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墨書 Inktalez
Zhao Yitan secretly pinched his palm—could it really be that person? It wasn't impossible; since Pang Yuanying Lord Pang had come, it seemed quite normal for this person to chase him here! Who didn't know that the lawsuits between these two had once reached the Official?
He felt distressed; two of the four most formidable figures in the capital had suddenly appeared, and his life was so miserable!
When he first arrived, he thought this job, though a bit trivial, was manageable. It felt like a leisurely trip, and he could gain some flattery. It was also easy to take advantage of the name of Xiangyang Wangfu to make a profit, which could barely be considered a decent and generous job.
Now, however, he regretted it immensely. Had he known it would turn out like this, he might as well have risked angering the Princess and feigned illness to avoid this troublesome task, saving himself from being trapped now.
Bai Yunsheng was unaware of what the person before him was thinking. He smiled and walked down the stairs, approached Zhao Yitan, lifted his chin with a fan, and whispered in his ear: “To tell you the truth, I owe Consort Qin a huge favor and am unsure how to repay it. If you are ungrateful and force her, I will be extremely grateful to you, Zhao Steward, for giving me this opportunity to repay my debt.”
Zhao Yitan's expression changed slightly but quickly composed himself. He cleared his throat and smiled: “It’s all a misunderstanding; I did not mean any disrespect towards Consort Qin. I was merely concerned for her safety. Since Consort Qin does not wish to return, we certainly wouldn’t want to put her in a difficult position. I shall take my leave now.”
After saying that, he ignored the guards scattered on the ground and turned around, almost running toward the main gate as if afraid someone would stop him.
As soon as he turned around, Pang Yuanying scoffed, “Does Zhao Yitan look down on me? Just now I spoke at length, and you acted as if you didn’t hear me. Now with just a few words from Bai Yunsheng, you turn around and leave. Where should I put my face?”
Zhao Yitan's steps froze; for a moment, he didn’t know how to respond. He was also a tough character; raising his hand, he fiercely slapped himself across the face. With a loud smack, one of his front teeth was knocked out, blood streaming from the corner of his mouth, leaving his face bruised and swollen. His speech became somewhat slurred: “I admit my fault and accept punishment; I only ask that the Marquis does not get angry!”
After being tormented like this, with sweat and blood on his face, he looked particularly disheveled—far from the imposing figure he had been earlier. Moreover, given his age, he appeared quite pitiful.
However, Pang Yuanying showed no sympathy and casually said: “Forget it; arguing with someone like you would make me lose face. But if you go out in such a state and spread rumors back to the capital, others might think I'm worse than some fallen noble from the underworld. Just a light punishment will do; you can cut off one finger yourself today, and we’ll let this matter rest.”
His words were lighthearted, but those at Shunlai Inn were genuinely startled.
Meanwhile, one of the guards beside the Marquis, casually threw out a dagger that struck right into the table in front of Zhao Yitan, embedding itself firmly into the wood.
Zhao Yitan's expression instantly changed. He had heard of Pang Yuanying's arrogance in the capital. Three years ago, a scholar who was preparing for an examination inadvertently offended him, and he had the man stripped and hung upside down in the street for an entire night. It was only thanks to the Yamen Runner from Kaifeng Prefecture that the man was rescued.
However, that scholar lost all face and, unable to bear the shame and anger, fell ill and passed away within half a month.
At that time, Zhao Yitan thought to himself that the scholar was simply unlucky; he could have offended anyone but had to offend an official. An official was supposed to be magnanimous and wouldn't go so far as to ruin someone's life, yet he had to offend this scheming Lord Pang.
Now, he had become that unfortunate soul!
He felt a deep resentment but ultimately dared not defy the situation. Like someone mourning a loved one, he trembled as he reached out his hand, exerting great effort to pull the dagger from the table. Taking a deep breath, he gripped the dagger tightly. When he looked up at Qin Yaru, his gaze held a hint of unnoticeable hatred—if it weren't for this woman, how could he be in such a miserable state?
Qin Yaru noticed his gaze and slightly furrowed her brow. Initially, she felt pity for him; even if she didn't want to get involved, at this point, she should say something to help him. Otherwise, those around them would surely be indifferent.
Moreover, her previous remark might still yield some benefit; perhaps she could use it as leverage against the Gentle Blue Princess in the future.
But upon seeing Zhao Yitan's expression, she dismissed that thought—saving someone like him would be futile; he would still harbor resentment towards her. However, it was likely that he also held a grudge against the Gentle Blue Princess.
Qin Yaru accurately guessed Zhao Yitan's thoughts. At this moment, he was filled with hatred towards her but equally despised the Gentle Blue who had sent him here and trapped him in such a predicament. In fact, his feelings towards Gentle Blue might even be stronger.
Zhao Yitan trembled slightly as he raised the dagger, gritting his teeth. After a long moment of mental preparation, he finally steeled himself and aimed for his own thumb!
Qin Yaru hesitated as she glanced at Pang Yuanying but seemed intimidated by his harsh demeanor. Her body shivered slightly; she turned around and gave Bai Yunsheng a nod before leading Da Lang back inside.
Pang Yuanying's thoughts were entirely focused on Qin Yaru. Seeing her walk away now left him feeling somewhat bored; even hearing Zhao Yitan's scream did not bring him the usual pleasure of a cat playing with a mouse.
"Forget it; this is truly dull."
Pang Yuanying yawned lazily and glanced in the direction of Qin Yaru's room from a distance. He knew that this matter could not be rushed; if he were to forcefully take what he wanted, it would never be as enjoyable as having a beauty willingly come into his embrace. Moreover, with Bai Yunsheng present, even if he wanted to seize it by force, it wouldn't be easy. Besides, his elder brother was watching nearby; if he dared to cause trouble, his brother would know and might just break his legs out of anger.
Getting up lazily, Pang Yuanying ignored Zhao Yitan, who was wailing on the ground, and turned to leave with his subordinates.
Bai Yunsheng, however, surveyed the surroundings, taking in the broken tables and chairs scattered on the ground and the shattered decorations. He casually tossed out two silver coins.
The shopkeeper had sneaked back in at some point, directing his staff to take Zhao Yitan to seek medical help. Upon seeing Bai Yunsheng's generosity, he was startled and quickly declined.
"Take it; it's compensation for what I broke. Since Consort Qin is staying here, don't forget to be vigilant and prevent any unruly people from disturbing her."
The shopkeeper's face grew even more distressed—if Lord Pang were to arrive, how could a mere shopkeeper like him stand in the way? Looking at the silver coins again, his expression turned even more miserable.
The coins were clearly stamped with an official seal; they were government silver!
As a shopkeeper of an inn, how could he dare accept such things? His gaze toward Bai Yunsheng became increasingly panicked; this person couldn't possibly be a bandit from somewhere, could he?
Bai Yunsheng casually shook his sleeves and left, unaware that the shopkeeper's worries had caused him to lose several strands of hair overnight.
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