In Yongcheng, Old Master Wang could be said to be the sky. Even the highest official in Yongcheng, Lord Prefect, had to be completely respectful to him, which gave Old Master Wang an illusion: that he could do whatever he wanted.

If his Wang family really got sent to the Court of Judicial Review for doing such things, it would end in family ruin. At this moment, Old Master Wang felt incomparable regret for hosting these two noble young masters from the capital, and even more regret for believing that cheap person, “Chu Xi.”

Facing Chu Yu’s words, his face turned ash-iron: “The evidence hasn’t been found yet, how can Second Young Master Shen believe these people’s words and think my Wang family is guilty?”

Chu Yu said: “Then a single look at those places he mentioned will suffice.”

Saying so, he was about to walk out of the courtyard, and Ji Linxi hurriedly followed.

Old Master Wang immediately ordered people to block him.

Chu Yu looked at the servants blocking his path, looked back at Old Master Wang: “Why is this?”

Old Master Wang smiled without sincerity: “Second Young Master Shen, you and Yan Shizi are both tired. How about I have people send you back to rest?”

Chu Yu: “You don’t want us to look?”

“Some matters, why must one pursue them to the very end? Merely a bunch of commoners, it is not worth making things difficult with the Lord Chancellor.”

“You use Chancellor Wang to pressure me.” Chu Yu smiled, “Good, truly excellent.”

His tone when speaking could even be called gentle, but those peach blossom eyes with slightly upswept corners seemed to drift with wind and snow, piercingly cold: “What if I say that I insist on investigating today?”

Old Master Wang said: “Beauties, money—Second Young Master Shen, as long as you speak the word, I can deliver them all into your hands, provided you act as if nothing happened today.”

Shen Wenzhi sat beside the Prefect, observing this scene from the sidelines.

To speak of it, the Yongcheng Wang family was merely one of the branches of the capital’s Wang family, but this Old Master Wang possessed quite a bit of past affection with Chancellor Wang. When Chancellor Wang fell into the water during his youth, it was Old Master Wang who rescued him. Afterwards, Chancellor Wang passed the imperial examinations with high honors and brought his parents and sisters to settle in the capital, leaving Old Master Wang’s lineage here. Following that, Chancellor Wang rose higher and higher, promoting officials of his own faction to govern Yongcheng.

He compressed his lips tightly, his brow moving slightly, his expression revealing a look of contemplation.

Chu Yu took a step forward, and amid Old Master Wang’s tightening expression, called out: “Yan Huai.”

Yan Huai moved. Holding his sword, he stepped on the banquet tables and leapt in front of Chu Yu, kicking two people flying away. Upon landing, he knocked one unconscious with the spine of his sword, guarding in front of Chu Yu.

Watching this scene, Ji Linxi felt a bit puzzled in his heart. One was a Marquis’s heir, the other a Grand Tutor’s son; their statuses should be equal. Why did it look like this Yan Shizi was the one protecting the superior between the two of them? It was the same at the medicine shop that day; the beautiful young master seemed to hold a higher status than this Yan Shizi?

Just as his eyes were rolling in thought, Old Master Wang was also infuriated by “Second Young Master Shen’s” repeated refusal to show deference.

“Second Young Master Shen! Do you truly want to make things difficult for me for the sake of a few lowly citizens?!”

Chu Yu’s voice carried frost: “The state laws of my Long Dynasty are as such, brooks no violation!”

The two sides confronted each other. The County Magistrate had never expected events to develop into the current state; he lay prostrate on the banquet table, trembling and not daring to move. Prefect Song was also frightened by Old Master Wang’s actions and spoke up: “Old Master Wang, these two are noble guests from the capital!”

Moreover, he had an even more terrifying conjecture in his heart, so he gritted his teeth and advised: “If your young master and lady truly committed harmful acts, Old Master Wang, you must not harbor them!” In this way, at least he could extract himself.

Old Master Wang, however, could not listen to a single word.

Merely two green horns! Coming from the capital to this countryside for a trip, and they want to stand up for others? He had already decided to temporarily confine these two noble young masters, then write a letter to Chancellor Wang to ask for his help in resolving it. No matter what, it could not be worse than it was now.

“So what if they are noble guests from the capital? Can noble guests from the capital run wild in my Wang family?!”

“Guards!” With his single command, guards rushed in from outside the door, surrounding the few of them in layers along with the servants. Old Master Wang sneered, “Take them down for me!”

Ji Linxi was startled. He hadn’t expected Old Master Wang to be so bold; a wealthy master without an official rank actually dared to lay hands on a Marquis’s heir and a Grand Tutor’s son.

