My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard! It was actually the Embroidered Uniform Guard! In Nanjing, who didn't know what the Embroidered Uniform Guard meant?
Those were the emperor's personal guards, a sword hanging over the heads of all officials, a hellish palace that could make people disappear without a trace!

Especially in the past year, since Luo Yangxing took charge of Nanjing, the reputation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard has kept many officials and nobles with guilty consciences awake at night.

But how could it be the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

In Nanjing, who else besides that person in the palace can mobilize the Embroidered Uniform Guard these days?
wrong!

And the Crown Prince too!!!

In an instant, everyone understood!
That's it! Apart from the emperor, the only person who could so easily mobilize the Embroidered Uniform Guard and make Young Master Li so terrified was the crown prince who accompanied the emperor on his southern tour!

Once they understood this, all the captured noble sons turned ashen-faced and trembled violently. They could barely stand, let alone struggle or resist.

Some people's legs went weak, and if they hadn't been supported by the Imperial Guards, they probably would have collapsed to the ground.

Overwhelming fear choked them, preventing them from even pleading for mercy.

The Imperial Guards didn't care about the turmoil in their hearts; now that their identities were clear, they had no more scruples.

The leading junior officer waved his hand and gave a low shout:
"Take them all away! Imprison them!"

"Yes!"

The other guards responded in unison, showing no more courtesy, and dragged the group of terrified noblemen away from the corridor as if they were sacks, disappearing around the corner of the stairs.

The whole process was swift and efficient. From taking action to taking the person away, it took only a few dozen breaths. If it weren't for the faint smell of sweat and fear still lingering in the air, it would have seemed as if nothing had happened.

Inside the private room, Zhu Cilang could hear everything that was happening outside, but his face remained expressionless.

It was a farce, a bunch of ants, not worth his further attention.

He picked up the teacup, only to find that the tea had gone cold, so he casually put it down.

My enthusiasm for going out tonight has been completely ruined.

"Go back to the palace."

He gave a casual instruction, stood up, and dusted off non-existent dust from his robes.

Luo Yangxing, Li Hu, Ma Bao, and others immediately obeyed and escorted Zhu Cilang outside.

Zhang Shize quickly followed, secretly relieved that he had behaved himself when he came to Nanjing; otherwise, he might have been dragged away too.

The group went downstairs, and the once bustling and extravagant Shuyuxuan Hall, filled with guests, was now deserted, with only a few lonely lamps flickering, illuminating the mess of cups and plates and the overturned tables and chairs.

The shopkeeper, along with several employees, was tidying up with a worried expression. When they saw Zhu Cilang and the others coming down, especially Luo Yangxing, they were so frightened that they quickly bowed and stepped aside, not daring to breathe loudly.

However, in the corner of the hall, there were two figures, an old man and a young man, standing there supporting each other, seemingly having waited for a long time.

It was Old Man Wang, who sold wontons, and his granddaughter, Lihua.

The tear stains on Lihua's face had dried, but her eyes were still red and swollen, and her expression still carried the bewilderment and lingering fear of being shaken.

Old Wang held his granddaughter tightly by the shoulder, his weathered face filled with lingering fear and gratitude.

Seeing Zhu Cilang come downstairs, Old Wang's cloudy eyes lit up. He quickly let go of his granddaughter and shakily tried to go forward, but stopped a few steps away, hesitating and not daring to get close.

Zhu Cilang paused slightly and looked at them.

Luo Yangxing immediately whispered:
"Your Highness, it was the grandfather and granddaughter who insisted on staying to express their gratitude. I have already sent someone to inquire, and the girl was only frightened and has some bruises from being pulled, but she is otherwise unharmed."

Zhu Cilang nodded, his icy indifference softening slightly as he adopted a gentle and slightly apologetic expression, and took a few steps forward.

His movement made Old Man Wang even more frightened, and he pulled his granddaughter to kneel down.

"This humble subject kowtows to express his deepest gratitude to you, young master! I will never forget your life-saving grace!"

Old Wang's voice trembled, tears streaming down his face, and he was about to pull Lihua down to kneel.

Zhu Cilang, quick-witted and agile, stepped forward and offered a helping hand, speaking gently:
“Old man, Miss Pear Blossom, please rise. There’s no need for such formalities. Tonight’s events were caused by the laxity of the court’s governance, which allowed such a fool to disturb the people and cause you to suffer. In fact, I should be the one apologizing to you.”

His tone was sincere, his attitude was calm, and he was not at all arrogant.

