In the left courtyard of Juwen Zhai.
"Qi Heng, send your attendant outside." Qi Yan looked at He Sheng, who was following Qi Heng, with distaste. If it were a young attendant serving him, it would be acceptable, but this person clearly looked like a rough fellow. What right did he have to enter their scholarly space and dirty it?
"Third cousin, isn't that a guard? It seems young cousin Qi Heng is still too young to dare to go out alone." The young man in a red brocade robe standing beside Qi Yan smiled meaningfully, his words clearly intended to sow discord.
Qi Heng had received the invitation from Qi Yan, yet he brought a guard, which clearly showed a lack of trust in Qi Yan.
Several scholars in brocade robes who overheard this from not far away also started to laugh. One of them raised his teacup to Qi Yan, "Qi San, why are you dawdling? You still owe me a poem."
"Haha, today Qi San has to look after a baby. Where would he have time to compose poetry? Let's save it for the next literary gathering." The young man, leaning lazily on his chair, spoke slowly, picking up his teacup for a sip of tea. "Today we have Miss Ling's Flying Sky Dance. Children shouldn't be here."
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of those present changed slightly. Various complex gazes turned towards Qi Yan and Qi Heng. They thought that since Tang Lin was good friends with the eldest son of the Qi family, it was not strange that he would specifically remind Qi Yan.
Qi Heng stood tall and straight despite his small frame. Even though he was not accustomed to such an occasion, he did not appear timid. His respectful and unpretentious demeanor made him a distinguished young gentleman.
"Cousin Yan Tang, I am young, and this is my first time attending a literary gathering. That is why I brought my attendant. I hope Cousin Yan Tang and all the elder brothers will be understanding." Qi Heng spoke loudly, clasping his hands and bowing to everyone.
The youngest of the scholars attending the gathering was at least fourteen or fifteen years old. Qi Heng, a child of seven or eight, was indeed rare. After all, literary gatherings involved drinking, singing, dancing, and music. If people got drunk, some intimate scenes might occur, making it unsuitable for very young children.
The crowd found it difficult to trouble such a young child as Qi Heng, who had merely brought an attendant. It was no great harm.
Furthermore, Qi Heng was the sixth-ranked scholar in the Nanxuan Prefecture examination and was already a Tong Sheng. If nothing unexpected happened, he would surely be on the list in the August provincial examination. An eight-year-old young Xiu Cai, they truly had no face to make things difficult for him.
Miss Ling was skilled in dance, especially the Flying Sky Dance. Her graceful posture and flowing robes could make any man's blood surge. Among those who loved Miss Ling the most was Qiu Ding Si, the only son of Commander Qiu. This man was accomplished in both literary and martial arts.
Whenever Miss Ling performed, Qiu Ding Si would surely be present. Everyone present knew that Qiu Ding Si and Captain Liu were sworn brothers. Although ordinary people did not know the reason why Captain Liu had broken his leg, those scholars present were aware of the inside story.
If Qiu Ding Si saw Qi Heng, he might not let it go. Thinking this, the gazes of the crowd towards Qi Yan became even more complicated. Was he being unintentional or intentional?
"He looks so rough and burly, and you call him an attendant? Haha, are you taking us for fools?" A mocking voice rang out. The young man sitting on the right side curled his lips, his hostility completely undisguised.
"Zhang Changsong, what business is it of yours?" Qi Yan questioned coldly. They were of similar age, and they would clash as soon as they met.
One was the youngest son of the Vice-Prefect Qi, and the other was the youngest son of the Vice-Prefect Zhang. With their fathers at odds, the younger generation naturally clashed due to their differing allegiances.
Qi Yan was still a commoner, while Zhang Changsong was already a Xiu Cai, holding an advantage over Qi Yan.
However, Vice-Prefect Qi's official position was higher than Vice-Prefect Zhang, which gave Qi Yan an edge. Thus, whenever they met, they were like sharp swords clashing, evenly matched and with victories and defeats on both sides.
Qi Yan glared at Qi Heng and He Sheng in annoyance. If it were his own attendants, how could he be ridiculed by Zhang Changsong?
Ignoring Qi Yan, the chubby Qi Heng took two steps forward and looked directly at Zhang Changsong, asking loudly, "To judge a man by his words, one misses Zi Yu; to judge a man by his appearance, one misses Zi Yu. As a gentleman who reads the words of sages, why are you so shallow?"
Uh… the spacious and bright hall fell silent for a moment. No one expected Qi Heng to retort so sharply. After a moment's thought, they understood. Qi Heng was also a Tong Sheng, unlike Qi Yan, who could only resort to sharp words.
Zhang Changsong's expression instantly turned extremely unpleasant. He suddenly stood up, pointed at Qi Heng, and said coldly, "Literature is based on conduct, and sincerity is paramount. You, a Tong Sheng, speak recklessly. You are utterly ignorant!"
