Chapter 279 — Blocking the Way
Purple Streets of Chang'an Page 2 of 2
Could it be that Liang Jifen had some poor opinion of him?
Where exactly had it all begun?
Dou Bingheng could not puzzle it out, try as he might.
He was weighing whether to pay a visit to the Liang residence one day and sound Liang Jifen out, when an inner attendant came in and announced, "My lords, it is time for the morning audience."
Dou Bingheng gathered his thoughts and went with the others to the Golden Throne Hall.
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The men of the Five Wards Commandery and the men of Shuntian Prefecture alike, when they learned that the Yingzhen Ducal House had not only caught fire but been broken into by thieves, knew that this affair would not end well. Shuntian Prefecture especially—when the Yingzhen Ducal House had reported the crime, they had not immediately sent men to help fight the fire... The Commander of the Five Wards Commandery at once dispatched two additional garrisons to the Yingzhen Ducal House, and the Prefect of Shuntian simply went to the scene himself and directed the hunt for the thieves alongside Tao Jun.
The Yingzhen Ducal House was placed under lockdown from the very mouth of the alley.
So when Song Yan, showing not the slightest intention of slowing, galloped into the alley of the Yingzhen Ducal House, it was not the common folk of the capital he bowled over, but the soldiers of the Five Wards Commandery and the constables of Shuntian Prefecture.
Yet not a single man dared utter a word.
With a thing like this on their hands, their heads were hanging by their waistbands now; whether they lived or died might well depend on a single word from the Heir of the Duke of Ying.
Song Yan sprang down from his horse and made straight for Yizhi Hall.
By now the sky was fully light.
Song Yan's gaze was clear and his expression calm, but the set of his pressed lips betrayed a merciless coldness that made the serving women who caught sight of him tremble so violently in the calves of their legs that they stood with lowered eyes and meek faces pressed flat against the wall from afar, terrified of falling into Song Yan's line of sight.
Lü Zheng, having heard that Song Yan had returned, came panting after him with two young servants.
"Young Master! Young Master!" He barred Song Yan's way. "Please wait, the Prefect of Shuntian is drinking tea with Mr. Tao in the flower hall. Perhaps you might go and pay your respects..."
Before he could finish, Song Yan lashed him across the face with his riding crop, "smack."
Lü Zheng cried "Aiya!" and clapped a hand to his face, only then feeling the burning pain.
The young servants behind him, however, saw it plainly: Lü Zheng's right cheek had swollen, and a whip mark ran slantwise from his right eye to the corner of his mouth, the skin split and bleeding. A hideous sight.
Not only had he taken a lash, but his face was disfigured as well.
The young servants went white with fright and dropped to their knees with a thud.
"On your knees!" Song Yan spoke coldly, his clear gaze shooting forth a chill light.
Song Yan had never ordered about the men who served Song Cen.
Lü Zheng was startled and showed a trace of hesitation.
Song Yan's whip fell across his shoulder.
He grimaced in pain and dared not delay an instant longer, hurrying to kneel.
Song Yan kicked Lü Zheng out of his path and strode on.
Only then did Lü Zheng feel the piercing agony.
Song Yan had already entered Yizhi Hall.
"Young Master!"
"Young Master!"
The guards of Yizhi Hall saluted Song Yan, yet each remained at his post, attending to his duty.
Only then did Song Yan feel somewhat better.
Paying no mind that these men were merely guards of Yizhi Hall, he asked urgently, "Where is the Madam?"
"The Madam has already retired!" one guard said with a smile. "She said she would go over to the Yingzhen Ducal House this morning to gather the serving women and say a few words to them. Master Yan told us to escort the Madam over when the time comes."
Song Yan drew a deep breath, and only then discovered that his palms were slick with sweat.
A guard could not help saying, "Young Master, what a pity you were not at home to see it. The Madam truly is a woman surpassing any man. With only a few young servants and the women of the inner courtyard, she held the line fast and never let those thieves force their way through the hanging-flower gate..."
Song Yan's heart gave a leap. "What exactly happened?"
The guards all began talking at once.
Setting fires to signal for help, scalding men with boiling water... each telling it with shining eyes and great relish.
With such a young madam, they too felt a glow of pride.
A heartfelt smile of delight slowly spread across Song Yan's face, so radiant that even the dawn glow just rising at the horizon seemed to pale with shame.
The guards had never seen Song Yan like this, and could only stare dumbstruck, their words losing all coherence.
Yan Che, having gotten word, came out from the study nearby.
"Young Master!" He saluted Song Yan.
A smile brimmed in Song Yan's eyes and brows. "Thank you for your troubles, Master." His gaze swept past behind him, and he said in a low voice, "Where is everyone else?"
Yan Che said, "Xia Lian took your card and went to the Shuntian Prefecture to see whether anything can be learned from the officials. Zhu Yicheng and the others are searching the vicinity to ensure Yizhi Hall's safety. I feared word might reach Yunqi Temple and cause worry there, so I sent Wu Yi to reassure Old Master Dou. As for Du Wei and Lu Ming, we must wait for your return."
Du Ming gathered intelligence, while Lu Ming trained Yizhi Hall's retainers.
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To all the sisters and brothers reading this, here is the update first; Chongchong will catch the typos in a moment.
ps: I have read the comments, and thank you all for your concern. The stone is in my kidney, yet I rarely eat soy products and still came down with this illness—it may have to do with my not liking to drink water. As everyone says, I really must exercise more... Only when ill does one know the value of health; from now on I must adjust my daily routine.
o(n_n)o~
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