Unruly Phoenix Xiaoyao

Chapter 50:

The Supreme Commander's not wearing clothes, His Majesty wants to beat him up

That night, rain fell in the capital again. The evening breeze also carried with it a chill rarely felt in late spring. Due to the national mourning period, none of the Grand Preceptor estate's usual lamps were lit. The residence couldn't be compared to the emperor's Imperial Palace, but it was still one of the very best estates in the capital city. A night watchman sounded the call for the second watch[1. second watch (二更) - ergen, the second of five night watches, takes place from 21:00-23:00] as he walked past the Grand Preceptor's estate, only to smell something burning. The night watchman hastily looked towards the estate and promptly dropped the gong in his hands. Frightened, he cried out, "Fire, the Grand Preceptor's estate is on fire!"

The silent stillness of the rainy night was broken by the night watchman's shouts.

Less than an hour later, the Grand Preceptor was sitting in an old-fashioned wooden armchair in an underground chamber of the estate, facing five men trussed up on a torture rack. Each of the men sported injuries on their bodies, while two of them had already lost consciousness. The head steward Xie Laibao ran briskly into the underground chamber and bent down to speak to Grand Preceptor Xie's ear.

"Grand Preceptor, the servants have put out the fires. Half of the storehouses were burnt down. The old madame had a scare, but her ladyship has already ordered someone to take the Grand Preceptor's tag to invite an imperial physician from the palace."

Grand Preceptor Xie sat there without saying a word. Xie Laibao retreated out of the room, his figure still bent over.

"Setting fires," Grand Preceptor Xie said coldly as he looked at the five men on the racks. "Lou Zigui has truly toxic designs!"

The three men who were still conscious on the racks showed no reaction to Grand Preceptor Xie's words. The head guard standing by Grand Preceptor's side said, "Grand Preceptor, are we still keeping these five men?"

As the victim of a house fire, how could Grand Preceptor Xie not harbor thoughts of killing these men? But he still shook his head at the guard. These men were Lou Zigui's subordinates, so they were now collateral in his hands. Their lives would only be worth something if they weren't dead.

"It's too good for them," the head guard said resentfully.

One of the oil lamps in the basement burst into a shower of sparks with a pah. For the sake of the Imperial Jade Seal, the hereditary symbol of a country, Ning Yu and Lou Zigui were as anxious as dogs trying to jump over a wall. Of this, Grand Preceptor Xie was very clear in his heart. It's just a pity, Grand Preceptor Xie grinned, That the Imperial Jade Seal isn't in the Grand Preceptor's estate.

The head guard couldn't help but get goosebumps at the sight of that smile. Had the Grand Preceptor gone mad with anger? Half of his storerooms gone, how much money did the Xie Family lose in this fire? It's like losing half a gold mountain at once, but His Excellency Grand Preceptor can still smile?

Xie Laibao returned again to run to Grand Preceptor Xie's side, bending over to say urgently, "Grand Preceptor, a eunuch arrived from the palace. Esteemed Empress Dowager wants to invite you there for a trip."

"Why are you so flustered?" Grand Preceptor Xie looked coldly at his head steward. Why was this servant less and less able to endure such events? Of the six men in black, only one had escaped. Ning Yu and Lou Zigui must have gotten news of their missing men by now. Today, His Majesty had even gone to find Esteemed Empress Dowager and kick up a row. As Grand Preceptor Xie understood it, his eldest daughter must be summoning him to the palace for that affair.