Ma Dongchang’s forehead throbbed painfully. He feared no one, but he feared the powerful and unpredictable Prime Minister Hang Zhi. To outsiders, Hang Zhi was clearly right, yet why was Muzheng’s wife stubbornly opposing him? That woman was truly fearless and ignorant!
“Put down your weapons, put them down!” Hong Tai hurriedly waved for his men to lower their weapons, but Ah Da looked to Qian Jiaoniang. He prioritized the lady’s safety and obeyed her instructions. This was Muzheng’s order to Ah Da.
The Marquis household guards stood firm. Qian Jiaoniang stepped toward Hang Zhi without fear, meeting the powerful official’s eyes. “Prime Minister, forced marriages never end sweetly. Let’s both step back. Qingya is here with me, safe and sound. You can come visit her anytime. When Qingya is willing to return to the Hang household, I won’t say another word.”
“That’s absolutely impossible! I must take Ya’er home today. If anyone dares to stop me, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” Hang Zhi dared not take his eyes off Qingya for a moment, afraid she would fly away like a butterfly. Without wasting words, he suddenly lifted Qingya with one arm, sword pointed forward, and strode out. Qingya cried out, Qian Jiaoniang shouted, “Stop him! But don’t hurt Qingya!”
Ah Da obeyed and stepped forward, actually fighting Hang Zhi and the others. Blades flashed, swords clashed, sparks flew.
Hey! They were really fighting! Hong Tai and Ma Dongchang hurried to intervene, but neither side listened. The fight was real, with swords and spears. Hong Tai had no choice but to order the Hou guards to join—not to add fuel to the fire but to try to stop both sides. The situation became even more chaotic.
But after all, Hang Zhi was a high official, still holding Qingya in his arms, so Ah Da and the others dared not really hurt anyone. They fought cautiously, hesitant, while Hang Zhi grew ruthless and an arrow sliced through Ah Da’s right arm.
“Ah Da!” Qingya cried out in shock, hitting Hang Zhi hard. “Stop fighting! Stop fighting!”
Jealousy surged in Hang Zhi. This bald big man could make his Ya’er so concerned, yet she didn’t worry about him being hurt by Hang Zhi! Taking a quick step forward, Hang Zhi was about to strike again, but Qingya urgently covered his eyes. “I told you to stop!”
Duanfang, for some reason, felt tears welling in his eyes. Who else but his lady could dare treat the master this way? The lady was truly alive! The master no longer had to drown his sorrows in alcohol!
Qian Jiaoniang, seeing Ah Da wounded, quickly called for a halt. Qingya also glared fiercely at the Hang household attendants, “Stop fighting!”
Hang Zhi’s men were loyal guards who had seen Qingya before and knew how much their master doted on his wife, so none dared be negligent and all stopped.
“You’re not afraid that while you’re covering my eyes, they’ll stab me to death?” Hang Zhi said softly, still blindfolded by her hand.
“They’re not as cruel as you!” Qingya gritted her teeth and pulled her hand away. She anxiously looked toward Ah Da. If Ah Da suffered any serious injury because of her, it would be her fault.
Qian Jiaoniang breathed easier after confirming Ah Da only had surface wounds. Hong Tai took the chance to pull her aside, earnestly advising her, “Hang Zhi looks determined. If this blows up, it won’t benefit us. Now’s the critical moment; we absolutely cannot make an enemy of Hang Zhi. Besides, if that woman truly is Hang Zhi’s wife, why not give him face, let him rescue Muzheng first, then deal with everything else later?”
Qian Jiaoniang could ignore Xing Muzheng, but she also saw that Hang Zhi wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted. If they kept fighting like this, it would only end in mutual destruction.
Qingya also understood. Afraid of causing trouble for Qian Jiaoniang and worried the Marquis household brothers might get hurt, she bit her lip and said, “I’ll go back with you.”
But Hang Zhi wasn’t happy. Ya’er did not truly want to return with him; she was sacrificing herself to save others. How had she come to fear him like poison? What had happened to her all these years?
“Madam Xing, you heard it too. My wife is willing to return to my mansion. The debt of saving her life will be repaid another day. Farewell!” Hang Zhi wanted nothing more than to hide his Ya’er deep inside and protect her.
Qingya took several deep breaths. She had to face reality; Jiaoniang had her own troubles now, and she couldn’t trouble her further. “Put me down. I want to say goodbye to Jiaoniang.”
