Something happened on Chang'an Street a few days ago.

  There was a young and beautiful woman named Shi Wan, everyone knew that she would soon marry Fan Ziyong, the young master of Yueyang Tower next door. This perfect couple, with their exceptional talents and looks, made people on Chang'an Street both congratulate and envy them.

  One day on Chang'an Street, a young nobleman riding a horse appeared and pointed at Shi Yun with his whip, saying: "This woman, I want her."

  From today on, Fan Ziyu's wine house and Shi Wan together began to suffer endless harassment and revenge. Shi Wan not only forced Fan Ziyu to break off the engagement but also sent people to mess up the wine house, injuring partners, making it impossible for the good business to continue.

  Fan Ziyong had been running the wine house for many years and was also young and vigorous, standing up to protect his beloved, but ended up being beaten by that rich man's underlings until he was covered in blood, lying at the door of his own wine house.

  What was most frightening was that the silk-robed man actually took out an official token, and on the grounds of seeking to provoke trouble, had Fan Ziyu directly dragged into the great prison.

  Now, the people around who were originally indignant and wanted to stand up for justice were all scared into silence.

  It's clear that the young lady is riding a tall and majestic horse, wearing brocade clothes and adorned with a jade belt around her waist. She looks like she's from a noble family in Chang'an.

  Who dares to confront him head-on?

  Shi Wan hid at home and didn't dare to come out, washing her face with tears. However, the silk threads did not let her off, bringing people to rush in and wanting to tie Shi Wan up.

  Fortunately, at this time, Shi Wan was clever and said: "I am a clean and honest person. If you want to force me into marriage, I will not be able to resist. But my parents are no longer alive, if you want to force me, I would rather die."

  "If you die, I'll let your beloved stay in prison and eat for the rest of their life. Or if you die today, I'll have them join you tomorrow, so you can be a pair of star-crossed lovers."

  Xī Wǎn was frightened, her pale little face even more pitiful.

  "This scoundrel's heart softened, and he coaxed: 'If you're willing to follow me, I'll let the government release that person you care about. He can continue to stay in the capital and keep his life intact. But if you insist on not being willing, don't blame me for being ruthless.'"

  Xī Wān gritted her teeth and thought for a long time, but was eventually convinced by the young master and agreed to marry down.

  He was overjoyed, and would have liked to take the beauty home immediately. However, after Shi Yun's resistance, she demanded that even if she were to be a concubine, she must be welcomed with a grand procession of eight sedan chairs, otherwise she would rather die. He compromised and came to marry her ten days later.

  In the Rong family, there were already over a dozen charming concubines. To Rong, what was an eight-bearer sedan chair? As long as the beauty was willing to enter his household, even if it was an eighty-bearer sedan chair, he would have one made.

  This side of the alley went back to prepare, Chang'an also heard about this miserable thing, but at most, it's just a sigh or two, and then go back to their own lives. They are all ordinary people, who can afford to help others?

  Especially that young master, from the very beginning, he took out the official token of the government office, indicating that reporting to the authorities would be useless. The young master of the wine house and Shi Wan could only resign themselves to their fate.

  Not only that, after Fan Ziyong was taken away, the wine house he opened was also taken over by those ruffians. First, they drove away the shop assistants, and then whoever dared to enter the wine house would be beaten up and thrown out. As a result, even the streets near the wine house were deserted, and if someone accidentally got beaten up, wouldn't that be an unexpected disaster?

  He occupied someone else's wine tower and is going to marry their unmarried daughter in a few days, which can be described as the most evil and tyrannical, extremely frightening.

  Na Shilian was at home, although she had said the deadline of ten days, in her heart, she also had expectations and hoped that a turning point would appear, and she and her lover could still be together.

  These days, Shi Wan secretly sought help from many people. The first person she thought of was the young master who had been taken to the Jingzhao government office. Shi Wan beat the drum and was brought into the office by two bailiffs. The Jingzhao official intentionally looked at her with a kind expression and asked what she wanted. Shi Wan cried as she told him about being bullied and requested that Fan Ziyuan be released. After hearing this, the official let Shi Wan return home to wait and sternly stated that the government office would never wrongly accuse a good person.

  Xī Huán anxiously waited at home for a whole night, and the next day, she saw Niǎo Ruò bringing people to her door.

  The blood-soaked clothes were thrown at Shi Wan by Nian Chou, causing the beauty to faint at first sight.

  That was the long gown Fan Ziyu wore on the day he was dragged away from prison.

  Xī Huán woke up and started crying. She was really afraid of Jiāo Jiān and begged him to spare their lives.

  "This time, you beastly face is completely exposed. With a cold smile, he said: 'As long as you don't listen again, next time, I guarantee that what you see will be a real corpse.'"

  Saying that, he took his men and left with a flourish.

  Xī Wān cried again and fainted, when she woke up, she looked at the empty room, and could no longer ignite hope.

  Ten days passed quickly, and Shi Wan felt hopeless in her heart, so she simply closed her eyes and waited for fate's arrangement.

  The tenth day.

  The people on Chang'an Street, for the first time, were so united and cooperative that even the street vendors didn't set up their stalls. Everyone gathered in front of the streets, just to see a young nobleman wearing bright red festive attire, riding a tall and majestic horse, shaking his head and swaying with joy, heading towards Shi Wan's house.

  Behind the sedan chair, a long dragon dance team followed, with gongs and drums, as well as a real eight-man palanquin.

  The people of Chang'an had never seen such a spectacle before, and they all stuck their heads out to watch the excitement.

  When Shi Wan came out of the door, she was wearing a phoenix crown and a cloud-patterned cloak, with a red veil on her head. As soon as Niangzi saw her delicate figure, he couldn't help but burst into joyful laughter, ordering his servants to drag and pull the bride into the sedan chair.

