12: teasing the dog

Although pleasure quarters and brothels are places where all kinds of people mingle, a place like Yunmeng Terrace is mostly frequented by the rich and noble.

Sometimes, there are three or five scholars here reciting poetry and singing while drinking. Others might talk loudly about national policies. Although the Daxing Dynasty has the Pacification Bureau, and even the secretly known Partridge Sky, as long as the discourse doesn't cross the line, they don't pursue literary inquisitions.

The Pacification Bureau and Partridge Sky ultimately exist to monitor officials on behalf of The Emperor. Because the founding emperor of the Daxing Dynasty rose from humble beginnings, his youthful experiences taught him a truth: the common people are the foundation of the country, while the officials are the branches connecting The Emperor to the people.

When an order is passed down, problems often arise because the intermediate officials fail to execute it properly, or simply line their own pockets without regard for the lives of the people.

Just as The Emperor once said, what is the imperial court in the eyes of the common people? To them, the officials wearing official robes are the imperial court. When the people complain, it means The Emperor has failed, but more often, it is these officials... Did they make mistakes while executing orders? Did they harbor selfish motives?

Therefore, occasional disputes in places like Yunmeng Terrace are actually of little consequence; everyone is a respectable person, and a few bickering words usually pass. However, sometimes it is inevitable that someone will rely on their prominent family background to act recklessly.

"Are you blind, you dog!"

A young man in white smashed a wine pot on the table. The two men opposite him merely sneered. One of them spoke indifferently, "Young master, we are all here for a good time. This courtesan was serving us first. You can easily find someone else; why make things uncomfortable for everyone?"

"Who do you think you are, daring to compete with me?" Although the young man in white was dashing and tall, his face was full of arrogance and haughtiness. "Every time I come here, this lady has to have a few drinks with me. Get lost immediately! I'm in a bad mood, and if you make a scene, you won't be able to afford the consequences of offending me!"

"Young master, please do not pester us." The other man's expression turned cold. "We are all here to enjoy ourselves. We have already requested this lady. There are many other courtesans in Yunmeng Terrace; you can just request another."

"My lords, otherwise... otherwise let the Matron return your silver. Should I go accompany that gentleman instead?" The lady lowered her head, her body trembling slightly. "This is the only son of the Marquis of Anding, the Young Marquis of the Xu Family, Xu Fengzhang. You two really cannot afford to offend him."

"Oh, the Young Marquis, my apologies." The man who spoke first smiled. "Never mind, never mind. It was our eyes that were clumsy; we didn't recognize the true master. Since this lady has caught the Young Marquis's eye, we shouldn't steal your thunder, right?"

"Why should we!" The man behind him gritted his teeth. "Even if he is the son of a Marquis, there's no reason to be this unreasonable, right?"

"What do you know? What is our status? Can we afford to offend him?" The first man shook his head, winking at his companion. "The Young Marquis just returned to the capital. He has been following the Marquis to manage military affairs outside for many years; he has contributed greatly..."

When Xu Fengzhang heard this, he just smiled disdainfully, as if he didn't think this was flattery, but rather something he was entitled to. However, the man smiled, let the courtesan leave, and while pretending to speak to his companion, said loudly as if unintentionally, "Is it easy for the Young Marquis? He just likes women a bit; it's of no consequence. I heard that when his father, the Old Marquis, was out inspecting the troops, he secretly brought a woman into his tent to fool around. He was caught red-handed by the Old Marquis who returned to camp unexpectedly. And guess what happened? Heh, that woman was the concubine of his father's deputy general!"

"What kind of gossip are you spouting, you bastard!" Xu Fengzhang's face turned red and then pale, and he roared, "Damn brat, I'm going to kill you today!"

Although Xu Fengzhang was lecherous and reckless, he did have some real skills. Although the world called him the Young Marquis, he was, after all, a third-rank Commander in his father's army. He was highly skilled in martial arts, and even though he had been drinking, his fists still carried the force of the wind.

However, Xu Fengzhang did not expect that although these two were not his match, they were not the kind of people he could beat to the ground in a few moves as he had expected. Although the two of them were no match for him in a two-on-one fight, he clearly felt that they were definitely experts.

But Xu Fengzhang did not notice that Yunmeng Terrace, which had been noisy because of their sudden fight, had suddenly become quiet. Just as he was about to kick one of them, a wild goose feather saber in its scabbard struck his knee hard.

