Chapter 534: Big Brother Joins the Battlefield
Chapter 534: Chapter 534: Big Brother Joins the Battlefield
Xu Jingxi was about to step forward, but Xie Ming’an yanked him back.
Playing the part of the protective second brother, he stood in front of his younger sibling.
"I’m the one who hit your son. If you have a problem, take it up with me. You want to go to the government? I’ll accompany you," Xie Ming’an said, his tone cold.
Mrs. Wu knit her brows, sizing him up. A servant at her side leaned in and reminded her in a low voice.
"My lady, this man is not to be trifled with. The young master offended two young masters from the Xie family. This one here is Xie Ming’an, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice!"
Mrs. Wu’s brow twitched.
She had always told that little devil king of hers to be more careful when he was out and about.
And not to provoke people he couldn’t afford to offend.
’How did he end up offending the Xie family this time?’
Mrs. Wu’s panic lasted only for a moment before she composed herself.
"Mr. Xie, I’ve heard so much about you. You and my husband are both officials serving the same court. Logically, we shouldn’t be meeting under such tense circumstances."
"However, Wu Ke is my only son. I heard from him that your family’s third young master attacked him on sight without any explanation. Surely you owe us an explanation for that?"
"Otherwise, we’ll have to ask the Emperor himself to judge the matter. How can someone be so arrogant and domineering right under the Emperor’s nose? Do you really think there’s no law in the Capital City?"
Xu Jingxi frowned.
He stepped forward. "It’s true that I struck first. Wu Ke was publicly demeaning and insulting another young lady. I couldn’t stand by and listen, so I taught him a lesson."
Mrs. Wu let out a short laugh. "Do you have any witnesses?"
A sharp glint appeared in Xu Jingxi’s eyes. He instantly understood that Mrs. Wu had come prepared.
’There’s no way she doesn’t know what Wu Ke really did.’
’She didn’t come here today seeking justice; she came to shield her son, no matter what.’
Xie Ming’an pulled his third brother behind him, glanced at him sideways, and said in a low voice, "Let me handle a scoundrel like this. You’re too young. Be careful not to fall into their trap."
With that, Xie Ming’an turned to Mrs. Wu. "Let’s head to the government office right now. We’ll let them investigate and get to the bottom of this."
This was the exact sentence Mrs. Wu had been waiting for.
"After you, then, Mr. Xie."
The esteemed Minister of the Ministry of Justice, "invited for tea" at the government office over a brawl in a brothel.
By the next day, rumors would surely spread throughout the Capital City. This was the effect Mrs. Wu wanted.
Even if she couldn’t bring down the Xie family, she would at least tear a chunk of flesh from them!
Xie Ming’an was about to follow when the thugs Mrs. Wu had brought with her got restless.
They produced a rope and tried to tie up Xie Ming’an as if he were a criminal.
Seeing this, Xu Jingxi immediately shouted in anger, "Second Brother, watch out!"
Xie Ming’an was already on guard. He grabbed his attacker’s hand, his expression darkening.
"Mrs. Wu, was I not clear enough just now? I said we would go to the government office to have them assist with an investigation, not because I’ve admitted guilt. What do you think you’re doing?"
Mrs. Wu gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "Don’t be angry, Mr. Xie. My men are a bit slow and didn’t understand what we meant. Once this is all cleared up, I can even pay a visit to your home to apologize."
How shameless.
If Xie Ming’an hadn’t resisted, Mrs. Wu would have certainly had him tied up and dragged to the government office just like that.
’What would the common people say if they saw that?’
Just then, an angry shout came from the entrance. "Let go of my second brother!"
Before anyone could react, a sharp figure flew in with a kick.
He sent the thug surrounding Xie Ming’an flying.
Xie Ming’an and Xu Jingxi froze. When they saw who it was, they exclaimed in unison, "Eldest Brother?"
’Why is Xie Mingxu back?’
’Wasn’t he supposed to be helping supervise the repairs at the Imperial Mausoleum?’