  With a satisfied smile, he ordered his men to play music and parade around the streets of Chang'an for half a lap, stopping in front of a mansion with a beautiful view.

  This mansion also looks like a private residence of the wealthy, not his real home. It turns out that he has a concubine in an outer house, and this is not the first time for him to do so.

  The bridal sedan chair was carried into the house.

  Our new story begins here.

  ——

  The Metropolitan Governor was called Geng Wenzhong, who also rose up relying on the Five Surnames and Seven Clans of the Li family. This position as Metropolitan Governor was also obtained during the second reign of Emperor Zhongzong when the Li family members supported him to take office.

  Early in the morning, Geng Wenzhong was woken up by the noise from the main hall. The servant rushed in and said: "Something has happened to Young Master Li."

  These two days, as soon as Li Gongzi was mentioned, Geng Wenzhong knew who it was, but then thought again: "Didn't he marry a concubine yesterday, what could have happened?"

  Li Gongzi was indeed the one who forcibly married Shi Wan, and also the dependent of Geng Wenzhong. He is a descendant of the direct line of the Li family.

  Once this relationship is clarified, it's naturally clear why Shi Yun sought to inform without a gate.

  Fan Ziyu, who was locked up in prison, could only go in and never come out.

  The pale-faced official stuttered: "Yesterday after Master Li's wedding night... something happened..."

  Geng Wenzhong glared at the bailiff, thinking that he was talking nonsense. At this time, the noise outside grew louder: "What's going on outside?"

  The servant replied: "It is a member of Mr. Li's family, bringing Mr. Li... in the outer hall."

  Geng Wenzhong was shocked with his eyes wide open: "Li Gongzi has arrived? Why didn't you say so earlier!?"

  After all, he is also a member of the Li family, how dare he be slow. Suddenly lost patience with the servant's muttering, hurriedly grabbed the official uniform and put it on, wanting to rush to the main hall.

  The official stammered: "The bride killed Li Gongzi..."

  Geng Wenzhong's hand, which was reaching for the black hat beside him, stopped in mid-air.

  He turned around as if he hadn't understood, "Say it again?"

  The official's face was filled with panic, "Li Gongzi is dead... They are carrying Li Gongzi's body into the main hall..."

  Geng Wenzhong's black hat really fell off, and in their eyes, the black hat and the head on his neck were no different. It was dropped and wanted to pick it up again, but it was difficult.

  ——

  In the main hall of the Jingzhao government office, Li Xiuzhen was lying on a stretcher, motionless with his eyes tightly closed.

  There were five young women dressed in finery sitting around Li Xiuyi, each holding a handkerchief and sobbing.

  "Li Lang, you're leaving just like this, what am I supposed to do?"

  These women were all Li Xiuzi's concubines raised in the outer house, each one as if they had lost their husband, one more pitiful than the other.

  "What about Governor of Henan, why hasn't he shown up yet? Are we going to let Li Lang die in vain?"

  A woman who had been crying the most fiercely at this time raised her head and shouted towards the empty hall, instantly triggering a resonance.

  It is said that one woman can rival a hundred ducks. At this moment, there are five women in the main hall, and you can imagine what kind of scene it is.

  There were also some servants from other yards who escorted Li Xiuying's stretcher all the way to the government office.

  Those women cried: "Today, if that demon doesn't give our Li Lang's life back to us, we won't leave the government office!"

  Five women simultaneously cast venomous glances at one place in the great hall.

  There, a woman wearing a wedding dress was kneeling, her headscarf gone, but her head and face were lowered at the moment, and her appearance could not be seen.

  A woman suddenly stood up from beside Li Xiuzhe and rushed over in a few steps: "Speak, how did you harm our Li Lang!?"

  The bride was pressed down by the servants of the mansion and forced to kneel on the ground, but strangely, she neither made a sound nor resisted, just kneeling there submissively.

  The concubine who rushed over was furious and stretched out her hand to lift up the bride's face, revealing the bride's head that had been lowered all along.

  Her delicate and elegant eyebrows and eyes, with soft features, together form a unique beauty.

  The beauty was lifted up with a thick face, her eyes moved slightly, and she leaned back, but there was a faint smile flowing out of her eyes.

  In the hall, there were also runners who, as soon as they saw the bride's appearance, suddenly changed color.

  Shi Wan sells pancakes on the street and is jokingly called "Pancake Xi Shi" by people on Chang'an Street, because of her beautiful appearance. The bride kneeling in front of me now is also beautiful and moving, but she is not Shi Wan.

  The bride faced the "corpse" on the stretcher and the angry eyes of various people in the hall, all with an air of calmness.

  Not at all like a panic-stricken criminal, in the government office, there is a kind of leisurely and carefree flavor.

  At once even those bailiffs in the great hall straightened their eyes.

  A small concubine stepped forward and grabbed the bride's collar: "Return Li Lang's life to me!"

  The bride was grabbed by the collar, her eyes fixed on the concubine, and a sneer curled up at the corner of her mouth: "Your Li Lang is not dead yet, even if he were dead, what makes you think I owe him my life?"

  At the sight of this bride actually arguing, the concubines suddenly trembled one by one. Some of them were redeemed from brothels and easily climbed up a big tree. How could they bear the blow of being beaten back to their original shape?

  The official asked: "You are not Shi Wan, who are you?"

  The bride glanced at the official and already knew that these officials and the Li family were in cahoots with each other, and even why Li Xiu had forcibly taken Shu Wei as his wife.

  The bride calmly said: "I want to see Chancellor Dai and Lord Pei."