This matter could end here.
Whether it was the Ministry of War officials, the Capital Guard commanders, or even the border army officer standing beside Xie Yanlai—all looked shocked.
“What are you doing? This can be finished now!” He reached out to pull at Xie Yanlai, unable to help complaining in a low voice, “When you should speak, you don’t speak. When you shouldn’t speak, you do.”
Earlier, when these Ministry of War officials hadn’t arrived, he didn’t speak. If he had spoken then, the fighting would have been stopped long ago.
Now that the Ministry of War officials had stepped forward to settle this matter, why were you saying it couldn’t work?
Xie Yanlai shook off his arm. “How can this be finished? The fight isn’t over yet. No victor has been decided.”
What! The officer’s eyes widened. Still want to fight!
“Young Master!” he shouted.
In his surprise, he forgot the official title and called out the informal nickname they used in private.
Principal Official Zhu heard it and scoffed, “Captain Xie is impressive indeed—Young Master at home, and Young Master in the border army too.”
The officer’s face flushed red. By position, he wasn’t lower than Xie Yanlai, and his seniority was even higher. Xie Yanlai was the commanding officer in charge of entering the capital this time, but calling him Young Master was really inappropriate. Instead, it made Xie Yanlai appear arrogant and domineering in the military.
“Lord Zhu, you misunderstand,” he hastily explained. “It’s not that Captain Xie is a ‘master’ in the military. This is just—our nickname for him. We’re all rough men in the military, not so particular about such things. Captain Xie, he is very—”
Principal Official Zhu smiled. “Military officer, you’re being too modest. I think you’re quite particular. Otherwise, why don’t you call me ‘Young Master’?”
The officer was left speechless. In a verbal sparring match with a civil official, how could he be a match?
Xie Yanlai pushed him aside forcefully.
“Go on, go on. Young Master is Young Master in the military—so what?” He raised his eyebrows and said, “Young Master is impressive, so everyone respects me as master. That’s how it is in our military—impressive people are ‘masters.’ Not like some people who are called ‘my lord’ merely because they have an official hat on their heads.”
Principal Official Zhu’s expression turned angry. “Who are you talking about?”
The officer quickly reached out to restrain Xie Yanlai, stopping him from speaking further. How infuriating this Young Master’s words could be—they had learned that long ago.
Other clerks also hurried to restrain Principal Official Zhu. A son of the Xie family, what was strange about arrogance? Xie Yanfang spoke pleasantly in court, but no one considered him a good person either.
The officials restrained Principal Official Zhu, but the officer couldn’t restrain Xie Yanlai.
Xie Yanlai shook him off and descended the steps.
“I’m telling you all,” he said, no longer staring at Principal Official Zhu but looking at the surrounding Capital Guard soldiers, “Young Master is arrogant because I’m impressive. The soldiers I lead are also impressive. Being impressive, we’re qualified to be picky and choosy. We should be arrogant!”
These words instantly caused the Capital Guard soldiers who had quieted down to become clamorous. This time, even when several clerks shouted loudly, they couldn’t quiet them down.
“Xie Yanlai! What exactly do you want to do!” an official roared angrily.
The servant kneeling on the ground blocked Xie Yanlai. “Ninth Young Master, you can’t cause more trouble!”
Several more people squeezed in from outside—some young masters calling out “Ninth Brother” and “Ninth Elder Brother” to Xie Yanlai, and one chubby young master shouting “Ninth Uncle” as he rushed over.
“Stop making trouble,” the chubby young master reached out to grab Xie Yanlai, his face flushed red—whether from excitement or anger, no one could tell. His voice changed pitch as he shouted, “Don’t forget your current status—”
He had just touched Xie Yanlai’s arm when Xie Yanlai grabbed his hand, lifted his foot, and kicked him to the ground on his knees. The rest of his words turned into a wail.
“When is it your turn to manage me?” Xie Yanlai planted his foot on him.
The other young masters instantly retreated, their expressions both angry and fearful.
“Xie Yanlai—” Xie Xiao, pinned to the ground, gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, “This is outside—”
At home, behind closed doors, brothers could fight however they wanted, but outside they were still a harmonious family.
This was outside, in full view of everyone.
“Don’t you care about face?”
Xie Yanlai bent down, pressed his hand on his face, and asked in a low voice, “Do you know why you’re alive?”
What nonsense was that? Xie Xiao’s chubby face and small eyes were pressed by Xie Yanlai’s hand until they were almost a slit. The young man’s face so close became blurred, only those eyes revealing coldness and pity.
Pity?
Who pitied whom?
“Xie Yanlai, you—” Xie Xiao shouted.
Xie Yanlai interrupted him. “I’ll tell you—you’re alive just so I can beat you.” Having said this, he raised his hand and delivered a slap.
Xie Xiao let out a miserable cry.
The people around were also startled. Not only were the Xie family young masters frightened, but the officials and officers also widened their eyes. This Xie Yanlai was truly arrogant and domineering both inside and outside his family!
To actually beat his own family member like this!
Xie Yanlai kicked Xie Xiao aside, rolled up his sleeves, and casually pulled the long blade from the officer’s waist.
The officer was shocked back to his senses. “Young—Xie! What are you going to do!”
Xie Yanlai paid him no attention. The long blade twirled in his hand, flashing with cold light. The Xie family young masters couldn’t help but retreat again, and the officials also moved away.
“Xie Yanlai!” Principal Official Zhu shouted. “This is a military camp. What do you intend to do?”
“In a military camp, naturally I’ll do what soldiers do,” Xie Yanlai said. “Come on, I, Xie Yanlai, will fight you—”
Xie Yanlai turned the long blade and aimed it at the densely packed Capital Guard soldiers before him.
“Let you pampered soldiers see that we’re invincible under heaven, we’re this impressive, we’re this arrogant!”