He Yunzhao appeared relaxed, her words casual, never mentioning the matter even to elders.
But as the saying goes, it's better to be safe than sorry.
She still needed to study daily, though she could afford to be slightly more at ease, without the intensity of exam preparation.
Thus, she diverted some attention to other preparations. First, she bribed some people to spread word of her conflict with Feng Qing and Gu Chengling that day.
Her sarcastic remarks toward Gu Chengling, along with the phrase "When I observe things, they take on my colors," circulated widely.
She also wrote letters to several senior classmates she knew well, detailing the incident from beginning to end and expressing her remorse, never imagining it would ruin Gu Chengling's reputation.
Among these classmates, those with fiery temperaments had already written back condemning the two and comforting He Yunzhao, telling her not to feel guilty.
Qu Zhan, who also received a letter, was more perceptive. Having collaborated with her to build their reputations before, he grasped the underlying message in He Yunzhao's words.
The thought of being able to help He Yunzhao excited him immensely. Whenever he went out, he would occasionally bring it up, expressing concern for his friend with a worried tone.
"Yunzhao is gentle and kind-hearted, but Young Master Feng is not an easy person to deal with. Yunzhao is still young—it’s truly worrying."
As the Qilin Zi of Grand Secretary Qu's household, who wouldn’t flatter him when they had the chance? Moreover, He Yunzhao was renowned for her talent, making it justifiable for anyone to speak up for her.
As the saying goes, there are no absolute secrets in this world. What Zhao Tongzhou knew, others would naturally find out too.
What could be more interesting than gossip amid flower appreciation and wine tasting? In less than three days, they had dug up everything about the Feng Family behind Feng Qing and the Li Country Duke Mansion.
It’s important to understand one thing: civil officials do not fear military officers.
Besides, Da Jin favored civil officials. Even if these scholars entered officialdom in the future, they would become civil officials and would never fall under Pei Shangxuan's command, so they discussed the matter fearlessly.
Jealousy, face-slapping, beauty saving the hero, and the private life of a consort—all the elements were there!
He Yunzhao took the lead to dominate public opinion, preventing Feng Qing from making the first move. In matters of public opinion, the one who strikes first gains the upper hand.
Next, she made preparations, summoning over a dozen strong, robust servants from the estate to accompany the donkey cart closely on the way to the Academy and back home.
Yes, for safety’s sake, she had replaced the horse with a donkey. With the carriage lower to the ground, she could escape more easily if anything happened.
At the same time, she even prepared retaliatory measures. The steward, Yang Xiaoman, looked troubled and stammered, "Third Master, this… this isn’t appropriate. If the Old Madam finds out…"
He Yunzhao leaned back, gazing coolly at Yang Xiaoman, her voice icy. "If you tell the Old Madam, you won’t need to be steward anymore."
Yang Xiaoman’s face fell. The Third Master was the master of the household, the only male heir of the He Family, so his word was law.
As Yang Xiaoman withdrew to make preparations, his expression remained troubled. How should he put it? It was truly baffling how the Third Master had come up with such an idea.
He happened to run into his father, Old Yang, the butler. After hearing the story, Old Yang chuckled and said, "The Third Master takes after our Old Master."
Those unexpected little tricks indeed carried the Old Master’s style.
With a sore head from being knocked, Yang Xiaoman carried out the Third Master’s plan with a pained expression.
When people are on alert, they tend to be tense, and He Yunzhao was no exception.
It was just an ordinary day in April, with gentle winds and warm sunshine. They had already switched to lighter clothing, and everything seemed calm on the surface.
After classes one day, He Yunzhao was approached by Xiao Changfeng asking about a problem.
She looked up at Xiao Changfeng, unable to suppress her doubt—did he still need to study?
What she meant was, did he even have the necessity to continue studying?
It was obvious he wouldn't pass the exams! He might as well try the Military Examination instead of tormenting himself and his teacher.
The two parted ways at the Academy gate, heading in opposite directions.
The wheels creaked as they turned. He Yunzhao sat upright in the carriage—or rather, the donkey cart—which was surprisingly steady.
Suddenly, a voice came from the front, "Third Master, there's a carriage blocking the way ahead. Should we take another route?"
He Yunzhao grew alert!
Something was wrong—this road wasn't usually this congested.
