The moment Shi Xiangyun finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent. The Beggar's Clan members looked at one another. Though they were quite formidable in the martial world, they rarely crossed the imperial court. Moreover, the Xiangyang branch of the Beggar's Clan, once led by Huang Rong, had enjoyed good relations with the Song Court, and the other branches had benefited from that as well.
If this woman truly was the daughter of a current imperial censor, the trouble would be immense. Should anything happen to her, the court's thunderous wrath would follow, a consequence none of them could bear.
Seeing everyone turn toward him, Chen Youliang's heart skipped a beat. Under normal circumstances, he would not have wanted to clash with someone from the court either. But he had already offended Shi Xiangyun and the other woman beyond reconciliation. Furthermore, from what they had revealed earlier, Shi Hongshi was actually Shi Xiangyun's younger sister. That made this matter even more serious. Even if he let them go now, the Shi family would never spare him over Shi Hongshi.
Having weighed the stakes, Chen Youliang hardened his heart and said directly, "What a joke. How could the daughter of a dignified imperial censor possibly have anything to do with our Beggar's Clan? Who knows what wild girl came here to bluff us. Look at your own conduct—do you have the slightest air of a noble young lady?"
The beggars nodded one after another upon hearing this. How many official families' daughters had people of their lowly station ever seen? They only knew a few vague descriptions from opera tales, and assumed that such young ladies were all cultured, refined, and gentle. How did this loud, unruly woman resemble a proper lady in the least?
Song Qingshu found himself admiring Chen