Old Wang had lived for over sixty years and had seen the coldness of human relationships. He was used to the arrogance of high-ranking officials and nobles. He had never seen such a "nobleman" who was so humble and reasonable despite his high position and power.
Although he did not know Zhu Cilang's exact identity, he guessed that it must be extremely high.

He was even more grateful and waved his hands repeatedly:
"No! No! Young master, please don't say that! If it weren't for you, my Pear Blossom would have... tonight would have been... alas!"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but wipe away another tear.

"Young master, you are our great benefactor!"

Zhu Cilang offered a few more words of comfort, his gaze falling on Lihua.

Pear Blossom was also secretly glancing at him, but when she met his gaze, she quickly lowered her head, two red clouds rising on her face, whether from shyness or fear, it was hard to tell.

Seeing her still shaken and pitiful appearance, Zhu Cilang's anger, which had been fueled by the spoiled brat's mischief, subsided somewhat. He spoke gently to Lihua:

“Miss Pear Blossom, you must be frightened tonight, but don’t worry. I have ordered my men to capture those who bullied you and punish them severely according to the law. I will give you an explanation. In the future, if anyone in Nanjing dares to bully you again…”

He paused, as if he had thought of something, and turned to Luo Yangxing, who was standing beside him, and said:

"You can find him."

Luo Yangxing immediately understood, stepped forward, and, with the most "amiable" smile he had ever given himself, bowed to Old Man Wang and Lihua, saying:

“Old man, young lady, my name is Luo Yangxing. I know a few people in Nanjing. I was not careful enough in today’s incident. If anyone dares to make things difficult for you in Nanjing, or if you have any trouble, just leave a message at the ‘Yuelai Inn’ near the government office in the west of the city. Just say you are looking for Manager Luo.”

"Whether it's local thugs or some ignorant officials, I, Luo, will definitely stand up for you two and never let anyone bully you again!" Although Old Man Wang had never heard of Luo Yangxing's name, he knew that this man's identity was definitely not simple. He was both frightened and relieved, and hurriedly pulled his granddaughter to bow again:

"Thank you, Lord Luo! Thank you, Lord Luo! This old man... this old man was blind before and offended you, please forgive me!"

Luo Yangxing laughed heartily and waved his hand dismissively:

"What are you saying, sir? We became friends after our fight! I was wrong to say that before, please don't take offense."

However, he had a different plan in mind at that moment.

The fact that the Crown Prince cares so much about this grandfather and grandson, and even specially selected him to "take care" of them, is no small matter.

He secretly made up his mind to immediately send capable people to investigate the background of the grandfather and grandson thoroughly, such as where they lived, how many people were in their family, whether they had any relatives, whether they had a clean background, and who they associated with, etc. He wanted to record everything in detail.

The Crown Prince may have acted out of kindness and given the order casually, but Luo Yangxing could not take it lightly.

If, by any chance, the Crown Prince remembers this matter and asks about the family's current situation, and he knows nothing about it, or if something unexpected happens to the family, then his official career is over.

Even more surprisingly, Luo Yangxing's gaze subtly swept over Lihua's face—not exactly stunningly beautiful, but now tear-streaked and possessing a unique, pitiful charm—and a murmur of doubt arose in his heart:
The Crown Prince seemed to be exceptionally gentle with this young girl. Although she was still young and only considered pretty, who knew what the future held?

The Crown Prince is not yet married, and the Eastern Palace is empty. After he ascends the throne, he will surely have a full harem.

What if... what if the Crown Prince takes a liking to this woman and decides to bring her into the palace someday? Wouldn't my "care" today be a great achievement?
Even if the Crown Prince had no such intention, if I take good care of the family as instructed and ensure their peaceful and prosperous life, I will have fulfilled the Crown Prince's request without any harm.

Thinking of this, Luo Yangxing's smile became even more "sincere." He then called over a trusted servant and whispered a few instructions, which were nothing more than to immediately arrange for someone to escort the grandfather and grandson home safely, give them a hundred silver coins to calm their nerves, and have them write down the grandfather and grandson's detailed address so that they could secretly take care of them regularly in the future.

Seeing that Luo Yangxing had made the arrangements, Zhu Cilang did not linger any longer. He nodded to Old Man Wang and Pear Blossom, and said gently:
"It's late, old man and young lady, you should go home and rest early, and be careful on the road."

After saying that, he turned and walked out of Shuyu Pavilion.

"Respectfully seeing you off, young master! Please take care on your journey!"

Old Wang, holding his granddaughter's hand, bowed deeply again to Zhu Cilang's departing figure, remaining seated for a long time.

Stepping out of Shuyu Pavilion, a cool night breeze blew in my face, slightly dispelling the vexation in my heart.