After a moment’s consideration, Hang Zhi gently put Qingya down. Qian Jiaoniang stepped forward. Qingya forced a smile, “Jiaoniang, thank you for taking care of me these past years. Now that I’ve reunited with my husband, it’s time for me to return.”
With that, Qingya slowly bowed to Qian Jiaoniang. Qian Jiaoniang looked at her for a long moment, then said, “If you insist on going back, I won’t say more. But since I have free time anyway, I’ll accompany you to visit the Hang mansion.”
Qingya was surprised, “You… want to come with me?”
Qian Jiaoniang raised an eyebrow, “What, as the Madam of the Hang household, you don’t welcome me visiting? Then again,” she provocatively glanced at Hang Zhi, “I saved the Madam of the Hang household’s life, so I think it would be rude for the Prime Minister to refuse my visit, wouldn’t it?”
Before Hang Zhi could speak, Hong Tai anxiously pushed Qian Jiaoniang aside, “Sister-in-law, you can’t go!”
“Why not?”
“Muzheng instructed you to wait here for him,” Hong Tai said, “Otherwise, I would have sent you home already.”
Qian Jiaoniang shouted, “I heard the Hang family is the top noble clan. Their defenses must be strict. If I go there, perhaps there will be fewer night visitors, right, Prime Minister?”
Hang Zhi was silent for a moment, then said, “If the Marchioness wishes to visit my humble home, I consider it a great honor.” Although he disliked Madam Xing, Ya’er seemed very dependent on her. To put Ya’er at ease, he had no choice but to tolerate it.
“Sister-in-law, you can’t go.” Hong Tai was desperate but couldn’t explain clearly, guessing there might be an imperial decree involved. Muzheng was kept at the Hong household precisely because he was a member of the imperial family, and the Hong household had a kind of immunity. Although it couldn’t be used by the Qian family directly, it could deflect blame if needed. But if she went to the Hang mansion and the decree really came, that would be trouble.
“Lord Hong, my residence is no den of wolves and tigers. If the Marchioness wants to visit, why stop her? I may be incompetent, but I will treat guests properly and protect them. I guarantee, once Lord Xing returns, I will return to him a living, unscathed wife.”
Hang Zhi emphasized the words “living, unscathed.” Hong Tai understood the implication. He exchanged a troubled look with Ma Dongchang, still hesitating.
Qian Jiaoniang said, “Lord Hong, please keep Chou’er and Mr. Cao with you. Watch them carefully so he won’t neglect his studies. Tell him I’m visiting the Hang mansion’s gardens and will pick him up in a few days.”
~
Xing Muzheng still did not know what was happening outside the palace. He concentrated on fanning the brazier, as if that was his main task.
Emperor Taikang stood at the curtain and shook his head, sighing deeply at his son’s mess. He was about to enter when Mao Qi behind him raised both hands to stop him, “Your Majesty, a memorial…”
The emperor took the memorial from his hands and strode into the alchemy chamber without a word.
Xing Muzheng saw the emperor’s arrival and immediately stood, bowing. The emperor waved dismissively, “No need for formalities!”
Xing Muzheng bowed again.
The emperor sat on a cushion and beckoned Xing Muzheng over, pointing to another cushion opposite him, “Official Xing, come, sit!”
Xing Muzheng obeyed and sat cross-legged.
The emperor threw the memorial on the table and casually began grinding with a pestle. Xing Muzheng glanced at the memorial silently. After a while, the emperor asked, “Official Xing, since I detained you these past days, do you hold any resentment in your heart?”
“I have no resentment, Your Majesty.”
“Any anger?”
“I have no anger.”
Emperor Taikang said, “I don’t think so.”
Xing Muzheng looked up calmly, “I know Your Majesty is in a difficult position, and I know Your Majesty acted for my own good. I have no anger or resentment.”
“Then the Crown Prince barging into your wife’s room… you don’t feel angry about that either?”
Xing Muzheng was silent for a moment, then asked lightly, “Who told Your Majesty these idle rumors?”
Taikang Emperor pointed to the memorial, “See for yourself.”
Xing Muzheng slightly nodded, reached for the memorial, opened it, and first checked the signature: Huang Gong from the Censorate.
“Huang Gong submitted a memorial accusing you—how could you, a subject, barge into the inner quarters during the Crown Prince’s banquet, and kill the Crown Prince’s concubine Wan Hong? This was a presumptuous act, and I should punish you severely according to law.” The emperor put down the pestle and looked at him, “What do you have to say? Was this your fault, or the Crown Prince’s?”
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