Chapter 72

As the wine jar shattered with a sound, the young nobleman clutched his head and rolled on the ground, howling in pain. Yuexian was stunned, Qiao'er and Pan'er were stunned, the steward was stunned, and even the two servants following the young nobleman were stunned. Xia Hongsheng's sudden move caught everyone off guard; no one expected such a refined scholar to suddenly pick up a wine jar and hit someone. The contrast was so great that everyone around was momentarily stunned.

Taking advantage of their shock, Xia Hongsheng had already gone over and grabbed the young nobleman by the neck. The two servants finally reacted and were about to step forward, but Xia Hongsheng raised his eyes and stared at them, saying, "Do you want to try?"

"Brat, let go quickly! Otherwise, you'll regret it!"

"Do not harm my master!"

The two servants shouted their loyalty but did not dare to really step forward. After all, their master was in Xia Hongsheng's hands, with his neck being held, and a shard of the broken wine jar was still in Xia Hongsheng's hand. If they really rushed over and something happened, their master's life would be in danger. Even now, their master had been hit by a wine jar and would surely receive a beating when he returned. If their master blamed them, they could be beaten to death. The two servants were already in a panic. The more they panicked, the easier it was for Xia Hongsheng to handle the situation.

"You dare to hit me! My father is the Chief Secretary of Luoyang, he will have you flayed and dismembered... Ah!" The young nobleman continued to rant, but Xia Hongsheng suddenly pinched his nose with his fingers and gave it a hard tug, causing him immediate pain. His nose stung, and tears welled up in his eyes. "You two dogs, why don't you take him down!"

Xia Hongsheng glanced at the two servants who were about to pounce, then moved the shard of the wine jar near the young nobleman's neck and said, "Oh, there's a major artery in the neck. You know what an artery is, right? It's the part that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. If you rush over and accidentally bump into me, my hand might slip, and this shard could... tsk tsk, that would be a real bloodbath!"

"You, don't be reckless! Our master is the son of the Chief Secretary of Luoyang. If you hurt a single hair on his head, you will be thrown into prison for life!" One of the servants, staring intently at Xia Hongsheng's hand that was moving back and forth near the young nobleman's neck, said.

"So what if he's the son of the Chief Secretary of Luoyang? Can he cause trouble in broad daylight, harass women? How can you be so stupid? You've said it several times, and I've heard it several times, but I still did it. What does that mean? It means I have nothing to fear, not even a mere Chief Secretary! Can't you understand that?" Xia Hongsheng's face showed a strange smile as he looked at the two servants and then looked down at the young nobleman whose neck was being held by the shard. "What I hate most is people who bully others with their power. A mere son of a Chief Secretary can act so arrogantly, and his father can't even discipline him. How can such a person assist the governor in governing the people? I think this Chief Secretary of Luoyang should resign!"

Xia Hongsheng's words stunned everyone around, causing them to be greatly alarmed. Hearing his words, they began to doubt Xia Hongsheng's identity. Even the young nobleman on the ground was frightened and dared not continue to curse.

Xia Hongsheng released his grip and kicked the young nobleman away, coldly snorting, "I never start trouble, but I won't let others bully me either. Today, I'm in a good mood, so I'll let you off. Go back and tell your father, the Chief Secretary of Luoyang, to see how he deals with his son's unruly behavior and lack of discipline! Get out!"

The young nobleman and the two servants were hesitant, unsure of Xia Hongsheng's identity. They gritted their teeth and turned to run away.

"Master..." Seeing the three of them run away, Yuexian and the others hurried over to Xia Hongsheng's side. Xia Hongsheng frowned slightly, turned to the steward, and said, "Steward, please get me some paper and a pen."

The steward, who still didn't know Xia Hongsheng's identity, thought that since Xia Hongsheng dared to scold even the Chief Secretary, he must have a very high status. He quickly fetched the paper and pen. Xia Hongsheng picked up the pen, thought for a moment, and then quickly wrote something.

Xia Hongsheng had deliberately spoken in a way that showed he didn't care about the Chief Secretary of Luoyang, leading them to believe he was someone of even higher status. In reality, Xia Hongsheng knew he was just a commoner with no background. But the situation was urgent, and if he hadn't acted, the three women behind him would have been in trouble. This young nobleman was clearly not someone who could be reasoned with. It was just a temporary solution; once they thought about it, they would see through him.