The lights along the banks of the Qinhuai River were still dazzling, but Zhu Cilang had no interest in sightseeing whatsoever.

The carriage was already waiting outside. Before boarding, Zhu Cilang paused slightly, turned his head, and whispered an instruction to Luo Yangxing, who was following closely behind. His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable tone:
"Find a way to spread a message in Nanjing that today I returned to Nanjing from Fujian and took a nighttime stroll along the Qinhuai River in disguise. While enjoying tea and music at the 'Shuyuxuan', I was provoked and attacked by several sons of Nanjing nobles. They were arrogant and spouted nonsense, relying on their family background."

"Say things like, 'So what if he's the Crown Prince? This is Nanjing, not Beijing! Once His Majesty and the Crown Prince return north, Nanjing will ultimately be under our control!' You can decide exactly how to say it, but make sure this news spreads throughout Nanjing's officialdom, the residences of nobles, and even the streets and alleys within three days. Do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Yangxing felt a sudden sense of clarity, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he immediately bowed respectfully, saying:

"Your Majesty, I understand! Rest assured, I will handle this matter properly and ensure that everyone who needs to know understands it clearly!"

Of course he understands!
The Crown Prince is using this as an excuse to expand the impact of tonight's events into a warning and deterrent to the entire Nanjing aristocratic group! Not only should he severely punish the few playboys who directly caused the trouble, but he should also use public opinion to firmly pin the suspicion that "the sons of Nanjing aristocratic families are arrogant and domineering, disrespectful to the emperor, and even have the ambition to seize local power" on all Nanjing aristocratic families!

In this way, the Crown Prince will have the most legitimate reason and the most sufficient public pressure to do whatever he wants, whether it is to reorganize the Nanjing garrison, clean up the long-standing problems, or to promote the plan of "sending the eldest son north as a hostage"! Those old nobles, in order to clear their names, prove their innocence, and protect their families, will probably have to rush to "sacrifice their own family for the greater good," show their loyalty to the court, and even "generously donate money" again!

This move not only avenged tonight's disturbance but also laid the groundwork for future plans, killing several birds with one stone—a truly brilliant move!

Luo Yangxing was even more impressed by the young crown prince's skill.

"Okay, go ahead and do it."

Zhu Cilang said no more and turned to get into the carriage.

"Your Highness, I respectfully see you off!"

Luo Yangxing bowed respectfully until the carriage, surrounded by elite guards, slowly drove away and disappeared into the hazy night along the Qinhuai River. Only then did he straighten up, a cold yet excited smile appearing on his face.

He knew that Nanjing was about to be stirred up by another storm, some minor and some major.

That night, under Luo Yangxing's personal arrangement and the efficient operation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a series of rumors, half true and half false, vivid in detail and highly inflammatory, flew silently into every corner of Nanjing, from the deep courtyards, teahouses and taverns to the government offices.

"Have you heard? The Crown Prince was surrounded by a group of noble sons on the Qinhuai River!"

"It's more than just surrounding them! I heard that those young masters got drunk and even dared to curse the Crown Prince, saying that Nanjing was their territory!"

"That's right! Saying things like 'So what if he's the crown prince? Once the emperor is gone, Nanjing will still be ours!' This is utterly lawless, it's tantamount to rebellion!"

"It was the son of the Earl of Changning who led the way! And a few young men from the families of so-and-so Marquis and so-and-so Earl!"

"It's all over, it's all over! This is a huge disaster! Do you think His Majesty and the Crown Prince will let them off the hook? It could implicate a whole bunch of people!"

"Who says otherwise! These sons of noble families are always so arrogant and domineering. They've finally met their match! Let's see how their fathers handle this!"

Rumors spread like wildfire under the cover of night.

By daybreak the next day, the entire officialdom and aristocratic circles of Nanjing were in a state of panic, especially the mansions of nobles with good-for-nothing sons, who were as if they were being roasted over a fire.

Countless horrified, angry, and inquisitive gazes were cast upon the Changning Marquis's residence, and also upon the Nanjing Imperial Palace, a symbol of imperial power.

Many people stayed up all night, racking their brains about how to sever ties, how to prove their loyalty to the emperor and crown prince, and how to protect their family's wealth and safety in this sudden storm.

A disturbance sparked by a playboy harassing a woman is rapidly evolving into a political storm sweeping through Nanjing's elite elite group, thanks to Zhu Cilang's deliberate guidance and Luo Yangxing's instigation.

And this is just the beginning.

The next morning, after Zhu Cilang finished washing up, he went straight to Chongzhen's temporary palace.

The matters decided yesterday still need to be discussed with Emperor Chongzhen! (End of Chapter)