The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice rushed from the government office, leading a team of officials who busily pasted white seals on the doors and windows.
Ying Xiaoman's palms were damp with sweat.
After all, this was the restaurant opened by her adoptive father's old friend. Although her adoptive father had made bad friends in the capital, and Shopkeeper Fang was a heartless bastard, the restaurant had been open for decades... and now it was being sealed off?
Yan Rongshi stood by the wooden railing on the third floor, his eyes slightly narrowed, staring at the seals on the doors and windows.
Yuqing Tower had major problems.
Two severely injured people were unconscious; the one captive taken alive was being interrogated on the spot.
The Imperial Guards dispatched for protection, all top fighters from the army, took the man to the innermost room on the second floor. Despite using some harsh methods, they gained nothing.
"A tough nut to crack," the lead captain frowned as he reported, "Threats and bribes are useless. We'll have to take him back to the office and use torture instruments to pry open his mouth. But there are people all around the restaurant. If we drag him away in front of hundreds of watching eyes, it'll cause too much commotion..."
"Keep him in the room on the second floor for now," Yan Rongshi said calmly. "We've cast the bait, but Shopkeeper Fang hasn't returned yet. Let's wait patiently for a while."
Ying Xiaoman hugged the silver ingot, looking up at the sky approaching noon.
She had only wanted to retrieve her father's belongings, not expecting to get involved in something so big.
How could there be suicide agents in the restaurant who would take poison at the slightest provocation?
Shopkeeper Fang didn't know the old friend surnamed Ying, he only knew Zhuang Jiu. The Zhuang Jiu recorded in the documents as "burly and strong, fleeing after defying orders" held the ninth seat in the bandit's den.
If her father was once a bandit leader, then her father's old friend might also be...
She gently tugged on her husband's sleeve.
"Qilang."
Yan Rongshi immediately turned to face her.
This was the first time she had called him directly since that night of the fire.
In an instant, his emotions surged like a thousand-foot tsunami. But on the surface, he showed no signs of abnormality, fearing that if he revealed his joy, it might startle her and cause her to withdraw again.
He deliberately asked in a casual tone: "What is it, Xiaoman?"
Of course, Ying Xiaoman hadn't noticed how many twists and turns had gone through the mind of her husband, whose tone remained as calm as ever.
She was single-mindedly pondering the situation at hand.
"Could Shopkeeper Fang also be a bandit leader?"
"A big bandit leader always has a group of bandits under him. After being granted amnesty back then, my father came to our village to become a hunter, while Shopkeeper Fang stayed in the capital to open a restaurant, and by the way, supported a group of bandits under him..."
"The ages don't match," Yan Rongshi patiently explained:
"You didn't see the appearance of those suicide agents in the restaurant. They were all in their early twenties, young and strong. The youngest of those bandits granted amnesty back then would be in their forties or fifties now."
Ying Xiaoman tilted her head slightly: "...The children and grandchildren of those bandits from back then?"
Yan Rongshi couldn't help but laugh, raising his hand to caress Ying Xiaoman's cheek.
At the Great Xiangguo Temple, when she went to offer incense at the main hall and wouldn't let him follow her in, turning back to glare at him from the temple door with puffed cheeks, she was already adorable enough.
How could the head-tilting gesture be so cute?
Behind them, several elite Imperial Guards collectively coughed, their gazes swiftly turning away. Half looked left, half looked right.
How long had they been assigned to Young Lord Yan? Over there, Yan Erlang was smashing up the restaurant to avenge the young lady, while here, Young Lord Yan was sealing off the restaurant while being affectionate with the young lady, and downstairs Yan Erlang was watching, about to go mad...
This life, truly, was too exciting. When they returned to the palace to report, how would they answer if the Emperor asked about these days' events...
Whether Yan Erlang downstairs had gone mad or not wasn't apparent on the surface; but Ying Xiaoman's ear tips, hidden beneath her black hair, had truly turned red.
She swatted away the hand that was still affectionately pinching her cheek.
"Don't touch, behave yourself."
Fortunately, Yan Rongshi indeed obediently stopped his hand, gently reminding her not to move around randomly, while he himself led people to search various parts of the restaurant.
Leaving Ying Xiaoman alone to rest in the second-floor room, after a while, she raised her hand to touch her burning cheek.
The crowd outside the restaurant grew larger and larger, with people discussing animatedly.
Curious passersby kept joining the onlookers, loudly asking: "What happened to Yuqing Tower? What crime did it commit to be sealed off?"
Equally curious people answered loudly: "It was smashed up by Yan Erlang from the Xingning Marquis Mansion, saying he wanted to avenge a young lady!"
