Broad Daylight, Forcibly Seizing a Woman

Near dusk, the weather grew slightly chilly.

Beneath an old willow tree outside Luoyi Lane, Chen Yi stamped his squat-numbed legs and smiled.

"Good luck, no one has gone to Yunxiang's home to propose marriage yet; what she said earlier was merely to keep Li Huaigu from being troubled."

Xiao Die nodded. "That's right, Second Son-in-law. I also gathered some things about her and the Third Place Scholar, saying they've known each other since childhood, only Yunxiang's parents passed away and her family is poor."

Having listened, Xiao Wuge looked up at Chen Yi. "Brother-in-law, what are you going to do?"

Chen Yi gazed into the not-so-distant Luoyi Lane with its dark tiles, white walls, and lush trees, where flocks of birds could be seen wheeling about everywhere; it generally seemed like a quiet place.

He pondered for a moment.

He stretched, loosened his hands and limbs, and then wore a supercilious and overbearing smile.

"This son-in-law hasn't played the bad guy in a long time; since it's so quiet today, we might as well liven things up."

"Huh?"

A question mark appeared on Xiao Wuge's small face. The bad guy?

Xiao Die, Wang Lixing, and the others all wore bewildered expressions as well, not understanding what kind of notion the son-in-law had hatched this time.

Yet very soon, after hearing Chen Yi's plan, they all shook their heads and waved their hands.

Wang Lixing's face showed difficulty. "Second Son-in-law, you can't. You absolutely cannot do this."

Chen Yi glanced at him sideways. "You don't need to play the bad guy; just bring men to protect Wu Ge. Fourth Brother, what do you say?"

Liu Si'er was not troubled; rather, he was already cursing inwardly.

Has this fledgling gone mad?

Running to a girl's home in broad daylight to forcibly seize a woman?

Wasn't he afraid of reporting to the authorities-well... this matter was fake.

Still, a fake wasn't acceptable either.

If the members of the Xiao Family found out that he was tarnishing the Marquis's mansion's reputation in this manner, where would there be a place for him in the Xiao Family from then on?

Seeing him fall silent, Chen Yi asked with a half-smile, "Fourth Brother, you aren't getting cold feet, are you? Just now you agreed readily enough."

Liu Si'er gritted his teeth. "Since the son-in-law commands, I naturally must obey, but..."

Giving him no chance to refuse, Chen Yi stated directly, "There are no buts. Later, you and I will take the lead, with Xiao Die taking action on the side, since men and women should keep their distance."

"Additionally, Third Brother Ge, you are responsible for going to make a ruckus outside Li Huaigu's doorway, the bigger the commotion the better."

Ge Laosan glanced at Wang Lixing, and seeing him stay silent, he agreed to it.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Wuge hesitated and asked, "Brother-in-law, what if that Li Huaigu doesn't come out?"

Chen Yi said indifferently, "If he doesn't come out, it already shows his determination, and we'll just head back home."

Xiao Die asked with hesitation in her voice, "Son-in-law, are you sure doing this will work?"

"Even if it succeeds, what about your reputation..."

"Reputation?"

Chen Yi tidied his robes, and while strolling unhurriedly toward Luoyi Lane, smiled and said,

"How much is reputation worth? Reputation is the very thing your son-in-law cares about least."

Seeing this situation, Liu Si'er rolled his eyes and followed along.

Thinking of the way Yunxiang and Li Huaigu had parted earlier, along with the past between the two that she had learned of later, Xiao Die also trotted along by Chen Yi's side, clenching her small fist to pump herself up.

Aside from Chen Yi and Liu Si'er acting the bad guys, her task was the heaviest-she was responsible for making a move.

Seeing the three of them leave, Ge Laosan hesitated and said, "Brother Xing, should I head over as well?"

Wang Lixing scratched his scalp, and seeing that Xiao Wuge did not speak to refute it, waved impatiently. "Get lost, finish early and return to the mansion."

He had already made up his mind; upon returning this time, he must go confess his guilt to Second Master and take everything upon himself.

