Chapter 148: A Tiger Among Rabbits

October of the Second Year of Yuanfu, Bianjing Prefecture, Eastern Capital of the Song Dynasty

October had already ushered in deep autumn. The weather grew cooler with each passing day, and winter would arrive in the blink of an eye.

However, despite the increasingly chilly weather, the zest for life among the residents of Bianjing—or rather, the bustling prosperity of the city itself—was not diminished in the slightest.

Literati and scholars burned incense, whisked tea, arranged flowers, hung paintings, strolled through gardens, composed poetry and couplets, traveled far into the mountains and rivers, and grew close to forests and springs. Calling upon friends and companions, they gathered for small, leisurely drinks, living lives of supreme ease.

Commoners, small-scale vendors, and peddlers scurried about in all directions for their livelihoods, appearing exceptionally busy. Yet, in their moments of leisure, they would gather in restaurants, taverns, teahouses, entertainment districts, and bustling marketplaces to drink tea and wine, discuss court politics, recount bizarre anecdotes, and chat about everyday domestic affairs.

Lately, the topic on everyone's lips was a certain marriage alliance: the union of the Zhao and Li families. Zhao Mingcheng, the youngest son of the imperial court's Vice Minister of Personnel, Senior Compiler of the Imperial Secretariat, and Right Attendant of the Chancellery, Zhao Tingzhi, was about to take Li Qingzhao, the only daughter of Assistant Minister of Personnel Li Gefei, as his bride.

The two families had long since betrothed their children. Now that the groom's betrothal gifts had been delivered, they were merely waiting to select an auspicious day to perform the wedding ceremony and complete the nuptials.

Zhao Mingcheng had recently been graced with an official title as a Gentleman for Diligent Trust, serving as an imperial compiler. At the same time, having entered the Imperial Academy and passed the special recommendation exams, he had been bestowed the status of a metropolitan graduate. He was a talented youth of noble bearing, and his future was immeasurable.

Truth be told, Zhao Mingcheng was hardly unique; scions of powerful clans, aristocratic families, and high-ranking officials in the Eastern Capital of Bianjing could be found by the handful, innumerable as carp crossing a river. Talented youths were as common as grass. The real focus was Li Gefei’s daughter, Li Qingzhao. Her *ci* poem to the tune of "As If in a Dream" had captivated countless scholars and men of letters, moving everyone in the capital to praise it and vie with one another to copy it. For a time, paper prices in the capital soared like those in Luoyang. Coupled with her delicate, breathtakingly beautiful appearance—a face that could topple cities—this young woman, possessing both supreme talent and peerless beauty, became the dream match in the hearts of countless young men, who spent sleepless nights longing for her with empty pillows. Even many married men cast covert, lingering glances at her, hoping heaven would grant them a rare stroke of luck...

Consequently, the marriage between Zhao Mingcheng and Li Qingzhao drew extraordinary attention. Over tea and after meals, the most frequent topic of conversation was when the two would hold their wedding ceremony and become a pair of celestial lovers.

People whispered that even Emperor Zhao Xu had written a congratulatory scroll for the two families, which fueled even more speculation and gossip, largely because the two families represented figures from the Yuanfeng and Yuanyou eras respectively.

"What a match made in heaven, what a pair of immortal companions!" exclaimed someone inside a teahouse in the capital, envy dripping from every word.

"Brother, your words are most true, but it is a pity that the falling blossoms have passionate intent while the flowing water remains heartless."

"You scoundrel, what do you mean by 'falling blossoms' and 'flowing water'? Are you speaking of yourself?"

"Ha, with his wretched appearance—loved by neither grandmother nor uncle—how dare he call himself falling blossoms or flowing water? How dare he hope for the favor of Young Lady Li?"

"Bah, you thieving camp-follower, hold your tongue! I never said it was me."

"Then of whom do you speak?"

"I speak of Li Sanjian. I hear the two of them had already made a secret pledge for life."

"Who on earth is Li Sanjian?"

