As a member of the imperial family, Xiao Jingzhao immediately recognized the young man’s identity.
He was none other than the grandnephew of Empress Dowager Tian’s family—
That was Tian Baoci, the young master from Duke Chengen’s household, who used to outshine even Duke Chu’s mansion.
Just hearing his name made it clear how much the Tian family adored this youngest son.
They had no choice, really. It was as if their feng shui was cursed—several children of the main line died young, passing away around the age of seven or eight. So from the moment Tian Baoci was born, he had been doted on immensely.
In fact, his name had been personally chosen by Empress Dowager Tian herself, a testament to how much she cherished him.
What was even more important was that he was the fiancé of Commandery Princess Luochuan of Zhou Wang’s household.
Xiao Jingzhao turned to look at Feng Caiwei. “Do you know who he is?”
After all, Empress Dowager Tian had played a key role in the current emperor’s rise to the throne.
Because of that, Emperor Yongchang, in order to solidify the legitimacy of his rule, had respectfully honored her as his mother and the Empress Dowager, treating her with great filial piety over the years.
The Tian family, in turn, had been showered with imperial favor time and again.
So even Xiao Jingzhao would have to show a bit of courtesy when meeting someone like Tian Baoci.
And yet Feng Caiwei had actually set her sights on Tian Baoci in her schemes?!
Was she insane?!
Feng Caiwei glanced at him with a hint of mockery on her face. “That’s exactly why I say Your Highness lacks decisiveness. So what if he’s the Empress Dowager’s grandnephew? No matter how noble his status is, could it possibly outrank you and the Imperial Grandson?”
Xiao Jingzhao’s expression went through several complicated changes.
But Feng Caiwei could hardly be bothered to keep watching.
She had already been drawn in by the drama unfolding outside.
Out there, Shen Jialang was sitting on the ground bawling loudly, while beside him, Qi Yunzhen’s face was flushed red with fury. He stood with arms outstretched, shielding Shen Jialang and glaring righteously at the man in front of him. “It was your dog that bit first!”
Tian Baoci was tall and strapping, easily a head taller than Qi Yunzhen. At that moment, he was looking at the dog beside him. Upon hearing those words, he turned without hesitation and slapped Qi Yunzhen hard across the face.
Qi Yunzhen’s ears rang from the blow, and blood even trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Tian Baoci had already brushed past him and grabbed Shen Jialang by the collar, hoisting him right off the ground.
Feng Caiwei watched with squinted eyes and a wide smile, clearly in excellent spirits. “Did you see that, Your Highness? That’s what happens when you provoke someone with teeth—you suffer.”
Tian Baoci was someone with teeth. Backed by both the Empress Dowager and the honored Consort Dowager, he feared no one.
Even Emperor Yongchang treated him with unusual indulgence.
No wonder Feng Caiwei wasn’t afraid.
Turns out it wasn’t that she had no fear—it was that she never intended to confront Qi Yuan head-on. She had planned all along to redirect the disaster and use borrowed hands to strike.
To use the Tian family’s knife… to kill a member of the Qi family.
Xiao Jingzhao couldn’t help but look deeply at Feng Caiwei.
No wonder people said that hornets sting last, and the most venomous is a woman’s heart. When Feng Caiwei decided to act, she was truly like a poisonous scorpion.
Feng Caiwei listened to the crying outside, feeling a deep satisfaction in her heart.
Yes, cry. The more those two boys cried, the more Qi Yuan would suffer later.
And she wanted to see Qi Yuan suffer.
While the room fell silent, the chaos outside only grew louder.
Liu Pingan had been downstairs helping with the ordering. Now, he came thundering up the stairs, and the first thing he saw was Qi Yunzhen with blood at the corner of his mouth and Tian Baoci holding Shen Jialang midair. His eyes went wide.
Then, like a firecracker, he charged straight at Tian Baoci and rammed his head into Tian Baoci’s waist.
Tian Baoci staggered from the impact, and Liu Pingan seized the chance to yank Shen Jialang back into his arms. Then he turned and furiously shouted at the Qi family servants, “Are you all dead?! Just standing there while your young masters are bullied?!”
D*mn it, was everyone tired of living? They dared to hit his young master?!
Tian Baoci narrowed his eyes.
But Liu Pingan didn’t care in the slightest, nor did he flinch under the glare. Without another word, he began to curse: “You’re a grown man bullying children—don’t you feel ashamed?!”
Shen Jialang had been terrified—he had managed not to cry even when nearly buried alive in a coffin—but seeing Qi Yunzhen get hit while trying to protect him, he was now crying so hard he could hardly breathe.
Despite still being in pain, Qi Yunzhen reached out to pat his head and murmured softly, “Don’t cry. I’m okay.”
Just then, one of Qi Yunzhen’s young attendants tugged nervously at Liu Pingan’s sleeve and whispered, “Brother Pingan, that’s… that’s the sixth young master of Duke Chengen’s household…”
Liu Pingan had never heard of any “sixth young master,” but the name “Duke of Chengen” he understood. He froze.
But only for a moment.
He wasn’t scared in the slightest. He remained firmly planted in front of Qi Yunzhen and Shen Jialang. “Even so, he still can’t go around hitting people for no reason!”
Why should he be afraid?
The young miss was home right now.
Worst case, he’d go back and fetch her.
Feng Caiwei sneered aloud. “Idiot.”
Sure enough, the next moment, Tian Baoci grabbed a nearby stool and smashed it down toward Liu Pingan’s head.
The servants around Tian Baoci made a show of trying to stop him, but that’s all it was—none of them dared to actually intervene.
Luckily, Liu Pingan instinctively raised his arm to shield himself, but even so, the stool still shattered into splinters.
Still not satisfied, Tian Baoci picked up one of the stool’s legs and started swinging it wildly at Liu Pingan and the others. “All of you—think you can push me around, huh?!”
This time, all of Qi Yunzhen’s attendants lunged to intervene.
But it was no use.
Tian Baoci had simply brought too many people. While pretending to restrain him, his men were really blocking the Qi family’s servants from stepping in. It was a completely one-sided “restraint.”
The shopkeeper and waiter were already scared out of their wits, but they couldn’t squeeze into the fight. All they could do was shout frantically from the sidelines:
“Sixth Young Master! Please, Sixth Young Master, have mercy! That’s the fifth young master of Yongping Marquis’s household!”
Oh god, this was really a nightmare. How did these two groups end up in a brawl?!
He turned anxiously to the waiter. “What the h*ll happened?!”
The waiter was already crying in fear. “The sixth young master’s dog suddenly lunged and nearly bit the little boy… so the fifth young master from Yongping’s household kicked the dog…”
The shopkeeper nearly fainted.
Everyone knew Tian Baoci kept a whole pack of sleek, pampered hounds and took them hunting every year. He treated those dogs better than he treated people!
Why, oh why, couldn’t they have provoked anyone else?!
Smoke was practically coming out of the shopkeeper’s ears. “Quick! Someone go report this to Yongping Marquis’s household! Hurry!”
They couldn’t afford to offend Tian Baoci or the Yongping household.
If Tian Baoci actually injured someone seriously, he’d be fine thanks to the Empress Dowager’s protection. But they—the shop owners—would be the ones to suffer!
The waiter hurried to send someone off, then yanked one of Qi’s servants aside. “What good are you just standing here?! Go home and fetch help!”
