Chapter 1055
Many Students Take Action
Chapter 1055 Many Students Take Action
As dusk began to fall,
Lanterns were already hanging all over the vermilion pillars of Youlai Restaurant.
Jia Baoyu shook out the hem of his Confucian robe from the Imperial Academy, rose from his seat, and stood up. His cloud-patterned boots, embroidered with gold thread, showed a slight hesitation. He didn't know how to persuade him. The table was full of dishes, all signature dishes of the restaurant. Everyone said that one should not be competitive when out in public. He wanted to persuade him, but he just didn't know what to say.
Inside Youlai Restaurant
The originally noisy atmosphere suddenly turned cold after someone from Qinglian Academy said something, especially the people sitting around the table eating. They heard a group of people gathering around with unfriendly expressions.
There were quite a few people, dozens in total, making the originally spacious hall crowded. Jia Baoyu, sitting in the main seat, seemed a bit lost. He didn't recognize any of these people, and now they were coming over aggressively to question him. He clearly didn't know how to handle it.
But those words were spoken coldly and harshly, and were particularly grating to hear. Especially for Li Chongwen, Yue Muning, and Song Xingjun, all three of them came from military families, so how could they tolerate such treatment?
Li Chongwen snorted coldly, his face flushed red, slammed his hand on the table, and turned to look at him.
"Hmph, who do you think you are? You're nothing but a worthless fish, a rotten shrimp that came out of nowhere, yet you dare to be so insolent in front of your grandfather's pale face. What a joke."
"Haha, Brother Li is right. He's dressed like an opera singer. I wonder who raised this scholar. Instead of serving his master properly at home, he comes here to run wild. He must have a death wish. Bah!"
Song Xingjun, seemingly eager to stir up trouble, spoke without any politeness. He produced a folding fan from who-knows-where, unfolded it with a whoosh, and the four characters "Ink Fragrance Through the Ages" on the fan shook violently with his movement.
Even Yue Mulin, who is usually not very talkative, looked over with some displeasure, showing no tact whatsoever.
This laughter drew attention from the people at the Imperial Academy, who, upon finding the group from the Qinglian Academy, couldn't help but burst into laughter themselves, unable to stop.
But these laughs were unbearable for the already somewhat aloof Qinglian students. Hua Congyun, in particular, felt a pang of shame, as he had been frequently mocked by the noble scions of aristocratic families while serving the young master at the academy. Now, to be ridiculed by these same people was unthinkable. He couldn't stand it any longer and let out a sinister laugh.
"Hmph, even rotten fish and shrimp are better than you filthy trash who can't even get into an academy and have to buy a spot at the Imperial Academy. They're not even as good as those women in brothels, no, they're not even as good as those prostitutes. At least they sell themselves to earn money. You people are just losing money."
"Haha, good, well said,"
"Brother Hua is right, haha."
The students from the academy behind him cheered and shouted, especially those from poor families. They were all very excited and encouraged by Senior Brother Hua's words, which had been said for a long time. However, the more they cheered, the uglier the faces of the students from the Imperial Academy became.
This shouting and hawking echoed throughout the Youlai Restaurant, drawing the attention of many diners on the second floor. Seeing the atmosphere growing increasingly tense, the waiter quickly ran back to find the manager.
"Manager, manager, those two students from the academy in front are causing a disturbance, what should we do?"
"What? What's going on? How could they start making a scene?"
The old shopkeeper wiped his sweat and was watching the chefs busily working in the back kitchen. When he suddenly heard the commotion in the front hall, he was puzzled. Everything was fine just a moment ago.
"Oh dear, shopkeeper, I can't explain it clearly either. You'd better go and try to persuade him."
The waiter was so anxious he was stamping his feet. He rushed to the front hall, where, sure enough, the two groups were facing off across a table.
"Oh dear, everyone, how can you be so angry? All guests are welcome. If we have not been hospitable enough, please forgive us."
Before the person even arrived, the words came first. Unfortunately, Li Chongwen was already furious. He had been fooled during a perfectly good banquet. He said coldly.
"I've never seen such an arrogant person before. You are from Qinglian Academy, and you'll only suffer if you cause trouble. Why don't you kneel down, kowtow, and let this matter drop?"
