The continuous murmurs from the crowd left Madam Zhang mortified.
In her anger, Madam Zhang actually lunged at Ye Qingcheng.
She grabbed Ye Qingcheng by the throat with both hands, her face contorted with rage.
Bixi arrived promptly with Pei Changqiu.
Li Moer came with them. Originally, Li Moer and Pei Changqiu were engaged, but their elders forbade them from meeting. However, Li Moer missed Pei Changqiu terribly and secretly ran away from home. When Bixi found Pei Changqiu, Li Moer was with him, conveying their deep affection. Upon hearing Bixi say someone was bullying Wangfei Jiejie, she immediately followed. She then saw Madam Zhang strangling Wangfei Jiejie, and she couldn't stand it. Unable to bear it, she rushed forward and grappled with Madam Zhang.
"You shrew, how dare you hit my Wangfei Jiejie? I'll strip all your hair off!"
When women fight, it's usually a case of you grabbing me, and me pulling your hair. Watching Li Moer fight actually startled Ye Qingcheng.
Pei Changqiu hadn't expected that his delicate little wife, who couldn't lift a shoulder pole or carry a pail, would be such a formidable fighter.
Ye Qingcheng quickly stepped forward to break up the fight.
Pei Changqiu grabbed Li Moer's wrist, her palm still clutching a handful of hair.
Bixi, not to be outdone, grabbed a pair of scissors from somewhere and with a swift snip, cut off Madam Zhang's hair.
With the hair gone, the connection between the combatants was severed, and everyone staggered.
Mr. and Mrs. Zhang Jia looked at the hair drifting in the wind.
Madam Zhang froze, then suddenly burst into tears.
"Ahhhhh! My hair, my hair, my hair!"
Zhang Jia helped his wife up, threatening to report them: "Report them! Report them! We're going to report them!"
Bixi grew somewhat fearful and kept backing away.
Ye Qingcheng paused, sensing the position of the weak. After all, in ancient times, one's body and hair were gifts from their parents, and hair was part of the body. The laws of the Guo Kingdom were not yet perfect, and if they exploited a loophole, the consequences would be unbearable.
With this thought, she began to cough violently.
Li Moer, standing beside Ye Qingcheng, heard her cough and turned to look. She saw a circle of purplish-blue bruises on Ye Qingcheng's fair neck, and immediately became enraged: "Fine! You want to report us? Then let's report! You came to my Wangfei Jiejie's shop first thing this morning, complaining that my Wangfei Jiejie fired you unfairly, and then tried to strangle my Wangfei Jiejie. Let's see at the yamen what crime it is to insult royalty."
The crowd was stunned.
The couple retreated uncontrollably, pointing at Ye Qingcheng in disbelief: "She… who did you say she is?"
Li Moer stood tall and proud: "She is the Wangfei of the Regent's Mansion. What, do you still want to report her?"
The couple was terrified.
"Wang… Wangfei?"
Suddenly, they fell to their knees with a thud: "Wangfei, this humble subject was blind and offended the Wangfei. I deserve to be punished. I beg the Wangfei's forgiveness."
Ye Qingcheng faced them and then looked at the whispering citizens around. For a moment, she didn't know what to say. She wanted to punish the couple, but facing public opinion, she didn't know what to do.
Li Moer stepped forward and shielded Ye Qingcheng behind her.
"Hmph! You only think of atonement now? Who was it who tried to strangle my Wangfei Jiejie earlier? Pei Lang, tell me, what is the crime for insulting the Regent's Wangfei in broad daylight?"
Pei Changqiu stepped forward and stood beside Li Moer: "Insulting royalty in broad daylight is punishable by fifty strokes of the cane and one month's imprisonment."
Li Moer looked proudly at the kneeling couple: "Did you hear that? My Wangfei Jiejie doesn't want to pursue the matter further, but some people push their luck. This must be punished."
Seeing that the couple remained submissive and unwilling to admit their guilt, Li Moer continued: "Who knows if you are impostors? If you are fake and arrest us, then you are illegally detaining citizens."
Li Moer was thoroughly angered.
"What? You still don't want to admit it, right? So you've fabricated an excuse. Fine, very good, Bixi."
Bixi, standing nearby, immediately straightened up: "Yes."
Li Moer looked at their disgusting faces and felt uncomfortable all over.
"Hurry and invite your Wangye. The Wangfei is being insulted outside. Ask him to come and uphold justice."
Bixi understood and ran back in the direction they came from. However, the couple blocked her path: "Hey, hey, hey! No, no, no need to invite the Wangye. We admit, we admit. We apologize to the Wangfei." Saying this, they knelt and kowtowed.
"We beg the Wangfei for forgiveness."
Ye Qingcheng watched the drama unfold, realizing that Li Moer, when angered, was quite protective.
Seeing the couple bowing to her for forgiveness, Ye Qingcheng looked at Pei Changqiu: "Forgiveness is not necessary, I cannot bear it. Changqiu, please have them taken to the yamen!"
Pei Changqiu understood.
Ye Qingcheng looked at them: "As for how the yamen will deal with your crimes, that is their business." With that, she handed the Regent's Mansion token to him: "This is the Regent's Mansion token. Hand it to the yamen. If a court session is needed to hear this case, have Bixi summon me, and I will attend."
Pei Changqiu understood: "Alright." Then he had people escort the couple away.
Ye Qingcheng looked around: "Everyone, please disperse!"
However, most people wanted to watch the excitement and followed Pei Changqiu's group to witness the court proceedings. The rest could no longer block the entrance to Ye Qingcheng's shop, so they dispersed.
Soon, the news that the Regent's Wangfei had purchased a restaurant spread throughout the capital, becoming a topic of gossip among ladies and mistresses.
"Ye Qingcheng knows business?"
"Does it matter if she does? If she loses money and has no customers, it's a complete disgrace."
"Then let's wait and see the show!"
In the court, the couple shifted blame to each other, but they confessed to harming the Wangfei. Many citizens who had come to watch could testify. Bixi was the Wangfei's maid, and the magistrate was aware of this matter. Therefore, he immediately sentenced Madam Zhang to twenty large planks to appease the Wangfei's anger and imprisoned both of them for one month.
Li Moer returned with Bixi and Pei Changqiu. When they returned, Ye Qingcheng was looking at the account books.
Li Moer hopped over: "Wangfei Jiejie, do you know? They've all been sentenced to prison. It's so satisfying!"
Ye Qingcheng smiled and continued to read the accounts: "I guessed as much."
Pei Changqiu, however, was puzzled about something: "Wangfei, you can spar with me and hold your own for a few rounds, so why were you being choked by a woman who couldn't even lift a chicken and didn't resist?"
Li Moer suddenly realized: "Yes! I thought something was odd at first. I didn't even think of that."
Ye Qingcheng smiled and continued with the accounts, explaining: "When that couple first arrived, they wept and slandered me. What was their purpose?"
Li Moer and Pei Changqiu exchanged glances and shook their heads in confusion.
Ye Qingcheng smiled, put down her things, and explained: "It's because they were clever enough to position themselves as the weaker party. People's hearts tend to sympathize with the weak. For example, if you see an old man shivering in the snow, still trying to sell his wares, what would you do?"