Zhang Changsong was either overconfident or in cahoal with Qi Yan! As soon as Zhan Feiyu said this, a strange silence spread through the room, and even Prefect Qi's expression changed slightly.
Everyone present was educated. Half of them had passed the imperial examinations, and those who hadn't were from prominent families. None of them were foolish.
The fire at Juwen Zhai was suspicious. Now that Qi Heng was missing, and thinking of Commander Liu, everyone fell silent, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire if the city gates caught fire.
After a moment of discomposure, Zhang Changsong sneered, his attitude arrogant and defiant, "Words are not evidence. I'll wait for Miss Zhan to produce proof to convict me."
After speaking, Zhang Changsong cast a sinister gaze over the entire room, the warning implicit.
Even if Zhan Feiyu was taught by Scholar Gu, what of it? The local magistrate is no match for the current power. Unless they and their families wished to remain in Fengzhou, no one dared to offend Zhang Changsong or Commander Liu to help Zhan Feiyu.
Squinting at the smug and arrogant Zhang Changsong, Prefect Qi pondered. Qi Heng's disappearance was likely closely related to Yan'er, which made Prefect Qi's eyes even darker. The character "Qi" could not be written twice. Yan'er had gone too far this time.
"Miss Zhan, it's getting late, and everyone is injured. However, since Qi Heng is missing, we will have our household servants and guards help search for him when we return," Zhang Changsong said, feigning concern.
Just as Zhan Feiyu had guessed, since Qi Yan was involved, how could Prefect Qi make things difficult for them?
Seeing this, others also bid farewell.
With a flick of his sleeve, Zhang Changsong snorted and turned to leave, but his steps faltered. He saw the medical clinic's orderly carrying the crippled Qi Yan over.
"You wait for me!" Qi Yan's face was pale and pained, his eyes blazing with terrifying anger, but with a broken leg, he could only be at the mercy of others.
He Sheng's expression was calm, as if he were not the one being threatened.
The two orderlies carrying him looked frightened, but thinking of how the third young master Qi had resisted before being threatened and had his leg broken by the person beside him, the third young master Qi immediately became obedient, daring to be angry but not to speak as he was carried over.
Those who were about to leave immediately made way. Qi Yan was carried into the room, and upon seeing Prefect Qi at the head of the table, he immediately found his support, "Father."
Looking at his youngest son, whose anger had not subsided, and then at the composed Zhan Feiyu, Prefect Qi felt that his proud Yan'er was more like a naive child than this young girl.
"Father?" he called out again. Qi Yan had the orderly help him sit up on the stretcher. Seeing his silent father, he felt a sense of unease.
Zhang Changsong and the others also sensed something was wrong. Judging by Prefect Qi's attitude, it seemed he did not intend to support the third young master Qi. Was Prefect Qi going to uphold justice even at the cost of his own son?
"Yan'er, young nephew Zhang said that the reason he injured you was that a beam fell on you during the fire, and he had no choice but to do so to save people," Prefect Qi asked slowly, his seemingly loving gaze containing a sharpness that allowed no escape.
Qi Yan's expression stiffened, his already pale face turning even uglier. He glanced at Zhang Changsong, who was acting as if it were none of his business, and suppressed his anger, saying, "The situation was indeed like that at the time."
However, Qi Yan did not expect Zhang Changsong to be so ruthless, causing him to suffer a silent grievance.
But Zhang Changsong also had his limits. Although Qi Yan's leg was broken, it would not affect his walking after recovery, nor would it delay his imperial examinations. Otherwise, the two families would truly become sworn enemies.
Prefect Qi looked at Qi Yan, whose eyes were darting away, with disappointment. Whether it was because of his discord with Qi Heng or to curry favor with Commander Liu, Yan'er should not have acted against Qi Heng. Fratricidal strife was the root of a family's decline.
If Yan'er could act against his distant cousin Qi Heng today, he could also act against his own brothers for power, status, and wealth in the future. Prefect Qi had initially thought his youngest son was merely spoiled, but now he regretted neglecting to discipline Qi Yan, allowing him to act without any bottom line.
