Chapter 110: The Obstruction
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After Xu Yaohui returned home, he gave instructions concerning Yan Hongwen’s visit the following day.
Yan Hongwen, however, did not retire for the night. He returned to the courtyard Xu Yaohui had prepared for him and began drinking tea.
Zhu Fang, the old steward who had accompanied him to Zhonglin County, said, “Young Master, were you perhaps too generous to the Xu family today? The Zhang family has already apologized to the Old Master, and they even had their young master accompany you here to settle the matter. Surely it would be best to show them some mercy.”
Yan Hongwen paid little heed to Zhu Fang’s advice. “Is an apology to Father enough? Mother has learned of this as well. If I do not reclaim our dignity here and teach the Zhang family a lesson, how am I supposed to answer to Mother when I return?”
“Still, some consideration ought to be given to the Old Master of the Zhang family.”
“None!”
Yan Hongwen gave a cold laugh. “Before they did this, did they ever consider the dignity of the Duke’s residence?”
“Then what do you intend to do next?”
“That depends on how Zhang Zhongliang handles things. I have already said that I want to see Zhang Zhongheng.”
The cheerful expression Yan Hongwen had worn at the banquet was gone. His face turned cold, making him seem like an entirely different person from the smiling man he had been earlier.
“Those frogs in the bottom of a well actually dared interfere with the marriage arranged by Father and Mother. Even if the Xu family is merely one of Father’s dogs, they are not people he can trample and toy with at will!”
Zhu Fang did not reply.
The reason Lord Yan had sent him to accompany Yan Hongwen was precisely because he feared that Yan Hongwen might do something truly earth-shattering in his anger.
Of all the children in the Yan family, Yan Hongwen most resembled Madam Yan.
Whenever someone provoked him, he would never rest until the matter was settled, and he showed no mercy whatsoever.
Sipping his tea, Yan Hongwen felt the faint effects of alcohol and thought of Xu Ruojin, who had brewed the wine. “I originally intended to use that Xu girl as an excuse to put the people at the banquet in their place. I never expected the wine she brewed to be so distinctive. I have actually taken a liking to it.”
“The governess who taught Miss Xu was Madam Liang’s personal nanny.”
Yan Hongwen set down his teacup and snorted. “Liang Xiao. That man truly has a charmed life…”
When Xu Ruojin heard Chen Cai deliver her father’s instructions, she was so astonished that her mouth fell open.
“How is that possible? The liquor is already so strong, and he wants to taste every kind without getting drunk? Isn’t that deliberately making things impossible for me?”
Chen Cai himself felt that the request sounded almost asking for a beating.
“The master knows that this is difficult for you, Second Miss, but it was Young Master Yan who made the demand. The master has no choice either, so he sent me to convey it and ask you to think of a solution. You must satisfy Young Master Yan.”
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“Wasn’t he supposed to be here to support the Xu family? Why did he start making things difficult for me the moment he arrived?”
“Perhaps he is displeased with the Xu family as well.”
“Even so, there is no need to take his anger out on me!”
Xu Ruojin complained bitterly, though she knew this was a troublesome matter she could not avoid. “Enough. Complaining to you will not change anything. Go back and tell Father that I will think of a way, but I can only do my best.”
“Then I shall go and report back at once.”
With that, Chen Cai vanished in a flash.
Xu Ruojin cursed Yan Hongwen thoroughly in her heart, but she could only turn her mind to the matter of the wine.
Although Young Master Yan’s request was harsh, Chen Cai had also told her that Yan Hongwen had praised the Xu family at the banquet and silenced Magistrate Yuan and the Zhang family. That still pleased her greatly.
At last, there was someone the Zhang family could not afford to offend.
She wondered whether Zhang Zhongheng would still be as arrogant as ever after encountering him.
She was rather curious to see how Zhang Zhongheng would endure being scolded, forced to grit his teeth, and swallow his anger.
As for marrying into the Zhang family, Xu Ruojin had long since stopped thinking about it.
