A biting cold wind swept through as a spear, dark and gleaming with a chilling light, pierced through a guard's leg, pinning him like a trapped beast onto the bluestone pavement outside Zhenghua Gate. The guard lay sprawled on the ground, howling in agony, sweat pouring from him as if drenched by rain.
Everyone froze in shock, watching as a pool of starkly vivid blood spread beneath the guard. Despite his desperate struggles, he could not budge the spear an inch. In an instant, all eyes turned toward the direction from which the spear had come.
Within sight, eight tall steeds approached the palace gates. Unlike Feng Zhang's party, this group moved at a leisurely pace and was fewer in number, yet their presence far outstripped Feng Zhang's in sheer imposing aura.
Clad in sleek, dark martial attire, the leader was none other than Yan Chi.
Behind him, including Bai Feng, everyone wore similar attire and carried weapons—except for Yan Chi, whose hands were empty.
Given the scene, the origin of that spear was unmistakable.
Feng Zhang's eyes widened abruptly. He had not expected to encounter Yan Chi here, and even less anticipated that Yan Chi would intervene—and with such a bloody strike at that.
Yan Chi advanced unhurriedly, his expression calm, even carrying a faint curve at the corner of his lips.
As he drew nearer on his horse, the guards accompanying Feng Zhang retreated step by step. By the time Yan Che reined in beside the injured guard, the Loyal Marquis Manor's guards had already scattered far and wide.
Feng Zhang took a deep breath. Though a sense of awe lingered within him, he was thoroughly incensed.
He knew Yan Chi had remained in the capital to serve as an official. Without his military status, he should be less intimidating. Yet Feng Zhang was also aware that this heir of Prince Rui had spent years in the northern frontiers, and his reputation was far from favorable.
"What is the meaning of this, Crown Prince?" Feng Zhang clenched his fists, his voice tight with suppressed anger.
Yan Chi first glanced at Qin Guan, then raised his hand and yanked the spear from the ground.
The guard screamed again in pain and instinctively crawled toward Feng Zhang's direction.
On the main path outside the palace gate, the snow had just begun to melt. Across the bluestone pavement dotted with patches of snow, the guard dragged a long trail of blood. Feng Zhang shot a fierce glare at the guard, prompting two of his men to hurriedly pull the injured man to his feet.
With the spear in hand, Yan Chi flicked his wrist, sending a spray of blood droplets flying from its tip.
He turned his gaze to Feng Zhang. "Exactly what you see."
Though no overt rage showed on Yan Chi's face, his eyes were icy cold. Staring at Feng Zhang this way, it seemed as though the next strike of the spear would be aimed at him, sending a chill down Feng Zhang's spine. He wanted to retreat, but standing on the carriage shaft, where could he go? Narrowing his eyes, Feng Zhang revealed a trace of ferocity. "Is the Crown Prince intending to make an enemy of the Loyal Marquis Manor?"
Hearing this, Yan Chi's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you wish to oppose the Loyal Marquis Manor? Or perhaps Grand Princess? Or even the Empress Dowager? Or maybe the Emperor?"
Feng Zhang's eyes bulged. "What are you saying, Your Highness? What Grand Princess? What Empress Dowager? What Emperor?"
He held no fear of the Loyal Marquis Manor, but the mention of Grand Princess, the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor sent a shiver through him.
"Ninth Miss of the Qin Manor is Grand Princess's adopted granddaughter, entrusted by the Emperor to treat the Empress Dowager's illness. Knowing this, how dare you offend her so brazenly? Do you not wish for the Empress Dowager's condition to improve?"Feng Zhang's face turned slightly pale. "I certainly am not. It's just... just that this girl and her guard were disrespectful to me, and I wanted to teach them a lesson. Your Highness, please don't pin such a serious accusation on me."
Yan Chi's spear moved slightly, its bloodstained tip tracing a sharp arc in the air. Though it was just a small movement, it frightened the dozen or so Feng family guards into stepping back repeatedly.
"I've heard that Heir Feng is the bully of the capital?"
