Chapter 25: Triumph

Master Xia gazed at the public notice on his desk, his expression brimming with smug satisfaction.

"It seems there are actually some capable individuals in the magistrate's office," he mused to himself. "That Magistrate Cao certainly has a few tricks up his sleeve. To think he managed to resolve such a situation—even I was caught off guard when he secretly promoted agriculture. I had expected that by having my dogs abduct women, I would leave him with no labor to work the fields, forcing him to taste the bitterness of failure at the final hurdle. Yet, he managed to slip through my grasp once again. The hunting techniques he taught have already caused my butcher business to suffer significant losses. If the grain shortage is resolved, my rice market profits will likely plummet as well. It seems I must find a way to stir up some trouble! Ah, I must say, those young women from last night were truly supple."

As he stared at the notice, a lewd grin spread across his face. The maid standing nearby felt a wave of disgust; she had always considered this master to be utterly vile. He spent his days leering at their figures, making them feel deeply uncomfortable. He even forced them to wear thin, tight-fitting gauze garments that were far from comfortable. They knew well that staring incessantly at a woman was profoundly impolite; one should respect personal boundaries, and only those in intimate relationships should be permitted such proximity. Overcome with revulsion, the maid couldn't help but retch.

"Steward, tell Liu Jia and the others to begin the trafficking. We need more women from the county," Master Xia commanded.

"But Master, didn't you say that Magistrate Cao is investigating these matters closely? He is always relentless; it is difficult to leave no trace!"

"It doesn't matter. Our friends in the neighboring counties are also stepping up their efforts. The magistrates there will likely all have to make a trip to the prefecture soon. Whenever a major crisis arises, isn't that what those officials always do? Why fear? Be bold—leave it to those dogs, and just feed them a few extra bones."

Having said this, he glanced at the maid beside him. The steward grabbed her, dragged her out the door, and threw her into the mastiff pen in the backyard. Moments later, her shrill, desperate cries were cut short, replaced by the sounds of the dogs fighting over their prey.

Steward Liu, Liu Jia, and Wang Si were sitting in the tavern owned by Master Xia, sharing a meal.

"Brother Liu, here is your payment for this time!" The steward tossed a money bag to Liu Jia.

Liu Jia caught the bag and, without a word of courtesy, opened it immediately. His eyes lit up at the sight. "Whoa! Master Xia is being quite generous this time!"

"Hahaha! Master Xia never shortchanges his most capable men! You have done an excellent job this time. Naturally, if you can perform even better, there will be more money to be earned!"

"Rest assured, Steward Liu! We will work even harder in the future to prove our worth to the Master." With that, he slipped a silver ingot into the steward's hand.

Steward Liu’s eyes locked onto the silver, and he swallowed hard before tucking it into his robes. He didn't bother with polite pleasantries, having already pocketed an ingot for himself. "Actually, Master Xia has another task for you. If you handle this well, you will receive even greater dividends!"

Liu Jia and Wang Si set down their chopsticks, sitting up straight to listen intently.

"Master Xia wants you to start targeting the women within the county itself!"

Liu Jia and Wang Si exchanged looks, clearly bewildered. "Steward Liu, you may not realize this, but the county is not like the villages!" In the villages, law enforcement was weak, and reports were usually made by village elders who had to travel to the county themselves. By the time the bailiffs arrived to investigate, they had already cleaned up the scene. If that failed, they would simply send their men into hiding for a while. But the new magistrate was extremely strict; he insisted on following legal procedures for every case until they were closed, making him very difficult to deceive. "We haven't dared to traffic women within the county before. If not for Xia Ya wanting to possess those two sisters—Qin Yue'e and her sibling—we wouldn't have dared to try and seize them from Chen Fan's house! Look at the miserable end Xia Ya met. It’s not that we aren't willing, but it is truly difficult!"

"Do you know how much a high-quality woman can fetch?"

"We do not know, brother!"

"Fifty taels!"

"Fifty taels! Isn't that too much?"

"These top-tier goods are all destined for the capital to be enjoyed by high-ranking officials and nobles! Mid-tier ones go for thirty taels, and low-tier ones for two taels. After deducting the Master’s bribes and operational costs, you will receive a ten percent commission."

"But we truly don't understand why there is such a demand for women? Everyone in the Great Zhou has a wife, so why open so many brothels?"

"Tell me, are your own wives beautiful?"

"Not really! Beautiful girls are few and far between. Not everyone is as lucky as Chen Fan to have such a beautiful wife! Ah, that Chen Fan is truly blessed!"

"That is exactly why you must capture beautiful women! If the brothels hold the most beautiful women, won't the men flock to them? That is how we make more money! The Great Zhou is showing signs of collapse, and the barbarians have been annexing territory for years. Once they unite and focus their strength against us, the fall of the border defenses is only a matter of time. Besides, there are hardly any men left to guard the borders. The Great Zhou will fall sooner or later. Take a brother’s advice: in troubled times, hoard gold. Save up your money; it will be useful for survival."

The two men fell silent. What Steward Liu said was the cold, hard truth. They were tempted, naturally wanting to amass as much wealth as possible. After much hesitation, they agreed. "We'll do it!"

"Hahaha, my brothers have finally seen the light! Let us toast to that!"

Meanwhile, Li Xing and Chen Fan were heading to the villages to investigate the disappearances. In truth, even the youngest bailiff in the county could see that Liu Jia and his men were behind it. If they continued to turn a blind eye in order not to alert the enemy, it would only make the criminals more cautious.

Chen Fan and his companions were merely going through the motions. Their true objective was to mobilize the village men to work hard and harvest the early wheat. Chen Fan had already decided that since the villagers lacked clothing and furniture, he would offer these as rewards to make them feel they were benefiting, thereby ensuring their cooperation. If that wasn't enough, he was prepared to promise a reduction in grain taxes to leave them with more food. Simultaneously, he mobilized the older women to help prepare meals for the workers, bringing along cooks and ingredients from the tavern.

Chen Fan was so well-prepared because he feared the situation might spiral out of control, as he had yet to fully grasp the realities of the rural villages in the Great Zhou. He would simply have to adapt as the situation unfolded.