Chapter 629
Shopkeeper Yu had been informed by the previous day that the eldest madam of the Zhe family would be visiting, so he had instructed the chefs to prepare the midday banquet early, with delicacies from the sky and the water.
Early in the morning, a hunter delivered a muntjac. The shopkeeper quickly had the kitchen handle it. "Miss He, rest assured, the private room has been cleaned. I'm sure you'll be satisfied."
Shopkeeper Yu smiled obsequiously. He had initially thought that this young lady had offended the eldest miss of the Zhe family and would surely suffer some hardship. But who would have thought that the Zhe family had only sent someone to inquire about the situation, and then the eldest madam sent a steward with a calling card.
He didn't know what this young lady's background was to make the Zhe family bow their heads. Tsk, the waters in the capital were truly deep.
"Thank you, shopkeeper," He Nuan said, thanking him. She subtly glanced outside the courtyard. The Zhe family's people had left, but there were still seven or eight people watching outside. She didn't know if they were there to watch the show or if they were targeting the young lady.
When He Nuan returned to the courtyard, Zhan Feiyu was practicing calligraphy. Unlike the standard script used in her early education, she had been practicing the "Seventeen Posts" for the past year. Her cursive script did not have the wild and unrestrained strokes of typical cursive, but rather a sense of balance and peace within the straight and curved lines.
"Miss," He Nuan said as she closed the door and walked in. Seeing that Zhan Feiyu had finished her day's practice, she immediately poured hot water from the copper pot into the basin to serve Zhan Feiyu as she washed her hands. She continued, "Those people outside are from the Zheng, Huang, and Zhu families. They've only sent ordinary guards. The young ladies from these three families had conflicts with Zhe Jing before."
So Zhe Jing had kicked an iron plate this time. These three families sent people to stake out the inn entirely to watch Zhe Jing make a fool of herself. After all, on the afternoon of the conflict, the fifth young lady of the Zheng family had sent out invitations for a small gathering with her close friends, definitely wanting to watch the fun.
Zhan Feiyu took the hand cream from He Nuan and applied it to her hands. Even with such care, the tips of her fingers, accustomed to holding a brush for years, had developed thick calluses. "Ah Sheng mentioned there are still seven or eight people watching. Have the rest been identified?"
"The remaining few are all experts. They probably suspect the young lady's identity, but they haven't dared to act rashly." He Nuan had gone out for a walk under the guise of buying groceries. They were all skilled in stealth. If she hadn't been from the Imperial Guard, she might not have discovered they were spies.
"My teacher doesn't plan for me to participate in this spring imperial examination," Zhan Feiyu said with a wry face, not admitting that this was one of the reasons she stayed at the inn and didn't dare to go to the scholar's mansion. Being scolded wasn't scary; the most frightening thing was composing three poems every day. Zhan Feiyu felt like she would go bald before reaching middle age.
She hadn't come to the capital in the earlier years because she needed to travel and study. Every time she visited a prefecture, she would bring letters to visit Gu Xueshi's old friends or officials whom Gu Xueshi had promoted over the years.
These visits would last from ten days to half a month, or even three to five months. Reading ten thousand books was not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Zhan Feiyu visited renowned teachers to learn from various schools and studied at academies and prefectural schools in different places. Except for her still uninspired poetic talent, she grew rapidly in other aspects. Her writing became more seasoned, and her initial sharpness was greatly tempered.
Zhan Feiyu stacked the dried paper aside. "What a shame about the original copy of the 'Seventeen Posts' my teacher sent me from a thousand miles away."
He Nuan, who was tidying the desk upon hearing this, glanced at the elegant and rounded characters on the paper. She completely failed to understand why Zhan Feiyu sighed.
In the past two years, He Nuan had also noticed that she could no longer see through her young lady. Perhaps this was the difference between scholars and ordinary people, with hidden depths and profound meaning in their words.
...
Eldest Madam Zhe had intentionally kept Zhe Jing in the dark when she left. Second Madam sent her off at the door. "Sister-in-law, don't worry, I will definitely keep a good eye on my little sister."
"Mother knows about this and hasn't objected. If my little sister really finds out and makes a fuss, you go find Mother," Eldest Madam instructed. After all, if Zhe Jing made a fuss, their sisters-in-law would be unable to stop her.
Speaking of which, the Zhe family was indeed biased. Zhe Jing had two guards, Ah Da and Ah Er, both experts retired from the battlefield. They only obeyed Zhe Jing's orders. In addition, Zhe Jing herself practiced martial arts, so once she caused trouble, the maids and servants in the inner quarters couldn't stop her, nor did they dare to. Being whipped a few times would truly be in vain.
