Ad-lib The great gates of the Wang residence slowly parted, and the clamor of the crowd surged even louder.

A dozen household retainers, clad in black silk short uniforms, their wrist guards and leather boots fully equipped, escorted a man with a solemn expression, wrapped in a heavy fur cloak.

"It's the Eldest Young Master Wang," someone exclaimed in surprise. The boisterous noise outside instantly fell silent.

The Eldest Young Master Wang, the legitimate eldest grandson of Wang Tongye, named Qian, style name Yixiu, was twenty-seven years old. He had achieved the Tanhua degree at twenty, renowned as a prodigy far and wide. Currently serving as the Tongzhi in Qingzhou Prefecture of Huguang, he deeply embodied his grandfather's character and was destined for significant responsibility in the future.

Even when fooling around, these young boys knew exactly who had emerged before them. In truth, even if the Eldest Young Master Wang had not appeared, they knew where they had come, but they had rushed here in a fit of heat, and since they had already started the trouble, they were prepared to see it through.

Wang Qian’s gaze swept over the noisy crowd gathered at the gate; indeed, many were adolescents. As his eyes passed, he noticed a few adults, specifically men dressed as bailiffs, who quickly slipped behind others upon being seen.

Wang Qian’s expression remained unchanged until the rowdy youngsters fell silent.

The aura of the Eldest Young Master Wang, an adult tempered by official experience, truly inspired awe.

Once the front was quiet, the Eldest Young Master slowly relayed his grandfather's exact words. A ripple went through the crowd; although these young masters caused trouble daily, they still understood propriety.

"Hey, are you someone who can actually speak?" The Eldest Young Master Wang felt no sense of accomplishment in intimidating these boys. After speaking, he turned to leave, but a woman’s voice called out from behind him. He turned to look and saw a woman emerge, wrapped in a red cloak, covering half her face with her hand.

Holding a pipa, yet half-concealed.

Wang Qian, who had only studied the words of sages, suddenly uttered a line of classical poetry.

"This Young Master?" Qi Yue called out again. This time, she was smarter and dared not approach too closely.

The Eldest Young Master Wang nodded slowly, making the young adolescents who yearned to be adults watch with immense envy. This was bearing and demeanor! Look at his every gesture and movement...

Huang Ziqiao snorted. The expression and actions of the Eldest Young Master Wang seemed very familiar to him.

He was clearly stunned by the sight of a beauty! A hypocrite!

Huang Ziqiao cursed him vehemently in his heart, already planning that if a fight broke out again, he would certainly find a chance to smash mud onto the old fellow's face.

"I won't say much more now. Things have escalated to this point, and I've clearly startled Elder Master Wang. As long as you hand the person over, we can settle accounts however you wish later. I will apologize where apologies are due, and I will apologize where apologies are due," Qi Yue stated.

This was all her fault. If she hadn't taught him artificial respiration, how could something like this have happened to Hu San? Artificial respiration, such a method of emergency aid, was far too shocking in ancient times where physical contact carried a great taboo. It was no wonder they misunderstood. She hoped Hu San wasn't hurt.

Her hand had not dropped throughout the exchange, because as she spoke, the pain in her face caused her eyes to film over with moisture.

A look of seductive allure!

The Eldest Young Master Wang withdrew his gaze.

"Was it you who instigated these people to come?" he asked slowly.

"It was me," Qi Yue nodded and said. "It has nothing to do with them. These children are ignorant; they just followed to watch the excitement."

She took full responsibility.

The Eldest Young Master Wang ceased speaking and turned to go back inside.

"Hey there." Qi Yue had hoped to say a few more words. She hadn't expected him to leave after just two sentences. What was to be done about the situation? It had to be resolved; she hurried to follow him.

A dozen retainers immediately stepped out, shouting threats to block the door.

"You woman, where did you come from? What nonsense are you stirring up? Hand over the person? What person? On what grounds should we hand over anyone?" a steward spoke gruffly, his face looking very ugly.

This was understandable. This was the ugliest scene the Wang family had ever endured. If this were to spread, even if other families apologized later, it would be a great loss of face.

His meaning was that there was no such person, so naturally, they wouldn't hand anyone over. But this statement, when heard by Qi Yue, implied that the person was in their custody, but they refused to release him.

Qi Yue was truly anxious.

It seemed bringing up names was useless now. Hadn't they announced their names earlier, only for a drunken steward to emerge, clearly showing utter disregard?

She had no choice but to reason.

"Hey, it's truly a misunderstanding. Please listen to my explanation. He didn't mean to cause trouble; he was saving someone. Release the person, and I will personally explain everything to your young master," she said hurriedly.

Before she finished speaking, the man, who could no longer suppress his impatience, slapped her across the face.

"You woman, don't you know what place this is? How dare you act so wantonly!" he roared sternly.

It was obvious this woman was the ringleader. Looking at her fine clothes, she seemed wealthy, but which respectable family would allow a woman to be out walking so late? She looked enchantingly seductive; perhaps she was a celebrated courtesan from some pleasure house.

Perhaps she had ulterior motives in coming here to cause a disturbance. The young masters of the family naturally frequented such places for entertainment, and it was inevitable that some unwise women might develop improper intentions toward them...

This woman had skillful means to gather so many young masters to stand up for her...

And so, Qi Yue was unlucky again, and the man, wanting to teach her a lesson out of irritation, swung his arm heavily and shoved her aside.

The grand steps of the Wang mansion, coupled with the darkness of the night, caused Qi Yue to stagger backward. Her foot lost purchase, and she tumbled down. A'Ru and A'Hao, who were following closely, scrambled to support her, but they couldn't stop the fierce momentum of her fall, and were instead dragged down with her.

