Yan Shuo said righteously, "The Fifth Princess claimed that using Hong Fen Jia Ren's rouge and powder would cause facial damage, but that is merely the Fifth Princess's personal assertion. Everything must be decided by the laws of the Great Xia Kingdom. If she wishes to arrest someone, she must report the matter to the Dali Temple. After the Dali Temple gathers evidence, they will issue an arrest warrant, and only then can they dispatch people to make an arrest.
You took action and administered punishment without sufficient evidence, smashing shops or apprehending people as you pleased. Are you perhaps trying to prove through your actions that the Fifth Princess disregards Great Xia's laws, abuses her power, and acts with impunity?
I will certainly inform my father about this matter, and my father will undoubtedly report it to the Emperor. At that time, things will not be so simple.
Today, without an arrest warrant from the Dali Temple, none of you can take these young ladies away!"
The leading guard's expression faltered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He sneered, "You want an arrest warrant, do you? Very well, we shall provide it!"
With that, he turned to two guards and said, "You, and you, ride back quickly, report this to the Princess, and then come back with the Dali Temple's arrest warrant!"
"Yes!" The two guards mounted their horses and galloped away.
The remaining guards stood by the entrance with their swords drawn, watching Lu Hua and the others, not allowing them to leave.
Lu Hua, Ga Mei, and Ding Xiang retreated back into the shop.
Lu Yin and Su Jinfeng, who were upstairs, also came down. The newly hired female workers huddled together in fear.
"Hua Hua, what should we do now?" Ga Mei asked, extremely worried.
Lu Hua forced herself to calm down and whispered to the others, "This time, we are facing the Fifth Princess. Her influence far surpasses ours. Those guards will definitely obtain the arrest warrant later. Today, our capture is a certainty.
We don't know when my brother and sister-in-law will return. We can only seek help and see if we can stall the case until they return. As long as my brother and sister-in-law are back, I believe they can save us."
Yan Shuo also followed, lowering his voice, "The Fifth Princess is willful, arrogant, selfish, malicious, and holds grudges deeply. The most crucial thing now is to prevent her from resorting to private punishment. As long as the Dali Temple follows the proper procedures, even if you two are temporarily detained, you will not suffer substantive harm.
I will do my utmost to help you, but I am still undergoing imperial examinations and have not yet entered officialdom. My influence is small. I can only try my best to request my father's assistance. Do you know anyone else who can help?"
Lu Hua said gratefully, "Young Master Yan, your standing up for us has already moved me deeply. Please do not get involved further in future matters. This is a matter between our family and the Fifth Princess. I do not wish to implicate your family. As long as we wait for my brother and sister-in-law to return, we will fear nothing."
A hint of disappointment flashed in Yan Shuo's eyes. "Miss Lu helped me last time. I will definitely help you this time. Don't talk about implication. Even without this incident, the Fifth Princess's mother and brother consider my father a thorn in their side. The court's affairs are inherently complex, and it is difficult to disentangle ourselves."
"Young Master Lu, you—" Lu Hua sighed helplessly. She didn't have time to argue with him further. She said to Ga Mei and Ding Xiang, "My sister-in-law has a very good relationship with Consort Mei in the palace. Perhaps she can help us stall for time. I will write a letter to Consort Mei, but we need to find a way to deliver it to Consort Mei as quickly as possible."
Yan Shuo immediately said, "I will help you deliver it. I have a good friend who works as a guard in the palace, so sending letters is very convenient."
Ga Mei exclaimed happily, "Then we'll have to trouble Young Master Yan!"
Lu Hua thought for a moment, realizing this was their only option.
Lu Hua quickly wrote a letter and handed it to Yan Shuo.
Before leaving, Yan Shuo suddenly turned around, took something out of his sleeve, and said to Lu Hua with a flushed face, "Miss Lu, please accept this small porcelain bottle. I have already emptied the rouge from inside."
Lu Hua saw that in his palm was the small porcelain bottle of rouge they had both reached for when they first met.
"You said this small porcelain bottle was very beautiful, so I bought it. I emptied the rouge, washed the bottle clean, and you can have it. I hope it brings you good luck," Yan Shuo said, extending his hand a bit further towards Lu Hua.
Seeing Lu Hua hesitate, Ga Mei quickly grabbed the porcelain bottle and thrust it into Lu Hua's hand, chiding her playfully, "Take it, just take it! What a beautiful bottle! Don't delay Young Master Yan from delivering the letter!"
Yan Shuo curved his lips and quickly walked out.
Lu Hua held the small porcelain bottle, feeling a complex sweetness in her heart.
She and Yan Shuo had only just met, why was he treating her like this? Moreover, he already had someone he fancied. As the eldest son of the Censorate Minister, how could he possibly be interested in her, a merchant's daughter from a farming family?
Was he just toying with her? Or did he want her as a concubine?
Thinking of this, a surge of anger suddenly welled up in Lu Hua's heart.
In this life, she, Lu Hua, would absolutely not become a concubine, even if she remained unmarried her entire life.
Even if she were to marry, it would be a monogamous marriage, just like her sister-in-law. She would never share a man with another woman!
Lu Hua, with a huff, threw the small porcelain bottle into the drawer.
Not long after, those two guards actually returned with an arrest warrant from the Dali Temple.
The leading guard looked triumphant and roared loudly, "Guards! Take them all away!"
Lu Hua said with righteous indignation, "Hong Fen Jia Ren is my family's shop, and I am the manager of Hong Fen Jia Ren. If you must take someone, take only me!"
Ga Mei cried, "No, Hua Hua, I'll go with you!"
"And us too!" Ding Xiang, Lu Yin, and Su Jinfeng all stepped forward.
They couldn't all be taken away; someone needed to stay to inform her brother and sister-in-law. Lu Hua glanced at them and said to the leading guard, "This is my family's shop. Lu Yin and Ding Xiang are my family's people. The others are workers I hired. None of this has anything to do with them. If you must take someone, take the three of us. Otherwise, if you arrest the wrong people, it will not reflect well on the Fifth Princess."
The leading guard pondered for a moment and then said to Lu Hua, "Fine, we shall oblige you!" It didn't matter who they arrested as long as they apprehended someone to fulfill their duty.
And so, Lu Hua, Lu Yin, and Ding Xiang were taken away, and the shop was closed.
A crowd of onlookers gathered outside the shop, pointing and gossiping about Hong Fen Jia Ren.
Ga Mei sobbed, "Sir, Madam, this is what happened. Hua Hua and the others have been in jail for almost a day. I don't know how they are doing, *sob sob*..."
It was clear someone had deliberately framed them. Bai Sheng felt a surge of anger, but her expression remained calm and composed.
She gently comforted everyone, "Don't worry, my husband and I will definitely rescue Hua Hua and the others."
Lu Ye said to Bai Sheng, "Wife, don't worry. I am the man of this family. If our shop has problems, I will be responsible for everything. After dawn, I will go to the prison and trade myself for Xiao Hua and the others. I want to see what that so-called Fifth Princess can do to me!"