Jiang Hengwu felt a little disappointed hearing his words.
Jiang Yuerou instantly grew unhappy. "What kind of person are you…"
"Cousin, let's just go sit somewhere else."
Jiang Hengwu quickly pulled her back, afraid she might offend Chen Cheng.
"Indeed."
A man beside Jiang Yuerou, holding a fan, spoke calmly. "There's no need for us to bother with someone so ignorant of manners."
Hearing that, Jiang Hengwu only felt more uneasy and embarrassed. She quickly walked farther away.
In the end, they chose a table some distance from Yang Cheng.
"Hengwu, you must be careful when making friends. Not everyone is worth befriending."
The man with the fan said, "Take that person just now. No manners, crude and vulgar. One look and you can tell he comes from some lowly background without any upbringing."
Jiang Hengwu only felt unbearably awkward, wishing she could sink into the floor.
"Your brother-in-law is the Grand Coachman of the Southern Guardian Prince's residence. His words come from experience. Hengwu, you mustn't ignore him," Jiang Yuerou added.
Jiang Hengwu wanted to explain, but after thinking for a moment, she let it go.
Her cousin Jiang Yuerou had come to Great Zhou earlier than her and had met this fan-holding man two years ago, staying in Chuncheng ever since.
Even back on Heavenly Heart Island, she had disliked this cousin. That was why, after arriving in Great Zhou, she hadn't gone to see her right away.
But now that she was already in Chuncheng, not visiting her cousin at all would seem improper, so she came anyway.
After a bit of interaction, her distaste for her cousin and cousin-in-law only grew deeper.
Thinking that after this meeting she probably wouldn't deal with them again, she didn't bother to explain further.
"Hengwu, look, your friend's in trouble."
Jiang Yuerou spoke.
"I told you, people like him are no better than street thugs, always stirring up trouble everywhere."
The fan-holding man shook his folding fan, deliberately trying to show off his elegance, as if to highlight a sharp contrast with Yang Cheng.
Jiang Hengwu hurriedly looked toward Yang Cheng.
Sure enough, several people had already gathered in front of his table.
One of them, a man with weak steps and a feminine air, stared at Yang Cheng. "Interesting. This boy's face looks somewhat like the Crown Prince of Great Zhou."
"Young Master Yu, are you serious?" his follower asked.
"Of course."
The feminine man said, "My cousin is the heir of the Southern Guardian Prince. His residence hangs a portrait of the Crown Prince. I've seen it many times."
"Interesting."
"Haha, then Young Master Yu, if you take this boy as your plaything, wouldn't it be even more exciting?"
The lackeys beside the feminine man looked at Yang Cheng with interest in their eyes.
"That boy is finished."
The fan-holding man was stunned. "I know Young Master Yu. He really is the heir's cousin, and he favors men, especially good-looking young ones."
"Hmph, maybe it's good luck," Jiang Yuerou said. "If he catches the heir's cousin's eye, maybe he'll rise to success from now on."
"Ha, you're right about that," the fan-holding man replied.
Jiang Hengwu frowned slightly.
Of course she could hear the mockery in her cousin and cousin-in-law's words.
At first she felt worried, but thinking back to Chen Cheng's aura in the auction hall, she realized she was overthinking.
A man like Chen Cheng, even if his background didn't match the Southern Guardian Prince's heir, was definitely not someone an heir's cousin could toy with.
"You lot, cut off your own tongues, and I'll spare your lives."
Yang Cheng's voice was calm.
"Well, listen to that tone. Do you really think you're the Crown Prince himself?"
The feminine man burst into laughter. "Come back with me quietly and I'll guarantee you wealth and glory. Don't fail to appreciate favor."
"Enough!"
A cold shout rang out.
Jiang Hengwu stood up and walked to Yang Cheng's side.
She knew Yang Cheng didn't need her help, but seeing such pests dare offend someone so noble, she couldn't hold back.
"Cousin."
"Hengwu, you…"
Jiang Yuerou and the fan-holding man's faces both changed.
Jiang Hengwu ignored them, glaring at the effeminate man and his lackeys. "Behaving like this, do you take the law of the land as nothing?"
"The law?"
The effeminate man and his followers looked at each other, then burst out laughing.
"Beauty, here in Chanzhou, I am the law," the effeminate man said.
Then his gaze on Jiang Hengwu grew fiery. "Normally, I don't care for women. But someone like you… you've caught my interest."
"She is indeed a beauty. Such tender skin," one of his lackeys muttered, reaching out to pinch Jiang Hengwu's face.
Jiang Hengwu's expression turned cold, and she brushed his hand away sharply.
"Ah!"
The lackey yelped in pain.
"Misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding."
Jiang Yuerou and the fan-holding man rushed over.
"Young Master Yu, it's me, Wang Tang," the man said. "My sister-in-law was ignorant. Please don't hold it against her."
"You're the Grand Coachman from the Prince's residence?" the effeminate man asked.
"Yes."
Wang Tang smiled. "I ask Young Master Yu to give me this face."
"Fine, I'll give you this face."
The effeminate man frowned, then said, "But let this cousin of yours drink a cross-cup with me, and I'll let her go. How about it?"
Jiang Yuerou instantly looked proud—her husband could even make the heir's cousin show him face.
Wang Tang let out a sigh of relief, then turned to Jiang Hengwu. "Quickly, go share a cross-cup with Young Master Yu."
Jiang Hengwu's cheeks flushed red with anger. To share a cross-cup with such a shameless man?
"You like drinking cross-cups?" Yang Cheng spoke.
He didn't know why Jiang Hengwu rushed over, but since she stood up for him and got herself into trouble, naturally he wouldn't ignore it.
The effeminate man sneered. "Jealous, are you? No problem, if you're jealous, I can drink with you too…"
Before he finished, a figure appeared like a ghost.
A woman in her thirties, slender waist and sharp eyes, slammed his head down hard onto the table.
"Hu Po, this one seems to really like cross-cups. Help him out," Yang Cheng said lightly.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Hu Po nodded.
She grabbed one of the effeminate man's loudest lackeys.
As the head maid by the Empress's side, leading thousands of palace maids, the ways she knew to torment people were countless.
She rarely used them—not because she couldn't, but because she hadn't needed to.
Now, she used her fingers like a blade, cutting off the lackey's hair into tiny pieces, dropping them into two cups.
"You two can drink your cross-cup now," Hu Po said coldly.
The effeminate man roared, "What are you all standing around for? Chop off this woman's hands!"
Several lackeys charged at Hu Po.
Her feet moved like shadows.
In an instant, every one of their knees shattered beneath her kicks.
The effeminate man's face went pale, though he tried to sound fierce. "I am kin of the Southern Guardian Prince. The heir is my cousin, the prince is my uncle…"
Swish!
No one even saw Hu Po move. One of his fingers was already cut clean off.
"Ahhh!"
The effeminate man screamed in agony.
Then Hu Po split the severed finger in two and dropped it into the two wine cups.
"You'd better drink quickly. Right now it's one finger. Soon, it could be all ten fingers."
Her voice was slow and calm.