Xu Biao was drinking wine at the Middle Quarter of Pingkang Ward.
The Northern Quarter pressed against the ward walls was where low-class courtesans gathered—transactions were settled upon payment.
The Middle Quarter, situated at the crossroads, boasted elegant pavilions and towers where skilled beauties showcased their talents. Plump or slender, each possessed unique charms and artistry, attracting dashing young nobles and pleasure-seeking scions of the capital. The establishments thrived with ceaseless streams of visitors, bustling like flowing water and roaming dragons.
The Southern Quarter featured secluded mansions where golden chambers hid prized beauties, accessible only to high officials and nobles.
With the new dynasty established and the political situation stabilizing, Prime Minister Zheng issued the Decree Seeking the Worthy under Li De’s name, announcing the reinstatement of imperial examinations.
Candidates were unrestricted by background, origin, or social status—all talented scholars across the land were eligible to participate.
The proclamation sent shockwaves throughout the realm.
Literati from north and south responded to the call, journeying to the capital. Noble families who had scattered to evade wartime chaos gradually returned to Chang’an, making Pingkang Ward livelier and noisier by the day.
Among the three quarters, the Middle Quarter naturally flourished most vibrantly.
Before sunset, rows of lanterns already hung before the spacious entrance of the tavern.
Layers of curtains could not muffle the laughter and songs drifting from within.
The clear notes of pipa, the fervent strains of huqin, the resonant chimes of golden bells, and the mellow tones of konghou filled the air.
Amid the melodious music, several foreign dancers stood barefoot on a felt carpet, their slender waists swaying as they danced gracefully. They wore colored shawls over purple gauze robes, with long skirts tied at their waists.
The tempo of the music shifted between fast and slow, and their movements followed suit.
Fast passages were lively and spirited, vigorous and powerful. Slow passages were sinuous and enchanting, light and alluring.
Soon, the foreign dancers’ gauze robes were soaked with sweat, their fair skin faintly visible through the fabric.
An indescribable softness and charm radiated from them.
As the piece concluded, the dancers arched their backs and spun, their green eyes brimming with tender emotion as they slowly began to shed their garments.
The patrons in the tavern were already spellbound.
A hushed silence fell over the establishment. From the upper floor to the lower, all eyes were fixed on the dancers’ slender fingers as they teasingly loosened their robes.
Xu Biao’s mouth hung agape; he swallowed excitedly.
Suddenly, with a loud crash, the door was flung open.
Several sheathed long sabers parted the curtains, and golden sunlight flooded the hall.
The thick, cloying scents of powder and wine were diluted by the incoming breeze.
Xie Qing stood at the entrance, scanning the hall.
The foreign dancers shrieked in alarm, hastily clutching their robes and retreating in panic.
The previously suggestive and enchanting atmosphere vanished instantly.
Complaints erupted throughout the hall.
“Don’t stop! Keep going!”
“Damn it! I was just getting into it!”
Xu Biao roared along with them, slamming the table as he stood. “Where did this ugly brute come from?”
Xie Qing’s eyebrow twitched slightly as he glanced at Xu Biao.
Xu Biao continued cursing vehemently.
Without a word, Xie Qing strode upstairs, his large hand seizing Xu Biao by the collar and hauling him down.
Xu Biao stood seven feet tall with a robust build, far from lightweight.
Yet Xie Qing moved with swift efficiency, lifting him as effortlessly as a chick and tossing him out of the tavern onto the ground.
Xu Biao’s colleagues, who had been drinking with him, snapped to their senses. Stumbling in their haste, they set down their cups and rushed out, shouting drunkenly, “Let him go! He’s a Central General under the Prince of Qin! You…”
Before they could finish, their peripheral vision caught a graceful figure approaching on horseback, surrounded by burly servants, and they immediately fell silent.
In an instant, their drunkenness evaporated. Exchanging uneasy glances, they stared at one another in bewilderment.
Why would the Seventh Princess come to a place like Pingkang Ward?
