Chapter 1, Returning to the Capital

Whose servant are you? Speak up quickly! The shopkeeper, fearing for his own safety, immediately questioned Xie Fanghua

The moment this cart appeared at the city gate, it attracted the attention of the people. The reason was not that the cart was adorned with gold and jade carvings, but rather that it was filled to the brim with a dazzling array of peculiar and oddly shaped goods. The goods were not deliberately wrapped; instead, they were bound with hemp rope and haphazardly piled in the cart, stacked high enough to nearly bend the rear edge of the cart.

Two months later, a carriage entered the capital city, braving the large flurries of falling snowflakes

"Are you really a servant in the residence of Brother Zigui? Where do you come from?" A person stepped forward behind Yanting to inquire

Yan Ting felt a chill as she saw his expression suddenly turn cold, and she could not help but fall silent.

Qin Zheng stared at the token for a moment, then looked towards Xie Fanghua, who was struggling to stand up. His gaze shifted slightly as he slowly said, "Since this is a person delivering New Year goods to Brother Zigui's residence, given the current situation, he cannot go to the Zhongyong Marquis's residence alone." After speaking, he addressed the people behind him, "We haven't seen Brother Zigui for many days; why don't we take the opportunity to visit the Zhongyong Marquis's residence and help this young man deliver the goods back to his home."

The second young master treats this dog extremely well; if it dies here today, it will bring calamity upon us

"Dead?" Qin Zheng suddenly raised his voice upon seeing the person

Therefore, I remind you, no matter how good the eyes are, they are wasted on the body of a servant

The shopkeeper nodded, and before approaching, suddenly someone rushed forward from behind Qin Zheng, kicked Xie Fanghua, and spoke in a very unpleasant tone, "Hey, if you’re not dead, say something. Whose servant are you?"

The change occurred in an instant, and the pedestrians who had been paying attention to this carriage on the street could not help but express their astonishment

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone immediately agreed and responded positively

Xie Fanghua tugged at the corner of her mouth, waiting for the person to approach.

In this year, emotions are more precious than people, akin to dogs being more valued than humans

Xie Fanghua weakly said, "The Duke of Loyalty and Valor's residence!"

What is to be done? Quickly go tell the second young master! The shopkeeper came out and, upon seeing the situation at the door, turned pale.

The carriage passed by, leaving a deep imprint of its tracks.

The commotion outside the building naturally startled the people inside, prompting the manager and the young attendants of the banquet hall to rush out in haste

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately cast a few more glances at the inconspicuous young servant, not expecting that he had quite a significant background, and all turned their attention to Qin Zheng

What happened at the residence of Brother Zigui? Yan Ting was taken aback

Yan Ting originally wanted to see whose servant had the audacity to run over and kill Qin Zheng's beloved dog. However, upon hearing this, he immediately lost interest in that young servant, waved his hand, and said, "Hurry up and ask. Our banquet has just started, and we haven't even had a couple of sips of wine before you came down. Once you finish your questions, we will go back and continue eating."

Let us go as well! Let us see whose servant has the audacity to run over Brother Qin Zheng's dog with such boldness. One of them said a few words, and several others echoed in agreement, following along towards that young servant.

Since he is not dead, wake him up and ask whose servant is so blind as to injure my dog. I will go to his master to seek compensation said Qin Zheng in a nonchalant manner

The messenger left quickly, and before long, several men emerged from the banquet hall.

"Return, Second Young Master, it truly is your dog!" The shopkeeper approached with a forced bravado.

Xie Fanghua stirred slightly as the person kicked, gradually awakening and slowly opening her eyes

Just a pair of boots reveals the extravagant lifestyle of this person, whose wealth provokes both envy and resentment from others

Whose carriage is this?" The person raised an eyebrow

A young boy, appearing to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, sat in front of the cart. He was dressed in a cotton jacket and wore a felt hat, his face reddened by the wind and snow, making it difficult to discern his features. Despite being observed by others, he showed no signs of timidity and drove the cart straight across the street, heading towards the residence of the Loyal and Brave Marquis.