"Third Young Master Qi, you first sent the invitation to the literary gathering to Qi Heng, and then Juwen Zhai caught fire. You were kicked and had your leg broken by Zhang Changsong and fell into the fire. It was Qi Heng, out of kinship, who sent Ah Sheng to save you," Zhan Feiyu said in a calm tone, simply narrating an event.
"After Ah Sheng saved you, everyone present obstructed him, preventing Ah Sheng from approaching Qi Heng. Afterward, a hidden master attacked Ah Sheng. At that time, the second floor was engulfed in flames. After Qi Heng went missing, the people of Juwen Zhai immediately cut down the trees in the courtyard and worked together to rescue all of you."
Zhan Feiyu's fair, round face curved into a mocking cold smile, "Third Young Master Qi, you study the words of the sages, but if you had even a shred of shame, you should not repay kindness with enmity! This scheme was so clumsy. The only reason for its success was Qi Heng's kindness, not wanting to see you perish in the fire. Otherwise, with Ah Sheng protecting him, Qi Heng would have safely left the second floor long ago."
Prefect Qi, who had been an official for many years, felt his face burning. This was also the reason for his disappointment in Qi Yan. Repaying kindness with enmity, and retaliating against his own cousin, was simply beastly behavior.
On the other hand, Zhang Changsong looked smug. Qi Yan was so foolish. Seeing the Qi family in conflict, Zhang Changsong's pent-up frustration finally dissipated. Zhan Feiyu had been so aggressive before, and Zhang Changsong, fearing Scholar Gu behind her, could only swallow his pride.
Qi Yan's face turned ashen. As the youngest son of Prefect Qi, he was considered a leader among the noble youths of Fengzhou. Yet now, he had been stripped bare by a young girl.
But no matter how angry Qi Yan was, he could only glare fiercely at Zhan Feiyu. Prefect Qi's attitude made Qi Yan dare not act presumptuously.
"Lord Qi, since this is a family matter for the Qi family, this junior will take his leave," Zhang Changsong said with a smile, then glanced triumphantly at Zhan Feiyu. She was ruthless, wasn't she? Then let her interrogate Qi Yan harshly.
Zhan Feiyu walked to the center of the room and stopped beside Qi Yan, who was sitting on the stretcher. However, she spoke to Zhang Changsong, "Young Master Zhang, please remember one thing: whoever causes Qi Heng to lose even a single strand of hair, I will make them lose their head without anyone knowing!"
Zhang Changsong's smile froze. He glared at Zhan Feiyu and gritted out, "Are you threatening me?"
Smiling with her lips curved, Zhan Feiyu nodded obediently, but then suddenly lifted her foot.
"Ah!" A piercing scream, accompanied by the cracking sound of bone breaking, stunned everyone.
Zhan Feiyu's right foot was on Qi Yan's broken leg. With a forceful stomp, Qi Yan screamed in pain again. The two orderlies standing silently by were so frightened that they fell to their knees.
As if she were not the one being so ferocious, Zhan Feiyu smiled with her eyes curved, "Young Master Zhang, please remember my words, and also inform Young Master Qiu, with whom you are cooperating. Debts have their debtors, and causes have their origins. Do not harm the innocent, because you cannot afford the consequences!"
"You!" Zhang Changsong's face turned extremely unsightly.
But seeing Qi Yan, who wanted to struggle but was immediately pinned down by He Sheng, he swallowed all his further words. Since Zhan Feiyu treated Qi Yan like this in front of Prefect Qi, she would be even more cold-blooded and heartless towards him.
After a long while, the once smug Zhang Changsong left with a dejected expression. The others also bid farewell and left, looking at Zhan Feiyu as if she were a man-eating demon. The young girl was not old, but her actions were truly ruthless, breaking Qi Yan's leg alive. The thought alone made people's hair stand on end.
At the entrance of the medical clinic, seeing Zhang Changsong mount his horse and leave, one person suppressed his unease and asked in a low voice, "Brother Tang, Miss Zhan's actions are too outrageous."
