Chapter 203: Brother Tiger

"Hiss, *chiu-chiu*."

"Ha!"

"Move aside!"

"Move aside!"

On the way,

Xu Zaijing and Qingyun were the fastest in Xingguo Lane, because they were all residences of Bianjing nobles and high officials, with high and long courtyard walls and few pedestrians.

But out of Xingguo Lane, although the weather was cold, it was the time of the twelfth lunar month for purchasing and visiting friends after the snow,

so there were many people on the road, and Qingyun had to shout loudly and somewhat rudely.

The sound traveled far.

The pedestrians on the street heard the roar and hurriedly avoided to the side of the road.

Soon, two horses rushed past with a cold wind.

Not only the pedestrians and commoners on the road, but some carriage drivers who heard the shouting also hurriedly jumped off the carriage shafts and walked to the front to lead the mules and horses to avoid being hit.

The changes in direction and speed also caused many maids and servants in the carriages to lift the curtains to check and ask about the situation outside.

Arriving downstairs at Pan Lou, Xu Zaijing threw the reins to the waiter at the door and walked straight into the building.

As soon as he entered, he heard the noisy sound of discussion.

Looking around,

at this time, the spacious first floor of Pan Lou had already gathered quite a few people.

There were also many people on the second and third floors who had come out of their private rooms and were watching from the railings.

Some were girls from Qiyun Tower who had been summoned and were accompanying guests,

some were official sons and noble youths who had come to Pan Lou for gatherings and banquets,

and there were even wealthy squires and merchants of Bianjing.

"Excuse me."

"Make way."

Qingyun separated the wall of onlookers in front, using quite a bit of force. Some people turned their heads and glared angrily,

but after seeing Qingyun and Xu Zaijing's attire behind him, they all stepped aside.

Xu Zaijing passed through the wall of people, and there was a faint smell of blood drifting about.

He saw Zhu Qinghu sitting on a chair, who was glaring at the Ministry of Rites official who was talking in front of him.

Beside Zhu Qinghu were six or seven men lying on the ground, some of whom had been bandaged,

while others were being diagnosed or pressed and questioned by people dressed as physicians.

From time to time, muffled groans and cries of pain came.

Xu Zaijing looked at their somewhat deformed arms and legs, and his eyes narrowed.

Looking to the opposite side, there stood a group of warriors wearing fur coats and metal earrings, surrounding a noble from the Bai Gao Kingdom who was sitting and drinking tea. The two youths behind this noble slightly lowered their heads after seeing Xu Zaijing.

"Jing Jing Biao Ge."

Zhu Qinghu's eyes twitched in pain, and he nodded at Xu Zaijing.

"How are they?"

Xu Zaijing asked the two physicians this question. The physicians shook their heads with serious expressions: "They are all seriously injured, especially the bones. Several of them will..."

After looking at Xu Zaijing, the physician continued: "They will all be left with disabilities."

Zhu Qinghu closed his eyes in pain upon hearing this.

Hearing Xu Zaijing's question, the Ministry of Rites official to the side looked over, his eyes brightening: "Brother Jing!"

Xu Zaijing looked at him: "Are you the Ministry of Rites official who came to my house that year to watch me shoot arrows?"

"Brother Jing has a good memory."

"Official, my family said that my cousin got into a fight with the Bai Gao Kingdom warriors because of a woman, where is that person?"

The Ministry of Rites official waved his hand, and Madam Yang, wearing a veil, and an elderly woman revealed their figures on one side.

Xu Zaijing looked over:

"You are the one who played the *pipa* that day."

Yang Luoyou bowed and lowered her head:

"I have seen the Young Master."

Looking at Xu Zaijing's gaze, the Ministry of Rites official to the side said: "Beside her is Bianjing's number one *pipa* player, Madam Tang. Today, the Bai Gao Kingdom envoy wanted to listen to the *pipa*, so they summoned her."

"Hmm, and then? Jing Jing Biao Ge?"

"Then your cousin got beaten up, hahahaha."

Han Wulang of the Duke of Korea's residence, who was watching the fun on the second floor, said with a smile.

"Standing up for a lowly-registered musician!"

"Didn't expect him to like this kind of thing."

"Haha, let his family be arrogant, now they've been taught a lesson!"

