NOVEL WEB Chapter 96
Chapter 96: Teaching Wei Zifu a Lesson!
Wei Qing was furious.
“How dare you! Where did this scoundrel come from?” he shouted. “Get out of here immediately!”
Wei Zifu’s face was cold.
With a deep frown, she said calmly, “Sir, I already have someone I care about. Please do not disturb me.”
She gently tugged on Wei Qing’s sleeve, signaling for them to leave. After all, Gao Kan’s clothes did not look like those of an ordinary person.
Though Yang Yi’s power made her fearless, she preferred caution, not wanting to cause trouble for Yang Yi. Wei Qing understood her concern, casting a fierce look at Gao Kan before preparing to leave with his sister.
However, Gao Kan—an infamous troublemaker in Bianjing under the influence of his father, Gao Qiu—was not someone to back down.
Wei Qing, though fierce in appearance, still looked like a mere teenager, a young boy. After all, the beauty in front of him was far superior to anything he had seen in Bianjing.
Gao Kan’s eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, blocking their path.
“Stop!” he sneered. “Did I give you permission to go?”
Wei Qing raised his eyebrows, his expression icy. After a few months in the army, he was no longer the stable boy he once was. If not for his sister’s restraint, Gao Kan would be picking his teeth off the ground by now.
Wei Zifu spoke coldly, “What do you want?”
Gao Kan’s eyes lingered on Wei Zifu with a greedy look.
He smiled, “You’re not dressed very well. How about this: come with me now, and I’ll buy you clothes that rival those of noble ladies, along with some jewelry. How does that sound?”
Wei Zifu refused firmly. “No need.” She then pulled Wei Qing and started walking in the opposite direction.
This was the first time Gao Kan had been met with such coldness. Stunned for a moment, he quickly reached out to grab her hand as she turned to leave.
Unable to hold back his fury any longer, Wei Qing kicked out forcefully. Before Gao Kan could even touch the hem of Wei Zifu’s clothes, he felt a sharp pain in his chest as Wei Qing’s powerful kick sent him flying backward, landing heavily on the ground.
…
At Honglu Temple, a servant rushed into Zhu Dong’s quarters.
“Master Zhu, the young master has been beaten,” the servant said urgently.
Zhu Dong’s expression darkened. Gao Kan, beaten? His eyelid twitched, and he rose quickly.
“Let’s go, take me there…”
…
“How are the Song Dynasty envoys?” Yang Yi asked casually.
The Vice Minister of Honglu Temple, Liu Gao, replied respectfully, “The envoys from the Song Dynasty have been arranged to rest at Honglu Temple. Does Prime Minister Yang wish to see them?”
Yang Yi pondered for a moment. “No hurry…”
At that moment, a maid ran over, panting.
“Prime Minister… Miss Wei is in trouble.”
Yang Yi’s eyebrows furrowed as his gaze sharpened. “What happened to her?”
Wei Zifu was important to him in many ways. Not only did she affect the future of the Twin Pillars of the Empire, but he had also grown quite fond of this kind and beautiful girl over the past few months.
The maid quickly replied, “She’s fine, but her brother Wei Qing beat up the Song Dynasty envoy.”
Liu Gao, standing nearby, was stunned. He had just informed the prime minister that the Song Dynasty’s envoys were resting quietly at Honglu Temple. And now they were causing trouble?
Yang Yi, relieved that Wei Zifu was unharmed said calmly,
“Did Wei Qing hit someone? Very well. Let’s go and see.”
“Yes,” the maid responded quickly.
…
At the Yamen, Zhu Dong frowned at the groaning Gao Kan and turned to Magistrate Zhang Feng.
“Magistrate Zhang, you heard clearly. My nephew did nothing wrong and was beaten,” Zhu Dong said, his tone disapproving.
Zhang Feng nodded respectfully. “Rest assured, Master Zhu. Since your nephew was beaten by these two, they will certainly cover his medical expenses. I will ensure a fair trial.”
Wei Qing, standing nearby, looked dissatisfied.
“Magistrate Zhang, it was this scoundrel who first harassed my sister, so I acted. Why should we pay for his medical treatment?”
Gao Kan sneered, clutching his chest.
“You hit me so hard that my chest still hurts. No way—you have to compensate me with at least one hundred ounces of gold, or you will not leave this Yamen today.”
Magistrate Zhang Feng’s brow furrowed, his displeasure barely concealed. Though this was his Yamen, the spoiled envoy acted as if he owned the place. Yet, because Gao Kan was a Song Dynasty envoy, Zhang Feng glared at Wei Qing in anger.
“Do you realize that you’ve injured an envoy of the Song Dynasty? If this affects our countries’ diplomatic relations, can you bear the responsibility?”
Wei Qing and Wei Zifu’s expressions changed. Were these people actually envoys from the Song Dynasty?
Gao Kan sneered. “It’s not too late to apologize to me now. Besides, your sister must come with me. I’ve taken a liking to her.”
Zhu Dong shot Gao Kan a warning glare, but the young man seemed unperturbed. If it weren’t for his father, Gao Qiu, Zhu Dong would have already scolded him for his brazen behavior.
Magistrate Zhang Feng’s eyelid twitched, but he pretended not to hear Gao Kan’s words.
Wei Qing, burned with anger, “Do you think you’re worthy?”
Wei Zifu tugged at Wei Qing’s sleeve, signaling him not to mention Yang Yi’s name. These were envoys from the Song Dynasty, and if they caused trouble for Yang Yi, it would be disastrous.
Wei Qing took a deep breath, understanding his sister’s caution.
He then spoke with resolve. “I am a captain under General Heichi Changzhi. Today’s incident was provoked by that man. I will not pay for his medical treatment.”
Magistrate Zhang Feng was taken aback. A captain under General Heichi Changzhi? He scrutinized the siblings, noting their plain clothing.
Although Wei Zifu was clean and beautiful, she was clearly not a noble lady, only an ordinary maid. And though Wei Qing was a captain, Zhang Feng assumed he held no significant authority, perhaps just a squad leader.
Zhang Feng spoke coldly. “While I respect General Heichi, you hurt someone. You should pay for it. Apologize and compensate him immediately.”
Zhu Dong raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t expected Wei Qing to be an officer, but he doubted it would matter. As an envoy of the Song Dynasty, he knew the officials in the Zhou Kingdom wouldn’t dare oppose him. Confident, he expected Magistrate Zhang to handle this properly.
Wei Qing shook with anger, dismayed to find his own country’s officials siding with foreign envoys.
Impatiently, Zhang Feng demanded, “Apologize quickly. If this escalates, you won’t be able to handle the consequences.”
Wei Qing glared at Zhang Feng, his expression fierce. Zhang Feng flinched, anger flaring within him. This defiant commoner was truly insolent.
He snorted. “So you’re refusing to apologize?”
He gave the order. “Then you will taste the rod! Let’s see if your bones are as hard as you think. Men hit him!”
Just as the Yamen officers lifted their water and fire staff, a voice rang out.
“Stop!”
Everyone froze, turning to see a middle-aged man in a crimson robe rushing in, his voice firm. Behind him, a man dressed in luxurious attire, with a handsome face and a subtle smile, followed slowly.