Buzzing discussions arose on the street.

“It seems to make sense, but something also seems off.”

“Right, we really should punish this person, send him to the authorities, have him beheaded.”

“No, we can’t completely say this Young Master Xie deserves to die ten thousand deaths—the fire seems to have been an accident.”

“Right, that’s what was just said.”

“But that’s not right either. What about it being an accident? So many people died in the accident—did they die for nothing?”

So this girl came to seek justice for the deceased villagers? Xin Ding listened to the chaotic hubbub and felt he roughly understood.

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

If it were country folk like them, they would only watch the excitement—who would jump out to fight injustice?

Zhang Gu only looked at the young man and woman in the scene, shaking his head with a sighing expression: “What do you know?”

He didn’t know much, had little experience—but after watching more in the future, he’d understand. Xin Ding also busily stared intently at the young man and woman in the scene.

At the window on the third floor, the girls looked at each other. So Chu Zhao was fighting injustice for the deceased villagers?

“She’s really too—” Qi Leyun frowned, but the words “meddlesome” didn’t come out. With dozens of lives lost, she couldn’t say it was trivial matters. She only muttered, “She’s really addicted to hitting people. This matter has nothing to do with her father, so why is she running over to make trouble? Why speak against Young Master Xie the Third!”

What does this have to do with Young Master Xie the Third!

At another restaurant window, Liang Qiang opened her eyes. Some of her anger had dissipated, but her brows were tightly furrowed. Although it wasn’t for this Xie family son, this action was really inappropriate.

“Too combative,” she said.

The young person beside her laughed: “She’s always been combative. You shouldn’t be realizing this only now. She hit your sister, cursed your uncle and aunt—”

Liang Qiang shook her head. Their Liang family was one thing, the Third Prince could also be considered justified, but the Xie clan was somewhat inexplicable—no grievances, no enmity, no reason.

Their Liang family did have a feud with the Xie clan though.

Could this girl be doing this for him? A thought flashed through Liang Qiang’s mind as his gaze fixed tightly on that direction.

As discussions arose all around, some agitation also appeared on the middle-aged man’s side.

“Miss Chu,” the middle-aged man rebuked, “you are being unreasonable.”

“How am I being unreasonable?” Chu Zhao raised her eyebrows. “Am I wrong? He’s guilty—send him to the authorities. What, does your Xie clan not dare send him to the authorities?”

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

“Are you sick?” Xie Yanlai cursed from behind. “What business is it of yours?”

He turned around, glaring fiercely at the girl.

“You insist on sending me to prison—what do you want? I didn’t burn you to death!”

So arrogant! The buzzing from the surrounding crowd grew louder. So this young man was this arrogant—sure enough, it was because the Xie clan wouldn’t send him to prison, right?

Publicly beating him once, putting on a show, and then it would be over.

The looks directed at the middle-aged man and others around him became somewhat different from before.

The middle-aged man also noticed this and was about to say something when an elderly servant with a kind face stepped forward from behind.

“Miss Chu, you misunderstand,” he said. “The public parade isn’t for the world to see—it’s for the family’s younger generation to see.”

The family’s younger generation? Chu Zhao was startled.

The elderly servant turned to point behind him: “All the family members in the capital are following behind. Young Master the Third said to let everyone see—this is the fate of Xie clan descendants who act recklessly.”

The crowd also hastily looked back. Following the elderly servant’s gesture, from the crowded masses three or five people emerged here and there. They were of varying ages—some older, some young and inexperienced—all wearing brocade garments. Their expressions showed either alarm, solemnity, or shame, and their faces were all pale, clearly having received quite a fright.

“We must certainly be cautious and observe propriety, absolutely never doing anything that harms heaven and reason,” one of them said. His gaze fell on the scars on Xie Yanlai’s back, and frightened, he quickly looked away. He bowed to the surrounding crowd: “We request that the elders and fellow villagers bear witness.”

So that’s how it is! The surroundings became noisy again, but this time with relief and admiration.

“The Xie clan’s way of teaching children is too impressive!”

“So this is what the Dongyang Xie clan is like—no wonder they receive widespread praise.”

“This is the demeanor of a great clan!”

The girls at the window also breathed sighs of relief. Qi Leyun was even happier, slapping the railing: “See, that’s how impressive Young Master Xie the Third is!”

