She asked again and again what's the problem, and finally Zhang told her that Lu Zhailang took a liking to Lady Li and he asked Zhang to give her to him, and in exchange he would get another wife.

"My dear! We have to part! Oh!"

Husband and wife cried together. Suddenly, someone knocked from outside. Zhang Gui composed himself and opened the door.

It was Li Four. When he returned home, he could find neither Xitong nor Jiao'er. After asking around for a bit, he learned that Dragonpattern Bao's servants took them. He came as fast as he could, to discuss the matter with Zhang Gui. He wanted to go to Judge Bao's yamen to lodge a complaint, but when he arrived here, he saw Zhang and his wife in tears. He didn't understand what was going on.

"Brother Zhang! Why are you sad like that?"

Hearing his question, Zhang started crying again, he could hardly breathe because of his weeping. It took him some time to catch his breath, after which, he told the entire story to Li Four.

"I, myself, Zhang Gui, am an official, who would dare disrespect me? But who could have foreseen that I wouldn't be able to protect my own wife! Oh!"

As soon as he heard this, Li Four turned livid, and shouting told Zhang Gui to come with him to lodge a complaint jointly, but in that very moment Wang Long's servants burst through the door, bringing a woman inside with them. When Li saw Wang Long he panicked and rushed to the inner room to avoid him.

Wang Long strutted in and loudly proclaimed: "By order of imperial uncle Lu, this woman is given to Zhang Gui as reward, and Lady Li will be taken away by us!"

Wang Long's brows were furrowed, his eyes were throwing sparks, but despite his repeated threats, Lady Li wouldn't have moved even if they threatened to kill her on the spot. Zhang Gui, bowed with his hands closed, begging for mercy.

"I plead to his highness, the imperial uncle, please let me and my wife live together in marriage for a few more days!"

"I cannot! Who would dare to go against the orders of his highness?"

Zhang Gui, with no other options left, quietly took out two strings of cash and gave it to Wang Long. With much hassle he took the money and took his men to a local inn to drink.  

Li Four hid in the room for a good while, but he heard everything crystal clear. When Wang Long finally left, he stepped out. He saw that the woman whom Wang Long has brought here was none other, than his wife, Lady Zhang.

When Lady Zhang saw Li Four, they locked eyes, both being left speechless.