The crowd burst into discussion: "Yan Erlang again! Last time he bullied a respectable young lady in the street, causing an uproar throughout the city, and now after such a short time, he's smashing up restaurants again. Indeed, he's the capital's number one prodigal son..."
The group of servants from the Xingning Marquis Mansion couldn't stand it anymore.
The two families had done this together, why were people only talking about their young master and not the other one who was quietly staying out of sight? Where in the world could you find such a good deal!
The servants shouted in unison: "It's true that it was to avenge a young lady, but our young master only smashed up the restaurant. Listen carefully, the one who brought the Ministry of Justice seals to seal off Yuqing Tower, hey, that was the good deed of Young Master Yan, the head of the Yan family from Changle Alley."
The crowd exploded into an uproar.
The Yan family from Changle Alley? Isn't that the noble family that produced two Prime Ministers Yan?
Having vented their anger for their master, the servants from the Xingning Marquis Mansion were smug.
"That's right, it's that Young Master Yan, who at such a young age already holds a fourth-rank official position. To avenge a young lady, he misused his official power, using the authority of the Ministry of Justice to seal off the restaurant. Is he a prodigal or not? Should he be impeached? Compared to their Young Master Yan, our Young Master is even considered a proper person..."
Yan Erlang hadn't gone mad.
He wasn't an impulsive person; military strategy emphasized "plan before action," and he could keep his cool in important matters.
The capital didn't lack beauties. What hadn't he seen before? What Yan Yixing wanted wasn't just Ying Xiaoman's beautiful appearance, he wanted her eyes to only look at him, her heart to only think of him. He wanted the young lady's pure and untainted heart.
Snatching this heart from Yan Rongshi's hands... was doubly exciting.
His lazy voice carried a hint of laughter as it traveled from the main hall to upstairs.
"Qilang, did you hear that? 'Misuse of official power.' Causing such a big scene in broad daylight, how are you going to clean this up? Last time when you schemed against me, I had to kneel in the ancestral hall for half a month. This time it's your turn to hit bad luck, who knows how long you'll have to kneel in your Yan family ancestral hall. Ah, I'm worried for you."
Ying Xiaoman: ?
As soon as the servants started shouting outside, she had left the room and was standing shoulder to shoulder with Yan Rongshi by the wooden railing on the second floor.
The more she heard, the more confused she became, her clear eyes showing a hint of puzzlement.
"Did you do something wrong? Are you going to be punished by your family?"
Yan Rongshi reassured her gently: "No, I won't."
Yan Erlang heard clearly from downstairs and burst into laughter.
"Xiaoman, don't listen to that stubborn fellow beside you, let me explain."
"What I caused in the street last time was just 'private misconduct,' unrelated to official duties. Yet I was still impeached by a bunch of censors and lost my position in the Imperial Guard. Today, the one beside you, showing off his bravery and misusing his power, using the Ministry of Justice seals to seal off the restaurant. Xiaoman, do you know what consequences a government official faces when labeled with the four words 'misuse of official power'?"
Ying Xiaoman's shoulders tensed slightly.
It sounded very serious... would Qilang lose his official position?
Before Yan Erlang could finish, she gently tugged on her husband's side: "I see the windows aren't fully sealed yet, quickly tell your subordinate officials to withdraw."
Yan Rongshi remained unmoved, calmly listening to the Yan family servants shouting outside, still saying the same thing:
"I'll be fine."
"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Yan Erlang glanced sideways at the intimate posture of the couple whispering side by side upstairs.
An inexplicable heat rose from the bottom of his heart, and he reached out to open his collar a bit more. "The bigger this gets, the more trouble it'll be, but at least I won't be the one in hot water."
More and more onlookers gathered, and several scholars dressed in long robes loudly discussed in front of the collapsed entrance.
Yan Erlang's reputation as a prodigal was well-known throughout the capital, so smashing up a restaurant for a young lady wasn't surprising; people were all discussing Young Master Yan from the Yan family of Changle Alley, who had used his official power to seal off the restaurant.
A fearless young scholar stood at the front of the crowd: "How outrageous!"
"If I were a censor, I would immediately impeach this Young Lord Yan from the Ministry of Justice."
As the discussions reached the restaurant, Yan Rongshi listened casually for a few sentences, as if remembering something, he turned to remind Ying Xiaoman:
"No need to worry about Azhi, Sui Miao has already sent her home. As for yourself, before the crowd disperses, don't appear in public. With so many eyes watching, rumors can destroy reputations, your reputation is important. After everyone leaves, I'll arrange a carriage to send you home."
Ying Xiaoman became anxious.
