Insufficient balance

  In the dead of night, Zhang Qiu, the housekeeper, woke up with a start. He thought that after dawn, he would be skinned and thrown into a pot, becoming a delicious meal for the bandits. He couldn't help but feel a wave of sorrow wash over him. Poor him, he had just hooked up with the ninth concubine of the old master and hadn't even had time to enjoy it yet, now he was going to meet his maker, how could he be willing to accept that?

  Zhang Qiu exerted himself and twisted his arm, but unexpectedly found that the bandits had not tied him tightly. With this struggle, he managed to loosen it a bit. Having made this discovery, Zhang Qiu immediately regained his spirits. A rustling sound echoed in the darkness, and before long, he had indeed escaped from his restraints.

  Zhang Qiu was overjoyed and crept to the back of the door, peeking out through the gap to see that several bonfires had been lit in the courtyard outside, with dozens of bandits scattered all over the ground. Two bandits stood guard at the main gate, their hands on the hilts of their swords. It was clearly impossible to escape from here.

  Zhang Qiu's eyes rolled around, and he quietly moved to the back of the wing room, gently propping up the window, revealing a gap. This west wing was built on the edge of a cliff, with only a few feet high precipice behind it, probably no thieves would be guarding there.

  Zhang Qiu pushed open the window and looked down, seeing only a dark expanse, his heart filled with great joy.

  A moment later, a rope made of silk strips descended from the open window, and Zhang Qiu's fat body climbed down the rope with difficulty. When he was about to land, one foot slipped and he fell heavily, but Zhang Qiu didn't dare make a sound, enduring the pain as he got up and escaped into the darkness.

  Zhang Qiu had just escaped when the figures of Ma Yue, Guan Hai and Pei Yuanshao appeared like ghosts in the west wing.

  Guan Hai asked inexplicably: "Bo Qi, why did you let this guy go? What if he reports to the government army, wouldn't that be a bad thing?"

  Ma Yue burst out laughing and said: "I deliberately let him go, just to have him inform the government troops."

  "What's going on?" Pei Yuanshao asked.

  Ma Yue smiled slyly and said, "Do you still remember what I said to scare that guy? To skin him alive and cook him for a meal, just enough for my brothers to have a full meal. As long as he's not a fool, he should be able to guess that our numbers won't exceed one hundred people, while the official army in Fuyang County has at least five hundred people. If you were the county magistrate of Fuyang County and received this news, would you do it like this?"

  "Needless to say, of course we'll take our troops and wipe them out. That's a merit-worthy achievement."

  Ma Chao said: "That's exactly what I'm talking about! After receiving the news, Fu Yang will definitely lead his troops to attack us because he thinks we are outnumbered."

  "We happen to be here and will have a battle with the government troops."

  Ma Yuede said: "Right, first wipe out this group of government troops, and then take advantage of the emptiness to seize the county city!"

  Pei Yuanshao was shocked: "What? We're still going to attack the county town? With just over 800 people?"

  It was inevitable that Pei Yuanshao would be surprised, as the Yellow Turbans had previously attacked cities without an army of tens of thousands, and it was absolutely impossible to attack a county city guarded by government troops. The county city was not like a market town, with walls and moats, although the moat was not wide and the wall was not high, but for the Yellow Turban bandits who lacked siege equipment, it was an insurmountable obstacle.

  "Staying in the countryside is a dead end," Ma Yuedao said. "Only in the county seat can we get the weapons, armor and enough food that we need."

  "Damn it! I'll go gather the brothers right away."

  "There's no need to rush." Ma Yueshan said calmly, "Fuyang County is 50 miles away from here, and it will take more than a hundred miles to go back and forth. Even if the government troops arrive, it won't be until tomorrow afternoon. Order the brothers to have a good meal and rest well, and after replenishing their energy, they can fight fiercely against the government troops."

  "Yes!"

  "Hush."

  The tightly closed door was suddenly pushed open, and a figure flashed in. Liu Yan's pretty face was frosty as she walked in. Seeing Liu Yan's unpleasant expression, Guan Hai and Pei Yuanshao tactfully retreated, with Guan Hai even closing the door behind him, showing that this rough man was actually also a refined person.

  Ma Yue glanced at Liu Yan faintly and asked: "It's so late, is there something you want to find me for?"

  Can't you come find me if nothing's wrong? Liu Yanfang's heart ached, pouting her small mouth and saying: "You're really a stubborn woman."

  "Then you should go find Guan Hai."

  "But you're the big leader."

  "If you're looking for me about this matter, then I know now."

  Having said that, Ma Yue raised his foot and was about to leave.

  Liu Yan's small mouth pouted, her eyes showing a hint of grievance, and tears almost welled up in the corners. This dead man really had a heart of stone. Since their reunion at Jing Shan, he hadn't spoken a single word to her, treating her like a stranger. Was she really that unlikable? How many times had Liu Yan gazed at her reflection in the water, wondering if Ma Chong's eyesight was flawed, and whether only a sow could stir his heart?

  "Wait... I'm looking for you, and there's something else."

  Ma Yue sighed softly in his heart, and his tone turned gentle as he asked, "What's wrong?"