Li Yaoying dismounted and lifted her gaze.
Her eyes swept over the red-faced, unsteady officials from the princely estate.
Their hearts pounded with trepidation, and they guiltily lowered their eyes.The Second Prince was a man of rough edges who cared only for warfare and never bothered with internal affairs. All matters, great and small, within the princely estate were managed and overseen by the Seventh Princess.
Although they were the Second Prince's servants, it was the Seventh Princess who decided their comings and goings.
If the Seventh Princess took a dislike to anyone, the Second Prince wouldn't even ask a single question before immediately expelling that person from the estate—even if they were a servant bestowed by Emperor Li De.
The men muttered inwardly: Carousing and drowning in drink... surely that wasn't such a grave offense?
Xu Biao was thrown onto the muddy ground, his mouth full of foul dirt. He didn't see Li Yaoying dismount, only heard the clatter of hooves. An unusual silence fell around them—no one dared to breathe loudly, and even the music from the tavern and the raucous laughter of the drinkers had ceased.
Drunk and heedless, he scrambled to his feet with a furious roar: "Seeking death!"
A chorus of tense gasps rippled through the crowd.
Li Yaoying watched him expressionlessly, the corners of her eyes lifting slightly. "Still not sober?"
Xu Biao's ferocious anger froze on his face, his jaw hanging slack.
Quick-witted servants had already fetched two large buckets of cold water. With a splash, they doused Xu Biao's face.
The weather was warming, and the water wasn't piercingly cold, yet Xu Biao couldn't suppress a shiver—a chill shooting up from the soles of his feet.
He recognized the Seventh Princess.
Which of the Second Prince's officials and generals dared not know the Seventh Princess?
Yaoying saw that he had sobered up and signaled to the guards with her eyes.
The guards dragged forward several trussed-up men.
The men tumbled to Yaoying's feet, kowtowing and begging for mercy: "Noble mistress, spare us! Noble mistress, spare us! We were only following orders—it was all Xu Biao's doing! Xu Biao has a residence in Shengping Ward where he keeps all the women he's seized!"
These were the same soldiers who had been forcibly abducting commoners earlier.
Thoroughly terrified after being intimidated on the way, they spilled everything without Yaoying even needing to interrogate them—pouring out like beans from a bamboo tube—confessing how Xu Biao had ordered them to coerce commoners into signing contracts.
Xu Biao was now completely sober, his face ashen.
Others, seeing this, realized Li Yaoying had come specifically for Xu Biao and quietly breathed sighs of relief.
In the silence, rapid hoofbeats sounded at the entrance. A guard leaped from his horse, carrying a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar, and rushed into the courtyard. Setting the man down, he announced: "Noble mistress, the Chief Administrator has been brought!"
The Chief Administrator of the princely estate, disheveled from the rough journey—his Soft Headwear askew and robes in disarray—was gasping for breath but didn't dare complain. Before he could even steady himself, he bowed to Li Yaoying.
Yaoying returned the courtesy and said, "The matter is urgent. I've troubled you, Chief Administrator."
The Chief Administrator hurriedly expressed that it was no trouble at all.
The guard then pulled a stack of messy contracts from his robe. "These are the contracts we found on them just now."
The Chief Administrator took the contracts and examined them carefully, shaking his head with a sigh.
He looked up at Xu Biao. "The Prince of Qin has repeatedly issued strict prohibitions against the army plundering commoners. You forced commoners to sell themselves into servitude—with both witnesses and evidence present—what do you have to say for yourself?"
Xu Biao's face flushed and paled alternately, his expression shifting unpredictably.
Finally, he grunted in a muffled voice, "I've fought through life and death with His Highness... what's the big deal about seizing a few maidservants..."
Gritting his teeth, he straightened his chest.
"His Highness isn't in the capital. Since I've fallen into the Princess's hands, whether to kill or slice me—I'm at your mercy!"
The others kept their eyes downcast, not daring to make a sound.