Tang Lin rubbed his temples. If he had known this would happen, he would never have taken the lead in organizing this literary gathering.
Looking at the frightened crowd, and thinking of their more or less involvement, Tang Lin said coldly, "Not to mention what happened in Nanxuan Prefecture, Commander Liu is still recuperating at home. This involves an innocent child. This is not the act of a gentleman. Everyone, I'll take my leave first."
The people left behind had awkward expressions. Commander Liu's broken leg was said to have been caused by being trampled by a horse. It was normal for Zhang Changsong and the others to try to please Commander Liu. However, they dared not act against Zhan Feiyu but instead acted against the innocent Qi Heng, which was truly despicable.
In the room, Zhan Feiyu apologized solemnly to Prefect Qi, "I lost my composure due to my concern for Qi Heng. I ask Lord Qi to forgive me. Rest assured, Your Excellency, I will find the best medicine and ensure that Third Young Master Qi's leg is completely healed and will not affect his future imperial examinations."
Prefect Qi, feeling weary, waved his hand, "It's alright. Miss Zhan, please go back and rest. As soon as there is any news of Qi Heng, I will send someone to inform Miss Zhan."
Half an hour later.
Qi Manor.
After the news of Qi Heng's disappearance spread, the second master Qi also rushed back from his shop with his son, "Father, daring to act against Qi Heng in Fengzhou is showing no regard for our Qi family."
"Grandfather, although Zhan Feiyu offended Commander Liu, they acted against Qi Heng. This is like picking on the softest persimmon!" The second young master Qi was also full of indignation. No matter what, Qi Heng was a member of the Qi family.
If Commander Liu had personally taken action, the Qi family could have endured the silent grievance. But Zhang Changsong and the others had secretly plotted and calculated against Qi Heng to please Commander Liu. What was this? A few juniors dared to disrespect the Qi family.
Before Old Master Qi could speak, a servant ran over, "Old Master, Second Master, something has happened..."
After a long while, Qi Yan, whose bones had been reset, was carried into the bedroom. After all this commotion, Qi Yan was pale and unconscious. If his chest were not still rising and falling, one might have thought he was already dead.
"My son..." Madam Qi couldn't help but cry out. Her handsome and elegant youngest son had become like this. Madam Qi held Qi Yan's hand and looked back at Prefect Qi, choking, "Husband, you must seek justice for Yan'er."
"Father, what is going on? When I left, I saw my younger brother, and his complexion had improved considerably," Qi Mo asked, confused. He had taken people to search for Qi Heng's whereabouts, but as soon as he entered the house, he learned that Qi Yan was seriously injured.
Prefect Qi sat down on the chair, looked at Old Master Qi, who was worried about his grandson, and concealed nothing. He quickly recounted the events, "Doctor Zeng is temporarily staying in the manor. After Yan'er's leg is completely healed, he will return to the medical clinic."
"How dare she?" While others were still shocked that Qi Yan was involved in the kidnapping of Qi Heng, Madam Qi stood up in a rage, "She dared to stomp on Yan'er's leg! Husband, how can you not arrest such a ruthless little girl!"
"Sister-in-law, calm down," the second madam quickly supported Madam Qi, who was so angry that she was about to faint.
The second Madam Qi was also shocked by Zhan Feiyu's ruthlessness. A nine-year-old girl had broken Qi Yan's leg alive. How cruel must she be?
"Enough. It's already showing mercy that she didn't cut your son's throat directly," Prefect Qi said with a cold face. Looking at Madam Qi, who seemed to want to take her servants to kill Zhan Feiyu, he continued, "Commander Liu is still lying in bed. Qi Yan dared to plot against someone, and this is the consequence he deserves!"
Looking at Madam Qi, who was trembling with anger and unable to speak, the second madam had to pat her back to calm her down, saying softly, "Sister-in-law, we'll discuss the rest later. The priority now is to take care of Yan'er."