What did it matter if she was talked about a bit! She was about to leave the capital, and might not return in the future.
However, Yan Erlang was born and raised in the capital, with his family roots deeply planted in the city's soil. He wasn't someone who could easily be uprooted.
If Yan Erlang's reputation were to be ruined in the capital, that would truly be "destroying one's bones"!
"Why aren't you worried about yourself?" Ying Xiaoman couldn't contain her emotions when anxious. Her voice rose uncontrollably, ringing out clearly, causing Yan Erlang downstairs to laugh. She became even more anxious and angry, her eyes instantly reddening.
As she was about to shout a second time, Yan Rongshi gently pulled her aside, leading her behind a red-lacquered pillar.
Hidden behind the large red pillar, he raised his hand, pressing his knuckles to his lips in a "shush" gesture.
Ying Xiaoman immediately closed her mouth.
Yan Rongshi whispered, "I have nothing to worry about. Remember the assassins we caught earlier? One alive, two severely injured. These two are my protection."
"..." Ying Xiaoman was half-convinced, the unease in her heart dissipating by seventy percent, but not completely. She had witnessed his skill at comforting people many times before.
Her clear eyes scanned him up and down, filled with doubt: "Don't lie to me."
"I've told you before, except for crucial moments when life is at stake, I won't lie to you about anything else. As for life-threatening moments... that night at the teahouse with the portrait has already passed."
Yan Rongshi sighed and raised his hand: "I won't lie to you again in the future. We can pinky swear on it."
"That night at the teahouse with the portrait"...
At the time, Ying Xiaoman had only felt extremely annoyed. But now, thinking back on it, her emotions were as complex as if a bottle of five spices had been overturned.
A mix of emotions, difficult to describe.
A taste entirely unfamiliar to her.
After a while, she only said, "Only children believe in pinky swears."
She meant to swat away the hand offered for the pinky swear, but somehow her own hand was grasped instead.
This interruption had completely dispersed her previous anxious and angry mood.
A guard ran in from outside, bypassing Yan Erlang in the main hall, and hurried up to the second floor, reporting in a low voice:
"Shopkeeper Fang has returned."
"The man is cunning and sly. He changed his clothes and blended into the crowd. Our brothers searched for half a day before finding him. But there are over a thousand people gathered outside. If we arrest him publicly, firstly, it might cause chaos and trampling in the crowd, which would be troublesome. Secondly, Shopkeeper Fang could easily escape by mixing with the crowd."
Yan Rongshi turned to consult with Ying Xiaoman:
"I need to say a few words to Yan Erlang. Some of it will be true, some false. Just listen."
Ying Xiaoman nodded.
Yan Rongshi then raised his voice and instructed, "Shopkeeper Fang has been running this restaurant for many years. He won't leave easily. Since he's about to return, just keep watching him."
"Yes!" The guard turned and hurried out.
Next, Yan Rongshi indeed began speaking to Yan Erlang, who was listening intently in the hall downstairs.
"The situation has escalated today, why haven't you left yet? Although we can't say we have much of a friendship, we've known each other for many years. I don't want to implicate you, and your people don't need to keep slandering me. While the victim hasn't returned and I'm still in charge here, take your people and leave. I won't stop you."
Yan Erlang stretched lazily in the hall strewn with broken porcelain.
"Why should I leave? It's rare to see you, Yan Rongshi, in such a predicament. Even eight horses couldn't drag me away. Alright, don't say I'm slandering you. I'll take responsibility for what I've done, you take responsibility for what you've done. Let's both stay and see how this plays out."
He loudly ordered his servants outside who were clamoring to come in.
The noise outside the restaurant was deafening, the situation seeming to ferment like dough, growing bigger and bigger, alarming various places.
Inside the restaurant, the lines were clearly drawn. Yan's people sat on the first floor, while numerous imperial guards stood on the second floor.
After a few words of persuasion and provocation, Yan Erlang downstairs still refused to leave. Instead, he ordered his attendants to find the famous "Jade Spring Tower" wine of Yuqing Tower and began drinking in the main hall.
Yan Rongshi stood at the railing on the second floor, looking down with a smile at the commotion below.
"He's taking advantage of the situation."
Ying Xiaoman: ?
Ying Xiaoman was a bit nervous, watching intently for Shopkeeper Fang to enter, ready to catch him like a turtle in a jar.
The crowd outside was a sea of people. The situation had escalated, and they couldn't be driven away. They left only a small space where the welcome gate had collapsed, with over a thousand people forming a large circle, eagerly watching the spectacle.
"Why was it suddenly sealed off?"
"I heard two young masters were fighting over a girl. One trashed the restaurant to vent his anger for the girl, and the other simply had the restaurant sealed. These nobles in the capital, tsk tsk."
