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Encountering Rain at West Lake

The brawl that occurred on Xiaoying Island didn't actually last very long.

By the time news of the commotion reached the main boat, Prefect Lu was still discussing the situation around Hangzhou with a group of scholars and friends. He was forty-seven years old, in the prime of his life, the golden age for an official. Now, as the prefect of Hangzhou, a wealthy and prosperous area, as long as he didn't make any major mistakes during his tenure, his future prospects were limitless.

At present, Fang La's rebellion was causing trouble in the southwest of Hangzhou Prefecture, but for Lu Tuizhi, the problem wasn't too serious. Hangzhou was a major commercial hub, the starting point for water transport, and was specially guarded by the Wuwei Army. Even if the banditry intensified, it would be kept outside the city gates.

But of course, for those who hadn't left Hangzhou Prefecture for a long time and hadn't ventured into dangerous areas, the Fang La rebellion wasn't as calm as they imagined. Many counties in the southwest of Hangzhou had already been swept up in it, with land redistribution, the killing of officials, and uprisings, along with the resulting famine and widespread starvation caused by the collapse of order. These were things that those in Hangzhou, living in relative peace, could hardly imagine. Lu Tuizhi and a few others present certainly had some information, but naturally, there was no need to tell everyone too much.

Currently, regarding the suppression of Fang La's uprising, in the Jiangnan area, there was the Wuwei Army led by Chen Shisheng in the south and the Wuzhou Army led by Kang Fangting in the north. The Wuwei Army intercepted its eastern route in Hangzhou. At least, in the eyes of most people, the spread of banditry had been controlled. Now, the most important thing was to prepare for war against the Jin and Liao countries. The rising tide of war sentiment within the country, as long as Lu Tuizhi held the water transport grain route after July, ensuring no domestic worries, and one battle determined the fate of Yanyun, then Lu Tuizhi would certainly have a share in this eternal achievement.

"...Therefore, when Kang Fangting used his troops earlier this year, Fang La and his ilk fled at the mere sight of them. Although this trouble is not trivial, there is not much to worry about. Instead, around the autumn harvest, such major events will require your assistance..."

As Lu Tuizhi was saying this, a soldier came in and reported the commotion that had occurred below to everyone. The first round of news was simple: a son-in-law, was flirting with a maid, and when caught, he actually attacked people. He had already injured more than a dozen scholars, and the most important news was that Lou Shuheng, the second son of the Lou family, had also been beaten and fell into the lake.

"Such a madman exists?" Lu Tuizhi was a calm and composed person. He tapped the tea table beside him and frowned. "Where is he from?"

"Unknown, it seems... not from Hangzhou, but a merchant from Jiangning."

After the messenger finished speaking, everyone in the hall stood up indignantly for a moment: "Such a thing exists?"

"Are we being bullied in Hangzhou?"

"A son-in-law dares to run wild! Master Lu, I'll go take a look!"

These people were filled with righteous indignation, and Lu Tuizhi also frowned and stood up: "Where is this person now? Has the soldier stationed below been unable to stop him after such a thing has happened?"

Having reached his position, he rarely believed one-sided words spoken in momentary anger. The messenger had come over upon seeing that something was wrong and the situation was not good, so he didn't know about the next developments. He could only say that "someone had gone to stop him." At this time, some people in the hall had already gone out angrily to see what was going on. Lu Tuizhi strode out, also wanting to take a look, when another middle-aged man came in and saluted him. This man was his advisor, named Zhuo Qingran, who had probably seen what had happened outside. Lu Tuizhi asked him, "Qingran, how is that madman? Has he been captured?"

Zhuo Qingran told him about how someone had drawn a knife but was then restrained. Then, he lowered his voice slightly: "...Afterwards, Vice General Yuan arrived and fought with him. They exchanged one blow, then stood facing each other for a moment before that person..."

"That person actually fought and faced off with Yuan Dingqi?" Lu Tuizhi interrupted him with a frown. Yuan Dingqi was a vice general in the Wuwei Army, said to be highly skilled in martial arts, whom Lu Tuizhi also knew. Zhuo Qingran was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

"Only one blow, no winner was decided. After facing off for a moment, that scholar put down his knife, also because his wife arrived, and Lou Shuwan also came out to stop them from fighting, seemingly knowing the couple. This student thinks that this matter may be suspicious, so I came to report to you, sir, that it should not be taken lightly. Moreover, that person was holding an invitation issued by Qian Gong."

"Qian Gong or the Qian Residence?"

"Qian Gong."

"I understand, let's go take a look then."

