Two resolute words fell into his ears, startling Seventh Young Master before he quickly regained his composure.
He had vaguely sensed earlier that the Ying family must have some issues.
"We have a vendetta," Ying Xiaoman decided to lay it all out.
"My father told me to come to the capital for revenge on his deathbed, so I came. But the capital is so expensive, we immediately became the poorest tenth-class courtyard residents..."
Recalling the hardships of finding housing over the past few months, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat, "It took several months to finally settle down. The revenge has been delayed from last year to this year, and we haven't even started yet."
Seventh Young Master listened intently, growing more uneasy as he heard more.
The Ying family was small, and even if they had a "vendetta," he had assumed it was just some financial dispute, verbal conflict, or a rogue harassing a young lady.
He never expected to hear "My father told me to come to the capital for revenge on his deathbed..."
Seventh Young Master's eyelid twitched slightly.
This didn't sound like an ordinary grudge at all!
Ying Xiaoman got straight to the point, spilling everything about coming to the capital for revenge much earlier than she had planned. She was a bit nervous and stared intently at Seventh Young Master:
"Our family doesn't have any other difficulties. We have enough money now, we just lack manpower for the revenge. Will you... will you help me?"
Seventh Young Master pondered, then reassured her: "A life-saving debt deserves a gushing spring in return. Of course I'll help with such an important matter as revenge. Don't worry, Xiaoman, relax your mouth, you're about to bite through your lip."
Ying Xiaoman immediately relaxed her bite, "No I'm not, don't make things up."
She secretly licked the teeth marks on her lower lip:
"Don't worry either, I'll handle the revenge myself. It's just that my mother has to take care of Azhi at home, so I don't have enough manpower on my own. At most, I'll just need you to lend a hand, keep watch outside the door and things like that..."
"..." That dangerous feeling came again, and Seventh Young Master raised an eyebrow.
"For your revenge, you're not planning to go through official channels, but to sneak into someone's home and take private vengeance?"
The topic was sliding in an increasingly dangerous direction. He felt the need to get to the bottom of this, so he picked up the oil lamp and said, "It's windy out here, let's go inside to talk."
The two entered the west room one after another. Seventh Young Master led her to sit across from him at a low table by the window, and asked carefully:
"You saved my life, so helping your family seek revenge is only right, but some things must be clarified. Was the Ying family wronged by the officials in the past? Is there some hidden injustice in your father's death? Is that why he instructed you, his daughter, to come to the capital on his deathbed to seek revenge on those responsible for the unjust case?"
Ying Xiaoman was taken aback.
Coming to the capital to seek revenge was correct, but her adoptive father had died of a serious illness, with no particular injustice involved...
Not knowing how to respond, she remained silent. In that brief moment of silence, Seventh Young Master's imagination ran wild.
In a flash, his thoughts raced ahead, growing more alarmed. His tone became more serious as he advised:
"Xiaoman, if you've come to the capital for revenge, I have one thing to say: Do not take matters into your own hands. Do not get yourself involved in this."
Ying Xiaoman was thoroughly puzzled.
"You said it yourself just two days ago. Avenging blood relatives doesn't necessarily mean paying with one's life."
Seventh Young Master felt his breath catch in his chest, unable to recover for a long while.
His guess was right - it really was blood revenge!
The thought of this radiant young lady before him, in the prime of her youth, actually coming to the capital to exact private vengeance...
A case involving loss of life would certainly involve the Ministry of Justice. When that time came, with citywide manhunts and bloodshed... he couldn't bear to think further.
"That day under the osmanthus tree at the new residence in the north of the city, what I told you was: According to our dynasty's laws, blood revenge is punished with a sentence reduced by two degrees."
"But a reduced sentence is not the same as no sentence at all." Seventh Young Master's expression grew increasingly grave as he spoke, the corners of his lips, which often curled up slightly in a smile, now pressed into a straight line.
"Once you take revenge into your own hands, the Shuntian Prefecture will immediately arrest and imprison you. A major case involving loss of life will be transferred to the Ministry of Justice that very day. Trial, torture, confession, recording of testimony - none of it can be avoided. Even for blood revenge, while the death penalty may be waived, you still can't escape sentencing, facial tattooing, and exile. The torments involved are not something a young lady of your age should endure..."
Ying Xiaoman listened with growing alarm, and after a long while sincerely exclaimed, "Indeed, I must not get caught."
Seventh Young Master: "...Huh?"
Was that really the point of his earnest lecture?!