Upon hearing this, a hint of amusement flashed in the eyes of the remaining people, but in Hua Congyuan's eyes, what was originally resentment turned into a somewhat gloomy expression. These people had all been recruited by the young master, and if the young master found out that they had knelt down, the recruitment would be ruined. But if they made a scene, the academy would also be in a difficult position.
While many hesitated, Hua Congyun reached for the teapot in her hand, turned to the crowd, and spoke.
"Gentlemen, sometimes, what's wrong with making a scene? If we kneel down like this, what I just said will never come true. But if we teach these worthless scoundrels a lesson, they'll be treated differently."
The students behind him, whose eyes had initially been somewhat hesitant, immediately became extremely determined. If they retreated, they would be disgracing the Prince's mansion, and their path would be blocked.
"I wonder how Senior Brother Hua should handle this?"
"Hmph, the punishment is the same as mine."
A sinister smile flashed across Hua Congyuan's face. He was no weakling; he held a porcelain teapot in his hand and suddenly threw it at Li Chongwen. The latter was quick to retreat, but unfortunately, he was a little too slow and the teapot hit his arm, splashing tea. But the teapot curved and, by sheer coincidence, landed on Jia Baoyu's head, drawing blood instantly.
Seeing that the people on the other side had made the first move, how could the group from the Imperial Academy be afraid of them? They threw out the plates and bowls they were holding, and then, relying on their numbers, they rushed over with their bare hands. Almost instantly, the entire hall was in chaos.
Hua Congyun flipped the table over and shouted.
"Stop your insolence, take this!"
He suddenly lunged forward, his hands aimed at Li Chongwen's face. Li Chongwen had been watching him closely. Upon seeing him approach, he dodged to the side and suddenly threw a left punch straight at his opponent's abdomen, but Hua Congyuan dodged it. Seeing that both of them were skilled in martial arts, the two of them moved much less, exchanging blows for several rounds.
The rest of the group fought without any strategy or method, using only the street-smart moves they had practiced with the servants. One punch, one kick, and the tables and chairs in the restaurant were already damaged, not to mention the food on the tables, which were all thrown out, and the front hall was immediately in chaos.
There were quite a few people on both sides. The people in front suffered the most, being beaten and howling in pain. The people behind rushed forward to help, and many were also accidentally injured. Some even swung benches and hit people, causing many to bleed.
This commotion
The crowd that had been watching the commotion on the second floor quickly scrambled back up to the second floor, but the number of people gathered at the stairwell only increased as they watched the spectacle.
The shopkeeper didn't dare to go forward, and kept shouting.
"Gentlemen, stop! Stop!"
Seeing that they couldn't persuade him, they quickly called for the waiter.
"Quickly send someone to the Marquis's residence to report. Also, check the streets to see if there are any government officials, or even the military command, to report to the authorities. Hurry."
"Yes, boss."
The waiter looked distressed; these belongings had just been acquired. He responded and led the others out of the restaurant to deliver the message.
But inside the store,
The more they fought, the more chaotic things became.
Hua Congyuan and Li Chongwen had already exchanged blows for over a dozen rounds, neither able to gain the upper hand. In the end, reinforcements arrived from both sides, and the two groups grappled together.
"Today, I will teach you the rules of the Imperial Academy,"
Seizing the opportunity, he reached out and grabbed Li Chongwen's arm, then delivered a powerful knee strike. Instantly, Li Chongwen vomited up all the food he had just eaten, covering Hua Congyun in a filthy mess. The moon-white long mountain was now a splattered with filth.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Li Chongwen endured the pain and threw a punch at Hua Congyun's face, hitting her hard in the eye socket. She was forced back several steps and stumbled, knocking over the half-person-high blue and white porcelain behind her.
Just at this time,
The waiter had already run into the street and happened to see soldiers patrolling at the street corner. He immediately shouted.
"Sir, someone's been killed! Someone's been killed!"
The series of piercing screams startled the crowd on the street, even the officers patrolling the area were somewhat unsettled.
"What happened? Where did someone die?"
"Sir, there's a fight going on inside the Youlai Restaurant!"
The waiter, his face covered in sweat, pointed to the other side of the street. There, he could see figures moving about in the restaurant, and he could vaguely hear shouts and curses coming from there. It seemed that it really was him.
"A fight like this is something you report to the yamen (government office), it's not the place of the military command."
