Chapter 66

After all, it was four thousand taels of silver. When Xu Fei told his uncle about the matter, it was possible that his uncle, unwilling to pay the money, might want to give him a lesson or erase the debt. In the capital, the only one who still had unsettled accounts with him was Xu Fei.

Su Yingtao and the other four had only argued with him a bit; it shouldn't be that serious, especially since they had hired a Xuan-level expert to take action.

Or perhaps, Tie Miaqing and his group failed to escape back to Youjiao Port and were intercepted by the people from Jianyuan Studio, who, upon learning that he had killed Cheng Shanping and their people, came to the capital to settle accounts with him?

He quickly dismissed this possibility.

Because the person who spoke just now, if they were from Jianyuan Studio, how could they not know that he had some martial arts training?

Or could it be that as soon as he arrived in the capital, the name "A Shiheng" was immediately discovered by the mastermind behind the ambush on the A family?

In that instant, Yu Qing thought of many possibilities, and he feared the last one the most.

The carriage driver, Li Gui, acted as if nothing had happened, clearly a co-conspirator.

Yu Qing immediately scolded himself, realizing his vigilance was too low and that he lacked experience in the world. Despite sensing something amiss, he still fell for the trap. What else could this be but a death sentence?

Just as he was in a state of shock and suspicion, the three fingers that had been gripping his throat slowly loosened.

Only then did Yu Qing turn his head to see the person clearly. Sitting next to him was a bearded man, hands resting on his knees, quietly looking ahead. Despite this, Yu Qing, whose hand was still on the hilt of his sword, hesitated and did not make a move, slowly releasing his grip. He then asked, "I have no grudge or enmity with you, sir. Why did you ambush me?"

Du Fei replied, "Guess."

How could he guess? Yu Qing was speechless, then tried again, "What do you want?"

Du Fei glanced at him expressionlessly and did not respond.

Yu Qing said, "Do you know I am a new candidate for the imperial examination?" He was reminding the other party that if something happened to him, the court would not ignore it.

Du Fei replied, "I know, A Shiheng, the new candidate from Lieshou."

There was no misunderstanding; this was clearly aimed at him. Yu Qing's lips tightened, unsure of who this person was, and asked, "Where are we going?"

Du Fei replied, "You'll know when we get there."

After that, he did not respond to anything Yu Qing said.

Yu Qing had no choice. He dared not run, knowing that with his strength, he couldn't escape under the other's watchful eye. He could only wait for an opportunity to escape.

The curtains on the carriage doors and windows blocked the view, making it impossible to see where the carriage was going. Yu Qing was unfamiliar with the capital, and even the shop signs he saw through the gaps in the curtains did not help him identify the area...

Madam Zhong pushed open the door to her eldest daughter's room and walked in, seeing both daughters with uneasy expressions.

She walked straight to her daughters, suddenly grabbing Wen Ruowei's ear and twisting it, scolding, "You're getting more and more adept at eavesdropping. Do you have any sense of propriety as a young lady?"

After talking with her husband, the guards had informed them that the second daughter had overheard their conversation.

No one knew what Wen Ruowei had heard or how much, but seeing her eldest daughter's lowered head, she understood that both daughters knew about the marriage arrangement.

Wen Ruowei struggled to free herself from her mother's grip, rubbing her ear and retreating to the side.

Madam Zhong glared at her fiercely, as if planning to settle accounts later, then turned to her eldest daughter, who was still silent, and asked, "What did Ruowei tell you?"

Zhong Ruochen hesitated for a moment before mustering the courage to look up and ask, "Ruowei said there was a marriage arrangement for me. Is it true?"

Madam Zhong gazed into her daughter's eyes and nodded slightly.

Zhong Ruochen lowered her head and asked softly, "Why have I never heard of it?"

Madam Zhong took her daughter's hand and sat down beside her, her expression reflecting a distant memory. She said slowly, "When your father suddenly arranged your marriage, I was surprised, even shocked. At that time, our family only had a small shop left by your grandfather, while the other party was a high-ranking official with significant influence. I didn't know how your father managed to get close to such a person. I should have been happy for you, but your father repeatedly emphasized that the engagement must be kept secret. I didn't know the reason, and your father wouldn't tell me. A few years later, when the in-laws were demoted and left the capital, I began to suspect that the secrecy was related to internal court struggles, possibly to avoid being implicated..."

On the streets of the capital, Yu Qing occasionally observed the person next to him in the carriage.

After a considerable time, the carriage finally stopped in a quiet place, having left the noisy streets.

Du Fei got up, lifted the curtain, and stepped out without a word to Yu Qing.

