Chapter 916: Da Manman’s Crisis

Gao Ying was both ashamed and angry. She negotiated with the constable again, but he regretfully stated he was powerless, as those were his orders. Pei You added his own arguments, even bringing up his family background. The constable apologized but firmly refused to let them pass.

The two looked at Zu An, feeling both ashamed and awkward. "Brother Zu, we never expected something like this to happen…" They had invited Zu An here to repay him for saving their lives, and now they couldn't even get through the door. They felt utterly humiliated, wishing they could just disappear into the ground.

Seeing their distressed expressions, Zu An smiled, patted their shoulders, and comforted them, "It's fine, let me try." Noticing his lack of blame, Gao Ying and Pei You felt even more grateful and ashamed. They were influential figures in the capital, and botching a simple invitation like this would likely make them the laughingstock of their circles by tomorrow. They didn't pay much attention to Zu An's offer to try. After all, they had argued themselves hoarse, even bringing up the Liu and Pei families to no avail. What could he possibly do?

"Constable, may I have a word with you privately?" Zu An motioned for the constable to step aside.

"What is it? Don't think about bribing me," the constable warned. However, he also knew Zu An was currently very prominent and felt it was necessary to grant him a moment to speak.

Zu An pulled him aside. "May I ask for the constable's name?"

"What, planning to settle scores later? I'm not afraid to tell you, my name is Bao Mingce. Use whatever means you have, for I uphold the law impartially!" the constable declared sternly, his expression resolute.

"A good surname, and a good name," Zu An thought, realizing he was an upright man who detested evil. This would make things easier. "Constable Bao, you've misunderstood. I have no intention of retaliation. I merely want to tell you something…"

As he spoke, he activated his "I Have a Friend" skill: "I have a friend who recently received a personal invitation from Miss Nanxun. Unfortunately, his invitation card was stolen by that person over there, who then found a skilled craftsman to alter it to his own name, making it impossible for anyone else to see the flaw."

On the other side, Pei Xingyan saw the two chatting and pointing at him. He was about to react but immediately recalled how Zu An had made him vomit blood earlier. A chill ran down his spine, and he dared not offend the other party again.

"What?! Such a thing actually happened!" Constable Bao's expression changed dramatically, and his gaze towards Pei Xingyan turned hostile. He detested fraud and deception more than anything in his life. Under the influence of Zu An's skill, he subconsciously assumed that the "friend" mentioned was Zu An himself, and he instinctively believed the entire story.

However, he hadn't completely lost his judgment. He frowned and said, "Sir Zu, although I sympathize with your predicament, I received orders from my superior today that no one without an invitation card is allowed in. The most I can do is also block Pei Xingyan from entering."

Seeing that his tone had softened, Zu An spoke again: "My friend is a sworn brother to your Lord Yi. He asked my friend to go inside and wait for him." It wasn't hard to guess who his "superior" was. As a constable in the capital, they typically only took orders from the Capital Magistrate, Yi Chun.

"You and Lord Yi are sworn brothers?" Constable Bao was instantly surprised.

"Shh, it's my friend, not me," Zu An whispered, reminding him.

"Understood, understood." Many thoughts raced through Constable Bao's mind. Lord Yi usually befriended those from Prince Qi's faction, while Zu An was part of the Crown Prince's faction. Such a deep friendship between them indeed needed to be kept secret from others.

He hesitated for a moment. "Alright, you may go in." Although upright, he wasn't completely ignorant of social graces. Lord Yi had shown him great kindness, and moreover, the orders to guard the Rouge Pavillion today came directly from Lord Yi. How could he possibly block Lord Yi's good friend?

"Thank you, Constable Bao. My friend will definitely mention this to Lord Yi," Zu An said with a smile.

Constable Bao replied solemnly, "No need, it was merely a small favor."

Zu An returned to Gao Ying and Pei You, giving them a look that indicated everything was sorted. "Let's go," he said. Gao Ying and Pei You initially thought they were going somewhere else, but Zu An led them straight inside.

"This is it, we're going to clash with the constables. Oh well, we'll force our way in, and then let our families deal with the aftermath," they both thought simultaneously. Given their family backgrounds, they certainly wouldn't be sentenced to death for this, but openly confronting the capital's constables was no small offense. Still, they had come this far, and a defiant spirit simmered within them; there was no reason to back down.

