Translator: NovelMultiverse | Editor: NovelMultiverse
In the early morning, Yu Linglong had just had breakfast, and a maid came to report that the butler at the accountant had sent news that the mountain Yu Linglong had ordered them to buy had been bought .
Hearing this news, Yu Linglong was very interested . She wanted to see if these accountants would really buy her a poor mountain and a place with bad water according to her instructions .
Yu Linglong ordered someone to bring in the butler who bought the mountain and planned to ask him in person .
The butler rarely came to the inner courtyard, and even after entering the room, he didnât even dare to lift his head, but bowed deeply, raised the title deed in his hand above his head, and dared not say a word .
Lingâer took the title deed and offered it to Yu Linglong . Yu Linglong glanced at it, and only saw that it was a mountain and woodland of more than 500 acres, then put down the title deed and looked at the butler .
âTell me about the situation in this field . â
The butler was in a panic, fearing that the purchase might not be in line with the princessâs wishes, so he hurriedly said, âThis mountain is in the north of the city, twenty miles away from the capital . There are nine hills, large and small, and there are only two sources of water, and there are only a few mountain springs, and no streams or rivers . There are grass and trees on these two hills, but they are very sparsely distributed . The other seven hills are stone hills with no grass...â
The butlerâs voice was getting lower and lower . He had been in charge for so many years and he had never bought such a low-quality mountain forest . Although he bought it according to the princessâs order, his heart felt really guilty .
But Yu Linglong listened very seriously, and nodded while listening, obviously satisfied: âHow much money did you spend in total?â
The manager wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and said, âIt took a total of six hundred taels . â
This silver was certainly not a problem for the Xu Palace . The problem was that such inferior properties were really not easy to buy . He also tried his best to find out that there were such places for sale .
Yu Linglong nodded: âYou have done a good job . Leave the title deed here . Go back to the accountant and get ten taels of silver . â
He didnât believe his ears one bit . After buying such a bad place, he still got a reward?
After a moment of shock, he came back to his senses, knelt down, and thanked her for the reward, and withdrew with suspicion .
Yu Linglong looked down at the land deed in her hand, and suddenly turned around and asked: âLingâer, how are the people I asked you to buy last time?â
Lingâer put down the kettle in her hand and said: âMama Liu and I went to several places and bought a group of people . â
âHow many?â
âThere are sixty or seventy,â Lingâer added hurriedly, âThey were all bought in accordance with the requirements of the princess . â
As Lingâer spoke, she secretly looked at Yu Linglongâs face, as if she was afraid of being blamed .
Yu Linglong looked at her expression, and after a little thought, she knew the reason . Lingâer must have bought all the children who met the requirements when she saw that the slaves were pitiful . Now she came back, and she was afraid that Yu Linglong would complain, so she was cautious .
Pretending to not see Lingâerâs anxiety, Yu Linglong smiled faintly, and said: âWell, if they meet the conditions in the future, you can just buy as many as you want . â
Seeing that Yu Linglong did not blame her, Lingâer was greatly relieved: âYes, Princess . â
Lingâer thought for a while, but couldnât help asking: âPrincess, you want to buy so many slaves . What are you going to do?â
If it was just to open the mountain, then there was no need to buy as many . Besides, as the butler just said, this mountain was almost a stone mountain . It had been barren for a long time . If she bought so many people to send to the mountain, there was not so much work to be done!
Yu Linglong was silent for a moment and said, âI want to teach them martial arts . â
âMartial arts?â Lingerâs eyes widened in surprise, âPrincess, are you trying to...â
She seemed to have noticed her mistake . Lingâer hurriedly covered her mouth, but her eyes were still wide open, obviously very surprised .
The princess had changed a lot since she married into the Xu Palace . Her smile had changed a lot, and she had become more kind to her servants . As a maid, she was of course happy to see the princess in a better mood, but she didnât understand what the princess was doing recently .