Feng Zhang didn't understand what Yan Chi meant by this, fearing there might be some trap in his words, so he remained highly defensive.
"What does Your Highness mean by that?"
Yan Chi swept his spear tip across the snow beside him. "Nothing much. It's just that I haven't stayed in the capital for many years, and I didn't realize the Zhongguo Duke's residence had become so arrogant. Is it Consort Su who gives you this audacity? Or Prince Cheng?"
Feng Zhang frowned. "The affairs of the Zhongguo Duke's residence have nothing to do with Consort Su, nor with Prince Cheng."
Yan Chi's eyes darkened. "In that case, how dare you, Feng Zhang, act like a tyrant in the capital?! Though the Zhongguo Duke bears the title of duke, he merely relies on his ancestors' legacy. You and your father have contributed nothing to the Great Zhou nor to its people, yet you've mastered the art of bullying others with your influence. And now, you're using your numbers to bully a defenseless woman?" As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Chi pointed his spear tip at Feng Zhang's face. "I think you shouldn't be called a bully—more like a good-for-nothing."
Feng Zhang, having grown up privileged, had never been treated with such contempt! Even before the Emperor, out of respect for Consort Su, he was always treated kindly. And among the nobles and clans in the capital, who wouldn't give him some face? Even when someone like Zhao Jing fought with him, they would never point at his nose and call him a good-for-nothing!
Feng Zhang clenched his fists, his anger overwhelming any remaining reverence. Moreover, he thought that no matter how formidable Yan Chi might be, when the Emperor ordered him to remain in the Ministry of Justice, he hadn't dared to utter a single word of refusal. With this in mind, Feng Zhang's expression turned fierce.
"You call me a good-for-nothing?! And what are you, so impressive?! Now you're just some lowly official in the Ministry of Justice. If you were so capable, why didn't you dare to protest when the Emperor ordered you to stay in the capital?! You know full well the Emperor wants to strip Prince Rui's Northwest Frontier Army of its power, yet you stay silent like a servant?!"
Standing on the carriage shaft, Feng Zhang unleashed a torrent of angry words, his chest puffed out proudly. When it came to arguments, he was a hundred times better than this heir of Prince Rui. Besides, if he didn't fight back, and word got out that he had been called a good-for-nothing, how could he ever show his face in the capital again? Though the Prince Rui's residence was powerful, they had been absent from the capital for years—how could they compare to the deep-rooted influence of the Zhongguo Duke's residence here? Furthermore, the Emperor's order for Yan Chi to remain in the capital was clearly meant to control his power. Perhaps, in the Emperor's heart, he even harbored suspicion and dislike for this heir of Prince Rui. The more Feng Zhang thought about it, the less he feared Yan Chi.
Yan Chi listened to Feng Zhang's tirade with calm composure. "The Prince Rui's residence commands the Northwest Frontier Army and has defended the Great Zhou's borders for years. The Emperor has always shown exceptional favor to the Prince Rui's residence. Yet in your words, the Emperor has become an ungrateful man who suspects the Prince Rui's residence?"
Yan Chi let out a cold laugh. "Not only do you speak recklessly, but you also try to cast the Emperor in an unjust light. It seems I must teach you a lesson on behalf of Feng Ke." Narrowing his phoenix eyes, he said coldly, "Bai Feng—"Feng Zhang was the personal name of the Duke of Loyalty. Yan Chi's words were spoken in extreme fury. After a prolonged standoff between the two sides, although the seven guards behind Yan Chi had not moved, their expressions had already turned fierce. Upon hearing Yan Chi's order, all seven of them, including Bai Feng, immediately spurred their horses and leaped toward Feng Zhang simultaneously!
Startled by this sudden assault, Feng Zhang hastily retreated a large step backward. This misstep caused him to lose his footing and tumble off the carriage. Despite his decent martial arts skills that should have allowed him to evade, he was firmly seized by Bai Feng with a swift grappling technique.
Bai Feng twisted his arm behind his back and mercilessly drove a knee into his spine.