The captain was getting impatient. This was such a trivial matter; why should they concern themselves with it? He was about to reprimand him when someone behind him stopped him.
"Wait, what's going on?"
Zuo Fangzhong, mounted on his horse, yawned. Today's patrol was arranged by his father. He had finally encountered something, so how could he not ask questions? However, the captain was somewhat reluctant. In the capital, as the saying goes, it's better to mind your own business. Even if it's a fight, it's not easy to interfere. "Young master, these are all matters of the government. Let's ask as few questions as possible."
“You know, that’s true, but what if someone really dies, and then it turns out that our military command didn’t handle it? That’s hard to explain. By the way, come here. Do you know the identities of the two people fighting?”
Zuo Fangzhong didn't care at first; they were just some drunk thugs who got into a fight, and a night in jail would have made them behave.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, the people fighting inside are all students from the academy. I don't know why, but after exchanging a few words, they started fighting."
The waiter had no idea who these people were. He could only tell from their clothes that they were all students from academies. There was a lot more to it than that.
However, upon hearing this, Zuo Fangzhong's heart skipped a beat. In the capital, there were only three major academies; why would they be fighting in a restaurant? Looking at the unmoved captain, he shouted a reprimand.
"What are you standing there for? If you don't hurry over, and someone really dies, we'll be in big trouble if we run into them."
Zuo Fangzhong was getting impatient. The affairs of scholars have never been trivial matters. If the imperial court finds out, how will the military command explain it?
Perhaps the captain also realized that things had come to this point and they couldn't escape anymore, so he quickly shouted.
"Hurry up, let's go! There's a restaurant up ahead, damn it, we haven't eaten yet!"
With repeated urging, the captain would kick any soldier who was slow, and the whole group of soldiers would run forward.
Leaving aside the chaos at the restaurant, inside the Marquis of Luoyun's residence, Zhang Jinyu paid his respects and had his meal.
He then returned to the East Garden with Qin Keqing. The two walked slowly, their affection deep, especially since Qin Keqing was showing signs of pregnancy, and they were filled with emotion.
"These days have been hard on you, my wife,"
It has been more than a month since I left Beijing.
I do not yet know how things are going at your residence, but the affairs of the residence are causing me great concern.
"Why do you say that, my lord? I have not suffered any hardship,"
Qin Keqing's gaze flickered, her face slightly flushed, her heart filled with longing. As she spoke, Baozhu, who was leading the way, chattered incessantly.
“Young master, you have no idea how much Miss misses you. When she has nothing to do, she sews you a robe and makes you a pair of shoes. Her hands are all worn out. Miss takes care of everything in the mansion every day. Madam Yang enjoys dancing and listening to music in the courtyard every day, having a very comfortable time.”
After rambling on for so long, Zhang Jinyu found it somewhat amusing, while Qin Keqing blushed and gently scolded her.
"Just lead the way, why bother with words?"
"That's how it is."
Baozhu muttered a wronged remark, and Zhang Jinyu understood. Yang Hanyu's situation was still due to him, but she didn't need to interfere in matters of the household; she could discuss them with Yue Shu and the other woman.
“Baozhu is right. The affairs of the manor are all managed by Madam, and everyone else listens to you. As for that courtyard, we can simply ignore it.”
Zhang Jinyu teased her, and the little girl, who had initially thought the Marquis was still on her side, was overjoyed. But in the end, her words were so cryptic that her lips were practically sticking up with an oil bottle.
"Young master, don't listen to her nonsense. Everything is fine at home. Everyone has their own hobbies and interests. When there's nothing else to do, this is quite a pastime. However, things have changed quite a bit at the Rongguo Mansion. After all, it's still the old relatives and nobles."
Zhang Jinyu seemed a little surprised by the sudden mention of this topic. What could have changed in just over a month? Nothing more than a few trivial matters had simply decreased.
"You're quite the flatterer. You're just benefiting from the influence of the empress in the palace. As for the changes, all you've done is build a garden. As for the others, I've heard that Jia Baoyu is engaged to the Meng family. Is there any story behind that?"
They walked and stopped frequently until they reached the East Garden courtyard. Baozhu opened the door, and the two stepped inside. Everything seemed normal. Once inside, Ruizhu quickly poured tea for the Marquis and the young lady. Then, a maid brought in a food box from outside and placed it on the table.
