The officials stood on the elevated platform of the training ground, watching the clamor before them.

That one sentence from Xie Yanlai had stirred up all the Capital Guard soldiers. They could no longer stop it—otherwise, wouldn’t the Capital Guard’s resentment all come rushing at them?

“The sons of the Xie family are all the same,” Principal Official Zhu said blandly. “Difficult to deal with.”

Third Young Master Xie was a refined gentleman—difficult to deal with. This Ninth Young Master Xie was roguish and difficult to deal with.

“My lord, more and more common people are arriving after hearing the news,” someone looked toward the distance. The Capital Guard camp wasn’t in some remote wilderness. The commotion here inevitably alarmed the surroundings, especially since it had already caused a stir and drawn attention earlier.

“My lord, should we set up barriers to block them?” someone asked for instructions.

Principal Official Zhu sneered coldly. “Block what? With fighting like this, if we also block the common people, do you believe rumors will say the Capital Guard is rebelling? The current dynasty still isn’t stable. Prince Zhongshan even declared himself king. If not for his concern about Xiao Xun being held hostage, he would have attacked the capital.”

Right now, who knew how many of Prince Zhongshan’s spies were in the capital? They would surely take this opportunity to fan the flames.

“Let everyone come and watch!” Principal Official Zhu pointed with his hand. “That man surnamed Xie is fighting with the Capital Guard.”

See what kind of things the man surnamed Xie does!

Both serving as imperial relatives by marriage, what difference was there between the Xie clan and the previous Yang and Zhao clans?

You, Xie San, what are you pretending to be so noble and refined for? Why should you have power, influence, and a good reputation too?

The clerks beside him understood his meaning and all nodded in agreement.

“My lord, we’ve already sent someone to report to the Grand Tutor,” an official said in a low voice. “At the same time, we’re requesting the Imperial Guard to come.”

Best to take the Grand Tutor’s written order and directly arrest this Xie Yanlai.

Before his words fell, an official beside him laughed out loud.

“He fell!” he shouted.

The clerks around were startled. Who fell? Was it Xie?

“Xie Yanlai,” that official said with a laugh, pointing at the training ground. “He’s been knocked down!”

The officials hurriedly looked. Sure enough, they saw that the previously arrogant young officer had stumbled and fallen to his knees. His topknot was disheveled, hair hanging down, looking utterly wretched.

As he knelt, the previously clamorous surroundings actually quieted for a moment.

“Young Master!” The border army soldiers cried out in alarm, seeming about to rush forward, but were blocked by the military officers maintaining order at the front.

“Good!” Cheers arose from the Capital Guard side, but the voices weren’t loud or numerous—it seemed only two or three people. And after they cheered, the gazes of their surrounding comrades all turned toward them—

Something felt strange. The few soldiers who had cheered felt inexplicably guilty and stopped cheering.

Xie Yanlai paid no attention to his surroundings. He didn’t struggle to stand up either, but simply sat down heavily. He wiped the blood flowing from the corner of his mouth with his hand and looked up at the soldier before him.

“Not bad. You look thin and weak, but kid, your kung fu is quite solid,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “I’ll acknowledge you’re impressive.”

That soldier’s face flushed red as he panted. But he didn’t celebrate excitedly. Hearing these words, he gritted his teeth. “I’m not impressive. This doesn’t count. Next time, you fight only me alone.”

Xie Yanlai scoffed. “Who are you? What makes you worthy of having me fight you? If you miss this chance, when will you ever get to fight me? People like you—when Young Master walks down the street, I’m too lazy to even glance at you.”

These words caused a stir in the previously quiet, stagnant surroundings, and curses arose.

Zhang Gu stood in the crowd, shaking his head helplessly. A’Jiu’s mouth really was asking for a beating.

Although many people cursed, this time when Xie Yanlai propped himself up from the ground and called for the next one, no one stepped forward.

“What? You’re admitting defeat already?” Xie Yanlai used his hands to re-tie his disheveled hair, revealing his face. The bruising and swelling on his face had already risen, and combined with the blood he hadn’t wiped clean, he looked quite frightening.

A military officer stepped forward from the Capital Guard side and said, “Captain Xie, we’re not admitting defeat. We just can’t bully people. You’re fighting alone. We can’t continue competing with you.”

He clasped his fists in salute.

“I’ll acknowledge you’re impressive.”

No one behind him among the Capital Guard soldiers refuted this, clearly agreeing with the officer’s statement.

But Xie Yanlai didn’t agree. He scoffed. “What do you mean ‘acknowledge I’m impressive’? I was impressive to begin with. What, not convinced? Don’t worry, it’s not over yet.”

Not over yet. This time, before Officer Niu could speak, the other border army soldiers shouted one after another, “Young Master, let me!”

The soldiers behind surged forward. The officers standing at the front could barely hold them back, until Xie Yanlai spread his hands and waved.

“What’s the rush!” he shouted. “Stand properly!”

The surging soldiers stopped.

Xie Yanlai looked again at the Capital Guard on three sides and said, “You’re not convinced by single combat. Next, let’s have our two armies face off and compete.”

