Chapter 102: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" (Are You the One)

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 Chapter 102: 

 

Cui Fu cast a disapproving glance at her brother but ultimately chose to avoid criticizing her new sister-in-law in the presence of the Huaiyang family. 

After the tea ceremony, Liu Mian Tang planned to change her clothes and secretly visit the Zhaoxian County to see if the person there was indeed her brother, Liu Zhanpeng. 

Cui Xingzhou could not bear to let her go alone to such a potentially risky place and insisted on accompanying her. 

However, Liu Mian Tang worried that if the Prince went along, it might attract too much attention, potentially causing problems if word got out. 

Realizing her concerns, Cui Xingzhou offered a compromise: “I’m going with you. I’ve arranged everything so that no one will notice. You can meet with your brother privately while I wait outside.” 

Liu Mian Tang hesitated but eventually nodded in agreement. 

Her main concern was the loyalty brothers who were also at the county office. She worried that if they encountered the Prince, it might lead to complications if their true identities or intentions were discovered.

However, since the Prince had already made his stance clear, if she continued to object, it might arouse suspicion. So, she reluctantly agreed and planned to act according to the situation when the time came.

Once they were in the carriage, though, Mian Tang began to feel a bit dispirited and let out a soft sigh.

Cui Xingzhou was peeling a plum for her, and when he heard her sigh in frustration, he glanced up and asked, "What's wrong?"

Mian Tang candidly expressed her thoughts, "I just feel like getting married has made things more tiring. It was easier before when we were just... involved, and no one bothered each other."

Cui Xingzhou hated hearing this kind of nonsense from her and glared at her fiercely. "What do you mean 'no one bothered'? Are you saying that once you're tired of it, you'd just freely move on to someone else?"

Mian Tang didn’t feel like explaining, but she truly admired how he managed to keep his composure and not let anything slip back when he was undercover on North Street. Carrying secrets while interacting with others was like eating too much at night—it sat heavily in the stomach, constantly reminding you that you couldn’t truly relax and enjoy yourself.

Mian Tang finally began to understand the difficult, uneasy situation Cui Xingzhou had once found himself in, constantly caught between conflicting thoughts. As they headed to Zhaoxian, she could only hope that the tattooed brothers wouldn't fail her and would stand strong with the four characters she had personally etched onto them.

When they arrived at the jail near the Zhaoxian yamen, Li Mama's son had already arranged everything, personally waiting at the gate of the yamen.

Mian Tang, wrapped tightly in a hooded cloak to conceal herself, followed the prison guard inside.

To be honest, the county magistrate had gone out of his way to take special care of this man, who was suspected to be Prince Huaiyang's brother-in-law. He had been given a private room with a soft mattress on the wooden bed, and leftover roast chicken and side dishes still sat on the table. The air was thick with the lingering scent of alcohol.

Yet the man lay sprawled on the wooden bed, cursing loudly, "My sister is the Princess Consort of Zhenzhou's Prince Huaiyang, and you lousy officials are nothing but ants. When I find my sister, I'll have you all sliced to pieces for your insolence!"

Liu Mian Tang stood quietly in the corner, observing the man in the cell for a while before instructing Bi Cao beside her with a few words. Bi Cao understood her intent and nodded, then walked straight over and called out to the man inside, "Hey, you over there, come closer, I have something to say to you."

The man, who had caused quite a ruckus the previous day, had since noticed that the yamen guards were treating him with increasing respect. Confident that they had figured out his identity and were afraid of him, he became even more brazen.

Today, upon seeing a delicate young girl adorned in gold and silver standing outside the bars, he perked up with interest. He stood up, sizing Bi Cao up with a lecherous gaze and sneered, "Did they send you to keep me company? Good lads, I gave the order last night, and they delivered right on time... Well, what are you waiting for? Tell them to let you in so we can have some fun!"

Even though Bi Cao knew this man might be the Princess's brother, she couldn't help but bristle with anger, wanting to storm in and kick his vital parts to pieces and tear that filthy mouth off!

Who does he think he's calling a courtesan? Blind fool!

Though her heart burned with fury, she still remembered the Princess's instructions to draw him closer so that she could get a good look at him. So, keeping her expression stern, she replied, "Come over here, or I'll just leave."

The man, who hadn't seen such a refined and pretty young girl in a long time, was suddenly reminded of his past debaucherous days. Feeling a surge of excitement, he quickly scrambled to his feet, grinning as he approached, saying, "I may be down now, but I'm the son of an official family. Once I bounce back, I'll soar to great heights. Serve me well, and I'll buy you out of your contract and make you a concubine..."

Liu Mian Tang, hidden in the shadows, finally got a clear look at the man. Although he was disheveled and unkempt, with a beard grown out, his manner of speaking, the way he ogled women as though stripping them with his eyes, and those annoying, familiar features—it was undeniably her half-brother.

All the dark memories from her childhood involving this brother surged up at once. Mian Tang loosened her collar slightly and slowly exhaled a breath.

Bi Cao, still keeping her patience, asked, "Let me ask you, how do you know your sister is the Princess Consort Huaiyang?"

