Chapter 23

Qiu Zhigao limped over, and upon seeing the people from the Jingzhao Prefecture, he naturally became much bolder, pointing at Hu Xiaotian and saying, "Villain, shameless, despicable, filthy..."

Hu Xiaotian suddenly threw a punch, actually knocking Qiu Zhigao to the ground again right in front of Murong Feiyun. Although Hu Xiaotian didn't know martial arts, his rigorous fitness training had paid off, and he could easily take down such a weak scholar. How dare you not repent, even trying to play a talk show with me. I'll beat you, you scum.

Murong Feiyun hadn't expected him to be so arrogant, daring to hit someone in front of her. She angrily said, "You..."

"I heard him cursing me, this is self-defense!"

Murong Feiyun said, "Bring them all back!"

Hu Xiaotian looked into the distance, but didn't see when He Xiaoru had left. He was slightly stunned, thinking, "This He Xiaoru is really not very considerate. I'm fighting for you here, and when the constables come, you just leave without a word. That's too unrighteous."

Murong Feiyun tightened her grip, pressing against Hu Xiaotian's chest, causing him some pain. He couldn't help but take a step back, inwardly cursing, "If you push me today, I'll push you back even harder tomorrow! What's with this anger? I didn't used to have such a bad temper. It seems this穿越 (time travel) journey has affected my personality, changing me in ways I didn't notice."

If the first impression of a person has been formed, it's hard to change easily. In Murong Feiyun's eyes, Hu Xiaotian was a wicked young master, harassing women and bullying the weak. Such a person was a menace to society and must be severely punished. She knew Hu Xiaotian's background and that even if she took him back to the Jingzhao Prefecture, it would be hard to punish him. With his exceptional background, even the Prefect of Jingzhao wouldn't dare to do anything to him. Most likely, the matter would end without resolution. However, Murong Feiyun couldn't let him leave so arrogantly. She wanted everyone to see that evil cannot triumph over justice.

Suddenly, a sword hilt was placed against Hu Xiaotian's chest, and the sword blade shot out with a hiss, the cold blade just two inches from his throat. Hu Xiaotian was startled.

Murong Feiyun whispered, "You'd better behave, or I'll have to take action!"

Hu Xiaotian raised his hands and laughed, "Inspector Murong, I will fully cooperate."

Murong Feiyun snorted and pushed him, then tied his hands behind his back with a rope. Hu Xiaotian said, "Is that necessary? I don't plan to escape. Inspector Murong, we've known each other for a while. I know you're in a difficult position. If you arrest me, you fear your superiors will blame you, and if you don't, you fear the people will say you're afraid of power. It's a tough situation!"

Murong Feiyun angrily tightened the rope, causing Hu Xiaotian to wince. He sighed and whispered, "Let's just put on a show. You can explain to everyone, maintain your righteous image, and I won't hold you responsible. We can still be friends in the future."

Murong Feiyun pushed him, "Move, stop talking nonsense!"

At this moment, a beautiful carriage returned to the front of the Yan Shui Pavilion. It was the Deputy Minister of Revenue, Xu Zhengying, who had come back. He had just left but felt increasingly uneasy. Although the Hu family's servants had arrived, Hu Xiaotian was still his responsibility. If anything else happened, it would still be his fault. So, Xu Zhengying had the driver turn back. As he arrived at the Yan Shui Pavilion, he saw the scene.

Xu Zhengying got out of the carriage and shouted, "Stop!" He lifted his robe and ran over, the ancient clothing being quite cumbersome. If he didn't hold up his robe, he might trip and fall.

Seeing the Deputy Minister of Revenue, Xu Zhengying, Murong Feiyun felt a headache. Xu Zhengying would definitely protect Hu Xiaotian. Hu Buwei was his superior, and it would be strange if he didn't speak up for Hu Xiaotian.

Xu Zhengying, panting, came to Murong Feiyun and sternly asked, "What's going on? What crime did Young Master Hu commit? Why are you treating him like this?"

Murong Feiyun glanced at the bruised and swollen scholars and softly said, "Perhaps Minister Xu should ask them!"

Qiu Zhigao and Qiu Zhitang, the brothers, said with sad faces, "Minister Xu, you must do something for us!"

