The Flower-Clothed Eunuchs narrowed his eyes, incredulously confirming with Zhao Hu:
"You mean you want me to pay you life-buying money?"
Seeing that the other party's tone was unfriendly, Zhao Hu immediately straightened his face.
He was about to lean in and continue whispering to the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs, but the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs raised his hand to stop him.
When Zhao Hu saw the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs raise his hand, his entire body suddenly recoiled, appearing extremely wary.
"Don't play any more tricks with me; just speak directly if you have something to say!"
The Flower-Clothed Eunuchs said to Zhao Hu in a harsh tone.
Zhao Hu's expression immediately became uncertain, as if it had been a long time since anyone had spoken to him like that.
"Alright, let's be straightforward."
Although Zhao Hu said this, his voice grew softer and softer.
It started out like a booming bell, but the last word was as faint as a mosquito's buzz; his demeanor and the content of his words were completely contradictory.
Li Xuan and the others, who were watching the show from the side, were also confused, not knowing what this guy was trying to do.
Zhao Hu placed one hand over his mouth, then lowered his voice and said something.
Ankang and Princess Yuan An did not hear clearly, but Li Xuan heard it perfectly and immediately looked stunned.
"Sir, it's not you paying me life-buying money, it's me paying you life-buying money."
The originally aggressive Flower-Clothed Eunuchs blinked a few times after hearing this, thinking he had misheard.
Then Zhao Hu turned sideways and pulled a heavy bag from his embrace.
"Sir, there are fifty taels in here, no more, no less."
"It's already a very fair market price."
"Our young master values his reputation; could you please do us a favor and accept this money, and let bygones be bygones, as if nothing happened?"
"Zhao Hu will be eternally grateful!"
Li Xuan only then began to understand the situation.
"Is this fellow begging for mercy?"
"Hiss--"
"What a novel way to beg for mercy."
Thinking back to Zhao Hu's arrogant attitude earlier, he had thought he was going to fight the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs.
It turned out he was negotiating to settle the matter with money, and he was even paying for it himself.
At this moment, Zhao Hu suddenly threw the bag of silver over, and the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs, in his surprise, subconsciously caught it.
"Please, sir, give us some face. My apologies for the offense, my apologies..."
Zhao Hu said this with his hand over his mouth, then lowered his hand and shouted loudly:
"Today, your Grandpa Zhao Hu is happy. If you dare to be so blind again in the future, don't blame me for turning hostile!"
Zhao Hu left a grand parting remark, then strode through the crowd like a dragon and a tiger, chasing after the direction where Young Master Zhao Four had left.
Seeing his increasingly fast steps, it was clear he was a loyal and devoted servant, unwilling to be separated from his young master for even a moment.
Seeing that the excitement was over, the passersby dispersed.
But they were still discussing what had happened earlier.
"The Zhao family is still as formidable as ever."
"That Zhao Hu is also extraordinary; he looks like a heroic figure full of spirit. That young man was lucky, otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy to fool him."
"Yes, yes."
The passersby all agreed, and a few even passed by the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs, advising him to go home quickly and not loiter on the street, lest Zhao Hu get upset and come back to cause him trouble.
But some people asked, puzzled:
"Is that Zhao Hu so powerful?"
"Why did he throw a bag to that young man before leaving? It sounded like silver to me."
"What do you know? Master Hu is letting bygones be bygones, teaching this ignorant young man a lesson. Before anyone gets killed, he should hurry out of the city."
"The capital is not a place where such a hothead can just wander around."
The passersby spoke with such conviction that the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs, who had finally understood what was going on, turned red and then pale with anger.
"Look, look, Master Hu moved that young man so much he almost cried."
"Although Master Hu was forced to aid and abet Young Master Zhao Four, he is actually a good person."
Several fellow Flower-Clothed Eunuchs looked at their colleague, who was still holding the bag, with strange expressions, each using all their Qi and Blood Power to control the corners of their mouths.
The insulted Flower-Clothed Eunuchs' chest heaved with anger, but in the end, he endured it with his superb professional composure.
He took a few steps forward and respectfully presented the bag of silver to the two princesses.
"Young ladies, please instruct on how to handle this."
After the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs finished speaking, he bared his teeth, eager for the two princesses to order him to bring those people back so he could vent his anger.
It was rare for him to carry out a mission outside the palace, and he ended up with such a situation.
If there was no explanation, he would probably be laughed at by his companions for a long time.
Ankang and Princess Yuan An were still a bit confused, not knowing what was going on.
The Flower-Clothed Eunuchs immediately explained that the silver was life-buying money paid by the other party.
"Life-buying money?"
Ankang and Princess Yuan An looked surprised, then exchanged glances and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
They had thought the fat man was quite arrogant, and his middle-aged guard who stepped forward was also blustering and seemed difficult to deal with, but secretly, he had actually bought his life from the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs.