The carriage slowly left the Zhe family and headed towards the inn. The maidservant Lu Liu handed her the hand warmer. "Madam, wasn't this set of hairpins meant to be a birthday gift for the third young lady?"
This set of silver inlaid jade hairpins with patterns of plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum was not only exquisitely crafted, but what was even rarer was the excellent quality of the jade, which was moist and translucent. Moreover, they were all carved from jade with natural colors.
The plum blossom hairpin was made of yellow jade, with the pistils being a natural red color. The orchid hairpin and bamboo section hairpin were carved from jadeite and qing jade respectively. The pinkish-purple hibiscus jade was carved into a chrysanthemum hairpin.
This set of floral hairpins was most suitable for young ladies to wear. The third young lady had wanted them before, but Eldest Madam refused on the grounds that the third young lady was too young. Lu Liu never expected that Eldest Madam would take out this set of hairpins today as an apology.
Holding the hand warmer and listening to the hustle and bustle outside the carriage, Eldest Madam smiled gently. "Mànmàn doesn't lack anything. It's just a matter of novelty for three days."
Eldest Madam's own dowry was considerable, and the Zhe family's ancestors had fought in battles in the past, accumulating many good things. These were stored in the treasury in boxes, gathering dust. Since they were all jewels and jades, there was no need to worry about them spoiling.
What Eldest Madam didn't say was that her sister-in-law had liked this set of hairpins before but had forgotten about it due to later events. If Mànmàn wore them, she would likely be snatched away by her sister-in-law that very day.
Rather than giving the items to her overbearing and unreasonable sister-in-law, Eldest Madam preferred to use them to build goodwill.
Moreover, she was going to apologize on behalf of her sister-in-law today, and she had even given up Mànmàn's favorite hairpins. Her mother would surely have to show some appreciation. It was impossible for her granddaughter to subsidize her aunt, an elder.
Before meeting Zhan Feiyu, Eldest Madam believed that anyone who dared to confront Zhe Jing head-on must have a similarly overbearing and strong personality.
However, upon meeting her, Eldest Madam was truly taken aback. She was such an ethereal and spirited young lady, with eyes like obsidian, fair skin that could be broken by a touch, and a smiling demeanor with curved eyebrows. She was lovable no matter how one looked at her.
"Greetings, Madam. Please come this way," Zhan Feiyu said, bowing and beckoning the Eldest Madam, who had alighted from the carriage, to come inside.
"Please wait for me at the entrance, Miss," Eldest Madam said, sidestepping Zhan Feiyu's bow.
Although she was the elder in terms of age, this young lady's family background was extraordinary, and furthermore, the Zhe family was in the wrong first. How could Eldest Madam accept this bow with peace of mind?
Incense was burning in the private room. Eldest Madam's footsteps paused slightly. She had smelled plum blossom incense many times and even blended her own incense, but the fragrance in the private room was different. It was clear and crisp with a hint of sweet richness, likely from a secret formula.
After He Nuan brought the tea, Eldest Madam became even more certain of her conjecture. This young lady, who looked not much older than Mànmàn, truly came from an affluent family. This Cloud Mist Tea was tribute tea. Even the Zhe family would only use Cloud Mist Tea to entertain distinguished guests.
After drinking tea and exchanging pleasantries, Eldest Madam got to the main point. "My little sister is innocent and carefree, and her actions are somewhat impulsive. She has offended you many times before. I hope you will forgive her."
Zhan Feiyu smiled generously. "It's nothing. I didn't suffer any losses."
These straightforward words stunned the apologizing Eldest Madam. Even Lu Liu, standing in the corner, was dumbfounded. Although it was the truth.
After recovering, Eldest Madam was no longer surprised. If she could only be a person of exquisite tact, she probably wouldn't have let her attendant slap Ah Da. "Although Miss suffered no losses, my sister was in the wrong after all. May I ask where your family is located? The Zhe family must send a gift of compensation." Eldest Madam spoke again. Otherwise, if the matter spread, outsiders would think that their Zhe family had bullied a young lady who was alone. Sending the compensation to the young lady's home would also show the Zhe family's attitude to her family elders.
"Eldest Madam need not..." Before Zhan Feiyu could finish speaking, there was a sudden commotion outside the door, followed by the sound of footsteps.
He Nuan immediately became vigilant, her right hand already resting on the soft sword at her waist.
With a creak, the private room door was suddenly pushed open, and a child of five or six years old darted in, moving as fast as a wild monkey.
The child didn't even look at the people in the room and immediately crawled under the table.
Even the swift Eldest Madam didn't react.