This was completely different from what he had thought.

He was originally someone who would do anything just to stay alive, without a shred of good intentions. The reason he helped the beautiful young master was also because he fancied the other party’s status, that country-overturning beautiful face, and that soul-enchanting figure.

Originally, he had betted on the beautiful young master to win, thinking that a relative of an official without an official rank wouldn’t dare lay hands on a Marquis’s heir and a Grand Tutor’s son. Now that the other party had taken action, he had to consider how to flee.

Ji Linxi had great self-awareness.

Old Master Wang wouldn’t do anything to those two; at most, he would confine them for a few days, destroy the evidence, and find other ways. But he and Chang Xi’s group would definitely die.

Although he felt lustful toward the beautiful young master and coveted him immensely, if he were to pay with his own life for this lustful heart, he was naturally unwilling.

But fleeing so brazenly right now meant that the favorability he had built up with the beautiful young master would be completely gone. What should he do?

Just as he was struggling and hesitating, he heard the beautiful young master order: “Yan Huai, protect them and send them out.”

Ji Linxi was overjoyed, but he was slick and hypocritical; right now, he still had to put on a reluctant posture, fake-acting: “Young Master! I will accompany you!”

Yan Huai, who had long been thoroughly sick of him, didn’t wait for that mouth to continue churning out continuous lies. He grabbed him by the collar, leapt onto the wall in two or three bounds, and threw him down. Turning back, he brought Chang Xi and Zhao Yun out. His lightness skills were well-practiced, so those guards simply could not block him, and could only watch helplessly as he sent everyone out.

The servants and guards were all gathered inside the courtyard, such that the outside was temporarily empty.

“Run as far as you can.”

“Just go to the Prefect’s yamen tomorrow to receive your reward.”

After saying this, Yan Huai vaulted back into the courtyard. Seeing his agile and decisive skill, Ji Linxi realized for the first time that his own body was still fragile. If he could have Yan Huai’s skill, he could be a flower-thief and steal fragrance and jade from the beautiful young master.

Wait! Now is not the time to think about this!

He gave himself a slap with a pa. After waking himself up, he oiled the soles of his shoes and slipped away in a flash.

As for Chang Xi and Zhao Yun, what did that have to do with him? He had even abandoned the beautiful young master, so would he carry other burdens?

Ji Linxi ran all the way back to the wing-room where he originally lived, and ran to Junzi Xuan with the bamboo basket on his back. He kicked open the door, bounded to the bedside in four steps as two, and pulled back the quilt—inside were all roast chickens and roast suckling pigs.

This was his food reserve for the upcoming period.

Now his silver was gone, and the beautiful young master was lost. If he couldn’t even take his food reserve out, it would really be a waste of effort.

He grunted and stuffed the food inside, not caring that his hands were full of oil. He had swindled too much before, so he couldn’t fit it all. Seeing that the bamboo basket was full, Ji Linxi had no choice but to abandon the remaining food reserve, his eyes searching all around, preparing to take some valuable small items out to sell for money.

Urgetly packing in a frenzy, under this flurry of movements, Ji Linxi quickly stuffed quite a few of Wang He’s ornaments into his bosom. Just as he ran to the wall of the backyard with the bamboo basket on his back, preparing to throw the ornaments out before climbing the wall to flee, he suddenly froze his steps and looked back in the direction of the front hall.

If he left like this, everything he originally coveted would be gone. Even if the beautiful young master succeeded later, he would only give him a reward similar to Chang Xi and Zhao Yun.

For a time, Ji Linxi felt in an utter turmoil of mind.

Just at this moment, because he stuffed too many things in his bosom, the box he had taken out of the bamboo basket and placed at the very top fell down. It was the Yuhen Ointment given to him by the beautiful young master to treat his chilblains.

Ji Linxi’s pupils shrank, and he hurriedly tried to grab it back, but caused the valuable ornaments in his bosom to scatter all over the ground. Because he bent down, the bamboo basket on his back also tilted downward, and a roast suckling pig rolled down from his head. While making his head shrink back from the weight, he was also stained with a lot of oil.

So wretched—

What difference was there from a rat crossing the street?

Picking back the box containing the ointment, Ji Linxi looked at the ornaments and roast suckling pig scattered on the ground, and bit his teeth.

He suddenly tossed the bamboo basket behind him, abandoned the valuable ornaments on the ground, only clutched the ointment box, turned around, and ran back toward the front hall.

He was gambling.

Gambling that the beautiful young master and his people still had a backup hand.

As long as he won the bet, the beauty’s favor and willow branch would both fall on him, allowing him to soar straight up and ride the wind to turn into a dragon.