Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C254. Aftermath.

Chapter 254: Aftermath

The clamor and shouting lasted nearly half an hour. Even if the yamen officials had taken bribes and wanted to turn a blind eye, they couldn't ignore the commotion. It wasn't until they received word that things had calmed down at the dock that they slowly made their way over, joking and laughing all the way, already planning how to flatter Young Master Zheng.

When they arrived at the dock, they had expected to see Young Master Zheng standing tall and triumphant, having dealt with the outsiders. Instead, they were met with a pile of bodies and a pool of blood.

Terrified, they instinctively reached for their swords and took a step back. The more alert ones quickly shouted, "I'll go report to the magistrate!" and ran far away.

The others regretted their slow reactions and exchanged glances. They decided that no matter what, they would not take a single step closer until the magistrate arrived.

After being informed of the situation, Hua Zhi simply nodded. She had no intention of squabbling with a bunch of small fry. "Keep an eye on the outside. Report any developments immediately."

Xu Ying acknowledged her orders and left.

Hua Zhi turned to Shao Yao, "What do you plan to do with those people?"

"Take them to Jiangling. I want to ask the Governor of Jingzhou why he has the audacity to send the local garrison to their deaths for his little brother-in-law. I also want to ask the Jingzhou general what's going on. He's been stationed in Jingzhou, not to collude with Governor! If I don't get a reasonable explanation, then I'll take this to the Emperor and the Seven Stars Bureau."

Hua Zhi naturally wouldn't object to Shao Yao's plan. After a moment's thought, she said, "There's no rush. Xu Ying."

Xu Ying returned. "Go and book a ship for us to head north. Pay generously and aim for tomorrow."

"Yes."

Wu Dashuang, who had been hiding behind her brother, looked up at Hua Zhi. The way she spoke was so confident and commanding, far surpassing any young miss she had met, even those at Cao Dahai's. If she followed her, she might actually be able to live a good life, just like that girl Bao Xia.

Wasn't she just a maid too?

But look at her, she was better than any young miss Cao Dahai had ever seen.

Wu Dashuang hesitated again.

"Miss," Xu Ying returned. "Master Xia and his men have arrived."

Hua Zhi raised an eyebrow. It made sense that Xia Jiang would have gathered his men and come here after hearing the news from the dock. "Invite him in."

Xia Jiang didn't know how to describe his feelings at the moment. He had been so anxious on his way here, but now he was filled with shock. He had been prepared to confront Zheng Bei and rescue the young miss. To do this, he had not only mobilized all the manpower from the shipping company but had also sent someone to invite his father to come and support him. But things had turned out completely differently from what he had expected.

"Jiang'er, it seems like our client doesn't need our help," Xia Donglai, who had weathered many storms, quickly recovered from his surprise and began to think about the benefits the Xia family could gain from this incident.

Even though they dared to act knowing Zheng Bei's identity, it was apparent that they had some backing, which cannot be said...

Looking at the servant who was approaching, Xia Donglai, whose hair and beard were half white, had an idea in mind.

"Young Master, our eldest miss requests your presence."

Xu Ying leaned forward to bow, but his back was straight, his demeanor was just right, showing respect without making others uncomfortable.

Xia Donglai became even more certain of his thoughts. He had been to the provincial capital and had seen some influential people, but none of the servants had the same qualities as this one.

However, he did not expect that the daughter who acted more boldly than a man in his son's account was now covered in injuries. Clearly, those guards had only inflicted superficial wounds, yet she looked much worse off. This only indicated one thing – she had personally joined the battle earlier.

"Eldest Miss." Xia Jiang quickly walked over, seeing her injuries and feeling both shock and guilt. "I am sorry for arriving late."

"Having you here already shows justice, who would have expected Zheng Bei to be so audacious." Hua Zhi looked towards the elderly man behind Xia Jiang, vaguely guessing his identity. She stood up and slightly bowed, holding onto the back of her chair. "May I ask who this is?"

"This is my father, Xia Donglai. Father, this is the Eldest Miss Hua."

"So it is Xia Donglai, a pleasure to meet you."

"I have heard a lot about you from Jiang'er, but nothing compares to seeing you in person." Xia Donglai bowed slightly, showing no hint of disrespect towards the woman.

Hua Zhi smiled and gestured for the others in the room to leave, leaving only Xiao Liu and Shao Yao by her side. "You two may have come a bit early, the officials from the yamen may cause trouble for the Xia family."

"Haha, I think we have come at just the right time. Regardless, you are a patron of our Xia family, and it would be unreasonable to ignore you."

Hua Zhi could discern the genuine from the false in his words, but compared to those who were timid and fearful, only daring to stay far away, the Xia family was already much better. How could she ask for more?

"I happen to have some matters I would like to inquire with the Xia family about. Are you familiar with the cargo and passenger ships operated by the Xia family?"

"Miss Hua, Miss Hua, I'm here." Jiang Huanran, who had disappeared a moment ago, reappeared with a natural smile, offering his services, "There's only one shipping company that goes to the capital. If you want to leave on any particular day, I can have someone arrange it."

"I'll charter a ship, and I should be leaving tomorrow."

"So soon? With your injury, Miss Hua..."

"It's nothing serious. We need to go to Jiangling to settle this matter."

Jiang Huanran immediately understood. His brow furrowed slightly, "Miss Hua, are you sure this is wise?"

After all, the Hua family was no longer the same, and Mu Yunyang might not give them any face. Wasn't this like walking into a lion's den?

"If I don't go, he'll pretend nothing happened?"

"We could return to the capital and file a lawsuit. Mu Yunyang used the garrison troops, which is enough to bring him down. If I ask my father to intervene, he won't get away with it. There are only nine grand supervisors in the entire Daqing Dynasty, and everyone wants to promote someone from their own faction."

If it were just her, she would have made the same choice. But now it wasn't just about her. Shao Yao was determined to exact revenge on Mu Yunyang, and no one could stop her. She didn't want to try. "I need to go."

Seeing that he couldn't change her mind, Jiang Huanran decided to stop persuading her. He would simply go with her. Mu Yunyang might not care about the Hua family, but he would have to respect the Jiang family. A powerful regional governor was no match for a high-ranking official right under the emperor's nose. The Hua family had no one in the court now, but the Jiang family had several.

Xia Donglai, who had been listening intently, was starting to get restless. Just then, there was a commotion outside, and Xu Ying came in to report, "The officials have arrived."

Hua Zhi suppressed all the smiles on her face. "Caochao, don't be polite, go."

Even through the veil, one could sense Shao Yao's cold sneer. She rubbed her wrist and left the room without a word.