Ye Zhao had never been one to meddle in others' affairs. His deliberate attempt to startle Zhang Zuyao had, admittedly, caught Jiang Ziqi by surprise.
After some thought, Jiang Ziqi could only conclude that Ye Zhao had done it out of respect for the late Grand Princess.
With a silent sigh, Jiang Ziqi set aside his private curiosities. However, he hadn't expected that while they were willing to let the matter rest and give the other party a way out, the other party had no intention of letting them go.
Watching the group that had suddenly appeared to block their path, looking every bit like they were searching for trouble, Jiang Ziqi crossed his arms. His tone turned sour.
"Zhang Zuyao, what do you think you’re doing?"
Because of the funeral, Zhang Zuyao was dressed in more somber colors than usual, but his expression was dark with malice. He sneered, "The people in the Lakeside Pavilion just now—it was you two, wasn't it?"
Though he phrased it as a question, he clearly already knew the answer.
Beside him stood two young scions of wealthy families they had encountered before. Two steps behind stood the Fourth Miss of the Yin Manor. She wore a white *ruqun* with blue patterns, wrapped tightly in a thick white cloak. She looked delicate and frail, her fair face flushed with an unidentifiable faint red, her eyes filled with a trace of nervousness as she looked toward them.
Ye Zhao took one look at their expressions and knew exactly why they had come. He spoke indifferently, "It was us. If you want to know if we saw anything, then I’ll tell you: we did. We saw everything quite clearly."
There was no point in wasting words.
"We all know what day it is today. Therefore, even if you two were indiscreet, we intended to act as though we saw nothing. After all, nothing is more important than the Grand Princess’s funeral rites."
"Now that your minds are at ease, can you move out of the way?" Ye Zhao’s voice was calm, his meaning unmistakable.
He had no intention of exposing the matter, simply because he didn't want such a sordid affair to ruin the Grand Princess’s final honors or dampen the mood of the mourners.
Of course, his desire to avoid a scene did not mean others shared his concerns.
If it were merely a matter of a private tryst being discovered, a warning might have sufficed. But Zhang Zuyao had another secret weighing on his heart. Perhaps it was a guilty conscience, or perhaps it was an old grudge, but either way, he could not let Ye Zhao and Jiang Ziqi leave in peace.
Therefore, the best course of action was to scrub himself clean of the situation entirely!
Hearing Ye Zhao’s words, he sneered. "Move out of the way? I’m afraid the eldest Young Master Ye is thinking far too simply."
With an air of righteous indignation, Zhang Zuyao pointed at the two of them. "You two attempted to act improperly toward the Fourth Miss Yin. Now that you’ve been caught, you think you can just run away?"
*What?*
Jiang Ziqi was utterly dumbfounded, almost doubting his own ears. Had he heard that correctly?
Who was acting improperly toward whom?
Once Jiang Ziqi caught his breath, he barked out, "To hell with you! What a load of dog farts! We didn't even come to settle scores with you, and yet you want to splash dirty water on us? Who was it just now kissing the Fourth Miss Yin like they couldn't bear to part? If my brother hadn't warned you, you two would probably be rolling around together by now!"
Zhang Zuyao glanced around the area, suppressing the embarrassment of being exposed. He remained stubbornly defiant. "Nonsense! It was clearly you two who molested the Fourth Miss Yin. We discovered it and stopped you just in time. You still want to deny it?"
"You're lying!"
"Then why don't we ask the Fourth Miss Yin and have her testify?" Zhang Zuyao straightened his back, acting as if he had nothing to fear.
The two of them looked at the Fourth Miss Yin behind him. Her face was flushed red as she lowered her head slightly. She said nothing, only shifting closer behind Zhang Zuyao.
Her silence was a tacit endorsement of Zhang Zuyao’s version of events.
Zhang Zuyao looked triumphant. "Now, what else do you have to say?"
Faced with this reversal of blame, Ye Zhao showed no reaction, but Jiang Ziqi gritted his teeth and spat, "Shameless pair of curs!"
He thought to himself that he should have exposed the bastard’s tryst right then and there!
No one was passing by this palace path, so his words wouldn't be heard by anyone except those present. Of course, those watching from the shadows knew the truth, though they had yet to reveal themselves.
Ye Zhao and Jiang Ziqi were surrounded by the three men. Zhang Zuyao’s face was full of mockery. "The Fourth Miss’s maid has already gone to report this. It won't be long before the guards arrive to seize you. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll come with us willingly."
"Once we are before the Hall, confess your crimes obediently. Perhaps His Majesty will show some leniency."
He smiled with immense pleasure, continuing leisurely, "You must realize, we have a witness in hand. As for you, you have nothing. Who would believe your fabricated stories?"
"Furthermore, the eldest Young Master Ye is famous for his reputation as a rake. I’m afraid no one will believe a word you say, will they? Hahahaha..."
As Zhang Zuyao finished laughing, one of the men beside him chimed in, "Exactly. The Fourth Miss Yin is so beautiful; it’s hardly surprising that you two would be overcome by lust."
...