Lu Tuizhi nodded. Among the families in Hangzhou, the Qian, Mu, Tang, and Chang families, the Qian family had the most prestigious reputation. But Qian Xiwen cultivated his reputation, often visiting and lecturing, being approachable and easy to get along with, but not interfering in trivial matters involving interests. Several years ago, Hangzhou suffered a severe drought, and the gathering on the day of the Autumn Equinox was initiated and led by Qian Xiwen, because it was a matter of the overall situation. It was also because of the reputation of him, Mu Bochang, Chang Yuanan, and others that the then-prefect, Xiong Ruming, was able to hold the gathering well, which became Xiong Ruming's greatest political achievement for future promotions.

After that major event years ago, Qian Xiwen no longer worried about the various trivial matters of the second year. The interests of the Qian Residence were naturally maintained by the Qian clan. Under these circumstances, an invitation personally issued by Qian Xiwen and an invitation issued by the Qian Residence certainly had different meanings.

Before they had even gone over there, the main hall was already in an uproar, with everyone already rushing onto the main boat. If he were still below the boat, Lu Tuizhi could go down, but there was no need to rush to show himself at this time. He waited in the side hall for a moment, listening to the development of the situation there.

At this time, everyone seemed to be angry about things like people from Jiangning running wild in Hangzhou, but it seemed that the attacker and the injured had already boarded the boat, and with the fighting incident just now, no one was impulsive at this time. And among the crowd, it didn't seem to be a one-sided tendency towards this regional dispute, with some young people arguing with everyone, seemingly trying to defend the attacker. Lu Tuizhi knew that these people were all descendants of the Qian family. After that person took out the invitation, these few people from the Qian family, although they didn't know the inside story, had already begun to actively take sides.

Qian Xiwen had a very high reputation in Hangzhou or in the Qian family, but in Lu Tuizhi's view, this time the Qian family's young people taking sides would probably be useless. Due to regional differences, that person had, after all, offended the public, and he could only be biased towards the Hangzhou side. And even if he possessed an invitation issued by Qian Xiwen, it didn't necessarily mean that the two sides had a deep relationship. With Qian Xiwen's scholarly personality, it was not hard to imagine him issuing a name card or invitation on a whim when he encountered someone with slightly higher comprehension while lecturing in the countryside. To say that there was really much at stake, the possibility was not high.

He was now, first, doubtful of Qian Xiwen's attitude, and second, he was also feeling curious about this matter. After beating more than ten people, being able to confront Yuan Dingqi, he should be a burly man, but he heard that he was only a scholar, said to be a son-in-law, but the information that followed said that he might be a famous talent from Jiangning. For a time, he was also a little curious and wanted to see what that person outside looked like.

With a spectacle to watch, the speed at which everyone gathered on the boat was also extremely fast. Before long, Zhuo Qingran came in and said that the situation was almost under control. Lu Tuizhi got up and went out. As he passed the ship's rail, he saw Qian Yu, the chief steward of the Qian family, being led over here. Lu Tuizhi was not negligent towards this old man: "Old sir, have you heard about what happened just now? I wonder what Qian Gong's intentions are?"

"My master will be here in a moment. I was afraid that the governor would have doubts in his heart, so I came one step ahead. That Ning Liheng, is..."

He spoke a few words to Lu Tuizhi in a low voice. At this time, Lu Tuizhi frowned deeply: "This matter... is a little difficult to handle..."

"The governor should act impartially. I have met that Ning Liheng once. This person has a lot of bearing and is not a reckless and impulsive person. Perhaps there is an inside story. Of course, if he really relies on his strength to act fiercely and offends the public, my master will never condone him..."

Lu Tuizhi nodded. He had a slight understanding of the Qian family's attitude in his heart, but he felt it was even more difficult to handle the situation. He went all the way out to the hall. Everyone calmed down a little, and some people suddenly rushed up, asking him as the prefect to severely punish the murderer, including those who had been clearly beaten.

Scanning his eyes over everything, Lu Tuizhi took in the situation in the hall.

At this time, dozens of round tables in six columns and seven rows in the hall were mostly full of people. Originally, there were arranged seats here, but now, of course, everything was arbitrary. The people involved, the injured scholars, and the scholars who participated in the matter and clearly stood on the Lou family's side, stood at more than four tables in the front row. Doctors were applying medicine and treating them, with moans and groans, but they forcibly endured when they saw the governor.

The attacker should be a family of four sitting at a round table in the front row of the third column. The scholar who was standing there with a calm demeanor was young, and it was hard to imagine that such a young person would have this kind of temperament. He should have taken a few punches to the face, with slight bruises and broken skin at the corners of his mouth, and there should have been blood stains, but he wiped them away. A green shirt was a little messed up, but compared to those who had been beaten, the injuries he suffered were much lighter. On the chair beside him, a woman with a calm expression was sitting there, holding his hand, with a handkerchief in one hand, wiping the broken skin on his fist when he punched people.

