Chapter 2166: Rescue Mei

You Huan had been busy with official duties lately, with no time to visit the teahouse, and hadn't seen her in quite some days.

Today, she wore a red butterfly patterned skirt and top beneath a light apricot gauze overlay, and three red jade coral hairpins arranged in her hair made her appear ethereal and nimble, with a radiant complexion.

The other two women were also dressed as married women, and Mei Wuniang chatted with them as they ascended the stairs.

The private room, facing the hall, was also screened by a bamboo blind, so Mei Wuniang naturally couldn't see the You brothers.

You Su didn't notice her either and was still talking nonstop. You Huan, however, paid attention to the sounds outside the private room and soon heard the light footsteps of four or five people passing by and heading deeper into the corridor.

Most of Mei Wuniang's and the other women's servants remained in the first-floor lobby, with only one or two retainers following them upstairs.

The second floor of Huanxiang Restaurant was entirely comprised of private rooms, offering excellent privacy.

You Huan didn't think much of it and continued drinking with his younger brother.

Another half an hour passed like this, when suddenly a person entered through the restaurant's main door.

"Hmm?" You Huan's chopsticks paused in his hand. "Isn't that Zhai Qiushan?"

There were dozens of large restaurants in Moudu, yet on this rainy night, both Zhai Qiushan and Mei Wuniang had entered Huanxiang Restaurant?

Why did he feel something was a bit strange?

Moreover, after Zhai Qiushan entered, he didn't look around. Just as a waiter was about to greet him, someone stepped forward to bow to him and then led him upstairs.

You Huan raised an eyebrow, because the person leading the way was precisely the young servant the three women had left in the lobby earlier!

Whose servant was this, and why would he lead Zhai Qiushan?

"Brother, are you listening to me?" You Su noticed he was distracted.

"I heard you, continue," You Huan replied, his attention, however, focused outside the private room.

Sure enough, several people quickly passed by his private room and headed deeper into the corridor.

After a few moments, You Huan finally stood up. "I'm going to change."

Two guards stood outside the door.

Both of these men had been assigned to him by the Mou Royal Court; they both had military backgrounds and were cultivators.

Every Hall Scholar was granted two imperial guards, as the Mou Emperor needed to protect his strategists.

You Huan was deliberate about the timing of his departure; Zhai Qiushan and his party had already gone far.

He asked a guard, "Half an hour ago, several female guests came up, one of whom wore a red silk skirt and was as beautiful as a flower. Which private room did they enter?"

The guards stationed there were meant to observe everything, and Mei Wuniang's appearance, moreover, was difficult not to notice.

Upon hearing this, the guard pointed to Zhai Qiushan's retreating back. "It's the one he just entered."

Zhai Qiushan had already pushed the door open and gone inside, while several retainers remained outside the door, looking left and right as if keeping watch for him.

You Huan wasn't in a hurry to go in; he only asked, "Were there any other unusual things about that room?"

"Earlier, a servant was guarding the door but left for some reason," the guard replied, glancing over. "Oh, those two women have come out too."

The two women who had just entered the private room with Mei Wuniang had now come out. They hurried past You Huan, both with their heads bowed and their gazes somewhat evasive.

Not until they went down the stairs leading to the back door did You Huan ask, "What about the most beautiful one?"

"She hasn't come out," the guard replied.

"Good," You Huan said without looking back. "You two go subdue the retainers by her door, but don't make any noise."

"Yes, sir," the two guards replied, then confidently walked towards that row of private rooms.

There were other guests coming and going on the second floor, and the guards' expressions and movements were very natural, so Zhai Qiushan's retainers didn't pay them any mind, merely thinking they were just passing by.

To their surprise, as soon as the guards reached them, they suddenly launched their attack.

Zhai Qiushan's retainers were all ordinary people, only one of whom was somewhat sturdier; how could they possibly be a match for imperial experts?

In short order, all four were knocked down.

The two guards gently lowered them to the ground, indeed without making a sound, perfectly executing You Daren's orders.

You Huan first set up a sound-insulating barrier, then with a flying kick, kicked open the private room's wooden door!

There was a loud crash.

It could be heard inside the room, but outside in the corridor, it remained very quiet; at most, someone might have felt a slight tremor.

Someone in the private room immediately jumped up.

As soon as the door opened, You Huan saw Mei Wuniang lying face-up on the private room's round table, her silk skirt half-untied and her top pulled aside, revealing skin as white as snow.

When You Huan kicked open the door, she was still lying motionless; it was Zhai Qiushan who had jumped up.

Zhai Qiushan stumbled back two steps, and upon recognizing the newcomer, turned even paler with shock.

"You... You You Daren," he stammered.

In his panic, his tongue seemed to tie itself.

"Zhai Qiushan, what are you doing?"

"I... I..." In this situation, anyone with eyes could see that Zhai Qiushan intended to force himself on the woman, but since she didn't agree, he had resorted to some means to make it easier for himself.

Actions spoke louder than words, and his mind was blank anyway, so he couldn't even argue.

You Huan said sternly, "I had an appointment to meet Mei Wuniang, yet you came to ambush her?"

Zhai Qiushan's face turned ashen, and he thought to himself, 'It's over.' So this was the woman Hall Scholar You favored!

You Huan walked up to Mei Wuniang, seeing her eyes open and looking at him with a watery gaze. Although her face was expressionless, her eyes clearly showed both shame and anger.

He only asked Zhai Qiushan two words: "Antidote!"

"N-no," Zhai Qiushan stammered, lowering his head. "The effects will wear off on their own in an hour."

He had desired Mei Wuniang for a long time, but she had always rebuffed him, refusing his repeated invitations to meet. Zhai Qiushan had specifically sought out a potent drug to humiliate her, to keep her completely motionless yet fully conscious throughout the ordeal.

You Huan didn't bother to say more to him. Pointing to the door, he commanded, "Get out."

Zhai Qiushan, as if granted a great pardon, scurried out the door in a flash.

The guards considerately closed the door behind him.

Inside the room, only You Huan and Mei Wuniang remained, their eyes meeting.

A beauty lying prone in a daze, her silk skirt half-untied—it was a tantalizing sight. Even a seasoned veteran of romantic encounters like You Huan felt a strong visual impact.

He could have easily taken Zhai Qiushan's place and finished what hadn't been completed. With his power, Mei Wuniang would have had nothing to say afterwards and no one to turn to for help.

But You Huan still secretly took a breath to steady his mind, then took out a calming and purifying elixir from his sleeve and fed it to Mei Wuniang.

The spiritual pill took effect quickly. In a short while, Mei Wuniang was able to move.

She struggled to get up from the table, carefully fastened her clothes, then whispered to You Huan:

"Many thanks, You Daren, for your righteous intervention," she said, "otherwise, today I would have... I would have been defiled by that scoundrel."

"Zhai Qiushan is not a clever man," You Huan said, a hint of disappointment in his tone. "How could you fall into his trap?"

"Mistress Lu and Madam Wang and I agreed to meet here to discuss a business deal," Mei Wuniang said, biting her lip, her eyes slightly reddened. "I didn't expect those two to conspire with Zhai Qiushan... It was my oversight for not investigating thoroughly beforehand."

On her delicate face were three parts shame, three parts lament, and four parts indignation.

You Huan knew she had only recently arrived in Moudu and was unfamiliar with the place and people; it would be strange if she could have clearly investigated all these overt and covert connections.