As Zhao Wu followed Zhao Cheng toward the main force, he couldn't help but ask, "Master, isn't this too indulgent towards the Third Young Master? After all, that woman is a top-notch expert and a member of the Left Prime Minister's mansion. This is like letting a tiger return to the mountains!"

The rain gradually stopped. As Zhao Cheng walked, he took off his coat and wrung it out, saying, "How could I not know? But besides being your master, I am the leader of this group, and also Zhao Yan's elder brother."

“My mother has already decided to arrange a marriage for my third son since my second son and I are married. If my third son finds someone he likes, it will be a wonderful thing. If I don’t help him now, and my mother finds him someone he doesn’t like to marry when we go back, he will resent me for the rest of his life.”

Zhao Cheng sighed, draped the wrung-out clothes over his shoulder, and said, "It's not that I'm afraid he'll blame me, it's just that it's not easy to find someone you truly love, how can I break up a couple?"

Zhao Wu suddenly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhao Cheng.

Zhao Cheng asked suspiciously, "What are you doing?"

Zhao Wu said solemnly, "I have followed you, Master, for many years, and I have always thought that you are a person who puts interests first and would not do anything irrational because of emotions. Only today did I realize that you value brotherhood so much! Master, you are a good elder brother!"

"Who said I'm irrational? You're just brainless!"

"Ah...Master, what makes you say that?"

"This girl is amazing, isn't she? She's a top expert, isn't she? And she's from the Left Prime Minister's residence, isn't she?" Zhao Cheng put his arm around Zhao Wu's shoulder and said patiently, "If the third brother really succeeds and marries her into the Right Prime Minister's residence, then she will be one of my Right Prime Minister's people!"

Zhao Cheng chuckled, "From now on, not only will my Right Prime Minister's Mansion gain another top-tier expert, but he'll also be poached from the Left Prime Minister's Mansion. This will put the Left and Right Prime Minister's Mansions in a constantly shifting balance of power! Will Wen Tai be furious if he finds out? Will Wen Hu be furious if he finds out? Will my father laugh out loud if he finds out? Hahaha, the more I think about it, the more exhilarating it becomes!!"

Zhao Wu was stunned: "Master, is this... how you think about it?"

"What else? Letting her go is a bit risky, but compared to the potential benefits, what's a little risk?"

Zhao Cheng patted Zhao Wu on the shoulder and continued walking forward, saying, "What do you mean by putting interests first? I'm putting interests first!"

Zhao Wu said, "Master, can I take back what I just said?"

"No," Zhao Cheng said without batting an eye, "I'm just a good older brother. Even I envy the third brother; he has such a considerate older brother who puts himself in his shoes!"

Zhao Wu: "..."

riverside.

After the heavy rain stopped, the wind came.

Aquatic plants swayed in the breeze, and the croaking of frogs filled the air.

Zhao Yan tossed the spear to Yang Huanyun, who caught it and asked doubtfully, "Are you really going to let me go?"

Zhao Yan smiled and said, "I, Zhao Yan, keep my word."

Why did you release me?

"How can I pursue you if I don't let you go?"

"Hmph!" Yang Huanyun turned his face away and said, "Judging from your fierce appearance when you were fighting, I thought you were an upright person. I didn't expect you to be such a glib-tongued scoundrel!"

Zhao Yan said, "How am I not upright? Does speaking my mind frankly and openly, without hiding my love, mean I am not upright?"

Yang Huanyun raised his spear and said, "Have you ever considered that I am a member of the Maoshan Sect? If I receive another order to assassinate your brother, I will still come?"

Zhao Yan asked, "How about we make a bet?"

"What are we betting on?"

"I'll bet on whether you can succeed when you try to assassinate me again."

"What about the stakes?"

Zhao Yan said resolutely, "If you succeed, I will give you my life and go down to be buried with my elder brother. If you fail, you must agree to three things!"

Yang Huanyun asked in surprise, "Am I that important? You're willing to gamble two lives on me?"

Zhao Yandao said, "I'm only asking you if you dare to bet?"

"What's there to be afraid of!" Yang Huanyun pointed his spear at Zhao Yan and said loudly, "I admit that you are indeed very good, and your spear skills are a notch above mine, but I practice hard every day, and I may not be weaker than you when we meet next time!"

Zhao Yan said, "Some things, no matter how hard you work, are not as important as talent."

Yang Huanyun said dejectedly, "Your words are really hurtful."

Zhao Yan smiled and said, "I've already said it, the reason you couldn't beat me this time was because of a problem with the Guanyun Spear Technique, not with you personally. You're already a top expert at such a young age, your talent is exceptional."

Yang Huanyun snorted and turned her face away.

Zhao Yan asked, "Then our bet is in effect?"

Yang Huanyun countered, "Then can I leave?"

Zhao Yan saluted Yang Huanyun with his gun, watching Yang Huanyun's figure disappear into the distance.

...

After returning to Jiangcheng, Zhao Cheng handed Lu Yuan and Xue Gai over to Deng Fugui, and then sent the bodies of Tu Wanhu and the monk Huiyin to the Tu and Lu families respectively.

Only then did Tu Ziming and Lu Chen truly breathe a sigh of relief.

If it weren't for the Thorn-Scale Armor that Tu Ziming gave him, which saved his life, Zhao Cheng would have loved to take the opportunity to extort more money and get more land from them.

Deng Fugui complied with Zhao Cheng's request and had Lu Yuan executed by slow slicing.

It has been confirmed that Qi Bainian colluded with Lu Yuan and Tu Qianhu to seize the private property of the people. The people hate Lu Yuan to the bone. Before the execution even began, the people gathered outside the execution ground threw countless vegetable leaves and eggs at Lu Yuan.

In just a few months, they went from heaven to hell.

Lu Yuan's face was contorted with rage, his teeth clenched, but he was helpless.

Deng Fugui stepped down from the stage, walked up to Lu Yuan, looked into his eyes and said, "I remember you said back in Yanchuan City that you looked forward to the day I would come to Jiangyang County. Now, I have not only come to Jiangyang County, but also to Jiangcheng."

"Hahaha..." Lu Yuan laughed, looking coldly at Deng Fugui, and said, "In this world, it's all about the victor taking all and the loser going home. You're already a prefect, a man of high status. If you want to kill me, then kill me. Why bother mocking me?"

"I came down here to tell you this not to mock you."

Deng Fugui said solemnly, "I just want to tell you that I was the one who supervised the execution of your nephew in Yanchuan City. Now, in Jiangcheng, I am the one presiding over your execution. Is this fate truly just because of our personal grudge?"

"No."

"I have no personal grudge against you, Lu Yuan."

"You and your uncle have both gone this far because you are both lawless and tyrannical!"

Deng Fugui turned around, looked around at the crowd, and said loudly, "In our great Jing Dynasty, the laws may not be strict, but they will not tolerate those who break the law!"

"Whether it's Qi Bainian or you, Lu Yuan, those who dare to commit crimes in Dajing will be dealt with by the Dajing officials. As for those who dare to commit crimes in Jiangyang County, I, Deng Fugui, will never let them live under the same sky!"

"good!!!"

The people's emotions were immediately stirred up. They were all excited, clapping and cheering, and thinking to themselves that perhaps Jiangyang County would have another good official like Ma Tiezhou!