A buzz of discussion arose in the street.

“It seems to make sense, but something doesn’t feel right.”

“Yes, if we’re to punish this person, send him to the officials and behead him.”

“No, we can’t entirely say that this Young Master Xie deserves death. It seems the fire was an accident.”

“Right, that’s what was just said.”

“But that’s not right either. What does it matter if it was an accident? So many people died accidentally—should they have died for nothing?”

So this girl had come to seek justice for the dead villagers? The recruit had heard a jumble of information and felt he roughly understood the situation.

“Chief,” he said admiringly, “the people of the capital are truly formidable.”

If it were people from their countryside, they would only watch the commotion. Who would step forward to fight for justice?

Zhang Gu only looked at the young man and woman in the center of the scene, shaking his head with a sigh: “What do you understand?”

Indeed, he didn’t understand—his experience was limited. In the future, he would observe more and then understand. The recruit also hurriedly fixed his gaze on the young man and woman in the center.

The girls by the third-floor window looked at each other. So, Chu Zhao was seeking justice for the dead villagers?

“She’s too—” Qi Leyun frowned, but didn’t say the words “meddlesome.” With dozens of lives lost, she couldn’t call it meddling. She only muttered, “She’s addicted to fighting. This matter has nothing to do with her father, so why is she making trouble? Why is she speaking against the Third Young Master Xie?”

What did this have to do with the Third Young Master Xie?

At the window of another tavern, Liang Qin opened his eyes. His anger had somewhat subsided, but his brows remained tightly knit. Although not for the sake of this Xie family son, this action was indeed inappropriate.

“She’s too combative,” he said.

The young man beside him smiled and said, “She has always been combative. You shouldn’t be realizing this only now. She beat your sister and scolded your uncle and aunt—”

Liang Qin shook his head. The Liang family aside, the Third Prince was understandable, but this Xie family situation seemed completely inexplicable—there was no grievance, no enmity, no cause.

Their Liang family did have a grudge against the Xie family.

Could this girl be doing this for him? The thought flashed through Liang Qin’s mind as his gaze fixed intently in that direction.

As the discussion arose around them, there was also some restlessness among the middle-aged men.

“Miss Chu,” the middle-aged man reprimanded, “you’re being unreasonable.”

“How am I being unreasonable?” Chu Zhao raised an eyebrow. “Am I wrong? He’s guilty, so send him to the officials. What’s the matter? Is your Xie family afraid to send him to the officials?”

Anger flashed in the middle-aged man’s eyes.

“Are you sick?” Xie Yanlai cursed from behind. “What business is it of yours? I didn’t burn you to death!”

He turned around and glared fiercely at the girl.

“You’re determined to send me to prison. What do you want? I didn’t burn you to death!”

How arrogant! The buzzing of the crowd grew louder. So, this young man was so arrogant because the Xie family wouldn’t send him to prison?

They would beat him in public, put on a show, and consider the matter settled.

The crowd’s expressions toward the middle-aged man and the others had changed from before.

The middle-aged man noticed this and was about to say something when a kind-faced old servant stepped forward from behind.

“Miss Chu, you misunderstand,” he said. “This public procession isn’t for the general public to see, but for the family’s children to witness.”

Family children? Chu Zhao was momentarily taken aback.

The old servant turned around and pointed behind them: “All the family members in the capital are following behind. The Third Young Master said to let everyone see what happens to the Xie family children who misbehave.”

The crowd hurriedly looked back in the direction the old servant was pointing. From the crowded masses, groups of two or three people emerged. They were of varying ages—some older, some with the freshness of youth—all dressed in brocaded clothes. Their expressions ranged from shocked to solemn to ashamed, and their faces were pale, clearly having received no small fright.

“We must be cautious and observe proper etiquette, never doing anything that violates heaven’s principles,” one of them said. His gaze fell on the wounds on Xie Yanlai’s back, then quickly shifted away in fright. He bowed to the surrounding people, “Please bear witness, fellow countrymen.”

So that’s it. The crowd once again erupted, this time with relief and admiration.

“The Xie family’s method of teaching their children is impressive!”

“So this is what the Dongyang Xie family is like. No wonder they’re widely praised.”

“This is truly the manner of a great family!”

The girls by the window also breathed sighs of relief. Qi Leyun was particularly pleased, clapping the railing, “See, I told you the Third Young Master Xie is this impressive!”

She turned to glare at Chu Tang.

“Chu Zhao has a petty mind!”

Chu Tang said, “What does this have to do with me? She doesn’t listen to me anyway.”

Qi Leyun slapped the railing: “I’ll go bring her back. She’s making a spectacle of herself.”

