358: Xianxian Tower!

On the streets of the Imperial City, the bluestone slabs were scorched by the midday sun, sending up waves of heat.

The sounds of peddlers hawking their wares, bargaining, and children playing were interwoven, outlining a bustling picture of market life.

An old man selling sugar figurines was blowing a sugar figure for a little girl with pigtails.

A woman selling rouge was haggling with several Young Misses; everything seemed so peaceful.

"Freshly steamed meat buns!" a man with a greasy face stood in front of a bun shop and shouted loudly.

The woman beside him was skillfully wrapping steaming hot buns in oil paper and handing them to customers.

At their feet, a little girl of about five or six years old was squatting on the ground, drawing something with a twig.

Her two pigtails swayed gently with her movements.

"Qing'er, don't run too far."

The woman lowered her head to admonish her, then hurried back to attend to customers.

The little girl looked up and revealed a sweet smile: "I know, Mother!"

Just then, a burst of urgent hoofbeats suddenly came from the distance.

At first, it sounded like rolling thunder, but in the blink of an eye, it approached like a fierce storm.

At the corner at the end of the street, eight snow-white Ferghana horses raised their heads and hooves, rushing out like lightning.

They held their heads high, their nostrils puffing white steam, and their bowl-sized iron hooves trampled heavily on the bluestone slabs, sending gravel flying.

Their manes flew wildly in the gallop, and the gilded bells around their necks emitted a piercing sound.

The lead horse had blood-red eyes, and the white steam it puffed out formed a tiny rainbow in the sunlight.

"Get out of the way! Everyone get out of the way!"

On the carriage, the coachman, dressed in the armor of a palace guard, brandished a copper-tipped whip, the tip cracking crisply in the air.

Passersby scattered in terror like birds startled by a bow.

A porcelain stall was knocked over, and blue-and-white porcelain bowls shattered all over the ground.

The vegetable-selling woman had no time to clean up, and fresh vegetables were trampled into mud.

An old man selling candied haws was a bit slow, and his stall was knocked down; the bright red candied haws rolled everywhere and were crushed into smithereens by the panicked crowd.

"Oh my, who is it!"

An old woman with white hair was pushed and bumped into a corner, her hair bun disheveled.

She tremblingly supported herself against the wall and cursed: "Whose carriage is this, to be so tyrannical!"

"Help, I almost died!"

A young man who looked like a scholar was jostled and stumbled, nearly falling.

The people around agreed, but the gilded carriage showed no sign of slowing down at all.

Sunlight shone on the pearls and jade inlaid on the carriage, refracting a blinding light.

Vermilion silk hung down from the carriage window, and the purple five-clawed true Dragon pattern embroidered with gold thread trembled slightly in the wind.

"People in front, be careful, hurry and dodge!" someone in the crowd shouted.

But facing the chaotic street, the carriage showed no sign of slowing down.

Instead, driven by the coachman's whipping, it went even faster.

The sound of hooves was like thunder, and where the wheels rolled over, the bluestone slabs even developed fine cracks.

"Damn it!"

The man from the bun shop grabbed his wife, intending to look for his daughter.

But he saw the frantic crowd surging like a tide, pushing them back repeatedly.

Not far from the bun shop, five-year-old Qing'er was trying to stand on tiptoe to watch her father knead dough.

Suddenly dispersed by the chaotic crowd, her small body was squeezed back and forth like a fallen leaf.

"Father! Mother!"

Qing'er fell and sat on the messy street, her small pink jacket covered in dust.

She looked in terror at the approaching carriage; the nostrils of the eight tall horses puffing out white steam were clearly visible.

Bean-sized teardrops rolled down her flushed little face.

However, this crying sound seemed exceptionally helpless on the noisy street.

The speeding carriage was less than ten zhang away from Qing'er, and those eight tall horses showed no sign of stopping.

The surrounding crowd only cared about saving their own lives; some even stepped over the little girl, fearing they would be hit by the carriage.

As the crowd retreated quickly like a tide, no one dared to step forward.

Some turned their faces away, unable to bear watching, while more people just focused on fleeing.

The sound of hooves continued to approach, and it was less than three zhang from the little girl.

"Watch out!"

At the critical moment, a figure flew down from the second floor of a roadside teahouse.

That figure stepped on the railing, and a pale cyan Qi energy suddenly emerged around his body.

He leaped, jumping directly from the second floor onto the street.

Upon landing, his feet created spiderweb-like cracks on the bluestone slabs.

It was a burly man in coarse cloth short-sleeved attire, with a faded gray belt tied around his waist.

He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, short whiskers on his chin, and slightly bulging temples; one could tell at a glance that he was a martial artist.

As soon as the burly man's feet touched the ground, an invisible Qi energy burst forth from his body again, and his robes inflated.

He stomped his left foot heavily on the ground, and the bluestone slab sank completely.

Immediately, he shot out like an arrow from a bow, his speed so fast that it left an afterimage in the air.

