Chapter 51 – The Power of the Fist Reigns Supreme

Because this matter concerned the money in Mu Nanjin’s pocket, she quickly changed into her everyday attire and headed straight for Xiaoqing Tower.

The main doors of Xiaoqing Tower were wide open. A crowd of guards stood outside, deterring anyone from entering to seek pleasure.

Inside, tables, chairs, wine jars, and dishes lay shattered across the floor. More than a hundred brothel keepers, attendants, courtesans, and musicians were pinned to the ground, being whipped mercilessly by the guards.

Their bodies were covered in wounds; flesh split open beneath the lash.

“Ah, ahhh!”

Their miserable screams echoed through the entire Xiaoqing Tower. Passersby out on the street quickly fled, not daring to take even half a step closer.

“My lords, I beg you, please stop! If you keep beating them, someone will die!”

The madam knelt before four young men in luxurious robes, pleading pitifully.

One of them, a young man in white, leaned lazily against the back of his chair, looking down at her with contempt.

“If you beg us using the most degrading method your Xiaoqing Tower is known for, we might consider sparing you.”

“The most degrading method?” The madam blinked. She knew many ways to please her guests, but she wasn’t sure which one he meant.

He smirked. “We’re not from Xiaoqing Tower, how would we know what tricks you use to entertain men?”

Realizing he was deliberately humiliating her, the madam bit her lip, stood up, and began to sway her hips while taking off her clothes.

The four young men instinctively frowned. The man in white suddenly grabbed a fruit plate from the table and hurled it at her face in disgust.

“Who wants to see a pig-bodied hag like you strip? Don’t make us sick!”

“Ah!”

The madam cried out and collapsed to the ground, her face bruised and her nose bleeding.

The other three young men looked on mockingly.

At the doorway, Mu Nanjin, whose expression was cold to begin with, now turned even frostier after witnessing the scene.

Those who cut off my source of income must die.

She strode toward the entrance of Xiaoqing Tower. The guards immediately moved to block her, but before they could even approach, an invisible force, akin to internal energy, sent them flying ten meters away.

“Ahhh!”

The commotion drew the attention of the guards inside. They turned toward the door just in time to see a young woman stride in.

“Who are you!?” one of them shouted.

“Miss, Miss!”

The madam, seeing a savior at last, scrambled up and rushed to Mu Nanjin’s side, clutching her bleeding nose.

Mu Nanjin frowned. “What happened here?”

Between sobs, the madam explained, “We hadn’t even opened for business yet when these men barged in and demanded service. I was afraid to offend them, so I told the girls to attend to them. But after they played with the courtesans and drank our finest wine, they tried to leave without paying! When my guards stopped them, their bodyguards turned on us, and then, well, you saw the rest.”

She had already sensed something bad might happen, so while the young masters were still drunk on pleasure, she had slipped out the back to find Mu Nanjin. Honestly, she hadn’t expected this young girl to help; after all, Mu Nanjin was only an ordinary officer of the lowest rank.

But before leaving, Gong Xiurong had once told her that if trouble ever came, she should seek Mu Nanjin. So she had taken the gamble.

“Surround her!” barked the head guard. His men quickly closed in, forming a circle around Mu Nanjin.

“So you’re the ones trying to dine and dash.” Mu Nanjin’s eyes swept over their silver armor. It wasn’t from the imperial army, nor the palace guard, nor any of the foreign emissaries’ retainers.

The young noble in white stood up and sauntered over to her, reaching out to lift her chin.

“This one’s quite pretty. Are you one of Xiaoqing Tower’s dancers? I like you. Come back with me, and I’ll make you my twentieth concubine.”

Mu Nanjin caught his wrist in an iron grip, her gaze icy.

“You dare set your sights on me?”

The young man in white burst out laughing.

“Why wouldn’t I dare? Even if I take over Xiaoqing Tower, your boss would have no choice but to hand it over obediently.”

“You’re not afraid the authorities will arrest you?”

“The authorities?” He laughed louder, as if she had told the funniest joke in the world. “What are the authorities to me?”

Just then, another young man in blue urged him, “Brother Shaochu, they’re just commoners. Why waste words with them? It’s getting late, we should return to the Prince’s Residence before supper, or we’ll be scolded again.”

At that, the madam’s face turned pale. Prince’s Residence?

That meant they were royalty.

“I know,” said the man in white, Liang Shaochu, trying to pull his hand free, only for her grip to tighten.

“Girl, you’d best release me now, or I’ll have you flogged to death like the others. As for your so-called authorities, they can’t and won’t touch us. This,” he sneered, “is what power looks like. Power is supreme, beyond anyone’s defiance. Let go of me, or I’ll seize Xiaoqing Tower and make you my plaything.”

