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As soon as he finished speaking, a servant boy found a tray of cups, saucers, and teacups from somewhere and smashed them off the stage with a clatter. The young girls wanted to scream but dared not, and the people in the audience dared not speak out in anger.
At this point, only Xie Sui'an stepped forward to fan the flames. He slightly shielded his face with his folding fan, making no attempt to hide his sneer: "Hmph, sore loser resorts to smashing things, truly an eye-opener. I've never seen such an arrogant young nobleman since I came all the way from the capital. Anyone who didn't know better would think some royal relative was showing off here. Jinyun, find out, what exactly is this young nobleman's identity?"
Before he could even ask, the Wang family servant, already seething with anger, immediately chimed in sarcastically, "This young master from the capital may not know, but the one who smashed the cup is the nephew of Prefect Qiao of Quzhou. You can't afford to offend him, or you'll be in big trouble. Our young master is so kind; he didn't even utter a sound when someone smashed a cup in his face, just to avoid damaging our master's reputation for being diligent and benevolent. Unlike some people who act arrogantly under the prefect's name, making everyone think they're the real officials above us! They've completely disgraced our prefect."
When the young master of the Wu family heard the other party mention his uncle, his face turned red and white in a very interesting way. He couldn't see Xie Sui'an's face clearly, but he could see Wang Shizhen smiling. So he couldn't hold back any longer and lashed out at him with a burst of anger: "Wang Shizhen, your father is just a minor prefect. What are you so proud of? I'll have my uncle deal with you later!"
Very well, they brought up the backstage in just a few words. Qin Sang couldn't help but chuckle and whispered to Xie Suian, "They say a mother and nephew resemble their uncle, how could Prefect Qiao have such a ridiculously stupid nephew? Could it be that his sister's husband had a child with another woman?"
Xie Sui'an nodded in agreement: "Very likely. With him courting death like this, his uncle, Prefect Qiao, can still sit firmly in his position. He must be quite a talent."
While Qin Sang and Xie Suian were joking around, Wang Shizhen remained calm and composed, engaging in a verbal battle with that fool from the Wu family. Honestly, it was hard not to respond to what the young master Wu was saying.
Wang Shizhen, without making a sound, provoked the young master of the Wu family into a fit of rage with just a few words, and the servants of both sides began to smash cups and start a verbal battle.
Seeing that the atmosphere in the hall was quite lively, Qin Sang beckoned to Jin Yun. After Jin Yun read his young master's expression, he picked up two walnuts from the snack plate and scattered them into the crowd. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention, he flicked them at the forehead of the Wu family's young master.
His lightness skill was superb, and his hidden weapon skills were also first-rate. The walnut hit the young master of the Wu family right on the forehead. In this way, the verbal battle finally turned into a battle. Young Master Wu was arrogant, and his lackeys were not to be trifled with. The experts jumped down from the railing and rushed straight towards Young Master Wang.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Qin Sang pulled Xie Sui'an up, mingled into the crowd, and quietly left Cuiyun Tower.
The sun was already setting in the west, its rays like blood. People on the street were crowding around Cuiyun Tower, and when they saw Qin Sang and the others come out, they hurriedly pulled them aside and asked, "What happened inside? Did they start fighting?"
Qin Sang feigned fear and whispered, "Yes, Young Master Wu and Young Master Wang are fighting over the courtesan! We should report this to the authorities immediately!"
"Report to the authorities? Hmph, they are officials themselves. If they report to the authorities, who will those officials listen to!"
Qin Sang didn't care about anything else; she just said it casually and hurriedly pretended to be panicked, pulling Xie Suian away from Cuiyun Tower.
After leaving the bustling and prosperous Jinyu Street, Qin Sang asked for directions to Zhaixing Tower. The group found a carriage waiting on the side street and headed towards Zhaixing Tower.
Yang Wenhao was still unconscious in the car. Jinyun reached out and checked his pulse, indicating that he would wake up in about an hour.