"Since this money is life-buying money paid by the other party, why not..."
Ankang thought for a moment, swallowing the word "the Eunuch" that was on the tip of her tongue.
They were outside the palace; it was better not to use such a special address.
"Why not just accept it and let that person go?"
Ankang could tell that the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs was upset.
But they were out to have fun, and as long as the other party didn't go too far, Ankang couldn't be bothered to argue with that Young Master Zhao Four.
Of course, if the other party insisted on seeking death, Ankang could only be powerless to help.
She knew very well that the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs bowing respectfully before her was a master trained by the Internal Affairs Bureau, and it would probably take less than a cup of tea to kill that group of people from earlier.
Li Xuan's surprise at Zhao Hu's strength earlier was also for this reason.
Zhao Hu looked at most to be of eighth-rank strength, and Li Xuan couldn't understand why he was so arrogant.
Unexpectedly, this Zhao Hu actually had a discerning eye.
He didn't know when this guy had judged that he couldn't afford to offend the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs, and he actually managed to slip away by throwing down a bag of silver.
And judging by the reactions of the passersby on the street, it was likely that Zhao Hu was not doing this for the first time.
Even an ordinary master encountering such a situation would probably have to go home and think about what happened before understanding it clearly.
And after all, they had taken someone else's money, so it was not good to say anything more.
It was probably after several such confused incidents that this Master Hu's reputation slowly formed.
The Flower-Clothed Eunuchs shook his head, refusing Ankang's suggestion, and then explained: "Reporting to young ladies, we have rules. This kind of money cannot be kept, otherwise, we will be punished when we return."
"This..."
Ankang and Princess Yuan An both looked troubled.
At this moment, the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs continued:
"This life-buying money was originally compensation from the other party to the two young ladies. Why not use it for today's expenses? That way, I will feel better."
Li Xuan's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but take another look at the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs in front of him.
Everyone in the palace truly was a talent, and they spoke so nicely.
The Flower-Clothed Eunuchs' act of 'offering flowers with another's Buddha' was played beautifully, and it didn't make people feel disgusted.
Before Ankang could say anything, Princess Yuan An took the bag of silver, examined it, and said:
"Then we would be rude to refuse."
The Flower-Clothed Eunuchs said happily: "It is my honor."
With that, he slowly retreated to the side, no longer disturbing the two princesses.
Li Xuan nodded, having a good impression of this Flower-Clothed Eunuchs who looked to be in his twenties.
"The talents Old Zhao trained are quite good."
Princess Yuan An poured out the silver from the bag, counted it, and found it was exactly fifty taels, not one tael more, not one tael less.
"This silver is too perfectly accounted for."
Remembering Zhao Hu's "bold words" earlier, Princess Yuan An was almost amused to anger.
Ankang also found it interesting, never expecting there to be so many amusing people outside the palace.
Although that Young Master Zhao Four was annoying, Zhao Hu hadn't made her dislike him.
Speaking of which, Zhao Hu had also fulfilled his duty as a guard, spending money to protect his young master's safety.
"Oh, right, Princess Yuan An."
"Do you know whose family that Young Master Zhao Four from earlier belongs to?"
Ankang asked curiously.
She knew nothing about matters outside the palace, so she thought of asking Princess Yuan An.
Princess Yuan An also shook her head in response.
"There are many families named Zhao in the capital; I don't know which family is so ill-bred to produce such a character."
The families that Princess Yuan An remembered would naturally not be ordinary families.
And no matter whose family it was, Princess Yuan An dared to say this, because she had the right to say so.
"Alas, Your Majes..."
"Sister, outside the palace, these second-generation nobles are even more formidable than us."
"These many commoners before us can be bullied by them at will."
"And us?"
"We can only bully our own attendants, and if we go too far, many people will interfere, and we might even be punished."
"But them!"
Princess Yuan An shook her head at this point, seemingly having heard many absurd things.
"I heard that even the two county yamen in the capital find them difficult to manage."
"Some of the more ridiculous ones, like that Zhao Four who just passed by, are simply like a human plague, feared by everyone, who wouldn't avoid him?"
Ankang felt a bitter taste in her mouth after hearing this. She had also seen how the passersby on the street avoided Zhao Four earlier.
That kind of reaction was almost ingrained in their instincts.
This couldn't have formed in just a day or two.
It showed how overbearing that Zhao Four usually was.
Ankang's eyes darted around, as if she had an idea.
"Princess Yuan An, didn't you say we were here to investigate a case this time?"
"Do you think the investigation might be about people like Zhao Four?"
Princess Yuan An scooped a spoonful of steamed almond junket, about to shake her head and deny Ankang's naivety.
But as soon as she looked up and met Ankang's bright, sparkling eyes, she understood the unspoken meaning of her words.
"Sister, meddling in this kind of business is not easy."