The people from Earl Changchun’s residence quickly made a comeback, pounding on the Li family’s main gate with thunderous noise.

“Open the door, open the door! Our young master has been beaten silly by your Third Miss—quickly hand her over!”

Onlookers suddenly poured out from all directions. This time they all came prepared with small stools, and some even brought sunflower seeds and other snacks.

Jia Shu, drooling: “Third Miss, Third Miss…”

“Oh my, that wastrel has gone silly.”

“What’s this all about? Didn’t someone testify for Third Miss Li earlier? Now this fool keeps calling for Third Miss.”

“Just watch—anyway, this matter is getting more and more interesting. It can even compare to that other big gossip.”

“What gossip?”

“You don’t know? Of course, it’s about Marquis Guanjun’s deceased wife appearing in dreams!”

“Ah, I’ve heard about that too. How truly strange…”

The crowd of onlookers quickly shifted the topic elsewhere, munching on sunflower seeds while waiting for people from the Li residence to come out.

The tightly closed main gate of the West Residence suddenly opened. The person knocking couldn’t stop their momentum in time and stumbled inside.

Li Guangwen stood at the doorway with a cold expression: “If you have something to say, you might as well come in to say it. We’re not shrewish women having a street fight—what’s the point of making such a racket on the main street?”

Lady Changchun paid no regard to her image whatsoever, spitting on the ground: “Bah! My son has been driven silly by that little slut you spawned, and I’m supposed to be afraid of making noise? We don’t dare go inside, lest another young master from this residence or that residence steps forward claiming to be with your daughter!”

Li Guangwen’s face turned iron-blue with anger.

He Shi rushed out and slapped Lady Changchun across the face: “Slut, who are you cursing? With such a foul mouth, let me see if I don’t smash it for you!”

“You hit me? How dare you hit me?” Lady Changchun trembled all over with rage.

“I’m hitting exactly you!” He Shi showed no fear.

“Silence!” Old Madam Jiang from the East Residence, supported by her daughter-in-law Wu Shi, squeezed through the crowd and came before He Shi, pointing at her nose to scold: “You’ve raised such a daughter and still don’t think it’s shameful enough? You’re fighting with people at the gate. Where is your old madam? She’s becoming more and more muddled, letting you ruin the family’s reputation without caring. If she won’t manage it, I will—the Li family’s reputation cannot be destroyed in your hands!”

Standing to the side, He Shi saw Old Madam Jiang chattering endlessly at Lady Changchun, and curled her lips: “Madam, if you have something to say, just speak to me.”

“Pfft—” Many people couldn’t help but laugh out loud, quickly lowering their heads.

This old madam from the East Residence was getting worse and worse eyesight indeed.

“Oh my, she can’t even recognize people clearly—can she manage this big commotion?”

“Exactly, these East and West residences both look quite unreliable.”

Old Madam Jiang’s eyesight wasn’t good, but her hearing worked fine. Hearing these comments from the onlookers, she nearly died of anger.

She flicked her sleeves and stepped inside: “Fine, I’ll go in and speak with your old madam!”

If she didn’t send Third Miss to the family temple today, she wouldn’t give up.

“What does Madam have to say to me?” Old Madam Deng walked out with her back straight.

“Let’s go inside to talk. Aren’t you ashamed to stand here?”

Old Madam Deng glanced outside.

The onlookers were three layers deep, and there were already vendors selling candied hawthorn walking back and forth doing business.

“No need to go inside. Since so many neighbors are interested, let’s speak here.”

The matter had already blown up—it would be better to settle it openly and clearly. Otherwise, even if they resolved it privately, it wouldn’t stop the gossip, and Third Miss’s reputation would be completely ruined.

Wasn’t it already ruined?

Old Madam Deng coughed lightly, ignoring the small voice in her heart.

“Since Madam wants to uphold justice, how do you plan to deal with your residence’s Third Miss?” Earl Changchun asked.

“I’ve already heard about the matter. I ask Your Lordship to give this old woman face—let’s handle this privately. I will send someone to take her to the family temple to copy scriptures and chant Buddha’s name, praying for your residence’s young master.”

Though Earl Changchun still felt unsatisfied, he knew this was already punishment second only to drowning in a pig cage for a young lady. His anger subsided somewhat, and he said coolly: “In the entire Li family, only Madam is a sensible person.”

Old Madam Deng laughed coldly: “I don’t agree!”

“Deng Shi, at this time, you’re still protecting that girl?”

“Before the matter is clarified, no one should think of touching my granddaughter. Taking ten thousand steps back, even if my granddaughter is at fault, I will punish her myself—it’s not anyone else’s turn to send her to the family temple.”

“Deng Shi, are you saying this to me?” Old Madam Jiang was nearly exploding with rage.

Since when had the West Residence, which used to be like the East Residence’s shadow, stopped taking her seriously?

Deng Shi smiled: “Otherwise, Madam might as well send me to the family temple too.”

“You—” Old Madam Jiang felt dizzy with anger.

Only now did she realize that once someone decided to give up completely, they truly became invincible!

At this moment, a commotion arose. Jia Shu plunged into the crowd, dodging while shouting: “Don’t hit me, don’t hit me—”

Lady Changchun panicked at the sight, chasing after her son while crying: “Shu’er, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid—Mother is here!”

Jia Shu threw himself into Lady Changchun’s arms, crying loudly: “Mother, Third Miss Li hit me—”

His words and actions, like those of a three-year-old child, stirred up huge waves in the crowd.

“A fool surely wouldn’t lie—it seems Third Miss Li did hit someone.”

“Didn’t Young Master Chi from Princess Changrong’s residence say that Third Miss Li was with him this morning?”

“Heh, covering for her, of course. Who knows what their relationship is…”

In a teahouse not far from the West Residence.

Chi Can stood up with an iron-blue expression but was pulled back by Shao Mingyuan.

“Tingquan, let go. If we don’t go over, Third Miss Li will be torn apart alive by those people.”

“Sit down.” Shao Mingyuan’s expression was calm.

“Shao Mingyuan, let go!”

Shao Mingyuan looked at Chi Can quietly: “If you go over, things will only get worse.”

“Then what do you say we should do, my General Shao!” Chi Can supported himself on the table with his hands, asking Shao Mingyuan coldly.

“First, we need to clarify one point—someone disguised herself as a man and injured the young master of Earl Changchun’s residence at Bichun Tower. So, we just need to find this person.”

“How to find her? Now that little beast from Earl Changchun’s residence has gone silly and insists it was Third Miss Li. By the time you find that person in this vast sea of people, it’ll be too late.”

“No. That person impersonated Miss Li, so she must have a grudge against Miss Li. After narrowing down to a few targets and then acting accordingly, we might have results this afternoon.”

“What about now? Just watch like this?”

Shao Mingyuan rubbed his brow helplessly: “Or would you go out and add more fuel to the fire for the onlooking people?”

Chi Can completely lose his fire, pounding the table in frustration.

Yang Houcheng suddenly said, “Look quickly, something seems to be happening!”

Several people looked over together and saw Qiao Zhao calmly walk before Lady Changchun and stop.

Under everyone’s gaze, Qiao Zhao asked Earl Changchun and his wife loudly: “If your son recovers his wits and clarifies that the person he encountered at Bichun Tower was not me, what do you two plan to do?”