To their surprise, the constables all let them pass. Both were stunned. What just happened? Not only them, but the other people waiting outside to watch the show were also dumbfounded and began to clamor, "How did they get in without invitation cards?"

Constable Bao raised the invitation card they had just handed over and calmly stated, "They have invitation cards. There was just a slight misunderstanding; we misread them." The uninformed onlookers were half-convinced, half-skeptical, but Pei Xingyan was absolutely unconvinced. "How is that possible? Open that invitation card and look; it definitely can't have their names on it." When the Rouge Pavillion issued invitation cards, those three were still in the secret realm. How could they possibly have them?

As he spoke, he and his friends started to move forward to inspect the invitation card in the constable's hand. Constable Bao's face darkened. "A capital constable acts as he sees fit; there's no need to explain myself to you. I've just received a report; I suspect you of stealing someone else's invitation card and committing fraud. Men, seize him!"

Pei Xingyan was dumbfounded. "How dare you lay a hand on me? Do you know who my father is?!"

Constable Bao already hated such bluster, and hearing him say this only annoyed him more. "Say what you have to say at the yamen. Men, take him away."

The others initially wanted to intervene, but seeing the constables' fierce expressions, they all backed away. After all, clashing with officials would have very negative consequences. Originally, if Pei Xingyan hadn't been injured, they might have banded together to resist. But now that Pei Xingyan himself was powerless to resist, why would anyone else want to get involved in such trouble? Ultimately, they were just fair-weather friends.

Looking back, they saw Pei Xingyan being dragged away, cursing, outside. Inside, Gao Ying and Pei You were utterly dumbfounded. "Brother Zu, how did you do that?"

Zu An smiled. "Constable Bao is a reasonable man. I just made things clear to him."

Gao Ying and Pei You thought, *What 'reason' are you talking about? We just talked ourselves hoarse, and he didn't listen to us at all.* Seeing that he wasn't elaborating, the two were discreet enough not to press further. Everyone had their secrets.

"By the way, since you're relatives, why is your relationship so strained?" Zu An asked, curious.

Pei You replied, "When a family gets big, you get all sorts. Forget about our two branches having different political views; even within our own lineage, many people don't get along."

Gao Ying said, "Duke Lin Hai Pei Zheng's second son married my uncle's daughter. While there's an in-law relationship, Duke Lin Hai has always looked down on my uncle. Perhaps Pei Xingyan felt Duke Lin Hai's attitude, which is why he acted so brazenly. Intermarriage among these prominent families in the capital is common knowledge; you can always find some distant relation if you twist and turn enough. But those destined to be at odds will remain at odds."

Zu An nodded understandingly. "Indeed. Sometimes, some relatives are not as good as like-minded friends."

"By the way, did something urgent happen to Duke Lin Hai's Fifth House recently?" Zu An seized the opportunity to inquire. He had been worried about Pei Mianman since she left, as there had been no news from her.

"Fifth House?" Pei You looked puzzled. "I haven't heard of anything happening. Why do you ask so suddenly?"

Zu An hesitated for a moment, then spoke directly, "You know Pei Mianman, whom I mentioned in the secret realm, right?"

Pei You smiled. "Of course, I know her. She's the most beautiful woman in our Pei family. Why, Brother Zu, you've mentioned her so many times, could it be that you want to become my brother-in-law?"

Zu An neither admitted nor denied it. "We were classmates for a while back in Brightmoon City, and she helped me a great deal. So, we're definitely friends. However, a few months ago, she received a secret letter from her family, apparently saying something was happening with her mother's side, and she rushed back home. I haven't heard from her since, and as a friend, I'm naturally a bit worried."

Pei You looked hesitant, then lowered his voice and said, "Nothing should have happened to the Fifth House, but I can roughly guess what's going on. Her family has always wanted Pei Mianman to marry Prince Qi's heir. They might be using her mother as a pretext to trick her into coming back. Only a few people within our family know about this, so please don't spread it outside."

"What?!" Zu An was instantly shocked. *How could this be?!*

"Pei Mianman probably isn't willing. Some time ago, she specifically took a family mission that brought her to Brightmoon City. But recently, her family's patience seems to have worn thin, so they called her back. Knowing she would definitely try to refuse, they used her mother's name to trick her into returning," Pei You continued.

Zu An's expression flickered between light and shadow. *Big Manman would agree? That's impossible! She and I are already truly married.*

At this moment, Gao Ying asked, puzzled, "But I'm afraid Pei Mianman's status wouldn't qualify her to be Prince Qi's daughter-in-law, would it?"

