514 The Family Cuis Interesting Reaction (2/2)

Xiaocao was also shocked. She stood up and looked at the white-haired old man beside the stretcher.

The old man bowed to Xiaocao. He said, ”I am the chief steward of the Family Cui. I heard that my subordinate had been impolite to you ladies and have brought him here to apologize. This servant pointed at you ladies, so my master broke all five of his fingers and gave him 12 strokes of the cane. I wonder if you are satisfied?”

Xiaocao realized then, that person was indeed in Yangguan City. The anxiety that she had tried hard to tamper down earlier disappeared. She looked at the fourth steward who was covered in blood and forced herself not to fist up her hands but rested them naturally beside her skirt.

The chief steward of the Family Cui apologized respectfully once more after he received a satisfactory reply from the House of Red Sleeves. Then, he left the Song Garden with his people.

Other than the drops of blood left on the green-tiled ground, it seemed as if nothing had happened, and the shadow cast by the gate in the early morning and yesterday was just an illusion.

The girls were finally released from all their fears after a long while. They looked at Xiaocao again, this time, with a completely different emotion. Xiaocao's calmness and coldness grew in depth to them, and they felt that she was truly an imposing figure.

Xiaocao suddenly smiled, and then, she continued eating sunflower seeds.

The girls waved away their servants and poured Xiaocao a cup of tea on their own. They stood by her side with large smiles on their faces.

After some time, Xiaocao cleaned the crumbs on her hands and took a sip of tea. She looked at them and said, ”No one dared to make trouble for us in Chang'an. Now that we have left Chang'an, you don't need to fear anything. The House of Red Sleeves isn't an ordinary dance troupe.”

The fourth steward of the Family Cui had almost been beaten to death. He was carried out of the Song Garden and was showed around Yangguan City on the stretcher, which shocked many and roused the discussion and speculations of many. The families of Yangguan City could all tell that this was deliberate, and they were stunned speechless. They wondered what kind of background the House of Red Sleeves who were staying at the Song Garden had, for the Family Cui to behave like this. The Family Cui was not an ordinary noble family. They were the Family Cui of Qinghe County who did not fear the Empress!

Following that, something even more shocking happened in Yangguan City. A wood colored horse carriage entered the city, with its wheels stained with red river mud from the banks of the Fuchun River. This horse carriage looked cheap, but the bustle of Chang'an ceased when it passed. There were many local government runners and stewards who stood on the streets to maintain order and several shopkeepers knelt before the horse carriage.

Everyone in Yangguan City knew that only two people had the right to sit in this horse carriage in Yangguan City. They were the Family Cui's leader and the Cui's patriarch.

The street in front of the best inn of the Thin Lake has been closed in advance. There were no pedestrians on the streets and it was very quiet. The horse carriage drove slowly to the inn. The inn's manager had been waiting by the streets for a long while. He knelt by the carriage and kowtowed respectfully several times. Then, he carefully helped the rich man from the carriage.

The man was the manager of the inn, but he did not have the right to enter his own inn today.

There was an ordinary hunchbacked steward who followed the clan leader of the Family Cui into the inn.

The Cui clan was the most powerful clan in Qinghe County. The Family Cui's leader was the most powerful man in the county. To many civilians of the Tang empire, the most powerful man of Qinghe County was the second most powerful man of the Tang Empire. Other than His Majesty who resided in Chang'an, no one could surpass this man in status.

Anyone would leave their room to greet such an important man. However, Ning Que did not do so. In fact, he did not even have a smile on his face.

Because he felt that someone who was deemed the most powerful man of Qinghe County would not be any less intelligent than himself. Since they were both intelligent people, what was the point of doing fake and pointless things?

The leader of the Family Cui looked like a common wealthy man. In fact, he looked even more ordinary than the old steward behind him. He wore a silk shirt that did not look extremely good, but was not at a bad make either.

However, his words were extraordinary.

”I was wrong.”

The Cui's clan leader sighed, ”Back then, in the imperial court, I wanted to make His Majesty happy, but I caused him unhappiness and was booted back to Qinghe as a result. I found that you were passing by Yangguan and I wanted to prove that I not only was able to manage schools, states and the country, I could also be a good host. So I tried to make you happy to regain my reputation. However, I have failed and it seems that I was really wrong. I am not talented in this area.”