Liu Zhanpeng was taken aback by the question, puzzled as to why a courtesan would be asking such things. He looked Bi Cao up and down again and realized that the young girl didn’t carry the aura of a woman from the brothels but seemed more like a servant from a grand household. A thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately reached out to grab the front of Bi Cao’s collar. "Are you sent by my sister to check on me? Where is she? Why hasn’t she come to rescue me yet?"

Bi Cao was caught off guard, frozen as she turned her head, silently looking to Mian Tang for direction. Hidden in the shadows, Mian Tang, radiating a cold aura, extended a hand and, with a sharp motion, clenched it into a fist and twisted it firmly in the air.

Bi Cao immediately understood the signal, and with a quick move, she applied a small grappling technique, twisting Liu Zhanpeng’s hand with a sharp crack.

“Ow! Ow, ow, ow…” Liu Zhanpeng cried out in pain, dropping to his knees. Only then did Bi Cao release his lecherous grip and stomped on his hand as she asked, “Tell me, who sent you?”

Liu Zhanpeng, naturally a coward who bullied the weak, immediately caved under Bi Cao’s pressure and confessed, “A noble person found out my name was Liu Zhanpeng, then asked me if I had a sister named Liu Mian Tang. He arranged for me to escape the labor camp and come all the way to Zhenzhou. He told me yesterday was my sister’s wedding day and that if I showed up to claim kinship, she would be forced to acknowledge me to save face. That way, I could live comfortably in the Prince’s mansion and enjoy a peaceful life…”

Bi Cao pressed down harder on his hand. “Who was that noble person?”

Liu Zhanpeng wailed in pain again, “Ow, ow, I…I don’t know, really! He was a wealthy man, but he didn’t let me bathe…”

Mian Tang had already heard enough and quietly turned to leave.

From start to finish, she didn’t show herself or speak a single word to her half-brother.

However, she didn’t leave right away but instead headed toward another part of the county office, where Lu Zhong, Lu Yi, and Lu Liang were waiting for official judgment.

After all, they had accused Liu Zhanpeng of stealing their money pouches, and they were waiting for a ruling to determine if they were fabricating the charges.

Upon seeing Liu Mian Tang approach, the three men, who had been drinking tea in the wooden office building, quickly stood up. Lu Yi was the first to clasp his hands in greeting and said, “Princess, the shopkeepers in town pooled together money to prepare a wedding gift for you. They sent us brothers to deliver it along with Third Miss He, but I acted on my own and caused this trouble. Please don’t be angry with us…”

Mian Tang lifted her cloak and sat gracefully on the bench, smiling warmly at them. “I should be thanking you, not blaming you. Now, tell me, what exactly happened?”

Lu Yi thought for a moment before replying, “At the time, we thought we were dealing with a fraudster pretending to be someone important. We were going to drag him to the side of the road and teach him a lesson, get him to watch his mouth. But the men he had with him—those well-dressed guards—wouldn’t let us get close… Each of them seemed to be trained fighters, impossible to approach. Realizing the situation was getting complicated, I decided we couldn’t let them enter the city, so I accused him of stealing the money pouch, hoping to draw the authorities. Princess, you just went to see him, didn’t you? Is he truly your brother?”

Liu Mian Tang nodded slowly, and as soon as she did, the three brothers, along with Bicao, who had just stepped on Liu Zhanpeng's hand, all knelt down with pale faces, awaiting the Princess' punishment.

However, Mian Tang waved her hand and smiled warmly, “My brother is nothing but a scoundrel. Without your loyal protection today, the villain’s plot might have succeeded, and the Prince would have had to bear the guilt of harboring a fugitive. Stand up. This matter isn’t over yet, and we can’t afford to make it public. I’ll still need you to handle things discreetly in the future.”

Hearing this, Lu Yi quickly responded, “Rest assured, Princess, we will do everything in our power to solve your problems.”

Satisfied, Mian Tang nodded. She then instructed Bi Cao to stand guard outside and make sure no one was eavesdropping around the room.

Once Bi Cao had gone to keep watch, Mian Tang asked, “How many of the dependable brothers from Yangshan have come to join you?”

Lu Yi thought for a moment and replied, “About forty men, all personally trained by you back then. Whether it’s scouting, setting traps, pickpocketing, or ambushing, they’re all skilled veterans. Just give the order, and they’ll do whatever you need.”

Although Mian Tang had long accepted her past wrongdoings, hearing this stream of underworld slang still left her feeling uncomfortable.

After a moment of silence, she said, “My maternal family runs a security escort agency. I’ve been working to revive the family business in Xizhou, but we haven’t yet established a branch in Zhenzhou. I’ve already ordered the shopkeeper in Lingquan Town to purchase land, horses, carts, and boats. We’re preparing to open a branch here, and when the time comes, my uncle will send over some experienced hands to guide you. You’ll have proper work to do.”

Lu Yi immediately understood and nodded quickly. “Understood, Boss. You can rest assured. I will gather men and resources to strengthen your position. If Prince Huaiyang ever discovers your true identity and dares to show no gratitude or respect for your favor, we’ll raise the banner and retreat into the mountains to follow you once more…”

Mian Tang, feeling a headache coming on, couldn’t hold back anymore. She slammed her hand on the table and sternly said, “If any of you dare mention retreating to the mountains to become bandits again, I’ll tear your tongues out!”

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