But his painstaking words of caution were not entirely in vain, as Ying Xiaoman was genuinely moved. She also revealed her innermost thoughts.
"Thank you, Seventh Young Master, but you really don't need to worry about me. I have a grappling hook, you know."
Seventh Young Master was taken aback.
He had another vague sense of foreboding.
"...Isn't a grappling hook used for hunting in forests?"
Ying Xiaoman shook her head: "No, it's for scaling walls, to enter and exit the enemy's house silently."
"..."
"I've thought it all through. At night in the capital, I'll use the grappling hook to climb over the wall into the enemy's courtyard, and you'll guard the hook. I'll go inside to exact revenge while you keep watch outside. Then I'll climb back over the wall, you'll help me retrieve the hook, and then - we run."
Her slender, delicate fingers mimicked a swift escape gesture on the low table:
"We'll run out of the enemy's alley, cut diagonally across the street to our own alley. Slip in quietly, dig a deep hole, and bury the grappling hook. Done."
Ying Xiaoman concluded: "As long as we don't get caught by the officials, it'll be fine."
Seventh Young Master: "..."
His expression was even more complex than when he first heard the word "revenge." He stood up to pour a cup of warm tea, holding it in his hands and taking a few sips without tasting it.
"There are dogs."
"Huh?"
"The Ministry of Justice uses hunting dogs in their investigations. Dogs have keen noses and will follow the scent all the way out of the alley, across the street diagonally, to Seven Scholars Lane, and dig up the grappling hook from the deep hole as evidence to present in court. How will you prove your innocence then?"
Ying Xiaoman: "...Let me think about it some more."
The west room fell silent. The two sat across from each other by the window, one deep in thought, the other quietly drinking tea.
Ying Xiaoman quickly came up with a second plan:
"After successfully taking revenge and leaving the enemy's alley, we'll cut diagonally across the street to our own alley. Instead of going home, we'll head straight south to the Bian River. We'll quietly throw the iron hook into the river and escape by water. Done."
Seventh Young Master: "This plan is much better than the previous one, but it's still full of holes. First, the iron hook is too heavy to travel by water. Wherever you throw it in, it will sink to the bottom of the riverbed at that spot. The Bian River is busy with boats, and the water isn't deep. It won't be long before someone fishes it out as evidence to present in court. Second, while the iron hook's scent and traces may be washed away in the water, how will we eliminate the scent and traces on our bodies? Are we going to jump into the Bian River in the middle of the night?"
Ying Xiaoman thought for a moment: "Well, it's not entirely impossible..."
Seventh Young Master: "It is for me."
The two sat in silence drinking tea in the west room.
Seventh Young Master could only manage two sips before he couldn't drink anymore. As his mind raced, he remembered another unusual detail.
How could a penniless young lady be willing to spend a fortune to rent a new residence in Seven Scholars Lane in the north of the city...
He put down his teacup: "The enemy you want to take revenge on, they don't happen to live in the north of the city, do they?"
"You figured it out?" Ying Xiaoman held up two fingers, looking a bit dejected.
"The south of the city is too far. It takes a full two hours just to walk to the enemy's house to scout it out! My shoe soles were worn thin. We definitely needed to move to the north of the city to make revenge easier."
Seventh Young Master: "..."
Indeed, everything was ready, just waiting for the right moment.
The tools were prepared, a house for scouting had been rented, and they were about to move near the enemy's residence. Seventh Young Master had a strong feeling that if he didn't say something, this young lady might take action any day now!
He took a deep breath and said, "Xiaoman, you saved my life, so whatever you want, I should do for you, let alone this important matter of revenge. I may not be much, but I've studied the law since childhood and often visit the courts. If you trust me, we can discuss this in detail and find the most secure way to use the current dynasty's criminal laws to make your enemy confess to their crimes and submit to punishment. This way, you can avenge your blood relative without staining your own hands."
His words were sincere and heartfelt, overflowing with goodwill. Ying Xiaoman was deeply moved.
Although there were many bad people in the capital, there were clearly even more good people. Wasn't the person before her a prime example?
He was truly repaying her life-saving kindness with a gushing spring.
She got up to bring hot water from the stove and refilled both of their teacups.
"I'm willing to discuss it with you," Ying Xiaoman said sincerely. "But Seventh Young Master, my father said on his deathbed that our families have a generations-long feud. If the father is gone, seek the son; if the son is gone, seek the grandson."
The scene from that time was still vivid in her mind. "A few days before my father passed away, he called me to his room."
