The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 24 Sharpening the Knife
Ximen Qing raised his eyelids: "A monk? What are you doing squatting at the door? If you're begging for alms, just give him some money and send him away."

“This is no ordinary alms-begging.” Wu Yueniang took a step closer, her voice still gentle. “The servant said that the monk claimed to be Abbot Daojian of Yongfu Temple outside the city. He said… he said that the master personally promised yesterday that he would donate some money for incense oil today to help them rebuild the Mahavira Hall. Is this true?”

Master Ximen nodded lazily and said, "That's right. You can handle it as you see fit; just give him some silver from the treasury."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yueniang's smile deepened, filled with genuine joy: "Amitabha! It is a great blessing that my husband has turned to Buddhism and made many good connections! Buddha will surely bless the Ximen family with longevity and peace."

She paused, clasped her hands together, chanted a Buddhist prayer, and hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

Seeing her strange expression, Ximen Qing lifted his eyelids and glanced at her: "Is there anything else?"

Wu Yueniang took a deep breath, her voice becoming even softer and gentler, with a cautious probing tone: "My lord... since you are willing to donate money to build a temple, you have accumulated great merit. If this blessing... could fall upon our offspring, it would be an even greater good."

She glanced quickly at Ximen Qing, and seeing that his expression was still acceptable, she continued:
"My lord, if I may be so bold as to speak, our household... still has no legitimate son to bring joy to our knees. My lord is in the prime of his life, and should... should think more about having more children and offspring, for the more children one has, the more blessings one will have. Why not take more wives and concubines into your household?"

"As for those...those wild grasses and flowers outside, especially...other people's wives...they are all women with husbands."

As she spoke, her voice became barely audible, and two blushes rose on her face: "In the end, it's a deed that harms one's karma and invites disaster... Why did you do it, sir... Why did you do it..."

Ximen Guanren suddenly stood up.

Wu Yueniang was startled and couldn't continue with her admonitions.

She lowered her head: "My lord... I... I misspoke! I deserve to die! I only... I only hoped that my lord would be well, and that the Ximen family would be well!"

Ximen Da Guanren laughed and said, "I'll listen to you, I'll do as you say."

After saying that, he walked out: "You don't need to wait for me for lunch."

Wu Yueniang stood frozen in place, watching the figure disappear through the doorway.

The phrase "I'll listen to you, I'll do as you say!" kept buzzing in her ears.

This wasn't his usual "womanly view" or "Shut up!"
how many years?

She earnestly advised him to restrain himself, to do good, and to consider his descendants and family business.

What I always get in return is a cold rebuke or an impatient dismissal.

All I could do was silently pray before the Buddha.

Why has my husband been acting so differently these past few days?

Ximen Da Guanren's horse clattered along, and in no time he arrived at the busiest river transport wharf in Qinghe County.

On the canal, masts stood like a forest, sails blocked out the sun, and boats of all colors were packed tightly together, leaving almost no space between them.

At the dock, the laborers, shirtless and shouting deafening chants, were carrying bags of grain, bundles of cloth, and boxes of porcelain and other miscellaneous goods ashore from the ship's hold.

The smells of sweat, the fishy odor of the river, and the dust kicked up by goods mingled with the smoky aroma wafting from the food stalls along the riverbank, creating a bustling and lively scene of everyday life.

As soon as Ximen Qing reined in his horse at the entrance of the dock, Ying Bojue, like a cat that had smelled blood, led two of his hangers-on out from behind a mountain of sacks and trotted to the front of the horse.

Earl Ying wore an extremely obsequious smile, first bowing deeply, almost touching the stirrups, before raising his slick face.

He leaned closer to the horse's head, lowered his voice, and said with a smug look of pride and an eagerness for reward: "Oh, my lord! You've finally arrived! We've been rushing around like crazy, our legs are practically worn out, but we haven't delayed your important business! Everything has been done perfectly and efficiently, guaranteed to be done without anyone noticing, flawlessly!"

As he spoke, he glanced at the several large ships moored not far away, then quickly added, "You can rest assured, sir!"

Ximen Qing nodded slightly from his horse and said calmly, "Yes, it's done well. Thank you all for your hard work."