Feng Zhang grunted in pain, lifting his head to stare at Yan Chi in disbelief. "You... how dare you?! This is the capital, outside Zhenghua Gate! The Emperor is watching from within the palace—how dare you?!"
Yan Chi sat leisurely atop his horse, remaining silent. Bai Feng abruptly intensified the pressure on Feng Zhang's arm. "Now you remember this is the capital? Now you remember we're outside Zhenghua Gate?"
Feng Zhang gritted his teeth, glaring venomously at Yan Chi. "Let's see if you actually dare to lay a hand on me here!"
Having always been the one to bully others, even with Yan Chi's guards striking first, Feng Zhang genuinely didn't believe Yan Chi would truly harm him. At this provocation, Yan Chi let out a soft chuckle from his saddle. His gaze swept over the Feng residence guards who were agitated yet hesitant to advance, before his voice suddenly turned grave. "I care not whether this is the capital. Having served in the Northwest Frontier Army for so many years, I only know military discipline. In my camp, those who speak wrongly or act improperly must be punished."
Feng Zhang sneered and spat. "The Northwest?! The Northwest Frontier Army was originally the Great Zhou's garrison force, yet it has become the private army of your Prince Rui's household. You and your father act as petty emperors in the west..."
At the mention of the Northwest Frontier Army, a glacial chill flashed in Yan Chi's eyes. His gaze, sharp as an arrow from the abyss, shot toward Feng Zhang, who found himself unable to utter the word "emperor" under that piercing stare. Yan Chi watched him for a moment, making Feng Zhang's heart race and sweat bead on his forehead. A sense of foreboding surged within him—suddenly, he felt afraid.
It was then Yan Chi spoke. "In the Northwest Frontier Army, what is the punishment for disrespecting a superior?"
"Fifty cane strikes!"
All seven men, including Bai Feng, answered in unison, their voices thunderous and imposing.
Yan Chi asked again, "And for disrespecting the commander-in-chief?"
"One hundred cane strikes!"
Again came the unified response. In the knife-edged cold wind, Bai Feng and the six others maintained stern expressions, their eyes steely, as if the area outside Zhenghua Gate were part of the Northwest Frontier Army camp. Their solemn, efficient demeanor, tinged with a faint aura of bloodshed and slaughter, effectively cowed the Feng residence guards into stillness.
Yan Chi pressed further, "And for disrespecting The Emperor?"
"Beheading!"
These two words, carrying the force of a tidal wave and reeking of bloodlust, landed heavily. Not only did Feng Zhang, pinned beneath restraint, pale, but even his guards turned ashen. For a moment, the Feng residence guards forgot what Feng Zhang had just said. A few considered rushing to protect their master, but facing Yan Chi and the grave charge of "disrespecting The Emperor," their fleeting impulse was suppressed. Regardless of whether they could defeat Yan Chi's men, what would become of them if such a crime fell upon their heads?
Feng Zhang had protectors—they did not.Feng Zhang was also somewhat panicked. He knew of Yan Chi's reputation for killing without batting an eye. What if Yan Chi really stabbed him with a spear right here?!
"I didn't! I didn't disrespect The Emperor!"
"I only mentioned you and your father! I didn't disrespect The Emperor!"
"If you dare lay a hand on me, if you dare, The Emperor will surely punish you!"
Yan Chi listened, watching Feng Zhang as if observing a clown, then curled the corner of his lips and uttered two words, "Do it."
As soon as the words fell, Bai Feng and the others, who had long been unable to hold back, rained down fists like a storm upon Feng Zhang. Each punch landed solidly, each producing a dull thud. Feng Zhang first looked incredulous, then gritted his teeth, unwilling to cry out. But before he could endure more than a few blows, he couldn't hold back, and soon, Feng Zhang began to cry out in pain and humiliation.
While dodging, he glared at the Feng residence guards, "You... you just stand by and watch your master get beaten like this? You—useless fools—"
Feng Zhang couldn't rally his guards and could only clutch his head and continue cursing.
"You... you'll regret... after today—"
Before he could finish the word "regret," Feng Zhang was reduced to pained cries. He had never known how excruciating it could be to be beaten by a group!