Mu Nanjin tilted her head thoughtfully. “Hmm, what you just said makes perfect sense. I’ve learned something new today.”

The madam blinked.

Wait, whose side are you even on?

For a moment, she regretted ever calling Mu Nanjin. This girl wasn’t here to help; she was here to make things worse.

Liang Shaochu laughed, genuinely amused. “You’re quite an interesting one. I’ve decided,”

Before he could finish, Mu Nanjin’s fist slammed into his mouth.

“AHHH!”

Liang Shaochu nearly blacked out.

“Brother Shaochu!”

The other three nobles shot to their feet, and their guards drew their swords in unison, pointing them at Mu Nanjin.

The madam was completely dumbfounded.

She never imagined Mu Nanjin would dare hit a royal.

“You,”

As Liang Shaochu opened his mouth, several teeth flew out, blood gushing as his swollen lips quivered in shock. He stared at her in horror, unable to believe it. His teeth were gone.

“You wretched girl, let go of Brother Shaochu!” shouted the one in blue.

Mu Nanjin seized Liang Shaochu by the collar and swung him like a whip. The guards around her were sent flying one after another. Then she clamped a hand around his throat.

“Release the courtesans.”

The man in blue shouted back, “Let Brother Shaochu go first!”

Mu Nanjin smirked coldly. “Looks like your life is cheaper than the lives of the people inside.”

In agony, Liang Shaochu roared, “Release them!”

The guards hurriedly dropped their whips, allowing the courtesans to scramble to their feet.

They fled to Mu Nanjin’s side, trembling.

Mu Nanjin bent down and whispered something to the madam, who nodded quickly and led the survivors out of Xiaoqing Tower.

The young man in blue glared. “They’re gone now. Can you let Brother Shaochu go?”

Mu Nanjin set Liang Shaochu down on a nearby chair and flexed her right fist. “You were right about one thing, the power of the fist is supreme.”

Everyone: “…”

Liang Shaochu: “…”

Wait, what?

He’d said power, not punches!

The man in blue snapped, “We already released them! Why are you still holding Brother Shaochu?”

Mu Nanjin replied calmly, “Just wait a little longer.”

“Wait for what?”

For the madam to find the Jinyiwei, of course.

She knew she’d have to take responsibility for hitting a royal, but she wasn’t about to drag others down with her. Besides, she still wanted Xiaoqing Tower to keep running.

The madam found Captain Liu just as he was about to go off duty.

When he heard that the madam of Xiaoqing Tower wanted to see him, he thought he’d misheard.

He’d never visited that place; what business could its madam possibly have with him?

Puzzled, Captain Liu went to the gate of the Command Office. “Who’s asking for me?”

“Are you Captain Liu?” The madam quickly bowed. “It was Miss Mu who sent me to find you.”

“Miss Mu?” He blinked. “Who?”

“Mu Nanjin.”

Captain Liu froze. “She sent you? Why? Don’t tell me she owes you money for, uh, services rendered?”

It wasn’t an unreasonable assumption.

After all, Mu Nanjin often joked about wanting to see handsome men and joked about visiting brothels. Now that the madam herself had shown up, what else could it be but unpaid bills?

The madam twitched at the corner of her mouth and hurriedly whispered what had happened into his ear.

“She hit a royal?” Captain Liu’s eyes bulged. “Is she insane?!”

The madam agreed silently; yes, she was.

Captain Liu dashed toward Xiaoqing Tower, then moments later, dashed back.

A sixth-rank officer like him couldn’t possibly bear the wrath of the royal family.

“Wait here,” he said hastily. “I’ll be right back.”

He sprinted to the Command Office to report to Tang Jingrui and Kan Chaoyan.

Tang Jingrui’s eyes widened. “She hit a royal? Which prince did she strike?”

“No idea.”

Kan Chaoyan rubbed his temples. “I’ll enter the palace to report this to His Majesty. You two take men and contain the situation.”

Captain Liu and Tang Jingrui immediately led a hundred Jinyiwei to Xiaoqing Tower.

The madam was stunned at the sight of so many Jinyiwei.

Wasn’t Mu Nanjin just a low-ranking officer? How could she summon such reinforcements?

Still, the Jinyiwei weren’t the fastest; the Prefect of Jingzhao arrived first.

“How dare you lay hands on Young Lord Liang! Are you courting extermination of your entire clan?!”

