Chapter 219 — Advance and Retreat (Bonus Update, Begging for Pink Votes)
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
In the span of a few breaths, the onlookers had formed a ring around Ji Yong and He Yu.
The He family guards drove the crowd back. "What are you looking at? Never seen a fight before?"
One of the women laughed. "I've never seen such handsome young gentlemen fight!" This set off a wave of laughter among the spectators.
The He family guards looked a little embarrassed, but their manner of shooing people away was no longer as overbearing as before.
The Ji family guards, seeing that the He family guards merely stood by and watched without stepping in to help, knew they must be acting on He Yu's instructions. Ji Yong and He Yu were old friends who visited each other often, and for the moment the guards could not make sense of the situation, so they dared not step in rashly. They could only let the two of them—neither of whom packed any real punch—grapple together, trading punches and kicks.
After a few exchanges, both had run out of strength and sat on the ground gasping for breath.
Ji Yong asked He Yu, "What the hell did you hit me for?"
He Yu glared at Ji Yong. "Didn't you say the Fourth Miss of the Dou family would definitely marry Wei Fan? How is it that the Marquis of Jining has become Dou Juan's second son-in-law? And I hear it was you who went to Shuntian Prefecture to help get the marriage certificate issued?"
It seemed the story of the Dou sisters swapping husbands had already spread.
At the mention of this, Ji Yong's temper flared.
He gave a cold laugh. "Why ask me? Go ask Wei Fan! If he won't acknowledge the match, do you think I could force him into it?"
He Yu said nothing.
Ji Yong staggered to his feet and walked toward his carriage, looking somewhat dazed and disheartened.
He Yu caught up, slung an arm around his shoulder, and said, "Forget it! I just felt stifled. Let's go have a drink?"
Ji Yong nodded. He took the handkerchief handed to him by Zixi and wiped his nose carelessly. "You didn't mess up my face, did you? I have to report for duty at the yamen tomorrow..."
He Yu's eyes flickered. "A real man—a few scars on his face only make him look more manly!"
Ji Yong spat. "Then let me make you a bit more manly. How about that?"
He Yu chuckled. "I'm a married man. No need for me to fuss over such trifles anymore. But you still have to find yourself a wife, don't you?"
"A wife..." Ji Yong murmured, a little distracted.
Dou Yan would never pay him any heed again, would she?
Just thinking about it made his heart ache unbearably.
How had things come to this?
All he had wanted was for her to live better. Why did she always think he was meddling?
Ji Yong suddenly felt at a loss.
He Yu, walking along with an arm still around his shoulder, saw that Ji Yong looked somewhat dejected and was suddenly seized with a mischievous urge. He winked at Ji Yong and said, "Want me to play matchmaker for you? She's quite good—looks, character, talent, all excellent. Come to my house one day and I'll point her out to you. If you're satisfied, I'll have my father speak to yours..."
Ji Yong snapped back to his senses, knocked He Yu's hand off his shoulder, and said irritably, "Just mind your own business! What are you sticking your nose into?"
"I wouldn't call it sticking my nose in," He Yu said, unconvinced. "You're not getting any younger. Careful—I'll be dandling my son on my knee while you're still all alone. Still, I think that fellow Wei Fan is a real piece of work. Even if things didn't work out with the Fourth Miss of the Dou family, there was no need to go marry the Fifth Miss! How is the Fourth Miss supposed to hold her head up after this? Say—should we go pay that Wei Fan a visit..."
The two, arms around each other's shoulders, gradually walked off into the distance.
The guards of the He and Ji families followed silently behind them as they all left Heming Temple Lane.
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