Simply Trading

The young woman gave out a "hmmmph" sound as soon as she heard what her father had declared, and rolled her eyes. Something that Xuan Weizhong did not miss. But he did not call her out on it, and simply went on describing what he was going to do to "the rascal if he disrespects his daughter"!

"... I"ll tear his arms off if he so much as touches you ..."

"And you intend for him to help me hide my secrets like this? Who would believe that he is actually in love with me, and has pleaded with you for my hand in marriage? And worse, who would believe that you had agreed to his proposal?"

Xuan Weizhong turned back to look at his daughter in surprise. Only to find her with the pout on her face once again. She didn"t leave him an opening either, and continued to criticize the desperate plan that he had come up with:

"If you tell him that it is all a play, he would either be pleased that he had such a backing in the Heaven Sword School and start a nuisance of himself to the Medicine Hall. Or he would be so worried that he had become a target that he would do his best to get away from the School as soon as he completes his two-year stint as a Outer School disciple.

"And regardless of what he does, he is going to be the target of a great number of rumors, no doubt fueled by your actions against Nu Yuanqing earlier. I do not really mind how the girls" imaginations take over their tongues but I am also going to be part of the gossip that is likely to be spread all over the School. So you should best be aware of it."

Her glare as she finished that last warning held a familiar fire then. Which was enough to tell the Elder that she was making a valid point here; her reputation was certain to be ruined, and that it was all his fault!

Just the thought of that was enough of an embarra.s.sment to him that he gave out a loud sigh, as he pinched at the bridge of his nose and pressed his index finger between his eyebrows. Despite the way in which she did it, Xuan Mei had raised a valid point. No matter how he tried to keep things quiet, there was no way that he could put a stop to the rumor mill in the Rear Gardens.

And Nu Yuanqing was certainly going to enjoy smearing mud on his face, in retaliation for the punishment that he had laid on her disciples. Especially her worthless niece!

And Qin Feng had been involved in that little episode too! So she would have even more motivation to make matters difficult for both him and that young herb-grower!

So he would have to be more than just a little careful, it seemed, Xuan Weizhong thought.

Then he looked up, and realized that Xuan Mei was still staring at him, with a somewhat expectant expression on her face. Which was enough to warn him that she had a plan to deal with just that eventuality. Somehow, that made the Elder a little uneasy. What was she intending to do?

"What do you ... intend to do?"

Xuan Mei rolled her eyes at him, as though she had been waiting for him to ask just that question. And that her patience with him had all but run out!

"I intend to get ... my friend to seduce him, and keep him ... well satisfied in ... that regard. So he would not have any energy left to try to force himself closer to me. And I"ll use her as ... a chaperone, as well. That should be sufficient to prevent ... the news from reaching the gossip mill."

Xuan Weizhong"s eyes widened as soon as he heard his daughter"s ribald plan. Was she encouraging the boy to take a lover already? When he was supposed to be engaged to her? What sort of nonsense plan was this? What if he should fall for the other girl after that? Or be so enamored of her body? Wouldn"t that throw the whole engagement into a mess?

Then he remembered that it was all a play, to distract the old lecher that was targeting his daughter. What did it matter if the boy took a lover, or a hundred? So long as they kept things quiet, and allowed Xuan Mei to avoid the filthy b.a.s.t.a.r.d, wasn"t that enough?

Still ... sending another girl to seduce the man that she was publicly engaged to? That was a little ... too much, wasn"t it? He was almost shocked to hear that his own daughter had come up with something as ... outrageous as that!

So he coughed into his fist and nodded back at her hesitantly. It would not do to encourage her to take things ... that far. "I suppose that would be for ... the best. I am uncertain that ... your friend would be willing to ... keep things as quiet as you might hope for though. Who do you intend to ... include in this little plan of yours?

"And how do you know if she would be willing to ... toss aside her own good name, and to ... use her wiles on the young fellow?"

Xuan Mei"s answering smile was confident. And there was even a hint of mischief in her voice, as she answered him:

"Oh, she is from the Rear Gardens and has already ... slept with one or two other disciples from the School already, some years back. And she is a few years older than I am, and has known Qin Feng for a while. So it would not be too outrageous, if they were to really jump into bed together."

Xuan Weizhong nodded, as calmly as he could manage, when he heard that. It seemed his daughter was not simply tossing out a plan without thinking about it. And from what she said, it seemed this Rear Gardens disciple was more than likely to be willing to ... play her part well.

"Then ... do you wish me to talk to her about ... this ..."

Xuan Mei held a hand at him then, as she shook her head. "I think I had best the one to broach this subject with her. Besides, I have to let her know that ... I will not be really marrying Qin Feng, so that she won"t ... go in with the wrong expectations."

"Very well then. I shall leave it to you. As for her remuneration ..."

"I will deal with that too, father. As it so happens, I know what she really wants," Xuan Mei replied with a grin, that made her look a lot more like her old self than when they were plotting together. Much to Xuan Weizhong"s relief.

Perhaps his daughter was not as angry with him as he had originally thought!

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