Yu Qing, puzzled, lifted the left curtain and saw a wall of an unknown courtyard, unable to determine the location. He then moved to the right window and lifted the curtain, only to see the grand entrance of a mansion with two gilded characters: "Zhong Mansion!"

Zhong Mansion? Which Zhong Mansion? Yu Qing quickly examined the entrance and looked down the alley, recognizing the entrance from yesterday. It had to be this Zhong Mansion.

He was stunned. People from the Zhong family?

Du Fei stood on the steps, hands behind his back, and turned to go inside after meeting Yu Qing's gaze, without a word.

Yu Qing hesitated in the carriage for a moment, then, with a deep breath, lifted the curtain and stepped out, seeing Li Gui standing motionless by the horses.

"What's the meaning of this?" Yu Qing pointed at himself, actually wanting to ask, "What should I do?"

Li Gui's face was expressionless, silent, as if saying, "Do whatever you want."

Yu Qing jumped out of the carriage, looked at Li Gui, then at the grand entrance of Zhong Mansion, thinking, "Not saying anything, huh? I'll just leave!"

But before he could, Li Gui got back into the carriage and drove away.

Thus, Yu Qing was left alone at the entrance of Zhong Mansion, with no one in sight.

He was speechless.

Realizing he had been brought to the Zhong Mansion, he understood that his arrival in the capital had been discovered by the Zhong family. However, he was unsure how they had found out, as A Shiheng had said the Zhong family didn't know where they were hiding or that he was coming to the capital for the examination.

They had already brought him here, to their doorstep, yet they acted as if they didn't care. What was going on? Yu Qing couldn't understand the mindset of the wealthy. He wanted to leave immediately, but the matter involved A Shiheng, making it difficult.

If he left, the Zhong family might think A Shiheng didn't take them seriously and might cancel the engagement in anger.

Given this, Yu Qing had to suppress his temper, straightened his clothes, and "bravely" climbed the steps to the entrance of Zhong Mansion.

Stepping over the threshold, he looked around, seeing only a wall in front of him and no one in sight.

Rounding the wall, he was greeted by a different scene: a garden filled with flowers, pavilions, and terraces, with male and female servants bustling about.

Behind the wall stood an elderly man, the steward of Zhong Mansion, Li Fangzhang. Seeing Yu Qing, he smiled and extended his hand, "Please follow me, Master A. The master is waiting for you."

Yu Qing, unsure how to respond, followed, feeling uneasy about impersonating someone else's son-in-law. He was relying on his boldness to get through this.

Li Fangzhang walked beside him, frequently extending his hand in a polite manner.

The servants passing by were surprised, not knowing who the visitor was. His attire didn't suggest he was anyone important, yet he was receiving the highest courtesy from Li Fangzhang.

As they passed, the servants made way, and one who didn't see them coming was stopped by Li Fangzhang, who was about to scold her but then recognized her.

The servant who didn't see them was none other than the second daughter of the Zhong family, Wen Ruowei.

She had no other intention but to see what her future brother-in-law looked like.

However, according to propriety, unmarried women were not allowed to interact directly with men from outside.

To get around this, she had disguised herself as a servant to see him clearly.

Seeing the servant staring at him intently, Yu Qing thought, "This servant is quite pretty," and couldn't help but look at her more closely.

As they met face to face, both Yu Qing and Li Fangzhang instinctively moved aside to let her pass.

This movement caught Yu Qing's attention, and he glanced at Li Fangzhang, then at the servant's attire.

"Cough, cough," Li Fangzhang cleared his throat, "The new servant hasn't been properly trained and doesn't know etiquette. Please forgive her, sir. Please, come in."

"It's fine," Yu Qing waved his hand, then asked, "What is your position in the Zhong Mansion?"

Li Fangzhang replied, "I don't deserve the title 'sir.' I am the steward of the Zhong Mansion."

"Oh! My apologies, my apologies..." Yu Qing said, but his eyes were still on the servant's retreating back, which disappeared around a corner...

In the inner hall, not the main hall, which was usually reserved for people with close personal relationships.

Zhong Su and Wen Jianhui were seated, the man on the left and the woman on the right, occasionally standing, both restless.

At the door, Du Fei entered and announced, "Master, Madam, A Shiheng has entered the Zhong Mansion on his own."

Hearing this, Zhong Su and Wen Jianhui breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Wen Jianhui couldn't help but glare at her husband, blaming him for being too involved.

The cold treatment at the entrance was orchestrated by Zhong Su. After sending Du Fei to fetch the guest, Zhong Su thought it was awkward that a younger person didn't come to visit and had to be invited. Was his daughter so desperate to marry that she had to beg?

It felt too servile, demeaning his daughter.