She opened the carriage door, her sharp eyes scanning everything ahead. Spotting the broken-down carriage under repair, she pressed her lips together in thought. "No, we won't change routes. We'll wait here for it to be fixed."
This Central Street was the only main road nearby; the surrounding alleys were even more unsafe.
Time ticked by. Half an hour later, the carriage ahead was repaired and began moving slowly forward. He Yunzhao remained vigilant, crouching at the front of the cart.
From the upper floors of shops on both sides, someone looked down at the small donkey cart starting its slow progress, a cold smile curling their lips.
Another carriage gradually fell in behind the donkey cart, maintaining a careful distance.
As they reached the area with the most taverns, the front carriage slowed its pace.
The cart driver grunted in frustration, frowning at the scene ahead. He turned and called out, "Third Master, it seems the carriage ahead has broken down again."
He Yunzhao immediately sensed trouble. She leaned out to look forward and confirmed the carriage was indeed moving sluggishly.
Frowning, she raised her head to survey the surroundings. The street was wide here, but flanked by numerous taverns.
Each establishment had tall pillars displaying flags painted with wine jar motifs—a way for illiterate people to identify the shops' purpose.
He Yunzhao's heart skipped a beat. She quickly turned and asked, "Is there a carriage following us?"
The attendant looked back, "Huh?"
"Third Master, there is indeed a carriage following us. It's too close—I'll go tell them to slow down."
Suddenly He Yunzhao realized the real scheme: they had exploited her vigilance by arranging for a carriage to follow when the attendant wouldn't notice.
This would make her think the danger had passed and let her guard down.
She made an immediate decision, "Stop the cart!"
The donkey was sharply reined in, halting abruptly. He Yunzhao jumped down from the carriage.
At that exact moment, a tall flagpole from a nearby tavern tore loose with a sharp crack and—amidst shocked cries—crashed down onto He Yunzhao's cart!
A cold sweat broke out on her skin! She never expected Feng Qing to be so ruthless—going straight for a fatal strike!
The collapsing cart yanked the donkey violently downward, forcing the animal into a split as it collapsed with an ear-splitting bray.
He Yunzhao snorted coldly and immediately scanned her surroundings. Feng Qing would never miss the scene of her death, so he must be watching from nearby.
"Whoa!" A black horse galloped up and skidded to a halt, hooves clattering against the ground.
Xiao Changfeng had arrived!
"Martial Aunt, are you alright?" he asked urgently, reaching to check her over.
He Yunzhao cursed under her breath and shoved Xiao Changfeng away with such force that he stumbled backward.
Her fury fully ignited, she demanded, "Where's Yang Xiaoman?"
Yang Xiaoman rushed over, still shaken, and hurriedly nodded under He Yunzhao's gaze.
An hour later, a trussed-up human dumpling was thrown into the most famous male prostitution house in Jing City. A hooded youth took out two silver ingots and said, "Please give this gentleman your finest hospitality."
She had expected Feng Qing to ruin her reputation, but never imagined he would resort to such vicious methods!
Without sufficient evidence, it was difficult to convict him, and since Feng Qing was a Cultivated Talent, the law prohibited the use of torture.
Even with complete evidence, according to Da Jin's legal code, attempted murder without casualties only warranted one hundred cane strikes and three years of penal servitude.
Even if Feng Qing's scholarly rank were revoked, he could still make a comeback under his influential brother-in-law's protection after three years of servitude. How could He Yunzhao swallow this injustice!
The donkey gasped painfully, its mournful braying indicating it wouldn't survive. The servants, unable to bear watching the creature suffer, requested a chef from a nearby tavern to put it out of its misery.
Amid the street's wreckage of carriages and a pool of blood, curious onlookers gathered. He Yunzhao's disheveled bangs fluttered in the gentle breeze…
She sat calmly in a chair brought over by Xiao Changfeng, quietly waiting for the servants to clean up the scene.
Xiao Changfeng didn't dare speak, sensing his martial uncle was particularly dangerous at this moment, so he stood nearby with his mouth tightly shut.
When Pei Shangxuan was dragged out by Feng Li's crying and fussing, the scene had already been cleaned up, leaving only a stubborn bloodstain on the street and the "murder weapon pillar" too heavy for the servants to move.
Feng Li rushed down from the carriage, immediately spotting He Yunzhao sitting there composedly.
