Chapter 23

Qiu Zhigao hobbled over, and upon seeing the Jingzhao Prefecture officials arrive, his courage grew. He pointed at Hu Xiaotian and shouted, "You evil, shameless, lowly, despicable wretch!"

Translation: Qiu Zhigao limped over, seeing the Jingzhao Prefecture officials arrive, this fellow's courage naturally grew much stronger, pointing at Hu Xiaotian he said: "Evil person, shameless, lowly, despicable……"

We need to keep the ellipsis as is? Use three dots? We'll keep as "……" maybe convert to "..." but keep same? We'll output as "……". Probably fine.

Hu Xiaotian suddenly threw a punch, knocking Qiu Zhigao to the ground right in front of Murong Feiyan. Though he knows no martial arts, his hard training has paid off—he can take down this pale‑faced scholar in a minute. Damn, he's unrepentant, even trying to do stand‑up comedy with me—he's getting exactly what a scoundrel like him deserves.

Translation: Hu Xiaotian suddenly threw a punch, and right in front of Murong Feiyan he knocked Qiu Zhigao to the ground again. Though Hu Xiaotian knows no martial arts, his hard training still paid off; dealing with this pale-faced scholar, he could definitely take him down in a minute. Damn it, refusing to repent, he even tried to do stand‑up comedy with me—I'll beat scum like you.

We need to keep tone. Let's produce: Hu Xiaotian suddenly threw a punch, and right in front of Murong Feiyan he knocked Qiu Zhigao to the ground again. Though Hu Xiaotian knows no martial arts, his hard training still paid off; dealing with this pale‑faced scholar, he could definitely take him down in a minute. Damn it, refusing to repent, he even tried to do stand‑up comedy with me—I'll beat scum like you.

Murong Feiyan never expected him to be so arrogant, daring to strike someone right in front of her. She snapped, "You..."

Translation: Murong Feiyan never expected him to be so arrogant, daring to strike someone right in front of her, and she snapped: "You……"

"You heard that—he insulted me, so this is just self‑defense!"

Translation: "You heard it—he insulted me, so this is just self‑defense!"

Murong Feiyan said, "Take them all back!"

Translation: Murong Feiyan said: "Take them all back!"

Hu Xiaotian looked off into the distance, not noticing that Huo Xiaoru had already left. He frowned slightly, thinking, "Huo Xiaoru, you're being ungrateful. I stood up for you here, threw punches, and when the officials showed up you just slipped away without a word—talk about lacking loyalty."

Translation: Hu Xiaotian gazed into the distance, unaware that Huo Xiaoru had already left; he frowned slightly, thinking, This Huo Xiaoru is really not enough of a friend—I stood up for you here, threw punches, and when the officials showed up you didn't utter a word, just slapped your butt and left—too disloyal.

Murong Feiyan pressed harder, making Hu Xiaotian's chest ache; he stumbled back a step, silently cursing, "Today you push me, someday I'll push back twice as hard! What hostility! Where did this temper come from?" Hu Xiaotian wondered, realizing that this time‑travel experience had subtly altered his temperament, causing changes he hadn't even noticed.

Translation: Murong Feiyan pressed harder with her hand, making Hu Xiaotian's chest ache a little; he instinctively stepped back, silently cursing, Today you push me, someday I'll push back twice as hard! Brutal! Still brutal! Was my temper never this big before? Hu Xiaotian really wondered—it seems this transmigration journey has somewhat affected his disposition, and without noticing, he's undergone a noticeable change.

If a first impression of someone has already formed, it's hard to change it easily. In Murong Feiyan's eyes, Hu Xiaotian is a good‑for‑nothing nobleman who teases women, bullies the weak with his strength—such a person is definitely a bad influence, someone who must be severely punished. She of course knows Hu Xiaotian's background; she understands that even if she brings him back to the Jingzhao Prefecture, it will be difficult to punish him given his exalted status—even the Jingzhao Yin wouldn't dare touch him. As the saying goes, nine times out of ten it ends unresolved. Still, Murong Feiyan cannot let him swagger away unchecked; she wants all the onlookers of the Dachang populace to see that evil cannot triumph over good.