Buying mountains, buying slaves, these things were normal, but teaching slaves martial arts, and accepting the Dragon Tiger Gang, she really didnât understand these .
The princess was just a lady in the house, who had no worries about food and clothes, so what would she do?
Lingâer certainly couldnât understand Yu Linglongâs approach . In her opinion, Yu Linglong had become the noble Princess Xu . She should dress every day like other noble women, go to banquets, drink tea, and listen to plays . But Yu Linglong didnât think so . With her personality, doing these things was so boring that she didnât even bother to do them .
In addition to the current situation, Lingâer couldnât understand it, but she was insightful . Although the prince did not move these days, she would never let Lord Xu go . As the wife of Lord Xu, she naturally wanted to help her husband .
Buying forests and cultivating manpower were all preparations for the future .
She didnât want to explain these things to Lingâer but just ordered her plan to be carried out .
âMama Liu, go to the mansion to find a few rough women who can cook to go to the mountains to work . Ask them who would like to go . The monthly payment is ten times that of the mansion . â
The mountain environment in the northern suburbs was harsh, and it was far from the capital, so no one was willing to live there . Yu Linglong had increased their monthly payment, which can be regarded as a kind of compensation .
Yu Linglong was telling Mama Liu about hiring a mason to build a house on the mountain . Lingâer, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly knelt down .
âI want to ask the princess for one thing . â
Yu Linglong was a little surprised . She knew Lingâerâs temperament, perhaps because of her origin . Although she was just a slave, she had always been a bit arrogant and stubborn . She had been with her for nearly a year, and Lingâer had never been so serious about asking Yu Linglong to save her brother .
With her eyebrows furrowed, Yu Linglong said, âGet up and then talk . â
Lingâer shook his head, with a rare insistence on his face: âPrincess, I beg you to agree, let me go to the mountain to practice martial arts . â
Yu Linglong was very surprised: âYou want to go to the mountain?â
Lingâer nodded firmly: âYes, I will also go up the mountain . â
Yu Linglong looked at Lingâer deeply: âYou just heard it all . The conditions on the mountain are very difficult . â
Although Lingâerâs identity was a maid, she was Yu Linglongâs personal maid . In this Palace of the Xu Dynasty, she already had a very high status . Although she usually served Yu Linglong, she also had a small maid to serve Lingâer when she was out of the room . But this comfortable life was not enough for Lingâer, and she wanted to go to the mountain to endure hardship?
Lingâer bowed to Yu Linglong and her little face was full of seriousness: âPrincess, I am not very capable and canât protect the princess . The princess was in danger several times, and I am really ashamed...â
Her voice gradually choked up, but she held the tears in her eyes and refused to let the tears flow down: âI beg you to give me a year . I must work hard and learn martial arts to protect you . â
The last time Yu Linglong was kidnapped by Feng Xuanyuan, she was knocked out without even having a chance to make a move . When she was on the snowy mountain during the spring hunt, she tried her best to escape, but she had already lost Yu Linglongâs position; and when they were surrounded by officers and soldiers from Yu Weiwu, she even needed Yu Linglongâs action to save her life .
She was the maid of the princess, but she still needed the princess to help her . In the most dangerous times, not only could she not protect the princess, but she also hurt the princess . The thought of this made her heartbroken .
She had suffered family breakages and deaths . She even left her brother, but she still watched him being taken away and sold by others . She didnât want to be so weak, so useless, that even her own destiny was beyond her grasp, let alone protecting the people she wanted to protect .
Now, what Yu Linglong had to do gave her a glimmer of hope . She knew the skills of the princess and the prince . If they wanted to teach slaves martial arts, then the martial artist invited must be someone with high martial skills . If she was able to learn martial arts, she would not be vulnerable when she protected the princess in the future, so she thought about it for a while, and then made up her mind .
Yu Linglong was shocked when she heard Lingâerâs words . She didnât expect Lingâer to learn martial arts to protect her .
