Suddenly, a panicked shout rang out, followed by the sound of a stall being overturned. A massive horse, wild-eyed and out of control, barreled down the street, sending people scrambling out of its path.
Seeing the runaway horse charging straight toward them, the coachman, realizing he couldn’t steer clear in time, yanked the reins to stop their own horses and avoid a collision.
At the last moment, as the frenzied horse crashed into the carriage, the coachman leapt from his seat, rolling to safety beneath a roadside handkerchief stall.
Before he could even feel relief, a series of heavy thuds echoed from above. A basket of bricks and tiles tumbled from the scaffolding of a nearby building, landing squarely on the damaged carriage.
Chaos erupted. Bystanders ducked for cover, and when the dust settled, the scene was gruesome.
The runaway horse and the carriage’s two horses lay severely injured, the carriage overturned, its roof caved in by the falling debris. A cloud of dust hung over the wreckage, making it hard to see clearly.
The sight was so horrifying that for a moment, no one dared approach.
"Isn’t that the Zhang family’s carriage…?"
"It's the Zhang family’s carriage!"
____
Xu He was in the kitchen inspecting fresh fish. That afternoon, the village fish pond had been drained, and he had requested carp with roe. A few plump ones had been caught and delivered to their shop in the city, then brought to the estate.
Noticing how round and full-bellied the fish were, he decided to prepare fish soup for dinner. Since Zhang Fangyuan wouldn’t be back, he and Ruili shouldn’t skimp on their meal.
Just as the servants finished scaling and gutting the fish, and Xu He was about to start cooking, Gancao burst into the kitchen in a panic: "Fulang, it’s terrible! Word just came, a carriage accident on North Jiao Road! It’s our Zhang family’s carriage!"
With a clatter, the ladle in Xu He’s hand fell onto the stove.
He tore off his apron, face pale. "The master, is there any news of him?"
Gancao’s eyes reddened. "The carriage overturned, and with the buildings under repair nearby, the commotion must have startled the workers, bricks and tiles fell right onto our carriage."
Tears spilled over as she added, "Bystanders who dared to look said… blood was seeping out from inside."
A stifling heat rose in Xu He’s throat, and his legs nearly gave way. Forcing himself to stay calm, he managed, "Don’t- don’t let the young master know about this."
Then he bolted out the door.
By the time he reached the accident site, the street was still in disarray. Vendors cursed as they righted their stalls, while the wrecked carriage and horses had already been cleared away, leaving only splintered wood behind.
Xu He’s eyes were bloodshot, his entire gaze tinged with red. Trembling, he approached the handkerchief stall and asked the old woman in a broken voice, "Auntie, where are the people and carriage from the accident?"
The vendor, already fuming over her ruined goods with no one offering compensation, she snapped, "Dragged away, of course! What a disaster!"
Tears welled in Xu He’s eyes.
Noticing his distress, the woman softened. "Oh, you’re family, aren’t you? Ah, this old woman speaks too harshly, don’t take it to heart. They were taken to Shencao Hall. That fellow was quick, dived right under my stall. He’s probably fine."
"Really?"
"Why would I lie? Go on, hurry and check!"
Wiping his tears, Xu He climbed into the carriage, sitting right at the edge, too anxious to move further inside. He urged the driver to head straight for Shencao Hall.
Before the carriage even stopped, Xu He jumped down and rushed inside. Spotting a familiar figure standing with hands on hips, his back to the door, Xu He’s tears burst forth like a flood.
"Xu He is here!"
Zhang Fangyuan had been watching the physician stitch up the coachman’s head wound, though the man had abandoned the carriage in time, he’d still scraped his head in the fall.
Zhuang Qi nudged him, and Zhang Fangyuan turned. Seeing Xu He at the entrance, face drenched in tears, he hurried over.
Xu He flung himself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "You’re alive! You’re alive!"
Zhang Fangyuan held him tightly. "I sent someone to tell you I was fine, just here at Shencao Hall."
"I only heard our carriage was in an accident, I thought you were—" Xu He buried his face in Zhang Fangyuan’s chest, uncaring of the onlookers.
Zhang Fangyuan frowned. "I had the martial arts school’s people deliver the message, and I made sure they said I was unharmed. Must’ve been a mix-up with the servants, you left in such a hurry you missed them."
But none of that mattered now. The only thing that did was that he was safe.
Zhang Fangyuan gently patted Xu He’s back, soothing him. Zhuang Qi approached but hesitated to interrupt the couple.
"Those bastards—"
Xu He lifted his head, wiping his damp cheeks. "What really happened?"
Zhang Fangyuan stroked his hair and first said to Zhuang Qi. "Lock those men up, get their confessions signed, and deliver them to the county government while the Salt Commissioner is still here."
"Got it." Zhuang Qi nodded. "I’ll handle it. You settle things here, then come over."
Once Zhuang Qi left, Xu He gripped Zhang Fangyuan’s sleeve. "Tell me everything. Don’t hide anything."
"I wasn’t planning to."
Zhang Fangyuan explained, "When the servant said Master Wang invited me to Wangchun Tower, I felt something was off."
Not long ago, he and Master Wang had dined at Wangchun Tower, where a waiter had offended Master Wang. Instead of reprimanding the waiter, the manager defended him, leading to an argument. Master Wang had sworn never to return.
Given how recently this had happened, even if they’d privately reconciled, Master Wang wouldn’t invite friends back so soon, it’d be a loss of face.
And Master Wang cared deeply about face.
With the salt voucher competition stirring up tension in the city, Zhang Fangyuan couldn’t afford to be careless. If his suspicions were correct, someone had lured him out deliberately.
The route to Wangchun Tower passed through North Jiao Road, which was the Qin family's territory. Given their long-standing feud, it wasn’t hard to suspect Qin Zhong’s involvement, even if the motive was unclear.
So he’d left Xu He behind, instructed the coachman beforehand, and discreetly disembarked near Ji'an Martial Arts School to gather backup, trailing the carriage at a distance.
Sure enough, disaster struck in Qin family’s domain. Zhang Fangyuan and the martial artists swiftly apprehended the men who’d released the horse and dropped the bricks.
Xu He shuddered at the close call. "Thank goodness you were alert and took precautions."
"It’s over now. The Qin family’s crimes have caught up with them, with witnesses and evidence, there’s no escape. Not even the magistrate can shield them this time."
Thank you for the chapter!!
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