Chapter 575 - 279: Beat Him to Death

Chapter 575: Chapter 279: Beat Him to Death

It was clear that since Zheng Xiu had become a Prince, his popularity and prestige—if not across the entire world, then at least within the Imperial City—were terrifyingly high.

The Red King never did things "low-key" when he made his rounds. The cheers of the common folk made Guo Zifei’s heart leap into his throat as he rushed out. After bowing with cupped hands, Guo Zifei lowered his voice. "Your Highness, how did this matter end up involving you?"

Guo Zifei had assumed that with the Red King’s esteemed status and the Disaster Prevention Bureau teeming with experts, he would simply dispatch someone to handle it. After all, this involved a foreign Envoy. If mishandled, it could escalate to the point of shattering diplomatic ties between the two nations. Common street brawls were a job for Six Gates, but once the stakes were raised this high, it became the responsibility of the Ministry of Rites. He had sealed off the scene long ago and notified the Ministry of Rites.

An official was an official, no matter how minor. The first rule of the job was to know which department handled what business—and shouldered which blame. "If it doesn’t concern you, stay out of it" was a hard-won lesson, written in the bitter tears of every generation of Chief Constables at the Government Office.

He never expected that instead of the Ministry of Rites, he’d be waiting on the Red King of the Disaster Prevention Bureau. This made Guo Zifei break out in a cold sweat. He adjusted the hat on his head; it suddenly felt rather insecure.

Guo Zifei’s mouth opened and closed, but he didn’t know what to say.

Zheng Xiu, however, understood Guo Zifei’s predicament. He immediately addressed the crowd in a loud voice, "This case is now under the jurisdiction of my Disaster Prevention Bureau! My dear friends and neighbors, the Bureau’s work can get... intense. It’s not something to watch. Do this Prince a favor: go home, have a meal, have a drink, and clear this street. Fragrant Pavilion will be closed for the day to handle a private matter. And starting tomorrow, for three days straight, everything at Fragrant Pavilion is free of charge. Put it on my bill!"

The crowd erupted in a clamor, but it wasn’t long before the onlookers began to file out of the street in an orderly manner.

After a moment, the street that had been packed with people just moments before became completely empty and silent as a tomb.

"This... this... this..."

Guo Zifei was dumbfounded.

Although Zheng Xiu’s status as a Prince could crush any commoner like a mountain, he had spoken reasonably and politely. The people were truly showing him respect. The chaotic scene was cleared in the blink of an eye. It was a terrifying display of the Red King’s influence over the hearts of the people.

"Let’s go!"

Guo Zifei was no fool. With a grand wave of his arm, he quickly ordered his subordinates to leave.

His subordinates left, their faces etched with confusion. Once they were a safe distance away, one of them asked in a puzzled tone why they had withdrawn so readily this time.

Guo Zifei shot back, "Do you have any idea what the Disaster Prevention Bureau handles?"

The young Official looked blank. "Well... I do not."

Guo Zifei declared with righteous indignation, "I don’t know either! But the Red King went out of his way to say all that in front of the public just so we wouldn’t be put in a tough spot. How could I not show him that respect?"

Once the area was cleared, Zheng Xiu glanced in a certain direction, let out a cold snort, and with a flick of his long sleeve, stepped into the Fragrant Pavilion.

As he stepped into the restaurant, a loud CRASH echoed from within.

A towering figure wrapped in a coarse fur coat was muttering something in a strange tongue. The floor was littered with shattered bowls, plates, and ruined food. The rich aroma of wine spilled from an overturned jug, filling the air.

A group of Chefs in aprons—all members of the Zheng Family—had formed a circle around the troublemaker. Some held ladles, others spatulas, and one even a stool. Their eyes, fixed on the Northern Barbarian in the center, burned with fury and hatred.

Chef He was right in the middle of them. The moment he saw Zheng Xiu, Qing Shisan, and Zizi enter, his eyes lit up. It was as if his backbone had just been put back in place. "The Master is here!" he shouted.

When outsiders were present, they addressed him as the Red King. With no outsiders around, it was "Master," of course.

They were his own people, after all. Calling him "Master" felt more familiar.

"The Master is here!"

"The Master is here!"

Chef He spat on the ground and cursed, "Son of a bitch Barbarian! Jabbering on and on, who knows what the hell he’s saying! I was just gonna give him a few token dishes and some wine, you know, for the Master’s sake. But the bastard doesn’t know what’s good for him. He smashed my food!"

The tall man’s face was ferocious. He, too, saw the Red King’s calm entrance. A corner of his mouth twisted into a cruel, contemptuous sneer. His eyes were bloodshot. He gave a sinister chuckle, and in that instant, a killing intent—as if forged by wading through mountains of corpses and seas of blood—became tangible.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The toppled tables and chairs began to crack without a sound. Qing Shisan’s brow furrowed. He took a large step, placing himself in front of Zheng Xiu. With a muffled grunt, he was forced one step back.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Zheng Xiu walked over to Chef He.

One step. Two steps. Three steps.

He walked very slowly. A look of astonishment crossed the ferocious, beast-like man’s face. He couldn’t believe that from the moment he’d entered until now, this legendary man—the one about to marry the Princess—hadn’t even spared him a single glance. The man’s oppressive aura instantly faltered, like a fist punching cotton candy. The feeling was utterly infuriating.

Zheng Xiu looked at the wasted food on the floor, his brow furrowed. "It’s a mercy you didn’t feed him dog food, and he still dared to waste your cooking? Old He, this isn’t like you. Why haven’t you beaten him up?"

Chef He said resentfully, "It’s because of that notice the Ministry of Rites put out half a month ago! It said the Northern Barbarian Envoys would be visiting, and if we happened to run into envoys from the Northern Kingdom on the street, we shouldn’t panic and especially not provoke them. Something about us being a nation of courtesy and that we should report it to the Government Office to handle."

Hearing this, Zheng Xiu’s expression remained calm. He pointed at the man in the center of the room. "And what did he say?"

Chef He shook his head, exchanging helpless glances with the others. "That... all that gibberish... we couldn’t understand a word."

The others chimed in, "We couldn’t understand him either."

Zheng Xiu smiled faintly. "And that, Old He," he said, "is where you went wrong."