanwhile, Manager Jin prepared to unsheathe his dagger in response to Xu Donglin’s blade, only to be stopped by Ning Jing’s voice.
She was standing nearby and cried out, “Han Yunxi!”
Manager Jin thought the name sounded familiar, but couldn’t grasp its implications immediately. Soon enough, Ning Jing had ran in front of the other woman. “Han Yunxi, you injured my big brother!”
Ning Jing had heard from the guards that Han Yunxi was wheelchair-bound now, so she guessed right. Manager Jin finally remembered “Han Yunxi’s” identity as well and slowly turned back in shock. Very soon, his lips began twitching. He wanted to speak, but couldn’t open his mouth.
So...so as it turned out, this woman isn’t here to throw herself into Ning Cheng’s arms. She’s Ning Cheng’s...master!
Han Yunxi examined Manager Jin from head to toe before ignoring him in favor of Ning Jing. Manager Jin only felt a chill go down his back as he was filled with dread. From what he understood, Han Yunxi was a woman who paid back her grudges. She never suffered a loss and her methods were ruthless, her poisons cruel.
By God, he’d offended her.
Han Yunxi examined the angry Ning Jing with a complicated look in her eyes.
“Speak, were you the one who hurt my big brother? What kind of motives were you harboring? Why are you together with Long Feiye! Are you helping him with Bai Yanqing? Han Yunxi, how could you--”
“Ning Jing,” Han Yunxi interrupted in a low voice, “Are you in charge of the Di Clan now?”
Ning Jing was about to reply while Han Yunxi gave her another long look. She suddenly quieted down, her rage evaporating like air. What’s that look of hers for?
And what does she mean by that question?
“If you’re the one in charge, I think I should talk with you regarding the Tang Clan,” Han Yunxi added.
Ning Jing suddenly understood Han Yunxi’s look. She was hinting to her that she had no right to reign over the Di Clan because she’d already betrayed them regarding the Tang Clan! She stared at Han Yunxi with a stricken conscience mixed with fury and hate. She couldn’t accept this!
What right does she have to threaten me? Han Yunxi knew about Long Feiye’s relationships even better than me, but she still has the face to come back? Where’s her sense of responsibility as the West Qin princess? Where’s her integrity and sense of honor?
“You…” Ning Jing began, but stopped to walk in front of Han Yunxi and bend down. She rested her hands on the handles of the wheelchair and all but plastered herself next to Han Yunxi’s ear. “Your Royal Highness, how are you planning to discuss the Tang Clan with me?”
Manager Jin and Xu Donglin stared at them both with varied expressions. There was practically gunpowder smoke around the two women. Fighting between females was scary enough, to say nothing of two strong women. Manager Jin was rather curious to know what gave Ning Jing the guts to argue with the West Qin princess.
When Han Yunxi recalled Ning Jing’s scathing words back at Medical City, then studied the burning hatred in her eyes, Han Yunxi couldn’t help but recall her beauty when she first married Tang Li. She couldn’t figure out why Ning Jing didn’t expose Long Feiye and the Tang Clan’s relationship back at Medical City. Why didn’t she tell Ning Cheng? She had plenty of chances! She’d asked Long Feiye, who’d asked Tang Li in turn, but the latter just said that Ning Jing had her own selfish interests at heart and wanted to escape the Di Clan. Han Yunxi wasn’t sure whether Tang Li was making his own guesses or heard the claim from Ning Jing’s own mouth. She didn’t think a woman as gruff and fierce as Ning Jing would betray the Di Clan for her own selfish desires. So what was it that she wanted?
Why did she want to escape the Di Clan? From what Han Yunxi knew, Ning Jing was its most outstanding woman. Her question to Han Yunxi now was filled with sneers and questions.
“Ning Jing, are you planning to discuss the Tang Clan with me at these very gates?” Han Yunxi asked seriously.
Ning Jing gave a huff and backed away before personally wheeling Han Yunxi through the doors. Han Yunxi gestured for Xu Donglin to leave. Seeing this, Manager Jin gave up asking Ning Jing about the situation at the casinos and conveniently slipped away as well.
After they were inside, Han Yunxi began to probe. “Where’s Tang Li? Locked up by you guys? Are you planning to use him to pressure the Tang Clan?”
Ning Jing avoided the question and retorted, “Han Yunxi, as the West Qin princess, you not only hid the facts about the Tang Clan, but even fooled around with Long Feiye and let him use you. Even I wouldn’t be so straightforward in your shoes! What are you doing here?”