His gaze swept across the bustling scene at the dock, lingering particularly on several large, deep-draft cargo ships, awaiting Commander He's arrival. Just then, a commotion erupted at the dock entrance, a cacophony of shouts and neighing horses' hooves!

Amidst the rising dust, a squad of soldiers in gleaming armor, wielding gleaming sabers, charged in like wolves and tigers, quickly sealing off several key exits and waterways of the dock.

Two tall horses led the way, on which sat two men: Commander He, the commander of this guard, and his deputy, Commander Wu Tang.

The commander's face was ashen, and his military uniform made him appear even more imposing; Deputy Commander Wu followed closely behind, his sharp eyes scanning the entire scene.

An uproar erupted on the dock!
Boatmen, cargo owners, foremen, and laborers all stopped what they were doing and stared at the menacing group with suspicion. The bustling dock instantly became deathly silent, with only the sound of the river water lapping against the sides of the boats remaining.

The dock manager, surnamed Wang, was a lean man in his forties, and he was now ashen-faced with fright.

They scrambled forward in a panic, kneeling before Commander He's horse and kowtowing repeatedly, their voices trembling: "Lord He! Lord Wu! We are so sorry for not welcoming you properly! We are guilty of a terrible offense! We do not know... we do not know what business you two have with us? If we have been negligent, we beg your forgiveness!"

Commander He sat upright on his horse, his hand on his waist sword, his voice booming like a bell, making everyone's eardrums buzz: "By order of the Supreme Commander! I have discovered lawless scoundrels who have no regard for the law and are incredibly audacious, daring to smuggle military supplies of unknown origin! I have come here to search! You all must leave immediately and not obstruct me! Anyone who disobeys will be treated as an accomplice!"

"Military supplies?!" The dock erupted in chaos! The boatmen shouted in unison:

"Innocent, Your Honor! We were only transporting legitimate grain and cloth to wealthy families in the county!"

"Lord He, you are wise! We are all honest businessmen, and we wouldn't dare touch military supplies even if we had a hundred lives!"

"This...this is unbelievable! My lord, someone must be making a false accusation!"

"Shut up!!" Commander He shouted.

With a "whoosh," the guards simultaneously drew half of their gleaming sabers.

The blade gleamed with a chilling light in the sunlight, and when its fierce, wolf-like gaze swept over, the shouts instantly fell silent, as if someone had choked them, leaving only suppressed commotion and countless terrified, bewildered eyes.

No one dared to provoke these military officers.

Ximen Qing saw this clearly: This is power!!!
You need both money and power.

Dark clouds obscure the sun, yet my heart yearns for it!
At this moment, Deputy Commander Wu also rode forward a few steps, his sharp eyes scanning the moored ships, especially lingering for a moment on the ships that Ximen Qing and Ying Bojue had been looking at.

He was instructed by Ximen Qing that if Ying Bojue and the others failed to properly secure the "evidence," he should act accordingly and "add a finishing touch" in advance.

At that moment, he saw Ying Bojue nod almost imperceptibly beside Ximen Qing's horse, and he knew what was going on.

Ximen Qing nodded slightly on horseback. Although he nodded in agreement with the Earl's assurance, he knew the nature of these idle young men well. They were indeed greedy for money, but their actions were not necessarily reliable.

He turned sideways without making a sound and waved to Wu, the deputy commander who was following closely behind Commander He.

Wu, the deputy commander, understood and gently lifted the reins, moving closer to Ximen Qing.

The two men's horses passed each other. Ximen Qing leaned forward slightly, his voice extremely low, audible only to the two of them: "Brother-in-law, these idle fellows, though greedy for money and hardworking, are ultimately baseless scoundrels. Their actions may not be entirely reliable. You should take a few trusted guards and go in first to scout the situation. If they've been dishonest, leaving any loose ends, or if that 'thing' wasn't hidden well enough..."

He glanced at the target ships and said, "You must act according to the situation and make sure to 'make up' everything thoroughly, leaving no trace! This matter is of great importance and cannot be overlooked."

Upon hearing this, Deputy Commander Wu immediately understood.

He knew his brother-in-law's methods and intentions all too well.

He nodded slightly, his face expressionless, and said in a low voice, "Brother-in-law, don't worry. I know what's important. I'll handle it myself and make sure nothing goes wrong."

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(End of this chapter)