"Li Sanjian, the scholar from Lingnan! During the lantern festival, he composed a *ci* to the tune of 'Butterflies Fond of Flowers' that was equally fresh, fluent, and wonderfully clever."

"I remember, I remember. So it was him! *'The immortal cave of plum rains, echoing dragons and elephants everywhere. Evening crows in the neighboring county uphold the Rites of Zhou, while the hollow, fragrant wine bears the tears of a lapel.'* Marvelous, truly marvelous!"

"Alas, what a pity that he failed the imperial examinations! Regrettable, truly regrettable!"

"Bah! How could someone who failed the examinations even be mentioned in the same breath as Young Master Zhao? Furthermore, his origins are humble; he is a base person of lowly birth. With such a mismatched lineage, how could he dare to aspire to the Li family? Does he even have the gall to dream of it?"

"So what if he is of humble birth? In our dynasty, how few are the people of impoverished origins who have subsequently soared straight into the clouds?"

"Soared straight into the clouds? Not now, at least."

"Exactly, exactly! Does he even dare to dream? A rustic scholar is nothing but a rustic scholar; dog meat can never be served at a banquet."

"Thieving scoundrel, who are you talking about?"

"Whoever the shoe fits can wear it."

"Thud... Ouch! Why are you hitting people? A gentleman uses his tongue, not his fists!"

"......"

At that moment, two figures arrived at the teahouse entrance: a man and a woman. The man was in his early twenties, clad in the uniform of the Song imperial guards. He was exceptionally tall and robust, resembling a towering mountain.

The burly imperial guard turned ashen with rage, his beard bristling with fury, yet he dared not vent his anger. Bending his massive frame, he spoke with cautious care to the woman in her thirties beside him: "Erniang, this is... this is simply too bullying. Let me go teach them a lesson."

"Do not stir up trouble. Let us leave," Fu Erniang hurriedly stopped the mountain-like man.

"Erniang, are we still going?" the man asked shortly after.

"Go? Why should we not go? I want to go and ask that girl Qingzhao what on earth is going on in her mind!" Fu Erniang paused to reflect, then asked him, "Do you think we should not go?"

"This..." The man hesitated for a moment before replying, "I think we shouldn't go. Since they are acting like this, why should we walk right into their trap and subject ourselves to their insults? Besides, Master also said: 'What husband need fear a lack of a wife?' With Master's remarkable abilities, is he afraid he won't find a match? When the time comes, the young ladies of the capital will be lined up waiting for Master to choose..."

"You child, having followed Sanlang for so long, even your manner of speaking has become just like his." Upon hearing him praise Li Sanjian, Fu Erniang could not help but laugh. "However, there are some things you do not know. How could I, as his mother, not know Sanlang's true feelings? He is fond of this girl Qingzhao. If anyone is to be blamed, blame me—blame me for not going to propose marriage sooner. Today, I only wish to go and ask her: What wrong did my Sanlang ever do to her, that she should treat him in such a manner?"

Fu Erniang knew full well that Li Sanjian loved Li Qingzhao, that the two had made a secret pledge of eternal love, and that Li Qingzhao was equally fond of Li Sanjian. Otherwise, why would the girl have come looking for him every other day in the past? How could Fu Erniang be unaware of all this?

Originally, Fu Erniang had planned to wait until Li Sanjian returned from Lingnan and took the provincial examinations before formally going to the Li family to propose marriage. But never in her wildest dreams had she expected such a sudden turn of events: Li Qingzhao was actually going to marry Zhao Mingcheng! The whole city knew of it, leaving Fu Erniang deeply distressed and racked with guilt.

She understood that going to question them in person would inevitably lead to humiliation and accomplish nothing, but she simply could not swallow this grievance. Without asking for clarity, she would find no peace of mind day or night. Perhaps asking would make her heart feel slightly lighter.

"What Erniang says is true," the man replied, nodding. He obeyed Li Sanjian's every command and held the same absolute devotion toward Li Sanjian's mother.

Even if it costs me my life, I will not let Erniang suffer any humiliation, he thought to himself.