In the blink of an eye, the burly man had arrived beside the little girl.

At the critical moment, he extended his right arm and scooped the little girl into his arms.

At the same time, he pushed his left palm forward, and a thick Internal Energy gushed out, forming an invisible wall of Qi.

"Bang!"

With a muffled sound, the invisible wall of Qi collided violently with the two lead horses.

The horses neighed and reared up on their hind legs, and the carriage behind shook violently.

The wheels skidded across the bluestone, leaving two scorched marks, and finally stopped less than a foot away from the burly man.

"It's okay, don't be afraid."

After doing all this, the burly man softly comforted the little girl who was still sobbing in his arms, but his gaze was coldly fixed on the stopped carriage.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

At the foot of the Imperial City, there was actually such an overbearing person; it was truly unbelievable.

"How bold!"

The coachman, who looked like a guard, immediately had veins popping out; the whip in his hand lashed out in the air with a sharp, piercing sound.

It looked as if it was about to lash out at the burly man.

The air was filled with a suffocating tension; the onlookers were so scared they didn't dare to breathe, fearing that blood would splatter in the next second.

At the critical moment, the burly man suddenly looked up, his tiger-like eyes piercing through the gap in the carriage curtain like lightning.

Through the thin gauze woven with gold thread, the scene inside the carriage made his blood instantly freeze.

A young man wearing a purple five-clawed true Dragon robe was leaning against the cushions.

And on the other side, sat an old man wearing a crimson python robe.

That pair of eyes, burning like torches, were like two flickering flames, gazing outside the carriage with an unangered majesty.

The burly man's throat bobbed, and he felt a chill crawl up his spine to the back of his neck.

This python robe regulation was by no means possessed by ordinary officials, and coupled with that priceless purple Dragon robe...

His pupils contracted violently, and stormy waves surged in his heart.

In this Wenjing Dynasty, only one person could wear the purple five-clawed true Dragon.

"This garment... is... His Highness the Crown Prince!"

He muttered to himself, his voice soft, yet it exploded like a thunderclap on the dead-silent street.

The originally noisy street instantly became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Everyone held their breath, unable to believe their ears.

The burly man felt his legs go weak; the boldness he had shown when stopping the carriage had long since vanished.

He mechanically handed the still-sobbing little girl to the bun shop couple who had rushed over, his throat so tight he could barely speak.

Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the panic in his heart, cupped his hands and bowed, his voice carrying an imperceptible tremor.

"I am Lei Ke; I was desperate to save someone just now, and I hope Your Highness the Crown Prince will forgive my offense."

After speaking, Lei Ke knelt down heavily, his forehead almost touching the ground: "I ask Your Highness the Crown Prince to forgive my sin!"

This kneeling seemed to flip a switch; the surrounding commoners woke from a dream and one after another knelt on the ground.

The rising and falling voices echoed on the street: "Commoners pay respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

Amidst the rising and falling sounds of kowtowing, the previous clamor seemed to have never existed, and the entire street was left in solemnity.

The curtain of the gilded carriage was suddenly lifted, and amidst the swirling dark purple silk, a figure leaned out half of his body.

Lu Xuan twisted a mutton-fat white jade thumb ring with his fingers, his careless movements carrying an inherent nobility.

That jade thumb ring, carved with a five-clawed roving Dragon, flowed with a warm luster in the sunlight.

The next moment, it was tossed out by Lu Xuan, landing lightly beside Lei Ke.

"Disturbing the commoners today is this Crown Prince's fault."

"This thumb ring shall serve as tenfold compensation."

As he spoke, Lu Xuan's gaze swept over the overturned stalls and shattered porcelain on the street, finally landing on the face of the girl in the distance, still streaked with teardrops.

Lu Xuan's expression became increasingly ugly; his state of mind had become more and more indifferent to life.

It was not that kind of deliberate indifference, but an instinctive ignoring of ordinary commoners.

Damn it!

Lu Xuan cursed himself in the depths of his heart.

Lei Ke on the opposite side knelt on one knee, holding the jade thumb ring with both hands: "Your Highness the Crown Prince is benevolent, but this item is too valuable..."

"There is no reason for this Crown Prince to take back words once spoken."

The onlookers felt their hearts tremble—tenfold compensation, they weren't really moved by that.

What truly made them feel incredible was.

That Your Highness the Crown Prince, as the heir to the Wenjing Dynasty, would actually admit his mistake in public.

"You are not bad,"

Lu Xuan's gaze swept over Lei Ke's tense face, and a meaningful smile curled the corners of his mouth.

"In the future, you may bring this item to enter the palace; this Crown Prince promises you one thing."

After speaking, Lu Xuan lowered the curtain, and the inside of the carriage fell back into shadow.

Just as Lei Ke was stunned, a cold voice penetrated the curtain again: "Do not harm passing commoners!"

This light reprimand made the coachman's neck go cold.

The coachman's hands gripping the reins trembled slightly, and bean-sized beads of sweat on his forehead rolled down his jawline, soaking the front of his shirt.