"No, I am from the Northern Desert Army, sent by my master to deliver New Year goods to the Duke of Loyalty and Valor's residence." Xie Fanghua sat up with great difficulty, enduring the pain as she took out a token from her bosom and presented it for those present to see

Upon hearing this, Qin Zheng cast a cold glance at the person and said, "Yan Ting, if you like it, why not find out whose servant it is and bring it back to your residence? Isn't it just a pair of eyes? With your status as a noble of the Yongkang Marquisate, if you like it, you could just take it and keep it in your hand to play with, and no one would say anything."

So he was not dead! Qin Zheng's voice seemed somewhat regretful

The person took the token, glanced at it, and handed it to Qin Zheng, saying with difficulty, "The maternal elder brother of the Lady of the Loyal and Brave Marquis is a military general stationed at the northern border. Since he is a servant of the military general, he can be considered part of the Loyal and Brave Marquis's household. We have a good relationship with Brother Zigui; how can you bring yourself to go to him seeking compensation for a dog?"

Oh? The person's eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze fell upon the motionless servant who had been thrown off the carriage in the distance. He was covered in snow, almost resembling a snowman. After a moment of contemplation, he took a step towards that direction

At one moment, a crowd gathered at the entrance, chattering away, all talking about Young Master Zheng Er's dog

The shopkeeper's expression changed, and his legs felt somewhat weak. "Second... Second Young Master, how should we deal with him?"

"Continue eating?" Qin Zheng scoffed, "I am dead as a dog, how could I still eat?"

Before long, a pair of exquisite platform boots stopped just a step away from her. The edges of the boots were sewn with high-quality white mink fur, and a pearl was embedded in the center of the boot's surface. Aside from the soles, no snow clung to the sides.

You just died! Your whole family is dead! Xie Fanghua wishes she could curse his ancestors for eight generations until they are drenched in blood.

"Is it true that my dog was run over by this car?" One person stepped forward to the side of the car, their expression difficult to read.

Indeed, after many years away from the capital, she has become somewhat unaccustomed! Which young master is the second son of the Zheng family? Is he feared by everyone?

Oh no, it's terrible, Young Master Zheng Er's dog has been run over and killed!" exclaimed a young attendant in shock.

"Oh? This young fellow is quite dark, yet he has a pair of beautiful eyes." The person was immediately astonished

So it turns out to be the second son of the Duke of York, Qin Zheng

Xie Fanghua lay on the ground for a while, yet no one came forward to inquire about her, feeling a sense of resentment in her heart. There is still a living person here! How is it that no one has noticed and come to ask whether she is dead or alive?

Yan Ting was immediately startled and took several steps back, staring at Qin Zheng with a strange expression. "I haven't offended you, so there's no need for your words to be so venomous, right? You clearly know that it's not easy to get by in the capital these days, especially for the noble families. How many people are waiting to pin the blame on the Yongkang and Tu Shu Marquis households? If I were to dig someone out just because I like their eyes, it would be a wonder if the old stubborn officials at the Censorate didn't impeach me to death."

Xie Fanghua lay quietly on the ground, squinting her eyes at the people who came out

The shopkeeper seemed to have just remembered the troublemaking driver, glanced around, and immediately pointed to a figure not far away in the snow, saying, "That is the person, he is the one driving the car!"

"Return to the second young master, this little rascal's hand just moved a bit, he should not be dead yet," said the shopkeeper with his pair of large eyes.

Upon hearing a single bark of "yip-yap," the horse pulling the cart slipped and suddenly fell to the ground, causing the cart to emit several loud clattering sounds as it tilted to one side. The young servant was caught off guard and, in the ensuing chaos, was thrown from the cart and rolled onto the snow-covered ground

The carriage arrived at the entrance of the most famous banquet hall in the capital, where the young servant sniffed and glanced inside, but did not stop.

At that moment, a meat bun was suddenly thrown out from inside, rolling a few times before it burrowed under the car. Immediately after, a large black dog came running out after the meat bun, also burrowing under the car

One of them led the way, appearing to be around sixteen or seventeen years old, followed closely by several others of similar age, all dressed in brocade and satin. As soon as they emerged, they exuded an air of nobility that made those around them feel their grandeur, even the sun in the sky seemed to shine a little brighter.

The shopkeeper immediately followed him closely, his heart in his throat