  "Miss Zou wants to see you."

  "Miss Zou? Which Miss Zou?"

  "That's the one who went up Jing Mountain with you."

  "Oh, so her surname is Zou."

  Ma Yue nodded, only then remembering that since capturing the little girl, he had never asked her name. After meeting up with Jing Shan and Guan Hai and others, he was busy leading everyone to break through the official army's encirclement, almost forgetting about her.

  "What's wrong?"

  "You'll know when you get there."

  Liu Yan led Ma Yue to the east wing, where candles were lit. Liu Yan gently pushed open the door and went in first. Ma Yue had already stepped halfway through the doorway when he suddenly felt a shock, as if he had been electrocuted, and quickly retreated. In the flickering candlelight, he saw that the young woman's hands and feet had been untied, and she was sitting calmly on a chair.

  This little girl's ferocity is something Ma Yue knew about. Back then, he was able to capture her purely due to good luck; if it were to happen again, Ma Yue believed he would definitely die a terrible death.

  Liu Yan turned around and looked at Ma Yue in confusion, asking: "What's wrong with you?"

  Ma Yue pointed at Zou Yuniang and asked in a stern voice: "You... how did you untie her? She..."

  Zou Yuniang let out a soft hum from her nose, while Liu Yan covered her mouth and chuckled softly, saying: "You're still the leader, but you're so timid. Don't worry, I've already sealed her acupoints with silver needles, although she can move freely, her strength is weaker than that of a three-year-old child, she won't be able to hurt you."

  "Is that so?" Ma Yue asked skeptically.

  Liu Yan angrily said: "Why would I cheat you?"

  He took a big step into the east wing, but his legs were still in a T-shape, ready to escape at any moment if things didn't go as planned. After all, this little girl was too dangerous, and it's always better to be safe than sorry.

  "Miss Zou, what can I do for you?"

  Zou Yuniang glared at Ma Yue with a scowl, asking: "You've caught me for several days now, but you don't kill me or let me go. What do you want to do? You can't be thinking of having me follow you as bandits?"

  Ma Yue smiled faintly and asked: "Do you want me to let you go or kill you?"

  "Cut the crap."

  "You think I'm letting you off, huh? Alright, I'll ask you something and you answer me. If I find out you're lying, hmm... see those dozens of sturdy men outside the door? They haven't had a woman in a long time. If I give you to them as a gift, I'm sure they'll be very happy."

  Zou Yuniang's face suddenly turned pale with anger, and in her heart, she had already hated Ma Yue to death.

  "What's your first name? Your surname is Zou."

  Jade Girl

  "How old?"

  Seventeen.

  "Hasn't he already promised?"

  “……”

  "Hasn't he already promised?"

  "Not yet."

  "Where do you live?"

  "Yu Yang County, Zou Jia Village."

  "Why would the brave warriors of Yuyang County listen to your orders?"

  "Because my brother is the county lieutenant of Yuyang and the leader of the Righteous and Brave Army."

  "Is your brother the county magistrate of Yuyang? What's his name?"

  "Zou Jing, courtesy name Ziyu."

  "I see, I understand."

  After finishing speaking, Ma Yue turned around and left. Zou Yuniang hastily said: "Hey, you promised to let me go, but now you're not keeping your word."

  Ma Yue flashed a smile, revealing his white teeth, and said coldly: "When have you ever seen a bandit who keeps his word?"

  ……

  Eastern Capital Luoyang, colorful lanterns just lit up, night color is hazy.

  The Great Han Empire may have been declining, but Luoyang was still bustling with activity and prosperity. In a prosperous city like Luoyang where officials and nobles gathered, brothels were naturally unavoidable.

  At that time, prostitutes could be divided into two categories: one was the art prostitute, equivalent to today's performing arts and entertainment stars; the other was the color prostitute, equivalent to today's prostitutes. Subdivided, they can be divided into five categories: palace prostitutes, camp prostitutes, official prostitutes, family prostitutes, and civilian prostitutes.

  "The Red Mansion" is the most famous brothel in Luoyang City, where the prostitutes are mostly knowledgeable and courteous, with both beauty and artistic skills, and are infatuated by many officials and nobles in the capital. Behind the Red Mansion, there is a large lotus pond with misty waves, on which there is a nine-turn bridge leading to the artificial hill in the center of the lake, and on the artificial hill, there are exquisite houses and elegant pavilions.

  A stately and elegant woman with a slender figure and a face as white as jade glided gently through the nine-turn corridor into the exquisite pavilion.

  The Yaxuan is divided into two rooms, with a bead curtain separating the middle. Inside, someone is playing the piano by the window, and their elegant figure can be vaguely seen. The sound of the piano is complex and changing, like crying and complaining, as if it contains infinite emotions.

  The lady entered the elegant pavilion, bowed down to the ground and said: "Miss, the court has just received an urgent report from Nanyang, 800 miles away. The Yellow Turbans in Nanyang have been defeated by Zhu Yue. Nearly 300,000 troops were annihilated, Zhang Mancheng, Han Zhong, Zhao Hong and others, all beheaded and executed."