Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts-Chapter 468 - The Jinyiwei Sure Has Some Official Arrogance! (Two in One - )

Sitting in the teahouse, the more Xu Ming listened, the more uneasy he felt.

The storyteller had now reached the part where he and the Dragon Empress had braved life and death together, even pledging themselves to one another.

Meanwhile, the rest of the teahouse audience grew increasingly excited as they listened.

This was something they had never heard before.

Although most of them believed that such a story was likely fabricated, what if it wasn’t?

With so many unofficial histories circulating in the world, could anyone guarantee that all of them were false?

Of course not.

Since this tale had managed to spread, there must be some reasoning behind it, some foundation of truth. After all, no matter what, a story couldn’t just appear out of thin air.

The storyteller continued, his voice carrying across the room:

“They say that after three days and nights of passion, Lord Xu said to the Dragon Empress, ‘My country needs me, I have to leave.’

As he prepared to depart, the Dragon Empress asked, ‘Your heart holds the nation, but does it also hold me?’

Xu Ming ‘looked’ at his family standing before him, his emotions in turmoil.

‘I cannot betray my country, nor dare I betray my beloved.’

The Dragon Empress’s eyes trembled, her lips parted slightly.

‘Then, I will wait for you.’

Xu Ming turned and left the palace.

The Dragon Empress stood there, watching his figure fade into the distance, her gaze lingering long after he had disappeared from sight.

And so, only the sky above the sea remained, leaving behind a streak of white in the horizon.”

As the storyteller’s voice fell silent, the sound of a pipa once again filled the air.

The sorrowful melody drifted throughout the teahouse, casting a melancholic atmosphere.

Many patrons sighed, feeling a sense of regret—thinking that perhaps it wouldn’t have been so bad if the Dragon Empress and the top scholar had ended up together.

But others disagreed, believing that Xu Ming should still marry the princess of his own country.

After all, they couldn’t possibly let their own princess become a concubine, could they?

Or worse—were they supposed to make the Dragon Empress a concubine instead? That was even more unthinkable.

Xu Ming took a slow sip of tea, relieved that the story was finally over.

If not for the fact that Wu Kingdom upheld freedom of speech—where even emperors could be criticized openly—he might have considered using his connections with the Jinyiwei to have this performance banned.

Once the storytelling was done, a young woman who had been sitting with her eyes closed descended from the stage.

With one hand holding a cane and the other carrying a copper basin for collecting tips, she walked through the crowd.

Each time a patron placed a coin or silver into the basin, she would respond softly, “Thank you, kind sir.”

When she reached a young nobleman dressed in extravagant robes, he casually tossed a large ingot of silver into the basin.

The heavy clink of silver startled the girl, and she quickly bowed multiple times, saying, “Thank you, kind sir! Thank you so much, kind sir!”

The nobleman studied the girl and asked, “What is your name, young lady?”

She responded nervously, “My name is Mang’er.”

Her voice carried a trace of unease.

“Mang’er, you are quite the beauty,” the nobleman said, his eyes filled with unconcealed desire. “Why don’t you stop playing the pipa and follow me instead? I’ll make sure you live in luxury, never worrying about food or clothes. That old man who tells stories—is he your grandfather? He won’t have to tell stories anymore either.”

Mang’er quickly bowed again and replied, “I appreciate your kindness, sir, but I wish to stay with my grandfather and continue storytelling. I hope you can understand.”

With that, she turned to leave.

But the nobleman suddenly grabbed her wrist.

“Not so fast, girl,” he said, grinning wickedly. “I gave you a whole ingot of silver—don’t you think you should stay and chat a little?”

Mang’er struggled against his grip.

“Sir, please let go.”

The nobleman laughed.

“What’s the matter?” he sneered, his expression arrogant and unruly.

If it weren’t for Mang’er’s persistent struggle, she would have already been pulled into the young noble’s arms.

Seated nearby, Xu Ming watched the scene unfold and slowly set down his teacup.

Good heavens.

Harassing a respectable woman in broad daylight, in the heart of Wudu no less? Even his shameless old man only dared to cause trouble in the countryside—yet this fool was doing it right in the imperial capital? Did he have a death wish?

Did he not understand that the closer one was to the center of power, the more carefully they had to tread?

Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be himself who met a miserable end—everyone backing him would be implicated. His entire family could be wiped out because of his recklessness.

Just as Xu Ming was about to stand up—

A graceful silhouette flashed across his vision.

The next moment, he saw a long, slender leg deliver a powerful kick straight into the young noble’s chest.

“Crash!”

The noble was sent flying, knocking over tables and chairs, scalding tea splashing onto him.