Compared to the scene of doctors holding medicine boxes and bandages on that side, there was only a basin of clear water on this table—it was obvious that after such a thing happened, no doctor would dare to treat the scholar here. His wife probably couldn't get any medicine or bandages either, so she could only wipe it with a towel dipped in clear water first.

Next to them was a girl dressed as a maid, who had cried, and should have been the maid in the incident. And another man was also about twenty years old and had not been beaten. He should be a relative who came with the family, and it seemed that the woman acting as a wife had two younger cousins who came with her, and this should be one of them. There were only four of them in the six columns of tables in the hall, but they were sitting in the front of the third column, not shrinking to the side in a low-key manner. This kind of momentum was a little intriguing.

In the front of the hall, Tang Xiuxuan of the Tang family had already arrived. Lu Tuizhi went over to greet him. The old man said, "Governor, please handle this matter impartially. If this person really acts improperly, I believe Qian Gong will never protect the madman."

"That's how it should be."

Lou Jinlin had also arrived at this time. Lou's family head was obviously extremely angry about his second son's pig-like injuries on his face, and his eyes also looked gloomy. At this time, in the front of the hall, he was actually confronting the son-in-law who injured people, the situation... was extremely strange.

The momentum of the two sides seemed to be almost equal.

Lou Jinlin was a well-known ruthless person in Hangzhou, not the ruthlessness of a small hoodlum, but the Lou family did not have the deep foundation of the Qian, Mu, Tang, and Chang families. The means of Lou Jinlin's to get his family to this step were seen as quite domineering by the outside world. If you were to evaluate it, giving him the position of a hegemon would be a good fit. He sometimes didn't show his joy or anger on his face, but if he wanted to do something, he rarely gave people a way out. Now, this man in his fifties with half white hair, once angry, was difficult for ordinary people to bear the pressure. And at this time, almost the entire hall was standing behind him. When he came over with a gloomy face, even the young disciples of the Qian family had already shut up for a moment.

The young man named Ning Liheng was standing there, smiling at him. His wife stood up and still quietly gave Lou Jinlin a salute, perhaps said hello, and then no longer spoke. She stood slightly behind her husband's side, holding the back of her husband's skinned hand. The temperament of this couple, however, did not seem to retreat in the slightest.

As for things like confrontation, it has always been hard to say who has the upper hand and who has the lower hand. Ordinary young people would say that they would not retreat even if they faced someone, but that was just gritting their teeth and holding on. In terms of real momentum, it was never the victory or defeat determined by whether they retreated or lowered their heads. With the power that Lou Jinlin now controlled, in this situation within the hall where thousands of people were pointing fingers, even people of similar age and reputation would inevitably be weak, and young people would inevitably be nervous, or hysterical, or forcibly holding their heads high. Even if they dared to curse in front of Lou Jinlin, it would only look like a clown in the eyes of others, their spirit being taken away. But nothing like this happened now, the scholar's attitude was natural, and the smile did not show any pretense.

Honestly speaking, when Lou Jinlin spoke, in the eyes of everyone, the other side was still a bit weak, just a young couple in their early twenties, and it would be difficult to handle today's situation no matter what. Lu Tuizhi had not yet gone over, when Lou Jinlin vaguely said, "...I am friends with Boyong, you and Shuheng should have a brother-sister relationship. And Liheng, you should also treat each other as brothers. I don't know what Shuheng did to make you treat him so harshly..."

His words were stern in accusation, first directed at the woman named Su Tan'er, and also had some contempt and anger towards the son-in-law. Su Tan'er raised her eyes to speak, and the scholar next to her raised his hand and patted her shoulder. This action was understated and not deliberate, but it was also after this action that the scholar almost naturally took over the entire pressure coming from Lou Jinlin, seemingly turning the entire gloomy aura caused by Lou Jinlin's anger into a joke.

His response was simple and sincere: "Regarding this matter, let's ask Lou's family brother. Not only uncle, but I also find it strange."

Lou Shuheng had become like that, and he found it strange... But he himself seemed to take it for granted. Lou Jinlin stared at him. Ning Yi looked back, his eyes gradually changing. After a long while, Lou Jinlin laughed in anger, revealing two rows of teeth: "You, very good."

Ning Yi was still just looking at him. Lou Jinlin had just looked at a junior with ruthless eyes, but Ning Yi also looked at him with the eyes of an elder, slightly frowning, with some boredom in his composure. Lou Jinlin had never encountered this kind of response when facing a young man in his twenties. His heart was full of anger.

At this time, Lu Tuizhi had also come over here.

************

Oh, eighteenth place, going up more than forty places in a row, right? Tsk tsk, everyone is not a good person, people will say something... The vote brushing is really fierce ^_^

Four consecutive days of updates, continuing to ask for votes... Asking for brushing!!! (To be continued. Vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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