Chapter 355 – The Storm in the Capital (Twelve)
“Oh my, the audience is so shocked they dropped their snacks!”
After years of watching the live streams, I’ve never seen a brawl of this scale, especially not between the privileged rich kids of ancient times. It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe!
“To put it bluntly, they’re just upstarts or unrefined tycoons,” someone commented. “It really shows their upbringing, doesn’t it? If it were from a truly prestigious family, even if they wanted to crush each other’s spirits, they’d still keep up appearances and act polite.”
Sighing, another viewer said, “Compared to the fake tongue-lashing, I prefer the straightforwardness of getting into a fight when you’re annoyed.”
“LOL, I love that too! Just like the streamer said before, what’s the point of sharp words when you can just block your ears? Even if your opponent yells at the top of their lungs, it won’t matter. What’s the use of just flapping your gums? A solid hit is what counts!”
Thanks to Jiang Pengji’s influence, most viewers in the stream have picked up her bold temperament.
“Life and death don’t matter, if you’re not happy, just fight! If you can throw punches, never waste your breath.”
Jiang Pengji raised her hand to shield Xu Ke, afraid this frail scholar would get sucked into the chaos.
She glanced sideways at the onlookers, whose expressions screamed “This is too good!” and felt a flicker of curiosity in her heart.
“Why let them fight it out without sending someone to separate them?”
With a cold gaze, she questioned a nearby young servant.
The servant forced a smile, as if he had just chugged a bowl of bitter melon juice, his face scrunching up in agony.
“Your Highness, with all due respect… that’s quite easy for you to say. My master is Changshou Wang, but he’s far too busy to deal with these trivial matters. Whether it’s that Eunuch Huang’s grandson or General Fang’s son, they’re both untouchable bigshots—who would dare intervene?”
What a pain it would be if either side resentfully saw a third party in their way and decided to take it out on them.
That’d be like a mute eating bitter melon—no way to complain!
When gods brawl, the mortals suffer.
All one could do now was hope they’d finish up early so the teahouse could shut down soon.
The broken items would just be tallied and sent to their households.
But considering whose side the teahouse was on, with Changshou Wang behind it, Eunuch Huang and General Fang would surely weigh the costs of paying up.
Jiang Pengji coldly huffed in response, noncommittal.
“A bunch of bratty kids throwing a tantrum, rolling on the ground, zero technical skill,” she said, crossing her arms as she stepped back to avoid a delicate teacup flying at her toes. Turning to Xu Ke, she rolled her eyes, “Look at that, which side do you think will win?”
Xu Ke peeked at his Young Master, secretly praying the other side wouldn’t provoke any more trouble.
After pondering for a moment, he said, “It should be Eunuch Huang’s family. The Emperor currently relies heavily on the eunuchs.”
Eunuchs wield immense power, strutting about like they own the place.
But in essence, everything they have relies on the Emperor’s indulgence—their bribery and corruption are only permissible through his silent approval. They cling to the Emperor, who holds their lives in his hands. If the Emperor were still a child, they could do a lot, but currently, he may be dim, yet he’s savvy about power and greed. The eunuchs are merely the Emperor’s dogs meant to bite.
The exterior clan is different, though.
While they too are emperor’s dogs, they have their roots and more autonomy than eunuchs do. The Emperor has entrusted the Imperial Guards to the Fang family, showing he values them more than the eunuchs.
Both factions were initially the Emperor’s pawns against the aristocracy, but most notable families have retreated, with many officials retiring, like the former Minister Feng Ren. This causes the Emperor to fall into a lethal misconception.
What misconception?
He mistakenly believes he has reclaimed authority from the great families, thinking he’s no longer a puppet Emperor!
In this situation, his two bred dogs—the eunuchs and the external clan—seem more of a nuisance.
Eunuchs can only rely on the Emperor, while the external clan is trickier to handle.
Jiang Pengji suspected it was indeed Eunuch Huang’s, but not for the reasons Xu Ke feared.
The struggle between the external clan and the eunuchs is no child’s play, so why would it spill over to these youngsters?
“General Fang’s son is just too hefty; I mean, look at him! He could block half the teahouse door by himself—a giant target! Eunuch Huang’s grandson, on the other hand, is quick—hiding behind servants and launching sneak attacks. He’s definitely got potential.”
Seriously, why would they pit a meat shield against someone with speed?
Xu Ke could only fall silent.
Suddenly, he realized all his serious analysis had gone to waste.
Jiang Pengji added, “But in a brawl like this, it all comes down to strength—punch someone and keep them from getting through or sheer numbers—the more spit you have, the more you can drown someone! Eunuch Huang’s Young Master is short on fighters; if this drags on, he’s bound to suffer.”
Hearing this, Xu Ke secretly rolled his eyes.
If it’s a brawl, his Young Master is the only one fitting to come out on top!
Just as they were speaking, the situation became clearer.
General Fang’s son is pampered at home, always bringing a group of twenty or thirty followers, and only half were there before.
The other half rushed in as soon as they heard their Young Master was getting beaten.
What once stood as an even match was tipping in the other direction due to sheer numbers.
As Eunuch Huang’s grandson was about to get captured and beaten, he suddenly rolled back, disregarding the disgrace, shouting,
“Brother Jue, come save me!”
Brother Jue?
Jiang Pengji, already weary of this chaos, didn’t expect General Fang’s son to call for help too.
She scanned the area, trying to identify who this Brother Jue was.
General Fang’s side had formed a dominant advantage, and his imposing figure loomed over Eunuch Huang’s grandson, cornering him against the wall.
“Ha! Go ahead and scream for help! Let’s see who this little wimp can call!”
Eunuch Huang’s grandson had already been roughed up, his face sporting a rainbow of bruises, but his eyes remained defiant.
“Hmph, I’d return the favor, so don’t scream when you’re scared!”
General Fang’s son, all fired up, raised his massive fist about to swing, just then a clear voice rang out like a precious gem.
“Stop!”
“Who’s messing with my business?” Fang’s son growled, turning to glare at the source of the interruption.
Everyone turned to see a slender teen, about fifteen or sixteen years old, standing in the corner, dressed in a blue scholar’s robe that highlighted his tall stature.
Though still a bit immature in appearance, he emanated an unmistakable elegance.