“Hot! Hot! HOT!”

He scrambled to his feet, frantically patting at the tea that had soaked his clothes. Fortunately for him, the tea had been sitting out for a while, or else he might have lost a few layers of skin.

Xu Ming narrowed his eyes, curious to see who this righteous heroine was.

“Hmm? Why does she look familiar?”

“Wait... Tang Ningzhi?”

At first, he didn’t recognize her.

She was dressed in a flowing gown, her long hair pinned up with a delicate hairpin, with the remaining strands cascading over her shoulders. Compared to her usual sharp and formidable aura, this look carried a distinctly feminine charm—elegant, refined, and undeniably beautiful.

Xu Ming hadn’t expected that Tang Ningzhi would also be in this teahouse. He had been too engrossed in the storytelling to notice her presence earlier.

If Tang Ningzhi was here, did that mean Liu Feng was also around?

He glanced around but saw no sign of Liu Feng.

So she had come alone.

“You dared to kick me? You actually dared to kick me?! Do you even know who I am?!”

The young noble, his face flushed with anger, jabbed a finger at Tang Ningzhi, as if he wanted nothing more than to tear her to pieces.

But as he got a good look at her face, his fury was quickly replaced by something else—desire.

How could a woman be this beautiful?

Compared to her, the girl he had been harassing earlier was barely fit to be a maid.

“And who might you be?” Tang Ningzhi asked, a cold smirk playing at her lips.

“I am Zheng Qiu, son of the Grand Justice of the Court of Judicial Review!” the noble declared loudly.

“The Grand Justice, huh?” Tang Ningzhi chuckled, her eyes full of disdain.

“I’ve always heard that Wu Kingdom prides itself on a just and rigorous legal system. The Grand Justice is the highest-ranking judicial official, responsible for upholding the law. And yet, his son is out here trying to force himself on innocent women?”

“This young master is giving her an opportunity! What do you know?” Zheng Qiu retorted, puffing out his chest. “If she becomes my concubine, she’ll be set for life! A commoner like her should be grateful for the chance to climb the social ladder and live in luxury.”

Then, he swallowed hard, his greedy gaze sweeping over Tang Ningzhi.

“If you kneel before me now and apologize, I might even grant you an opportunity.”

The more he looked at her, the more restless he felt. He had never seen a woman this breathtaking in his entire life.

“Kneel?”

Tang Ningzhi stepped forward, her expression darkening.

“You—what do you want?” Zheng Qiu instinctively took a step back.

“Ah!”

With another swift kick, Tang Ningzhi sent him sprawling to the ground.

And she didn’t stop there.

Kick after kick landed on Zheng Qiu’s body as he cried out in pain.

“You still dare to hit me?! You know who I am and you still dare? Even my own father has never beaten me like this! Stop! Stop! Ahhh! Someone go call the Jingzhao Bureau! AHHH!”

Zheng Qiu was like a beaten dog, knocked down again and again by Tang Ningzhi’s relentless kicks. Every time he tried to crawl up, he was immediately kicked back to the ground.

The teahouse waiter froze for a moment before quickly turning to run downstairs, intending to find the shopkeeper to figure out what to do.

After all, this was a high-ranking official’s son getting beaten in their teahouse!

However, just as the waiter was about to descend the stairs, Xu Ming grabbed his arm.

“Don’t just call the Jingzhao Bureau—go inform the Jinyiwei (Embroidered Uniform Guard) as well.”

“Yes, yes! I’ll tell the shopkeeper right away!” The waiter immediately understood and bolted downstairs.

“Miss, please stop, you should leave quickly! The Jingzhao Bureau will be here any moment now!” Mang’er hurriedly stepped forward, grabbing Tang Ningzhi’s arm in an attempt to pull her away.

“Run?” Tang Ningzhi sneered. “You think I need to run?”

“You’re dead! I’ll remember you! You’re done for! Ah—!”

Zheng Qiu tried to put on a tough act, but before he could finish his sentence, Tang Ningzhi silenced him with another ruthless kick.

In truth, she was already holding back.

Otherwise, with her level of martial skill, Zheng Qiu would already be dead.

“Heh, the Jingzhao Bureau, huh?” Tang Ningzhi said with a smirk. “Fine, let them come.”

She sat down on a nearby stool, crossing her legs under her skirt, looking at Zheng Qiu with an air of absolute contempt.

Zheng Qiu wanted to spit some threats, but he was terrified that if he provoked her further, she’d start kicking him again.

He didn’t dare to leave either, so he could only sit on the ground, internally panicking.

