The area below Ruyun Tower was already surrounded by water and no escape was possible.

The guests had all been driven out, the soldiers had blocked the door tightly, and the girls stood on both sides in fear, looking anxiously at the man in the lead.

He was a man wearing a dark green robe with gold decoration. His clothes were very exquisite and gorgeous, but the more gorgeous they were, the shabbier his face looked. He was very tall and strong, with a very dark complexion, eyes that were almost a slit, and a greasy face. Standing there, he looked fierce and savage, and his expression was also fierce.

This is Madam Xunfu’s younger brother, Master Tongqiu Shi.

Tong Qiushi cursed: "Go and capture that person for me!"

The next moment, someone's voice rang out, "It seems impolite for this gentleman to use the word 'catch'."

Tong Qiushi looked up and saw a group of people coming down from the upper floor. The one who was talking was a young man of fifteen or sixteen, with an elegant demeanor, holding a folding fan, and a gentle smile on his face, although that smile was extremely dazzling.

Walking with him were several young men, all of whom were about his age, handsome and of extraordinary bearing. Hua Youxian and Mother Ding walked behind those young men, and at first glance, it seemed that they were protecting her.

"You little bastards, were you the ones who took away the man surnamed Wang? And you went to my manor and smashed everything?" Tongqiu Shi'e asked harshly.

He was having fun outside when he suddenly learned that a thief had entered the mansion. Before he could be surprised, he got news that Wang Sheng, a farmer, had been taken away. Tong Qiushi immediately sent someone to look for Hua Youxian's indenture in the study, and sure enough, it was missing. He was furious for a moment, shocked that someone dared to tamper with Tai Sui, and angry that a small merchant dared to be so arrogant.

Without saying a word, Tong Qiushi rushed into Ruoyun Tower with his men without even having time to change his clothes.

"Hey? You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want." Lin Shuanghe looked at him with a smile, "What evidence do you have that we did it?"

What evidence? Of course, it was because this group of people even said in a swagger when they left, asking people to go to Ruyun Tower to find them. When had Tong Qiushi ever seen such a fearless person?

"Whose little beast are you from?" Tong Qiushi narrowed his eyes. "You are acting like this, do you think you have too much to live? And you," he looked at Hua Youxian, "you bastard, it's your blessing that I've chosen you, but you've challenged my patience time and again, and even colluded with outsiders to do such shameless things. Today, I'm going to catch you all in one fell swoop, put you in jail, and make you wish you were dead, so that you know what the consequences are of offending someone you shouldn't have offended!"

As soon as these words came out, a young man behind Lin Shuanghe couldn't help laughing. When he noticed that everyone was looking at him, he waved his hands in embarrassment, "Sorry, sorry, I just thought it was funny for a moment."

Yan He said with a dull tone, "Can these ruffians change their way of speaking when they threaten others? They keep saying the same thing over and over again, which is really annoying."

Tong Qiushi was furious at being ignored, "Catch them for me!"

The officers and soldiers behind them stepped forward immediately. Mother Ding was startled. At this moment, suddenly, dozens of black-clad guards emerged from all directions of Ruoyun Tower like ghosts. They stood in front of the young men and silently drew their swords at their waists. The swords shone brightly, and in an instant, a cold light filled the air, filled with murderous aura.

The girls in the building were startled and screamed in unison. Hua Youxian couldn't help but hold the hem of her skirt tightly and looked at the boys in front of her in awe.

Yan He tilted her head to play with the ponytail that fell to her chest and said, "Boring."

No one knew where these guards came from or when they sneaked into Ruyun Tower. Except for Xiao Jue, these guards were under his command after returning from the manor, and now it seems that they have received his orders and have been hiding here.

"How dare you!" Tong Qiushi was also shocked. He was used to being domineering in Jinling City. Even if they were wealthy people in Jinling, they would not dare to act rashly in front of him because of the face of his patrol brother-in-law. He didn't expect that he would bite a hard bone this time. Not only did they arrest people under his nose, but even now, when the soldiers were at the door, they still dared to ask people to fight hard.

