Early the next morning, Jiang Xuening heard that a fight had broken out at the Duke’s Manor last night.

The great aristocratic families had servants everywhere. Any random person sent out to purchase supplies would spread the news throughout the entire capital, which would then reach the ears of the masters.

Not to mention it caused a commotion directly at the palace early in the morning!

Xiao Dingfei was truly a ruthless person—with just one sentence, he had offended Xiao Shu.

What proper young lady from a distinguished family could tolerate him speaking such outrageous words?

In her fury, at the slightest disagreement, she actually called for people, and both sides came to blows. Originally, they hadn’t really intended to do anything serious to Xiao Dingfei, but who could have anticipated that this scoundrel refused to suffer even the slightest loss? After his wild remarks, he felt no remorse whatsoever. When the servants tried to restrain him, he kicked each one. In the struggle, inevitably there were some minor injuries to flesh and skin.

Now that was it—Xiao Dingfei wouldn’t let it go.

Late at night, he ran to sit on top of that courtyard wall and wailed, claiming over and over that the Xiao clan couldn’t tolerate him and wanted to murder him for his wealth. After his wailing, he slipped away. That very night, he stayed in the capital’s most luxurious brothel, the Hidden Beauty Pavilion, spent the night embracing fragrant jade and soft warmth, and even ran up a tab saying that the Duke’s Manor would naturally come to settle it another day.

Even when visiting prostitutes, he made the Xiao family pay!

Before dawn had broken, Xiao Yuan, who had only managed to calm his blood and qi enough to fall asleep around the early morning hours, hadn’t slept even one full hour before being woken by someone. It turned out the steward had come with a grief-stricken face, trembling as he reported that the procurer from the Hidden Beauty Pavilion had come to the manor to collect the debt.

Xiao Yuan couldn’t catch his breath and, with qi rushing to his head, collapsed directly to the ground!

The Duke’s Manor immediately erupted in wails and cries.

On one side, they frantically summoned a physician, while on the other, a summons came directly from the palace, ordering this group of Xiao clan members to attend an imperial audience—

It turned out that scoundrel Xiao Dingfei, after leaving the brothel, had headed straight to the imperial palace early in the morning.

The villain actually complained first! He submitted his token to enter the palace and accused them before the Emperor of being unable to tolerate him, claiming that Xiao Shu, a mere young miss without rank or title, dared to incite the manor’s servants to beat him.

Before the Emperor, he removed his clothing.

Good heavens, there really were some purplish bruises, clearly fresh injuries from last night!

Although Shen Lang had also vaguely learned that the current Dingfei heir was no longer the same as the former Dingfei heir and had mostly become a scoundrel, for him to cause such a scene just one day after returning truly made him, the Emperor, lose face.

No matter what he thought privately, on the surface, Xiao Dingfei was still his savior.

The subjects of the realm were watching.

He immediately flew into a rage and ordered people to summon the Xiao clan members to the palace for a reprimand.

Xiao Yuan was advanced in years and his health was already poor. After fainting, he was barely revived but his body was weak and he could hardly stand. Yet the Emperor had summoned him, so he had no choice but to have people carry him into the palace on a litter. He could at least play the victim before the Emperor. Thinking of how favored he had been in the past and that the Xiao clan was the Empress Dowager’s maternal family, they surely wouldn’t really do anything to the Xiao family—it would mostly just be for show.

But who could have expected that Shen Lang wouldn’t buy it!

In the great hall, with stern voice and expression, he rebuked them, demanding to know whether they truly couldn’t tolerate Xiao Dingfei. If they truly couldn’t tolerate him, then they needn’t tolerate him anymore—they should immediately hand over the position of Duke to Xiao Dingfei, and the Xiao clan might as well move out of the capital and split into two branches, which would be better than causing disturbances daily without any propriety.

The entire Xiao clan was immediately shocked.

The Emperor’s attitude was truly beyond their expectations. No one had reacted in time, scared until their legs went soft.

How could they still dare to speak of holding Xiao Dingfei accountable?

Xiao Shu didn’t think she was in the wrong and claimed it was Xiao Dingfei who had spoken disrespectfully and offended her.

But when asked exactly what he had cursed at her, she couldn’t speak it aloud.

Young ladies had thin faces—that was one reason.

Prince Linzi Shen Jie’s selection of a consort was imminent—that was the second reason.

Although she certainly hadn’t done anything improper, if Xiao Dingfei’s foul language spread, even innocence could be twisted into something unsavory. Her reputation could be ruined with ease, so she absolutely didn’t dare tell anyone else.

For a moment, she truly was like a mute eating bitter herbs—suffering but unable to speak of it.

