The timid bystanders quickly scattered to avoid the commotion, leaving behind a few immovable carts and a handful of onlookers who stayed to watch the fray.
"The leader of those men is Princess Duan’s cousin, Cao Da," Sister Jin whispered to Yang Mengchen. freewēbnoveℓ.com
The battle between the two sides grew increasingly intense, Mo Mei furrowed her brow, "Princess, should we intervene?" Prince managed the Ministry of Revenue, and this matter, if it got out of hand, could inevitably involve the Prince.
"No rush," Yang Mengchen said indifferently.
The dozen or so men nearly all bore injuries and naturally were no match for the robust Tidu Yamen Soldiers, who quickly apprehended them.
At this moment, a young man rode up on a fine horse, his voice filled with authority, "Who gave you the order to seize these men?"
With a stern visage, bronze skin, and a towering figure, he was dressed in a sapphire azure Yunjin suit, a Blue Tian Jade Pendant tied to his right waist, and a long sword on the left, radiating an aura of solemn lethality, those deep-set eyes especially, dark and profound as if they could see through all, leaving nowhere to hide.
This was a man accustomed to issuing commands, stern and uncompromising.
Yang Mengchen asked softly, "Who is he?"
"General Yunmi, Yuwen Yanhe, stationed at the border with Xiliang Country," Hai Tang had encountered Yuwen Yanhe in her adventuring days and thus recognized him.
Glancing over and catching Yuwen Yanhe’s gaze, Yang Mengchen thought to herself, this man indeed had a keen awareness.
Yuwen Yanhe looked at Yang Mengchen and, feeling no malice, withdrew his gaze and turned his attention to the matter at hand.
Cao Da was particularly frightened but stood up straight, "General Yuwen, please calm your anger. They assaulted an Imperial Court official; we’re simply doing our duty by apprehending them."
"Did you even inquire as to why they assaulted the Imperial Court official?" There was a flicker of rage in Yuwen Yanhe’s intent gaze.
Cao Da stuttered, unable to articulate a clear response.
Yuwen Yanhe’s expression darkened instantly, "You arrest without even asking questions; which law stipulates this?"
The onlookers nodded; that official had come up, exchanged words with those other two officials, and then ordered the soldiers to seize people—it was a clear case of officials protecting one another.
Though intimidated by Yuwen Yanhe’s fierce demeanor, Cao Da, thinking of his own backing and that Yuwen Yanhe could do nothing to him, puffed out his chest and said, "Regardless of the reason, these men assaulted an Imperial Court official and disrupted the peace of the Capital; it’s my duty to take them back to the office for questioning now."
"Sir, they acted rashly out of desperation. If you entrust them to the General, he will discipline them properly, ensuring they cause no further trouble," the young man beside Yuwen Yanhe said gently, maybe because of Yuwen Yanhe’s sharp edge, everyone had overlooked him until now.
Despite his rough appearance, Yang Mengchen captured a fleeting sharpness in the man’s eyes, signaling that he was far from ordinary.
"That’s General Yuwen’s deputy, Jin Kuan. They are as close as brothers in life and death," Hai Tang whispered to Yang Mengchen.
"We are following procedure, not intending to disrespect General Yuwen," Cao Da said earnestly, though his demeanor remained haughty. "If General Yuwen has any issues, he can discuss them with Sir Tidu at our office."
Jin Kuan quietly said to Yuwen Yanhe, "Yanhe, if we make a scene here, we’ll be the ones to suffer. Let them go for now and we can find another way later."
Coldly eyeing the group from Tidu Yamen Government Office, Yuwen Yanhe’s lips were tightly sealed, and his stern face was full of menace.
Filled with fear yet compelled by necessity, the Tidu Yamen Soldiers stiffened as they prepared to take the injured soldiers away.
The wounded soldiers resisted fiercely, and the clash between the two sides erupted anew.
Seeing his men sustaining further injuries, a fierce fury flashed in Yuwen Yanhe’s eyes. He was about to draw his sword when Jin Kuan firmly held back his sword hand, earnestly dissuading him.
Feeling that gaze linger on him, Yuwen Yanhe suddenly released his grip on the sword and turned to look at a carriage in the distance, scrutinizing carefully the woman driving the carriage, who was clearly no ordinary person. And that woman gazing at him had an even more distinguished air. He wondered if they might intervene.
He was a man of unswerving integrity, and the waters of the Capital were too deep for him to wade into if he could avoid it.
Moreover, the wounded soldiers indeed had caused trouble, and if he were to intervene forcefully, he would not only fail to save them but also offend the people from Tidu Yamen Government Office, an utterly losing proposition.
For now, he would wait and see if the lady in the carriage would lend a hand. If not, he would devise another plan.
Jin Kuan sighed in relief when Yuwen Yanhe sheathed his sword and followed his gaze to the left rear.
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