If Qi Heng had not seen He Sheng teaching Hong'er to read, he would have believed that He Sheng was just a martial arts practitioner. Seeing Zhang Changsong clinging to this point, Qi Heng knew he couldn't let him smear him with the dirt of dishonesty. Scholars valued their reputation.
"Everyone, there's no need to argue about this. Why not give me some face?" Tang Lin, who was already in his thirties, intervened to smooth things over. He smiled and said loudly, "If he is an attendant, let him stay close to young scholar Qi. How about that?"
Tang Lin was the host of today's literary gathering and also held the title of Ju Ren. Both Qi Yan and Zhang Changsong had to give him face. Moreover, arguing over a rough fellow would diminish their status.
Seeing that no one objected, Tang Lin looked at Qi Heng and smiled, "Why don't we let young scholar Qi's attendant write a few characters?"
Generally, attendants were literate, but their handwriting could reveal the length of time they had spent studying. The shop assistants at Juwen Zhai were also literate, but if they were asked to pick up a brush and write, their characters would be as clumsy as crawling turtles.
The brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones at Juwen Zhai were all prepared. He Sheng still had that dull and honest appearance, but his posture when holding the brush was correct, which made Zhang Changsong's face sink.
After a while, the words "Juwen Zhai" appeared on the paper in dark ink. It couldn't be said to be exceptionally good, but apart from scholars preparing for imperial examinations, He Sheng's calligraphy was definitely considered above average.
"Scholar Qi, please come in." Tang Lin smiled and beckoned Qi Heng, signaling a shop assistant to clear away the brushes and ink on the table.
Although Zhang Changsong's expression was unpleasant, he did not pursue the matter further.
As time passed, more and more people entered Juwen Zhai with their invitations. The entire left courtyard instantly became lively. The sounds of string music and laughter filled the air, making passersby outside the wall feel a sense of longing.
...
In the Wushu Lou, Zhan Feiyu put down her brush and suddenly stood up. "You said Qi Heng is missing?"
"Yes, my brother sent a signal." He Nuan's expression was also grave. She and her brother were assigned to protect Miss closely. There were five other people secretly providing protection. Normally, these five would not appear. Once danger arose, they would use specific signals to communicate.
"The fire has been controlled. The three people who died did not include young master Qi," He Nuan quickly added. Who would have thought that those people would be so insane?
Just as Zhan Feiyu was about to leave, Hong'er immediately followed her, holding his bamboo pole. However, thinking of Qi Heng's disappearance, Zhan Feiyu patted Hong'er's head. "Hong'er, you stay with Master Wei. Something has happened to Qi Heng, and I have to go find him."
Hong'er still had that dazed look, but he wasn't truly foolish. He had been severely frightened in the past. Hearing Zhan Feiyu's words, the little fellow looked at her blankly, then nodded vigorously after a while. However, his small hand tightly clutched Zhan Feiyu's sleeve, refusing to let go.
The great scholar Wei patted Hong'er's hand. "Be good."
Perhaps sensing Zhan Feiyu's urgency, Hong'er's tightly clenched hand slowly loosened. He obediently retreated to Master Wei's side, but his eyes, full of dependence, were fixed on Zhan Feiyu.
"Let's go." Ming San's expression was also extremely solemn. With He Sheng protecting him, something still happened. This literary gathering was clearly a trap. If he had known this earlier, he shouldn't have let Qi Heng go.
Juwen Zhai was a courtyard facing the street, and the crowd of onlookers had already blocked the road. Even from a distance, the smell of smoke from the fire could be detected.
Zhan Feiyu and Ming San got out of the carriage. Listening to the surrounding onlookers talk about the fierce fire at the time, both of them had grim expressions.
"Alright, everyone back, back!" The constables and clerks from the yamen shouted loudly from time to time, preventing the onlookers from crowding over. "There's nothing to see, go home, back, back..."
Juwen Zhai was a two-story courtyard arranged in a character shape. Although the left courtyard was completely burned down and had spread to the right courtyard, there were still many valuable items inside. If the constables had not arrived in time, many people would have taken advantage of the fire to steal things.
Moreover, the open flames had been extinguished, but the beams in the left courtyard had been burned to charcoal. If someone truly entered, and the roof collapsed or the walls fell, it would likely result in death.
The one responsible for maintaining order was Constable Qian. He hurried forward, "Miss Zhan?"
"My fellow scholar was at Juwen Zhai earlier. Constable Qian, could you please facilitate my entry?" Zhan Feiyu looked up at the smoky sky, her round face now terrifyingly grim.
Thinking of the missing Qi Heng, Constable Qian immediately said, "It's not safe inside. Miss Zhan, please be careful."
"Thank you." As Zhan Feiyu walked further inside, the smell of smoke grew stronger, and there were still open flames in some places, but they were quickly extinguished by the firemen.
"Zhang Yi, come here for a moment." Constable Qian called out, and a young man in his thirties hurried over, his face covered in a large patch of black ash.
Handing his wooden bucket to a subordinate, Zhang Yi looked at Zhan Feiyu with surprise. "Constable Qian, what are your orders?"
