Chapter 182: Young Master Xiao Er, watch your words, watch them!

Chapter 182: Young Master Xiao Er, watch your words, watch them!

The door was kicked open with a "bang", startling both Xiao Yi Yuan and Huang Wen Yao inside the room.

Xiao Yi Yuan turned his head to see the young man standing at the doorway. He had a good memory and recognized at once that this was the horse-riding youth he had encountered on his first day entering the capital city. It was also the second son of the Marquis of Yongning.

His heart was thundering at this moment, and his hands even started to tremble. Now that both the Second Prince's men and the Marquis of Yongning's men had arrived, and he was caught in the middle, he couldn't help but foresee an ominous outcome. He didn't believe the Marquis of Yongning would harbor any goodwill towards him.

Although they were family, they stood in opposition. That's probably why the Second Prince had approached him. But to the Second Prince, he was merely a pawn, and what fate awaits a pawn? To be discarded after use and not lose one's life would already be the best outcome.

What to do now?

He smiled bitterly inside. It wasn't a question of what he wanted to do; his fate was no longer in his own hands. This feeling left him feeling powerless, furious, and unwilling.

Huang Wen Yao was so frightened he was nearly fainting. He had never anticipated the people from the Marquis of Yongning's household would appear so abruptly. The Second Prince had clearly told him that Xiao Yi Yuan was the grandson of a wife whom Xiao Chengkun, before joining the military, had taken in the countryside. Except for the Second Prince, Wu Guoliang, and his daughter, no one else knew about this matter, and Wu Guoliang's daughter, Miss Wu Er, had already been burned to death.

Now, only he, the Second Prince, and Wu Guoliang knew about this matter. He had even asked if the people from the Marquis of Yongning's household were aware, to which the Second Prince had confidently replied that they absolutely did not. It was for this reason that he had brought Xiao Yi Yuan to the teahouse, a place not very private, to discuss matters.

But now, the second son of the Marquis of Yongning had descended from the heavens, and it seemed like he had heard everything he had just said.

What to do now? He had seen how troublesome the Marquis of Yongning's household could be. If they seized on his words and blew the matter up, he would undoubtedly be dead.

"Young Master Xiao Er, what are you talking about? I don't understand," Huang Wen Yao could only think of one way to save his life, which was to vehemently deny everything. He insisted that he had said nothing, so what could the Marquis of Yongning's household do?

Hearing his words, Xiao Yu Ming sneered, then stepped forward and kicked him in the stomach. Huang Wen Yao let out a cry and fell backward, hitting his back on the corner of the table, the pain making cold sweat bead on his forehead.

By this time, Xiao Yu Ming had already approached him, stepping on his chest and looking down at him, saying, "And who are you to question this young master?"

"I misspoke in a moment of folly, please forgive me, Young Master Xiao Er," Huang Wen Yao hastily pleaded.

He knew that if Xiao Yu Ming killed him now, his death would be in vain. The Marquis of Yongning's household had plenty of ways to clear Xiao Yu Ming's name, and they might even pin a huge and unfounded crime on him.

"Heh, truly a dog-faced creature, your face changes so quickly," Xiao Yu Ming looked at Huang Wen Yao with mockery: "Repeat what you just said. Who did the Second Prince want to make the Marquis of Yongning again?"

"Young Master Xiao Er, you must have misheard, how could I say such treasonous words?" Huang Wen Yao continued with a face full of "determination": "You must have misheard."

"Misheard?" Xiao Yu Ming scoffed again, then bent down to grab Huang Wen Yao by the collar and dragged him outside. Huang Wen Yao stumbled along, not daring to resist.

The young tyrant spoke again, "My ears are perfectly fine; I never mishear things. Just now, you clearly stated that the Second Prince assured someone the title of Marquis of Yongning. Such grand claims! Do you take us for dead at the Marquis of Yongning's residence? Or are you implying that the Second Prince speaks for the Emperor himself? Come, follow me to the Emperor. I cannot fathom how my family's title can be handed over to someone else just because the Second Prince says so."

Xiao Yuming dragged Huang Wenyao along, his voice loud enough for everyone in the teahouse to hear. Huang Wenyao wished he could die on the spot. With such a commotion, even if he denied his earlier words, it would be futile! The Emperor doesn't care about evidence; he only believes what he wants to believe.

"Second Young Master Xiao, please be cautious with your words!" Huang Wenyao resisted moving forward, whispering to Xiao Yuming, "Even if you wish to see the Emperor, it's not guaranteed you'll be granted an audience! How have I offended you, Young Master? Please, let's sit down and talk this over, shall we?"

Xiao Yuming turned to him with a cold sneer, "I may not be able to see the Emperor, but my maternal grandfather can, and so can my uncle. Move!"

He yanked Huang Wenyao forward again. Although Huang resisted, Xiao Yuming, having trained for many days, was not to be underestimated. While he might not match up to the men from the Great General's mansion, handling the frail Huang Wenyao was hardly a challenge for him.

The two men, one pulling and the other dragging, moved forward. Inside the house, Xiao Yiyuan was so shocked he didn't know what to say. A strategist from the Second Prince's residence was being hauled away by a young master of the Marquis of Yongning's house?

He didn't know whether the Marquis of Yongning's residence was always this arrogant or just towards the Second Prince. Regardless, it was an entity he could never challenge. Even if he had harbored any thoughts of usurping the title, witnessing the actions of the Marquis of Yongning's residence, he wouldn't dare entertain such notions anymore.

However, since the incident involved him, he felt compelled to follow and see for himself. Just as he was about to leave, he was stopped by two brocade-clad young masters. They leaned against the doorframe, sizing him up from head to toe.

Their gaze, though merely observational and devoid of other emotions, made Xiao Yiyuan uncomfortable. He bowed and said, "Gentlemen, may I know your concerns?"

"Concerns might be overstating it," said the young master on the left. "Just a piece of advice—if you wish to proceed smoothly with the imperial examination, stay here. Don't go anywhere. Once the commotion outside settles, you can leave."

Xiao Yiyuan was taken aback by his words, but then he understood. They intended to keep him out of the fray. Although he was involved in the matter, if he remained silent and out of sight, the focus would remain on the Second Prince and the Marquis of Yongning, ensuring his safety.

Realizing the rationale, he bowed again, "Thank you for your advice, Young Master."

Qi Er looked at him once more, clicked his tongue, and said, "Don't thank me. It's the Marquise of Yongning who asked me to relay this to you."

"Please extend my gratitude to the Marquise on my behalf," Xiao Yiyuan replied, bowing again, feeling somewhat relieved. It seemed that the Marquis of Yongning's residence bore no malice towards him.

He returned to his seat while Qi Er and Yan Wu at the doorway began to whisper:

Yan Wu: "I may not be the brightest, but I'm certainly better than him, right? I never meddle with those I shouldn't. I've suffered enough losses to learn my lesson."

Qi Er chuckled, "He relies on his status, believing he's untouchable."

Yan Wu: "Sooner or later, he'll be the architect of his own downfall."

Qi Er: "It's probably not far off."

……

Xiao Yiyuan silently listened to the conversation between the two men, wondering to himself if they were talking about the Second Prince.