We need to handle some garbled parts: "teasing women". The phrase "ten to nine" likely means "nine out of ten", as in the saying "nine times out of ten it ends unresolved". We'll translate literally: "nine times out of ten it remains unresolved". We'll keep it as is.

Translation: If a first impression of someone is already formed, it's hard to change it easily. In Murong Feiyan's eyes, Hu Xiaotian is a good-for-nothing official's son who harasses women, bullies the weak with his strength—such a person is definitely a rotten apple, an object that must be severely cracked down on. She certainly knows Hu Xiaotian's background; she knows that even if she brings him back to Jingzhao Prefecture, it'll be hard to punish him, given his exalted background—not even the Jingzhao Prefect (Sir) would dare touch him, and nine times out of ten the matter will just fizzle out. Still, she cannot let him swagger away unchecked; she wants all the onlookers of Dakang to see that evil cannot triumph over righteousness.

The sword sheath suddenly swept across Hu Xiaotian's chest, and a blade shot out with a hiss, its icy edge stopping just two inches from his throat, startling him.

Translation: The sword sheath suddenly crossed Hu Xiaotian's chest, and with a swish the blade shot out from the sheath, the icy edge stopping just two cun from his throat—Hu Xiaotian jumped in fright.

Murong Feiyan whispered, "You'd better obey me, or don't force me to use force!"

Translation: Murong Feiyan whispered: "You'd better obey, don't force me to act!"

Hu Xiaotian raised his hands and laughed, "Captain Murong, I'll fully cooperate with your work."

Translation: Hu Xiaotian raised his hands and laughed: "Captain Murong, I'll fully cooperate with your work."

Murong Feiyan snorted, shoved him around, and tied his hands behind his back with rope. Hu Xiaotian said, "Is this really necessary? I have no intention of fleeing. Captain Murong, we've at least met before—I know you're in a tough spot: arrest me and you risk blame from your superiors; let me go and the populace will say you fear authority. It's quite a dilemma!"

Translation: Murong Feiyan gave a cold snort, shoved him so he turned around, then tied his hands behind his back with rope. Hu Xiaotian said: "Is that really necessary? I'm not planning to run. Captain Murong, we're basically acquaintances—I know you're in a tough spot: arrest me and you fear blame from superiors, let me go and you fear the commoners saying you cower before power—it's really a dilemma!"

Furious, Murong Feiyan yanked the rope hard, making Hu Xiaotian wince. He sighed softly, "We're just putting on a show—you get to explain things to everyone and keep your righteous image, and I won't hold you responsible; we can still be friends later."

Translation: Murong Feiyan yanked the rope hard in anger, making Hu Xiaotian wince and frown; he sighed softly: "Let's just put on a show—you'll have answered to everyone, keep up your righteous image, and I won't blame you; we can still be friends later."

Murong Feiyan shoved him and said, "Move along, no more talking!"

Translation: Murong Feiyan shoved him: "Move, less talk!"

At that moment he saw an elegant carriage return to the Yan Shui Ge pavilion—it was Xu Zhengying, the Vice Minister of Revenue, coming back after having just left. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became; although the Hu family's servants had arrived, Hu Xiaotian was still the one he had brought out, and if anything else happened it would still be his responsibility. So he had the driver turn the carriage around, and as soon as he arrived at Yan Shui Ge he saw what was happening.

Translation: At that moment he saw a splendid carriage return to the Misty Water Pavilion—it was the Vice Minister of Revenue, Xu Zhengying, coming back after having just left. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he grew; although the Hu household's servants had arrived, Hu Xiaotian was after all the one he'd brought out, and if he left just like that and something else happened, it would still be his responsibility. So Xu Zhengying had the driver turn the carriage around, and as soon as he arrived at the Misty Water Pavilion he saw the scene before him.

Xu Zhengying jumped down from the carriage, panicking, "Stop!" He lifted his long robe and sprinted over—ancient clothing is really cumbersome; without holding the robe up, it's easy to trip over it and fall.

Translation: Xu Zhengying jumped down from the carriage, panicking: "Stop!" He lifted his long robe and trotted over—these ancient garments are really cumbersome; without holding the robe up, it's easy to trip while running, and he might very well stumble himself.