For a long time, she only regarded Lingâer as a neat little maid, and she was used to protecting herself . But this time, she didnât expect that Lingâer was no longer a little girl, and in her heart, she had already regarded Yu Linglong as the person she wanted to protect to the death .
It was just that Lingâer had been with her for so long, and she suddenly asked to leave . She was really reluctant to leave her and reluctant to go to the mountains to endure hardship .
Seeing the appearance of the master and servant looking at each other silently, Mama Liu sighed and persuaded: âPrincess, since Lingâer has such a heart, itâs better for the Princess...to fulfill her wish . â
Lingâer still knelt on the ground, looking like she wouldnât get up if Yu Linglong didnât agree .
Yu Linglong stared at Lingâer for a long time before nodding slowly: âOkay, you can go . â
Needless to say, she understood Lingâerâs intentions and her persistence . One year was not a long time . It may not be a bad thing for Lingâer to experience it .
Lingâer said softly: âThank you, princess . â Then she stood up .
Yu Linglong said, âGet ready to go out with me tomorrow . â
Lingâer was leaving temporarily, which also reminded her that she should go and see some things .
...
Knowing that Blue and White Tiger didnât run an honest business, Yu Linglong was mentally prepared before coming, but when she saw the business of the Dragon Tiger Gang, she still suffered a lot of psychological shocks .
The sun in late spring was drowsy, and even the soft wind was warm . The trees on both sides of the street had become a bit lush, all kinds of flowers were blooming in Baihua Lane, and spring was everywhere .
Although it was not yet summer, the brothel girls in Baihua Lane have long been eager to put on summer clothes . The streets were full of colorful and bright clothes, covering their white skin, and paired with that whimsical laughter, the way they embraced guests, and their unbridled laughter made the alleys that were not spacious become very lively .
Lingâer had never seen such a scene . She bowed her head deeply from the moment she entered the alley, and she didnât even dare to look at them .
She originally thought that the princess and her had changed menâs clothing so it would be more convenient to go out, but who knew that at the moment those brothel women saw them both wearing menâs clothing, young and handsome, all of them rushed up like flies to blood as if they could not wait to bring them into their buildings . They went to work immediately .
âOh, my little brother was born so handsome, do you want me to keep you company?â
âThe two masters should come to us, my house is notoriously good, and I promise to make you two comfortable!â
Even the girls upstairs heard the commotion and came out, stood in front of the window, leaned forward, and shook their handkerchiefs desperately at them: âYou two should come up soon, I want you two dearly!â
Yu Linglong could still remain calm, but Lingerâs face turned red when she heard her, and she followed Yu Linglong closely, fearing that the womenâs army would be too fierce, so she directly rushed the princess .
As she was walking, there was a puff from the top of her head . It turned out that a brave girl dropped a fan and hit Lingâer on the head in an attempt to attract their attention .
Lingâer couldnât bear it . With a hard hand, she pulled the fragrant fan to pieces, and rushed up to the building, and shouted, âGo away!â
When she raised her head, her little red face looked right at her . Lingâerâs words not only did not have a deterrent effect but instead caused a laugh .
âOh, youâre blushing, are you still a baby?â
âThis red one is even more handsome . Little brother, come here, I promise you will want to try it once if you taste it once!â
âSuch a handsome little man, I canât bear to fight! Come up quickly, I love you very much!â
The seductive voice was joking, and the words were blatantly spoken . How was Lingâer a match for these women? She suddenly blushed, and couldnât speak .
At this moment, a rough voice sounded in the alley, which seemed out of place amidst the chuckles of tenderness .
âAre you full and have nothing to do? How dare you provoke our Master Ling, donât you want to live anymore!?â
A tall man was standing in the center of the street, roaring loudly . He was shirtless and his muscles were tight, making the large tattoo very hideous .
Lingâer finally breathed a sigh of relief . For the first time, she was so grateful for Blue and White Tigerâs timely appearance . She hurried forward and shouted in a grateful tone: âBrother Gao . â
Blue and White Tiger was flattered, and quickly whispered: âDonât, you should still call me my nickname, how can I be worthy of the name âbig brother?ââ
After speaking, Blue and White Tiger took a few steps forward and respectfully bowed to Yu Linglong .
