Chapter 1163: Instigated
Editor: Henyee Translations
Shao Yunduan briskly left the room, striding toward Qiao Hongxi and positioning himself in front of the door. “Qiao Hongxi, what brings you here?” he asked calmly.
Qiao Hongxi’s face was flushed with anger. “How dare you ask me that! You’ve bullied my sister and ruined her reputation! How could you have the audacity to question me?”
He had harbored the thought of hitting Shao Yunduan for a while, and he saw this as the perfect opportunity. Rolling up his sleeves, he prepared to strike.
Reacting quickly, Songshi stepped forward and grabbed Qiao Hongxi’s hands, shouting, “Young Master Qiao, don’t do anything rash. Our Fifth Master holds a prominent position as a fifth-grade Minister of Revenue, while you are merely a fortunate man from Hanlin Academy. Hitting our Fifth Master would be a grave offense to your superior!”
At the mention of Shao Yunduan’s status, Qiao Hongxi’s anger subsided somewhat.
The bystanders who had followed Qiao Hongxi were eager to intervene, but they held back, realizing the situation’s seriousness.
It was a tense and charged moment.
Glancing at the onlookers, Shao Yunduan discerned that they were no ordinary troublemakers. Their willingness to come to Qiao Hongxi’s aid hinted that they were manipulated into this confrontation.
A faint smile crossed Shao Yunduan’s face, finding their arrogance amusing.
“Young Master Qiao, please explain yourself clearly. Why have you come to my home so early in the morning and made such baseless accusations? You can’t simply defame me like this. If you fail to provide a reasonable explanation, we can settle this matter at the Heavenly Mansion Office,” Shao Yunduan calmly retorted.
“How dare you say that!” Qiao Hongxi’s rage intensified. “My sister visited you yesterday to mend ties between our families, but she didn’t return home the entire night. How dare you claim that you had no part in it? How dare you deny any involvement?”
“You have the audacity to suggest searching me? If you do so and find nothing, then let’s see what you have to say!” Qiao Hongxi threatened, attempting to challenge Shao Yunduan’s innocence.
Outside the door, a group of curious neighbors had gathered, drawn in by the commotion. They were taken aback by Qiao Hongxi’s accusations and exchanged puzzled glances.
“What is happening? This doesn’t seem right!”
“I can’t believe Officer Shao would do something like that. He has a good relationship with Madame Shao!”
“Indeed, Officer Shao is known for his talent and was personally taught by Minister Old Yun. It’s hard to believe he could be involved in such a matter. I’m skeptical about this.”
“Agreed, let’s not jump to conclusions without proper evidence!”
“….”
Shao Yunduan’s expression turned disdainful. “This is utterly ridiculous! You think you can just barge in and search my room without any evidence?”
Qiao Hongxi’s aggression only intensified. “Your guilt is evident from your defensive stance!”
“That tactic won’t work on me. I’ve even claimed that the Qiao Family stole 1,000 liang from me. If you doubt my word, feel free to search my room. I have nothing to hide!”
“You’re being completely unreasonable!”
“Hehe…”
Shao Yunduan shook his head, realizing his words fell on deaf ears. “Qiao Hongxi, I’m not joking around here. I won’t let you invade my privacy and disturb my home just based on baseless accusations. This is not going to happen.”
“I don’t care! Shao Yunduan, I’m dead serious about this matter. I will search your room today, whether you like it or not. I won’t let my sister suffer for nothing. Politeness won’t work with him, just go ahead and search!”
“We’ll see who dares!” Shao Yunduan retorted sharply. “You may be Young Master Qiao, but that doesn’t give you the right to trespass and act like a robber! You’re blatantly disregarding the law and challenging the court! Be careful of the consequences you’ll face, like beheading!”