After she spoke, she ran downstairs, and several other girls looked at each other, and some followed her.

Liang Qin watched the Xie family members who had stepped forward in the street, nodded, and sighed lightly: “Although the Xie family children are detestable, I truly admire the Third Young Master Xie.”

What a pity they couldn’t form a marriage alliance with such a person.

His gaze fell on that girl. Well, perhaps in the future. The current situation wasn’t suitable for speaking with her.

Later, he would find an opportunity to tell her that the Third Young Master Xie was a person worth associating with, and she shouldn’t cause trouble recklessly.

…

…

As the emotions of the crowd fluctuated several times, Chu Zhao remained calm.

“He still should be sent to the officials,” she said. “This street doesn’t belong to your Xie family, for you to occupy it and discipline your family members.”

This was truly making trouble now.

The middle-aged man looked at her, not hiding the malice in his eyes. He could be certain that this girl had specifically come to target their Xie family.

Chu Wei? What was Chu Wei’s intention with this?

Whose man was Chu Wei?

The Zhao family? The Third Prince?

The old servant’s expression remained very calm. With a smile, he said, “Of course he will be sent to the officials.” He turned and ordered, “Where is the carriage?”

A servant responded, and the crowd parted again as a carriage slowly approached.

“We won’t parade through the entire city,” the old servant continued. “The Third Young Master instructed that after ten lashes as punishment, he be put in the carriage and sent to the government office.”

After saying this, he looked at the middle-aged man: “Ten lashes should be enough, right?”

The middle-aged man raised his whip and said coldly: “One lash remains.”

Without giving anyone a chance to react, he raised the whip and fiercely struck Xie Yanlai.

Xie Yanlai also seemed not to have seen the whip coming, standing firmly without moving.

There was a muffled crack.

The whip sent a string of blood droplets flying in the sunlight.

Chu Zhao watched as a hint of a grimace flashed across the face of the young man before her. His thin lips were tightly closed, and he didn’t make a sound.

“That’s enough,” the old servant said with an expression of both affection and helplessness. “Young Master Yanlai, please get into the carriage.”

Without a word, Xie Yanlai turned and walked toward the carriage. Not needing assistance, he pushed himself up with one hand. The forceful movement caused blood to immediately gush from his wounds, spilling down.

The middle-aged man gave the whip in his hand a vicious flick: “Let’s go.”

But Chu Zhao moved even faster: “I’m going too.” As she spoke, she had already run to the front of the carriage, pushed herself up with both hands, and sat down.

“You!” The middle-aged man glared, pointing at her.

“I want to see if you sent him to the officials,” Chu Zhao said calmly, sitting in the carriage. “I’ll be watching you.”

Qi Leyun and the other girls had run over, just in time to witness this scene. They were both angry and helpless, stamping their feet: “Chu Zhao, come back quickly!”

“I must watch them for the sake of the dead villagers,” Chu Zhao said, and with that, she lifted the curtain of the carriage and went inside.

Qi Leyun and the others certainly couldn’t go and drag her out, so they could only watch helplessly.

Blue veins bulged on the back of the middle-aged man’s hand, looking as if he intended to drag her out, but the old servant shook his head.

“Very well,” he said with a smile. “Thank you, Miss Chu, for your supervision. We’ll go together then.”

As soon as he finished speaking, another girl rushed out from the crowd and, with lightning speed, also boarded the carriage.

What was this now! The middle-aged man’s eyes nearly popped out.

“Miss, I’m coming too!”

Fortunately, the girl called out.

It was a maidservant. Like mistress, like servant. The middle-aged man bit down on his teeth and cracked his whip: “Go!”

…

…

The carriage shut out the outside world. Before Chu Zhao was only the fierce gaze of that young man.

“Are you sick?” he said coldly. “What good does it do you to send me to the government office?”

Chu Zhao took something from A-Le’s hand, while drawing out an “Oh”: “So your family never intended to send you to the government office.”

Xie Yanlai approached with a cold laugh: “What business is it of yours—”

His words were cut short as he saw the girl’s hand quickly cover his mouth.

His voice was muffled, and a pill was also pushed in.

Xie Yanlai was caught off guard, and the pill was sucked in with one breath. He let out a muffled cough, nearly choking to death—

“This pill can stop bleeding, strengthen tendons, and replenish energy,” the girl’s voice said in his ear. “On the battlefield, soldiers pierced by spears can still hang onto life and be rescued.”

What nonsense, was she sick? He hadn’t been stabbed!

Xie Yanlai felt tears being forced out by the choking sensation.

Who asked for your help?