Some people, however, had malicious intentions upon seeing an old man with a little granddaughter come to beg.
The people at a table impatiently waved them away, "Doesn't the old man have eyes? Didn't he see us brothers drinking here? You're ruining the mood."
Others, after drinking, took a liking to the well-behaved little girl and had other ideas.
"Old man, your granddaughter is quite cute," the man said, reaching out to pull the little girl.
The little girl fearfully dodged his hand and hid behind her grandfather.
"Kind sirs, please be merciful. I only have this one granddaughter," the old man pleaded, cupping his hands urgently towards the customers.
"Your granddaughter is quite pretty. I'll show you a way out; if you sell her to Aunt Hong, she'll fetch a good price." He then burst into laughter. Some lewd customers also joined in the laughter.
"Sir, please don't joke. I absolutely cannot bear to part with her," the old man said, tears welling up in his eyes.
The people at the table were ungrateful and continued to speak obscenities.
"Say, is it funny to joke around like this?" Ye Qingcheng could no longer stand it and walked over to the table.
"The old man is bringing his granddaughter out to perform, and if you can't help, you're saying such nasty things to them."
"What little lady is this, and who do you think you are to speak? Go away, go away. Or we'll sell you to the brothel too!" The drunkard, clearly intoxicated, unleashed a torrent of abuse when Ye Qingcheng approached.
"Esteemed customers, esteemed customers. Let's all take a step back," the waiter hurried over to mediate as Ye Qingcheng's displeasure showed.
"Please calm down, customers. These are all local ruffians. They drink here day and night, and they take out their frustrations on anyone they find displeasing. Customer, you should leave quickly," the waiter advised Ye Qingcheng kindly, noticing she had only brought a small maidservant with her.
"Miss," Bixi, seeing the situation, quickly tugged at Ye Qingcheng, trying to stop her from acting impulsively.
However, the customers not only did not stop but escalated their actions. Their words became increasingly offensive.
Seeing the drunkard about to grab the little girl's hand again, Ye Qingcheng could no longer hold back.
Fortunately, she had learned martial arts from her two masters, and today she was determined to teach these ruffians a lesson.
Grabbing the drunkard's hand, Ye Qingcheng channeled her inner energy, twisting his wrist outwards.
"Ahhh!" After a scream of agony, the drunkard was half-sobered.
"Let go, let go!" He tried to grab Ye Qingcheng with his other hand.
Ye Qingcheng directly kicked his knee, causing the drunkard to fall to his knees.
The drunkard cried out in pain on the ground, and his brothers quickly stood up to help.
Ye Qingcheng released the drunkard and engaged in a fight with the group of ruffians.
"Bixi, take them and hide. Be careful not to get hurt," she reminded Bixi beside her.
"Miss," Bixi, seeing so many people, was extremely worried. She pulled the grandfather and granddaughter into a nearby room, thinking she needed to return to the prince's manor to find help quickly.
There were too many of them. Ye Qingcheng kicked away a man, her breathing becoming somewhat rapid.
Despite learning martial arts and having inner energy, the innate physical advantage of men and the fact that she had only been learning for a few months meant she was gradually becoming no match for a group of large men.
The drunkard noticed Ye Qingcheng's struggle, and his earlier humiliation was somewhat soothed.
"I'll sell you to Aunt Hong later. Then we'll see if you can still stand up," the drunkard thought viciously.
"I really can't do this. I'll just run," Ye Qingcheng thought. After all, Bixi and the grandfather and granddaughter had already gone far.
Seeing the main door wide open, Ye Qingcheng seized the opportunity and bolted.
"Chase!" The drunkard led a group of people in pursuit.
"Oh dear!" Ye Qingcheng ran while looking back. Unexpectedly, she ran headfirst into someone.
"Miss, are you alright?"
Hearing a familiar voice, Ye Qingcheng looked up and saw it was her Bixi.
"Why did you come back?" There were still people chasing behind.
"Run! Now let's see if you can still run!" The drunkard arrived with his men. Seeing Bixi there, he laughed heartily, "Now that both of you are in my hands, where else can you run?"
The group of ruffians immediately surrounded the two of them.
"Princess Consort!" Ye Qingcheng thought she was doomed. Following the sound, she looked and saw it was Lin Xiao.
"Miss, I went back to the prince's manor to get reinforcements," Bixi said from the side.
"You're amazing!" Ye Qingcheng breathed a sigh of relief.
Ever since he was defeated by the wild man on the snow mountain, Lin Xiao had harbored a grudge.
Now, here were some human sandbags delivered right to his doorstep.
Lin Xiao subdued the group of ruffians in a few moves and called for the constables to arrest them and take them to the yamen.
Seeing that the matter had come to an end, Bixi looked helplessly at Ye Qingcheng's worsening foot injury and sighed.
"Miss, you shouldn't be so impulsive in the future."
"Bixi, where are that grandfather and granddaughter now?" Ye Qingcheng asked.
"They're still at the tavern," Bixi replied. "I just don't know if they've left yet."
Inside the tavern, the grandfather and granddaughter were very grateful for Ye Qingcheng's help.
"Benefactor, for helping us today, we grandfather and granddaughter truly have no way to repay you." As he spoke, the old man pulled his granddaughter and knelt to kowtow to Ye Qingcheng.
Ye Qingcheng quickly helped them up.
The old man's son and daughter-in-law had fallen off a cliff while going up the mountain, leaving only this little granddaughter behind. Their house had been occupied by relatives, and they were now homeless, forced to perform and beg for a living.
"Old man, it's not good for you to wander around with your granddaughter like this," Ye Qingcheng mused. "Why don't I find a place for you to settle down?"
"Thank you, benefactor, thank you, benefactor," the old man quickly expressed his gratitude. "Xier, quickly kowtow to the benefactor. When you grow up, you must repay the benefactor."
"There's no need, old man. Just raise your granddaughter well," Ye Qingcheng said.
Ye Qingcheng asked Lin Xiao to find a small courtyard in the outskirts of the capital. The area was surrounded by farmers and farmland.
Ye Qingcheng gave the old man a sum of money and also bought a plot of land from a nearby farmer.
"At least you can grow some of your own food."
It was almost dinner time when she returned to the prince's manor. She still hadn't been able to visit Xiao Hua and the others today, and instead, her foot injury had worsened.
Bixi supported Ye Qingcheng as she walked, muttering incessantly beside her.
Ye Qingcheng could only listen helplessly. Bixi was becoming more and more naggy, like an old woman.
However, if she heard Ye Qingcheng say that, Bixi would surely say aggrievedly, "No, Miss, I'm doing it all for your own good."
Xiao Wangye, listening to Lin Xiao's report, frowned upon hearing that Ye Qingcheng's foot injury had worsened.
"What did the authorities say about those ruffians?"
Lin Xiao replied, "The prefectural office has taken all those ruffians into custody. Specifically, it depends on the prince's wishes."
"I remember Liuan Temple is short of a batch of laborers. Let them go do hard labor there," Xiao Wangye said, flipping through the book in his hands.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Also, make arrangements for that grandfather and granddaughter. Speak to the manager there."
In fact, that courtyard, including the surrounding farmland, was all Xiao Wangye's property.
It seemed that the grandfather and granddaughter would at least not have to worry about food and clothing.