Zhang Jinyu found it strange and asked;
"Didn't we just have a meal? Why are you bringing another food box?"
The old woman put down the food box, gave a curtsy, and replied;
"My lord, this is for the lady. If she gets hungry at night, she can have a bite. Everything was steamed fresh tonight and left out to cool until midnight."
This explanation made Zhang Jinyu realize that being pregnant made her hungry faster, which was something he had overlooked. He was about to ask more questions when...
outside the door,
There was a knock on the door.
Everyone in the room was somewhat taken aback. Zhang Jinyu's expression was displeased; what could possibly have happened at this hour?
"Stay put, Baozhu, help the lady rest, I'll go check on her."
"Yes, Lord Marquis."
Baozhu nodded, called Ruizhu, and helped the lady into the house. Zhang Jinyu walked to the door, opened it, and knowing that Ningbian was outside, went out.
"what's up?"
"My lord, it's not a big deal. A servant just informed us that there's a fight between students from the academy at the Youlai Restaurant on the south bank of Qinghu Lake. The military police have already gone there."
Ning Bian lowered his voice, his expression somewhat strange. These businesses all belonged to Madam Yang of the Marquis's mansion, and they were now all located near the residence.
"What? Such a trivial matter, and you're sending a message? This is nothing more than a brawl between hooligans. Which academy disciple is this?"
Zhang Jinyu was getting impatient. Why did he have to come here to report such a trivial matter? He was just hiding because he was drunk and causing trouble. What difference was there between a student of the academy when he was drunk and a hooligan?
Seeing the Marquis's impatience, Ningbian knew he had come at the wrong time.
"My lord, there were about a hundred students from the Imperial Academy and Qinglian Academy who got into a fight at the restaurant. Among them were your students, as well as Jia Baoyu from the Rongguo Mansion. Furthermore, the leader of Qinglian Academy was from the Gong family of the Prince of Xiwang."
This intelligence was delivered urgently by the secret guards, and it caused quite a stir at the restaurant.
"What? Over a hundred people fighting in a restaurant? Are they just bored and have nothing better to do? When will the people from the Imperial Academy start coming out at night?"
Zhang Jinyu was somewhat taken aback. If she remembered correctly, all students at the Imperial Academy stayed overnight to study diligently; the administration was always strict. The Chancellor, Kong Jingyuan, was a notoriously strict teacher. Could it be that he skipped class?
“My lord, I am not a student of the Imperial Academy, but a supplementary student. The Chancellor just released the quota this year. You can buy a spot to enter. You can study during the day and go home at night.”
This is something I only learned recently.
"This is really interesting. Why didn't they change their ways sooner? This year, that old man finally figured it out. Since the people from the Military Command have gone there, we don't need to pay attention to them. The imperial laws will take care of it. Have the restaurant manager go there and make them pay for the damaged items at a discounted price. Remember to write down more details. It seems that the young master of the Gong family is not well-behaved."
After some discussion, it seems there are many people in the capital with ulterior motives lately. Suddenly, I thought of these four princes; judging by their journey, they might arrive tomorrow.
"Yes, my lord, our men are keeping an eye on things. News came from Commander Shen of the Imperial City Guard that after the princes went to the Court of State Ceremonial, they smashed a lot of jade artifacts in the hall and cursed my lord."
Speaking of Shen Baoan, he has been transferred from the city gate to the Northern Garrison Office, which shows that the money given by the Marquis has had an effect.
"Hmph, how can I not be angry? One battle wiped out half of their wealth. It's a pity that He Yongxi arrived too quickly. If he had arrived later, a few more rounds of crossbow fire would have taken down three layers of the front-line armored soldiers. I suppose that person in the palace already knows about it."
Zhang Jinyu's eyes flickered. There was still no news from Chang Le Palace, but the Imperial Guards on the left and right, as well as the Imperial Guards at the city gates, were generally the Emperor Emeritus's confidants. He wondered if the Emperor had made up his mind yet.
"Keep a close eye on things outside. Don't skimp on the money that needs to be spent. Only by being willing to spend money can you be willing to spend on intelligence."
"Yes, my lord, I understand. All our men have returned. Tomorrow, quite a few people should be presenting their visiting cards."
The Marquis's sudden return will likely disrupt many people's plans.
"Hmph, they're getting impatient!"
(End of this chapter)