Meanwhile, Xue Zhiyun shook his head and said, “If that corrupt official alone can pay with his life, it’s best not to harm the innocent.”
“Now that the realm has just stabilized, the northern Tartars are watching us covetously, the Westerners have forced Daxia to abandon the Anxi region, the easterners have the Fusang, and the southerners have the Yuebiao. We are surrounded on all sides and must not lose the people’s hearts by indiscriminately killing the innocent.”
Although Xue Zhiyun lacked military talent, having spent years by the Empress’s side, he had some understanding of the current court situation.
After ascending the throne, Xia Xuanmiao spent three years eliminating the remnants of the Crown Prince’s faction to establish her authority in the court, staining her hands with too much blood.
Over the past three years, she had been consolidating her power, with no time to care about the people’s suffering.
This incognito inspection tour was precisely what she needed to consider how to govern the realm after solidifying her power.
“Zhiyun is right. If that corrupt county magistrate alone can pay with his life, why kill more than necessary?”
At that moment, Liang Zhichao, who was nearby, overheard their conversation and turned pale with fright! Pointing at Xia Xuanmiao, he stammered, “Y-you… you want to kill our county magistrate?!”
Hearing this, Xue Zhiyun immediately became sharp and alert!
Seeing this, Liang Zhichao was so terrified that he turned to flee!
But Xue Zhiyun grabbed Liang Zhichao’s arm in an instant—the young man was no match for the imperial guard!
If it weren’t for the crowded and watchful eyes in the gambling den, Liang Zhichao had no doubt that Xue Zhiyun would kill him with a single move!
“Ahhh! Help! Help! They want to kill the county magistrate! Call the constables!”
“Security! Security!”
“Security?” Xia Xuanmiao frowned.
The next moment, several burly men in gambling den uniforms strode over aggressively, shouting, “Stop right there! Dare to cause trouble in the county magistrate’s establishment? Do you have a death wish?!”
“So they’re just the gambling den’s thugs! I thought they were something else!” Xia Xuanmiao sneered and shook her head, then patted Xue Zhiyun’s shoulder and said, “Time to stretch your limbs, Zhiyun.”
“Yes!”
Immediately, Xue Zhiyun shoved Liang Zhichao toward Si Qin and charged forward alone!
In a few swift moves, five or six gambling den thugs were beaten black and blue!
The gamblers in the den were stunned by the scene!
“Someone dares to cause trouble here? Do they have a death wish?”
“That warrior seems skilled! The authorities might have a tough time with him.”
“Skilled? Hah! The county magistrate says, no matter how skilled you are, you’re no match for a cleaver! No matter how trained he is, is he made of iron?”
“Look! The county captain is here!”
At that moment, Cheng Dazhuang strode over like a tiger, his gaze icy.
He stood nearly seven chi tall—according to Daxia’s measurements, seven chi is about 1.9 meters.
His weight was a solid 130 kilograms, yet he didn’t appear fat!
Though he had a slight paunch, he was the kind of brute whose fat concealed solid muscle!
Seeing Cheng Dazhuang approach like a tiger, Xue Zhiyun felt a moment of panic.
Despite his formidable martial arts skills, he seemed inadequate in the face of sheer strength.
Just as Xue Zhiyun assumed a defensive stance, Cheng Dazhuang suddenly spoke, “Why did you hit them?”
Why?
Hearing this, even Xia Xuanmiao was taken aback.
They’ve already been beaten, and you’re still asking why? Even if you want to ask, shouldn’t they be taken to the yamen for questioning?
“They wanted to kill the county magistrate!”
Before Xia Xuanmiao and the others could speak, Liang Zhichao behind them hurriedly shouted!
Upon hearing this, the surrounding onlookers all stared wide-eyed in disbelief!
“Kill the county magistrate? Why?”
“Yeah! Our magistrate is so good—what’s wrong with these people that they’d want to kill him?”
“Hmph! They’re probably assassins sent by the Tartars!”
“But they don’t look like Tartars?”
“Then they’re traitors!”
“Right! They’re traitors! Traitors! Kill the damned traitors! Kill the damned traitors!”
Hearing this, Xia Xuanmiao and the others could hardly believe their ears!