"Where is he? Where did he run off to? Dig three feet deep and find that brat for me!" The furious curses clearly reached them through the open door. Without looking, it was obvious that these people were looking for this child.
"Gentlemen, these private rooms are for distinguished guests. Please be considerate..." Before the waiter's words were finished, he was roughly kicked away.
"Get lost! You dare to hide the person Second Master wants? Do you want your Yufeng Tower to close down!" The dark and thin man shouted, beckoning the ruffians behind him. "Search for me! Whoever dares to stop you, beat them first!"
The dozen or so ruffians had never seen such a luxurious inn. Now that they could follow Tiger Lord and act so arrogantly, they all straightened their backs and put on fierce expressions, completely unaware that a Yufeng Tower that could open in the capital had behind it connections that they could not offend.
"Get lost!" a cold reprimand rang out. It was an attendant from the private room on the left. His tall and sturdy physique, his face as dark as Yama, and the saber at his waist clearly marked him as a formidable character not to be trifled with.
Tiger Lord's expression froze. Although they had more than ten people in total, they were all common thugs. They only dared to show off their might against the inn's waiters. When they encountered a tough opponent, they immediately cowered.
Seeing Tiger Lord and his men retreat, the attendant said nothing further, but stood guard at the private room door like a mountain.
"What? You don't dare to provoke the Zhang family, so you think our Bai family is easy to bully?" The young attendant, no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, smiled and looked at Tiger Lord and his men who were approaching him. "Why don't you go ask outside if you want to take a trip to the Shun Tian Prefecture prison?"
The little followers were visiting the capital for the first time, so they naturally didn't know about the Zhang or Bai families. However, Tiger Lord had been in the capital for half a month. Even if he were as foolish as a bear, he knew that the Prefect of Shun Tian Prefecture was surnamed Bai. Even if he had the courage of a leopard, he would not dare to offend the Bai family. That would surely land him in prison.
There were six private rooms on the first floor. Apart from Zhan Feiyu's, the attendants from the other private rooms also came out. Although they were all subordinates, they often followed their masters out. They recognized each other at a glance and guarded their respective doors, preventing these brainless fools from disturbing their masters' meals.
After repeatedly hitting a wall, the arrogant demeanor of the group of ruffians had long since vanished. Only Tiger Lord was so angry that his face turned red and his neck bulged. He had made such a grand show of force, but in the end, he didn't even dare to approach the private room doors, let alone find anyone.
Although Zhan Feiyu was hosting Eldest Madam today, in Eldest Madam's opinion, Zhan Feiyu was still a young girl, and this was the capital. Eldest Madam naturally wouldn't let her come forward. "Lu Liu, go outside and see what's going on."
"Yes." Lu Liu was not afraid. In the capital, even royalty had to give the Zhe family some face.
As Lu Liu went out, Tiger Lord's eyes lit up. Well, he could regain his lost face, and he could also report to Second Master. "That brat is definitely here. Follow me!"
The group of people rushed towards Lu Liu. Fortunately, they didn't bring any knives or swords, otherwise, people would have thought that bandits had appeared at the foot of the Son of Heaven.
The Bai family's attendant sneered at this scene. He had seen fools, but he had never seen such a fool. Anyone who could eat at Yufeng Tower, whether male or female, old or young, was definitely not someone these rabble could afford to offend.
"Stop! This private room is reserved by our Zhe family. We don't have the person you're looking for!" Lu Liu said coldly, driving them away. She didn't know where these thugs came from, daring to cause trouble at Yufeng Tower.
In fact, this matter was coincidental. Shopkeeper Yu received news at noon that his cousin and brother-in-law's family were having a dispute. Thus, all the adult men of the Yu family had to go to support his sister.
The Yu family was not numerous. There were less than twenty adult men in total, but the other party was a large family, with eighty percent of the village belonging to the Ding family. Therefore, Shopkeeper Yu had also taken away the two guards of Yufeng Tower. Otherwise, with these two guards, Tiger Lord and his men would not have been able to break in.
It was just that Shopkeeper Yu never expected that someone would dare to cause trouble at Yufeng Tower. Which of the shops on East Street in the capital did not have someone behind them? This was the capital, at the foot of the Son of Heaven. If you hit ten people with a bamboo pole, nine of them would have connections with court officials.
"Where did this little girl come from? Get out of the way!" Tiger Lord shouted in a hoarse voice. If he was stopped by a little girl, how could he command his subordinates?
"Didn't you hear Tiger Lord? Little girl, hurry up and move aside. Are you scared your legs have gone soft? It's okay, brother will come and support you." As soon as he saw Lu Liu's beauty, the thug spoke lewdly, and his lecherous hand reached out towards Lu Liu.
