Chapter 64: You Almost Got Your Thrill, but You’re Courting Death
Chapter 64: Chapter 64: You Almost Got Your Thrill, but You’re Courting Death
For the next two days, Pei Shaoqing’s life fell into a routine.
This routine consisted of slacking off at work, slacking off after work, and feeding the Shaking Light Saintess. He would also occasionally subject her to a whipping for her insolent words or disrespectful, contemptuous gazes.
This afternoon, the first thing he did after getting off work and returning home was to bring food and tea to feed the Shaking Light Saintess.
"Saintess, today’s food is quite good."
Pei Shaoqing said with a faint smile.
The Shaking Light Saintess replied with a deadpan expression, "What good are the finest delicacies? The only thing I want to eat right now is your flesh!"
"Looks like you’re asking for another beating." Pei Shaoqing’s expression turned cold in an instant as he casually picked up the horsewhip lying nearby.
Her hands, feet, and body bound, the Shaking Light Saintess, who was lying prone on the floor, trembled. She closed her eyes, tilted her head up, and said, "Go on, then! Hit me! Just do it!"
’You think this will make me fear you?’
’How ridiculous! It’s merely a bit of physical pain.’
But after waiting for a long while, she realized the whip hadn’t fallen as it usually did. She cautiously opened her eyes, only to see that Pei Shaoqing had lowered his hand.
A look of confusion and bewilderment filled her eyes.
"That was a close one. I almost let you get your rocks off." Pei Shaoqing suspected this woman was deliberately provoking him to get her "reward."
The Shaking Light Saintess was stunned by his words. It took her a moment to fully grasp their meaning, and then, filled with shame and anger, she gritted her teeth. "Only a degenerate like you would think that way!"
WHACK! The whip landed on her bottom.
"AHH!" Caught completely off guard, the Shaking Light Saintess let out a pained scream. She glared at him, her face flushed red with fury and embarrassment, and shouted, "You pervert! Don’t hit me there!"
"Do captives who are being beaten have the right to choose?" Pei Shaoqing sneered. He tossed the whip aside, walked over, and helped her into a sitting position. "It’s time to eat, Saintess."
When it came to eating and drinking, the Shaking Light Saintess was now completely cooperative. Her intense desire for revenge was what kept her wanting to live, and she needed to keep her body nourished.
After he finished feeding her, Pei Shaoqing got up to leave.
"Wait!" the Shaking Light Saintess called out to him.
Pei Shaoqing paused and glanced back. "What is it?"
"Did you forget something?" the Shaking Light Saintess asked, biting her lip, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.
Pei Shaoqing frowned. "What?"
"You have me tied up. How am I supposed to relieve myself?" the Shaking Light Saintess said, taking a deep breath. It was a difficult thing for her to say.
She had been holding it for two days and couldn’t hold it in any longer.
A smile tugged at the corners of Pei Shaoqing’s mouth.
Of course, he hadn’t forgotten. He did it on purpose.
He set down the food tray, stepped forward, and grabbed the Shaking Light Saintess’s chin. "If you want to relieve yourself, then beg me."
"You!" The Shaking Light Saintess was furious, but as the saying goes, when you’re at someone’s mercy, you have to submit. Filled with humiliation, she whispered, "I beg you to let me go... relieve myself."
"Who am I?" Pei Shaoqing asked again.
The Shaking Light Saintess said softly, "Pei Shaoqing."
"Call me Young Master," Pei Shaoqing said with a slight smile.
"You... you’re going too far!" The Shaking Light Saintess’s beautiful eyes widened, and she nearly bit her lip raw. Her face was a mix of pale and ashen as she gritted out, "Pei Shaoqing, I am not a servant of your Pei Family! I am the Saintess of the Holy Sect!"
Pei Shaoqing shook his head and made to leave.
"Wait! Young... Young Master." Seeing that he was really about to leave, the Shaking Light Saintess cried out in a panic, her voice full of shame. Then, she closed her eyes and shouted, her voice trembling on the verge of tears, "Young Master, this servant begs you."
If she held out any longer, she wouldn’t be able to hold it in. That would be far more shameful than verbally calling him ’Young Master’.
"Very good. Wait here. I’ll have someone bring in a chamber pot for you." Satisfied, Pei Shaoqing strode away.
He found Liu Yuheng.
He had her watch over the Shaking Light Saintess as she relieved herself.
"Master!" A house servant, his head beaded with sweat, ran up to Pei Shaoqing to report. "Master, a lot of people have gathered outside. They’re making a scene and insisting they have to see you."
"Who are they?" Pei Shaoqing asked.
The servant answered respectfully, "This one’s eyes are poor, I couldn’t recognize everyone. I only recognized a few: the shopkeepers from the grain and cloth shops, and a Madam Wang from Qunfang Garden..."
"Show them to the main hall and serve them tea. Tell them I’ll be there shortly," Pei Shaoqing interrupted.