He re-tied his disheveled sleeves and robes.

“Don’t worry—we’re guests from afar. No matter what, we have to make you lose with complete conviction!”

What words! The Capital Guard soldiers who had quieted down boiled over again.

The border army was already roaring in unison, “Compete! Compete!”

The Capital Guard naturally wasn’t willing to show weakness. “Come on! Come on!”

The common people watching outside the training ground were already densely packed. Many couldn’t hear or see clearly what was happening inside, but hearing news spread that they would continue fighting, many people fighting together, making it even more lively, they immediately boiled over too. “Fight! Fight!”

Principal Official Zhu standing on the elevated platform flicked his sleeve and sneered coldly. “Good, good!”

……

……

The main streets of the capital became even more clamorous. Soldiers galloped on horseback, and there was also a group of officials among them, with the Imperial Guard following behind.

The officials wore robes denoting high positions, and their faces were also grave, looking quite frightening. But the common people were no longer panicked.

The news had already spread—it was a fight breaking out at the Capital Guard camp.

This news was brought by some people who came from outside the capital—they had passed by there and seen it with their own eyes. There were also wealthy families in the city who had sent their servants to investigate and learned of it.

At street corners and alleys, teahouses and taverns, everyone was discussing it.

After confirming it was a brawl and not a battle, some idle people even rode horses or took carriages outside the capital to watch the excitement. Many people also began to express dissatisfaction.

“This really is outrageous. How can they brawl at the Capital Guard camp? Don’t these border army soldiers know what they came here to do?”

“The border army, well, they came to display their battle achievements.”

“What kind of battle achievement is fighting your own people?”

“Haven’t you heard? The border region’s commanding officer who came is Xie Yanlai, the Xie family’s Ninth Young Master, Third Young Master Xie’s own younger brother.”

This statement made the teahouse even livelier.

“A National Uncle—then it’s not strange. Showing off his might and威—”

“National Uncle and National Uncle aren’t the same. Third Young Master Xie has never been like this. Don’t drag his brother’s affairs onto his head.”

“Indeed they’re different. This Xie Yanlai—have you all forgotten what kind of person he is?”

Xie Yanlai—it seemed they had indeed forgotten a bit.

The Xie clan had a Xie Yanfang, making all others pale in comparison. But after all, he was still a son of the Xie family, so quite a few people still remembered—

“He used to always fight in the Capital Guard and Imperial Guard. My nephew is in the military and mentioned that this brat was really hated, but no one dared provoke him.”

“Have you forgotten what happened three years ago? When the Xie family disciplined their son in the street, the one who was whipped—that was Xie Yanlai.”

“I remember now! It seems he got everyone in a whole village killed!”

“Right, right. Why is such a person still alive?”

“Because his surname is Xie—he’s a National Uncle.”

“Third Young Master Xie is truly unlucky to have such a brother.”

“What family misfortune.”

“—Eunuchs from the Imperial Palace have also come out—”

Hearing this, people in teahouses, taverns, and at street corners stopped their discussions and ran out to look. Sure enough, they saw three palace attendants escorted by the Imperial Guard coming from the direction of the Imperial Palace, galloping toward outside the city.

“The Emperor also knows the news. Is he sending people to receive his uncle?”

“Look, that eunuch is wearing red robes—he’s a first-rank chief eunuch who serves beside the Emperor.”

“Let’s disperse. There’s no excitement to see. The Emperor will definitely protect his own uncle—there are only a few… uncles left anyway.”

……

……

“Elder Sister,” Xiao Yu called out, standing inside the hall.

Chu Zhao, who was standing outside the hall, turned around and beckoned to him.

Xiao Yu happily walked over and took Chu Zhao’s hand.

“Elder Sister is borrowing Eunuch Qi for a purpose,” Chu Zhao said. “To do something for me.”

“What’s mine is Elder Sister’s—no need to say ‘borrow,'” Xiao Yu said, then asked curiously, “Has Uncle returned? During the break earlier, I heard the tutors discussing in low voices.”

But the tutors didn’t dare speak much in his presence, so he didn’t hear very clearly.

Chu Zhao smiled. “Do you still remember that uncle?”

Counting the time, Xie Yanlai and Xiao Yu hadn’t seen each other for over two years.

Xiao Yu also smiled. “Elder Sister, two years ago I was six years old, not a baby who couldn’t remember anything.”

He didn’t know what other children’s six years old was like, but his own—from then on, he never forgot anything.

Moreover, this was an uncle who didn’t like him, who seemed to have no interest in being his uncle—a very special uncle.

……

……

When Eunuch Qi arrived at the Capital Guard camp, he heard the clamorous noise from afar. The watching common people brought their whole families in droves, and there were quite a few vendors carrying baskets and hawking their wares—tea, water, and snacks all available. It was even livelier than during New Year’s.

He was both annoyed and amused. What kind of affair was this?

However, this was also good. Sometimes absurdity could actually reassure the common people and avoid chaotic rumors.

Better to watch the excitement now than to be in a state of panic.