"Bullying others with their power? The restaurant is an innocent victim, why aren't they speaking up?"
"The shopkeeper isn't here, there's no one to lead the complaint."
As people were clicking their tongues in disapproval, someone suddenly shouted, "The restaurant's shopkeeper is back!"
Shopkeeper Fang had indeed returned.
He was originally a very cautious person. He rarely left the restaurant, and when he did, he would wear one set of clothes when leaving and change into another when returning, taking different routes each time.
The commotion at the restaurant entrance was too great. Seeing from afar that the welcome gate had disappeared, he immediately became alert and hid in the bustling crowd.
He stood in the crowd listening for a full half hour, hearing the whole story in detail.
When the servants from Xingning Marquis Mansion came out to speak, he heard every word. After listening, he suddenly understood. Today's destruction of the restaurant was all because of Zhuang Jiu's daughter.
A little girl of just over ten years old, who would have thought she had connections with several young masters from noble families in the capital, able to gather people to seek revenge for her. Quite capable indeed.
Understanding the cause and effect, it was just a story of two young masters fighting over a girl. One trashed the restaurant, the other used his power to seal it, both sides competing with each other, and the restaurant suffering collateral damage...
All he heard was about a love rivalry. No one mentioned Zhuang Jiu. Even fewer cared about Zhuang Jiu's silver ingot. The more Shopkeeper Fang listened, the more at ease he felt.
Among the spectators of big and small events in the capital, there were always scholars and students eager to watch. The voices of several young scholars were particularly loud.
"These spoiled young masters and officials' sons in the capital are too overbearing! Yan Erlang from Xingning Marquis Mansion, last time he grabbed a respectable young lady he had never met before on the street, insisting they had pledged their love with an ivory fan, accusing her of abandoning him, and forcing her to smash her family heirloom ivory fan. I was there at the time!"
"Today, besides Yan Erlang from Xingning Marquis Mansion, there's also Yan Rongshi from Changle Alley? As a high-ranking official, he's abusing his power for personal gain. We can't stand by and watch this injustice, we must help write a petition and submit it to Shuntian Prefecture."
As the crowd's opinion grew increasingly indignant, all sympathizing with the restaurant, Shopkeeper Fang finally emerged from the crowd.
Pretending to have just arrived and knowing nothing, he crouched in front of the debris of the welcome gate, clutching his chest in distress, his eyes brimming with tears. As he stood up, he staggered, and several kind-hearted people nearby quickly steadied him.
Several students from the Imperial Academy angrily said, "The girl's deceased father had a financial dispute with your restaurant, but the amount wasn't large, just a single silver ingot. How could that justify first trashing the restaurant and then sealing it with official notices? Don't be afraid, shopkeeper. You're in the right here. Go in and argue with those people inside!"
The crowd clamored, and indeed, several outspoken individuals stepped forward, surrounding Shopkeeper Fang as they entered the restaurant's wooden corridor.
Shopkeeper Fang, his face full of grateful tears, bowed repeatedly in thanks: "This old man is deeply grateful for your righteous words. This old man is indeed afraid. But as the person in charge of the restaurant, no matter how scared I am, I must stand up. In broad daylight, in the capital of the empire, I must at least fight for what's right—"
"Seize him," Yan Rongshi leisurely stepped out.
Seven or eight skilled imperial guards pounced out like tigers and wolves, bypassing the few leading enthusiastic scholars, and directly pinned Shopkeeper Fang to the ground on the spot.
The leaders couldn't react, all frozen in place with their eyes wide open in shock.
The crowd outside erupted in an uproar.
"How outrageous! In broad daylight, under the clear sky, they trashed the restaurant for a girl, sealed it, and now it's not enough, they're even arresting the shopkeeper! Such arrogant behavior!"
In the main hall strewn with broken porcelain, Yan Erlang sat up straight behind the screen, shocked.
"Has he gone mad today?" he muttered under his breath.
His close attendants drew in a sharp breath. "Young Master, the crowd is in an uproar, we can't show our faces now!"
The attendant made a gesture of hiding: "Let that Yan fellow take the brunt of it in front. We should..."
Yan Erlang's competitive nature flared up, and he sat back down instead.
"If he's not afraid, what do I have to fear? It would ruin the reputation of me, Yan Yixing, if word got out."
He raised his voice to speak to the second floor: "Xiaoman, in today's contest, I'd say he and I are evenly matched. It looks like things are about to explode outside. When we both go out later, the crowd will surely follow us. Wait until the crowd disperses before you leave."
Ying Xiaoman: ?