How did they suddenly become traitors?
Si Qin was so frightened that her legs trembled, afraid that these gamblers might get worked up and tear her, a weak woman, to pieces!
At that moment, all the gamblers in the gambling den gathered around, and some even volunteered to Cheng Dazhuang to help the executioner behead these “traitors”!
“You damned traitors! Do you know how hard our county magistrate has worked to make Daxia great again?”
“Exactly! Even the emperor couldn’t do what our magistrate has accomplished!”
“If it weren’t for Magistrate Xue, we would have starved to death long ago! You damned traitors won’t take our righteous magistrate away from us!”
The onlookers chattered away, and even the women from the inn’s brothel came to join the commotion.
Yes, that’s right—this inn also housed a brothel, the most luxurious and top-tier kind.
At this point, Cheng Dazhuang curled his lips and sneered, “Hmph! Damn it! So they’re a bunch of traitors! Men! Arrest them!”
“Yes!”
At his command, over a dozen yamen runners rushed forward!
Seeing this, Xue Zhiyun immediately drew his longsword!
With a clang! Amidst the flashing blades, Cheng Dazhuang narrowed his eyes!
Although Cheng Dazhuang had never systematically trained in martial arts, his over ten years of experience as a mountain bandit told him that this man was not someone these dozen yamen runners could handle!
Just as Cheng Dazhuang reached into his robe, about to pull something out, Xia Xuanmiao suddenly patted Xue Zhiyun and said, “Zhiyun, stand down. There’s no need to risk your life fighting these scum.”
“But!”
Just as Xue Zhiyun was about to speak, Xia Xuanmiao shook his head coldly and whispered, “Did you really think I’d only bring one expert with me on this incognito inspection?”
As he spoke, Xia Xuanmiao glanced discreetly toward the entrance of the gambling den.
Following Xia Xuanmiao’s gaze, Xue Zhiyun saw a nimble figure quickly heading toward the city gate.
Shangyang County was a small border town.
Here, there were sentry posts every five li and camps every ten li—mobilizing troops wouldn’t be difficult.
Presumably, the colleague hiding in the shadows had gone to call for reinforcements.
Thinking this, Xue Zhiyun immediately sheathed his sword and snorted coldly, “Hmph! You corrupt officials! Just you wait!”
Behind him, Si Qin also nodded and said, “Hmph! Let me tell you! If you dare arrest us, you’ll regret it!”
“What? Scaring me?” Cheng Dazhuang laughed angrily upon hearing this.
He immediately rolled up his sleeves and shouted, “Arrest them! Damn it, do you think I was scared into growing up?”
“Listen up, all of you! No one touches the woman with the veil!” After saying this, he let out a lecherous chuckle and added, “Hehehe… Such a beauty naturally has to be handed over to the magistrate for disposal.”
With Cheng Dazhuang’s order, no one dared lay a finger on Xia Xuanmiao.
Xia Xuanmiao had no intention of dragging things out either, as she was also curious to see what Li Mu was up to.
So she followed the bailiffs out of the gambling den.
Outside the main gate, three carriages had been waiting for quite some time.
However, these three carriages looked rather peculiar.
The carriages at the front and back were painted in black and white, and surprisingly, they had side-opening doors?
On the doors, the character “police” was written in large black letters against a white background.
The carriage in the middle bore the character “prison”, also painted in black and white. All three of them were escorted onto the middle carriage marked with “Prison.””
Later, Xu Guogong Wang Jiang, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion to join in on the spectacle, sidled up to Cheng Dazhuang and whispered, “Who are those three? Their backs look oddly familiar.”
Hearing this, Cheng Dazhuang chuckled and said, “Of course they do. They’re the wives I found for the county magistrate!”
“Three? And one of them is a man?”
“No, just one—the one wearing the veil.”
“Good eye! Even though I can’t see her face, her aura is extraordinary. She reminds me of someone.”
“Who? Someone that even Xu Guogong can’t forget? Why didn’t you take her home as a concubine?”
Upon hearing this, Wang Jiang immediately glared at Cheng Dazhuang and said, “Looking to die? Don’t you care about your nine clans?”