The officials were all on the elevated platform. Seeing Eunuch Qi arrive, some hurried to bow and greet him, some only nodded blandly, and others darkened their faces.

“Why has Eunuch Qi come?” Principal Official Zhu even asked impolitely, pointing at the officials and military guards to the side. “The Grand Tutor already knows and has made a decision.”

For state affairs, there was the Grand Tutor. The Emperor who hadn’t yet taken personal control of government had no qualification to speak.

Before Eunuch Qi could speak, Principal Official Zhu pointed below the elevated platform again and said, “Seventh Master Xie from the family has also come personally.”

Eunuch Qi looked over and saw quite a few people standing below the elevated platform. They weren’t wearing official robes and weren’t military guards either. Besides the Xie family young masters from earlier, there was also Seventh Master Xie.

Seventh Master Xie had already seen Eunuch Qi and raised his hand in salute.

Eunuch Qi hurriedly returned the salute.

He understood Principal Official Zhu’s meaning—an elder was also present, so the Emperor as a junior need not concern himself.

Eunuch Qi wasn’t surprised by Principal Official Zhu’s attitude. Although he was just a minor principal official, he had the Grand Tutor backing him.

The imperial court was a place where fortunes rose and fell. Even the Son of Heaven in his supreme position had to match wits with his ministers, and ministers also treated the Emperor differently depending on who he was.

A weak ruler and strong ministers.

Eunuch Qi didn’t mind and wasn’t angry. He said with a smile, “The Empress sent this servant to take a look. After all, it concerns the border army.”

Principal Official Zhu paused. This—there was indeed no way to criticize it. The Empress had personally led the border army in battle. Border army affairs were indeed something she could inquire about.

“Take a look then,” he changed the subject, pointing ahead. “Such an absurd border army—the Empress has probably never seen anything like it.”

Eunuch Qi looked forward and saw the imperial soldiers fighting in chaos on the field, indistinguishable, wrestling together. Their clothes were all torn, nearly bare-chested.

“This—this is a gang fight,” Eunuch Qi said with a laugh.

Before his words fell, he heard the chaotic beating of drums. A soldier was lifted up by several people, holding a command flag in his hand—

So it was the two sides facing off to capture the flag.

“We got it!”

“We won!”

“We won again!”

Accompanied by cheers, the losers also began cursing—cursing their opponents and also cursing their own people. And those being cursed showed no courtesy in cursing back. On the training ground, a storm raged with clamorous cursing, unrestrained and unfit for ears.

However, despite the fierce cursing, the soldiers wrestling together separated as the command flag waved, each reforming their lines.

Xie Yanlai stood swaying at the front of the formation. He was no better off than the others—his upper body clothing had long since disappeared, he was covered in dirt, and he looked at the military officer opposite with a smile. “There’s really no helping it. Look—you lost again.”

That military officer still had a short vest on his upper body. He turned his head and spat, spitting out a mouthful of bloody water.

“So what?” he said. “You’ve lost too.”

“Three to two,” Xie Yanlai extended his fingers toward him. “Formation change battle—you lost. Siege battle—you lost again. Only in one ambush battle did you win, and that was because you were familiar with the terrain—”

“Stop talking nonsense!” That military officer scoffed, interrupting him. “It was clearly because your reaction was slow!”

Accompanying their conversation, the soldiers behind them also called out one after another, “So what?” “We’re just better than you.” “Lost and still boasting!”

However, they didn’t surge forward to fight together—military competitions had rules. The commanding officers hadn’t given the order yet.

“Not convinced?” Xie Yanlai raised his eyebrows. “Then let’s compete again. This time, you decide what we compete in.”

But that military officer didn’t immediately accept as he had before. He hesitated, then said, “Let’s skip this round.” He looked toward the elevated platform. “Too many people have been alarmed. If we keep fighting, no one will have a good outcome.”

On the elevated platform stood people in red, purple, and green robes. Outside the training ground, voices surged even more tumultuously. Lifting one’s eyes, there were heads everywhere.

Xie Yanlai scoffed. “What’s there to fear? It’s just a brawl.” He added, “Besides, it was an official who instigated the brawl.”

He pointed at himself. Before that military officer could speak, he strode toward the elevated platform.

“My lords,” Xie Yanlai walked to below the elevated platform and said loudly, “Now, the fighting is finished.”

The officials on the elevated platform looked at him indifferently.

Principal Official Zhu said coldly, “Then take him away.”

The Imperial Guards standing around immediately stepped forward. Xie Yanlai didn’t speak, but clamor came from behind him.

“No need to take anyone away.”

“We were just having a military competition.”

“So then, should you take all of us away?”

Xie Yanlai turned his head and scolded irritably, “What’s it got to do with you? I fought alone and wasn’t satisfied, so I had you all fight together—”

His words weren’t finished when he realized that behind him weren’t just border army soldiers—the Capital Guard soldiers had also all followed over.

The lead military officer looked at him and sneered coldly. “You said to fight. If we didn’t respond, could you have started fighting? How is it not our business?”