A divine healer, a general, a young marquis! Who can rival them!

Zhao Yanei's anger was becoming increasingly unbearable.

He was outmaneuvered when confronted in the street; he quickly debunked rumors spread behind the scenes; and even underhanded tactics like cutting off supplies and poaching customers failed to gain him any advantage.

A quack doctor from out of town, along with a few women who were not respectable, forced the son of the Zhao family in the west of the city to the point of being unable to lift his head in a few moments.

This time, he's got his sights set on official matters!

His father was the magistrate of the western part of the city. Everyone in the yamen, from top to bottom, gave the Zhao family face. He found a clerk who often hung around him and slipped him a silver ingot, asking him to take a petition to his superior. The petition stated that the clinic in the eastern part of the city, named Yang, was practicing medicine without official permission and had caused the death of someone.

The reason is readily available: although the rumor he spread some time ago about "beating someone to death" has been debunked, the official petition at the yamen is still in black and white. This makes it a plausible excuse.

Early this morning, as soon as Yang's shop opened, three or four constables in their official uniforms swaggered in. As soon as they entered, some started rummaging through the medicine cabinet drawers, while others went through the account books, making a huge commotion throughout the house and frightening the patients waiting to see the doctor.

The leader was a squad leader with a dark face. As soon as he sat down in the hall, he slapped the knife at his waist, making a loud cracking sound, and said with a forced smile:

"Which one is Doctor Yang? The yamen has received a report that your clinic is practicing medicine without official authorization and has caused a death. We have been ordered to investigate."

The people waiting to see the doctor immediately fell silent. The timid ones began to sneak to the back, while familiar neighbors worried for Yang Hu, saying, "The Zhao family has used official connections... this time it definitely won't work."

Lu Rou's face turned pale instantly, while Liu Ye stood beside him, shielding him with one hand on her waist.

Yang Hu, however, was not afraid.

I already knew that Zhao Yanei had tried everything, both overt and covert, and that he would eventually reach out to the government. This "petition" was most likely obtained by bribing someone.

You can't just stand there and resist. The constables are acting on orders from the government. The more you try to stop them from investigating, the more guilty you'll appear.

But this clinic was built up step by step through treating and saving lives, and these relationships become a powerful trump card in crucial moments.

"If the squad leader wants to see it, then go ahead and look," Yang Hu said, cupping his hands in greeting. "But there are a few things I need to say beforehand."

"The people who come to this clinic—Manager Qian from the rice shop in the west of the city, and Accountant Zhang from the north of the city—all recognize me. As for those who say I've caused someone's death, I'd like to ask the head doctor which life it was and which victim it was?"

The squad leader's expression changed.

Among the people waiting for their turn, the first to step forward was Manager Qian, whose only son's mumps had been cured by Yang Hu a few days earlier. He had heard that the constables had come to Yang's shop and happened to be there, so he immediately stepped forward.

"Boss, my little Bao's life was saved by Doctor Yang from a terminal illness where he was delirious with fever and couldn't swallow water. The old doctor in the south of the city had given him no hope, but Doctor Yang cured him with a few doses of medicine. If you say he killed someone, I, Qian, will be the first to disagree."

As soon as he spoke, several neighbors who had been saved and were waiting for treatment began to buzz in agreement.

The squad leader's brows furrowed even more.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.

He was the young master of Zhou's shop in the east of the city. Hearing that the Yang shop had been visited by constables, he came in person. Without saying a word, he stood in the hall and bowed to the constable.

"Hey, Chief, Dr. Yang was my savior, the old master of the Zhou family. His clinic is highly regarded by many families in the city. Anyone who says he's a skilled doctor who has killed people will have to get past me, Zhou Ji, first."

Immediately afterward, Chief Wang of the city defense battalion also sent someone to deliver a message: Doctor Yang protected the grain in the north and offered suggestions for suppressing bandits. The city defense battalion remembers his merits. Anyone who wants to make things difficult for him should first come to the city defense battalion to let them know.

The squad leader's face turned from black to white.

He had originally accepted bribes from the Zhao family and was just going through the motions to save face. But he never expected that this young doctor would be backed by a major grain merchant like Zhou Ji and officials like the city defense battalion.

He knew perfectly well whether pursuing this matter would avenge Zhao Yanei or bring trouble upon himself.

"Since it's a misunderstanding, then... we'll investigate another day." The foreman said this and led his men out sheepishly.

After everyone had left, Lu Rou was still shaken. Lu Yan, however, spoke softly from the side.

"This time, they used the power of Zhou Ji and the city defense battalion to suppress them." After all, she came from the Duke's mansion, and she saw through the intricacies of officialdom better than anyone else. "But think about it, how could a playboy like Zhao Yanei order the yamen to submit a report? There must be someone in Zhao Tongpan's mansion who put in a word for him. Today it's just a few constables, but in the future, it will probably be more than just a few constables."

Yang Hu nodded.

He understood this principle better than anyone else.

The onlookers breathed a sigh of relief, then began to buzz with discussion.

"I knew it! Dr. Yang has cured so many people, how could there be any deaths?"

"It was the Zhao family's doing again. But this time they couldn't even control the officials. Young Master Zhao is probably going to be furious."

Inside the Zhao residence, upon hearing the report, Zhao Yanei smashed another fine celadon teacup to pieces.

They used both overt and covert methods, even employing official clerks, but it was still that man surnamed Yang who, by leveraging his connections with Zhou Ji and the city defense battalion, easily and skillfully deflected their attack.

He paced back and forth in the room, going over the events of the past few days in his mind.

He tried to stop two beautiful women in the street, but the quack doctor knocked down his own henchman with a single finger.

The rumors spread caused those who had been cured in the east of the city, as well as the young master of the Wei family, Manager Sun, and others to jump out and testify.

Even if you cut off your own supply of medicinal herbs, there are plenty of big bosses in the city like Sun's to support you!

Even the constables in the government offices are now making a wasted trip.

I, a respectable young master, was actually defeated by this quack doctor and suffered such heavy defeats in succession!

A follower who often accompanied him approached with a fawning smile, "Young master, calm down. That guy surnamed Yang is just a doctor; he's only gotten on good terms with the Zhou family."

"By the way," Zhao Yanei suddenly turned around, "you should give me a heads-up!"

He got angrier and angrier the more he thought about it.

What makes a quack doctor so special?

It was nothing more than a small donation from Master Zhou and a minor contribution from the city defense battalion.

But even if these two things are amazing, they can't compare to one's own father.

This incident spread throughout the entire city in less than two days.

In teahouses and taverns, even people who don't usually associate with this topic would use it as a conversation starter.

"Even the servants and runners in Zhao Tongpan's household were mobilized, but in the end, they were all scolded back by that Doctor Yang from the east of the city with just one sentence."

"In this world, if you have talent and connections, who isn't afraid?"

Zhao Tongpan, the powerful Tongpan of the west of the city, if his father really took action, could those few grain sellers from Zhou Ji and the few men with knives from the city defense battalion suppress him?

Young Master Zhao's face darkened, and an idea slowly began to take shape in his mind:

I need to go find my father about this.

The back garden.

When Qin Ying heard Yang Hu talk about the bailiffs earlier, she stopped wiping the short blade she was holding.

She didn't speak, but simply said softly, "What's meant to happen will happen."

Yang Hu looked at her,

There was no fear in her eyes; she was as quiet as if she were waiting for a battle.

Zhao Yanei's open and covert attacks, one after another, eventually became nothing more than an amusing anecdote for idle people in the city.

His last bargaining chip was his father's position as the Vice Magistrate of the Western District.

Once this card is revealed, it won't just be a few constables who have to be put back down.