I just wrote a love poem, how did that make me so powerful?

Moreover, the Qian family happened to come at this exact moment...

Chen Shijin had just been humiliated by Xiao Mingyuan when someone came to disrupt Song Yao's wedding.

There is probably some connection between these two things.

He looked away, glanced at Song Yao who was wiping away tears with her head down, and then at his mother who was frowning and deep in thought.

"Alright, it's okay now. I'll figure something out. We can't just keep passively taking hits like this."

……

……

The front hall of the Xiao residence.

Xiao Liu stood before Xiao Wanjin with his hands at his sides, and reported in detail all the information he had gathered that day:

"Master, someone went to Song Yao's house today. It was her aunt-in-law, Madam Qian. She brought a few people and made a scene, demanding that the engagement be called off. Xu Qing stopped them, and it didn't work out."

Xiao Wanjin, holding his teacup, frowned slightly: "Who arranged this?"

"This old servant hasn't verified it yet, but following that line, it vaguely points to the Chen residence."

Xiao Wanjin paused in his teacup, then put it down.

He was silent for a moment: "Go and bring Qian here, ask her everything. Leave no trace."

Xiao Liu nodded and withdrew.

……

……

Ms. Qian turned into a quiet alley, intending to take a shortcut back to her place.

The alley was narrow, and the walls on both sides were covered with moss. Dusk pressed down from overhead, and the light was so dim that it was almost impossible to see the road.

She had just reached the middle of the alley when she was suddenly struck on the back of the head with a blunt object. Her vision went black, her legs went weak, and she collapsed heavily to the ground.

When she opened her eyes again, her head was still buzzing, and the back of her neck hurt as if she had been hit with a hammer.

She tried to reach out to touch it, but found her wrists were tied behind her back with the rope tightly binding her skin. The rough hemp rope dug into her flesh, causing a burning pain.

She struggled to lift her head. It was completely dark outside. All around her were trees, a pitch-black forest, with not a soul in sight. Only the night wind howled through the branches and leaves, a chilling sound.

Three masked men, of varying heights, stood before her, each carrying a gleaming short knife.

The blade reflected the cold moonlight, shimmering across her face, the tip almost poking her nose.

Qian's mouth trembled several times, but she couldn't utter a single word.

She tried to scream for help, but her voice wouldn't obey her commands.

One of the masked men bent down and tapped her face with the back of his knife: "Tell me, who sent you to cause trouble at the Song family today?"

Qian's teeth began to chatter and make a clicking sound.

She had intended to throw a tantrum like she did at the Song family's house and try to get away with it...

But the scene before her made her realize with a start... this wasn't like those easy-to-fool neighbors in the village; this was real violence.

If we're not sure, we'll be in trouble!

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" she cried, blurting out the words in a rapid-fire manner.

"It was someone from the Chen family, a steward, wearing a gray robe, probably in his forties, with a mole on the corner of his mouth. He's the one who contacted me! He gave me twenty taels of silver and told me to sabotage Song Yao's wedding, saying he'd give me another fifty taels after it was done! Please don't kill me... that's all I really know..."

The masked man straightened up, glanced at the person next to him, and nodded slightly.

Then one of the shorter men raised his foot and kicked Qian in the lower back.

With a scream, Qian Shi'ao lunged forward, burying his face in the pile of dead leaves and getting covered in mud.

Before she could even get up, the second kick came...

He kicked her in the butt, so hard that she rolled over on the ground.

Then came the third... and the fourth.

Those men were very careful with their blows; each kick landed on the thickest part of the flesh, not breaking the bones, but causing excruciating pain.

Qian's screams grew louder and louder with each one.

Finally, the "howling" turned into "whimpering".

He mumbled incoherently, pleading, "Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! I'll never do it again!"

The short man kicked her again, this time in the shoulder. Qian curled up into a ball, covering her head and trembling all over.

Her clothes were covered in mud and fallen leaves, her hair was mostly disheveled, and a few strands of hair clung to her tear-streaked face. She was so disheveled that she was completely unrecognizable as the person who had been throwing a tantrum with her hands on her hips that morning.

The masked man at the head of the group squatted down and patted her face with the back of his knife.

"If you dare to cause trouble for Song Yao again... it won't be as simple as just a beating. Remember this, there are many people in the Chen family that you can't afford to offend. Don't think that the Chen family can protect you."

Qian nodded her head vigorously, her face covered in tears and snot, repeatedly replying, "I remember, I remember, I'll never dare to do it again, even if you kill me!"

"roll."

The tall man grabbed her by the back of her collar, lifted her off the ground, dragged her a few steps like a dead pig, and then threw her to the side of the road.

Qian fell into the bushes, her elbows and knees hitting the rocks. She winced in pain, but she didn't care about crying out. She got up and ran out of the woods, losing a shoe in the process without daring to look back to pick it up.

She stumbled and crawled for half a mile before daring to stop and catch her breath, leaning against a tree stump by the roadside, her whole body trembling.

His face was covered in bruises, blood was still dripping from the corner of his mouth, a lump the size of an egg had swelled up on the back of his neck, and his clothes were torn in several places by tree branches.

She gritted her teeth, her heart filled with both hatred and fear, but only one thought occupied her mind:

We can't get involved in this anymore.

What those people said wasn't a lie... Even the Chen family couldn't afford to offend them, so how could a country woman like her possibly stand up to them?

She cried as she limped home.

……

……

After Xiao Liu returned and reported, Xiao Wanjin sat in his chair for a long time without saying a word.

He held a cup of tea that had gone cold, his gaze fixed on the void, searching for a distant memory.

Xiao Liu suddenly slapped his forehead.

"Master, I just remembered something... When Madam Qian was making a scene at the wedding, she mentioned that Song Yao's father had been demoted and sent away."

"Sixth son," Xiao Wanjin began, "do you still remember the time I encountered bandits?"

"Yes, sir. What did you say?"

Xiao Wanjin tapped the armrest back and forth with his golden fingers unintentionally.

His gaze grew increasingly intense...

"Speaking of which, that was more than ten years ago..."

At that time, Xiao Wanjin was escorting a shipment of goods along a mountain road when he encountered bandits and was about to be in trouble when a young couple and some men happened to pass by and came to his aid.

The man was dressed in a slightly worn official robe, and the woman had delicate features, with her eyebrows and eyes bearing a resemblance to Song Yao.

They traveled together for about 70 or 80 miles. The man, who identified himself as Song, said that he had offended someone and was being sent to a remote place to take up a post.

Xiao Wanjin was in a hurry to deliver the goods and said goodbye in a hurry, without having a chance to get to know him better.

Now that I think about it... were those two the same couple, Song Yao's parents?

Xiao Wanjin suddenly sat up straight.

If it really is them, then this matter becomes complicated.

The entire Chen family is involved in officialdom, so why would they suddenly set their sights on the daughter of a minor official who has been demoted for many years?

And it just so happens to be at this time...

Song Yao's father was demoted for fifteen years and there was no news of him. Suddenly someone took notice of his daughter?