The men chasing Yunge caught up only to see her leaning weakly against a man dressed in white. The man had long, ink-black hair cascading down his back. When he lifted his head, his serene eyes appeared deep and distant, though at this moment, they carried a faint chill. Such an ethereally handsome man was a rare sight, not just in this remote countryside but even in a major southern city like Guangling. The men were momentarily stunned.
“Who are you? Hand over my beauty!” the gaunt man snapped, stepping forward with a loud shout. He had been eyeing this little beauty for hours and wasn’t about to let someone snatch her away now. Though Guangling was known for its beauties, one as exquisite as her was still hard to come by.
Qingchen Gongzi swept a cool glance over them and said, “And who are you? Quite bold, aren’t you?”
The gaunt man was taken aback but soon sneered. “You’re the bold one here! Meddling in others’ affairs—do you even have the skill for it? Listen well, I am the eldest son of the Huang family in Guangling. No one in this region dares to oppose me!” At first, Xu Qingchen’s imposing demeanor had given him pause, but upon noticing the man’s plain white robes and frail, scholarly appearance, his arrogance flared again. In Guangling, the Huang family might not dominate entirely, but their influence was far beyond what some weak, out-of-town scholar could contend with.
Xu Qingchen bent down and lifted Yunge into his arms, his tone indifferent. “The Huang family, is it? I’ll remember that.”
As Xu Qingchen turned to leave with Yunge, the Huang heir flew into a rage. “Such insolence! Stop right there! Get him!”
At their master’s command, the men rushed forward. Yet Xu Qingchen acted as if they didn’t exist, calmly walking toward Guangling.
Being utterly disregarded by someone they deemed powerless infuriated them. One man threw a punch at Xu Qingchen’s back—only for a gust of wind to sweep past before he could even touch the man’s robes. The attacker collapsed, clutching his fist in agony.
The others froze in alarm, warily scanning their surroundings. Unnoticed until now, several gray-clad men had appeared on the slopes flanking the road. After a cold glance at the group, they leaped down and landed before Xu Qingchen. “Young Master.”
Xu Qingchen glanced at the unconscious Yunge in his arms and said calmly, “Take them back to Guangling. Also, summon the Guangling Prefect to see me.”
“As you command,” the gray-clad man replied softly. With a wave, his subordinates swiftly subdued and bound the men like dumplings. The Huang heir gaped at Xu Qingchen in shock—someone who could casually order the prefect to attend him was no ordinary figure. “Y-you… just who are you?”
Xu Qingchen gave him a placid look before turning away with Yunge. The guards trailing behind cast sympathetic glances at the sickly, gaunt Huang heir. Qingchen Gongzi had been following Miss Shen all this way, losing track of her several times—his mood was already foul. And now this fool had the gall to provoke him? Truly… pitiful.In the courtyard of an inconspicuous inn in Guangling City, several well-dressed individuals stood anxiously waiting. Nearby, a few gray-clad guards stood expressionless at the entrance, seemingly oblivious to their unease.
The leader wore the robes of a third-rank official, his temples streaked with white hair that mingled with black, giving him a salt-and-pepper appearance. Normally a high-ranking official presiding over Guangling, he now wore a troubled expression, as if the sky were about to fall. Beside him stood a wealthy, portly middle-aged man. Behind the latter were several men and women of varying ages, though the man clearly didn’t share the prefect’s apprehension, merely frowning impatiently at the stern-faced guards in the distance.
"My lord, my son..." the man said, glancing at the Guangling Prefect with a furrowed brow. Upon hearing his son had been captured, he had initially planned to send his household guards to deal with whoever dared cause trouble in Guangling. But before he could leave, he received a summons from the prefect, demanding his immediate presence at this inn—with a stern reminder to be respectful. He immediately realized his son had provoked someone extraordinary. Yet, seeing the prefect’s demeanor now, he couldn’t help but feel dismissive. Given the Huang family’s influence in Guangling, who could possibly threaten them—unless Prince Ding or Princess Ding themselves had arrived? As the saying went, "A strong dragon cannot crush a local snake." Even this newly appointed prefect had to show deference to Guangling’s established families, didn’t he?