Even through the padded jacket, he could see her waist. Tsk, and her skin was so white and tender.
The Zhe family was a family of military commanders. Lu Liu had also seen the rough and heroic side of military commanders, but she had never encountered such a scoundrel who spoke obscenities and dared to make a move.
After all, she was still a young girl, and Lu Liu's face turned red with anger. She sternly rebuked, "If you don't want to die, get lost! I am a servant of the Zhe family!"
To put it bluntly, even a dog needs to be looked at by its owner. Lu Liu was the personal maidservant of Eldest Madam. It was also because Zhan Feiyu was young that Eldest Madam had left the managing嬷嬷 at home and brought a young person like Lu Liu out. Who would have thought that they would encounter such a situation at Yufeng Tower?
"Little girl, even when you're angry, you're so charming. Hitting is love, scolding is love. If you're unhappy, just hit me. Come on, brother isn't afraid of pain, he's just afraid of hurting your little hands." As soon as these scoundrel's words came out, the rest of them started laughing. It was evident that they had often harassed young ladies.
Lu Liu was also a tough character. Enraged, she looked at the approaching thug and suddenly slapped him across the face. The force of the slap was so great that the crisp sound of the slap drowned out their vulgar laughter.
Tiger Lord and the others were also stunned. They had not done things like harassing women in the street before. If they were young girls from farming families, they would even touch and hug them, scaring them into crying.
But they never expected that Lu Liu, who looked so frail, would dare to fight back, and that she would slap Liu Wang's face until it was swollen, leaving clear handprints.
The Bai family's attendant and the others guarding the private room doors saw this scene and were not surprised at all. The eldest young lady of the Zhe family dared to chase Ning Chen'an all over the capital and whip people at any moment. It was normal for the Zhe family's maids to slap a thug.
It was also these people who were courting death, daring to offend the women of the Zhe family even in the private rooms. They would probably go to the Shun Tian Prefecture prison soon.
"You ungrateful wretch, you dare to fight back? If I don't teach you a lesson today, you'll climb onto my neck and run wild!" The thug who was hit was completely enraged. With a ferocious expression, he raised his hand and lunged towards Lu Liu.
"Stop!" Eldest Madam, who had come out of the private room, thought that Lu Liu could handle these thugs. In the capital, let alone court officials, even the thugs on the street had a discerning eye and knew who they couldn't offend.
Eldest Madam was initially surprised why someone would come to Yufeng Tower to cause trouble. Could it be that they had a powerful backing? But upon hearing the vulgar words they said to Lu Liu, these were not servants of any family, but street thugs. Otherwise, they would not have dared to continue acting after hearing the name of the Zhe family.
Zhan Feiyu also walked out behind Eldest Madam. She looked back at He Nuan. Seeing her nod, she understood. She was not mistaken; these people were ordinary thugs, not martial artists.
"Oh, you're disturbing the ladies' and madam's dining pleasure. Tiger Lord has offended you today. It's just that my Second Master has given a strict order that the brat must be found. I hope Madam will be accommodating and let my men go in and search!" Tiger Lord grinned, his lecherous eyes fixed on Eldest Madam. Liu Wang didn't understand anything. He only liked young girls, not knowing that such women were more flavorful.
It was a pity that her attire indicated she was a noble lady. He, Tiger Lord, didn't have the ability. But if Second Master became successful in the future, perhaps he, Tiger Lord, could also ascend to heaven and become a figure in the capital.
Lu Liu was not afraid of these thugs, so Eldest Madam was even less afraid. However, her expression was exceptionally unpleasant.
The attendants guarding the doors of several private rooms saw the situation and immediately entered the private rooms to report to their masters. Regardless of whether they were friends or enemies with the Zhe family, they could not stand by and watch the women of the Zhe family be bullied.
"A Nuan!" As soon as Zhan Feiyu spoke, He Nuan acted. Her speed was so fast that no one reacted before Tiger Lord was kicked away.
Unlike the kick he gave the inn waiter when they were showing off their might, He Nuan used half of her strength. Tiger Lord flew backward and crashed into a flower stand that was more than a person high.
Curled up on the ground in pain, a flowerpot that fell on his head directly split Tiger Lord's head open. Blood mixed with soil smeared his entire face. If he hadn't been twitching in pain, people would have thought he was a corpse.
"Ugh..." The young master of the Bai family, who had come out of the private room, was stunned.
The Bai family had a clean and upright family tradition. Prefect Bai was a rare upright and incorruptible person. To put it bluntly, he was stubborn and obstinate, giving face to no one. Otherwise, he would not have been able to maintain his position as Prefect of Shun Tian Prefecture.
