Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 79 One Mistake After Another

Xiangquan quietly ran to Bai Shandian's side, gently took his hand, smiled shyly, and said embarrassedly, "Shandian, I misunderstood you! Actually, I know that for the sake of the children, you wouldn't abandon me!" Bai Shandian tapped her forehead hard with his finger and gently scolded, "Whose rumors did you believe? You even doubted the love of your life! Are you stupid?" Xiangquan said angrily, "It was that warden from the Hangzhou prison! He came to cell 16 of our women's prison early this morning and told me that according to a friend of his who works at the General's Mansion in Hangzhou, my husband and the daughter of the mansion, Hongyue, actually stayed in the same room for most of the night! So, my wife..." Bai Shandian laughed and scolded, "So you got jealous and insisted that the warden release you to make a scene!" Xiangquan spat, "Get lost!" The two then made up as before.

Qi Caiyun continued reading the second imperial edict: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: There are a group of suspected anti-Qing and pro-Ming criminals who, due to insufficient evidence, are unsuitable for continued detention. Therefore, it is hereby declared that they are to be released immediately! Released are: Stinky Feet, Fujibayashi Jinin, and Yagyu Densei. So be it!" The Hangzhou General and his men knelt down and received the edict. Upon hearing this, Bai Shandian was shocked and rushed to Qi Caiyun, shouting angrily, "I saw the Emperor's edict with my own eyes! It only says to release Stinky Feet, not two Japanese ronin! Did you perform a magic trick and arbitrarily change the Emperor's decree?!" Qi Caiyun coldly laughed, "The Mo Qing Society, a renowned anti-Qing and pro-Ming gang, has an innocent leader, let alone others. I was merely speaking out for the people and acting on behalf of Heaven!" Bai Shandian roared, "Do you know the consequences of doing this? This official and General Hong will be held accountable. At best, they will be stripped of their official positions and reduced to commoners; at worst, they will be charged with deceiving the Emperor, their entire family executed, and their nine generations of relatives exterminated!"

Qi Caiyun, with the air of a roguish thug, said dismissively, "What's the big deal? Execute the whole family, exterminate nine generations? Hmph, I think you've been an official for too long, and you've become increasingly cowardly! Haha, not that serious!" Bai Shandian suddenly stepped forward, raising his arm and shouting, "This second imperial edict is invalid! I'll return to Yue Fei Temple and find out the truth before we talk!" Hongchen held the edict as if it were a landmine, fearing it might explode suddenly. Hearing Bai Shandian's words, a weight was lifted from his heart, and he let out a long sigh, taking out a handkerchief to gently wipe the cold sweat from his forehead!

"What? You're going back? Nobody's leaving here until Fujibayashi Jonin and Yagyu Densei are released!" Qi Caiyun roared in fury, leaping to the courtyard gate and blocking it! Seeing her husband's audacity, Xiangquan rushed to him, pointing a finger and shouting, "Who are you? How dare you speak so arrogantly?!" Qi Caiyun chuckled, "Oh, so you're the leader of the Southern Fist School, the leader of the Jiangnan martial arts world. Hmph! I may be unknown in the South, but I'm quite famous in the North, the capital. I am Qi Caiyun, the renowned leader of the Colorful Gate School!" Xiangquan was also taken aback. People in the martial arts world were familiar with Qi Caiyun. He was said to have a mysterious background, his origins unknown, but he was quite active in the capital. He was once a prominent figure in Tianqiao, Beiping, famous throughout the country for his magic tricks, attracting attention from all walks of life. It was said that he had even performed for Emperor Qianlong in the palace, a truly influential and famous figure. No wonder her husband was so wary of him!

Xiang Quan, refusing to believe this, shouted, "I don't care who you are, you dare to overpower my husband? You're asking for death!" She charged forward and threw a punch, the force of which carried a fragrant aroma and a chilling wind. Clearly enraged, she immediately unleashed the renowned Southern Fist classic move – the Fragrant Breeze Assault! Qi Caiyun felt a sudden jolt, almost losing control. Her body went limp, and she quickly stepped back, holding her breath, afraid to inhale the poisonous fragrance. She opened her mouth wide and spewed forth bursts of flame! At such close range, Xiang Quan felt a surge of heat rush towards her, almost touching her eyelashes! Panicked, she couldn't stop herself from retreating, and was about to be disfigured by the flames – doom was imminent! At this critical moment, someone suddenly pushed her aside, averting disaster. That person, however, became the target of the flames, their clothes immediately catching fire!