"My father said, if you have a grudge, you should settle it face to face. Explain all the past grievances and history in person - that's what revenge truly means. Otherwise, if your enemy dies without knowing why, what kind of revenge is that?"
Seventh Young Master: "Hmm... let me think about this some more."
The gravity of the situation was beyond imagination. He could no longer sit still. He put down his teacup and stood up, pacing a few steps.
"So this enemy of yours looks somewhat similar to my friend Eleventh Young Master, but doesn't work in the Ministry of Punishment. From what you've said, your enemy's appearance - he's a man in his twenties, over 7.5 feet tall, with a strong build. Does he hold any official position?"
Ying Xiaoman nodded affirmatively and added, "He has narrow eyes and slightly dark skin. He does hold an official position - my enemy is in the Ministry of Justice."
Seventh Young Master's gaze, which had been focused on the oil lamp in thought, suddenly shifted to her. "...The Ministry of Justice?"
The damp night breeze rustled through the alley, blowing past the oil lamp in the room and rippling the clear water in the pebble bowl.
Seventh Young Master raised his hand to brush away some fluff from his shoulder. His brief surprise faded as he began to explain steadily:
"The Ministry of Justice is a general term. In fact, there are many departments within it, including two divisions and one prison, each with its own duties. There are over a hundred officials with formal ranks of eighth grade and above. In addition, there are clerks, runners, jailers, and team leaders without official status, totaling five to six hundred people. Do you know your enemy's specific official position?"
"I do," Ying Xiaoman took the teacup and held it in her hands. "He's the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice."
Seventh Young Master instantly choked on his tea, covering his mouth as he began to cough softly, unable to stop for a long while.
Ying Xiaoman was startled. She quickly went to the stove and brought back a small plate of boiled red eggs, which were celebratory gifts from neighbors congratulating them on moving.
"Quickly, eat an egg to suppress the cough. Are you alright? Why did you suddenly start coughing so severely?"
Seventh Young Master slowly peeled off the red shell of the egg, his expression complex.
"Xiaoman... first of all, there are two Vice Ministers in the Ministry of Justice. Secondly, do you know your enemy's full name? There are many officials in the capital, and this is your first time here. Could there be some mistake?"
Ying Xiaoman's pink lips parted in shock. She didn't know there were two Vice Ministers in the Ministry of Justice. Fortunately, she had firmly memorized her enemy's name. With a solemn expression, she enunciated clearly, "Is one of the Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Justice surnamed Yan, called Yan Rongshi?"
Seventh Young Master: "..." He completely lost his appetite for the freshly peeled egg.
He passed the peeled egg to her and started peeling another red egg. He peeled five in a row.
After pondering for a while, with the boiled eggs lined up in a row on the porcelain plate, he finally spoke:
"The two Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Justice are in charge of the left and right divisions respectively. The left division handles local impeachment cases and doubtful crimes, while the right division handles criminal cases of officials in the capital. The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice is indeed called Yan Rongshi."
Ying Xiaoman became excited: "Then that's correct. That dog official Yan Rongshi is my enemy."
Seventh Young Master: "...No. There must be some mistake."
He had always been gentle and considerate towards others. In the many days they had spent together, this was the first time Seventh Young Master had used such a clear negation to her face. Ying Xiaoman looked surprised.
"There's no mistake. I know that dog official, and I even know where he lives. I've followed him before and saw with my own eyes how he came out of the Yan family house in Changle Alley, went west, and entered the Ministry of Justice."
Seventh Young Master wiped his hands clean, picked up his teacup, and silently drank his tea. After taking a sip and putting down the cup, he insisted, "There must be some mistake somewhere."
Ying Xiaoman opened her mouth and then closed it, lowering her head to take a sip of tea as well.
It was the second outright denial.
She hadn't lied to him about a single thing. She had told him in detail about her enemy's identity, background, name, and residence.
Could it be that upon hearing her enemy was from the Yan family, a prestigious clan that had produced two prime ministers in the past, Seventh Young Master became scared and changed his mind about helping?
Was that why he kept denying it, his usually slightly upturned lips now straight, trying to make her change her mind?
Ying Xiaoman felt three parts annoyed, but more than that, she felt sad. The secret of coming to the capital for revenge had been hidden in her heart for many days, and apart from her mother, she hadn't told anyone. Seventh Young Master was the first person she had confided in.
She stood up and put the teacup back on the table.