The two then walked toward the Li residence. The Li estate was not far from the Prince of Duan's residence—only two streets away—so they quickly arrived before the grand gates. They saw servants bustling in and out of the Li residence, looking exceptionally busy. Their garments were bright and glossy, as if the estate were preparing for some joyous occasion.

And understandably so: the third young master of the Li family was about to be married; how could they not pull out all the stops? Fu Erniang and her companion soon realized that the staff were busy preparing items for the wedding. It was simply that the auspicious day had not yet arrived, so they had not yet changed into festive robes.

This realization only deepened the ache in Fu Erniang's heart.

"Who are you? What brings you to the estate?" Fu Erniang suddenly felt a touch of timidity as she approached the Li residence. She craned her neck to peer inside, immediately catching the attention of the gatekeepers, one of whom shouted coarsely.

"I am looking for... for Miss Li Qingzhao," Fu Erniang stammered timidly.

"Where did this uncouth woman crawl from? Is the given name of our young mistress something a person like you is fit to utter?"

"Away with you, away with you! Our young mistress is about to be married; when would she have time to see the likes of you?"

"Want to beg a cup of wedding wine? It's much too early for that. When the time comes, we might toss you a couple of cups, and maybe even throw you a stray coin or two for luck."

"Hahaha! I've seen gate-crashers looking for handouts, but never one in such an impatient rush!"

Although Fu Erniang now lived within the Prince's residence and her clothes were no longer tattered and torn, how could the Li servants fail to spot the telltale marks of someone who had labored with their hands for years?

Consequently, the servants of the Li estate began to curse and shout abuses. If not for the presence of the exceptionally towering military man at her side, they would have long since driven her away with brooms and clubs.

Upon seeing this, the man flew into a rage. Without a word, he strode forward, grabbed two of the Li servants by their collars, spun them around half a circle, and hurled them directly against the heavy doors of the Li mansion, producing a thunderous thud.

He was holding back to avoid bringing trouble upon Fu Erniang; otherwise, he could easily have tossed the two men clean over the high wall, breaking their bones and likely costing them their lives.

Even so, the two servants crashed to the ground before the gates and lay there unable to rise for a long while, their backs feeling as though they had been snapped in two, emitting continuous groans of agony.

"Help! Someone is forcefully breaking into the estate!"

"Rebellion! A thieving camp-follower is rebelling! Help!"

The incident happened so suddenly that the people of the Li household were stunned into disbelief, shouting and shrieking in panic.

The area outside the Li gates instantly descended into chaos. A swarm of footmen, cooks, and servants rushed out brandishing clubs, cleavers, and miscellaneous implements, intent on capturing the ruffians who had dared to storm the estate.

"It's them! Quick, seize that dark, ugly brute—he's the one who hurt people!" someone shouted, pointing directly at the man.

Seeing the crowd of Li retainers charging forward with ferocious expressions, the man let out a roar like a tiger. Without drawing the saber at his waist, he charged bare-handed into the throng and engaged them in fierce combat.

Though unarmed, he had practiced martial arts for several years. Combined with his ox-like strength, the blows of clubs landing on his body felt little more than tickles. Though the Li household possessed a numerical advantage, how could they possibly match him? Within moments, they were wailing like babies under his blows, sprawling across the ground in a chaotic heap.

Charging into the crowd like a fierce tiger descending the mountain or a beast among rabbits, he thrashed the Li retainers until they wished their mothers had given them two extra legs and another pair of arms, completely disorienting them.

The wooden clubs, cleavers, garments, and belts knocked loose by his strikes danced through the air like a sudden storm.

"Halt, stop it!" Fu Erniang cried out. "I told you not to use force, yet you insist on resorting to violence. Stop at once!" All along the way, she had given him a thousand warnings under no circumstances to resort to violence, yet no sooner had they arrived at the Li estate than he had waded right in with flailing fists, leaving her overwhelmed with anxiety.

"Erniang..." Caught in the height of battle, the man halted upon hearing her command. Reluctantly dropping a snatched wooden club, he lowered his head, walked behind Fu Erniang, and lowered his gaze, his tiger-like eyes glaring down at the rest of the Li household.