spoiled brat

Chapter 78, Section 77: Flying White (Part 7)

"They're inside!" Several servants had already gathered outside the door and began frantically banging on it.

Shi Gang didn't care about anything else. He pressed down on Xu Feng and stabbed him several times. The knife went in white and came out yellow. This old man's skin was full of fat.

He disgustedly flicked the knife, got off Xu Feng, and pushed aside the large vat in the corner of the room, revealing a dark hole—a tunnel that had been dug beforehand. Zhao Zhao carried Wang Liuer on her back, trying to leave, but Wang Liuer coughed up blood and said weakly, "I'm half-dead...why should I continue to be a burden to you..."

More and more servants gathered outside the door, and the thick door bolt cracked from the impact. Wang Liuer broke free from Zhao Zhao's back, pushed her away forcefully, and said, "Let's go!"

Zhao Zhao clung tightly to her hand, but Shi Gang pulled them apart and jumped into the cave with Zhao Zhao in his arms. As they hit the ground, flames erupted overhead, and Zhao Zhao smelled oil... Wang Liuer had pulled Xu Feng into self-immolation; she must have anticipated this!
The firelight overhead reflected on Zhao Zhao's face, and she was lost in thought: "Sister Liu'er..."

Shi Gang tried to pull Zhao Zhao away, but she refused to leave as if she were rooted to the spot. She even climbed up the wall, trying to rescue someone! Shi Gang quickly knocked her unconscious with a chop to the neck and carried her away on his back.

Zhao Zhao's consciousness had not completely faded when she heard someone whisper, "Live your life well, live like a human being."

Lord Xu, the upright and just official, was assassinated. The entire city of Yunzhou was placed under martial law, and soldiers from nearby areas poured into the city, determined to find the two escaped thieves.

The government troops were searching for someone, and so was the Dingbei Army. Just as it got dark, the two groups clashed on Dong'an Street.

Both sides were armed and clad in armor, neither willing to yield. The officer in charge of the troops dared not fight head-on, so he dismounted and tried to reason with them: "It was one thing for you to be arrogant in the past, but now you don't even care about the current situation. Do you want to see Yunzhou descend into chaos?"

He shouted loudly, but none of the hundred or so soldiers on the other side paid him any attention. They continued to block the road, as solemn as iron.

The officer in charge was enraged. He lashed the stone pavement with his whip, the sound of which was deafening: "Will you move or not?!"

Still no one paid attention to him.

He waved to his men behind him, signaling them to go for it.

A casual voice rang out from ahead: "Who's calling out?"

The Dingbei Army, which had been standing at attention, suddenly parted to the sides. A horse slowly stepped out, and the rider, dressed in a narrow-sleeved military uniform, had a flippant expression. Why bother?

In Yunzhou City, which military leader hasn't had his face stepped on by this kid?
This one was no exception. Upon seeing that it was He Bi who had led troops to block the road, he became even angrier: "Didn't you hear me telling you to get out of the way? If you dare to block the road again, you will all be treated as obstructing official business!"

Why not dismount and stand firmly in a superior position: "Coincidentally, I also have official business to attend to."

The night breeze was cool, making the torches in the hands of the soldiers on both sides burn even brighter. They shouted, "Just because your people are busy with official business, does that mean we, the people of the imperial court, have to give way? Is the imperial court bigger than your royal family?"

This is accusation! He Bi, who fears nothing more than this, sneered, "My lord is the Emperor's younger brother. At the age of twenty-seven, he was appointed Grand Commandant and then Grand Marshal, concurrently serving as Governor of Ji Province, overseeing all military affairs in the north. He has fought on the battlefield for over a decade, never bowing or being addressed by name in court, and always using imperial protocol! I'd like to ask you, is my lord more powerful, or is that mediocre official Xu Feng, who climbed the ranks by nepotism, more powerful?!"

The officers and soldiers fell silent immediately, and no one dared to utter a word. After a moment of silence, applause drifted in from somewhere, accompanied by sarcastic voices: "I didn't expect that even after coming to the south, the Prince Ning's mansion would still be so imposing."

A small sedan chair bounced out, its roof gleaming in the dark, yet it was carried by four men, displaying an unconventional air of grandeur.

The curtain was lifted, revealing not an official, but a man dressed in silk and gold, who smiled meaningfully: "I will take Guard He's words back to the capital untouched, and the Censorate will judge them fairly."

The man smelled like a dog; he could smell it from a distance. He guessed that this was a retainer of Minister Wu, the father of Consort Wu, and that the whole family relied on pulling on women's skirts to show off their power: "Very well, you might as well stay a few more days. There are bigger things I need you to say."

The retainer climbed out of the sedan chair, his clothes and accessories appearing even more extravagant in the firelight. The Jiangzhe-style silk robe and the Annam ivory thumb ring were not things that a lackey should wear.
But he used it anyway, as if it were second nature, putting on the airs of a high-ranking official, and ordered He Bi: "It's not your place to order me around. Now! Take your soldiers and get out of here."

Why remain silent, and not even dismount?

Seeing that He Bi was disobedient, the retainer's inherent stubbornness surfaced. He opened his hand to the officer in charge, offering him a riding whip. He strode forward aggressively, pointing the whip at He Bi: "Get out of my way!"

Why look down on him like he's a dog?

"Can't reach an agreement, huh?" The retainer licked his teeth, then suddenly raised his hand and lashed out with his whip, aiming straight for He Bi's face.

Having fought his way back from the brink of death, why did he so easily grab the whip and drag the servant down like a dog on a leash? The servant fell flat on his face, and everyone around burst into laughter.

"...You!" The retainer took a while to get up from the ground. Just as he was about to curse, there was a commotion ahead, and a horse slowly approached.

The retainer looked up. His official clothes were adorned with horseshoes and saddles with python patterns. A slender, silver-white Miao sword hung at his waist. Who else could it be but the young master whom the censors deeply hated?
He was hesitating whether to bow or not when Xiu Yi on horseback coldly spoke up: "Go and ask those tea farmers for their annual tribute?"

Serving His Majesty is an honorable thing. The retainer, too lazy to bow, straightened his back and said, "It is indeed I."

A dozen or so tea farmers, escorted by soldiers, came forward, knelt down opposite the retainers, recognized their faces, and cried out their innocence: "That's right, it's him! We can't deliver the tea, so they're making us pay compensation!"

Despite the aggrieved party's presence, the retainer remained unfazed, brushing the dust off his robes with his ivory thumb ring: "His Majesty loves your local Silver Needle White Tea. It's customary to offer it as tribute every year. If it's missing this year, shouldn't we be punished?"

The words "Your Majesty" carried such weight that the tea farmers felt inferior, stammering, "But we can't just come when tea isn't being produced..."

Ordinary people fear officials, and by extension, their lackeys. A few clever ones turned to look at Xiu Yi, their eyes conveying a clear message: "Young Master, give us your support."