Seeing the Revenue Vice Minister Xu Zhengying arrive, Murong Feiyan felt a headache coming on—no need to ask, Xu Zhengying was surely going to defend Hu Xiaotian; Hu Buwei is his direct superior, so of course he'd speak up for him.

Translation: Seeing the Vice Minister of Revenue Xu Zhengying arrive, Murong Feiyan felt a headache coming on—no need to ask, Xu Zhengying was surely going to protect Hu Xiaotian; Hu Buwei is his direct superior, so of course he'd speak up for Hu Xiaotian.

Xu Zhengying arrived, out of breath, and snapped angrily, "What's going on? What crime has Master Hu committed? Why are you treating him like this?"

Translation: Xu Zhengying arrived panting, his voice harsh: "What on earth is going on? What crime has Master Hu committed? Why are you treating him like this?"

Murong Feiyan glanced at the nearby bruised scholars and said softly, "Sir Xu, perhaps you should ask them."

Translation: Murong Feiyan glanced at the several bruised scholars nearby and said softly: "Sir Xu, perhaps you should ask them!"

Qiu Zhigao and Qiu Zhitang, faces full of grief, pleaded, "Sir Xu, please stand up for us!"

Translation: Qiu Zhigao and Qiu Zhitang, faces full of grief, said: "Sir Xu, please uphold justice for us!"

Hu Xiaotian smirked to himself, "Stand up for you? Stand up for your damn self—those Qiu brothers are just bookish fools with low emotional intelligence. Even though they know Xu Zhengying and I are on the same side, they still go to him for support—pure stupidity."

Translation: Hu Xiaotian secretly laughed, "Uphold justice? Uphold your damn justice—those Qiu brothers are just bookish idiots, their EQ is rock bottom. Knowing full well that Xu Zhengying and I are on the same side, they still go to him for justice—pure stupidity."

The Qiu brothers aren't stupid either; they think they've suffered a major loss today, and since they once had some acquaintance with Xu Zhengying, their aim is to make it inconvenient for him to defend Hu Xiaotian.

Translation: The Qiu brothers aren't stupid either; they think they suffered a big loss today, and since they used to have some acquaintance with Xu Zhengying, saying this is meant to make it inconvenient for him to speak up for Hu Xiaotian.

Xu Zhengying didn't recognize the two brothers at first glance; only when they spoke did he realize they were the Qiu siblings. Seeing these two pig‑headed fools, he felt a twinge of sympathy—"Hu Xiaotian, Hu Xiaotian, you went a bit too hard, huh? I just left, and you've stirred up this huge mess." Still, Xu Zhengying didn't hold any affection for the brothers; he summoned the Minister of Rites, Wu Jing Shan, but neither of them gave him a heads‑up, stealing his thunder and leaving him embarrassed in front of the crowd—people like them deserve what they get.

Translation: Xu Zhengying didn't even recognize the two brothers at first glance; only when they spoke did he realize they were the Qiu brothers. Seeing these two pig‑headed oafs, he felt a twinge of sympathy—Hu Xiaotian, Hu Xiaotian, you've been a bit too rough, I'd just left and you've already stirred up this huge trouble. Still, Xu Zhengying didn't have much fondness for the brothers; he summoned the Minister of Rites, Wu Jingshan, over, and the two hadn't even given him a heads‑up, leaving him to bear the brunt in front of everyone—quite embarrassing, and such people deserve a beating.

Xu Zhengying opened his arms, placed them on the shoulders of Qiu Zhigao and Qiu Zhitang, and whispered, "How did you end up provoking him?"

Translation: Xu Zhengying spread his arms, placing them on the shoulders of Qiu Zhigao and Qiu Zhitang, and said quietly: "How did you end up provoking him?"

Qiu Zhigao complained, "Sir Xu, he attacked without distinguishing right from wrong, bringing his servants and charging at us—we had no idea who he was."

Translation: Qiu Zhigao complained: "Sir Xu, he didn't distinguish right from wrong, bringing his servants and charging over to hit us—we had no idea who he was."

Xu Zhengying asked, "You really didn't know?"

Translation: Xu Zhengying said: "You really didn't know?"

The two brothers shook their heads in unison.

Translation: The two brothers shook their heads in unison.