When leaving, the Emperor still coldly issued a direct order, assigning a team of personal guards to Xiao Dingfei to protect his safety. Additionally, he ordered Xiao Yuan to punish those servants who had dared to lay hands on Xiao Dingfei that day under the charge of “subordinates offending superiors,” and if there were any repeat offenses, they would absolutely not be leniently treated.

Poor servants—they had acted on Xiao Shu’s orders.

Yet when the masters returned from the palace, they still had to severely punish them. Xiao Dingfei identified them one by one. Anyone who had pulled him even once last night was dragged out and pressed down in the courtyard to receive fifty heavy strikes. Their legs became bloody and mangled; they absolutely couldn’t get out of bed for several months without proper recovery.

Devoted to their masters, yet their masters couldn’t protect them and even pushed them out as scapegoats. How could servants have expected to encounter such a thing?

Never mind those who were beaten.

The other servants working at the Duke’s Manor, watching coldly from the sidelines, inevitably felt somewhat chilled. From this incident, they easily recognized the Xiao clan’s current situation: All that talk of aristocratic families with glory and wealth was bullshit! The just-returned Dingfei heir was the true future master of the Duke’s Manor, personally protected by the Emperor! Anyone who still didn’t have eyes and opposed Xiao Dingfei was courting death!

Originally, when Jiang Boyou heard yesterday that Jiang Xuening had gone to see Xiao Dingfei, he had quite a few complaints, believing Jiang Xuening shouldn’t get mixed up with such a libertine and ruin her own reputation while also damaging the Jiang Manor’s good name.

But Jiang Xuening said: “Father, don’t forget—I met this person in Tongzhou.”

Jiang Boyou didn’t understand at first.

So Jiang Xuening smiled faintly again and said: “A chaotic demon king like this—if you go along with his wishes, it’s still fine, as he’ll at least remain within the capital’s territory. He’s what kind of scoundrel, your daughter can see clearly. He’s absolutely not someone our manor can afford to provoke. If we don’t meet him and anger him, and he reveals the matter of your daughter being kidnapped all the way to Tongzhou by the Tianjiao rebels, wouldn’t that truly ruin everything? Our manor still has someone who needs to be selected as a princess consort, doesn’t it?”

Jiang Boyou had nothing more to say.

The next day, after hearing what happened at the Duke’s Manor, he sighed deeply and finally stopped mentioning Jiang Xuening’s association with Xiao Dingfei. He only instructed her to be careful in her conduct and not go too far.

Jiang Xuening thought to herself: Someone as slippery as Xiao Dingfei, beaten until he cried and complained to the palace, with purplish bruises all over his body? Heaven knows whether those were left by last night’s courtesan or if he was truly beaten!

But since this person was under her protection, there was no need to expose him.

Watching this master full of wicked schemes begin to torment the Xiao family, she couldn’t be happier. She wished she could take a plate of melon seeds to the Duke’s Manor to crack them while watching the show. Throughout these days from after New Year to the Lantern Festival, she had forgotten all her worries completely, feeling thoroughly pleased in her heart.

On the day of the Lantern Festival, a letter from You Fangying also arrived from Sichuan, saying everything was going well upon first arriving in Shu. Besides some local dialect she couldn’t quite understand, the villagers were all very kind. The borehole well construction was proceeding energetically, the Ren Salt Works had reopened and hired many laborers. Ren Weizhi, being a scholar by training, took quite good care of her, though he was somewhat single-minded—once absorbed in the borehole wells, he ignored everything else. So in matters of human relations and worldly affairs, she helped look after things somewhat.

It seemed everything was progressing very smoothly.

However, after reading this letter, Jiang Xuening furrowed her brow instead, only raising her head to look outside at the weather with cold wind blowing and scraping: In winter, when things were dry and prone to fire, it was precisely the time to be careful of flames. Whenever there were new things and new ventures, they always had to experience some setbacks when first emerging into the world. It was rare for anything to succeed smoothly and simply. She hoped Fangying still remembered her warnings and would watch over Ren Weizhi, telling him not to be too aggressive.

Ever since the incident at the Yongyi Marquis Manor, after Jiang Xuening sold most of her shares in the Ren Salt Works, she had only two thousand shares left in her hands. Most of the salt works’ shares were probably in Lu Xian’s hands, with a small portion in You Yue’s hands. The remainder consisted of her own shares and some scattered individual investors.

After the Lantern Festival, she would have to enter the palace again for study sessions.

After thinking it over, she had Tang’er and Lian’er instruct someone to prepare a carriage. She rarely made a trip to the Shuxiang Inn to check on the situation.

Along the way, she naturally couldn’t avoid hearing about the various glorious achievements Xiao Dingfei had accomplished these past days—

His conduct was already domineering and tyrannical. Ever since everyone in the manor knew what weight his words carried, who still dared not listen to him? Thus, fine horses and fragrant carriages, beautiful jade and beautiful people—anything good was hauled into his quarters.