The Guangling Prefect frowned, his expression darkening as he observed Master Huang’s attitude. Offending Qingchen Gongzi—had the Huang family truly brought this upon themselves? Outsiders might assume Qingchen Gongzi was gentle and lenient, a refined and benevolent gentleman. But as an official who had served in Prince Ding’s Estate, how could he not know the truth? In the past, when Prince Ding and Princess Ding were frequently away on campaigns, all affairs of the estate had been managed single-handedly by Qingchen Gongzi. Among the estate’s veteran officials and generals, many were proud and arrogant. If Qingchen Gongzi had relied solely on intellect without an iron will, how could he have kept them in line? Had it been Prince Ding or Princess Ding, perhaps they could have pleaded for mercy. But now, having offended Qingchen Gongzi... Watching Master Huang’s obliviousness, the prefect shook his head inwardly and ignored him, silently reviewing his own governance of Guangling for any oversights.
Noticing the prefect’s expression, Master Huang instinctively sensed something amiss. Yet he couldn’t fathom who in Guangling could possibly be beyond the Huang family’s reach. Even high-ranking generals with heavy military influence could be negotiated with, given the Huang family’s vast wealth. Besides, the messenger had reported that the one who captured his son was merely a frail-looking scholar.
Outside, the group’s thoughts were in turmoil, but inside the room, Qingchen Gongzi paid no heed to their anxious waiting. He sat leisurely by the bed, gazing at the serene face of the sleeping girl. In slumber, she appeared even more tranquil and innocent than when awake, one hand clutching a corner of the blanket as she slept soundly—truly like an unworldly child.Reaching out to pinch the girl's rosy cheeks, Qingchen Gongzi sighed helplessly with a soft laugh, "Isn't it better to stay by my side? Why must you always run around? What would you have done if I hadn't been here this time? If you're born foolish, you should just behave—it's not like I'd ever dislike you for it. Your little face has gotten thinner. Such a silly girl."
The sleeping girl's slightly curled eyelashes fluttered faintly. Qingchen Gongzi calmly withdrew his hand and smiled, "Still pretending to be asleep?"
The supposedly slumbering girl immediately opened her eyes, rubbing her reddened cheek as she grinned sheepishly at the elegant young man before her. "Xu Qingchen... how... how are you here?"
Qingchen Gongzi's smile turned cool. "If I weren't here, you'd be someone's concubine by now."
Knowing she was at fault and feeling an instinctive fear of him, Yunge hung her head and shrank back slightly, looking aggrieved. Seeing her pitiful expression, Xu Qingchen's heart softened. He sighed lightly and said, "Don't run off again, understand? You know how dangerous today was, don't you?"
Yunge nodded repeatedly, not even bothering to process whether she'd fully heard Xu Qingchen's words. Qingchen Gongzi reached out to tousle her hair. "You've just been detoxified—rest for a while. I need to handle some matters."
"Mhm, mhm." Yunge nodded, blinking her large eyes at Qingchen Gongzi.
Standing up, Qingchen Gongzi looked at Yunge and said sternly, "No more sneaking off! Otherwise... I'll lock you up and make you copy books for the rest of your life."
Whimper... Yunge's little heart trembled, and she nodded vigorously before shaking her head just as hard. Seeing this, the coldness in Qingchen Gongzi's eyes faded somewhat. "Be good, and I won't punish you." Truthfully, Yunge was quite an amusing little thing, Qingchen Gongzi mused silently. But he couldn't bully her too harshly, or the little girl would run off again.
"Mhm, mhm, I'm tired. I'm going to sleep." Not daring to entertain any rebellious thoughts, Yunge burrowed under the covers and hid her head, unwilling to face reality. Qingchen Gongzi smiled faintly, shook his head, and turned to walk out the door. As he did, the faint warmth in his eyes was replaced once more by a layer of frost.
No sooner had he stepped outside than the Guangling Prefect eagerly approached him. "Gongzi—"
Xu Qingchen raised a hand to stop him, sweeping a cool glance over the crowd in the courtyard before turning toward the main hall. The gray-clad guards at the door left two men stationed there while the rest silently followed. The Guangling Prefect hesitated, then shot a fierce glare at Master Huang and his family before hurrying after them.
In the flower hall, Qingchen Gongzi sat at the head of the room, sipping tea. The previously arrogant Young Master Huang had been trussed up like a dumpling and tossed onto the floor. When the Huang family arrived, a richly dressed middle-aged woman let out a wail and threw herself forward. "Zuer! Zuer, what happened? Who did this to you?" Young Master Huang could only mumble incoherently—his mute acupoint had clearly been sealed—and he desperately tried to signal with his eyes, but the woman was too distraught to notice.