Huang Ziqiao was being quietly persuaded by the bailiff captain. Though he was spoiled, he was still the offspring of an official family and knew what could and could not be done. He was caught between saving face and reality when he saw Qi Yue struck and fall down the steps. All his internal conflict vanished, and his mind went blank with a thunderous boom.

"That wretched woman struck again!" he yelled, jumping down from his horse. "Aren't you drawing your weapons..."

Before his shout faded, a sound of rapid horse hooves approached from behind.

"Make way," a clear, urgent shout rang out.

This shout was commanding; the crowd instinctively parted upon hearing it.

The man who had struck the blow showed no panic when he saw the woman fall. He even turned back and spat disdainfully.

Panic? What was there to panic about? After today, even more terrifying things awaited these presumptuous little brats.

As his sound of spitting faded, he saw a figure stride up the steps with the speed of wind.

"Who are you..." the man began to shout an admonishment, but before the words left his mouth, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach, and he tumbled out, crashing into the retainers blocking the door.

"Insolence! Do you know what place this is..." The others were greatly alarmed and shouted sternly in unison. Only then did they clearly see the tall man standing before them, draped in a large black and gold cloak.

"Young Lord Shizi..." the three maids and guards below cried out instinctively.

Chang Yuncheng ignored them and raised his foot again, kicking at the retainers crowding around.

With three strikes and two kicks, the retainers were scattered. Chang Yuncheng paid them no further mind, kicked open one side of the door, and strode inside.

Seeing him enter, Huang Ziqiao, who followed closely behind, also kicked open the other side of the door.

Soon, as Huang Ziqiao went in, more people surged forward. The Wang family retainers were shouldered and pushed aside, unable to stop the advancing mob.

The retainers waiting inside the gate watched as the crowd rushed in, and this time, they swiftly drew their weapons. They were not mere staffs, but actual swords and spears.

"Everyone out," Chang Yuncheng commanded coldly.

Those following close behind him froze in surprise.

"Everyone out! Who let you in?" Chang Yuncheng roared again.

Following his reprimand, the surging crowd began to retreat in a disorganized fashion. Only Chang Yuncheng and Huang Ziqiao remained at the entrance of the Wang residence, and Qi Yue also ran inside.

"I will explain to them," she shouted loudly, finally dropping her hand from her face. Under the bright torchlight, her swollen, half-bandaged face was revealed.

Seeing her face, Chang Yuncheng started, and then his expression turned instantly furious.

Qi Yue was startled by his look.

"I know I've caused trouble again this time..." she quickly said, with a hint of apology. "That's why I said I'll explain..."

As they spoke, an aged voice drifted from within.

"It turns out Young Lord Shizi has graced us with his presence. We failed to greet you properly... I wonder, Young Lord Shizi, what explanation do you have for visiting so late and kicking down my door?" Wang Tongye emerged, hands clasped behind his back, walking slowly. A smile played on his face, but there was no warmth in his eyes. He looked coldly at the few people standing at the doorway, his eyes narrowing slightly. He rarely entertained guests anymore; not just anyone could see him. Thus, besides Chang Yuncheng, he did not recognize anyone else, and certainly, this woman and a mere adolescent were not worth his acquaintance.

Chang Yuncheng withdrew his gaze from Qi Yue's face and turned to look at him, his expression utterly devoid of warmth, and he dispensed with any pretense of politeness.

"Hand over the person, and I will naturally provide Elder Master Wang with an explanation," he stated flatly.

The person again? Wang Tongye could barely conceal his rage.

"I wonder which person in my Wang family is so noble as to warrant the Young Lord Shizi surrounding my gates with such fanfare?" he inquired.

"It's the person your young master brought back from the street today," Qi Yue quickly interjected. "Elder Master, this is a misunderstanding. That is my disciple. Perhaps he saw your young master suddenly fall ill, so he performed artificial respiration for emergency aid. He has not yet fully graduated and is still an apprentice. If there was any impropriety, I beg you to bear with him. But he truly was not being presumptuous toward your young master; he was genuinely dedicated to saving a life, and I can guarantee this with my life."

Wang Tongye looked at the injured woman before him and, after hearing her words, suddenly froze. Though old, having navigated the complexities of officialdom for decades, he had seen every sort of scene; he could remain unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed before him. The words this woman spoke, clear, unbiased, and emotionless in three short statements, allowed him to instantly grasp the general situation.

Not intentionally causing trouble? Not seeking the wrong person? But truly... there was such a person...

Fan Yilin, who had followed out, ready to put on a good show for his future father-in-law, also heard what the woman said. A layer of sweat suddenly broke out on his head.

Street... rescue attempt... doctor... artificial respiration... the person brought back... these few words strung together painted a clear picture. No... it couldn't be?

"San'er," he turned stiffly to the young servant beside him and asked, his voice trembling, "Did the person you brought back say he was a physician?"

After asking this, he looked at the servant with eager anticipation, his warmth almost melting the boy. Say no, say he didn't...

But the servant managed a smile that was uglier than crying.

"Young Master... he... he said so... and he also said he was the foremost disciple of the Young Mistress of Marquis Dingxi..." the servant stammered.

Fan Yilin felt sweat pouring down him like rain. He must be dreaming, right? He must be?

And precisely at that moment, an angry shout echoed from the front.

"Fan! Yi! Lin!" Wang Tongye's mind flashed with understanding, and he suddenly turned back, shouting each character of his name sharply.

Fan Yilin's legs went weak from the shout. Mother... I want to go home... this place is terrifying...

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