He dared not delay in the slightest and hurriedly flicked the reins. The eight Ferghana horses trotted with delicate hoofbeats, carrying the noble Crown Prince slowly away,

leaving the whole street of commoners staring in the direction the carriage had departed, unable to recover their senses for a long time.

Lei Ke stood up, patted the dust off his robes, and took out a heavy cloth bag from his bosom. "Dear elders and fellow villagers, you have been frightened today!"

He said loudly, holding the bag up in the air; the silver inside clinked together, emitting a crisp sound.

Lei Ke first walked to one side and gently placed three taels of broken silver into the little girl's palm: "Little girl, go buy a sugar figurine to eat."

He then turned to the bun shop couple and whispered: "This silver is just the right amount, enough to buy the child some new clothes without attracting envy."

An innocent man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime; giving too much would only invite disaster.

Lei Ke's method of distributing the silver was very particular; every portion was weighed just right, providing enough compensation without causing people to attract misfortune due to wealth.

When the last frightened old man received the silver, Lei Ke subconsciously touched the Dragon-patterned jade thumb ring in his bosom.

That warm, smooth touch made his heart heat up.

The Crown Prince's promise was more precious than ten thousand taels of gold.

But he showed nothing on his face, only laughing heartily: "Today can be considered a blessing in disguise; that I, Lei, can run an errand for the Crown Prince is a blessing cultivated over several lifetimes!"

West City's Xianxian Pavilion was at its liveliest hour.

Twelve glazed palace lanterns hung in front of the vermilion lacquered gate, carriages and horses bustled in front of the pavilion, and from time to time, luxuriously decorated sedan chairs would stop, kicking up a fragrant breeze.

Above the pavilion, light gauze curtains fluttered in the wind, and graceful figures were vaguely visible.

Several women dressed in thin gauze stood by the railings, their silk sleeves half-rolled up, revealing small arms like snow-white lotus roots.

Among them, a woman in green holding a pipa was half-covering her red lips with a round fan, her flowing gaze causing passersby below to stop and watch.

"Young Master hasn't come for a long time~"

"Master Li, please come in~"

The chirping of orioles and swallows rose and fell, mixed with the scents of rouge, wine, and incense, lingering throughout the entire street.

Several youths in brocade clothes stepped off a carriage, shaking folding fans, the jade pendants at their waists jingling; one could tell at a glance they were sons of officials.

And in the shadows, there were several inconspicuous small blue cloth sedan chairs, but the sedan carriers all had the posture of martial artists.

From a private room on the second floor, the sound of cups and plates breaking was suddenly heard, followed by a burst of unbridled laughter.

Through the half-open carved lattice windows, a few men in brocade robes could be vaguely seen drinking and making merry.

One of them had a gold fish bag hanging from his waist, which was particularly eye-catching in the lamplight.

That was clearly an accessory that only officials of the fifth rank or higher in the Wenjing Dynasty could wear.

At this moment, a carriage slowly drove into the long street of West City.

Eight snow-white Ferghana horses, with neat steps, had their horseshoes clattering with a dull sound on the bluestone slabs.

Wherever the carriage passed, pedestrians retreated one after another, and even the clamor in front of the Xianxian Pavilion fell silent.

"Whose carriage is this, so ignorant of the rules?"

The bouncers at the door were about to step forward to scold them, but froze in place the moment they saw the patterns on the carriage.

On the carriage body, the purple five-clawed true Dragon embroidered with gold thread shone brilliantly under the scorching sun.

"Five... five claws..."

The bouncers' legs went weak, and they knelt directly on the ground, their foreheads bumping heavily against the bluestone slabs.

In front of the Xianxian Pavilion, everyone knelt down in an instant; the young women who had been flirting with delicate voices just moments ago were all pale, holding their breath.

The Wenjing Dynasty had strict laws.

A nine-clawed true Dragon could only be used by the Emperor, and a five-clawed true Dragon was limited to the East Palace.

At this moment, the carriage blocking the main entrance of the Xianxian Pavilion was clearly...

The gilded carriage curtain was lifted by a hand covered in calluses, and Peng Lie, wearing a crimson python robe, stepped out first.

"The Imperial Father-in-law — has arrived!"

Before the coachman's shout had faded, a dark purple figure had already appeared at the carriage shaft.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

The coachman shouted again.

Inside and outside the Xianxian Pavilion, everyone immediately knelt down, and the sound of pearl hairpins and jade ornaments clattering to the ground was endless.

In the private room on the second floor, the sound of cups and plates being overturned came.

Several officials rushed out of the room in a panic, kowtowing on the stairs.

"Commoners pay respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince! Pay respects to the Imperial Father-in-law!"

"Subordinates pay respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince! Pay respects to the Imperial Father-in-law!"

The sound waves were like a tide, echoing on the long street.

Peng Lie narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping over the kowtowing crowd, lingering for a moment on several shivering officials.