Cuihua Tower has three floors, but each floor is quite tall.
Sitting by the window on the third floor offers a panoramic view of most of the East Market's streetscape, making it an excellent location.
However, as Li Xuan and his group arrived on the second floor, they were met by several figures flying towards them.
The Flower-Clad Eunuchs responsible for their protection immediately took action, sending them flying with a few punches and kicks.
At this moment, Princess Ankang was also carried to the second floor, and upon seeing the chaotic scene before her, she couldn't help but frown deeply.
A group of people dressed as house guards were brawling like street ruffians, mostly using benches from the restaurant as weapons.
The manager of Cuihua Tower was very thoughtful, purchasing benches of just the right size, making them quite handy to wield.
These house guards had long since seen red; as soon as they spotted someone wearing a different colored uniform, they would pick up their weapon and fight.
The Flower-Clad Eunuchs were repeatedly attacked by many, but they easily subdued them all.
Most of these house guards hovered between Ninth-Rank and Eighth-Rank in strength; how could they be a match for the Flower-Clad Eunuchs?
As more and more of their companions lay on the ground, these red-eyed house guards gradually regained their senses.
"Who are you people? Don't you know where this is? How dare you interfere so recklessly!"
It was so chaotic earlier that Li Xuan hadn't seen clearly; only now did he distinguish the two factions.
One side wore green, the other gray, clearly divided.
And thinking about it now, the Zhao Hu from before was wearing the same green clothes, though his had some extra lines for decoration, likely indicating a more senior house guard.
They were all wary of each other, fearing that Li Xuan and the others were reinforcements brought by the opposing side.
"Where are your young masters?"
Princess Ankang immediately asked them upon arrival.
"The young masters are upstairs."
Someone answered very stiffly.
Upon hearing such a direct answer, Li Xuan couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.
"Why are everyone I've met today so strange..."
Both groups of house guards huddled in the corner, very wary of Li Xuan and the others' arrival.
Looking at these people, Princess Ankang shook her head, chuckled softly, and said to them,
"You may continue; we won't disturb you."
Princess Ankang and Princess Princess Yuan An weren't very interested in these house guards.
Their primary purpose in coming was to see what the capital's wastrels looked like.
Moreover, Princess Ankang was very interested in the absurd things Princess Princess Yuan An had mentioned.
She even felt that perhaps this month's competition being held outside the palace might be related to these wastrels.
This month, the matter of the Imperial Princes and Princesses leaving the palace to compete in investigating cases was no longer a secret within the palace.
Given that, people outside the palace should have also received the news.
The noticeable constables they saw everywhere on the road earlier were quite conspicuous.
Although Princess Ankang had never left the palace, she imagined that the capital's public order shouldn't always be this good.
Such subtle changes were enough for those in the capital who mingled in the whirlpool of power to sense that something was amiss.
But the Young Master Zhao Four they met today was clearly unaware of these matters.
Perhaps he was accustomed to being pampered and always looked down on others.
Yet, Princess Ankang wondered, for such a person, shouldn't their family have reminded them to be more low-key recently?
Although Princess Ankang did not want to continue being so high-profile in this month's competition, she still couldn't help but want to figure out Emperor Yongyuan's intention in setting up this competition.
Ultimately, Princess Ankang, the master, was also like a cat, unable to resist her curiosity.
After seeing off these uninvited guests upstairs, the house guards on the second floor started fighting again, but this time everyone was very restrained in their movements, even interspersing it with conversation.
"Who are these people? They don't look like ordinary folk."
"Nonsense, can ordinary people afford such house guards? Didn't you see them kick one person flying with a single kick? Ergouzi was even kicked downstairs; who knows if he fell to his death."
The two house guards conversed, their actions ceaseless, occasionally emitting grunts and shouts, fighting with great fervor.
A group brawl, you see, also has its intricacies.
Earlier, they were all caught up in the fight, but now that they were sober, why would they still fight so desperately? They shouted louder than before, but their movements were much slower, and they started slacking off.
After all, their monthly pay was only a dozen or twenty taels; why would they risk their lives?
Didn't you see how those who fought desperately earlier were all kicked downstairs?