The situation is tense and ready to explode.

Tong Qiushi stepped back. Although he was domineering and fierce, he was just a useless person. He was afraid that these guards would bring him trouble. He said, "This is a contempt for the imperial officials. Capture them now, regardless of life or death!"

Yang Mingzhi stepped forward and spoke softly, "Sir, you do not hold an official position. We are not insulting any official appointed by the imperial court."

"You took my people away!"

"Let's not talk about whether Master Wang was abducted by us. He is from Yangzhou, not your servant, so how can he be called 'your man'? Could it be that you privately set up a prison and imprisoned the people without reason? If so, it seems that you are the one who violated the law."

Yang Mingzhi was a natural debater, so how could Tong Qiushi defeat him? He was forced to the point where he couldn't explain anything, so he simply got angry and said, "Don't waste your words on them, just kill them!"

"Kill?" Someone spoke in a light voice, as if he found it funny, and looked sideways, "Are you sure?"

The young man was very tall, so even if he wasn't standing at the front, he could still be seen at a glance. In addition, his appearance was particularly outstanding and handsome, making it difficult for people to ignore him. He stood there lazily and said calmly: "If you say the word 'kill' first, and then we take action, even if we kill you, it will only be self-protection, not murder."

"If we have to compete, who will die first, you or us?" He looked at Tong Qiushi with a smile.

When he saw those clear eyes, Tong Qiushi felt a chill all over his body. He didn't know where these people came from or who they were. He was a little hesitant at first, but when he took another look at Hua Youxian standing in the crowd, he suddenly felt terrified.

No matter who he is, Jinling is his territory, how can he let a bunch of immature boys make fun of him! Everyone in the city knows that he wants to take Hua Youxian. If he doesn't settle this matter today, Hua Youxian will appear in Ruyun Tower safely in the future, or live with Wang Sheng, wouldn't he become a joke in Jinling City!

When has Tongqiu Shi ever suffered such a loss?

He frowned and gritted his teeth, "Kill—"

Before he finished speaking, another voice came from outside the door: "Stop! Stop it!"

Everyone looked back and saw a middle-aged man in official robes striding in. Upon seeing this man, the girl in the building and Madam Ding bowed and said respectfully, "Master Liu."

This is Liu Rui, the patrol officer of Jinling City.

Tong Qiushi came forward immediately when he saw Liu Rui. He was tall and strong, but he acted like a child in front of Liu Rui: "Brother-in-law! You are finally here. These little beasts have captured my people and are so arrogant. Now they dare to attack the soldiers. Brother-in-law, they don't take you seriously at all!"

Liu Rui angrily said: "Shut up!"

Tong Qiushi was stunned and didn't say anything for a while.

He Yan looked at Liu Rui. This patrol officer of Jinling City looked different from his evil brother-in-law. He had the refined and elegant appearance of a scholar, and even had a bit of righteousness. However, judging from the degree of his tolerance towards his relatives, it was obvious that he was also a double-faced person.

Liu Rui bowed to everyone in the hall and said, "I'm sorry, Qiushi is young and acted rashly. This is all a misunderstanding. Is Miss Youxian not hurt?"

Hua Youxian had not expected that this arrogant and unkind patrol officer would ask her so kindly today. She was puzzled for a moment and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Youxian is doing well."

Tong Qiushi was angry. These people came to destroy his place, but his brother-in-law not only did not side with him, but also showed favor to that bastard. However, Mother Ding saw the trick and scanned the group of young people. She felt that her daughter was lucky to meet a noble man.

"That's good." Liu Rui smiled and cast his gaze towards the others, asking, "Young masters, you are not from Nanjing, right? May I ask where you are from? What are you doing in Nanjing?"