In front of so many people, Blue and White Tiger didnât dare to call her Princess Yu Linglong . He thought for a moment and said, âBoss, please come in . â
Yu Linglong nodded to him, acquiescing to this title . It seemed that this Blue and White Tiger was still learning . He understood things clearly and reacted quickly . This boss not only concealed her identity as a woman but also expressed self-respect .
Looking away from Blue and White Tiger, Yu Linglong looked at the sign behind him, feeling a little speechless .
In front of her was a small three-story building . It seemed that it was a brothel before it was renovated after being taken over by Blue and White Tiger . Now the smell of rouge had been swept away . The door was wide open, and a piece of grey cloth curtain hung over the door, shaking from time to time with the wind . There was a very magnificent red sandalwood sign at the door, with the four big golden characters written on itâRuyi Gambling House .
Although it was not night yet, the gambling house was very noisy, and the sound of rolling dice and throwing Pai Gow continued one after another . It could be seen that the business here was very good .
Blue and White Tiger led Yu Linglong and Lingâer into the door . It was really lively inside . Almost all the game tables were crowded with people, and all of them rolled their sleeves up, and they seemed very excited .
Yu Linglong and the others went up to the third floor . It was relatively quiet there . Blue and White Tiger asked someone to make tea and poured it to Yu Linglong himself: âBoss, take your time . â
Yu Linglong put down the teacup and slowly said, âWhy open a gambling shop?â
She used the silver to do business for Blue and White Tiger, but she didnât ask him to open a gambling shop . Yu Linglong was not worried that the gambling shop was illegalâhe had never done anything illegal in her previous lifeâbut this did not mean that the first business she was willing to open herself was a gambling shop .
After all, this kind of place was a mixture of good people and scumbags, and nobody could resist it .
Blue and White Tiger scratched his head embarrassedly and explained: âThis...Boss, you know me . I have done business here, and I am familiar with this kind of place...â
While talking, he sneaked a glance at Yu Linglongâs face, as if he was afraid of her ridicule . Seeing Yu Linglongâs calmness, he continued, âI wondered, we couldnât do anything else . We will pay the boss again if we make nothing . But it would be better to open a gambling shop . The brothers only have these two brute strengths .
Yu Linglong nodded and asked, âWhy did you open it here?â
Just now, Lingâer was greatly âmolestedâ by the women in the brothel . Although Yu Linglong remained silent, she was still a little uncomfortable . Why did they choose Baihua Lane to open a gambling shop?
She guessed some of the reasons, but she still had to listen to Blue and White Tigerâs thoughts .
Blue and White Tiger quickly said: âI think there are many people who come and go in this place, and they are all masters with money, nothing else . Money and sex cannot be separated, I think . Most people that come to this kind of place also like to play a few hands, so I chose this place . â
Yu Linglong didnât speak, but her face showed tacit approval, and Blue and White Tiger finally breathed a sigh of relief .
He continued: âThe boss asked us to continue to recruit people . These days, we have a lot of brothers in the Dragon Tiger gang . Some of them are good . They stay in the gambling house to train, and the rest are still following the previous brothers in the old business . â
They all thought that money was good . Blue and White Tiger finally had a comfortable life this time, with silver in his hand, and a storefront, and had a lot of younger brothers underneath him . He finally found a little bit of the feeling of being a big brother .
Of course, he hadnât forgotten that all of this was bestowed by Yu Linglong, so he was sitting in the Ruyi Gambling House every day, just holding his breath and waiting for results .
Blue and White Tiger didnât say it straight, but Yu Linglong also understood that their so-called old business was nothing more than occupying a site and collecting protection fees, and working with fists was enough .
