Chapter One: Perplexity

  Seeing everyone leave the yard, Liu'er hastily fetched a wet towel, wanting to wipe away the bloodstains on Gao Huaiyuan's face. However, Gao Huaiyuan grabbed Liu'er's hand and flashed a cunning smile: "Don't wipe it off, this is evidence! If you wipe it off, I'll have taken this punch for nothing! Remember, if my dad calls us over later, you must insist that he was the one who struck first. Then just say I retaliated and knocked him out - that's all! Don't say anything else!"

  Liu'er looked at Gao Huaiyuan's bloody face, her heart skipped a few beats, and she immediately understood Gao Huaiyuan's intention. A smile also appeared on the corner of her mouth. Although she was a servant, she was very clever and naturally understood what Gao Huaiyuan meant. The world is not afraid of tigers eating pigs, but it's afraid of people pretending to be pigs to eat tigers. It seems that today's matter will bring bad luck to that little scoundrel! Hehe!

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, before long, someone came running to call Gao Huaiyuan and Liu'er to the front hall, saying that the old master had summoned them for questioning. Gao Huaiyuan immediately followed the servant who delivered the message, bringing a nervous Liu'er with him to the front hall.

  When they arrived at the front hall, Gao Huaiyuan quickly recognized the people sitting in the hall based on the chaotic memory fragments in his mind.

  The middle-aged man with a furious face sitting on the throne-like chair was his father in this life, and among the women sitting next to him, the middle-aged beauty should be his father's legitimate wife. The other two who did not speak were probably his father's second and third concubines. As for the one crying, it was obvious that she was Li Shi, and the little servant he had knocked unconscious was sent by her.

  In the hall, there were two more young men, one looked like seventeen or eighteen years old and the other fourteen or fifteen years old. They both wore a scholar's robe. Gao Huaiyuan also recognized their identities as his two elder brothers. At this moment, they too were sizing him up with disdainful expressions, even with a hint of schadenfreude, eager to watch the good show.

  Gao Huaiyuan cursed in his heart, these two brothers are not good guys, they must have bullied him a lot before, just wait and see, you will get what's coming to you!

  That little fellow had already been rescued and was now kneeling in the hall, crying and complaining to Old Man Gao, telling him that Gao Hua Yuan had been incited by Liu Er and was being unreasonable, hitting him as soon as he saw him, and beating him into this state.

  The appearance of Gao Huaiyuan immediately drew the attention of the crowd who were listening to Xiaoshu's complaint. Everyone was initially furious, but when they saw Gao Huaiyuan walking in with a bloody face, they couldn't help but be shocked. After all, Gao Huaiyuan was also Gao Jian's biological son. Although they had just seen the concubine's servant being beaten badly, seeing Gao Huaiyuan with a bloody face made them immediately change their judgment on this matter.

  Gao Huaiyuan entered the great hall and saw his father, Gao Jian. He stood with his hands hanging down, without kneeling, and gazed coldly at the crowd in the hall.

  Liu'er, no matter how much courage she mustered up, was after all just a lowly servant of the Gao family. Having arrived here, she couldn't help but feel a little frightened from the bottom of her heart, so she hastily knelt behind Gao Huaiyuan, sobbing with her head hung low and not speaking a word.

  Without waiting for Gao Jian to speak, Li Shi, who was still crying, immediately frowned and jumped up like a mad dog as soon as she saw Gao Hua Yuan and Liu Er. She rushed over and wanted to hit Liu Er behind Gao Hua Yuan, cursing: "You damned little slut! I told you to go work for me, but not only did you not go, you also dared to instigate this fool to beat my servant. Are you itching for a fight again? Watch me kill you today!"

  Liu'er was so frightened that her face changed in an instant, and she involuntarily raised her hands to cover her head, crying out: "Fourth Madam, don't! I dare not!"

  Gao Huaiyuan originally wanted to pretend to be crazy and silly for a while, but he didn't expect this Li woman to be so arrogant that she would take the initiative to fight with Liu'er before his father had even asked any questions. How could he just watch Liu'er suffer a loss? He couldn't let her get away with it, so he stepped forward to block Liu'er and stood in front of her. However, the Li woman didn't stop and scratched Gao Huaiyuan's neck with her long fingernails, leaving a bloody mark on his skin. Gao Huaiyuan glared at this vicious woman with fiery eyes, firmly protecting Liu'er behind him.