Otherwise, if Chen Yi and Xiao Wuge were fine, it was hard to say what kind of end their servant girls and personal guards would meet.

Ge Laosan bowed, cleared his throat, and ran toward Li Huaigu's home.

At this sight, Xiao Wuge turned his head to look at Wang Lixing and asked like a little adult, "Uncle Wang, what kind of person do you say Brother-in-law is?"

Wang Lixing paused, a bitter smile showing on his face. "The son-in-law is not a bad person..."

Yet he was damn well an unbridled, rule-flaunting person.

Anyone normal would certainly be restricted by ritual propriety, and it would be utterly impossible for them to think up such a rotten idea.

Xiao Wuge pressed his lips together and looked thoughtfully at the alley entrance; he also believed his brother-in-law was not a bad person.

Not long after.

Yunxiang's cries and shouts for help rang out in the tranquil Luoyi Lane, her panic and helplessness audible even at the mouth of the alley.

"Someone help me, save me, why are you... why are you doing this?"

Then came Chen Yi's wretched voice, "Naturally because Your Lordship has taken a fancy to you, so you might as well submit to me."

"Shameless wretch! How could Li Lang know a person like you?"

"Help, someone..."

Amidst the continuous cries for help, Xiao Wuge saw from afar that Chen Yi and the other two were leading Yunxiang toward them.

Among them, Xiao Die wore a look of laughing-through-tears, her expression appearing even more helpless than Yunxiang's.

Only Chen Yi walked swaggeringly at the front.

Had he not known of his gentle, modest, and courteous demeanor back in Qinghe Garden earlier, Xiao Wuge would have thought his brother-in-law was a vicious scoundrel.

He was practically more of a bully than some of the bullies within Shuzhou City.

Meanwhile, on the other side, upon hearing those shouts, Ge Laosan stretched his neck outside Li Huaigu's room door and yelled at the top of his lungs,

"Help! Forcibly seizing a woman in broad daylight! Miss Yunxiang, Yunniang has been snatched away!"

The moment his voice fell, he heard a commotion come from within the residence, sounding like a porcelain vase or porcelain bowl being smashed.

Then came Li Huaigu's panicked voice, "Mother, it's Yunxiang, Yunxiang... Just let your son go."

"You, you are not allowed to go!"

"Mother, your son..."

Hearing this, Ge Laosan knew what to do in his heart, so he shouted a few more times and kicked up some other commotion.

To the extent that surrounding neighbors all came out to investigate the situation, and upon hearing that Yunxiang had been snatched away, they grew filled with righteous indignation, running back to grab weapons and preparing to rush out.

Ge Laosan subconsciously shrank his neck, but thinking of the Young Marquis and the others at the alley entrance, he stepped forward to block them.

While blocking them with his body, he shouted anxiously, "Yunxiang has been snatched away!!"

Before his words faded, he heard Li Huaigu's resolute tone from within the courtyard, "Mother, please forgive your son for being unfilial!"

Immediately following, the room door creaked open, and Li Huaigu rushed out with an anxious expression. "Yunxiang, where is Yunxiang?"

Ge Laosan felt a weight lift from his heart and hastily led him running toward the alley entrance.

The neighbors behind naturally followed along, holding either pitchforks or brooms, and several old veterans had even donned their armor.

Seeing this, Ge Laosan truly broke out in a cold sweat for the son-in-law.

Yet matters had reached this point, and he could only bite the bullet, drag Li Huaigu, and charge outward.

Before long.

A crowd swarmed over and caught sight of Yunxiang's figure far in the distance as she cried out for help.

Li Huaigu could care about nothing else, charging ahead at the vanguard. "Who is so bold, to dare forcibly seize a woman in broad daylight!"

Upon hearing his voice, Yunxiang turned her head to look, her face filled with panic and fear, along with a trace of forbearance, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Li Lang, save me."

"Save?"

Chen Yi glanced back, his swaggering smile-which had been faked from the start-instantly freezing, and he hastily beckoned to Xiao Die and Liu Si'er.

"Why are you still holding onto her? Run."

