Chapter 83: The Vicious Young Man

Meinang hid from the Prince of Qi and quickly slipped into an empty room. Listening to his footsteps fading as he ran toward the back courtyard, she quickly exited, using a private passage to climb up to her resting quarters, where she finally caught her breath. “What’s going on with the Prince of Qi? Now he’s chasing women too? Did Zhang Jin Yun make a mistake? Does he really go both ways?” She thought to herself. She had worn a mask and dressed normally as a daughter, so how could he have recognized her as the second Qin from that day?

Regardless, with him around, this place was no longer safe. She needed to leave quickly. She took Cui Xi and Cui Si downstairs, hopped into the carriage, and instructed Lin A Mao to head to the Qin family in the west of the city to visit her mother, and check on her brother Qin Bo Qing and sister in law Feng.

The Qin family’s small courtyard was still peaceful and warm. When Qin’s wife saw her daughter, she couldn’t contain her joy, and looked behind Meinang, though she didn’t expect to see Lord Hou or her son in law returning with her. However, aside from Cui Xi and Cui Si, there were no other attendants from the Hou mansion, which made her feel a bit disappointed and anxious.

Meinang didn’t bother to explain and simply helped her mother walk a few steps. She showed her surprise at how quickly her mother’s gout had improved. Qin’s wife affectionately patted her hand and smiled, saying, “Thanks to Mr. Zhang, your brother is also much better. Your sister in law is in good health, and my dear son, it’s all thanks to you. If we had waited for the local doctors, who knows when our whole family would have recovered.”

Qin Bo Qing and Feng came out to greet them. Meinang was glad to see her brother recovering well, and her sister in law’s belly seemed to have grown a little. The family gathered together, chatting and drinking tea happily. Qin Bo Qing mentioned that he had visited the Hou mansion on the eighth day to deliver some festival gifts to Heng Ge’er. The housekeeper had received him, but Lord Hou was out visiting, and it was the Fourth Master Jun Ting and Sixth Master Jun Xuan who had come to speak with him. They had wanted to meet Meinang, but Jun Xuan had pulled him away to a gathering of scholars, where he had met some influential figures.

Qin Bo Qing said with some embarrassment, “I’ve been introduced to many people using your name and Lord Hou’s. Whenever there’s a gathering of scholars or a meeting with famous teachers, I’m always invited. Just yesterday, I met two men at a poetry gathering one is the younger brother of the Duke of Ding Guo, and the other is the brother in law of the Marquis of An yuan. They told me their wives or sisters are close friends with our sister, so they insisted on exchanging invitations with me, hoping for future connections.”

Meinang replied, “Brother, just follow your heart and interact with others. Not everyone from powerful families is shallow. There are surely sincere people among them. What does it matter if we’re not wealthy? Our family is not rich, but we are good people. Don’t belittle yourself. True friendship will come to you if you are sincere.”

Qin Boqing laughed and poked her forehead. “You’ve started talking like Father, giving advice to your older brother.”

Meinang tilted her head, avoiding his touch, and smiled. “Of course, I must learn from Father. I too am waiting for the moment when you succeed, and I look forward to it coming soon.”

Qin Bo Qing’s face grew serious as he looked at their mother and sister in law. He said solemnly to Meinang, “I will do my best. I will definitely pass the imperial examination.”

Qin’s wife smiled through her tears, “My son, just do your best.”

Meinang added, “Brother, don’t be too anxious. There’s no need to stay up all night with your books. After ten years of hard study, it’s enough. Enjoy life a bit. But don’t overdo it. Save your energy for the exams, so you can perform well.”

Qin Bo Qing laughed, “You make sense. I’ll listen to you.”

The family continued talking and laughing, and Feng had already instructed the kitchen to prepare lunch. However, Meinang wasn’t in the mood to eat. She had been out for too long, and worried that if Xu Jun Ying noticed her absence, he might act. She excused herself, saying she had matters to attend to at home, and hurriedly left.