"The fire has been mostly extinguished. You will accompany me to the burning courtyard to take a look with Miss Zhan." Constable Qian instructed, then explained to Zhan Feiyu, "This fire was put out by Zhang Yi and his men."
"The fire started from this room below the stairs. A lot of tung oil was stored here." Although Zhang Yi did not know Zhan Feiyu's identity, seeing Constable Qian attach so much importance to her, and that the young lady had personally come to the scene of the fire, Zhang Yi did not dare to conceal anything. "The tung oil ignited the silk and cloth in the room. There were also many bottles of wine on the cabinets on the first and second floors, so the fire spread very quickly."
Zhan Feiyu surveyed the room, which was reduced to a single wall, the pungent smell making it unbearable. "Why was so much tung oil stored here?"
Zhang Yi and Constable Qian exchanged glances. From the start of the fire to the present, it had only been half an hour. As for whether the fire was accidental or deliberate, they were minor figures and did not dare to get involved.
"I heard from the shopkeeper of Juwen Zhai that they were going to repaint the doors, windows, and stairs of the left courtyard, so they bought a lot of tung oil. The attendant, to save trouble, piled all the tung oil here, as the room where the fire started was always vacant." Zhang Yi had immediately asked the people of Juwen Zhai when he smelled the tung oil.
Zhan Feiyu nodded. "I heard three people died?"
"Yes." Constable Qian knew the casualty situation and immediately replied, "Two of them were shop assistants at Juwen Zhai, and the other was Miao Xin. Young scholar Miao had injured his leg some time ago, so he couldn't escape."
"A student from a humble background?" Zhan Feiyu asked. Constable Qian and Zhang Yi were both taken aback. She could guess that?
A cold sneer appeared on Zhan Feiyu's fair, round face. Looking at the devastated left courtyard, Zhan Feiyu said, "It seems that even if the arsonist is found, they will only be fined some silver, and it won't cause much of a stir."
Constable Qian and Zhang Yi's expressions immediately became awkward. They had no response to her words. The two shop assistants were one thing, but Miao Xin, although a Tong Sheng, was indeed from a humble background. His parents had died early, and his three elder brothers had supported his studies.
Now that Miao Xin had been burned to death, as long as sufficient compensation was paid, Miao's three brothers would likely not make a fuss, as the person was already dead.
"Miss." A figure leaped over the wall. It was He Sheng.
Zhan Feiyu quickly examined He Sheng. His hands had blisters from the flames, and the back of his right hand had a large burn. Apart from that, his clothes were only scorched.
"Qi Heng still hasn't been found?" Ming San asked anxiously. Logically, with He Sheng present, Qi Heng should not have been in danger, even if this great fire was pre-arranged.
Zhan Feiyu tugged at Ming San's arm. "Calm down, let's talk outside."
Not far from Juwen Zhai was a wine shop. In a private room, the waiter brought the food and then withdrew.
He Sheng began to speak in a low voice, "Because of the tung oil, the fire spread extremely quickly. At that time, the first and second floors were in complete chaos..."
Although He Sheng had entered the building as an attendant, he had only stood in a corner on the second floor near the stairs. Several other attendants and two shop assistants from Juwen Zhai were also standing there at the time.
Qi Heng, thanks to Qi Yan, was seated by the window, but this was the furthest point from He Sheng. The room where the fire started had directly turned the stairs into a fiery ladder.
At that time, there were at least thirty scholars seated on the second floor, and even more people on the first floor. On the stage in the center of the first floor, there were also acrobats performing.
"Were you trying to save Qi Yan?" Zhan Feiyu's question was not accusatory but rather surprised.
The raging fire had directly engulfed the stairs on both the first and second floors. The fire was fierce and dangerous. He Sheng's only priority should have been to ensure Qi Heng's safety.
"Qi Yan was pushed down by Zhang Changsong, the son of Vice-Prefect Zhang, and his leg was stepped on and broken. In the chaos, someone pushed over the cabinet storing wine." Hearing this, Zhan Feiyu and the others could imagine the danger Qi Yan was in.
Strong liquor was inherently flammable. The owner of Juwen Zhai enjoyed collecting fine wines from all over the world. A wall of cabinets was filled with jars of fine wine. When the wine jars shattered, the fire, fueled by the strong liquor, instantly engulfed the entire second floor.
More than thirty people were rushing downstairs in the chaos, but the stairs were completely on fire. At this point, Qi Yan was lying on the ground, destined to be either burned to death or trampled to death.
Qi Heng, being young, even though he had had disagreements with his distant cousin Qi Yan, could not simply watch him burn to death.
Moreover, the fire spread too quickly. He Sheng sensed that something was wrong. At this moment, he could not break through the window to get Qi Heng to the ground, as it would only be more dangerous.
Looking apologetically at the grim-faced Ming San, He Sheng continued, "I hugged Qi Heng and squeezed to the front, pulling Qi Yan up from the ground. At that time, there were too many people and it was too chaotic."