Although it was in its scabbard, this blow still caused Xu Fengzhang intense pain in his leg. As a martial artist with a decent foundation, Xu Fengzhang quickly steadied himself, but he didn't expect the wild goose feather saber to be even faster, striking him again on the chest.

Xu Fengzhang retreated quickly, but he didn't expect the wild goose feather saber to suddenly drop, followed by a slap that struck his face hard. The force was so great that he saw stars.

"I told you to investigate the case, and you are here fighting over a woman?" Lu Qianyuan withdrew the hand he had just used to hit Xu Fengzhang and picked up the wild goose feather saber he had dropped. "If you delay Commander Qianhu's business, can you afford the consequences?"

Xu Fengzhang was about to curse, but when he met Lu Qianyuan's eyes, which were full of hatred like a vicious dog, and saw his flying fish robe, his heart sank.

"Your skills... are you from the Border Army?"

Xu Fengzhang did not ask why he had come, but instead tentatively asked another question. Lu Qianyuan sneered, "I ate in the Border Army for a few years. If the Young Marquis is not satisfied, how about I accompany you for a few more moves? Or, if the Young Marquis is generous, perhaps you could offer some pointers to our brothers?"

Lu Qianyuan waved his hand, and twenty Flying Fish Guards gripped their xiuchun sabers, surrounding the group. The entire Yunmeng Terrace suddenly fell into a deathly silence, and even the singing courtesans looked at them with pale faces, not daring to breathe.

It wasn't the first time the Flying Fish Guard had come to arrest people, but every time it had been a secret arrest, and Yunmeng Terrace had cooperated. But this was the first time the Flying Fish Guard had rushed in with sabers during business hours.

"What is this? I just had a dispute with someone, and it took such a big fanfare for you to come and arrest me?"

Xu Fengzhang steadied his mind, looking as arrogant as usual, but his leg still throbbed with intense pain, and his face, which had been slapped by Lu Qianyuan, also felt extremely uncomfortable.

Xu Fengzhang had dealt with people from the Border Army in the past, and although it was only a few times, he could still recognize the unique ruthlessness of the Border Army. He just couldn't understand why this person had such great hostility towards him.

"I wouldn't dare. It's just that the people from the Pacification Bureau happened to be gathering intelligence and suspected that a follower of the Rebel Prince was meeting someone privately at Yunmeng Terrace." Lu Qianyuan explained with a fake smile. "I'm afraid that with the Young Marquis making such a scene, the person we were watching might have run away."

"Are you fucking framing me?" Xu Fengzhang laughed out of extreme anger. "You say you're investigating a follower of the Rebel Prince, so you are? Who knows if it's because your office didn't keep them on a tight leash, letting these two bastards ruin my mood!"

"You two, take out your waist tokens and show them to the Young Marquis." Lu Qianyuan sneered and ordered without looking back. "The agents of the Pacification Bureau are issued waist tokens; the Young Marquis understands this rule, right?"

The two men did not hesitate and actually took out their waist tokens. Xu Fengzhang narrowed his eyes slightly, still looking dismissive: "So what? I don't know what you can do to me?"

"It's nothing much. We are just inviting the Young Marquis to take a trip to the Imperial Prison."

When Xu Fengzhang heard this voice, his eyes widened. Then, gritting his teeth, he turned his head toward the direction of the voice and growled word by word: "Zhang Yingqi, are you fucking backstabbing me?"

"Oh, has the Young Marquis's brain, which is comparable to a toilet, finally become a bit cleaner?" Mo Yingqi hugged his saber and sat on a chair with a smile. "Also, I have long since taken my mother's surname. Now I am called Mo Yingqi."

"I don't give a damn if you are Zhang or Mo!"

Xu Fengzhang clenched his fists and was about to rush up, but Lu Qianyuan just sneered, raised his hand slightly, and the Flying Fish Guards drew their xiuchun sabers almost simultaneously.

"I fear that the Young Marquis spends his days either fooling around with his mistress or sleeping with courtesans, hanging out in pleasure quarters all day long." Mo Yingqi smiled and took out his token. "I have been in the Pacification Bureau for a year, and you haven't heard a whisper of it? That's right, with that brain of yours, I'm afraid that besides wine and women, nothing else can fit in there."

"There is one thing you said right: I am backstabbing you. After all... when you run into a mangy dog, wouldn't it be wrong not to tease it a few times?"