The men of the Qi family in the room understood why Prefect Qi was angry. Not only had he lost face in front of the younger generation at the medical clinic, but more importantly, Qi Yan's actions were completely inappropriate.
Although Old Master Qi had schemed against Father Qi back then, it was only due to internal family struggles. After Father Qi went to Nanxuan Prefecture, Old Master Qi also provided considerable assistance.
If it were like Qi Yan, the grass on Father Qi's grave would probably be knee-high. In a family, it was either the east wind suppressing the west wind or the west wind suppressing the east wind, but it would not involve the inner family members or collude with outsiders.
Although Old Master Qi had never met Zhan Feiyu, he knew that her actions were ruthless and decisive. "Previously in Nanxuan Prefecture, Scholar Chen returned defeated. It seems it wasn't just because he feared Scholar Gu. This young girl is not to be underestimated."
The second master Qi nodded in agreement. "Even though she broke Yan'er's leg, with this incident, even if those people don't release Qi Heng, they won't dare to harm him."
Qi Heng was now like a hot potato. Handing him over to Commander Liu would definitely not work. Given Commander Liu's brutal nature, Qi Heng's life would likely be in danger. Then, if Zhan Feiyu sought revenge, who knew what she would do.
But if they didn't hand him over and simply released Qi Heng, they would lose face and offend Commander Liu. This whole mess left them in an awkward position.
"Husband!" The second madam glared at the second master Qi, who had a smile on his face. Didn't he see that his sister-in-law's face was already ashen with anger?
Old Master Qi looked at his two daughters-in-law and said slowly, "For a member of the Qi family not to protect their own, but to rely on outsiders to act, this is a disgrace to the Qi family!"
What Old Master Qi didn't say was that the more protective Zhan Feiyu was, the better her relationship with Qi Heng, which would be greatly beneficial to the Qi family in the future. As for Qi Yan, although he made a mistake, he also received his punishment. He would learn from his mistakes. Old Master Qi was not afraid of his juniors making mistakes, but he was afraid of them not correcting them.
"You take people and continue to search for Qi Heng's whereabouts. Create a stir," Old Master Qi said to his two grandsons. Since the Qi family had chosen Zhan Feiyu, they could not be indecisive anymore. Their stance must be firm. "Don't worry about offending Commander Liu. Our Qi family has been in Fengzhou for many years, and Liu Hefeng cannot bully us."
This was a hurdle. If they overcame it, the Qi family would reach a higher level. If they couldn't, Old Master Qi thought of Qi Heng. He had Zhan Feiyu, his junior fellow student, and he would surely have a place in the imperial court in the future. If the Qi family couldn't overcome it, they only needed to lie low for a few decades.
For Zhan Feiyu, Fengzhou must be an unfamiliar place. Apart from the Qi family, no one could help her. The Fengzhou Prefecture and the Garrison, even if they did not secretly favor Commander Liu, would never make things convenient for Zhan Feiyu.
During the fire, the people on the second floor colluded to hinder He Sheng from rescuing people. Unless Zhan Feiyu turned Fengzhou upside down, she would not be able to find Qi Heng's whereabouts. To find one person hidden in the vast Fengzhou was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
And the Qi family had been searching for people from afternoon to evening. Even Prefect Meng had dispatched constables and yamen runners from the yamen, but there was still no success. After all, Zhang Changsong and the others feared Zhan Feiyu, but they also did not dare to offend Commander Liu. This matter seemed to have reached a stalemate.
Just as everyone was waiting to see how the situation would develop, the next day, news shocked the entire Fengzhou at dawn: a blood-stained kitchen knife was found at the bedside of Commander Liu, Prefect Zhang, and the son of Commander Qiu, Qiu Ding Si.
No one knew how Zhan Feiyu managed it, but if she could place a kitchen knife at their bedside, she could easily cut off their throats. Even though these three were all skilled practitioners, and the three prefectures were heavily guarded, Zhan Feiyu had still managed it.
Of course, no one could openly say that Zhan Feiyu had done it. There was no evidence, but everyone knew.