Xu Zhengying lowered his voice and said, "This is Hu Xiaotian, son of the Third‑Rank official, Minister of Revenue Hu!" Actually there was no need to be so explicit; by revealing his father's high office he was trying to intimidate them into backing down.

Translation: Xu Zhengying lowered his voice: "The son of Third‑Rank Official, Minister of Revenue Hu—Hu Xiaotian!" Actually there was no need to be so explicit; Xu Zhengying revealed Hu Xiaotian's father's rank just to intimidate them, hoping they'd retreat when faced with difficulty.

Only then did Qiu Zhigao and Qiu Zhitang learn Hu Xiaotian's true identity, and their bodies shuddered almost simultaneously. The Qiu brothers aren't fools; they've heard of Hu Buwei. They constantly organize literary gatherings, but their real aim isn't pure literary exchange—they hope to network with higher‑rank officials through these meetings, laying the groundwork for future political careers. Their father, Qiu Qing Shan, may be well‑read, but he's poor at socializing and remains only a low‑rank Fifth‑Rank Grand Historian.

Translation: Only then did Qiu Zhigao and Qiu Zhitang learn Hu Xiaotian's true identity; their bodies almost shuddered at once. The Qiu brothers aren't stupid—they'd heard of Hu Buwei. They spend their days organizing literary gatherings, but the real aim isn't pure literary exchange; they hope to use this to network with higher‑ups, laying groundwork for future official careers. Their father, Qiu Qinghan, may be well read, but he's poor at dealing with people, and to this day he's merely a low‑ranking Fifth‑Rank Grand Historian.

Xu Zhengying said, "Hu Xiaotian's future father‑in‑law is the Jiannan Xichuan Military Commissioner and Duke of Xichuan, Li Tianheng, Lord Li..." He trailed off, the meaning clear: you two brothers should realize that offending someone with such connections is beyond your reach; if you get beaten, it's your own fault for not seeing clearly, and if today your actions get him handed over to the authorities, the blame will likely fall on you.

Translation: Xu Zhengying said: "Master Hu's future father‑in‑law is the Jiannan Xichuan Military Commissioner, Founding Duke of Xichuan, Li Tianheng, Sir Li…" He trailed off, the meaning already clear: you two brothers had better realize that offending Hu Xiaotian's background is beyond you; if you hit him, it's only your own blindness—whoever provoked him, and if today you get him handed over to the authorities because of your actions, chances are you'll be the ones who end up unlucky.

Qiu Zhigao and Qiu Zhitang exchanged a glance, instantly made up their minds, turned, and shouted in unison, "We're being wronged!"

Translation: Qiu Zhigao and Qiu Zhitang glanced at each other, almost instantly made up their minds, turned and shouted in unison: "We're wronged!"

Hearing their cries of injustice, Xu Zhengying nearly exploded with anger, muttering, "I've explained everything clearly, yet you persist in your delusion—you're basically asking for trouble; who else is there to blame?"

Translation: Hearing them cry injustice, Xu Zhengying nearly had his lungs explode—he muttered, "I've spelled it out for you, yet you persist in your delusion; you're just asking for death—who do you blame?"

By now Murong Feiyan had already bound Hu Xiaotian, and her four constables had also tied up his six servants. Since Hu Xiaotian had told them not to resist, the arrest proceeded without any clash.

Translation: On Murong Feiyan's side, Hu Xiaotian was already trussed up, and her four constables had also bound his six servants; since Hu Xiaotian had told them beforehand not to resist, the whole arrest proceeded without any clash.

Hearing the Qiu brothers cry injustice, Murong Feiyan turned back, her clear eyes fixed on them, and said, "Don't worry—come with me to the Jingzhao Prefecture, present the full story to the magistrate, and he will see to it that you receive fair treatment."

Translation: Hearing the Qiu brothers cry injustice, Murong Feiyan turned again, her clear bright eyes fixed on them, and said: "Don't worry—come with me to Jingzhao Prefecture, see the Sir, lay out the whole story clearly, and the Sir will give you a fair judgment."

Qiu Zhigao said, "Captain Murong, Master Hu is innocent!"

Translation: Qiu Zhigao said: "Captain Murong, Master Hu is innocent!"