The Prefect had rushed over the moment he heard of Liang Shisun’s incident. But when he entered Xiaoqing Tower and saw Mu Nanjin, he froze. Why did this girl look so familiar?

He hadn’t recognized her at first since she wasn’t wearing her Jinyiwei uniform.

Then he heard that familiar voice echo inside his mind.

【The Prefect of Jingzhao? Isn’t that the obsequious third-rank official who loves currying favor with the powerful?】

【He must have rushed here to please that Liang brat.】

【Wait, Liang Shisun, who’s that again? The Emperor’s grandson? But the Emperor’s eldest son is about the same age as him. That can’t be right.】

【Oh! The guy in blue called him ‘Brother Shaochu,’ so his name must be Liang Shaochu.】

【I know that name! Liang Shaochu is Prince Sheng’s grandson. No wonder the Prefect came running, trying to curry favor with Prince Sheng, of course.】

The Prefect’s face twitched. After hearing that internal monologue, he now knew exactly who she was.

“You,”

Before he could finish, the ground began to tremble.

Outside came the sound of countless hooves pounding the cobblestones.

An officer rushed in. “Sir! The Jinyiwei have arrived!”

Liang Shaochu sneered. “They’re here to save me. You’d better release me now, girl, your life depends on it.”

The Prefect blinked.

Why did it sound like the Jinyiwei were here for her, not him?

Outside, Captain Liu dismounted and bellowed, “Mu Nanjin!”

Tang Jingrui sighed. Captain Liu truly had it rough.

When Captain Liu entered and saw Liang Shisun with his mouth full of blood, he nearly fainted.

“Mu Nanjin! Let go of Liang Shisun this instant!”

Mu Nanjin looked genuinely puzzled. “Let go? I haven’t even caught him.”

She and Liang Shaochu were both sitting on chairs. He could have run anytime; it wasn’t her fault he didn’t.

Everyone fell silent.

Captain Liu took several deep breaths. “Do you even know who you hit?”

Mu Nanjin blinked innocently. “Prince Sheng’s grandson, right?”

“You knew and you still hit him?!”

Captain Liu nearly spat blood.

【Damn it, it really is Prince Sheng’s grandson!】

【What rotten luck!】

【That stingy little princeling dares skip out on a brothel bill? Shameless!】

【The richer they are, the stingier they get!】

Everyone: “…”

The thought of such a wealthy family refusing to pay infuriated her all over again.

“He said the power of the fist reigns supreme. So why shouldn’t I hit him?”

Captain Liu snapped, “And where do you get this so-called power?”

Mu Nanjin raised her fist. “Didn’t he just taste it? One punch, and he became very obedient.”

Everyone: “…”

Captain Liu clutched his chest; she would make him die of anger before long.

Before Mu Nanjin joined his ranks, he thought he’d live to a hundred.

Now he wasn’t sure he’d make it past forty.

Liang Shaochu pointed at her, furious. “I’ll kill you! I’ll have your entire family executed!”

BANG!

Another punch landed squarely on his eye.

“You, you, you!”

She had hit him again! Was there no law left in the land?

“She struck me! Why aren’t you arresting her?!” he cried.

Mu Nanjin’s tone turned cold. “Only the Emperor has the right to order someone’s clan exterminated.”

Liang Shaochu: “…”

【One punch, and he shuts up again. Truly, the power of the fist reigns supreme.】

Everyone: “…”

“His Majesty’s edict!”

A eunuch’s sharp voice rang from outside.

Everyone turned toward the entrance as the head eunuch hurried in, crying, “His Majesty’s verbal decree!”

“Long live the Emperor!” Everyone dropped to their knees in unison.

“Even for a verbal decree?” Mu Nanjin muttered under her breath, then knelt as well.

The eunuch announced, “By order of His Majesty, Mu Nanjin and all involved are to enter the palace for audience!”

The Emperor didn’t yet know whom she had struck, so he simply summoned everyone.

The man in blue whispered to his companions, “Who exactly is this Mu Nanjin? Why would His Majesty summon her?”

They shook their heads. “Never heard of her.”

The eunuch smiled obsequiously. “Miss Mu, Young Lords Liang, please accompany this humble servant into the palace.”

“Oh.”

Mu Nanjin walked up to Captain Liu and asked quietly, “Will the Emperor punish me?”

Captain Liu glared. “Now you’re scared? Didn’t think of the consequences before, did you?”

“I’m not scared,” she replied calmly.

【I’m just wondering, if the Emperor does punish me, maybe I’ll let him taste what ‘the power of the fist’ feels like too.】

Captain Liu: “…”

He wasn’t sure he’d live to see tomorrow.