In her bad mood, she couldn't control her strength, and the teacup made a heavy clinking sound.
"Let's pretend I never said anything. I'm leaving."
Seventh Young Master stood up and blocked her way.
He pulled her sleeve to make her sit back down, then refilled both their cups with water. They sat in silence for a moment to calm down.
"I spoke without thinking just now," Seventh Young Master realized his attitude had been inappropriate and apologized:
"The Yan family does indeed live in Changle Alley. No wonder you chose your new residence in Seven Scholars Lane across the street. If you plan to seek revenge, this house is well-chosen."
The annoyance and sadness in Ying Xiaoman's chest dissipated by seven tenths. She made a sound of acknowledgment.
As she picked up her teacup to drink the warm tea, her fingers touched a wet spot. She raised the cup in confusion.
"Ah, it's cracked!"
In her earlier frustration and sadness, she had put the cup down too forcefully on the table, causing it to crack. A thin fissure had appeared in the body of the cup, and tea was leaking onto the table through the crack.
The two of them in the room hurriedly looked for cloths to wipe the table and the cup.
Ying Xiaoman poured half a cup of tea out the window and examined the empty teacup with its crack running across it, feeling very distressed.
"I just bought this set in early spring. It cost fifty wen for a set of four. How could it break so easily?" She turned the cup over and over in her hands, examining it.
Seventh Young Master was both amused and exasperated. He coaxed her to put the teacup down quickly, "If a teacup breaks, we can replace it. Be careful not to cut your hand."
There were only two cups in the room. Ying Xiaoman ran to the main hall and searched for a while before finally finding another teacup, which she brought back to the west room.
They refilled both cups with warm tea. As the warm tea seeped into their bodies, they felt a comforting warmth.
Ying Xiaoman put down her cup and solemnly declared: "There's no mistake. I've been investigating for two months. My family's enemy is indeed the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, that dog official Yan Rongshi."
She spoke with determination: "I know the enemy's appearance, where he lives, and his daily routes. Whether you help or not, I will take action. You asked me to tell you all the details, and I have. Now I ask you one last time, are you willing to help me? If you're willing to help me seek revenge, stay and move with us tomorrow. If you're not willing to help, leave tonight."
Seventh Young Master looked directly at her as well.
His light amber eyes reflected the slender figure of the young woman opposite him in the lamplight.
Only sixteen years old, her eyes and brows still carried a hint of girlish innocence. She looked carefree, but her words were earth-shattering...
His almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly as he too made up his mind and spoke frankly.
"You never asked about my background before, so I didn't mention it. But now that I know your enemy is Yan Rongshi, I must tell you. Actually, my surname is also Yan. I mentioned earlier that my home is not far from Seven Scholars Lane because my family - lives in Changle Alley."
The hand holding the teacup opposite him trembled, and her dark eyes instantly widened to the size of saucers.
Ying Xiaoman almost spilled her tea, "Your surname is also Yan?! Your family is in Changle Alley?! You... what's your relationship with that dog official Yan Rongshi?"
"I'm the seventh son in the Yan family," Seventh Young Master explained calmly, his expression unchanged:
"The Yan family has lived in the capital for five generations, like the osmanthus tree in the new residence in the north of the city, with branches and leaves spreading wide. There are over two hundred people in the main and collateral branches, all living in Changle Alley. That dog official Yan Rongshi and I are of the same clan and lineage, naturally living under the same roof. Although we are distant relatives of the same clan, we have a deep blood feud. It's good that Xiaoman wants to seek revenge on him!"
His words were too shocking, and Ying Xiaoman couldn't quite process it. She sat in her place holding the teacup, dazed.
"You also have a grudge against the dog official. Then, as we agreed, you'll move with us..."
"I'll still move with you," Yan Seventh Young Master said decisively.
The slight tension in her delicate shoulders relaxed. Ying Xiaoman pursed her lips in a smile and took a sip of tea.
Putting down the teacup, she pondered for a while, "Then the people who harmed you this time—"
"Both insiders and outsiders. Naturally, it includes my own Yan family members in Changle Alley."
Ying Xiaoman furrowed her brows in confusion once again.
After thinking for a long time, she picked up a boiled egg and took a bite, troubled. The situation had suddenly become chaotic, seeming like a tangled mess even just to hear about it.
"The big families in the capital are really complicated."
Seventh Young Master, or now he should be called "Yan Seventh Young Master," also took a boiled egg and bit into it elegantly, sighing:
"Who can argue with that?"