Xie Mingxu had come back tonight to pick up a change of clothes and to see his little sister.
He had promised Shen Ningning that he would find time to come back after the start of spring to fly kites with her.
He hadn’t expected that while riding past the brothel, he would hear onlookers saying that Mrs. Wu was causing trouble for the young masters of the Xie family.
He pushed his way through the crowd to see, and it was just as he’d heard.
Those thugs were trying to disrespect his second brother.
As the eldest brother, he was always calm and self-possessed. At home, he could scold or hit his younger brothers however he pleased.
But outside, he would never allow anyone to bully a member of the Xie family.
So now, Xie Mingxu grabbed a thug by the collar, and his sharp fists rained down on the man.
A moment later, when he straightened up and fixed his cold, pitch-black eyes on Mrs. Wu, she was startled by the murderous aura radiating from him.
The entire hall was filled with moaning thugs, unable to get up.
Mrs. Wu’s face was pale, her lips trembling with anger.
"You... all of you... this is outrageous! General Xie, your two brothers beat my son until he was bloody and bruised, nearly knocking him unconscious. And now you show up and start fighting alongside them without asking a single question? So this is the kind of upbringing the Xie family provides?"
Hearing this, Xie Mingxu glanced sideways at his two younger brothers behind him.
Xie Ming’an’s thin lips moved. "Eldest Brother..."
He gave him a look.
Xie Mingxu understood. His icy gaze returned to Mrs. Wu.
"It’s not for others to comment on the Xie family’s upbringing. Regardless of what happened today, once I have a clear understanding of the situation, I will personally lead men to the Wu family tomorrow to discuss the matter."
"But before that, no one is taking my brothers from under my nose."
After speaking, Xie Mingxu said to the two behind him in a deep voice, "Follow me back to the manor. And explain everything."
He strode out, and Xie Ming’an and Xu Jingxi followed behind him with their heads lowered.
Mrs. Wu watched the mountain of a man that was Xie Mingxu walk past her, not daring to stop him.
She could only glare as the three brothers left together.
"How outrageous!" She swung her sleeve violently. "Send someone to tell the Master! This is a disaster! They’re trying to walk all over the Wu family!"
...
Shen Ningning slept soundly.
She had no idea that her three older brothers had snuck back in the middle of the night.
Only to be hauled out of their beds by her father, Xie Suzhi, and her second uncle, Xie Dizhi, and dragged to the study for interrogation.
The night passed, and the sky brightened.
After finishing breakfast, Shen Ningning was about to head out with Muchun and Wanchun.
But she saw Housekeeper Pang approaching, his face full of worry.
"Uncle Pang, what’s wrong? You look so gloomy this morning. Did someone scold you?" Shen Ningning asked with a smile.
Housekeeper Pang paused, then sighed helplessly.
"Princess, you went to bed early last night, so you probably don’t know. The first, second, and third young masters have been kneeling in the study all night. The master is furious. He won’t let them eat and has ordered them to reflect on their actions."
"What?" Shen Ningning was astonished.
She was used to her troublemaking second brother getting punished for his mistakes.
But Eldest Brother was always so steady, and her third brother, Xu Jingxi, was a model child in the eyes of her father and second uncle.
’How could those two be getting punished?’
"What happened?" Shen Ningning asked as she walked toward the study.
"Sigh! I heard that over some trivial matter, the second and third young masters got into a fight with the young master of the Wu family in a brothel."
Housekeeper Pang lowered his voice. "They smashed his head open. The doctor the master sent over came back and said there were three bloody gashes and half his hair was pulled out."
Shen Ningning found it utterly incredible.
She simply couldn’t imagine what would cause someone as calm as Xu Jingxi to get into a fight with someone in a brothel.
The young girl thought for a moment, then said, "Go and prepare breakfast now. My brothers haven’t eaten all night. Have the kitchen make something warm and nourishing."
"Yes."
As they spoke, Shen Ningning had already arrived outside Xie Suzhi’s study.
She could hear Xie Suzhi’s scolding voice from within.
"You’ve disappointed me greatly."