Hu Xiaotian inwardly laughed. "Do something? Do your damn something. These Qiu brothers are just bookworms with low emotional intelligence. They know Xu Zhengying and I are on the same side, yet they still ask him for help. What fools."

The Qiu brothers weren't stupid. They felt they had suffered a great loss today and had some connections with Xu Zhengying in the past. Their goal was to make it difficult for Xu Zhengying to support Hu Xiaotian.

Xu Zhengying didn't recognize the brothers at first, only recognizing them when they spoke. Seeing their pig-like faces, he felt some sympathy. "Hu Xiaotian, you were too harsh. I just left, and you caused such a big trouble. But I don't really like these two. They didn't inform me when they arranged for the Minister of Rites, Wu Jingshan, to come, making me lose face in front of so many people. They deserve to be beaten."

Xu Zhengying put his arms around Qiu Zhigao and Qiu Zhitang and whispered, "How did you get into trouble with him?"

Qiu Zhigao said, "Minister Xu, he attacked us without reason, bringing his servants to beat us. We didn't know who he was."

Xu Zhengying asked, "You really didn't know?"

The brothers shook their heads.

Xu Zhengying lowered his voice, "He is the son of the Third Rank Minister of Revenue, Minister Hu!"

There was no need to explain so much, but Xu Zhengying wanted to scare them, making them realize the gravity of the situation.

Qiu Zhigao and Qiu Zhitang finally understood Hu Xiaotian's true identity. They almost trembled simultaneously. The Qiu brothers weren't stupid. They had heard of Hu Buwei. They organized literary gatherings not just for literary exchange but to network with influential people, hoping to lay a foundation for their future political careers. Their father, Qiu Qingshan, was well-versed but not good at socializing, only reaching a low-ranking position.

Xu Zhengying continued, "Young Master Hu's future father-in-law is the Governor of Jiannan West and the Duke of Jiannan, Li Tianheng..." He stopped, the meaning clear. With Hu Xiaotian's background, they couldn't afford to offend him. Beating them was their own fault for offending him. If they caused him trouble, they would suffer the consequences.

Qiu Zhigao and Qiu Zhitang looked at each other and instantly decided. They turned and shouted, "Injustice!"

Xu Zhengying almost exploded with anger. "I've explained everything, and you still insist on this? You're asking for it."

Murong Feiyun had already tied up Hu Xiaotian, and her four constables had bound his six servants. Because Hu Xiaotian had told his servants to stop resisting, there was no conflict during the arrest.

Hearing the Qiu brothers shout "injustice," Murong Feiyun turned and looked at them with clear eyes. "Don't worry, come with me to the Jingzhao Prefecture, and we'll sort this out. The Prefect will give you justice!"

Qiu Zhigao said, "Inspector Murong, Young Master Hu is innocent!"

Qiu Zhigao's words stunned Murong Feiyun and left Hu Xiaotian speechless. "What the hell? Can you have a little dignity? You're a scholar! Even if you lack integrity, you should have some face. Calling you shameless is an understatement!"

Murong Feiyun's face turned red with anger. "You're defending him after being beaten like a pig? Are you confused?"

Qiu Zhigao nodded, and Qiu Zhitang added, "Inspector Murong, why are you arresting Young Master Hu without reason? What crime has he committed?"

Murong Feiyun looked at Qiu Zhigao with disdain. "What about the injuries on your face?"

Qiu Zhigao said, "I fell!" He was willing to lose face to avoid offending the son of the Minister of Revenue. Qiu Zhitang nodded, "I fell down the stairs. Fortunately, Young Master Hu caught me, or I would have broken my leg! I must thank him for saving my life!" As he spoke, he admired his own ability to endure humiliation and seek revenge later.

Murong Feiyun stared at Qiu Zhigao. "I clearly saw him punch you!"

Qiu Zhigao laughed, "We were joking around. We're good friends, so we often play like this, right, Young Master Hu?"

Hu Xiaotian inwardly praised the Qiu brothers' shamelessness. He laughed, "Yes, we're good friends. We agreed to recite poetry at the Yan Shui Pavilion. Our friendship is so strong. As they say, beating is a sign of affection. It looks like I hit him, but it's because I care deeply. It hurts me more than it hurts him. This great friendship between men, you women wouldn't understand."

The Qiu brothers inwardly cursed, wanting to tear Hu Xiaotian apart, but they lacked the courage. They had to accept their loss today.

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