As Lin A Mao drove the carriage, they passed through the busy streets of the city. The street was crowded with pedestrians who didn’t follow traffic rules, making the carriage stop and go. Meinang opened the curtain and saw a group of people ahead, surrounding a carriage that turned into a wide alley with no one walking in it. The carriage moved quickly, unimpeded.

Meinang asked Lin A Mao, “What road is this? Why is no one on it? Can we take this route too?”

Lin A Mao laughed, “Miss, that alley leads to the Duke of Ding Guo’s residence. We shouldn’t enter.”

Meinang looked back at the alley, noting the Duke of Ding Guo’s name. She had been invited to visit the Duke’s house, and who knew, she might end up walking down that alley one day.

Just then, a brown-red horse suddenly rushed out from a side street and collided directly with the carriage. Lin A Mao was thrown off the carriage, and the others inside were jostled around. The young man riding the horse, dressed in red, jumped off. He was a plump nobleman with a large head and ears, who took out his whip and began scolding Lin A Mao for blocking his way.

“You fool, dare to block my path? If you hurt my Red Shadow, you’ll pay with your life!”

Lin A Mao brushed himself off and muttered, “What Red Shadow? You were the one who didn’t pay attention, riding recklessly and hitting people. If you hurt my lady, you’ll pay for it.”

The young man was enraged and raised his whip to strike. Meinang quickly got out of the carriage, though Cui Si tried to stop her. When the young man saw her, he swung his whip at her head. Meinang ducked, grabbed the whip’s end, and yanked it forcefully. The young man was caught off guard and the whip flew out of his hand. Meinang then lashed him twice, causing him to howl in pain and jump in fury.

“Who is this wild woman? You dare to hit me? Grab her! I’ll strip her skin off if I have to!”

Seeing the crowd gather, Meinang quickly told the others in the carriage, “Don’t come out, it’s better if no one sees us. Don’t worry, I can handle this.”

Lin A Mao stepped forward to protect Meinang but was nervous. “Miss, what should we do? They have so many people!”

Meinang calmly said, “Don’t be afraid, A Mao. Step aside.”

She pointed at the approaching men and warned, “I dare you to come closer. Whoever moves, I’ll crush your skull!”

The young man, feeling the pain from the whip strikes, sneered and said, “You little thing, you’re so vicious. Everyone can see it. Who will want to marry you after this? Why don’t you come with my Fourth Master to the manor? I’ll take good care of you, and riches will be yours.”

Meinang laughed mockingly, “With your looks? If I look at you any longer, I won’t be able to sleep at night. There are plenty of chickens and ducks in the street, maybe I should take one of them as a wife instead.”

The crowd burst into laughter. The young man’s face turned red with rage. He shouted for his men to grab her, but Meinang wasn’t afraid. She knew she couldn’t take on so many strong men by herself.

“Hold on,” she shouted.

The young man grinned maliciously, “Scared? It’s too late now. You’re in my hands now!”

Just then, a figure stepped out from the crowd, and Meinang froze in surprise, nervous that Cui Xi or Cui Si would suddenly appear.

The person who appeared was Bai Zhan, who pushed through the crowd of men and said firmly, “Let this lady go. Anyone who dares to stop her will have to answer to me.”

The young man, seeing Bai Zhan, immediately dismounted and saluted, “Greetings, Lord Wei Yuan.”

The person who had just arrived was Xu Jun Ying. He had been passing by with his servant and horses after leaving the court when he noticed Meinang and the young man arguing.

As Xu Jun Ying approached, he paused, surprised by the resemblance between the girl arguing with the young man and Meinang. The girl’s voice was strikingly similar to Meinang’s as well, though she appeared very different.

Xu Jun Ying and his entourage stood by, watching as the girl fiercely scolded the young man. Xu Jun Ying was confused. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was really Meinang. Her movements and speech didn’t seem to match the delicate, sheltered young lady he knew.

The young man, still angry, shouted, “What’s this kid doing here? Get him!”

Xu Jun Ying raised a hand, his voice stern. “Enough. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

The young man tried to resist but ultimately backed down under Xu Jun Ying’s cold gaze. Xu Jun Ying then turned to Meinang, his face softening as he studied her with quiet attention. “Are you alright, Miss Meinang?”