The Du family, driven mad by her son's death, was determined to drag Zhan Feiyu back to the Marquis's mansion to be buried alive with You Bawang. Whether this would offend people or violate the laws of Daqing was of no concern to her.
"Miss, be careful!" He Nuan suddenly drew the soft sword from her waist and, the moment the Marquis's personal guards moved, immediately retreated with Zhan Feiyu.
The Marquis's personal guards, apart from the old subordinates who had followed Marquis You in the early years, were all from the army. While they might not match individual masters in a one-on-one fight, their coordination was impeccable, and their combat effectiveness multiplied several times over.
"Sir?" Constable Qing, quick-witted and sharp-eyed, pulled back an innocent bystander who was almost caught in the crossfire. His face darkened as he looked at the indiscriminately attacking Marquis's guards. "Have they gone mad?"
Lu Tongpan had known the Du family was up to no good, but he hadn't expected her to want to drag Zhan Feiyu back for burial simply out of spite. Now, she was even using attacks on the surrounding civilians to obstruct He Sheng and He Nuan's actions.
"Take action!" Lu Tongpan gave the order. So what if they offended the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion? They couldn't just stand by and watch them slaughter innocents!
As the Shuntian Prefecture constables moved, Commander Zhu also ordered the Five City Patrol to intervene. Ostensibly to stop the Marquis's guards, it was clear to any discerning eye that the Five City Patrol was hindering their efforts and showing favoritism.
"Get this slut back here, alive or dead!" Du Shi's voice was shrill and furious. She had intended to finish this quickly. Even if the Shuntian Prefecture people arrived at the mansion later, this slut would already be dead!
But Du Shi hadn't expected that despite bringing so many of the Marquis's guards, she still couldn't capture Zhan Feiyu. He Sheng, alone with his sword, held back half of them. As for the remaining guards, He Nuan had retreated to a corner with Zhan Feiyu, successfully blocking the other half.
Neither Commander Zhu nor Lu Tongpan had personally intervened, but both were skilled martial artists and could see what was happening.
Although Zhan Feiyu only had He Sheng and He Nuan as guards, every time the Marquis's guards gained the upper hand, hidden projectiles would fly in, suppressing them decisively.
"All of you, go and capture this slut!" The more she watched, the more agitated Du Shi became. She shoved the two guards who had remained by her side out. At this point, she would stop at nothing to bring this slut back.
The four figures dressed in the Marquis's guards' uniforms instantly split into three groups, attacking from the left and right simultaneously. The remaining two moved to attack He Nuan head-on, intending to tie her down.
But at this moment, two figures suddenly descended from the shadows, moving so fast that it seemed like only two afterimages were visible. The four Marquis's guards who had attacked were already incapacitated, lying unconscious on the ground. If not for the slight rise and fall of their chests, one might have thought they were already dead.
Seeing this, He Nuan retreated to Zhan Feiyu's side, her soft sword in her right hand reflecting a cold glint. Blood dripped continuously from the tip of the sword.
Even if she couldn't kill them, this exchange had disabled eight of the Marquis's guards. They would be physically stronger than ordinary people in the future, but in a real fight with weapons, these old injuries would be a significant hindrance.
In less than fifteen minutes, the battle was over. The north wind howled, carrying a strong scent of blood, and the Marquis's guards lay sprawled on the ground.
As for the surrounding civilians, they had all fled once they sensed danger. Now, they could only crane their necks to look, but for the sake of their lives, they dared not approach.
The Shuntian Prefecture and the Five City Patrol were evenly matched. After all, they were both officials of the court. Du Shi could act mad and do as she pleased, but Commander Zhu could not break the law.
"Miss." Two Forbidden Dragon Guards, clad in grey jackets, returned to Zhan Feiyu's side. Their ordinary faces and calm eyes gave no indication that they had just been involved in a fight.
Zhan Feiyu nodded and then walked past the fallen figures towards Lu Tongpan. "Sir, the emperor's crime is the same as a commoner's. The Marquis's wife committed violence in broad daylight. I will personally submit a petition to the Shuntian Prefecture later."
"You dare!" Du Shi, held back by her maids and servants, roared hysterically. Her face was contorted like a female demon, her eyes bloodshot as she glared at Zhan Feiyu. "I am a first-rank noble lady granted by the court. How dare you, a slut, accuse me? You should have the Shuntian Prefecture's execution board roll over you first!"