Zu An immediately bristled. "What's wrong with her? With her looks and talent, she's more than enough for that Zhao Zhi fellow…" *Pah, pah, pah, who wants her to be with Zhao Zhi? Is Zhao Zhi worthy?!*

Gao Ying gave a wry smile. "Brother Zu, you've misunderstood. Who in the capital doesn't know of Miss Pei's renowned beauty and her reputation as a cultivation genius? It's just that marriage to the royal family isn't that simple. There are often requirements for the woman's family background."

"Miss Pei comes from the Pei family and isn't from the main branch of the direct lineage, but the Fifth House is still quite closely related. It's just that her mother…"

"What about her mother?" Zu An frowned.

Gao Ying explained, "Her mother was not the main wife of the Fifth House. In other words, she is a concubine's daughter."

Pei You added, "Actually, her mother was once the main wife, but something happened back then; I don't know the specifics. I only know that her father later married another prominent young lady as his main wife, and her mother disappeared from the family records."

A wave of pity immediately rose in Zu An's heart. Big Manman always seemed so cheerful and full of smiles, yet he never expected such a tragic background behind her. This world was different from his previous one; the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children was vast. Without needing to be told, he could imagine the hardships Big Manman had faced over the years.

At this point, Pei You added, "Precisely because her family background isn't sufficient, the Pei family only wants her to become Prince Qi's heir's secondary consort." Some things weren't explicitly stated, but everyone understood. Pei Zheng and his faction believed Prince Qi would become emperor. This was a political investment: in the future, Prince Qi's heir would become the Crown Prince, and then the Emperor upon ascension. Pei Mianman's status would rise accordingly, making her an imperial consort, and the Pei family would elevate their standing.

Unfortunately, Zu An didn't care for such considerations. Hearing that Big Manman was being forced by her family to become someone else's concubine, he was filled with rage, even feeling an urge to immediately go and cripple Zhao Zhi.

"Brother Zu, what's wrong?" Pei You and Gao Ying noticed that his mood seemed off.

"Nothing," Zu An forced a smile, took a deep breath to calm himself, then asked, "Do you know how far along this matter is, or when the wedding will take place?" He had made up his mind. No matter what, he would not let Big Manman marry him this time, not even as nominal spouses.

Pei You smiled. "Currently, both sides only have the intention; no agreement has been reached yet. And speaking of which, this also involves you."

"Involves me?" Zu An's heart skipped a beat. *Could it be that my relationship with Big Manman is already known?*

Pei You explained, "You broke Zhao Zhi's leg a few days ago, so Prince Qi's manor has no mind to consider wedding matters. The Pei family is also waiting for Zhao Zhi to fully recover."

Zu An couldn't help but laugh. *Who would have thought, who would have thought? What was casually done has turned into a great outcome. If I had known, I would have broken Zhao Zhi's third leg too.* *Big Manman, our destiny truly is heaven-ordained.*

At this moment, he was in a much better mood. He asked Pei You a few more questions and, learning that Pei Mianman should be safe for the time being, he completely put his mind at ease.

The group had just passed through a long, lantern-decorated staircase and now entered the brightly lit main building at the very top. The air was filled with the sweet scent of cosmetics and an alluring ambiance. The few of them began to chat about frivolous matters again.

Meanwhile, in a private room on the second floor, a handsome man, resembling a jade figure, was smilingly listening to the praises of those around him. Suddenly, he heard bursts of unrestrained laughter from below. He couldn't help but frown, turned his head, and glanced downwards, his face immediately darkening.

"Young Master Yu, what's wrong?" a young man with triangular eyes beside him asked with a smile. This "jade figure" was, of course, Yu Nan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Coming to the Rouge Pavillion today, he naturally didn't want to be addressed by his official title. He had always preferred to be called "Young Master," and those around him knew his preference.

"Just saw someone I dislike," Yu Nan said calmly after taking a sip of tea. For some reason, seeing Zu An made the fine wine in his cup turn bitter and spicy.

"That seems to be Zu An, the recently ennobled 'Green Hat' Marquis," someone nearby recognized Zu An's group. People in Gao Ying and Pei You's circle all knew them, and no one had heard of any discord between Yu Nan and them. That left only one person. It must be said that Zu An's unrestrained and audacious demeanor indeed displeased many people.