Qin Sang felt a headache coming on and rubbed her temples: "Wouldn't it be a bad idea to tie him up?"
Xie Sui'an then said, "You have to think about it, this is for his own good. If he goes back, he'll be in trouble. He'll either be locked up by his father or beaten to death by him. Once this matter is settled, he'll be safe. By the way, how do you know those two young masters have a long-standing feud? Is there some follow-up plan behind your stirring up trouble like this?"
Qin Sang pursed her lips and recounted her experience outside. Xie Sui'an and Jin Yun listened with righteous indignation: "Outrageous! How could there be such a heinous and corrupt official!"
Qin Sang cautioned, "Prefect Qiao hasn't personally intervened in this matter, so it's too early to draw conclusions."
Xie Sui'an snorted, "This matter is of great importance. If it weren't for Qiao Zhiyong's instructions, how could Wu Fang, a mere minor official, dare to do it?"
Qin Sang nodded: "But the most urgent thing is to take down that Wu guy, otherwise he'll lead his men to raid my hometown! The highest-ranking official here is Qiao Zhiyong, and I can't touch him. If you're so capable, you do it."
The Prefect, or Acting Prefect, is the highest-ranking local official, a fourth-rank position. Especially since this Qiao Zhiyong is a former official from the capital who has been sent down to gain experience. He has a lot of influence in the capital. How easy is it to touch him? It would be good enough if we could manage to cut off his henchmen and protect ourselves for the time being. That person has deep roots behind him. How could Qin Sang, a commoner, possibly touch him? It's a pipe dream.
Xie Sui'an didn't make any boastful claims after thinking for a moment, and then asked Qin Sang, "So how exactly do you plan to bring down the Wu family?"
Qin Sang smiled mysteriously: "Oh, I'm hungry. Let's go to the inn first, eat and drink our fill, take a hot bath, and then we'll talk later."
Xie Sui'an: "..."
Zhaixinglou truly lives up to its reputation as the largest inn in Quzhou Prefecture. Its entrance is lavishly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, while two clumps of green bamboo add a touch of elegance, creating a refined and understated atmosphere amidst the bustling city. It is indeed quite nice.
However, the price was astonishing; a standard superior room cost ten strings of cash! Fortunately, Qin Sang had come prepared with a lot of gold and silver, so he could afford it.
The handsome doorman obediently led the horse to the back parking area. After checking in, Jinyun quietly went to the backyard, carried Yang Wenhao into the room, tied him up, and pushed him onto the corner of the bed.
Qin Sang spent most of the day squeezing among the smelly, sweaty crowd, feeling unbearably stinky. She couldn't wait to take a shower, and after resting and changing her clothes, she leisurely left her room to go downstairs for dinner.
Passing by the corner terrace on the third floor, a gentle breeze carried a delicate fragrance. Looking towards the view, she found it to be a wonderful place to enjoy tea. Looking down, she could see the long street stretching for miles, and looking up, she could see the starry sky.
Sure enough, someone else shared her insight and had already prepared tea and snacks, occupying the best spot by the railing.
The man was dressed in a snow-white robe. Although only his back was visible, his back was tall and straight, his black hair was like satin, and his shoulders were slender and well-defined. With each graceful movement, his long, slender fingers were like jade carvings, with distinct knuckles. He picked up the teacup beside him and lowered his head slightly. This single gesture reminded one of a familiar person named Nan Yin from the Nine Heavens.
But that person rarely shows himself, and has no reason to descend to the mortal realm.
Even so, Qin Sang still stopped and looked at it for a few more moments.
The person seemed to notice the gaze behind them and turned around.
Qin Sang almost gasped; this person's appearance was just too...unpleasant!
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was a celestial being who descended to earth, but he didn't resemble the one in heaven at all.
Qin Sang smiled slightly, did not engage in conversation with anyone, simply remarked "The scenery here is quite nice," and then left.