Wei Faqi to the side said:

"This Bai Gao Kingdom warrior beat up their whole group by himself. Look if he dares to go up again."

A wounded man lying on the ground cursed indignantly:

"You bastards..."

Xu Zaijing looked up at the second floor. The people there looked at him provocatively, while Rong Xian didn't say a word from beginning to end. Seeing Xu Zaijing's gaze look over, he even hid behind.

Xu Zaijing continued to ask:

"Jing Jing Biao Ge? How did you get into a conflict with them?"

Zhu Qinghu frowned in pain and said: "This Madam Yang composed a piece of music for the Zhu family and our comrades. Aunt misunderstood that she was my outside mistress and went to her place. After the misunderstanding was cleared up, she gave her silver."

"You probably don't know any of this."

Xu Zaijing shook his head.

"Today, my comrades and I were on leave. I wanted to go listen to it, but when I entered the courtyard, I saw there were quite a few musicians. After asking, I learned the ins and outs. Madam Yang also went out to look for someone, so we came to Pan Lou."

"Hmm."

Zhu Qinghu said to the Pan Lou tea and wine doctor, Brother Min: "Hiss, you tell the rest."

That tea and wine doctor, Brother Min, looked somewhat flustered at the people around him, walked to the middle, and bowed to the surroundings:

"It was the little one who led Madam Tang over. After Madam Tang was ready, these Bai Gao Kingdom people actually, actually asked Madam Tang to play the 'Trap-Breaking Tune of the Zhu Father and Son'."

"From the beginning, Madam Tang said she couldn't play it, but they kept adding silver."

"Seeing that silver didn't work, they wanted to hit people! Everyone just saw it."

Hearing his words, many people around nodded:

"Yes, we saw it!"

Lu Sanlang of the Duke of Ling's residence on the second floor also said:

"This young master also saw it. Pfft, just a lowly-registered musician, if you don't earn money, you're just pretending to be noble."

"Lowly bones!"

"Hahahaha."

The people on the second floor laughed.

The musician girls around them lowered their heads, and when they raised their heads, they revealed flattering smiles.

The Bai Gao Kingdom people opposite had someone translating the crowd's words, and there were smiles in their eyes—the kind of smiles a wolf has when looking at a fool.

Xu Zaijing said: "You continue."

"Madam Yang came over and wanted to ask Madam Tang to leave, but was blocked by the Bai Gao Kingdom warriors."

"The little one, the little one saw Viscount Zhu come over, so I asked him to come and help resolve the predicament. And then..."

Xu Zaijing looked at Zhu Qinghu and said: "Jing Jing Biao Ge, was it because of this that you fought?"

Zhu Qinghu shook his head and said: "It wasn't because of this. When we were leaving just now, that one with the strange hair blocked my way and bumped into me again, and it became like this. The other brothers only started fighting after seeing this."

Zhu Qinghu lifted his outer robe. Xu Zaijing looked over, and his expression became serious.

A comrade of Zhu Qinghu said: "Brother Jing, we didn't want to get involved in this excitement, we just wanted to go drink. Who could have thought they would actually..."

Xu Zaijing nodded.

"Brother Jing, long time no see."

Hearing this, Xu Zaijing turned his head and saw Zhao Meifeng standing to the side in casual clothes, bowing.

"Brother Zhao! You came just in time, take a look."

Zhao Meifeng nodded and walked to Zhu Qinghu's side. The two had fought side by side in Chuzhou and had also drunk together in Yang Zhou, so their relationship was quite good.

Looking at the cotton armor inside Zhu Qinghu's robe, the iron plate inside the cotton armor had a bright scratch on it.

If it weren't for this lightweight, close-fitting cotton armor, Zhu Qinghu's chest would have been cut open.

"Vicious, great strength, intending to kill."

"According to the Great Zhou Law, what should be the punishment?"

Listening to Xu Zaijing's question, Zhao Meifeng scratched his head and said: "I..."

At this time, a clear and bright voice came: "According to the Great Zhou Penal Code: plotting to harm an official, if not injured, 100 strokes of the cane and exile for 2,000 *li*; if the official is injured, strangulation; if the official dies, immediate beheading."

Xu Zaijing looked at the speaker; it was a refined young man, about the same age as his eldest brother.

Zhu Qinghu, seeing this person, gasped, as if he had some bad memories.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 204 =====