The group jeered one after another.
*Hardly surprising?*
Indeed. The human heart is unpredictable. Just because you help someone, why should that stop them from harming you?
It didn't. Different people, different hearts, different choices.
Kindness does not necessarily beget kindness; it can just as easily beget malice.
Ye Zhao’s face was as still as deep water. As he watched the men closing in to strike, his expression didn't change in the slightest, but the ink-black depth of his eyes slowly intensified.
Jiang Ziqi yanked off his cloak and threw it to the ground, stretching his limbs with a wild, arrogant grin. "Just you lot? Pfft... I could beat you until you were spitting teeth once, and I can do it a second time!"
As the last word fell, Jiang Ziqi swung his fist and charged.
Seeing this, the Fourth Miss Yin let out a small cry of alarm and hurried to back away.
The battle between the five men officially began.
In the past, whenever they fought, Jiang Ziqi was the main force while Ye Zhao followed behind to cover the gaps. But this time, things seemed different.
"Aaaagh—!!!"
A shrill, agonizing scream suddenly rang out.
Zhang Zuyao and his companion were two-on-one against Jiang Ziqi. As they began to trade blows, they all instinctively turned their heads toward the sound.
Ye Zhao had one hand pinning a man’s right arm while his foot was planted firmly on the man’s lumbar spine. The man on the ground was forced into a contorted, upward arch, frozen and unable to move. His face was deathly pale, his mouth hanging open like a dead fish; the sheer intensity of the pain robbed him of even the ability to make a sound.
Seeing this scene, Jiang Ziqi failed to react in time and took a punch to the back, but he had no mind to care. The others were the same, stopping in their tracks involuntarily.
Ye Zhao lightly released his grip, and the man slumped directly into the snow.
In the silence, there was a crisp *crack* of bone.
*His back is broken—*
The thought flashed through everyone’s minds simultaneously.
The man beside Zhang Zuyao turned pale, his finger trembling as he pointed at Ye Zhao. "You... you... you actually dare..."
This strike was too ruthless! One must know that such an injury might mean the man would never stand again for the rest of his life.
Whether out of rage or fear, he stammered for a long time without finishing a sentence.
After a moment, Zhang Zuyao snapped out of it. His eyes turned vicious as he suddenly pulled a short blade from his sleeve. With a roar of fury, he lunged at Ye Zhao.
"Watch out!" Jiang Ziqi shouted a warning.
The person in the shadows tensed, ready to intervene, only to see Ye Zhao shift his body slightly. He caught Zhang Zuyao’s arm, spun him around, and in an instant, Zhang Zuyao was also pinned under his foot.
This time, Jiang Ziqi saw the whole process. The movement was so fast it was completed in the blink of an eye.
Thanks to the man lying prone beside him, Zhang Zuyao had already been falling forward due to momentum before the kick landed on his waist. His injury didn't seem as severe, as he still had the strength to yell, "Aargh!! Hiss—"
"Ye Zhao, let go of me this instant!"
"What kind of underhanded tricks did you use?! I told you to let go, didn't you hear me?!"
"Ye Zhao! Are you deaf—" Zhang Zuyao turned his head, his gaze crashing straight into the other man’s eyes. His voice suddenly faltered, then died away completely.
Ye Zhao looked down at him, his gaze as calm and cold as a pool of stagnant water. It was an icy, heartless look that inspired a primal sense of dread. The longer one was pinned by that stare, the harder it became to breathe.
*This isn't Ye Zhao!*
The thought occurred to almost everyone instinctively. Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps from ahead, Zhang Zuyao suddenly turned his head. "Help!!! Help me!!!"
"Ye Zhao has gone mad! He’s insane!"
"Save me...! Someone save me!!!"
Zhang Zuyao’s face was full of terror. He scrambled with his hands and feet, trying to crawl away. He no longer had room for any other emotion; he only wanted to flee, to escape as fast as possible.
He screamed piteously. The two men still standing abandoned Zhang Zuyao and scrambled toward the newcomers. Only Jiang Ziqi remained standing there like a fool, at a loss for what to do.
However, this scene looked strikingly familiar to certain people.
Ye Zhao slowly drew the folding fan from his waist. With a light flick of his fingers, the fan was held like a curved blade, slowly being raised.
The man beneath his foot was still struggling desperately, but when the onlookers saw the familiar posture of the person behind him, their pupils constricted violently.
The scene that followed in their memories, however, did not happen.
"My mother is being laid to rest today; it is not a day for bloodshed. Lord Shu, please spare his life."
Anyone who had seen Tianshu kill with his own hands years ago knew that his fan was far more than a mere luxury item; it was a lethal weapon. Hidden within the outermost rib of the fan frame was a thin blade. The number of people who had died under that fan was beyond counting.
The Prince of Yong'an bowed low, his hands clasped in a formal salutation. His voice was exceptionally calm.
When he was young, he had once encountered that person. Today, he saw him again.
Among those who heard these words, not a single person remained calm.
