"To tell the truth, until Ma Er shouted out, there was still room for manoeuvre in today's affairs."
"Because the number of people at the scene who recognized Ma Xuansheng as the 'future son-in-law to the Emperor' was actually very small."
"After all, Ma Xuansheng was different from Ma Er; he wouldn't cause trouble on the streets every day like some street thug, making his presence known everywhere."
"Today, if Ma Xuansheng could have acted without being recognized, he could have taken advantage of the situation before it resulted in any loss of life, by 'making a big problem small.'"
"For example, first arresting a few ruffians and taking the blame for the public disturbance, then compensating the inn with enough silver for hush money, and sending Ma Er, the troublemaker, back to his hometown overnight. After that, he could go and ask Han Yu for mercy, assuring that Ma Er wouldn't cause any more serious trouble in the future…"
