“There really is a ghost in this courtyard! There really is!”
“The ghosts of the Xiao family’s men have come back to claim our lives!”
Ying Tianjiao’s terrified scream was like a boulder crashing into a calm lake, sending waves rippling in every direction.
Fear spread through the courtyard like a plague, devouring every constable’s courage.
The once-noisy officers instantly fell silent. A chill shot up from their feet to the tops of their heads, raising goosebumps all over their bodies.
They stared around in horror, as if they could actually see the blood-soaked spirits of the Xiao family’s men emerging from the weathered walls and drifting between the withered trees.
The officers who had been swaggering around smashing, looting, and confiscating property moments earlier were now pale as ghosts, their legs trembling uncontrollably.
Their swords and sabers clattered to the ground, the sharp metallic clang echoing unnaturally through the silent courtyard.
Some huddled together, shaking violently, their teeth chattering.
Others dropped to their knees with loud thuds, kowtowing desperately to empty air.
“General Xiao, spare us! We were only following orders!”
“Great General Xiao, please forgive us! We’ll never dare bully your family again!”
One constable prostrated himself repeatedly before the invisible spirits.
His terror quickly infected everyone around him.
More and more officers fell to their knees, trembling uncontrollably.
They bitterly regretted ever coming here to commit such evil deeds, regretted humiliating the descendants of a family of loyal patriots.
One officer stumbled over to Yan Lexian and reported nervously,
“Prime Minister Yan… we’ve… we’ve searched the entire Duke Dingguo Manor. We only found five hundred taels of loose silver.”
“What? Five hundred taels?”
Clutching his bleeding forehead, Yan Lexian stared at him in disbelief.
“Y-Yes… Even the pots, bowls, and utensils in the kitchen are gone. We couldn’t find a single grain of rice. Even the vegetables in the garden had all been pulled out.”
The officer looked as though he was about to cry.
Rage surged through Yan Lexian.
He shot to his feet and pointed accusingly at the Xiao family’s women.
“Speak! Did you secretly move your property beforehand?”
The moment those words left his mouth, the women exploded with indignation.
“Move our property?”
Chu Xiangyue let out a cold laugh, her eyes as sharp as knives.
“What a ridiculous accusation, Prime Minister Yan!”
“Last night, Eunuch Rui’an brought people to empty this estate. They took everything valuable—the rice from the grain jars, the vegetables from the garden, even the pots and bowls. We couldn’t even cook ourselves a hot meal this morning, and now you’re asking whether we hid our wealth?”
Xun Ruoqiu chimed in,
“Exactly! Our whole family hasn’t even had a bowl of rice porridge since last night. Prime Minister Yan, how can you lie with a straight face?”
Fei Manxiang was nearly in tears.
“My child cried from hunger all morning because we couldn’t even make rice soup. We were just about to go out and buy a few steamed buns when your men showed up!”
Listening to their accusations, Yan Lexian’s face alternated between green and white.
Rui’an!
Only then did he remember that Rui’an had raided the manor the night before.
That damned eunuch!
He slammed his fist into the ground.
Blood trickled down from the wound on his forehead, staining the earth red.
That old eunuch must have emptied Duke Dingguo Manor of everything valuable last night!
This trip had been completely pointless.
He hadn’t gained a single thing.
One after another, the confiscated belongings of the Xiao family were brought into the courtyard.
“My lord, this is everything we found.”
One officer bowed respectfully, holding a pile of worn-out clothes, several patched autumn garments, a few faded quilts, and a broken silver hairpin.
Another officer carried over a tiny cloth pouch.
It jingled softly with the fifty-odd taels of loose silver they had collected from the maids and servants.
He tossed the pouch onto the ground with a dull thud.
Looking at the pathetic pile of worthless junk in the courtyard, Prime Minister Yan’s face darkened until it seemed ready to drip ink.
His chest rose and fell violently.
The wound on his forehead throbbed painfully, fueling his fury even further.
Rui’an!
Grinding his teeth, he cursed the eunuch viciously in his heart.
That bastard had cleaned out every valuable item and hadn’t left him even a drop of profit.
Just wait.
He’d settle this score sooner or later.
“Prime Minister Yan… what should we do next?”
The officer’s face was deathly pale.
His eyes darted nervously around the courtyard, too afraid to meet Yan Lexian’s gaze.
He kept feeling as though cold winds were swirling around him and that unseen eyes were watching from the shadows.
“If there’s nothing else… can we escort them to the outskirts and hand them over to the bailiffs for exile?”
He only wanted to leave this haunted place as quickly as possible.
“That’s right, my lord. This place gives us the creeps… We’d better go.”
Another officer hurriedly agreed, his face as white as paper.
The entire courtyard felt sinister to him, as though ghostly figures lurked everywhere.
He silently vowed to visit a temple as soon as he got back to pray and drive away any evil spirits.
Yan Lexian also found the place unbearably ill-omened.
He had expected to make a fortune from this raid.
Instead, he had been injured, humiliated, and gained absolutely nothing.
“Ahem…”
Taking a deep breath to suppress his anger, he respectfully bowed toward the empty air.
“General Xiao, I was only carrying out His Majesty’s orders. Debts have their rightful owners. If you seek vengeance, please… don’t come after me.”
His tone was humble and respectful.
Yet the cunning glint in his eyes remained impossible to hide.
The meaning behind his words was obvious:
If you want revenge, go settle the score with the Emperor.
Inside her dimensional space, Xin Long listened to the shameless speech with a cold sneer.
In the next instant, she flashed out of the space with lightning speed.
Without giving anyone time to react, she swung her hand and—
Smack!
She delivered a loud, resounding slap across Yan Lexian’s plump face.
Slap!
The crisp sound echoed throughout the silent courtyard.
Then she instantly disappeared back into her space to enjoy the show.
Yan Lexian was sent sprawling onto the ground.
His fat body crashed heavily against the earth with a dull thump.
Covering his burning cheek, he stared blankly into empty space, terror written all over his face.
His cheek throbbed with searing pain.
Five bright red finger marks stood out clearly on his face.
Ying Tianjiao had been right.
There really was a ghost in this courtyard!
“M-My lord! Are you alright?”
Ying Tianjiao was so frightened that his soul nearly left his body.
He rushed forward to help Yan Lexian up.
“Don’t say another word!”
Yan Lexian’s entire body shook uncontrollably, his face deathly pale.
“Hurry! Escort them out! Take them to the outskirts immediately!”
He no longer dared remain here for even a second, afraid the “ghost” would strike again.
The surrounding officers looked at one another in horror as they stared at the swollen handprint on his face.
“M-My lord… your face…”
One officer pointed at his cheek with trembling fingers.
“It’s a handprint! The ghost must have slapped him!”
Another officer cried out in panic.
The moment everyone saw the unmistakable palm print, every trace of color drained from their faces.
Fear consumed Yan Lexian completely.
He dared not linger another moment.
“Quick! Take them to the outskirts! Hand them over to the bailiffs!”
He scrambled onto his horse in utter panic.
Ignoring the pain wracking his body, he spurred his mount forward and fled the manor in complete disgrace.