"Your subordinate, Li Jiye, Prefect of Guangling, pays his respects to Gongzi." The Guangling Prefect straightened his robes and bowed respectfully. Meanwhile, Master Huang was beside himself with rage. "Lord Li, what is the meaning of this? Who is this young master, and by what right does he treat my son this way?"The Guangling Prefect inwardly cursed the fool, lowering his gaze and feigning ignorance as if he hadn't heard Master Huang's words.
"Lord Li." Qingchen Gongzi set down his teacup and spoke calmly.
"Yes, Gongzi. Please give your instructions." The Guangling Prefect responded hastily.
Xu Qingchen said, "You've been in Guangling for over three months now and have handled official matters quite well. But how do you explain these?" A thick stack of documents was thrown into the Guangling Prefect's arms. He quickly caught them and began flipping through, his face growing paler with each page. The records detailed all the atrocities committed by Guangling's powerful families against the common people—many cases that had been reported to the authorities but suppressed by him. The Guangling Prefect was in a difficult position. Guangling had previously been under the control of Da Chu, and in recent years, it had fallen into the hands of Western Liang. Yet, regardless of which side ruled, the local gentry remained firmly entrenched. Guangling had once been the capital of the previous dynasty, and these longstanding aristocratic families had deep roots and extensive influence. The prefect himself came from an ordinary background and had risen to his position through his own efforts. However, upon arriving in Guangling, he found himself constantly constrained by these powerful clans. To smoothly take over Guangling and restore order, he had no choice but to compromise with them, turning a blind eye to many of their actions.
"This humble official acknowledges his wrongdoing and begs for Gongzi's punishment." The Guangling Prefect knelt on the ground, offering no defense and simply accepting blame in a solemn tone.
Xu Qingchen looked at him and said, "I understand why you did these things. Given the circumstances, I won't punish you. But... as a prefect, you are the parent of the people. I expect you to prioritize their welfare over political calculations. If you encounter difficulties, report them directly, and assistance will be provided. Even if you act first and report later, Wang Ye and Wang Fei will not blame you. However... if your political maneuvering leads to the suffering of the people, not only will Wang Ye and Wang Fei not spare you, but neither will I. You won't remain prefect for long!"
To say the people were suffering was perhaps an exaggeration—under Li Jiye's governance, Guangling was actually doing quite well in many aspects. But the entrenched gentry of Guangling were not something a mere prefect like Li Jiye could easily handle.
Hearing Xu Qingchen's words, the Guangling Prefect secretly sighed in relief and bowed respectfully. "This humble official understands. I have failed Wang Ye and Wang Fei's trust and will never repeat such mistakes."
Xu Qingchen nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Then deal with these matters first."
At this, the Guangling Prefect couldn't help but take a sharp breath. The documents recorded nearly all the crimes committed by Guangling's aristocratic families. If he were to handle them strictly according to the law, he would likely offend every powerful clan in Guangling. But then he recalled how Wang Ye in Li Cheng had dealt with the remnants of the previous dynasty's nobility, and Qingchen Gongzi's attitude suddenly made sense. It seemed both Wang Ye and the Gongzi were deeply dissatisfied with these people, and today's incident was merely an excuse to address the issue.
"Well?" Xu Qingchen raised an eyebrow calmly at his hesitation.
"N-no... This humble official obeys!" The Guangling Prefect stood up and called out loudly, "Attendants!"Soon, the yamen runners waiting outside the door entered and listened respectfully to the orders. The Guangling Prefect recited a long list of names in one breath—all notorious scions of prominent gentry families in Guangling City—and said sternly, "Go quickly and arrest these men."
Such an order even gave the yamen runners pause. They glanced at the extraordinarily handsome young master seated at the head of the room before hastily accepting the command and withdrawing.
"Lord Li, what is the meaning of this?"
Master Huang, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, questioned the Guangling Prefect indignantly. The prefect sneered and said, "Since the others have yet to arrive, why not deal with the matter at hand first? What does the young master think?"
Xu Qingchen raised an eyebrow. "Very well."
"Huang Yaozu, relying on the influence of the Huang family, you abducted a commoner's daughter, forced her into becoming a concubine, and caused the deaths of three family members. Do you plead guilty?"
"What?!"
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