She walked down the stairs from the lobby, just as Xie Sui'an was walking down the other side of the stairs. He had also clearly freshened up and was now radiant, looking as if he were someone special.
"What a coincidence, where are you going, young lady? Why don't you have a drink with me?" The two met on the second-floor platform. Xie Sui'an was in a good mood and deliberately teased Qin Sang with a joke.
Qin Sang didn't want to spoil his fun, so she casually replied, "Young master, please have some self-respect. I am not a girl from Cuiyun Tower, and I don't drink with just anyone who invites me."
"Oh? What kind of wine do you like, young lady? Whatever wine you like, this young master will treat you to it."
"If you have some Jade Spring wine to offer as tribute, perhaps I can consider doing you a favor and sit down to have a couple of drinks with you."
“I don’t have Yu Jingchun,” Xie Sui’an laughed, “but I do have a handsome man. Isn’t that enough to make the young lady do me the honor?”
“Speaking of which,” Qin Sang glanced at him, “I ran into someone on the third floor just now. He was incredibly handsome, a rare find indeed.”
"A man?" Xie Sui'an's smile crumbled.
Qin Sang raised an eyebrow: "Otherwise, what beautiful woman besides me would dare to go out and fool around in the middle of the night?"
"..." Young Master Xie was speechless, but he quickly realized that this was just Qin Sang teasing him for fun. As the leader of the Four Young Masters of the Capital, who could be more dashing and charming than him? He said, "It is the wish of many women to travel with me, but you do not know how to cherish it. Instead, you look at other people. You are really a shallow little woman. One day you will regret it."
Qin Sang's attention, however, was drawn to a dish of bamboo shoots and sea bass on the next table. While looking for a seat, she called out to the waiter, "One of those bamboo shoots and sea bass, and..."
"Oh, sir, I'm so sorry," the waiter hurriedly bowed and apologized, "We only had one sea bass left today, and it was just ordered by a customer. But we still have flatfish, how about..."
Before Qin Sang could say anything, Xie Sui'an had already lost his temper: "Such a big inn doesn't even have a sea bass, what kind of business are you running? Go and call your manager over here!"
The young waiter, used to such things, chuckled twice and went to find the shopkeeper.
Qin Sang poured herself a cup of tea and said calmly, "What kind of young master's temper is this? We were late and there was no fish, but we're taking it out on a waiter."
Xie Suian was like this at home. If he didn't have anything he wanted, he could throw a tantrum and his servants would rush to find it for him. When he went out, he was always treated as an honored guest. All the top restaurants in the capital knew him, and even if they moved someone else's table, they would make sure he got there first. Of course, he couldn't compete with the more prestigious princes and nobles, but he could still be considered to have whatever he wanted.
He had just heard the waiter say that there was clearly another fish, but it was a little too late. He got angry because he wanted to give the fish to Qin Sang, but his enthusiasm was met with indifference, and he was instead met with a sarcastic remark from Qin Sang.
He felt incredibly humiliated and angrily retorted, "I only did this because you wanted to eat... You're such an ingrate! Fine, Jinyun, let's go. We won't sit at the same table as an ingrate!"
Qin Sang was a little confused. Seeing that the person had indeed left in a huff, she thought to herself: What did I say?
When the maid Ying'er saw that the person had left, she quickly gestured to her, meaning that the other person was angry.
“Of course I know he’s angry,” Qin Sang said, taking a sip of tea. “But I didn’t say anything wrong. Why is he taking his anger out on someone for no reason? It’s just a fish. I don’t necessarily have to eat that fish… Let him be.”
A moment later, the waiter returned, beaming with delight, and said, "Good luck, miss! The customer who ordered fish earlier heard that you wanted fish, so he gave it to you. Besides fish, what else would you like to order? Our honey-glazed thirteen-spice braised beef is a must-try, and our newly arrived spring vegetables are also fresh. We also have peach blossom wine, which is a favorite among repeat customers. Everyone who has tried it gives it a thumbs up!"
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