On the trampled, messy snow, Zhang Zuyao lay prone, utterly terrified to move. A lock of severed hair slowly drifted down before his eyes. The cold sensation of the fan brushing against his neck seemed to linger. His eyes were wide, paralyzed by fear.
Ye Zhao had already let go. Hearing the voice, he looked up directly. Everyone he looked at remained motionless, their bodies stiff.
The old Minister of War—the Imperial Father-in-law, Lord Yin—who had come with his son after hearing his granddaughter had been molested, regretted coming here with every fiber of his being. It had been a long time since he had felt such terror.
In addition, there were Ye Zhao’s parents, who were worried about him; Pei Shi’an; Wei Feng and Eunuch Babao, who had brought men; and the Ministers of Revenue and Works. They had originally come to see what the commotion was about, only to witness this scene!
After an unknown amount of time, Ye Zhao silently moved his foot off the man. He glanced at the crowd, who seemed to have been hit by a pause button. He composed himself and cleared his throat. "Cough... You have the wrong person. I am Ye Zhao."
Earlier, he had simply felt very annoyed—so annoyed that a surge of frustration seemed trapped in his chest with no way out. Strange, hallucinatory thoughts had suddenly bubbled up in his mind.
When the man attacked, he had moved instinctively, as if his body naturally knew what to do. He felt a bit dazed.
He had just been imagining things, but the fact that those imaginings had become reality left Ye Zhao more than a little embarrassed. He looked down and saw Zhang Zuyao still sprawled on the ground, eyes wide with terror, and felt a twinge of guilt.
"Uh... are you alright?"
Ye Zhao took a step back. Then, he saw Zhang Zuyao’s soul seemingly return to his body. Without looking back, the man crawled toward the people on the path ahead, trembling and stumbling, yet with unwavering determination.
He looked... truly pitiful!
And yet, the perpetrator who had been cold and heartless just a moment ago was now standing there with a guilty expression, as if the preceding events had nothing to do with him...
The Prince of Yong'an straightened his back. His gaze toward Ye Zhao was surprised and somewhat complex.
*He’s changed. The feeling is different from just now...*
"Ye... Ye Zhao?" Jiang Ziqi was the first to muster the courage to call his name.
Ye Zhao turned, responding naturally, "Yeah? What is it?"
Jiang Ziqi searched that face carefully. It was still the same face, but the terrifying aura from a moment ago was completely gone. This was the Ye Zhao he had known for over a decade.
He slowly lifted his feet and took small steps toward Ye Zhao’s side. "Do you know what you just did?"
Ye Zhao: "...I know."
He knew, but this was completely unlike something Ye Zhao would do. Jiang Ziqi looked at the man lying nearby, whose life or death was uncertain. Ye Zhao followed his gaze. He hadn't been afraid when he did it, but now his heart skipped a beat. He hesitated. "...Should we get him an Imperial Physician quickly...?"
Ye Zhao was the person least qualified to say that.
As soon as he spoke, the area fell silent.
Wei Feng was perhaps the calmest person present. Dressed in his neat, stern official uniform with his hand on his sword hilt, he said coldly, "Men, take them away."
He showed no favoritism, acting purely on official business, calm and rational.
Naturally, it wasn't just Ye Zhao and Jiang Ziqi who were taken; the other participants were also detained.
However, Ye Zhao was unlucky. Following his grand display of power, he was defeated quite simply by a short blade lying on the ground. He accidentally stepped on it, slipped, and fell flat on his back, his head hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
This fall truly dispelled much of the lingering suspicion in everyone’s hearts—Lord Tianshu would never be so clumsy!
Jiang Ziqi and Ye Zhao’s parents were startled.
"Son! My son! Are you alright?!"
"Hey, Ye Zhao? You okay?"
"Ye Zhao? Ye Zhao??"
...
Many people crowded around him, saying something, but Ye Zhao felt terrible. It was as if he were submerged in water; the voices reaching his ears were muffled by a barrier, growing fainter and fainter. The world before his eyes began to lose color, spinning, twisting, fracturing, and reassembling like a bizarre, dynamic kaleidoscope.
As his consciousness was swept into a swirling torrent of dizziness, the clearest sentence he heard was Jiang Ziqi’s cry of grief and shock: "It’s over! Ye Zhao really has gone stupid!!! Imperial Physician! Imperial Physician! Come quickly and check his brain!!!"
Ye Zhao felt weak all over, but in his mind, he flipped a middle finger.
*You absolute liability, you’re the one who’s gone stupid!!!!!*
With that final thought, Ye Zhao lost consciousness completely.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 枢大人 | Lord Shu | A respectful/fearful address for Tianshu. |
| 天枢 | Tianshu | The name of the lethal persona Ye Zhao channels; also the name of the star Dubhe. |
| 国丈 | Imperial Father-in-law | Title for the father of an Empress or a high-ranking Imperial Consort. |
| 永安郡王 | Prince of Yong'an | A royal title (Junwang rank). |
| 兵部 | Ministry of War | One of the Six Ministries. |
| 户部 | Ministry of Revenue | One of the Six Ministries. |
| 工部 | Ministry of Works | One of the Six Ministries. |