When Li Xuan and his group arrived on the third floor, they saw a different scene altogether.
The two factions had arranged their formations, but they were much more streamlined than downstairs.
In the center, two house guards were engaged in a one-on-one battle; their clothes looked better than those of the ruffians downstairs.
And one of the combatants in the center was precisely Zhao Hu, who had left a deep impression on them earlier.
Zhao Hu was currently wielding a tiger-head broadsword, clashing with a gray-clothed house guard wielding a long sword, creating a lively and noisy scene.
Upon seeing Zhao Hu in action, Li Xuan realized that this fellow was actually a Seventh-Rank expert.
It was only because his Qi and Blood Power was too weak that Li Xuan mistakenly thought his strength was at most Eighth-Rank.
If not for seeing the smooth transitions in his moves, Li Xuan would not have realized that he also possessed the strength of the Marrow Refining Realm.
Perhaps Li Xuan was accustomed to the experts in the palace and was somewhat unaccustomed to the unconventional styles he suddenly encountered outside.
"What the book said is truly correct; with Zhao Hu's strength, any Eighth-Rank Imperial Prince could easily defeat him. The fundamental gap is too large."
Li Xuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
On both sides, two house guards were seated on the ground, meditating and recuperating, appearing as though they had already fought two rounds earlier.
And now should be the crucial final round.
However, with the arrival of Li Xuan and his group, the battle in the center abruptly ceased.
Zhao Hu and the sword-wielding house guard exchanged a blow and then separated.
"Who are you people? How dare you intrude here!"
Immediately, someone issued an impolite challenge.
The leaders of both sides were young men: one was the obese Young Master Zhao Four, and the other was as thin as a monkey and not very tall.
From a wastrel's perspective, these two fellows were truly quite distinctive in appearance.
Zhao Four didn't recognize Princess Ankang and Princess Princess Yuan An at first because during the previous conflict, they had both obediently sat inside the Steamed Milk Curd stall and hadn't met Zhao Four face-to-face.
But that Flower-Clothed Eunuchs, Zhao Four, who had directly clashed with him, was recognized immediately.
"You still dare to come here?"
"Zhao Hu, what's going on?"
Zhao Hu also glared, knowing that things were about to go wrong, but still said,
"Young Master, he just apologized to me very sincerely, and even insisted on compensating me with a sum of silver."
"But what kind of person am I, Zhao Hu? I am your bodyguard, Young Master, how could I covet these few taels of silver."
"I told him to scram directly, and he even thanked me profusely."
"Young Master, I think he brought people to repay a favor."
Zhao Hu babbled on, so much so that the Flower-Clad Eunuchs' eyes turned green with anger.
But Zhao Hu also kept winking, his eyes full of pleading, and it was truly difficult for him to spout so much nonsense without blushing or panting, right in front of the Flower-Clad Eunuchs.
Moreover, Zhao Hu knew that the Flower-Clad Eunuchs' strength was above his; no matter what, this was a loyal servant.
That Zhao Four looked like a simpleton, but this Zhao Hu was quite clever.
Presumably, he said these words for his Young Master's sake.
Otherwise, what normal person could pull off such an outrageous stunt?
And upon hearing Zhao Hu's words, the scoundrel who looked like a monkey immediately felt something was amiss and cursed,
"Good for you, Zhao Four, you're even looking for outside help, are you?"
"You fat pig, you have no manners at all!"
His three bodyguards immediately gathered around him, encircling him protectively, their faces full of vigilance.
They were familiar with the other few scoundrels they often dealt with in the capital, but these two young ladies in front of them were seen for the first time.
Especially one who was sitting in a wheelchair; such a distinct feature would definitely leave a deep impression.
But they exchanged glances, their eyes filled with bewilderment.
"Third Young Master Hou, you're full of shit!"
"Do I need to find outside help to fight with you?"
"Didn't Zhao Hu say it? They came to repay a favor themselves!"
Each time the words "repay a favor" appeared, a vein on the Flower-Clad Eunuchs' forehead twitched, and his gaze turned icy.
