She remarried a cold-faced, powerful man, and the scumbag regretted it and cried his heart out.

Cheng Wenhao stepped forward and banged on the door, calling out, "Brother Liu! Come out here!"

The guards were dumbfounded. Who was this person? Why did he call their leader by his name right away?

Judging from this situation, the two seem to know each other, but why does the boss look like he's avoiding them at all costs?

He didn't know whether to stop him or not. While he was hesitating, he heard Cheng Wenhao shout, "Liu San! I won't rush you to pay back the money! Come out first! Is your young master here too? I happen to have a big deal I want to discuss. If you don't come out, I'm leaving!"

Inside the door, Liu San's expression changed when he heard the words "Young Master". If the Young Master found out that he owed a mountain of gambling debts, would he still be able to keep his job?

Cheng Wenhao grew impatient and was about to shout again when the guard snapped out of his daze and quickly pulled him back, saying urgently, "Young master, please have mercy and stop shouting! Let's talk this out, our leader..."

"Why are you pulling me?" Cheng Wenhao flung the guard's hand away, pointed at the tightly closed gate, and raised his voice, "I know him! Liu San! Don't hide in there and stay silent! Come out and say something!"

The guard was completely bewildered. What was all this about?

Cheng Wenhao stood with his hands on his hips and shouted, "Liu San, you heartless bastard! Who paid off your eight thousand taels of gambling debt back at the gambling den? Those debt collectors were going to chop off your hands! If it weren't for my chivalrous intervention, would you still be standing here unscathed? You didn't even say thank you, just dusted yourself off and ran away! What, now that you're in official robes, you don't recognize your benefactor?"

His shout alerted all the neighbors, who craned their necks to look in his direction.

The guards panicked and covered Cheng Wenhao's mouth, whispering, "Young Master, please keep your voice down!"

Cheng Wenhao grunted twice, forcefully breaking free from the guard's grasp, and continued shouting, "Liu San, you come out here! If you don't come out today, I'll come looking for you every day!"

The courtyard was quiet, without a sound.

Cheng Wenhao pounded on the door twice more. Liu San could no longer sit still. He flung the door open, his face dark, and said, "Cheng Wenhao! You come in here!"

After saying that, he grabbed Cheng Wenhao and pulled him inside, then slammed the door shut.

The guard and the rice shop assistant looked at each other in bewilderment.

About half an hour later, the courtyard gate opened again, and the two walked out arm in arm.

With a broad smile, Liu San had the rice collected and then personally escorted Cheng Wenhao to the alley entrance: "Young Master Cheng, next time you come, please let me know in advance so I can personally entertain you."

Cheng Wenhao tapped his shoulder with his folding fan, looking like he was a promising student: "Sure, sure! Brother Liu, I keep my word. As long as you help me with this, we'll call it even for the eight thousand taels of silver!"

The little beggars' leader was named Yuanbao. Cheng Wenhao returned to the rice shop, tossed him twenty coins, and asked him to pass on a message to Jiang Jin'an.

Yuanbao skipped off to the Jiang residence again. The gatekeeper, seeing it was the same little beggar, knew he must have come to deliver another message. He took out a few copper coins from his pocket and handed them to Yuanbao, but Yuanbao just stared at him longingly without reaching out to take them.

The doorman was taken aback. Where's the note? Why didn't you hand it over?

Yuanbao pouted and said, "Sir, I'd like to ask for a bowl of porridge."

The gatekeeper then realized what was happening.

But Jiang Jin'an wasn't in the mansion at the moment, only Shen Jingshu was there. He didn't dare to make a decision on his own, so he told Yuanbao to wait there while he quickly went to Yulu Garden to report.

Yaoqin led the gatekeeper into the courtyard and told Shen Jingshu everything.

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingshu said that the little beggar was pitiful and that it was only a bowl of porridge, so she told him to take him to the kitchen.

The gatekeeper took Yuanbao away, and Yuanbao, holding a bowl of porridge, sat obediently on the threshold waiting.

Since following Gu Changyi and then Cheng Wenhao, these little beggars have never gone hungry again. They couldn't drink much right now, so they just sipped it bit by bit.

When Shen Jingshu saw him, she was reminded of Zhaozhao.

At this moment, does she have parents to take care of her? Is she well-fed and warmly clothed?

Yuanbao, upon seeing Shen Jingshu arrive, immediately put down his porridge bowl, trotted over, and bowed respectfully to Shen Jingshu, saying, "Greetings to Madam. Young Master Cheng said there are 'our own people' in the courtyard, which makes things much easier."

"One of our own?"

Yuanbao scratched his head, "Uh... Young Master Cheng said that person owes him a lot of money, so... therefore, he's considered one of his own."

Owes money? Shen Jingshu chuckled. What kind of "insider" is this?

Imprisonment.

Zhao Yan was tied to the rack, and Jiang Jin'an personally tortured him. He was tortured to the point of near death, from crying out for his parents to barely clinging to life, and was no longer recognizable as a human.

Biyi was locked in a cell to the side. She witnessed the entire process of Zhao Yan being tortured and was so frightened that she almost fainted.

She had already written down everything she knew to Shen Jingshu, but she really didn't know that Xie Wanqing's "lover" was actually Prince Jing!

Tong Qingyun squatted down beside her, twirling a dagger in his hand, his smile now appearing particularly sinister. "Miss Biyi, don't be afraid. We don't usually use these kinds of methods on young ladies."

Bi Yi was even more frightened after hearing this. She trembled all over, closed her eyes, and dared not look at Tong Qingyun's smiling face.

Generally not used?

What if it's something extraordinary?

Biyi felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and thought it would be better if she died.

It would be better to die.

"Want to live?"

A cold voice suddenly rang in her ears, startling Bi Yi. She opened her eyes and saw Jiang Jin'an standing in front of her.

He was covered in blood, with a few drops splattered on his face, and with those emotionless eyes, he looked like a demon crawling out of hell.

Bi Yi swallowed hard, looking at the menacing figure before her, with no doubt that if she said "no," he would snap her neck without hesitation.

She answered tremblingly, "I...I want to live..."

"Want to live?" Jiang Jin'an repeated, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Does the teahouse owner recognize you?"

Biyi quickly kowtowed, "My lord, I've been there a few times, and he...he recognizes me."

Jiang Jin'an gave Tong Qingyun a wink, and Tong Qingyun understood. He stepped forward, helped Bi Yi up, and led her away.

After leisurely washing his hands and changing his clothes, Jiang Jin'an returned to the Commandery.

Wuchen was waiting in the hall.

Jiang Jin'an asked, "Is something the Madam has to do?"

Wu Chen replied, "Young Master Cheng sent word that there are...one of our own people in the west of the city?"

Lin Yu's reaction was exactly the same as Shen Jingshu's: "One of us?"

Wuchen's expression was extremely serious: "Hmm. It seems that he owes me money."

Lin Yu:?