It was indeed rare today, Yan Erlang had said two sensible things!
She leaned over the second-floor railing and looked down: "Take care of yourself. Be careful not to get mobbed when you go out."
Yan Erlang promptly responded with another inappropriate remark.
"If Yan Rongshi isn't afraid, I'm even less so. Let's go out together and get beaten up, see who can take it better."
As they spoke, Shopkeeper Fang had already been apprehended, tied up tightly, and brought in with a black cloth over his head, surrounded by imperial guards.
Outside the restaurant, dozens of imperial guards drew their swords to guard the entrance, blocking the surging crowd.
Yan Rongshi climbed back up the wooden stairs to the second floor, acting as if nothing had happened.
Compared to the one downstairs, Ying Xiaoman was more worried about the one beside her.
She couldn't hide the concern in her eyes: "Are you really going to be alright? At least Yan Erlang knows some martial arts, so it's not a big deal if he gets beaten up. But what about you, a civil official?"
"It's fine," Yan Rongshi calmly joked with her. "Civil officials have their own ways of doing things."
"I have some suspicions about this shopkeeper. If my guesses are correct... today's arrest and sealing off is just the beginning. The more bizarre and groundless the charges for detaining Shopkeeper Fang, the less likely we are to alert others and cut off the Yuqing Tower connection."
After explaining in a low voice, he reassured her: "Don't worry about what's happening outside. The situation will calm down soon."
Having comforted Ying Xiaoman, Yan Rongshi turned his attention to the hall downstairs.
"Erlang, the situation has escalated, public opinion is boiling outside, aren't you leaving yet?"
"I'm not going anywhere," Yan Erlang squinted and said, "If I leave first, who knows if you'll badmouth me in front of Xiaoman for deserting? Xiaoman, watch closely, I, Yan Yixing, am not one to shy away from trouble."
Ying Xiaoman snorted, "Who cares about you."
"Yan Delegate," Yan Rongshi suddenly changed his form of address, standing high on the wooden stairs looking down at the hall, "Since you're not leaving and not afraid of trouble, I'll have to order you to assist with the case."
Yan Erlang: ?
Yan Erlang spat out the pumpkin seeds he was chewing, amused and annoyed.
"Say that again? You, Yan Rongshi, picking a fight with me, abusing your power to seal off a restaurant and publicly arrest the shopkeeper. Now that things have gotten out of hand, what case do you want me to assist with? A case of jealousy and abuse of private power?"
Yan Rongshi turned and ordered: "Bring out the people from the second floor."
Several imperial guards brought out a middle-aged man from the second-floor chamber, his head wrapped in linen and tightly bound.
Others carried out a piece of double-sided embroidery cut from a folding screen.
Yan Rongshi examined it carefully, then immediately placed it in a bamboo tube, sealed the tube's mouth with hot wax, and stamped it with an official seal to preserve it as evidence.
"A trained assassin and a map have appeared in Yuqing Tower. This is no ordinary matter and is suspected to be related to enemy spies. Yuqing Tower might be a secret base for Northern spies in the capital."
"Yan Delegate, I order you to assist in escorting the suspect and the map evidence to the Ministry of Justice. Go immediately and don't let anything happen to them."
Upon hearing the words "Northern spies," Yan Erlang was suddenly startled and immediately stood up.
He went upstairs, circled the assassin twice, examined the official seal on the wax of the bamboo tube for a while, then asked a familiar imperial guard captain a few questions. Grumbling, he tucked the bamboo tube into his robe and went out to get his horse.
The Ministry of Justice officials pushed Shopkeeper Fang and two unfortunate accountants into the prison cart.
Outside the restaurant, the crowd was indeed in an uproar. Many passersby, indignant, followed the prison cart while cursing. Yan Erlang rode his horse guarding the prison cart, his crimson robe conspicuous and eye-catching, attracting even more curses from the crowd. People cursed and pulled at him, several times nearly dragging him off his horse to beat him.
The originally congested crowd instantly cleared out by half.
"Be patient. Once the crowd is completely drawn away by Yan Erlang and the prison cart, we can continue to move the carriages. The first carriage will take away the assassin, and the second one will get you out."
Yan Rongshi said calmly, "Xiaoman, as I told you, civil officials have their own ways of doing things."
Ying Xiaoman leaned on the wooden railing, her eyes curved in suppressed laughter for a long time. Finally, she couldn't hold it anymore and burst into muffled laughter.
No wonder Yan Erlang and Yan Rongshi, despite their families being old friends and knowing each other since childhood, never got along well.
Yan Rongshi's efforts to be good to her were genuinely kind.
But when he turned his wit on Yan Erlang, he was truly devious!