Chapter 94: Go On, Hit Me

“Hey, we do not care who you are. So long as you are not the Son of Heaven himself, you had better behave and listen!” the two attendants said with brazen arrogance.

Zhao Huan stood nearby and watched in silence. In broad daylight, under a clear and righteous sky, right beneath the emperor’s own feet, he had never imagined that anyone would dare commit such a thing. So he did not rush to step forward. He wanted to see exactly who possessed such reckless boldness, who would dare to engage in such brazen wrongdoing.

The Drunken Immortal Pavilion was no ordinary place. More precisely, it was one of Zhao Huan’s own enterprises, its hidden proprietor being Empress Zhu Lian. Of course, the one who had come up with the idea was Zhao Huan himself. Just as later generations would build specialized clubs for the great and powerful to gather, this Drunken Immortal Pavilion had been prepared especially for the officials of Bianjing.

Because the dishes served there had a flavor all their own, its reputation spread quickly. Every day, countless people wanted to line up and eat there, yet not everyone could actually get a meal. To dine in that place, one had to possess a pass.

And obtaining that pass was no easy matter. Mere wealth was not enough. Since this young man could bring people to dine at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, his status was naturally no ordinary one.

Zhao Huan gave Zhao Yan a glance, signaling her not to reveal his identity for the moment.

Zhao Yan was astute enough to understand his meaning from a single look. Yet being mocked by such servants still left her thoroughly displeased. Her pretty face turned cold, her small mouth pouting slightly in irritation, and she shot Zhao Huan a look to express her dissatisfaction.

“Hah, then I should very much like to know what kind of people you are, to speak such grand words!” Zhao Yan understood Zhao Huan’s purpose and took the initiative to lure them into revealing their identity.

“Afraid it will scare you to death if we say it. Our young master is Wang Qiming,” the two attendants said with proud, lifted chins.

The commotion quickly drew a crowd. People gathered around, pointing and discussing, condemning the two attendants and speaking up in Zhao Yan’s defense.

Hearing the crowd rally to her side, Zhao Yan felt considerably better. The common people of Bianjing were rather lovely after all.

“Young man, whoever you are, this is the capital, under the emperor’s feet. It is not a place where you can run wild,” said one passerby.

“Exactly. Miss, you may leave with complete peace of mind. They would never dare do anything to you!” said another. Zhao Yan was simply too beautiful, and naturally inspired the protective instincts of these men.

“The two of you should get lost quickly. Otherwise, take care that we are not polite with you,” said a third.

...

“Y-you dare speak this way without even knowing who our master is? Believe me, I will make sure you never see tomorrow’s sun!” one of the attendants said angrily after hearing the bystanders’ abuse.

“Then why not tell us who your master is?”

“Our master is Prime Minister Wang Fu, the chief minister of the realm!” the two attendants said smugly.

Wang Fu was indeed the chief minister, the man at the top of the court. Only, he had served as chief minister under Zhao Ji. After Zhao Huan ascended the throne, he had long since been pushed aside. But ordinary people did not know that. All they knew was that Wang Fu was a prime minister, a man they could not afford to offend.

“Didn’t you say you were going to hit me? Come on, then. Try it!” one of the attendants challenged the bystanders.

“Heh...” The few who had spoken earlier slipped away quietly while no one was paying attention. A joke it was not to say that one should draw a blade to help when seeing injustice, but that did not mean one had to sacrifice one’s own life. A prime minister was not someone they could provoke.

“Come on, weren’t you all so fierce just now? Hit me, then!” The two attendants stepped toward the crowd.

At once, the people in front retreated a step.

Not a single person dared stand out.

Since ancient times, the common people did not battle officials.

Zhao Huan shook his head. He had not expected the man to be Wang Fu’s son. Originally, he had not intended to deal with Wang Fu just yet, but now it seemed he had found a pretext.

With a sharp crack, one of the attendants was slapped flying by someone’s hand.

Zhao Huan had been about to order someone to act, but unexpectedly, someone else had already made a move.

And it was a woman.

“You... you actually dared hit me!” the attendant stared at the woman before him in utter disbelief.

“I’ll kill you!” Enraged, he raised his hand to slap her.

“Ah, Miss, be careful!” No one had expected that lackey to strike a woman, and they could not help but cry out in alarm, their hearts secretly tightening for her.

Thud.

The woman, seeing the attendant lunge at her, remained utterly unhurried. She kicked out with lightning speed, striking after he had moved yet arriving before him. In one swift motion, she sent him flying.

“Aaah, you still dare strike back? Are you tired of living? If you have the nerve, give me your name!” The attendant clutched his stomach, his face twisted in pain.

“Wasn’t it you who told me to hit you just now?” The woman looked at him as though he were a fool. She had never imagined that anyone would actually ask to be beaten, but in the spirit of helping others, she naturally obliged.

“Young Master, you must stand up for me!” the attendant hurriedly cried out to Wang Qiming for help.

Only then did Wang Qiming truly notice the woman before him. He had always been in contact with delicate, soft-spoken women, and this was the first time he had seen a woman with such bearing.

She stood there with a straight figure and a cool, stern face, sharp and valiant in manner. It gave Wang Qiming a sense of sudden brightness, as though a flower had opened before his eyes. He paid no mind to his attendant at all, and instead said, “Miss, may I ask your name?”

“If you do not wish to die, then get farther away,” the woman said coldly, glancing at him. She was like a slab of ice; one only had to come near to feel the chill.

“Of course I do not wish to die,” Wang Qiming said lightly and with a lewd smile, “but if I could die upon you, then I should think it a most worthy end.”

A clear ring sounded as a sharp treasured sword suddenly left its scabbard. The point of the blade pressed against Wang Qiming’s throat as a cold voice said, “If you truly want to die, I will oblige you.”

Pain shot through him. Wang Qiming knew the skin on his neck had already been cut. For the first time, he felt the threat of death from the sword’s point. He understood that the woman had not been lying; she truly would kill him.

“I don’t want to. I don’t want to...” he hurriedly waved his hands again and again.

This flower was thorny indeed, and not so easy to pick.