Liu Rui was also worried. Tonight, he was outside and heard someone report that there was a thief in the Xunfu Mansion. Liu Rui was very surprised. Why would someone want to attack the Xunfu Mansion? Later, the servant brought back the news that Hua Youxian's indenture was lost. Liu Rui had heard about Tong Qiushi's affairs, but he always turned a blind eye to these things and let Tong Qiushi take advantage of the situation.

This time, Liu Rui originally thought that it was Wang Sheng who sent someone to take revenge, and he was a little angry. How could a small merchant dare to be so presumptuous? But later, a servant brought him a note, saying that it was found in the study. It was probably dropped by the person who came by accident. When Liu Rui saw the note, he was stunned.

It was an invitation to the Jinling Poetry Society, and the person invited was Yan He. It came from the residence of the commander of the left and right wing vanguard camps.

As a Jinling governor, he would never dare to compare himself with the second-rank official of Shuojing. Liu Rui was a smart man. He left nothing behind except an invitation to the poetry meeting, which was clearly a deliberate attempt to show his status. How could he dare to intervene? Before he could inform Tong Qiushi not to act rashly, he heard that Tong Qiushi had brought soldiers to Ruyun Tower to block him.

Liu Rui was so scared that he rushed over immediately, and fortunately he stopped him before the attack happened.

"Your Excellency is very perceptive. We are indeed not from Jinling," Yang Mingzhi smiled humbly. "We came to Jinling from Shuojing specifically to attend the Jinling Poetry Society."

It really is a poetry gathering!

Liu Rui had an idea in his mind, but he didn't know which one of these people was the son of the commander of the vanguard camp?

He was thinking over and over again, but he didn't show it on his face. He just smiled and said, "It is a great honor for Jinling City to have distinguished guests like you young masters."

"Maybe not?" Lin Shuanghe waved his fan. "Just now, this relative of the master was shouting and calling for war against us. It was so scary. He also kept calling us little beasts." Lin Shuanghe pretended to think distressedly. "This is the first time someone has called me that since I was a child. I'll tell my father and see if he will be angry. After all, I am a little beast, and he is..."

Liu Rui was sweating profusely. He kicked Tong Qiushi beside him and made him kneel down. He cursed, "How rude! Why don't you apologize to the young master!"

Tong Qiushi was kicked unexpectedly and felt angry. He didn't know Yan He's identity and was not as nervous as Liu Rui. He still struggled, "They kidnapped my people. Not to mention Wang Sheng, Hua Youxian's indenture was stolen by them..."

"Is this the indenture you mentioned?" Yan He shook out a piece of paper from his sleeve. Upon seeing the paper, Tong Qiushi said, "Yes, this is it! It turned out to be you who stole it!"

"Mr. Tong, what you said is not right. This indenture has always been in Ruyun Tower. After all, Madam Ding has raised Miss Youxian for so many years. If it is yours, how much money did you spend on it? Is it recorded in the account?"

Tong Qiushi was speechless.

He was used to doing business without capital, even with women. He took a fancy to Hua Youxian, so he forced Mother Ding to give him the indenture contract without spending a penny. When he asked for money and accounts, of course there was no trace.

Lin Shuanghe smiled, "Could it be that Madam Ding took the initiative to give Miss Youxian to you? She was such a big living person, and she was given to you for free. In our Shuojing, even if you give a cat or a dog, you have to give a reward. How come in your Jinling, you can give it away for free? Or..." He changed the subject and smiled even more brilliantly, "Is it the habit of the Xunfu Mansion to do this?"

This is accusing him of corruption and bribery! Liu Rui's face changed drastically, and without waiting for Tong Qiushi to refute, he immediately said: "This kid must have lost his mind, so he is talking nonsense. The indenture is naturally in the hands of Miss Youxian. As for Miss Youxian being Tong Qiushi's person... This is nonsense! Miss Youxian is from Ruyunlou, and the whole Jinling City knows it. She has nothing to do with our Liu family."

Tong Qiushi wanted to say something, but the clever servant beside Liu Rui came forward and blocked his mouth with a handkerchief.