The question was no longer whether she wanted to marry or not. What she needed to consider now was how to escape the fate of the white silk sash.
She did not want to die. She absolutely did not.
As for how to deal with the marriage, she still had no idea.
All she could do was respond to matters one step at a time and hope that a solution would suddenly occur to her along the way.
Of course, what she hoped for most was that Heaven would send down a thunderbolt and strike the bastard Zhang Zhongheng dead.
That would be the perfect ending in her eyes.
At that moment, Zhang Zhongheng was indeed seething with anger.
The moment Zhang Zhongliang entered, he gave both Zhang Zhongheng and Madam Zhang a thorough dressing-down. After reading the Old Master’s letter and hearing Zhang Zhongliang’s account, Madam Zhang was already terrified and consumed by regret.
“This scandal has reached the capital. Grandfather was so furious that he could not eat for several days. After learning the whole story, he personally went to the Yan residence to apologize. I truly cannot understand you. Was this matter something to be proud of? You even went out of your way to smear your own reputation. You care nothing for your own dignity, and you clearly have no regard for the Zhang family!”
Zhang Zhongliang pointed at Zhang Zhongheng’s nose and shouted, “The Old Master is bitterly disappointed in you!”
“What whole story? If anyone is to blame, blame that Madam Xu. She refused to let the matter go at the magistrate’s residence, which caused others to dig up old accounts. What does any of that have to do with me?”
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Zhang Zhongheng refused to admit anything. Zhang Zhongliang looked him up and down with a mocking smile.
“Do you think everyone else is blind? Or stupid?”
Zhang Zhongheng turned his head away and said nothing. Zhang Zhongliang sneered contemptuously.
“You personally pushed Xu Ruojin into the lake back then. How many eyes witnessed it? And then you played your little tricks, claiming that the young girl Mo Rong had been frightened sick by Madam Xu. If you had handled things more cleanly, you should have killed her. Others are holding enough evidence against you to ruin you. Do you really think Zhonglin County belongs to you, Zhang Zhongheng, and that no one would dare spread the matter beyond its borders?”
Zhang Zhongheng’s heart gave a sudden lurch. “Do not slander me.”
“I cannot be bothered to waste more words on you.”
Zhang Zhongliang rose to his feet. “I have reserved a private room at the Drunken Tea House. You must come later. Remember this: do not interfere with this marriage again. Even if Young Master Yan reprimands you, you will endure it!”
“Then you might as well kill me!”
Zhang Zhongliang glanced at Madam Zhang, who sat nearby in brooding silence. He knew she was equally resentful.
“These are not my words. They come from the Old Master. If you dare act recklessly again, the Old Master will summon you and your aunt to the capital. There are still empty courtyards in the women’s quarters of the residence. You could remain there for the rest of your life without any trouble!”
Zhang Zhongliang’s words left Madam Zhang limp with terror, and she collapsed onto the floor.
An empty courtyard in the women’s quarters?
The Old Master meant to imprison them and prevent them from ever appearing in public again.
As a woman, she might still endure such a fate. But if Zhang Zhongheng were imprisoned as well, their lord would surely suffer serious consequences.
The Old Master was truly furious this time.
Zhang Zhongheng bit his lip until it bled, unable to utter another word.
A short while later, he followed Zhang Zhongliang to the Drunken Tea House for the banquet.
Yan Hongwen arrived half an hour after the appointed time. He strolled leisurely upstairs, his smiling gaze examining every corner of the restaurant.
Though Zhang Zhongliang and Zhang Zhongheng were frantic with impatience, neither dared voice the slightest complaint.
They welcomed Yan Hongwen into the private room that had been reserved and immediately ordered the attendants to serve the dishes.
At that very moment, another person was dining there as well.
It was Liang Xiao.
Liang Xiao wore a felt hat with a brim covering his head. He called out to an attendant, “I want the room upstairs beside Zhang Zhongheng’s.”
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