To avoid attracting attention, on her last few visits to Waguansi, Lu Weiwei had brought only her two maids, Duan Chu and Zanhua, besides the driver, with Duan Chu's elder brother Banli also on hand to run errands. Seeing Lu Weiwei travel with a light carriage and few attendants, Zhang Tongyun had likewise brought only a few young maids. They had not expected to encounter several men who had been drinking and taking powder when they left Qingxi Gate that day. Their headcloths askew and their robes hanging open, the men sang, wept, laughed, and cursed, pestering them all the way and even trying to lift the carriage curtains to look at the beauties-
Banli angrily rebuked them. "These are the womenfolk of Minister Lu and Palace Attendant Zhang. Keep pestering them, and I'll break your legs!"
One particularly handsome man laughed loudly. "The womenfolk of Lu Shi and Zhang Ping? Even Lu Shi wouldn't dare treat me disrespectfully. A household slave like you dares threaten to break my legs? I'll break yours first." He shouted, "Xiang Long, hit him!" Then he and another man rushed forward, shoved Banli to the ground, and stamped on him several times.
Duan Chu screamed and rushed forward to push the two men away, only to be shoved to the ground herself. Remembering Ran Sheng's immense strength when he lifted the stone mortar, she ran as hard as she could into the temple to seek help. Lu Weiwei ordered the driver to force their way past, but the dissolute men refused to let them go and pursued them all the way to Waguansi's mountain gate.
When Ran Sheng heard that libertines had stopped Young Lady Lu from entering the temple, he flew into a rage and charged down from the mountain gate like a