TFWYH – Chapter 683 We Can’t Be Soft-Hearted

Pan Xingyao was completely bewildered when she was suddenly called out.

Frowning, she asked,

“You are…?”

“Second Miss! This servant is Shopkeeper Wu from Fragrant Residence Pavilion. Don’t you remember me? Madam used to come to the shop to check the accounts all the time!”

Shopkeeper Wu cried miserably, tears streaming down his face. He even crawled toward her, trying to grab her leg.

Pan Xingyao quickly stepped aside to avoid him, her face full of disgust.

Looking at his tear-streaked old face, she finally remembered.

Fragrant Residence Pavilion was indeed a business owned by the Yong’an Marquis’s household.

And this Shopkeeper Wu really was one of their employees.

Since he was one of her family’s people, this would be easy to handle.

“Alright, alright.”

Pan Xingyao waved her hand impatiently.

Then she turned to Ling Yue with a lofty, superior air.

“You’re the Minister’s sister, right? This man is a servant of my household. Whatever offense he committed against you was unintentional. Why don’t you just let it go for my sake?”

The crowd: “…”

Ling Yue: “…”

Everyone was stunned by how naturally and confidently she said it.

Yu Ziqing’s expression immediately turned cold.

Without the slightest courtesy, he replied:

“Your sake? What exactly are you? Why should anyone give you face?”

“Yu Ziqing, don’t go too far! I, this Princess—”

Pan Xingyao instantly exploded in anger.

Halfway through speaking, she suddenly remembered that she was no longer a princess.

Her face immediately cycled through several shades of embarrassment.

Yu Ziqing sneered.

“A princess? Princess Yong’an?”

He let out a cold laugh.

“Even if you still were one, so what? The law applies equally to nobles and commoners alike. The laws of the Empire are written clearly enough. Slandering a respectable woman or forcing a woman into prostitution carries a punishment ranging from twenty strokes of the cane to death.

The Second Miss of the Yong’an Marquis’s household is certainly impressive. You don’t even take the Empire’s laws seriously. Tell me, do you still have His Majesty in your eyes? Do you still respect the law?”

The moment Yu Ziqing finished speaking, people immediately began applauding.

“That’s right!”

“Exactly! Even the Heir of Rongsheng was a prince of the imperial bloodline. Didn’t the Emperor strip him of his title whenever he pleased? Are you more important than an imperial prince?”

“We’re all witnesses here! That girl’s so young, yet she was branded as some immoral woman. Why should one casual sentence from you make everything disappear?”

“This beast could twist black into white in broad daylight. Just imagine how many innocent girls he’s harmed when nobody was watching.”

“Exactly! He’s just a servant. If the master had kept a tighter leash on her dog, would it have been running around biting people?”

…

The crowd grew increasingly animated, each person speaking louder than the last.

Shopkeeper Wu was drenched in cold sweat.

His heart was filled with panic.

“Shut up! All of you, shut up!”

Pan Xingyao was both embarrassed and furious.

Glaring viciously at Yu Ziqing, she snapped:

“Don’t push things too far.”

Yu Ziqing leisurely fanned himself with his folding fan.

In a tone perfectly designed to infuriate people, he replied:

“Am I the one going too far, or is your family’s dog? What? You’re staring at me like that—planning to kill me with your eyes?”

“You… you…!”

“A whole family of ridiculous fools.”

Yu Ziqing spat disdainfully and couldn’t be bothered arguing with her any longer.

Instead, he turned to Ling Yue.

“Little Sister Yue, punish this dog however you want. I’m right here. I’d like to see who dares bully you.”

As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at Pan Xingyao.

Ling Yue fell silent.

Especially when Shopkeeper Wu looked at her with pleading eyes.

For a moment, she almost softened.

But the moment she remembered his disgusting behavior earlier, the anger inside her flared up again.

Her sister-in-law was right.

Good people were often bullied.

Some people merely looked human on the outside.

Today, she was the victim.

But what about before?

How many innocent girls from respectable families had this Shopkeeper Wu already harmed?