This woman was too calm—too arrogant. And her mannerisms, her refined attire... she didn’t look like an ordinary wealthy lady.

Could it be that she had an extraordinary background?

“Who is causing trouble here?!”

It wasn’t even the time for a full cup of tea to be finished before the Jingzhao Bureau Guards arrived.

Like a drowning man seeing a lifeline, Zheng Qiu scrambled to his feet and pointed a trembling finger at Tang Ningzhi.

“It’s her! It’s that damn woman! Arrest her immediately! I will personally interrogate her!”

The guards glanced at their captain, their expressions clearly asking: Who does this guy think he is, ordering us around?

“He’s the son of the Grand Justice,” the captain said, his tone indifferent. “Just arrived from Jiangnan Prefecture.”

He had met this young master before—and he hadn’t left a good impression. Now, it seemed he had already stirred up trouble.

The guards finally understood.

Since the Grand Justice’s son had been beaten up, they had to intervene. No matter what, they had to detain the culprit first.

After all, the current Jingzhao Bureau Magistrate had a very close relationship with the Grand Justice. In fact, to some extent, the Jingzhao Bureau operated almost as a subordinate unit to the Court of Judicial Review.

“You two, arrest that woman—”

“What’s going on here?”

Just as the captain was about to give his order, a calm yet authoritative voice interrupted him.

Everyone turned their heads toward the staircase—

Five men, clad in embroidered Feiyu (Flying Fish) robes, stepped onto the second floor.

Upon seeing them, the Jingzhao Bureau Guards’ expressions darkened, their displeasure evident.

Who in Wudu didn’t recognize that emblem?

The Feiyu robes and the Tang Heng Sabers were the unmistakable marks of the Jinyiwei (Embroidered Uniform Guard).

Patrolling and maintaining order in the capital had always been the duty of the Jingzhao Bureau.

But ever since the Jinyiwei had expanded its authority, much of their power had been taken away.

There was even a saying in Wudu now—”People only recognize the Feiyu robes, not the Jingzhao Bureau Guards.”

Naturally, this had caused growing resentment within the Jingzhao Bureau.

Although the emperor later issued a decree stating that all civil affairs in the capital would still be handled first by the Jingzhao Bureau, that was merely a measure to reduce conflict and clearly define the Jinyiwei’s jurisdiction.

In other words, the Jingzhao Bureau still technically “governed” Wudu.

But in reality, that authority only existed because the Jinyiwei allowed it.

And if the Jinyiwei wanted to intervene, the Jingzhao Bureau would be required to transfer the case to the Jinyiwei without any reason or condition.

Though many in the Jingzhao Bureau felt an imbalance about this, they had no choice. After all, the Jinyiwei was in charge of overseeing all officials, and they only answered to the emperor.

The head of the guards, Chen Wen, stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting to the five men dressed in Feiyu robes, introducing himself, “Chen Wen.”

The leader of the five men, Liu Jiading, returned the gesture, “Liu Jiading.”

Chen Wen smiled and spoke, “Gentlemen, the son of the Grand Justice has been struck by this woman. We received a report and came to handle it.”

Liu Jiading nodded. “We also received the same report. However, I heard that you were already about to arrest someone before even getting the facts straight. That doesn’t seem right, does it?”

The Jingzhao Bureau Guard’s captain, Chen Wen, furrowed his brows. “Brother, this is the son of the Grand Justice.”

Liu Jiading scoffed. “According to the laws of the Wu Kingdom, noblemen and commoners are equally guilty. Don’t mention the Grand Justice’s son. Even if it were the Grand Justice himself, the law applies the same!”

Liu Jiading glanced at the storyteller on the stage. “Old sir, could you kindly explain what happened?”

“My lord, this young master here grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let me go, intending to take me to his chamber. It was this young lady who intervened on my behalf. I ask you to investigate this matter carefully.”

Before the old storyteller could speak Mang’er knelt before Liu Jiading.

Liu Jiading helped her up and looked around. “Is that what happened?”

No one spoke up, but neither did anyone deny it, which was enough of an answer. They all remained silent, clearly afraid to offend the Grand Justice.

“Someone! Arrest the son of the Grand Justice!”

Zheng Qiu was startled and jumped up, pointing at the guards, “You dare arrest me? Do you have eyes? They’re going to arrest me, stop them!”

The head of the Jingzhao Bureau Guards, Chen Wen, was clearly in a difficult position.

If he stopped the Jinyiwei, he would be the one to bear the consequences.

But if he didn’t stop them, how would he explain himself to his superiors in the Jingzhao Bureau?

“The Jinyiwei sure has some official arrogance!”

Just then, a man descended the stairs.

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