067 Proud and arrogant without limits

  This time no flying thief appeared, and Ji San Niang finally finished changing her clothes.

  Her silk dress is quite alluring, with a youthful charm and an air of refinement, her eyes hinting at a subtle longing that beckons men's hearts at any moment, I suppose she needs some capital to establish herself in this big Yangzhou city.

  "This is a match for Eldest Sister Chu." Fang Xian secretly admired, while withdrawing his evil gaze, afraid of being seen by Lin Yue Ru.

  "Today, I am honored by your three noble hands, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude."

  "What? Nonsense! Quick, get up." Yuer rushed forward to help San Niang up.

  Fang Xian always felt that Lin Yue Ru was sometimes more manly than men themselves, this matter should have been done by herself.

  The third daughter sat opposite the three of them and began to tell her own story.

  "I'm a widow, and apart from learning some martial arts on the border, I really don't have anything else to show for it. On this journey back to Yangzhou from the border, my sisters and I can only do some small-time trading, our targets are always corrupt merchants and officials who behave badly, we've never taken a single penny from poor people. Along the way, by the time we arrived in Yangzhou, we had managed to accumulate some capital."

  Fang Xian cracked melon seeds with relish, eager to hear how this widow would link thievery with righteousness.

  Before the widow could speak, Lin Yue had already guessed it.

  "I understand, as a woman of the rivers and lakes, and also a widow, even if you have money in your hands, it's not easy to do business, so you took over this brothel as a base, and established the Thieves' Sisters Society!"

  The third lady was slightly startled and praised: "Lin Niang is clever, and she has the same idea as me. In the future, we sisters will practice martial arts on one hand and do justice on the other. We will steal all the money from these traveling merchants and corrupt officials, and then distribute most of it to the poor people in Yangzhou, keeping a small part for ourselves as capital to overthrow the corrupt officials."

  "What's the point?" Fang Xian asked, "Strange, is overthrowing corrupt officials done with money? Isn't this like using a meat bun to hit a dog?"

  The expression on Ji San Niang's face turned profound: "The widow is in the next move... a very big chess piece."

  "Sister, tell it quickly!" Ling'er was enchanted by the story. This kind of revenge drama was indeed a favorite among young girls, and she couldn't let her be tempted to return to the village.

  The third daughter didn't answer directly, but instead asked: "You three, how would you handle this situation if you were in our shoes?"

  "Rally a group of heroes and good men, kill all the corrupt officials in the world."

  Third Sister Ji shook her head: "That's rebellion, and besides, corrupt officials can't be killed off completely - you kill one, and he'll just produce two more."

  "Persuade them with reason, enlighten them with emotions, and have a good talk with them!"

  "It's even more impossible now." Ji San Niang sighed, "Those corrupt officials have gone mad and are blinded by money. Even if a Bodhisattva came to persuade them, they wouldn't be able to be persuaded."

  The third lady looked at Fang Xian: "Young Master, what about you? What do you think?"

  Fang Xian thought for a moment and shook his head: "No solution. My thinking hasn't progressed to that point yet, so I won't pretend to be clever, madam please speak."

  The Third Girl gave a mysterious smile: "I think you have many ideas, Young Hero, but you just don't dare to say them."

  Fang Xian remained silent, unable to think of any reason to get involved in politics with a widow from the Southern Song dynasty.

  The three daughters saw Fang Xian not speaking, so they also didn't sell the key and directly told their own plan.

  "In the eyes of the common people, there are still honest officials in the imperial court, but the corrupt officials outnumber them, forming an alliance and setting their own rules to suppress the prestige of the honest officials, isolating them. It is also because of the large number of corrupt officials that they spread rumors and obscenities, confusing the emperor's perception, making him unable to understand the true state of affairs. The common people are not capable of changing this situation, so they place their hopes on the next generation of children. You three, listen carefully, what can you hear?"