Not long after the beating started, over ten imperial guards who had heard the commotion rushed out from the palace gates. Upon arriving, they immediately saluted Yan Chi. The leading guard captain looked rather awkwardly at Feng Zhang, who was already bruised and swollen, and said, "Crown Prince, this is the palace entrance. I'm afraid... I'm afraid..."
Yan Chi looked at the beaten Feng Zhang, "Do you admit your mistake?"
From a distance, Feng Zhang refused to answer. Yan Chi then said, "Continue."
Bai Feng landed another heavy punch on Feng Zhang's face, and blood immediately trickled from the corners of his mouth and nose!
"You'll... regret this..."
"You son of a... bitch..."
Feng Zhang curled up from the beating, yet even so, there wasn't a spot on his body that didn't ache. While cursing, he remained convinced that Yan Chi wouldn't seriously injure him. But seeing that even the imperial guards had come out and Yan Chi still showed no sign of stopping, Feng Zhang's resolve wavered. He didn't know if Yan Chi might actually kill him.
All the Feng residence guards watched with anguish as Feng Zhang was beaten beyond recognition. In the past, it had always been Feng Zhang leading them to beat others—from the children of officials to the lowly commoners in the capital. Feng Zhang could even pick a fight with anyone who displeased him. But this time, it was Feng Zhang being beaten. Watching his face covered in blood, the others felt both fear and pity, lowering their eyes. Suddenly, one of them knelt on the ground, "Crown Prince, please spare our master."
With that one kneeling, the others followed suit. Yan Chi remained unmoved, not uttering a word.
Everyone knew Yan Chi was waiting for Feng Zhang to beg for mercy himself.
Just as the situation grew intensely tense, suddenly, everyone heard a faint, choked sob. The Feng residence guards exchanged glances, then looked at Feng Zhang in disbelief—had their master been beaten to tears?!
"Stop... stop hitting..."
"I... I know... now..."
Yan Chi, still on horseback, asked, "What does Heir Apparent Feng know?"
"I... I know..."
"I know I was wrong..."Gasping for breath in pain, his voice choked with sobs, Feng Zhang finally managed to utter the word after several broken attempts. Only then did Yan Chi nod, and Bai Feng and the others stepped back, giving Feng Zhang a chance to catch his breath.
He breathed heavily, yet couldn't move due to the pain wracking his body. His eyes were caked with blood, and when he managed to open them, he saw Yan Chi had ridden his horse right up to him.
Yan Chi used his spear to flip Feng Zhang over. In just that short time, Feng Zhang's face had swollen into a bruised, purple mess resembling a pig's head. Yan Chi's tone softened slightly, "A true man must face the consequences of his mistakes. That is the Path of being human."
Speaking amiably, Yan Chi continued, "Before, you were the tyrant running rampant in the capital. But now that I've returned, you'll have to change your ways. Do you know what they call me in the Northwest Frontier Army?"
"D...Demon King..."
Feng Zhang gasped out each word with what little breath he had left, blood-flecked foam appearing at the corners of his mouth with every syllable. His pitiful state would evoke sympathy even from the imperial guards, let alone his own household guards.
When had the lawless heir apparent Feng ever ended up in such a state?
Yan Chi gave a slight nod. "You bear the title 'Prince,' and I bear the title 'King.' Such similarity inevitably creates conflict. The solution is for you to learn your place, leaving me as the only one. What do you think?"
Yan Chi consulted Feng Zhang as if discussing business. Feng Zhang stared through tear-blurred eyes at the dusty gray sky.
"I...I understand..."
Feng Zhang's eyes held both tears and hatred, but he knew he had to say these words now.
Yan Chi straightened up, a carefree smile spreading across his face. "You there, why aren't you taking Heir Apparent Feng to see a physician?"
Then, looking at Feng Zhang, he added, "Shall I send you directly to the palace to seek imperial physicians?"
Feng Zhang narrowed his eyes, hatred intensifying in their depths. "Good, good... I want... I want to go to the palace..."