She turned to glare at Chu Tang.

“Chu Zhao really has the heart of a petty person!”

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

Qi Leyun slapped the railing: “I’m going to pull her back so she stops embarrassing herself.”

After speaking, she ran downstairs. The other girls looked at each other, and several followed.

Liang Qiang looked at the Xie clan descendants standing in the street, nodded, and sighed softly: “Although the Xie clan sons are detestable, I truly admire Young Master Xie the Third.”

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

His gaze fell on that girl. Later, perhaps in the future—right now this situation wasn’t suitable for talking with her or interacting.

He’d find an opportunity later to tell her that Young Master Xie the Third was worth befriending—she shouldn’t act recklessly without regard.

……

……

Despite the surrounding emotions rising and falling several times, Chu Zhao’s expression remained calm.

“Still, you can’t not send him to the authorities,” she said. “This main street doesn’t belong to your Xie family for you to occupy while disciplining your own descendants.”

This was truly being unreasonable.

The middle-aged man looked at her, not concealing the malice in his eyes. He could confirm this girl was targeting their Xie family.

Chu Ling? What was Chu Ling’s intention with this action?

Whose person was Chu Ling?

The Zhao clan’s? The Third Prince’s?

The elderly servant’s expression remained very calm as he said with a smile: “Of course we’ll send him to the authorities.” He turned to order: “Where’s the carriage?”

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

“We won’t really parade through the entire city,” the elderly servant continued. “Young Master the Third ordered that after ten lashes for discipline, we put him in the carriage and send him to the magistrate’s office.”

He then looked at the middle-aged man: “Ten lashes are enough, correct?”

The middle-aged man raised his whip and said coldly: “Still one lash short.”

Without giving any chance to react, he swung the whip fiercely at Xie Yanlai.

Xie Yanlai also seemed not to see the whip coming, standing firm and motionless.

A muffled crack sounded.

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

Chu Zhao watched as the young man’s face before her flashed with a trace of ferocity, his thin lips pressed tight—he didn’t make a sound.

“All right,” the elderly servant said with affectionate yet helpless expression. “Young Master Yanlai, please board the carriage.”

Xie Yanlai said nothing, turned toward the carriage, and without anyone supporting him, stretched out his hand and climbed aboard. His large movements and forceful exertion immediately caused his wounds to gush blood, spilling a patch of crimson.

The middle-aged man fiercely flung the whip in his hand: “Let’s go.”

But Chu Zhao was faster by a step: “I’m going too.” As she spoke, she had already run to the front of the carriage, braced her hands, and climbed up.

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

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

Qi Leyun and the other girls ran over just in time to see this scene. Both angry and helpless, she stamped her foot: “Chu Zhao, come back quickly!”

“I must watch them for the deceased villagers,” Chu Zhao said. After speaking, she lifted the carriage curtain and went inside.

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

Blue veins bulged on the back of the middle-aged man’s hand. He looked ready to drag her out, but the elderly servant shook his head.

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

As his words fell, another girl rushed out from the crowd with lightning speed and also boarded the carriage.

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

“Miss, I’m going too!”

At least the girl called out.

It was a maidservant. Like master, like servant. The middle-aged man clenched his teeth and swung the horse whip: “Go!”

……

……

The carriage isolated them from the outside. Before Chu Zhao was only that young man’s fierce glare.

“Are you sick?” he said coldly. “What benefit is there to you in sending me to the magistrate’s office?”

Chu Zhao took something from A’Le’s hands while drawing out an extended “oh”: “So your family really never planned to send you to the magistrate’s office.”

Xie Yanlai sneered and leaned closer: “My family’s affairs are none of your—”

His words weren’t finished when he saw the girl’s hand quickly cover his mouth.

His voice was muffled, and a medicinal pill was also stuffed inside.

Caught off guard, Xie Yanlai gasped and swallowed the pill. He let out a muffled cough, nearly choking to death—

“This pill can stop bleeding, strengthen tendons, and replenish qi,” the girl’s voice said beside his ear. “Even soldiers pierced through by spears on the battlefield can be kept alive long enough to be rescued.”

What nonsense—he’s sick—he wasn’t even pierced through!

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

Who asked you to interfere!