Chapter 1610: Chapter 1617: A Short Stay at Shen Mansion (2)
Xiao Kui’s face instantly flushed red upon hearing this and said anxiously, "Miss, don’t say such nonsense! I don’t have those kinds of thoughts. Besides, that young gentleman has been staring at you in the temple and even saved you. If you ask me, it’s more like *he* has fallen for you!"
Juhua curled her lips disdainfully and said, "Stop using me to cover up your own thoughts. As for me, your Miss here, even if I haven’t eaten pork, I’ve seen pigs walk. The way a man looks at a woman he’s fond of—I’ve seen it before, in the Emperor’s eyes when he looked at Cai Wei. That gentleman’s gaze when looking at me didn’t carry a single trace of admiration. So clearly, he has no other intentions toward me."
She thought for a moment and added, "I feel like perhaps it’s because I look like someone he knows. Honestly, every time he looks at me, it feels like he’s looking at someone else through me. It’s a bit creepy!"
"Really?"
Xiao Kui carefully thought back, and indeed, she realized the gaze that gentleman had when looking at her Miss lacked the kind of admiration a man shows a woman he likes. Thus, she dismissed the idea that he had any affection for her Miss.
"Of course it’s true. When he looks at me, although he is very focused, his expression carries a hint of pain and repression. Seriously, is your Miss so unbearable that one glimpse of me would cause someone pain and repression?"
"Of course not, Miss! You’re as beautiful as the sinking fish and falling geese, a face that shames the moon and puts flowers to blush—you’re a national treasure, as stunning as a celestial being..."
"Alright, alright, enough of the flattery!"
Juhua waved her hand dismissively, unwilling to continue the topic. Leaning against the back of her chair, she looked at Xiao Kui and said, "After all the uproar we caused today, my mother definitely won’t let me go out anymore. From now on, cursing that dead eunuch will be your responsibility!"
"What?"
Xiao Kui nearly tumbled off her seat. "Miss, you’re still planning on going?"
"Of course, I have to go."
Shen Juhua clenched her fists and said hatefully, "That dead eunuch humiliated me so terribly—I won’t rest until one of us is dead!"
...
At the County Government Office
Upon hearing that two Liaodan men had dared to harass his beloved daughter in public, Shen Luming was so furious that his eyes turned red. Ignoring whether or not they were affiliated with Xiaoyaoshan Manor, he immediately ordered his men to drag the two Liaodan savages outside and give each fifty strokes of the cane on the spot.
The county magistrate’s assistant, worried, said, "Master, these men are trusted aides of the Liaodan Great Khan, stationed in our Great Jin to scout for beauties for him. If you punish them and they report this to the Great Khan Saknu, what if he blames you and takes revenge?"
County Magistrate Shen retorted angrily, "As a father, if I cannot stand up for my daughter after she’s been humiliated, what’s the point of even holding the position of county magistrate? Let Saknu do his worst! Even at the cost of his retaliation, I must help my daughter vent her anger!"
Mo Zili listened calmly and remarked, "Lord Shen, that is wisdom. Strictly punishing these arrogant Liaodan men not only serves as a warning to others of their kind to stop their insolence in our Great Jin, but it also allows your daughter to regain her dignity. If Lord Shen were to heed your assistant’s advice and show constant tolerance to the Liaodan men, it would be akin to raising a tiger to invite disaster, bringing flames to your doorstep eventually. Furthermore, today’s matter concerns Miss Shen’s reputation. As a father, there’s no way you should let them off lightly!"
Seeing that Mo Zili’s words were eloquent and that he possessed an air of refined elegance, County Magistrate Shen responded politely, "Today’s matter was resolved thanks to this young gentleman’s righteous intervention. May I ask for your honorable name? From your accent, you don’t seem to be a local. Might I know where you’re from and your purpose for visiting this humble county?"
Mo Zili replied, "I am Mo Zili from the Capital. I left home a year ago to travel the lands and happened to pass by your esteemed place today. I have no particular business here."