Yang Mingzhi looked gentle, as if he really believed what Liu Rui said, and said kindly: "I see, but Master Liu should teach his cousin a lesson. He has nothing to do with Miss Youxian, but he spread the word that Miss Youxian is from your Liu Mansion and wants to kill us at will. In this way, all the evil things done by Master Tong in the future will be attributed to Master Liu. As the saying goes, when one prospers, all prosper, and when one suffers, all suffer. Others will not distinguish between Master Liu and Master Tong, and will only count Master Liu's faults."

This was a warning to him, and Liu Rui broke out in a cold sweat. Before he could think of a good way to respond, the young man with a high ponytail glanced at him and said in a bad tone: "Flower Fairy You is our friend. Whoever bullies Flower Fairy You is against us." He turned to Flower Fairy You, and although his eyes were on the beauty, his words were directed to Liu Rui and the others: "Flower Fairy You, if anyone causes trouble for you in the future, you can ask the commander of the Shuojing Vanguard Camp to come to the Yan Family Mansion to find me, and I will definitely help you."

"And me." Lin Shuanghe said with a smile, "Although our Lin family has no soldiers, we know a few people in the palace. My grandfather often saw the Empress Dowager. The Lin family can still protect you in this little matter."

"My father is the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department..."

"The Minister of the Imperial Household..."

"Minister of Revenue..."

Every time the group of young men read out a name, Liu Rui's heart would tremble three times, but in a moment, his clothes were all soaked with sweat. Whether they were lying or not, he only needed to go to the Jinling Poetry Club to ask. But there was no need to ask, Liu Rui believed it 80% at this moment.

They all looked heroic, handsome and arrogant. If they were not from high-ranking officials and wealthy families, they would never dare to be so arrogant. These two seemed to be talking to Hua Youxian, but they were actually warning him. Liu Rui felt bitter. Who would have thought that a brothel girl could have so many young masters from high-ranking officials to support her?

Liu Rui forced a smile and said, "What are you talking about, young masters? Fairy Youhua is from Jinling. If anyone dares to bully him, Yingtian Prefecture will be the first to disagree. Why bother you young masters?"

Lin Shuanghe smiled slightly: "Master Liu, please remember what you said today."

"Once a man speaks, he cannot take it back." Liu Rui said solemnly, "The entire Ruyun Tower can testify for me."

"Very good," Yan He raised his eyebrows, "You finally please me for once."

Although Liu Rui was annoyed by his disrespectful attitude, he did not dare to say anything. Yang Mingzhi bowed to him and said, "From now on, please take care of Ruyun Tower and our friend Youhua Fairy."

"That's right, that's right." Liu Ruibei said with a smile.

After a while of testing and greeting, Liu Rui took Tong Qiushi and the soldiers away. When he returned to Liu's house tonight, it would be up to him to decide how to teach Tong Qiushi a lesson. In Ruyun Tower, Cailian closed the door, and cheers broke out in the building.

The girls were all very happy. Tong Qiushi had done many evil things in Jinling, but the girls dared not speak out. Also, because of Hua Youxian's incident, everyone was worried. Now that the dust has settled, Liu Rui got nothing and left in a bad mood, which really made people feel proud.

Hua Youxian walked in front of the young men, also very excited, with tears in his eyes, he suddenly knelt down, kowtowed to them, and said in a long voice: "You are so kind to me, young masters. I have no way to repay you. If there is an afterlife, I will work like a slave for you without hesitation."

"Miss Youxian, please stand up." Everyone was startled and hurriedly pulled her up. They felt proud and a little uncomfortable, and said one after another, "This is what we should do."

"A true man should help others when he sees injustice. This is what our teachers in the academy taught us."

"Those Tongqiushi are really abominable, but with us here, you don't have to be afraid of them anymore!"

