A pig-like scream rang out, and Qian Shipeng clutched his right hand, howling in pain. His attempt to flip the table had failed; he had intended to overturn the bubbling purple clay pot, at least to save face.
However, He Nuan had moved too quickly, pressing Qian Shipeng's hand directly onto the clay pot. Even for a brief moment, Qian Shipeng's right palm was scalded red. Fortunately, the palm was thick-skinned; if it had been the back of his hand, it would have blistered.
"Is Young Master Qian intending to commit assault in front of the constable?" Zhan Feiyu asked with a smile. After all, if the hot soup had been splashed over, Zhan Feiyu's face would have been in danger. Calling Qian Shipeng's action an assault was no exaggeration.
"You lowly girl, do you know who I am?" The burning pain in his palm subsided slightly, and Qian Shipeng's face contorted with pain. He stared fixedly at Zhan Feiyu, his eyes filled with violent killing intent. This was clearly a mortal feud.
"I had the good fortune to meet Madam Qian before, but she never mentioned Young Master Qian," Zhan Feiyu recalled Qiu Jingyuan. The two of them acted in a similar manner; when displeased, they were utterly reckless.
As she thought about it, Zhan Feiyu's expression faltered slightly. Qiu Jingyuan's arrogant and overbearing nature was likely due to her aunt, Qiu Wenlan, or Madam Qiu. The specifics would need to await the investigation by the Imperial Guard.
But what about Qian Shipeng? Zhan Feiyu looked up, appraising the red-faced Qian Shipeng. He was the epitome of a dissolute wastrel. Knowing that Qiu Jingyuan herself avoided offending Zhan Feiyu, he dared to cause trouble. Was this the lawless nature cultivated by Madam Qian's doting indulgence?
"Brother Shipeng," Zhao Yi quickly stepped forward, patting Qian Shipeng's shoulder to calm him. Then, he turned to Zhan Feiyu and said, "May I know the young lady's surname? Brother Shipeng's失态 (loss of composure) is due to the fact that the jade pendant was his most cherished possession. Now that the jade pendant is lost, Brother Shipeng lost his composure in his haste. I hope the young lady will forgive him."
"Brother Zhao, why bother arguing with a lowly girl? I, Qian Shipeng, have never felt so wronged in my life. Even if the King of Heaven himself came, it wouldn't matter today!" Qian Shipeng said fiercely, clearly unwilling to let the matter rest.
Before Zhao Yi could smooth things over, Qian Shipeng turned to Constable Hu and said aggressively, "This lowly girl, along with the innkeeper, robbed me of my jade pendant worth a thousand taels of silver! This is robbery! Constable Hu, why aren't you arresting her? Are you waiting for me to beat the drum outside the yamen to appeal for justice?"
Constable Hu, who had been put on the spot, glared angrily at Hu Yan beside him. This was a case of gods fighting, and mortals suffering! He, a mere constable, could afford to offend neither side!
Crucially, Constable Hu was Hu Yan's clan elder. Strictly speaking, he was also on Lord Zhao's side. In the yamen, Lord Pang had always suppressed Lord Zhao, and Constable Hu acted with extreme caution, fearing any misstep.
Yet, he had stumbled into a predicament. He had thought it was just a formality with the constables, but now he was in an impossible situation.
Hu Yan was also annoyed. Who would have thought Qian Shipeng would be so unreliable? Even with Brother Yi trying to mediate, he still insisted on escalating the matter.
"Brother Shipeng, how about we let this matter slide for my sake?" Zhao Yi was also helpless. He had originally intended to set a trap for Qian Shipeng, to curry favor with the Qian family and smoothly establish a connection with them, but Qian Shipeng was playing by his own rules.
Qian Shipeng knew that even Qiu Jingyuan dared not offend Zhan Feiyu, yet he dared to cause trouble. Naturally, he didn't put Zhao Yi in his eyes either. At this moment, he let out a cold snort, his attitude arrogant and presumptuous. "Since Brother Zhao has spoken, I will give Brother Zhao some face. However, this lowly girl has attacked me twice. I want one of her hands. Brother Zhao, is that too much to ask?"
Qian Shipeng sneered sinisterly, looking at He Nuan as if she were already dead. She was merely a lowly maidservant, relying on her martial arts prowess to dare to lay hands on him. Crippling one of her hands would stop her from being so arrogant!
Zhao Yi's eyes darkened, and Hu Yan and the other wastrels also looked grim. They were still unclear about Zhan Feiyu's background, but the maidservant beside her was clearly skilled in martial arts, indicating a significant background. Qian Shipeng's demand for one of her hands was not giving face; it was deliberate provocation!
Liu Xiaowu, naturally hot-tempered, was even more furious. "Qian Shipeng, don't push your luck! Not only did you make the first move yesterday, but you were also outmatched. Now that Brother Yi is giving you face, you're still being arrogant. If you have the guts, do it yourself and see if you cripple someone else's hand or get your own crippled!"
"Young lady," Liu Xiaowu looked at Zhan Feiyu, who was still seated. Despite being a young girl, Liu Xiaowu inexplicably thought of the headmaster of the academy. Her composed demeanor, without needing to say a word, could throw anyone into disarray.