These were all people who paid him protection money.
***
A quarter of an hour later, Pei Shaoqing, having changed his clothes, walked into the main hall. It was already full of people.
"Lord Pei is here."
"Lord Pei, you have to help us!"
When Pei Shaoqing appeared, everyone stood up to greet him, each one with a long face, crying out their grievances.
"Everyone, everyone!" Pei Shaoqing raised a hand to signal for calm. Once the room quieted down, he walked to the head seat and sat down, asking in an unhurried tone, "What exactly has happened to make you all come here together?"
"Allow me!" Shopkeeper Qian, Tongzhou City’s largest cloth merchant, stepped forward and said angrily, "Lord Pei, you may not be aware, but that Hundred Households Commander Zhou has sent people to extort bribes from all of us. The amounts are staggering! We are all honest, law-abiding businessmen. Your Lordship has always been just. You must help us!"
"That’s right, Lord Pei! We don’t mind paying our respects to you, but who the hell does Hundred Households Commander Zhou think he is? He dares to demand even more than you! He clearly has no respect for you!"
"My Lord, Hundred Households Commander Zhou isn’t bullying us—he’s slapping you in the face!"
The others chimed in one after another in agreement.
Although they looked down on the Hundred Households Commander, they adhered to the merchants’ survival philosophy of valuing harmony and not antagonizing officials. They wouldn’t have minded spending a little money to make him go away.
But they hadn’t expected the Hundred Households Commander’s steward to be so greedy, which forced them to come find Pei Shaoqing.
After all, Pei Shaoqing took a cut of their business profits.
’He can’t just sit by and do nothing, can he?’
"How outrageous!" Pei Shaoqing flew into a rage, slamming his hand on the table as he shot to his feet. He declared forcefully, "I have always despised corrupt officials who take bribes and exploit the local populace! Rest assured, everyone. You don’t have to give him a single coin. I will handle Hundred Households Commander Zhou."
’Son of a bitch.’ He had been prepared to give Hundred Households Commander Zhou a cut to keep him happy, but he never expected the bastard to try and make a living by robbing him blind.
’Cutting off a person’s source of wealth is like murdering their parents.’
’He could already see that Zhou Xiangyang was courting death!’
"Lord Pei is truly wise! We knew you were an upright official who cannot tolerate injustice."
"Yes, yes! It’s only thanks to Lord Pei that we have such a great business environment in Tongzhou!"
Seeing Pei Shaoqing agree so readily,
everyone was overjoyed and scrambled to flatter him.
"You all flatter me. As an official, it is my duty to bring prosperity to the region, so as not to fail His Majesty’s grace." Pei Shaoqing clasped his hands in the direction of the Capital City and said, "Please, everyone, return home for now. Oh, and Shopkeeper Qian, please stay behind."
The crowd looked at Shopkeeper Qian. Though curious as to why Pei Shaoqing had asked him to stay, they could only take their leave.
"My Lord, is there something you wish to instruct me on, that you’ve asked me to stay behind alone?" Shopkeeper Qian was also filled with confusion.
Pei Shaoqing sat down again. "You’re in the cloth business. Can you get your hands on Ice Silk?"
"If Your Lordship wants it, this humble one can naturally procure it," Shopkeeper Qian replied, thinking it over.
Pei Shaoqing got straight to the point. "Purchase some Ice Silk as raw material, then hire a few craftsmen skilled in this area at a high price. I will make you a wealthy man."
’It’s time to put the production of lingerie on the schedule.’
’One, to add some color to my own life.’
’And two, to make a tidy profit from it.’
"My Lord, you may not know, but Ice Silk itself is extremely expensive, the crafting technique is highly demanding, and skilled craftsmen are worth a thousand gold and still hard to find. Furthermore, very few people can afford such items. I’m afraid that even if the clothes are made, there will be no one to sell them to!" Shopkeeper Qian expressed his concern.
For this kind of high-end product, materials and craftsmanship were one barrier; sales channels were the biggest barrier of all.
Pei Shaoqing spoke with complete confidence. "With me here, are you still afraid of not having sales channels? If this is managed well, it’s not impossible for our products to become imperial tribute.
"Just go and get it done first. In this venture, I will begrudgingly take a fifty-percent share. That should put you at ease, right? Even if I were willing to let you take a loss, would I be willing to let myself take one?"
The two words "imperial tribute" made Shopkeeper Qian’s heart tremble.
After a moment’s hesitation, he decided to take the gamble. He gritted his teeth and said, "Since Your Lordship is intent on promoting me, this humble one cannot let you down. I will arrange for this as soon as I return."
"Shopkeeper Qian, you have the look of a man destined for wealth and honor." Pei Shaoqing chuckled. After the shopkeeper left, the smile instantly vanished from his face. "Lan’Er, go and summon Standard-Bearer Chen."