Xiangquan turned her head and saw that it was her rival in love, Hongyue. She couldn't help but scold, "You lowly servant, what are you pretending for!" Seeing that Hongyue's clothes were on fire, instead of helping to put it out, she watched with glee. Xiangquan felt very relieved!

"Xiang Quan, how could you do this!" Bai Shandian shouted, rushing forward to catch Hong Yue Liang and pulling her to the ground. They rolled around several times before finally extinguishing the flames on her clothes! When the two stood up, Hong Yue Liang, a woman who always paid great attention to her appearance, saw a large hole burned in her dress, revealing her fair skin—a very unsightly sight. Adding to her dread, some lecherous men were already staring at her with lustful eyes. Terrified and helpless, she grabbed Bai Shandian and began to sob. Seeing her shoulders trembling and her cries, Bai Shandian felt a pang of pity and gently patted her shoulder, comforting her, "Don't be afraid, it's alright! Huh?" All of this undoubtedly caused whispers among the people in the courtyard! Even with Xiang Quan's calm and composed nature, under the watchful eyes of so many, how could she not be able to tolerate it! Enraged, she rushed forward and slapped Red Moon across the face, yelling, "In broad daylight, you vixen, you're incredibly audacious! How dare you seduce my husband in front of so many people! Have you no shame?" Red Moon broke free from her embrace, burst into tears, and ran away sadly towards the inner courtyard.

Bai Shandian glanced around and, seeing the indifferent attitude of the onlookers, felt embarrassed. He quickly explained to his wife, "Xiangquan, are you heartless? Yue Liang just righteously saved you, and you turn your back on her! Not only are you ungrateful, but you even attacked her! What kind of behavior is this?" His words only added fuel to the fire, making Xiangquan's anger flare up even more. She rushed to Bai Shandian, pointing her finger and yelling, "Oh dear, you call her 'her' so affectionately, but you call your own wife by her full name! Bai Shandian, in front of everyone, tell me, as a first-rank official of the court, aren't you ashamed? Aren't you disgraceful?! Openly embracing a prostitute from a brothel..." "Hugging and embracing, what kind of behavior is this? What exactly do you want?!" Unexpectedly, the phrase "a prostitute from a brothel" enraged the Hongchen couple. They rushed over, and Hongchen angrily said, "Master Xiang, don't speak recklessly in my residence and ruin my daughter's reputation! Go home and control your own husband!" Madam Hongchen further cursed, "You crazy woman, who's the prostitute? I think you're the prostitute! A complete and utter prostitute! Otherwise, you wouldn't be so unchaste, openly barging into the government compound in broad daylight, making a huge fuss, acting like a madwoman, causing trouble everywhere! Just for this, we can arrest you again, re-convict you, and sentence you to the crime of disturbing public order!"

Xiang Quan snorted coldly through her nostrils, her lips curling into a sneer: "Who do you think you are? How dare you speak so arrogantly! As if you were royalty! According to the laws of the Qing Dynasty, your daughter should be paraded through the streets, drowned in a pig cage, or thrown into the sea to feed turtles! What kind of family are you?!" Bai Shandian couldn't stand it any longer and roared, "Xiang Quan! Don't spout nonsense! Nothing happened between me and Hong Yueliang, what are you thinking?!" Seeing him betray her in front of everyone, Xiang Quan, unable to contain her grief and indignation, punched Bai Shandian! She screamed madly, "You heartless bastard! You've actually changed your mind! You're openly siding with the Hong family!" Seeing the ferocity of her punches, Bai Shandian didn't dodge in time. With a thud, she punched him squarely in the mouth, blood immediately seeping from the corner of his mouth. His two front teeth were slightly loose, and his mouth burned with pain! He angrily shouted, "Xiang Quan, are you crazy?!" Xiang Quan retorted, "I am crazy! You two dogs have driven me mad!" She pounced on him, tearing and biting, truly acting like a madwoman.