The Chief Administrator glanced at Li Yaoying.
In truth, the Second Prince had never issued such a prohibition—the one who had actually imposed the ban was the Seventh Princess.The Second Prince was unconstrained by trivial formalities, and his ranks were filled with dubious characters. These unruly men, after each battle, would immediately lead their troops to plunder, often harassing the common people.
Because of this, the Second Prince had a poor reputation.
The Seventh Princess urged the Second Prince to discipline his subordinates, but he would promptly forget her words.
Last year, a captain under the Second Prince’s command harassed a woman, who later took her own life in despair. The matter reached Li De, who was furious and publicly reprimanded the Second Prince.
The Seventh Princess was also angered. She summoned all the Second Prince’s household officers and personal attendants, sternly warning them: Military regulations are as unyielding as a mountain; anyone who violates them again will face military punishment!
At the time, the Second Prince stood beside the Seventh Princess, meek and submissive, agreeing to everything she said.
Before departing for battle, the Second Prince had decreed that all military affairs and household matters were to be decided by the Seventh Princess.
The Chief Steward awaited Li Yaoying’s instructions.
Xu Biao snorted disdainfully, his neck stiff, a mocking expression on his face.
In the tense silence, murmurs of discussion arose from the surroundings as more and more onlookers gathered.
Li Yaoying did not order the area cleared, so the guards made no move to disperse the crowd.
The Chief Steward’s expression was grave.
Yaoying glanced at him calmly. “Since the evidence is conclusive and Xu Biao has confessed, then let him be dealt with according to military regulations.”
The Chief Steward was startled.
Truly punish him according to military regulations? The Seventh Princess was known for her amiable and tolerant nature, never once scolding her maids or servants…
Yaoying frowned slightly.
Suppressing his surprise, the Chief Steward hesitated no longer. “Carry out the punishment!”
Two guards stepped forward, forcing Xu Biao to his knees.
Xie Qing approached Xu Biao, his long blade unsheathed.
Xu Biao’s drunkenness vanished, his face turning pale.
The Prince’s household officials, never expecting Li Yaoying to actually carry out the punishment, were horrified. Trembling, one of them spoke up: “Your Highness, spare Xu Biao this once. He is reckless by nature…”
Yaoying raised her hand.
Xie Qing immediately halted his movement to draw the blade.
The Prince’s household officials breathed a sigh of relief.
Yaoying looked at Xu Biao. “Which hand do you usually use?”
Xu Biao, his courage gone, was stunned for a moment before replying, “My right hand.”
Yaoying nodded and said to Xie Qing, “Cut off his left hand.”
Xie Qing acknowledged the order and swung the blade down.
A flash of cold light swept past.
The long blade severed two fingers from the left hand, blood gushing forth.
Xu Biao screamed in agony.
Several of the Prince’s household officials trembled in fear, instinctively clenching their own hands.
The crowd fell silent for a moment before erupting into loud discussions.
“The Princess punished that scoundrel according to military law!”
“The Wei army enforces strict discipline. How could the Second Prince, a royal prince, forcibly seize commoners? It’s all the doing of these vile underlings!”
“The Seventh Princess is fair in both rewards and punishments!”
Outside the tavern, cheers and praises resounded without end.
Xu Biao was taken away to have his wounds bandaged.
Yaoying felt a chill run down her spine, her body trembling slightly.
Xie Qing glanced at her, then stepped forward to block the sight of the pool of blood on the ground.
Unable to see the gruesome blood, Yaoying felt somewhat relieved and let out a soft sigh.
The Chief Steward, having watched Li Yaoying grow up, noticed her discomfort and knew she was recalling events from when she was five years old. His heart filled with pity and sorrow. He sighed and said, “Such filthy tasks should be left to this old servant… Your Highness is delicate and unaccustomed to such brutality.”
Yaoying shook her head. “Today’s matters must be settled today. If Xu Biao isn’t dealt with now, Second Brother’s reputation will be truly ruined.”