Xiao Die was startled, and upon reacting, let go of Yunxiang straight away, whispering an apology to the young lady.

Finished speaking, she shoved a piece of paper into Yunxiang's hands, then gathered her skirt and ran after Chen Yi.

Liu Si'er wore a look of utter helplessness, but seeing the righteous indignation of the crowd behind, he suppressed the irritation in his heart and cursed in a low voice.

Whether he was cursing himself for being crazy or cursing Chen Yi's brain for breaking, no one could tell.

When Li Huaigu and the others ran over, not a trace of Chen Yi and his group remained; only Yunxiang was left by herself.

"Yunniang, you, you aren't hurt, are you?"

Before she could speak, Li Huaigu pulled her straight into his embrace, apologizing repeatedly.

Just now, upon hearing that Yunxiang had been snatched away, he felt as though the sky had fallen, and his hesitation from earlier filled him with bitter regret.

Only at this moment, as he held Yunxiang, did he feel slightly at ease.

Yunxiang's face was covered in tears. "Li Lang, I, I am fine."

Li Huaigu released her and looked her up and down. "Yunniang, who on earth dared to seize you? I, Li Huaigu, will definitely bring them to justice!"

The surrounding neighbors grew equally fiery. "That's right, let's see who dares come to Luoyi Lane to run wild!"

Yunxiang glanced at them, hesitated, and leaned close to Li Huaigu to murmur a few words.

"You said Brother Qingzhou? Impossible! There must be some mistake!"

Li Huaigu nearly bit off his own tongue; no matter what, he refused to believe Chen Yi would do such a thing.

"He, he brought his servant girl and retinue to force his way in, dragged me right out, and even said he was taking me back to the mansion to be a concubine."

A concubine?

Li Huaigu's face turned peculiar. "Are you certain?"

Chen Yi taking a concubine?

He, a son-in-law of the Marquis of Military's manor and the husband of the Dingyuan Army's female general Xiao Jinghong, dared to take a concubine?

He was probably out of his mind.

"It's, it's true."

Seeing that he did not believe it, Yunxiang showed anxiety on her face and handed him the note that Xiao Die had shoved into her hand.

Li Huaigu took it with half-doubt and opened it, instantly not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Yunxiang did not understand, leaning over to look at what was on the paper; although she did not know many characters, she could still read it.

It could be seen that it was written upon it: "When there are flowers that can be plucked, you must pluck them straightaway, do not wait until there are no flowers and pluck empty branches. Brother Huaigu, some things done might make one regret it in the future, but if they are not done, one will regret it for a lifetime."

Yunxiang's face froze in a daze, "He, he..."

Li Huaigu shook his head and bitterly smiled as he muttered: "Brother Qingzhou, oh Brother Qingzhou..."

For a time, a myriad of emotions washed over him.

There was gratitude, and also worry, worried that this matter would harm Chen Yi and cause him to be punished by the Xiao Family.

Thinking of this, he released Yunxiang and bowed to the surrounding neighbors, saying: "Everyone, since the person has already been rescued, please go back first. Later, Huaigu will definitely give everyone an explanation."

Before the neighbors could speak, Li Huaigu glanced at Yunxiang and smiled, saying: "In addition, Huaigu and Yunxiang will have a grand wedding in a few days, and I hope everyone will honor us with your presence..."

On the other side.

Chen Yi had already rendezvoused with Xiao Wuge and the others, and after waiting for Ge Laosan to hurry over, he drove the carriage back to the Xiao Manor.

Xiao Die lowered her head, her little heart beating thump-thump, still immersed in the trepidation of being a "bad person" for the first time.

Xiao Wuge looked left and right, and asked: "Brother-in-law, do you think they'll end up together later?"

Chen Yi shook his head, "I don't know."

"Then... won't the Third Place Scholar's mother still try to stop them?"

"This isn't something we should be worrying about."

After Chen Yi finished speaking, he looked at the scenery outside the window.

It was enough to let Li Huaigu make his own feelings clear, as he certainly didn't plan to play the Buddha all the way to the Western Paradise.