With no one to restrain Yan Chi, the lawless man could brutalize him freely. But now, he would use this very state to enter the palace—to let Consort Su see, to let the Emperor see...
Yan Che pointed cheerfully toward the palace gates. "Why the delay in sending him off?"
At this, Feng's household guards hurried forward, joined even by the Imperial Guards. Feng Zhang was lifted stiffly by four men carrying him by limbs, gasping in pain with every movement as they went.
Watching the large procession head toward the palace gates, the faint smile finally faded from Yan Chi's face.
He cast an interested glance at Feng Zhang before dismounting and walking toward Qin Guan.
Throughout the entire incident, Qin Guan, Fuling, and Cheng Hu had been watching from the sidelines.
When the rescue first began, Fuling had been quite moved, but as events unfolded, she found herself growing inexplicably frightened. As Yan Chi approached, she instinctively stepped back, and Cheng Hu also showed tension on his face.
Only Qin Guan looked at Yan Chi with a mixture of helplessness and concern.
She understood deeply that even if Yan Chi was furious about today's matter, there was no need for him to publicly beat Feng Zhang so severely. Not only that, but he had actively sent Feng Zhang into the palace.
What awaited Yan Chi next? No matter how incompetent Feng Zhang might be, he still represented Prince Cheng and Consort Su.
"Were you frightened?" Yan Chi approached Qin Guan, his expression normal, the concern in his eyes genuine.Qin Guan looked at Yan Chi. Since she had met him, although she knew of his reputation as the Demon King, today was the first time she had witnessed how he "tormented" others. While she felt Feng Zhang thoroughly deserved it, if not for today's incident, she would have almost forgotten that infamous title. Had he been like this in Shuoxi as well?
As she gazed intently at Yan Chi, Qin Guan shook her head. "No."
Yan Chi intended to take another step forward, but instead, he merely shifted his stance. The corners of his lips curved slightly. "That's good. We came from the Garrison Battalion's training grounds and originally planned to inspect the garrison camp in the northern part of the city."
Qin Guan pressed her lips together. "I'm afraid you'll have to enter the palace now."
A faint smile flickered in Yan Chi's eyes. "It doesn't matter. You return to the estate first. Whether I enter the palace or not is still uncertain. I'll proceed to the garrison camp as planned."
Qin Guan hesitated, wanting to say more, but with so many people around, it was truly inappropriate.
She nodded and curtsied slightly. "Thank you for today, Crown Prince."
Yan Chi lifted the corners of his lips and said nothing more, watching as Qin Guan boarded the carriage.
Once inside the carriage, Fuling exclaimed with a mix of excitement and anxiety, "The Crown Prince has finally avenged us! That Feng Zhang is nothing but a bully! Who knows how many people he has harmed before!"
Then she added, "But if the Crown Prince struck Feng Zhang, will there be consequences..."
Even Fuling understood the risks Yan Chi had taken, and Qin Guan's worries deepened further.
Qin Guan sighed. "He is Prince Rui's heir apparent. It will be fine."
Though she said this, unease gnawed at her heart. Because of this, she remained silent for the rest of the journey. When the carriage arrived at the estate, she stepped out directly and headed toward the main courtyard. She needed to inform Qin Shu and his wife about today's incident. That way, if Yan Chi were truly held accountable, the Marquis's estate, for the sake of its own interests, would not stand idly by.
With these thoughts, Qin Guan entered the main courtyard, where Hu Shi was waiting for her.
As soon as she saw Qin Guan, Hu Shi took her hand and said, "You've finally returned, Guan'er. Just now, the Left Vice Minister of Revenue's family sent word that their young lady will not be coming for her consultation tomorrow."
Qin Guan was taken aback by this news. The Left Vice Minister of Revenue's daughter suffered from asthma and had previously agreed to come for treatment tomorrow afternoon. For this, she had made some preparations last night. Why would they cancel now?
Qin Guan froze for a moment and instinctively asked, "Why?"
Hu Shi smiled wryly. "An elder in their clan has passed away."
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