"Steward, please send someone to the General's residence in Luozhou to deliver this letter to General Qutu. When you inform them, just say it's from Xia Hongsheng of Luozhou." Xia Hongsheng finished writing and handed the paper to the steward, who quickly agreed and called a servant to deliver the letter to the General's residence.

Xia Hongsheng turned back to Yuexian and the others, who still looked frightened, and said, "I'm sorry to have caused you trouble today. Please go back for now. I will sort things out as soon as possible and come to discuss with you."

"But Master..." Yuexian wanted to say more but was interrupted by Xia Hongsheng's raised hand.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. As long as I'm here, you'll be safe. Take them back, and I'll come up with a plan soon. I need to handle some things, so go ahead."

"This is because of me..." The woman wanted to say more but was interrupted again.

"This isn't because of you; it's because of that unruly young nobleman. It has nothing to do with you. Go back, and I'll come to the Fragrant Pavilion to find you." Xia Hongsheng shook his head. "Don't worry, just do what you need to do until I come. Go now."

Seeing Xia Hongsheng's determination, Yuexian apologized and left with Qiao'er and Pan'er. Xia Hongsheng watched them get into the carriage and leave, then turned and went back upstairs to the private room, asked the steward to bring him a pot of tea, and started drinking it.

His little trick would be exposed as soon as the young nobleman returned. When the young nobleman's anger flared, he wouldn't let it go. If Xia Hongsheng didn't step in, the young nobleman would take it out on Yuexian and the others. Yuexian and the others were the first to show such respect to him, and he couldn't just stand by. They were truly helpless, having come to Luoyang alone and knowing no one.

"Master, why are you still here?" The steward appeared outside the private room and asked.

Xia Hongsheng smiled. "Don't worry, steward, I have a plan."

The steward, not wanting to get involved, nodded and left, only reminding Xia Hongsheng because he had a good impression of him.

Soon, a group of footsteps could be heard outside, and the bamboo curtain of the private room was lifted. Xia Hongsheng turned to see a group of burly guards standing outside.

"What? Are you taking me to prison?" Xia Hongsheng sneered. "Let's go, I've never been to a prison before."

Meanwhile, the servant from Yixiangju, following the steward's instructions, ran to the General's residence, which was also the Governor's residence of Luozhou. He knocked on the door and relayed Xia Hongsheng's message to the servant who opened the door. The servant reported to the steward, who hurried to the door. The servant repeated Xia Hongsheng's message, and the steward nodded and hurried to the back courtyard.

As he approached the back courtyard, he heard a violent coughing fit. He thought to himself that the old general's health was deteriorating day by day, and even the imperial physicians sent from the palace had not been able to improve his condition. In the main hall of the back courtyard, he saw a humble figure kneeling behind a table. Frowning, the steward recognized the clothing; it was an imperial eunuch. He didn't know when the eunuch had arrived. He composed himself and quickly walked to General Qutu's side, bowing. "I greet the general and the imperial eunuch!"

"What is it?" Qutu frowned, seemingly annoyed at the interruption.

"General, please forgive me. A servant from Yixiangju just delivered a letter, saying it was from Xia Hongsheng of Luozhou and must be given to you." The steward respectfully handed the letter to Qutu.

Qutu took the letter, read it, and immediately slammed his hand on the table, startling the steward.

"These people are becoming more and more audacious. My health has been declining, and I didn't want to make a fuss, but now they are even more arrogant, allowing their sons to act tyrannically. Now they have even dared to attack a court official. They truly have no sense of their own mortality!" Qutu was furious, his face red with anger. After a few words, he coughed again.

"Ah, Duke Jiang, please calm down! Please don't get angry, your health is most important!" The eunuch, kneeling below, quickly consoled him. "This time, the palace has sent several skilled physicians with me. I believe they will be able to cure you."

"I thank His Majesty for his concern!" Qutu bowed in the direction of Chang'an and then turned to the eunuch, smiling. "No problem, imperial eunuch. Since it's a good day, let's go and announce the imperial decree together, shall we?"