As long as the two princesses gave the order, he would now go and skin that fat pig, using his fat to light a sky lantern.
No matter whose Young Master he was, he belonged to the Internal Affairs Bureau, and under the premise of protecting the two princesses, killing him was just killing him. At most, he would be sent out of the palace later and disappear without a trace.
As a result, Zhao Four didn't even notice the murderous look in the Flower-Clad Eunuchs' eyes and continued to speak to himself,
"Hey, you."
"You're not needed here, go back."
"This Young Master has accepted your kind intentions; if you need anything in the future, find Zhao Hu."
"We can be considered to have met through conflict; if you encounter trouble in the capital, feel free to mention this Young Master's name, and others will give some face."
Zhao Four said in an old-fashioned manner.
"Oh? May I ask this Young Master's esteemed name?"
Princess Yuan An Princess blinked, asking playfully.
Zhao Four and Third Young Master Hou were both stunned; they had never seen such a lovely younger sister.
Zhao Four blushed, then coughed, lowered his voice, and squeezed out a gurgling sound.
"This Young Master is Zhao Gu, ranked fourth in my family."
Then he coughed again and said solemnly,
"My father is Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Zhao Jingcheng!"
The way he reported his family background was indeed imposing, clearly something he had practiced many times.
Ankang Princess and Princess Yuan An Princess secretly snickered.
In the Daxing Dynasty, when it came to competing on family background, they were second to none.
But now was clearly not the time to reveal their identities, so they both smiled and replied,
"So it's Young Master Zhao Four, a pleasure to meet you."
"You're too kind, too kind."
Young Master Zhao Four chuckled, acting as if they didn't need to take his family background to heart at all.
But his smug expression was still too obvious.
Seeing Zhao Four showing off in front of the cute younger sisters, Third Young Master Hou immediately stepped forward, displeased, cleared his throat, and began his own performance.
"Hmph, what's a Household Department?"
"I, Hou Chi Si, am the third son of the dignified Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Hou Qingbo. Would I easily show off such a thing?"
Third Young Master Hou was not to be outdone, pulling out a series of shrugs and hand gestures, not at all inferior to Zhao Four.
At this moment, Ankang Princess and Princess Yuan An Princess also appropriately showed surprise and immediately said to Third Young Master Hou,
"So it's Young Master Third Young Master Hou, a pleasure to meet you."
Being praised by the beautiful younger sisters, Third Young Master Hou and Zhao Four couldn't help but feel light-headed, their hearts filled with immense satisfaction.
However, in such a situation, the presence of the other party was an eyesore, making them dislike each other even more.
At this moment, Ankang Princess asked appropriately,
"May I ask what grudges you two have, to cause such a scene?"
If it were anyone else, they would definitely be too lazy to explain.
But since Ankang Princess and Princess Yuan An Princess had been so supportive earlier, they couldn't help but speak more politely.
"Ultimately, it's all because this Zhao Four (Third Young Master Hou) is not a proper person."
The two spoke in unison, with a tacit understanding.
This was the most polite way they knew to greet each other, so their words, except for the names, were exactly the same.
Ankang Princess couldn't help but smile, covering her mouth and saying,
"I didn't expect your relationship to be quite good."
"Who has a good relationship with this fat pig (skinny monkey)!?"
Another synchronized retort escaped their lips, causing both of them to fall silent, glaring at each other.
Then they pointed fiercely at each other and shouted,
"Zhao Hu (Zhang Long), get him!"
The two bodyguards, who had been halfway through their fight, both froze.
Third Young Master Hou and Zhao Four were so angry that they stomped their feet repeatedly, wishing they could personally step in and cover the other's mouth tightly.
"What are you waiting for, go for it!"
The two were as synchronized as conjoined twins.
But with orders from their respective Young Masters, Zhao Hu and Zhang Long had no choice but to continue fighting, wielding their knives and swords.
Li Xuan and the others waited quietly on the side, thinking that after they determined a winner, they would properly inquire about their conflict.
However, Li Xuan, nestled in Ankang Princess's arms, silently thought,
"One is the son of a Household Department Vice Minister, and the other is the son of an Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."
"This is too much of a coincidence, isn't it?"