Volume One, Chapter Eight: Lawless and Unrestrained

Inside the west wing of the house, Xiao Ruoqing woke up this morning to find that sensation had returned to her arms and upper body. Although her injuries were severe, it was the toxins in her system that had truly incapacitated her. As a member of the imperial family and a woman, Xiao Ruoqing had practiced martial arts since childhood and could be considered a formidable expert. That was why the assassins had poisoned her first. The toxin would not kill her, but it rendered her unable to unleash her strength while slowly stripping away control of her body. The organization behind this assassination attempt likely had no intention of killing her outright; rather, they wanted to capture her for other purposes, such as forcing an abdication or designating a successor. Had she not encountered Fan Xiu, she would never have escaped. Even though she had managed to flee with him, she had lost control over her body, though it was now slowly returning.

Xiao Ruoqing had spent the morning exercising in the room. Her upper body could barely move, but her legs remained completely numb. However, she was now faced with another problem she was too embarrassed to speak of. Previously, her injuries, bouts of unconsciousness, and lack of food and water had left her with no need for a toilet. But last night, she had consumed too much of the thin porridge Fan Xiu had fed her. After a full night, she felt a distinct, urgent pressure building up early in the morning. As the dignified Empress of the Great Yin, she had no idea how to bring up such a mortifying matter. In the entire Fan household, she was familiar with no one but Fan Xiu. Yet, that man was not only a male but also lecherous and possessed a wicked tongue. If he were to find out, she could only imagine how he might humiliate her. She held it in until midday.

Just as she was agonizing over how to handle the situation, a burst of angry shouting erupted outside. She struggled to sit up and peered through the gaps in the window into the courtyard, her brows instantly knitting together. In the yard, the originally lively and joyful scene had descended into chaos following the appearance of a scarred man, and the Fan family’s sense of peace vanished in an instant. This left Xiao Ruoqing deeply puzzled. Who was this person? How could he possess such destructive power? The Fan family had produced a Juren (provincial graduate); even a county magistrate would show them some courtesy. How dared this man treat them this way? And then there was Fan Xiu. Seeing Fan Xiu’s reaction, Xiao Ruoqing felt a surge of indignation, her eyes filled with disdain. This wretch was as cowardly as ever, timorous as a mouse! Upon seeing the scarred man, his first reaction had been to shrink his neck and retreat behind Fan Shoucheng.

Fan Shoucheng, after a brief moment of shock, hurried over, stooping low and bowing repeatedly with a fawning smile. "Manager Zhang, please, come inside. Let me brew you some tea."

"Brewing tea, my ass! Fan the Dullard, I've come for money! Tell me, where is my money?" Scar-faced Zhang cursed, shoving Fan Shoucheng hard. Fan Shoucheng stumbled backward, nearly landing on his backside.

"Father!" Fan Xiu, no longer concerned with fear, rushed forward to steady him. Given Fan Shoucheng’s frail, elderly limbs, if he had hit the ground, his tailbone likely would have shattered. Fan Yuan, with his dark skin, saw his father being bullied and immediately rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight.

"Brother, don't be rash," Fan Xiu said, quickly holding him back. The man before them was a manager for an underground moneylender. Even though he had come alone, he was known for being ruthless and having powerful connections.

"Brother Zhang, I just returned from the imperial examinations. Could you please grant us a little more time?" Fan Xiu pleaded with a sycophantic smile.

Fan Shoucheng hurriedly fished a piece of cloth from his person and pulled out two small silver ingots. "Manager Zhang, this is all we have managed to save over these two months. As for the rest, please, allow us a bit more time." These two taels of silver were meant to be used for the celebration of his son’s success in the examinations, but now, he had no choice but to surrender them.

Scar-faced Zhang took the silver, pocketed it, and sneered, "Two taels? Are you trying to brush off a beggar?"

Fan Shoucheng smiled apologetically, "My son is a Juren now; he will be able to pay off the rest of the debt very soon."

"A Juren?" Scar-faced Zhang laughed coldly. "Don't talk to me about being a Juren. Even if the Heavenly King himself came down, the money must be paid today! Two hundred taels in total. Pay up!"

"What!" Li Chuntao pointed at Scar-faced Zhang, grinding her teeth. "You god-damned bastard! We only borrowed twenty taels from you. We let you jack it up to one hundred taels, and now you want to double it again? Why don't you just go rob someone?" She moved to charge at him, desperate to fight. Fan Yuan held her back firmly to prevent her from getting hurt, his own forehead veins bulging and his fists clenched as he suppressed his rage.

In the corner of the courtyard, Mother Zhou had already collapsed to the ground in terror, clutching the crying Fan Yi and weeping helplessly. Inside the room, Xiao Ruoqing listened to the exchange, her brows locked in a deep frown. Twenty taels growing to two hundred? Could such an outrageous thing exist in this world? And this was happening to a family that had produced a Juren; she couldn't imagine how tyrannical they were toward ordinary people. If this was the state of the entire Great Yin, how rotten had the empire become? However, she was even more curious to see how Fan Xiu, with his mouse-like cowardice, would handle such a vicious man. Would he just throw in the towel and run?

In the yard, Scar-faced Zhang chuckled, saying, "You were the ones who borrowed the money, and the price is the price! If I don't see the money today, I'm taking one of the Juren's legs as interest!" Fan Yi and Mother Zhou in the corner began to wail even louder. A crowd had gathered around the courtyard, but not a single person dared to step forward.

"Brother Zhang," Fan Xiu took a deep breath to steady himself, forcing a smile. "We really don't have the money right now! How about this? I guarantee you, give me ten days, and in ten days, I will give you two hundred taels. How is that?"

"I want it now!" Scar-faced Zhang said coldly. "Either pay up, or I take a leg as interest!" As he spoke, he pulled out a gleaming dagger, his face twisted with malice. The surrounding onlookers recoiled in terror.

"You wouldn't dare!" Fan Shoucheng blocked Fan Xiu, and Fan Yuan followed suit. Li Chuntao burst into tears, pounding her fists against Fan Xiu’s chest, wailing, "Aren't you a Juren? The family sold everything we had to pay for your studies. Now that you’ve finally passed, the whole family is about to be driven to their deaths! What use is this Juren title of yours!"

Inside the room, Xiao Ruoqing gazed at the ferocious-looking Scar-faced Zhang in the yard, boundless fury erupting in her eyes, her face deathly pale. She even forgot about the trembling in her arms caused by exhaustion. If she hadn't witnessed it herself, she would never have believed such things could happen in the Great Yin Dynasty. First, a twenty-tael loan inflated tenfold to two hundred, and now they were threatening to chop off the leg of a Juren? Was this the "people living in peace and prosperity" reported by the Ministry of Revenue? This was nothing but lawlessness!

In the courtyard, Fan Xiu, being pummeled by his sister-in-law, looked at his father and elder brother who were protecting him regardless of their own lives, the desperate and terrified Mother Zhou and Fan Yi, and the furious Li Chuntao. His head was buzzing. Damn it! Before he transmigrated, he was burdened with a mortgage, hounded by bank agents every day like a dog. Now that he had transmigrated to the Great Yin, he was still being hounded for money! Even though he had passed the examinations, he couldn't even protect his own family! What was the point of his transmigration then?

"Come on then! My leg is right here!" Fan Xiu pushed aside Fan Shoucheng and Fan Yuan, shouting angrily at Scar-faced Zhang. "If you have the guts, cut it! I’m a Juren, you think I’m afraid of you? As long as you don't kill me, I swear, you’ll be the one who ends up dead!"