The crowd instantly fell silent. In the stillness, the wind gently stirred, making the tavern banners flutter elegantly.
The youth wore simple clothing, hair tied high, watching the woman expressionlessly. Their exquisite features were intimidating – jet-black hair and snow-white skin cold enough to freeze, like glacial ice or a tranquil lake.
Without rising, they merely nodded in greeting, their mocking eyes seeming to say, "Well, finally here."
Faced with such striking beauty, Feng Li instinctively raised a hand to cover her face before gritting her teeth to ask, "Where's my brother!"
He Yunzhao clicked their tongue but refrained from further provocation. Though they had a hundred cutting remarks that could make this woman want to disappear, they remained silent now.
During this brief silence, Feng Li nearly went mad, shouting angrily, "Give me back my brother!"
He Yunzhao tilted their head cutely and asked curiously, "Miss, who might your brother be?"
Feng Li almost blurted out the answer but was stopped by Pei Shangxuan covering her mouth. Tall and upright, he appeared quite righteous when silent.
He Yunzhao: "Oh my, oh my, oh my…"
Their speech proved more irritating than their silence, even Pei Shangxuan couldn't stand this sarcastic tone.
But he absolutely couldn't ask about Feng Qing's whereabouts now, or he'd be admitting guilt without being accused.
He Yunzhao tried provoking them again, but they still didn't speak. Truly worthy of the Duke of Li who married a princess yet kept a lifesaving beauty – his skin was indeed thick enough.
Seeing the high official's arrival, the commoners who hadn't dared continue watching scattered, leaving only some scholars and those with Cultivated Talent or Recommended Man titles who still dared observe the spectacle.
After another quarter-hour, servants from the Li Country Duke Mansion and Pei Shangxuan's subordinates searching several nearby streets finally found Feng Qing completely naked.
Feng Li wailed and threw herself over her brother. The violent motion displaced the clothing covering Feng Qing, exposing pale, bare flesh.
Whoosh!
He Yunzhao let out a light, spirited whistle, provoking Pei Shangxuan to glare at her with reddened eyes.
Furious, he felt as if his face had been stripped off and trampled upon twice. He snarled, "Young Master He, you’ve gone too far! You should know when to show mercy!"
Finally speaking up, He Yunzhao perked up. "So you can speak like a human after all."
"You—!" Pei Shangxuan was beside himself with rage.
He Yunzhao sneered, rising swiftly to her feet. "‘Know when to show mercy’—why don’t you teach that to your savior’s younger brother?"
Feng Li burst into loud sobs, as if her brain had suddenly started working again.
"My brother and I have relied on each other since childhood in the borderlands. Since he was young, he’d give me the larger half of any pancake he had. He studied diligently for years to achieve what he has today. Why must you destroy our Feng Family?"
He Yunzhao’s back was drenched in the cold sweat of a narrow escape, still clinging to her. She scoffed, "Young lady, do you think you’re pitiful?"
"I don’t! I only think Feng Qing, who resorts to killing at the slightest disagreement, is a beast. And you, who helped plan and provided the means, are vile. And as for…" She turned to the Duke of Li, who had rushed over in haste, "those who shield despicable, malicious individuals are even more detestable than the culprits themselves."
The most terrifying thing in this world is when fools and vicious dogs harm others, and there’s always someone vile stepping in to shield them, demanding forgiveness!
Pei Shangxuan was seething with anger. Amid Feng Li’s weeping, he narrowed his eyes at the Top Candidate of the Jing City Prefectural Examination.
He didn’t even care about the onlookers around him and threatened, "You’ve got nerve! Kneel and kowtow in apology now, and I might still show you some mercy."
He Yunzhao let out a long laugh, retrieving a jar of wine from the tavern beside her. With a 'bang,' the yellow clay lid was smashed off.
She tore a strip from her own garment, crumpled it into a small ball, dipped it in the wine, and began writing on a nearby wooden board.
Someone followed the strokes and read aloud, "Hammered and chiseled… out of deep mountains, burned in blazing fires… as if unperturbed…"
"Shattered to pieces… without fear…"
"To leave integrity in this world!"
In one breath, she completed the poem. The scent of wine filled the air, each character brimming with fury and resilience!
"What a line—'To leave integrity in this world'!"
Feng Qing killed to beg his brother-in-law for help; He Yunzhao killed with her words!