"Does Young Master Yu have a grudge against this 'Zu' fellow?" the young man with triangular eyes thought quickly and inquired. Being able to share a table and drink with Yu Nan, his status was naturally not low. He was Yi Zhibing, the son of Capital Magistrate Yi Chun. All the constables outside today were actually brought by him through his father's connections. He wanted to seize the opportunity to flatter Yu Nan, knowing that Yu Nan had recently taken an interest in the courtesan Nanxun, but also valued his reputation as a noble young master and was unwilling to dirty his own hands with certain tasks. So he used the constables under his father to seize the chance to remove some rivals for Yu Nan. Of course, he publicly claimed it was to create a peaceful environment for the courtesan's performance today. Yu Nan might not say it aloud, but he would definitely remember this favor.

"Grudge?" Yu Nan sneered. "Is he even worthy?"

Yi Zhibing secretly scoffed. *This guy is truly arrogant. He clearly dislikes the other person, yet he speaks with such grandiloquence.* But he also had to admit that the other party was incredibly handsome, making such arrogant statements seem utterly natural and impressive. If he himself were to say the same thing, it would only be met with ridicule.

He said with a smile, "Since Young Master Yu dislikes him, allow me to go and send him away."

Yu Nan's heart stirred, but he still replied politely, "No need, he's just a clown."

Yi Zhibing naturally didn't take his politeness seriously. He smiled and said, "Keep this cup of wine warm for me; I, Yi, will be right back." With that, he walked directly out of the private room, motioning for his subordinates to follow him.

The others in the private room all laughed, saying, "Brother Yi possesses an ancient grandeur. Perhaps when he returns, this wine will still be warm. To compose a tale of 'warming wine to banish Zu An' would certainly be a fine anecdote." A hint of a smile also appeared on Yu Nan's face. Although he didn't care much for wealth, he always valued reputation. If the story of Yi Zhibing "warming wine to banish Zu An" were to spread, he would be even more highly praised, considering Yi Zhibing's impressive actions were merely to earn a smile from him.

Meanwhile, Zu An, Gao Ying, and Liu Yao were chatting happily. Just as they were about to find seats, a young master with a rather unseemly appearance suddenly approached them—to call him a "young master" would be an insult to the term, as he looked exactly like a rat demon.

"Who let you in?" The approaching person was naturally Yi Zhibing. He had to put on a smiling face in front of Yu Nan, but his father was the Capital Magistrate, making him a definite top-tier second-generation elite. In front of others, he naturally had the capital to be arrogant.

"Yi Zhibing, do we need your permission to enter?" Pei You was extremely displeased with his tone. In this capital circle, who was afraid of whom?

Gao Ying quietly introduced the man's identity and background to Zu An. Zu An chuckled when he heard it; just the name itself made him want to hit someone.

Yi Zhibing naturally had reservations about the Liu and Pei families. However, one of them was merely Liu's nephew, and the other wasn't Pei's legitimate eldest son, so he naturally didn't take them too seriously. "Well, look who it is. Young Master Pei and Young Master Gao." Then, he changed his tone and said to a team of constables nearby, "Check their invitation cards."

After speaking, he smiled at the three of them. "My apologies, everyone. Miss Nanxun has attracted too many people tonight, and it's inevitable that the crowd will be mixed. So, we need to maintain order. Anyone found without an invitation card will have to be asked to leave."

"You, Yi, what do you mean by this?!" Gao Ying and Pei You were furious. The other party's words sounded polite, but it was clear he was targeting them.

"It means nothing. It's the same for everyone; don't take it personally," Yi Zhibing said with a smile. "Oh, why do you look so guilty? You don't have invitation cards, do you? No way, right? Surely not?"

Soon, the commotion attracted the attention of those inside the building. Many guests had already found their seats and cast curious glances their way.

In a private room on the other side of the second floor, a handsome young man with delicate features smiled and said to his older companion with thick eyebrows and large eyes, "Big Brother, Zu An is here too. It seems Yi Zhibing is intentionally making trouble for him. Should we help him?" These two were naturally the two young masters of the Qin family. The one with delicate features was Qin Yongde, the legitimate eldest grandson of Qin Se, and the one with thick eyebrows and large eyes was Qin Guangyuan, the legitimate eldest grandson of Qin Zheng.

Qin Guangyuan frowned. "Hmph, having received Chu Yan's favor, he still comes to such a place of entertainment. Why should we help him? It serves him right to learn a lesson."