As Aunt Wang walked out of the alley, she first glanced in amazement at the imposing carriage under the archway, then, with her child in tow, called out to the servant, "Fugui, why didn't you go home and let us know you were coming?"
Wang Fugui jumped off the carriage, a smile on his face, and said politely, "I made an appointment with the master a few days ago, and he told me to wait here today."
"Sigh, it'll probably be a while before the young master comes out." Aunt Wang thought of how affectionate the two of them were inside and felt a little sorry for Wang Fugui. She asked, "Has the marriage been arranged at the manor?"
"Okay, it's settled!"
Aunt Wang patted the boy's head, sighed, and said, "It's time for the young master to start his formal education; he can't stay here all the time."
If the young master could be recognized by his ancestors, he wouldn't have to stay in such a filthy place.
Even with her good temper, Xie Zhaozhao couldn't help but feel angry and resentful when she saw these people.
In my previous life, we probably had the same conversation—
"Is the marriage arranged?" "Yes, it's arranged!"
And then their individual schemes against her began to unfold, didn't they?
Turning her gaze away, she said to Yunhe, "Let's go, but slowly."
The bewildered refugees on the street looked at her carriage with a mixture of envy and resentment.
In previous years, these people migrated like birds, arriving in winter and leaving in spring. This year, it's already March, and these migrants are still stranded in the capital.
Driven by the need to make a living, these displaced people, as they wandered, eventually became lawless outlaws.
"Stop hitting him! If you keep hitting him, someone will die!"
"Sigh, they're robbing people in broad daylight on the street."
"Where are the officials? Isn't this the capital? Why is no one in charge?"
A group of people were fighting on the roadside, and a large crowd of onlookers gathered to watch.
Some people watched the spectacle numbly, seeking a pitiful sense of superiority, while others weakly advised against causing any deaths.
Xie Zhaozhao immediately told Yunhe to stop the car.
He ordered, "Go and see what's going on?"
Yunhe jumped off the carriage, went to ask, and reported back: "Miss, a group of people are robbing and beating two scholars from out of town."
Through the sheer curtains, Xie Zhaozhao could see a group of burly, fierce men tearing at and kicking two young men.
One of the two was trampled on the ground, while the other was grabbed by the front of his shirt and pressed against the wall.
In the southern part of Kyoto, the lowest rung of society, the refugees are sheep, and also ferocious beasts. When they encounter beasts more ferocious than themselves, they become sheep; when they encounter sheep weaker than themselves, they become wolves.
Two defenseless young men from out of town were nothing more than sheep to be killed at will by these thugs.
The man on the ground, his face and body covered in blood and gore, clutched a small bundle tightly to his chest and stammered, "Spring Examination...books...no, worthless..."
"Let go, give me the package!"
Those people not only tried to steal his baggage, but they also stripped him of his clothes and shoes.
Suddenly inspired, the man shouted, "This lad is quite good-looking. Catch him and sell him to Qingfeng Pavilion."
"Yes, yes, that's a good idea. Don't kill him, drag him away."
Fighting and brawling are commonplace; everyone is afraid of these street bullies, and no one steps forward to stop them.
The young man, who was pressed against the wall, had disheveled hair, blood staining half of his face, and his face was swollen like a bamboo basket, making him look quite terrifying.
He shouted at the young man on the ground, "Ling Xun, give them to him, save their lives..."
"Xiangsheng, you...go..."
Ling Xun? Xiangsheng? Zhang Xiangsheng?
Although Xie Zhaozhao never saw any men outside her home, she was a noblewoman in the capital who was not only good at learning about virtues and appearance, but also had a broad knowledge of astronomy, geography, current affairs, politics, and family secrets.
She might not know about others, but she knew about Ling Xun.
He was the top scholar in the imperial examination in the twentieth year of Emperor Hui's reign.
It is said that when he came to the capital to participate in the spring examination, he was robbed on the street by a group of street bullies, beaten to the point of near death, and then sold into the Qingfeng Pavilion.
A woman named Tu Qianyue led a group of people to drive away the street thugs and even left the injured Ling Xun at her home to recover.
Later, Ling Xun became the top scholar in the imperial examination. He was a man of great talent and a capable minister. Emperor Hui treated Ling Xun as a second Gu Shaoyu. He rose through the ranks in the court with almost no setbacks.
Ling Xun was grateful and repaid kindness. He later became a minister and devoted himself to serving Tu Qianyue.
Two years before Emperor Hui died, for reasons unknown, Ling Xun, a powerful minister at the height of his power, suddenly hanged himself at home.
Zhang Xiangsheng was Ling Xun's classmate and was also badly beaten this time. He was also rescued by Tu Qianyue. He became the top scholar in the second class of the spring examination and was sent to Jiangnan. In ten years, he rose to the rank of a fourth-grade official.
In Jiangnan, Zhang Xiangsheng provided Tu Qianyue with comprehensive official support for her business empire.
Xie Zhaozhao smiled slightly. Others might not know who Tu Qianyue was, but she knew all too well.
She came here today specifically to see Ling Xun and the other person.
Without hesitation, Xie Zhaozhao said to Yunhe, "Save these two young people."
Yuanyuan lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, stepped out, and said to the guards, "Take those madmen down."
Yunhe and four other guards rushed over, brandishing their swords, and shouted, "Stop!"
The street thugs turned around and saw Xie Zhaozhao's luxurious carriage, her imposing guards riding tall horses and brandishing sharp swords. They were so frightened that they scattered in all directions.
They didn't know who was in the carriage, but such a luxurious carriage must have been occupied by high-ranking officials and nobles.
They fear officials, and they also fear death!
Street Fighter tried desperately to escape, but Yunhe and his group still managed to catch the two burly men leading the charge and kicked them hard. The two men lay on the ground for a long time, unable to get up.
Yunhe summoned the street officials of the southern city to arrest the two men and throw them in jail. They were to suffer a lot first, and then be made to confess their accomplices and be severely punished.
Because it startled the young lady.
This crime is more serious than the fact that they beat up two students.
Yuanyuan got out of the car, went to the nearby clinic to call for help, and carried Ling Xun and Zhang Xiangsheng into the clinic.
“We are the Xie family, so please use the best medicine. Don’t worry about the money.” Yuanyuan took out a silver ingot from her purse.
The doctor at the pharmacy smiled obsequiously, bowing and scraping as he said, "Please rest assured, young lady, we will do our best."
Xie Zhaozhao left another guard behind to take the two back to the Xie residence and hand them over to the family physician once their conditions stabilized.
She came to Nancheng today to rescue the two of them, and now that she has achieved her goal, she's heading back home.
As the luxurious carriage left the southern city, people were still praising how lucky these two outsiders had been, having been saved by the Xie family.
The scene on the street was still being excitedly discussed by the bored vagrants. In the house in Tianhou Lane, the black wooden door was opened, and the woman peeked out, looking around with a pout and a resentful expression.
A young man walked out the door behind her.
The man pushed her inside and whispered a "shh": "Honey, I'll be back soon."
"Then you can't really like her."
"Don't worry, you're the only one in my heart."
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