Yu Linglong thought for a while, and said, âHave you used up the silver that I gave you last time?â
She didnât give much money to Blue and White Tiger last time . First, she didnât fully understand who Blue and White Tiger was . Second, she wanted to test his ability . Now it seemed that renting an entire building in Baihua Lane will cost a lot of rent, plus opening a gambling house with younger brothers, there should be very little money left over from the last time .
Blue and White Tiger smiled and said: âThere are still seven or eight hundred taels . Itâs enough for a while, not to mention that there are also daily profits in the gambling house now . Boss, donât worry about it . â
This was a bit unexpected for Yu Linglong . She originally thought that someone like Blue and White Tiger would not have much money left . She didnât expect this strong man would be able to live a good life .
In this way, Yu Linglong was more relieved . She looked at Lingâer, and Lingâer drew a few silver bills from her cuffs and handed them to Blue and White Tiger .
Seeing the number of silver bills in her hand, Blue and White Tiger was almost speechless . The boss was too generous . This time, she gave him ten times more money than last time .
With such a large sum of silver, Lingâer just pulled it out of her cuff so casually, as if it were just a few pieces of waste paper .
Yu Linglong ignored his shocked expression and said, âYou are doing a good job . With this money, I want you to continue to open shops . You can open a few more gambling houses or a brothel, but you should also do some serious business . The brothers of the Dragon and Tiger Gang are people from decent family backgrounds . If there are people who know how to do it, let them do it . If no one understands, then buy ready-made shops and staff . Remember, grain shops, cloth shops, restaurants, and pawnshops must be opened, and if the money is not enough, just come to me to get some more . â
After these words were said, Blue and White Tiger and Lingâer were both stunned, and they couldnât even move .
Lingâer hardly believed her ears . The princess still had to open so many shops? There might even be brothels? Could it be the place where the beautiful women outside live? Oh my god, what is the princess doing?
Blue and White Tiger was shocked by the scene depicted in Yu Linglongâs calm tone . He used to be the boss of the Dragon and Tiger Gang . Although his name was good, he was almost like a small shrimp in the capital with hidden talent everywhere . After meeting Yu Linglong, he was able to become the owner of a gambling shop with hundreds of younger brothers . This was a dream come true for him, but now, Yu Linglong had allowed him to run so many shops?
Grain shops, cloth shops, restaurants, pawn shops, even brothels? When he thought that he would manage so many shops in the future, he almost felt as if he was going to the sky one step at a time . His lips trembled with excitement, and he couldnât say anything .
Yu Linglong looked at the dumbfounded appearance of the two of them, and couldnât help but smile, reaching out and knocking on the table: âDid you hear everything clearly?â
Lingâer and Blue and White Tiger came back to their senses . Lingâer pursed her lips but did not dare to refute Yu Linglongâs decision . Blue and White Tiger excitedly kneeled down: âBoss, I...I, I will definitely live up to you . You can trust me!â
Seeing Blue and White Tiger with incoherent excitement, Yu Linglong just smiled faintly, then took off the jade pendant on her waist and handed it to Blue and White Tiger .
âI have something to do with Lingâer and I have to go out for a while . If you want to contact me in the future, take this directly to the palace and ask someone to send me a message . â
Taking the piece of jade pendant with a faint fragrance, Blue and White Tiger held it carefully with both hands . As if for fear of offending her, he said respectfully: âYes, boss . â
After giving another order to the Blue and White Tiger, Yu Linglong stood up and was about to leave, and Blue and White Tiger hurriedly followed behind .
The second floor was an elegant room, which is obviously for qualified gamblers, but the gamblersâ psychology was the more lively the better, so the doors of these rooms were not closed, and you could still hear the sounds from time to time .
Yu Linglong just walked to the top of the stairs and heard a proud voice: âHaha, Iâm lucky today, little guy, watch me win it all!â
Yu Linglong looked up and saw that in the room at the corner of the stairs, the curtain was raised high, and the situation in the room was unobstructed .
She saw the familiar figure at a glance, and a cold smile appeared at the corner of her mouth .
She finally ran into him againn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om