Lu Tongpan's face turned ashen with anger at Du Shi's arrogant and overbearing behavior. However, it was true that a commoner suing an official required such a process. Thinking of Du Shi's frenzied state, he knew she would tamper with the execution board, and then Miss Zhan would truly be in danger.
Commander Zhu's lips curled into a cold smile. While the Marquis's wife shouldn't have acted in broad daylight, she had just experienced the grief of losing her son, a parent sending off their child. Whether it escalated to the court or the imperial hall, the Marquis's wife would at most receive a reprimand from the Empress.
"Is there no place for justice in the capital?" Zhan Feiyu raised an eyebrow, her delicate and bright face seemingly tinged with anger. "The Madame, relying on her noble title, tramples on human lives. Will the officials of the Censorate not intervene?"
The Censorate was known to investigate matters upon hearing of them. You Bawang had bullied men and women in his lifetime, and the Censorate frequently impeached Marquis You for his failure to discipline his son and manage his household. However, Marquis You had publicly relinquished his military authority, so even if the Emperor wished to appease the old generals and meritorious officials, he would at most scold him a few times.
Furthermore, the Emperor was truly at ease with You Bawang's lack of education, as Marquis You, despite residing in the capital, still had old subordinates in the army. Several princes were openly and secretly trying to win over Marquis You, their target being these old subordinates.
"I'd like to see what those pedantic scholars in the Censorate can do to me," Du Shi said with a cold laugh. What was the point of those old fools being upright and having integrity?
Thinking of her son's tragic death, Du Shi's grief overwhelmed her. With her son gone, if these old fools dared to impeach the Marquis's mansion, Du Shi's bloodshot eyes were filled with frenzied hatred. She would make these old fools experience the grief of losing a child as well!
...
In less than half an hour, news of Marquis's wife Du Shi apprehending someone on the street spread throughout every corner of the capital. Families who were not well-informed learned that You Bawang, the "madman of the capital," had actually died.
The Marquis's guards' disregard for the Shuntian Prefecture and the Five City Patrol, their public use of force, and even their use of innocent civilians as shields, enraged the officials of the Censorate, who wished they could immediately impeach the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion.
Bai Residence, study.
Bai Zhaohui paced back and forth in the study. Upon hearing the sound outside the door, he immediately went to greet him. "Father."
"Come in and talk," Bai Fu Yin knew what his younger son wanted to ask. He gestured to the servant boy at the door before striding into the study.
After Bai Zhaohui followed him into the study, the servant boy immediately closed the door and stood guard in the corridor, preventing anyone from approaching the study.
Inside the room, as soon as Bai Fu Yin sat down, Bai Zhaohui brought him tea. "Father, why does the Marquis's mansion blame Miss Zhan for You Haoran's death?"
Having spent the entire day busy at the yamen, Bai Fu Yin drank his tea and looked at the anxious Bai Zhaohui. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Do you know the detailed course of events?"
"Yes, I went to the yamen earlier, and Constable Qing explained it to me in detail," Bai Zhaohui sat down, his brow furrowing. "Steward Zeng is still in the capital, and he even sought out Miss Zhan. Someone must have tipped him off from behind the scenes."
...
The Marquis's guards' disregard for the Shuntian Prefecture and the Five City Patrol, their public use of force, and even their use of innocent civilians as shields, enraged the officials of the Censorate, who wished they could immediately impeach the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion.
Bai Residence, study.
Bai Zhaohui paced back and forth in the study. Upon hearing the sound outside the door, he immediately went to greet him. "Father."
"Come in and talk," Bai Fu Yin knew what his younger son wanted to ask. He gestured to the servant boy at the door before striding into the study.
After Bai Zhaohui followed him into the study, the servant boy immediately closed the door and stood guard in the corridor, preventing anyone from approaching the study.
Inside the room, as soon as Bai Fu Yin sat down, Bai Zhaohui brought him tea. "Father, why does the Marquis's mansion blame Miss Zhan for You Haoran's death?"
Having spent the entire day busy at the yamen, Bai Fu Yin drank his tea and looked at the anxious Bai Zhaohui. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Do you know the detailed course of events?"
...