What had originally been a proper Duke’s Manor, luxurious though it was, had after years as an aristocratic household been decorated with considerable refined charm.

But Xiao Dingfei was vulgar.

All those broken wood and broken pillars were coated and wrapped in a layer of gold. Carpets had to be laid in bright red, screens had to use peonies, even the footstool in his bedroom was replaced with one cast from pure gold.

From then on, when going out, he never mentioned he was the heir anymore.

He would smile at everyone and say: Don’t disbelieve me—actually, throughout the entire Xiao clan, from top to bottom, whether old or young, every single one is a grandson washing this young master’s feet!

Ever since shares of the Ren Salt Works were listed at the inn, the Shuxiang Inn had become a place merchants frequently visited. And because the Liuli Factory was nearby, with scholars and students coming to the capital for examinations often passing through, the inn became lively and crowded. Naturally, traveling scholars were also happy to lodge there.

Scholars loved to discuss politics more than merchants did.

There had been far too many events happening in the capital recently. As Jiang Xuening entered from outside and was led by a server upstairs to a private room, she heard several tables downstairs talking.

“I think this Dingfei heir is proficient in wine, women, gambling—everything. He really doesn’t seem like anything good. Poor Xiao clan, actually being tormented like this. It truly shows heaven has eyes. Their past arrogance and tyranny has finally met someone even more wicked to discipline them.”

“That’s not quite right.”

“Exactly. How could things be as simple as they appear on the surface? Just think—how favored was the Xiao clan in the past? Even the Yongyi Marquis Manor has fallen, yet they’re the Empress Dowager’s maternal family. By rights, His Majesty should protect them. But this time, not only did he not protect them, he even slapped their faces. In my view, the Emperor’s heart is unfathomable. I’m afraid the Xiao clan is about to face misfortune. His Majesty is merely using this Dingfei heir to warn and discipline them.”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone at the tables was shocked.

Even Jiang Xuening, who was about to step onto the stairs, couldn’t help but stop in her tracks and look with surprise and doubt toward the direction where this person sat.

It was a scholar in a long robe.

From his appearance, undoubtedly a scholar. He had quite a handsome face, but his two long eyebrows flew upward with considerable unrestrained freedom. While others at his table drank tea, he drank wine. Who knew if he had drunk too much, but he displayed an air of wild abandon, as if nothing was beneath his notice—a sense of prideful talent, putting no one in his eyes.

The people beside him were startled and couldn’t help looking left and right, lowering their voices to advise him: “Brother Qifan, wine can be drunk carelessly, but words cannot be spoken carelessly. You’re drunk!”

That scholar pushed him away: “Weng is perfectly sober!”

With a smile on his face, he took another drink of wine, raised his hand with somewhat of an air of directing the nation and inspiring with prose, and declared boldly: “Look at yourselves, look at the court! Truly a bunch of useless people! The Xiao clan schemed and plotted to bring down the Yongyi Marquis Manor, causing the border to be unmanned, unable to keep the Tartars beyond the passes. Now their envoys have pressed all the way to the capital, and the great Daqian dynasty must push out a daughter for a marriage alliance to secure momentary peace! Such backbone, such magnificent work! His Majesty is truly willing to part with his sister. If you ask Weng, whoever caused the disaster should be the one to fix it. Why not simply push out a daughter from the Xiao clan for the marriage alliance? Her status is noble enough, her appearance is good—guaranteed to satisfy the Tartars!”

These words became increasingly frightening.

Those at nearby tables truly didn’t dare stay any longer, deeply afraid this person’s misfortune would come from his mouth. They quickly covered his mouth and, repeatedly saying “Excuse us, excuse us,” pulled him out with much commotion.

The inn was immediately filled with a buzzing of discussion.

A dark gleam flashed in Jiang Xuening’s eyes as she lightly furrowed her brow. After careful consideration, she suddenly felt the name “Weng Qifan” was vaguely familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere. She smiled lightly and asked the server beside her in a gentle voice: “Who was that person speaking downstairs just now?”

The server said “Oh,” clearly knowing the answer.

While graciously leading Jiang Xuening, he smiled and said: “Don’t be fooled by his frequent drunkenness—he’s actually a Provincial Graduate from Hubei, named Weng Ang. Everyone calls him ‘Weng Qifan.’ His literary talent is quite outstanding.”

Weng Ang?

Jiang Xuening’s expression immediately became somewhat strange. She finally remembered where she had heard this name—

The unlucky Second Place Scholar from her previous life?

He had clearly succeeded in the metropolitan examination, yet on the day before the results were announced, he got drunk, got into an argument with someone, and was accidentally beaten to death by several street thugs. When the news spread, it immediately shocked the entire capital. Beyond sighs of regret, everyone regarded it as a strange tale.