That remark not only stunned Murong Feiyan but also left Hu Xiaotian gaping in disbelief—"Come on, show some spine! You're a scholar; even if you lack integrity, you ought to have some dignity—calling you shameless is actually giving you too much credit!"

Translation: That remark not only stunned Murong Feiyan, it left Hu Xiaotian gaping—"Damn! Show some spine, you're a scholar! Even if you lack integrity, you ought to have some face; calling you shameless is already giving you too much credit!"

Murong Feiyan's face flushed red with anger—what kind of person is this? He had just been beaten black and blue, yet now he's speaking up for his attacker; maybe his brain got addled from the blows, unable to tell friend from foe. Murong Feiyan asked, "Are you helping him cry injustice?"

Translation: Murong Feiyan's face flushed red with anger—"What kind of person is this? Clearly he got beaten into a pig's head, yet now he's speaking up for his attacker—must his brain be scrambled, can't even tell friend from foe?" She demanded: "You're helping him cry injustice?"

Qiu Zhigao nodded, and Qiu Zhitang chimed in, "Captain Murong, why are you arresting Master Hu for no reason? What crime has he committed?"

Translation: Qiu Zhigao nodded, and Qiu Zhitang chimed in: "Captain Murong, for no reason at all, why are you arresting Master Hu? What crime has he committed?"

Murong Feiyan looked at Qiu Zhigao with contempt and asked, "How did you get that injury on your face?"

Translation: Murong Feiyan looked down on Qiu Zhigao: "How did you get that wound on your face?"

Qiu Zhigao said, "I just tripped!" Well, afraid of offending the Revenue Minister's son, he's gone all‑in on shamelessness. Qiu Zhitang nodded, and without needing to confer, said, "I also slipped on the stairs and fell—if Hu Xiaotian hadn't caught me, I might have broken my leg. I owe him my life, really." As he said this, even Qiu Zhitang admired himself, thinking, "I'm no ordinary man—enduring humiliation, seeking compromise, a gentleman may wait ten years for revenge; when I finally make it big, I'll avenge today's shame."

Translation: Qiu Zhigao said: "I fell myself!" Well, afraid of offending the Minister of Revenue's son, he's gone all‑out shameless this time. Qiu Zhitang nodded too—born of a woman, the brothers need no consultation; Qiu Zhitang said: "I also slipped off a stair and tumbled down; luckily Master Hu caught me, otherwise my leg would've broken! Speaking of it, I really ought to thank Master Hu for saving my life!" As he said this, even Qiu Zhitang admired himself: "I'm no ordinary man—enduring humiliation, bearing burdens, seeking compromise; a gentleman may wait ten years to take revenge, but once I make it big I'll surely wipe away today's shame."

Murong Feiyan fixed Qiu Zhigao with a stare and said, "I just saw him punch you!" Qiu Zhigao chuckled, "We're just joking around, messing about—we're good friends, so we often do this, right, Master Hu?"

Translation: Murong Feiyan fixed Qiu Zhigao with a stare: "I just saw him punch you!" Qiu Zhigao chuckled: "We're just joking around, having fun—we're good pals, so we often joke like that, right, Master Hu?"

Hu Xiaotian silently admired, "These Qiu brothers are truly shameless to the extreme." He laughed, "Yeah, we're good friends—we had agreed to meet at Yan Shui Ge to trade poems. As the saying goes, 'striking is closeness, scolding is love.' On the surface it looks like I punched him, but in truth my deep affection makes him feel the pain; the blow lands on his face, but the ache is in my heart. This profound male friendship is something you women wouldn't understand."

Translation: Hu Xiaotian secretly praised, "These Qiu brothers are truly shameless to the extreme," and he laughed: "Yeah, we're good friends—we'd agreed to meet at the Misty Water Pavilion to exchange verses. As the saying goes, 'to strike is to be close, to scold is to love'; on the surface you see me punching him, but actually it's because my affection runs deep that I make him feel the pain—his face takes the blow, my heart feels it. Such a great bond between men, you women couldn't possibly understand."

The Qiu brothers silently cursed, wishing they could rush up and bite that guy to death, but they were all heart and no guts—today's loss was certain.