  This Li also, due to being favored in the mansion every day, had become arrogant and was used to getting her way. She actually didn't even wait for Master Gao's words before wanting to personally punish Gao Huaiyuan, taking revenge for her own servant. At this point, the first wife Zhang spoke up, saying: "Fourth sister, you're going too far! Although your servant was beaten, no matter what, Third Young Master is also an official's son. You didn't even ask about the reason before taking action and hitting this child, do you really not put the official in your eyes?"

  Mrs. Zhang's words immediately won the support of two concubines beside her, these women who married a man could not help but be jealous and quarrelsome, after hearing Mrs. Zhang's words, they also took advantage of the situation to add fuel to the fire: "Yes! Sister is right, Fourth Sister, you are being too biased! Your servant was beaten, but Third Brother's face is also covered in blood, shouldn't you let Master ask for clarification first and then have him handle it?"

  Li's words made him somewhat unsteady, and he was immediately stunned on the spot. The situation suddenly turned in favor of Gao Huaiyuan, and things became clearly advantageous for him.

  Gao Jian sat in the middle position, and after being disturbed by several madams, he also felt that Li Shi's behavior was indeed a bit excessive. He coldly snorted: "Li Shi, you step down first, I haven't asked clearly about the matter yet, don't speak for now! If it's the fault of that servant girl and Third Young Master, I will certainly give you justice!"

  Li, although arrogant, did not dare to disobey Gao Jian, so she had no choice but to return to her seat with a sullen face, staring at Gao Huaiyuan and Liu'er with her beautiful eyes.

  Gao Huaiyuan couldn't help but sneer inwardly at this moment. Having multiple wives isn't necessarily a good thing, although everyone dislikes him, he can still take advantage of the conflicts between them, and there are many opportunities to do so!

  Gao Jian's eyes narrowed as he gazed at Gao Hua Yuan, and a hint of displeasure flashed across his face. "It's really unfortunate for the Gao family to have such a foolish son like you," he thought to himself. However, as he looked at Gao Hua Yuan today, he seemed to sense that something was different about him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. Suddenly, he let out a cold snort and asked, "Third Brother, why can't you just let the household be peaceful for once? Why do you always have to stir up trouble? Tell me, why did you beat that servant of your stepmother's today?"

  Gao Weiyan cursed inwardly as soon as he heard this. Although he hadn't been in this era for long, he knew that in a wealthy household like this, it was normal for the master to hit a servant without it being a big deal. But Gao Jian hadn't even asked what had happened yet, and his words already carried a strong tone of self-blame, clearly taking Li's side before the investigation had even begun, showing no intention of protecting his own son. What kind of father was this?!

  But he wouldn't show such an expression at this moment, instead standing calmly in the hall, puffing out his chest and looking straight at Gao Jian with a neither humble nor arrogant tone: "In response to Father's words, this matter can't be blamed on me! Today I was just recovering a bit from my illness and exercising in the courtyard when this little scoundrel suddenly burst into my residence, wanting to take away my Liu'er. Liu'er was sewing clothes for me at the time, but I didn't want her to go, so this guy insulted me and tried to force Liu'er away. I scolded him, and he hit me, even breaking my nose - the blood on my face can serve as proof! I had no choice but to fight back with him, Father can't just listen to their one-sided words, I hope Father will take charge of this matter for me."

  After hearing Gao Huaiyuan's words, the hall immediately fell silent. The entire hall was quiet, and everyone was shocked by the words of this silly boy in front of them. According to their memory, Gao Huaiyuan had always been silly and foolish, never speaking a word that made sense. But today, after he arrived, he spoke out clearly and reasonably, making sense of things. Everyone listened and knew that this matter was probably not fake, and it must be that the young man did not take Gao Huaiyuan seriously and bullied him!

  But what they were surprised about wasn't the cause of the matter, but rather everyone was shocked by Gao Huai's performance today, feeling that this matter was a bit too far-fetched! Could it be that the thunder that day had struck this fool awake?

  Gao Huaiyuan finished speaking, looked at the expressions of the crowd, knew that his performance today was beyond everyone's expectations, and then shut up, looking at Gao Jian without saying anything else. He wanted to see how Gao Jian would handle this matter specifically.

  After being stunned for half a day, he was shocked in his heart, but he still didn't believe that Gao Huaiyuan suddenly regained his senses. He thought it was impossible and suspected that Liu'er had something to do with it. So, he suddenly asked Liu'er: "Liu'er, tell the truth, are these words spoken by Sanlang true? And did you teach him these words?"

  Gao Jian asked, and Li also reacted, jumping up and shouting: "Impossible! How could this foolish kid say such things? He must have been taught by that cheap girl! This cheap girl is not a good thing at all, she must have instigated this foolish kid to beat my servant! Officer! You must do justice for me!"