If any harm had come to the women of the Zhe family today, Shun Tian Prefecture would also bear some responsibility. Bai Zhaohui naturally had to come forward.
Who would have thought that as soon as he came out, he would see Tiger Lord being kicked away? Moreover, the one who made the move was also a young lady. Were girls nowadays so fierce? How could they, weak scholars, live?
Eldest Madam and Lu Liu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. While they were not afraid, if they were insulted by these thugs today, even if they took revenge later, their reputation would be tarnished.
The subordinates beside them were also stunned. They had followed Tiger Lord to the capital to "achieve success," so how could they have messed up on their first mission? Moreover, the tragic state of Tiger Lord's head, would he die?
Although Tiger Lord was dark and thin, he was indeed long-lived. He grunted in pain and opened his eyes, which were smeared with blood. "Make a move... If you kill him... I'll take responsibility..."
His voice was intermittent but extremely vicious. Tiger Lord struggled to take out two silver ingots and held them in his hand.
Ten-tael silver ingots wouldn't even cause a ripple in front of the noble guests dining at Yufeng Tower. After all, the monthly rent for the courtyard where Zhan Feiyu lived was fifty taels of silver, which ordinary families would have to save for three to five years.
However, these thugs who followed Tiger Lord came from small places. Let alone ten-tael silver ingots, they would be happy to get a hundred copper coins and have a drink. Seeing the silver, the group of thugs became as if injected with chicken blood, and they rushed towards Zhan Feiyu and the others.
"Madam, please go inside and take shelter!" As Zhan Feiyu spoke, she pushed Eldest Madam and Lu Liu into the private room.
As for the child who had been hiding under the table earlier, since he was just an ordinary child, even if he had any peculiarities, Eldest Madam was still accompanied by Lu Liu. The two adults wouldn't be harmed by a five or six-year-old child.
"Make a move!" Bai Zhaohui also hurriedly ordered. Although he only brought a young attendant with him, as a man, he couldn't stand by and watch these thugs attack the women.
The others who came out of the private rooms also did the same. Tiger Lord had more than a dozen people, but their attendants and guards, plus themselves, numbered ten people. At most, they would get a few punches. Even young masters of noble families had fought before.
Zhan Feiyu stood in the corner by the wall without moving. He Nuan kicked the charging thugs away one by one like balls, preventing anyone from getting close to Zhan Feiyu.
Amidst the chaotic fight, cries of pain sounded from time to time. The waiters of Yufeng Tower also rushed in to help. The shopkeeper had left for a day, and the inn had an accident. How could they explain this?
"Who dares to cause trouble at Yufeng Tower? Do you not want to live!" The head chef, along with two apprentices, rushed in with cleavers.
Compared to the waiters, the three chefs were clearly more formidable. Not to mention their plump physiques, just the gleaming cleavers they wielded were enough to scare several thugs into covering their heads and hiding in the corner. If this cleaver fell, their heads would be separated from their necks.
"All of you, stop!" The Shun Tian Prefecture constables arrived in time. Before they even reached the second floor, someone shouted.
A patrol of five constables was enough. However, wearing official uniforms and carrying sabers, their deterrence was absolutely formidable.
"Young Master?" The leader, Qing Xiang, was surprised to see his young master.
Bai Zhaohui nodded, then walked towards Zhan Feiyu. The chaotic fight just now had been fierce. He didn't know if the women of the Zhe family had been affected.
But the change happened in an instant. The chef, holding a cleaver, suddenly attacked Bai Zhaohui as he passed by. The gleaming blade was sharpened to an unusual sharpness. This saber strike was aimed at Bai Zhaohui's neck.
"Ah!" Lu Liu, who had come out of the private room upon hearing the constables' voices to check the situation, screamed in terror.
Qing Xiang and the five constables were about to order the troublemaking thugs to stand together, and then take them back to the yamen when other constables arrived. Hearing Lu Liu's scream, the five of them looked up, their faces turning pale with shock.
It happened in a flash! Seeing the cleaver strike down, Bai Zhaohui was about to be beheaded. Suddenly, a figure flew over, and the long sword in his hand instantly fell.
A shrill scream echoed throughout Yufeng Tower. Blood splattered from the severed arm. Bai Zhaohui, completely unaware of the danger, felt a warmth on his face and neck. The smell of blood was so choking it made him want to vomit.
"Young Master!" Constable Qing finally reacted and rushed forward, pulling Bai Zhaohui, whose face was smeared with blood, behind him.
Recovering his senses, Bai Zhaohui looked closely. The cleaver that had fallen to the ground was also stained with blood, and the severed half of his arm from the elbow was gushing blood.