  He closed his eyes, tilted his ears to listen, and indeed, from the back room came the faint sound of children reading. It was already past midnight, yet these children were still studying, showing their diligence.

  "The childless couple adopted some orphans and poor children, teaching them right from wrong and good from evil since childhood, teaching them to study hard so that those who can become officials will become officials, and those who can pursue knowledge will pursue knowledge. Those who become officials should take the people as their priority, and scholars should take transmitting knowledge and educating others as their honor."

  "Alas..." Lin Yue sighed, "Madam, your methods are too gentle, by the time they figure things out, how many years will it take?"

  "Under heaven's clear governance... This is the late husband's last wish, and also the greatest desire of the widow. Whatever can be done will be done."

  Ling'er turned her head and stared blankly at Fang Xian: "Brother Xian, although I don't understand what she's saying, but she seems to be a good person, she doesn't want to take her to the government office..."

  Fang Xian scratched his head, it's really troublesome, can't catch the flying thief and can't leave the city, but this flying thief... is really pitiful to be caught.

  Just then, seven or eight black-clad female thieves suddenly flashed out from behind the screen and knelt down on the ground.

  "Ask three heroes to forgive my wife..."

  "We'll take the blame for our wives' mistakes! Just arrest any one of us and we'll confess!"

  "This mansion can't be without a mistress... Song Qing has just arrived in the capital for the imperial examination, and his wife is still waiting for him to bring back good news..."

  “……”

  Fang Xian's face twitched, and he put on a good show of bitter emotions.

  Lin Yue swung her whip onto the table: "Rest assured, I won't let Xian'er be caught, and he wouldn't dare to catch him."

  Ling'er shook her head from side to side as usual: "Xian Gege, spare this widow sister..."

  At this time, Fang Xian could only seek help from a certain god.

  He snapped his fingers on Ling'er's arm with a jade Buddha bead: "Can I slip out from the edge of the city wall?"

  "It hurts......can't......"

  "That is to say, if I want to leave Yangzhou, I must catch the flying thief and give an explanation to the government."

  "Yes."

  He casually and heavily flicked his Buddhist beads: "Brain dead."

  The third daughter got up, and at this time she had already seen that although Lin Yue was seemingly in a strong position, the one who actually made decisions was still Fang Xian.

  "Junior hero, San Niang has said all that needs to be said. I should indeed accept punishment and plead guilty, but if I do so, the government will surely confiscate this mansion, and these children who are studying will once again become orphans. It's not that San Niang is unwilling to go, it's just that she carries too much on her shoulders."

  "Then tell me, how are we going to get out of the city?"

  "Looks like we can only find a scapegoat now."

  San Niang is still San Niang after all, and her methods of doing things are always so unconventional.

  "Never mind, let's be realistic. Fang Xian pointed at the female thieves kneeling on the ground, "You'll have to pay for your escape sooner or later. Send someone out and I'll take her to the government office at dawn to settle this matter."

  The third sister looked back at those sisters, her heart aching, and also knelt down: "Young master, which of my sisters is not my beloved? You want us to decide like this... how can we make a decision?"

  "Sister, don't say anything else, I'll go!"

  "I'm going! I'm older, eating a few years of prison food is nothing."

  "It's better if I go instead, my skills are a bit lacking and won't be of much help to everyone."

  ……

  Ling'er's eyes were red as she grasped Fang Xian: "Brother Xian, is there no other way?"

  "I'm done, I don't have time to design traps for others anymore, nor the mind to." Fang Xian was unusually firm this time.

  Lin Yue said angrily: "I thought you were a true and sincere good man, how can you be so weak?"

  "This isn't a matter of being weak or strong, living in this world requires discipline, not everything can be solved by relying on one's temper, not all troubles can be resolved with just a single outburst. Your father spoiled you, but I won't spoil you anymore, your savage nature needs to change!"

  Lin Yue rushed towards the back room without saying a word, staring at Fang Xian with a dead gaze.