Li De would never allow Li Zhongqian to threaten Li Xuanzhen’s position and had repeatedly suppressed him.
As a result, Li Zhongqian had abandoned himself to despair and seldom restrained his subordinates.His subordinates often committed misdeeds under his name, tarnishing his reputation day by day.
Li De despised his dissolute ways, noble families considered him frivolous and cold-hearted, while commoners cursed him as cruel and vicious.
When he was trapped in a desperate siege, no one extended a helping hand.
He had followed Li De into battle since his youth, fighting for the nation for many years.
Yet he was buried in the yellow sands at a young age.
After his death, not even a gravestone marked his resting place.
Why did Li Xuanzhen harbor such hatred for them?
Yaoying was lost in thought for a moment before instructing, "Send people to monitor the public discourse. Do not allow anyone to use this as an excuse to slander my second brother."
"In the future, if any of Second Brother's subordinates violate military regulations again, deal with them according to the rules without leniency."
"Remember to send someone to Shengping Ward to find those common girls detained by Xu Biao and release them to return home."
"This old servant understands." The Chief Steward nodded, then paused. "Princess, to His Highness, his reputation is not as important as you are. You must take good care of yourself. If such matters occur again, let this old servant handle them."
Before the Second Prince departed on the campaign, he repeatedly emphasized the need to take good care of the Seventh Princess, without mentioning anything else.
Yaoying smiled faintly. "I understand."
Though she appeared calm and composed earlier, not even blinking, she had actually been somewhat frightened inside.
The crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed.
The local ward officials came to report that the several young women had already been sent home and properly settled.
Yaoying acknowledged with a hum.
Turning to mount her horse, she noticed a commotion not far away.
The group of young noblemen who had been following her all day were gathered in front of the gate on their fine horses.
"Princess, you are wise and decisive!"
"Princess, you are mighty and powerful!"
"Princess, please leave such matters to Lu Hengsheng in the future! Don't dirty your eyes with them!"
The corner of Yaoying's mouth twitched slightly.
She had thought they would have been scared off long ago.
Seeing the main gate completely blocked, she said, "Let's leave through the side gate."
Xie Qing acknowledged the order and followed her as they departed through the side entrance.
The guard at the forefront suddenly reined in his horse, drawing his sword and pointing upward as he shouted angrily, "Who's there?!"
Yaoying followed the direction of his sword tip.
The side gate adjoined a high wall with windows along it. A slender figure was clinging to a second-floor windowsill, hands gripping the railing, most of his body dangling awkwardly outside. His brocade robe fluttered and snapped in the wind.
People from the tavern hurried over. "He's not an assassin..."
"Indeed, he's not an assassin."
The guard got a clear look at the young man hanging from the railing, sheathed his long sword, and muttered teasingly under his breath, "He's a patron of prostitutes."
No sooner had he spoken than the young man lost his grip and fell.
Dust flew everywhere.
Xie Qing shielded Yaoying as they stepped back.
Yaoying patted her Wusun horse and casually glanced at the young man who had landed right in front of her horse's hooves.
The young man struggled to get up, utterly embarrassed. When his eyes met hers, his face instantly flushed crimson with shame, too humiliated to lift his head.
Yaoying could almost feel the burning heat radiating from his face.
A thought struck her.
Did she know him?
Just as she was about to take a closer look, thunderous drumbeats sounded from south to north, and a cloud of dust rose as a rider galloped down the long street straight toward the imperial city.
"The Sage Emperor has triumphed! The Sage Emperor has returned victorious!"
Yaoying looked up in delight.
This was the drum signal she had been waiting for—the army had returned victorious, her second brother was back!
She gently nudged her horse's flank, turned it around, and galloped swiftly toward the southern part of the city.
Xie Qing and the guards also turned to follow.
The sound of hoofbeats fragmented, stirring fine dust into the air.
The young man lay on the ground, covered in dust, coughing from the grit.
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