Liu Xiaowu cupped his hands towards Zhan Feiyu and, casting caution to the wind, said, "We only just met Qian Shipeng, our acquaintance is limited to a meal. I apologize for any offense just now, and I hope the young lady will forgive us. As for Qian Shipeng seeking death, young lady, you need not hold back. Lord Zhang of Suzhou Prefecture is an upright and just official. If this matter truly reaches the yamen, Lord Zhang will uphold justice for you!"
Zhan Feiyu stood up and returned the bow. Even wastrels had their limits; compared to them, Qian Shipeng's behavior was strangely excessive.
"It's just a minor matter, not worth taking to court," Zhan Feiyu said with a smile. "Due to the rain, I had to stay in Suzhou Prefecture. I met with Vice-Prefect Zhang a few times before, and I should have paid him a visit. It was I who was remiss."
Zhan Feiyu had met Madam Qian, so her background was not surprising. After all, she was a young girl, and although the Qian family were merchants, they held some influence in Longyou Circuit. It was normal for Zhan Feiyu to have met her if she attended banquets with her female relatives.
However, when Zhan Feiyu mentioned Vice-Prefect Zhang, Zhao Yi and the others were startled. Zhang Minxian was the Vice-Prefect of Linzhou Prefecture and the future head of the Zhang family. He might even be promoted to Prefect of Linzhou in a couple of years. Furthermore, with the Yang family of the General's Mansion having been reinstated, and given their familial ties, he might even be transferred to the capital in the future.
Zhan Feiyu, a young girl, had met Zhang Minxian, and judging by her tone, it wasn't a mere junior visiting a senior. This indicated that Zhan Feiyu's background was indeed significant, and her family was likely of official standing.
...
"Brother Shipeng, how about we let this matter slide for my sake?" Zhao Yi was also helpless. He had originally intended to set a trap for Qian Shipeng, to curry favor with the Qian family and smoothly establish a connection with them, but Qian Shipeng was playing by his own rules.
Qian Shipeng knew that even Qiu Jingyuan dared not offend Zhan Feiyu, yet he dared to cause trouble. Naturally, he didn't put Zhao Yi in his eyes either. At this moment, he let out a cold snort, his attitude arrogant and presumptuous. "Since Brother Zhao has spoken, I will give Brother Zhao some face. However, this lowly girl has attacked me twice. I want one of her hands. Brother Zhao, is that too much to ask?"
Qian Shipeng sneered sinisterly, looking at He Nuan as if she were already dead. She was merely a lowly maidservant, relying on her martial arts prowess to dare to lay hands on him. Crippling one of her hands would stop her from being so arrogant!
Zhao Yi's eyes darkened, and Hu Yan and the other wastrels also looked grim. They were still unclear about Zhan Feiyu's background, but the maidservant beside her was clearly skilled in martial arts, indicating a significant background. Qian Shipeng's demand for one of her hands was not giving face; it was deliberate provocation!
Liu Xiaowu, naturally hot-tempered, was even more furious. "Qian Shipeng, don't push your luck! Not only did you make the first move yesterday, but you were also outmatched. Now that Brother Yi is giving you face, you're still being arrogant. If you have the guts, do it yourself and see if you cripple someone else's hand or get your own crippled!"
"Young lady," Liu Xiaowu looked at Zhan Feiyu, who was still seated. Despite being a young girl, Liu Xiaowu inexplicably thought of the headmaster of the academy. Her composed demeanor, without needing to say a word, could throw anyone into disarray.
Liu Xiaowu cupped his hands towards Zhan Feiyu and, casting caution to the wind, said, "We only just met Qian Shipeng, our acquaintance is limited to a meal. I apologize for any offense just now, and I hope the young lady will forgive us. As for Qian Shipeng seeking death, young lady, you need not hold back. Lord Zhang of Suzhou Prefecture is an upright and just official. If this matter truly reaches the yamen, Lord Zhang will uphold justice for you!"
Zhan Feiyu stood up and returned the bow. Even wastrels had their limits; compared to them, Qian Shipeng's behavior was strangely excessive.
"It's just a minor matter, not worth taking to court," Zhan Feiyu said with a smile. "Due to the rain, I had to stay in Suzhou Prefecture. I met with Vice-Prefect Zhang a few times before, and I should have paid him a visit. It was I who was remiss."
Zhan Feiyu had met Madam Qian, so her background was not surprising. After all, she was a young girl, and although the Qian family were merchants, they held some influence in Longyou Circuit. It was normal for Zhan Feiyu to have met her if she attended banquets with her female relatives.
However, when Zhan Feiyu mentioned Vice-Prefect Zhang, Zhao Yi and the others were startled. Zhang Minxian was the Vice-Prefect of Linzhou Prefecture and the future head of the Zhang family. He might even be promoted to Prefect of Linzhou in a couple of years. Furthermore, with the Yang family of the General's Mansion having been reinstated, and given their familial ties, he might even be transferred to the capital in the future.
Zhan Feiyu, a young girl, had met Zhang Minxian, and judging by her tone, it wasn't a mere junior visiting a senior. This indicated that Zhan Feiyu's background was indeed significant, and her family was likely of official standing.
...