Chapter 208: Meng Qinghe Gets Beaten

They claim it's a summons back to the yamen for investigation, but when they actually get to the yamen, the Left Minister's Residence exerts pressure from behind; if she doesn't confess, they will torture her, eventually forcing a coerced confession. Even if she doesn't confess, Meng Qinghe has many ways to die silently and unnoticed in the cell.

From that moment, Meng Qinghe could see in her gaze that Chi Nan Yi's guess was not a single point wrong.

Qingmei, hearing this, hurried forward to block Chi Nan Yi and shouted angrily at the officials, "On what authority do you arrest someone? Just because of her single sentence? How can you be sure she isn't lying?"

"Heh," Meng Qinghe sneered, "I am a respectable daughter of the Minister's Residence; is it necessary to frame you? At this point you still want to argue? Truly, those of low birth are the most sharp‑tongued."

When she finished, Chi Nan Yi, who had been silent for a while, let out a low chuckle.

Everyone's gaze focused on her.

"What are you laughing at?"

Meng Qinghe furrowed her brows; for some reason, the sight of the woman in the blue robe made her extremely uneasy, and hearing her laugh gave her a prickling feeling.

Chi Nan Yi slowly lifted her head, her calm eyes sweeping over the officials' faces before settling on Meng Qinghe.

Her thin lips parting slightly, she said softly, "Left Minister's Residence, quite impressive?"

Seven words, airy yet seemingly imbued with endless power, rang clearly in everyone's ears.

The shop, already quiet, held its breath as everyone stared in disbelief at the cyan figure.

She… what did she just say?

Meng Qinghe's smug smile suddenly stiffened, and she shouted angrily, "What did you say? You, a person of unknown origin, dare to insult the Minister's Residence?"

"If your ears are ill, keep looking; perhaps they can be cured," Chi Nan Yi's eyes examined her, then she laughed abruptly, "But your brain seems beyond remedy."

Meng Qinghe's complexion turned iron‑blue; she turned to the officials and said, "What are you still waiting for? Hurry and seize her!"

The officials furrowed their brows, their looks toward Chi Nan Yi turning hostile.

"Miss…"

"I already said that; if I truly intended to push him, it wouldn't be as simple as him falling down the stairs," Chi Nan Yi swung her arm, a surge of powerful inner force erupting from her body, causing several white porcelain vases behind her to tremble continuously.

Her hair moved without a breeze; everyone felt the overwhelming pressure emanating from her.

The officials exchanged uneasy glances, their hearts sinking.

"Why is today so unlucky? How did this miserable task fall to us?"

"If I truly intended to push him, he would have flown straight down from the upper floor. Moreover, you just claimed to be from the Left Minister's Residence; I've long heard that the Left Minister is devoted to the nation and the people, laboring tirelessly, bowing and serving, and is the most benevolent person. I wonder whether he knows that his two children abroad wield their power to bully others. Rumor has it that the Left Minister has countless legitimate sons and concubines, presumably all as frivolous as today, taking advantage of others and then bringing them into the residence!" Chi Nan Yi smoothed her sleeves, walked slowly up to Meng Qinghe, a flash of cold light appearing in her eyes, causing Meng Qinghe's heart to tighten: "Left Minister's legitimate daughter?" She raised her hand and brought it down sharply, the crisp sound of a slap echoing through the entire shop.

Meng Qinghe fell to the ground from the blow, one hand covering her face, as if she hadn't expected to be struck, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"You… you hit me?"

Jiang Wan Yue hurriedly helped her to her feet, then turned and glared angrily at Chi Nan Yi, "How could you strike someone? You…"

"I merely made real the accusations you leveled against me," Chi Nan Yi took the handkerchief that Qingmei had brought over and wiped her hand, as if she saw something extremely detestable, repeatedly wiping it many times.

Seeing the glaring disgust on her face was as if another hard slap had struck Meng Qinghe's cheek.

"Your skin is too thick; it hurts my hand to slap you," Chi Nan Yi tossed the handkerchief to the ground and said softly, "What a waste of such fine material."

"You…"

"How dare you hit me?"

"Why not? She's just a lady of the Minister's Residence; do you think you're the current Left Minister? Even if you were the Left Minister, what then? If you frame me, even the Left Minister wouldn't be lenient; the Son of Heaven is equal before the law with commoners—how can the Left Minister be greater than the emperor?" Chi Nan Yi looked down at Meng Qinghe from a lofty height, saying coldly, "You really think of yourself as something."

"If you dare hit me, my father will not let you go," Meng Qinghe's forehead veins bulged, her eyes reddened, her body trembled uncontrollably, and the face she covered swelled rapidly, resembling a pig's head—utterly comical.

Standing beside Chi Nan Yi, she was a world apart, like clouds and mud.

"What are you all standing around for? Hurry and seize her! Didn't you see her hit me? You…"

"I hit you because you deserved it," Chi Nan Yi cut her off directly. "The eldest son of the Meng Residence tried to make advances and failed, falling by his own mistake; you, his own sister, shielded him and even attempted to pin a baseless charge on me. Do you truly think I'm a soft persimmon you can manipulate at will? Or do you believe the Minister's power is so great it can shade the entire capital with a single hand? Do you think everyone here is blind? I will hit you, and I will also report the matter. I will accuse the Minister's eldest son Meng Jue of attempting to assault me while drunk, and the Minister's daughter of covering it up, framing me; everyone here has witnessed it." Chi Nan Yi's gaze swept over the lower floor, and she said softly, "Water can carry a boat and also capsize it. The Left Minister, occupying a high position, must act for the nation and the people; if he cannot, his virtue does not match his rank. If he shields his children, he is unfit to be the head of all officials." She then turned to the officials: "If you relax constraints because they are the children of officials, that would prove the very nepotism you protect. This is the capital, under the Son of Heaven's feet; I cannot believe such filthy, despicable acts still exist."

Each word from Chi Nan Yi rang like a bell, echoing clearly in everyone's ears.

The common folk, who had been too frightened by the Minister's power to cheat, felt a spark ignite within them; years of oppression by the powerful surged as sudden outrage.

"This young lady is right! Under the Son of Heaven's feet, how can they get away with wrongdoing?"

"We saw clearly that it was the Meng Family's eldest son who made the first move; the girl only stepped back to dodge, never touching him; he slipped and fell down the stairs on his own."

"I can also testify!"

"We can all testify!"

"Even the current Left Minister cannot bully people like this! We are all willing to testify! If we stay silent today, we will be the ones later oppressed!"

The voices of discussion grew louder, and even those who hadn't seen it with their own eyes joined in.

After all, Meng Jue's reputation in the capital had become thoroughly rotten; everyone knew his character, how many people he had offended openly or covertly. Previously, the Left Minister's Residence shielded him like a great tree, so no one could touch him, nor would anyone truly dare to offend the Meng Family. But now someone has stepped forward, and the crowd naturally echoed support.

Meng Qinghe's complexion turned as pale as paper; she never imagined things would turn out like this.

She kept mentioning the Minister's Residence repeatedly to make everyone hear clearly and not intervene casually.

Yet the person before her, in just a few words, forced them into a dead end.

Chi Nan Yi said lightly, "Miss Meng, now do you still think that slap was unjust?"