Mother Ding looked at them and couldn't help but smiled. She wondered what kind of people these young men were. Although they all had their own little tempers, they were not as frivolous as the children of noble families. Although they admired and worshipped ordinary people, they were often contemptuous of prostitutes in their hearts, and would not take the initiative to say "we are your friends".

They spoke frankly and naturally without any hesitation.

This Jinling Poetry Festival invited famous scholars from the Wei Dynasty, and talented people from all over the world gathered here. Each had their own strengths, but this time, it was the young people from the Shuojing Academy who won.

…

The cruise ship docked.

He Yan and his group walked down, and Hua Youxian said with a smile: "Young masters, please follow me."

It had been so long, and given Yan He and Xiao Jue's age, they could no longer be called "young master". But Hua Youxian still used the same title as before, which made He Yan feel as if it was still that summer day when they took a boat to Jinling together, sneaked into the brothel full of music and dancing, and were amazed by the beautiful spring scene inside.

Ruyun Tower is still the same Ruyun Tower, but it looks much older. The plaque at the door has been rewritten, but it is not as lively as before.

Lin Shuanghe pointed at the plaque: "This word..."

"Last year, there was a heavy rain," Hua Youxian said with a smile, "and I heard that the plaque at the door was blown away, so my mother sent someone to write a new one. But I also think it's not as good as before."

It used to be majestic and grand, but now it is neat and beautiful, and yet it is no longer the old building it once was.

When they walked in, they saw Hua Youxian leading a group of people. The girls inside were stunned. An older girl came forward and asked, "Youxian, who is this..."

"Look who this is?" Hua Youxian asked with a smile.

The girl looked at him in confusion. He Yan also looked at her and was stunned for a moment. This girl was actually Cai Lian.

She had also grown up a bit, and was no longer as delicate as before, but now looked cold and charming. Cailian stared at them in confusion for a while, then suddenly realized, "They are... the young masters from back then?"

"nice."

Lin Shuanghe still remembered Cailian, and he spread out his fan and said with a smile: "Miss Cailian, after so many years, it can be seen that everyone still misses you in their hearts."

Cailian was also a little excited. Day after day in Ruyun Tower was no different. Probably the most thrilling experience they had ever had in their lives was the one that made Tong Qiushi suffer. Those young masters from Shuojing, each of whom came from a family they dared not even imagine, did not look down on them like the ordinary young masters did, and even mentioned the matter of "friends".

Sometimes Cailian would wonder if it was just a dream. Now, seeing her old friend again, Cailian was so excited that she was speechless.

"We have guests coming. Ask the kitchen to prepare a table of delicious food and wine." Hua Youxian said with a smile, "I won't go home until I'm drunk today."

Cailian responded and went to the kitchen.

The girls on the side looked at them curiously. Lin Shuanghe looked around and didn't see Mother Ding, so he asked, "Where is Mother Ding? Since she is an old friend, we should say hello to her."

When Hua Youxian heard this, his eyes dimmed, and after a while he said, "Mother Ding is no longer here."

It turned out that two years after Hua Youxian followed Wang Sheng to Yangzhou, Mother Ding caught a cold and was bedridden. She originally thought it was just a minor illness, but it got worse and worse, and in the end, she was about to die. Mother Ding had no children, and in Ruyun Tower, she loved Hua Youxian the most. Cailian wrote a letter to Hua Youxian, and Hua Youxian wanted to come back to visit her when she heard the news. But at that time, she had already married Wang Sheng. Although the Wang family was a merchant family, they had a lot of rules. Not to mention that she had to travel thousands of miles back to Jinling, even Ruyun Tower did not allow Hua Youxian to have any relationship with her in the future.

Hua Youxian was trapped in Yangzhou and could not go out, so she was unable to see Mother Ding for the last time. Mother Ding left with regret, and before leaving, she simply gave Ruoyun Tower to Cailian.

Today, Cailian is the "Lotus Mother" of Ruyun Tower.

When people heard this, they couldn't help but sigh. That shrewd and fierce yet kind-hearted woman is now gone.