Chapter 164 High-ranking officials of the imperial court and nobles of the Xiao clan arrive at the scene.
Duan Wu sneered, "Lord You, is it because the sun is at its zenith that you think it's rising from the west?"
Lord You retorted, "Don't think that just because you have Xiao Qidi backing you up, you've forgotten your own limitations. This time, I've just been caught off guard and fallen into your hands temporarily. That brat Xiao Qidi won't be able to keep up for long. In the future, I will definitely make you kneel before me, wagging your tail and begging me to let you go."
As he spoke, he raised his hands, whose nails had been pulled out, and said in a sinister tone, "General Duan, the torment I have suffered these past few days will be repaid tenfold in the future. You better remember that."
Duan Wu glanced at the distance every now and then.
The soldiers had just reported the intelligence gathered by the scouts to him, and now they were just waiting for the right person to arrive.
"What's wrong, General Duan?" Lord You continued to sneer, "Aren't you going to convict me yet? My crime is far more serious than that of the county magistrate and the others. If you don't give the people here a satisfactory explanation, you'll be in a very awkward position! You want to kill me, but you can't. That's not a good feeling, is it? You're putting on this show of a public trial, thinking you can scare me. Little do you know that this is a stupid and foolish move. Xiao Qidi is indeed too inexperienced. Hahahaha!"
Duan Wu didn't want to say anything, but he couldn't stand the guy's arrogant attitude even when he was about to die, so he told him, "To tell you the truth, the emperor already has a plan. You don't even need to say anything; those people will walk right into the trap."
Lord You scoffed, "If there were a way, would we need to set up a stage and put on a show to scare me?"
“You’re right that it’s an act,” Duan Wu chuckled. “But this isn’t to scare you; you’re overestimating yourself.”
Lord You's face darkened. "Stop playing tricks. What exactly do you mean?"
Duan Wu grinned and said, "Lord You seems to have forgotten that in this case, only you and your confidants knew that His Majesty was here, and you have both been taken into custody. His Majesty's identity is still a secret."
Lord You frowned slightly, vaguely sensing that something seemed amiss, but still couldn't pinpoint the key point, and said somewhat irritably, "So what?"
“Well then, let me give you another piece of advice,” Duan Wu said with a smile. “Once the news of your arrest and trial gets out, to outsiders it will just seem like a minor border general is meddling in other people’s business by relying on his troops. So, what will those ministers and noble relatives you refuse to implicate think? Will they just stand by and watch me bully you?”
Lord You was stunned for a moment, then his face turned pale instantly.
His mind finally clicked, and he understood everything. "So... so you were using me as bait?!"
"Hahahaha!" Duan Wu clapped his hands. "That's right!"
"You!" Lord You roared in fury, standing up abruptly.
"Behave yourself! Kneel properly!" Two soldiers quickly pressed him down.
Lord You's mind raced. He figured that if he revealed Xiao Qidi's presence, the news would spread like wildfire among the people, perhaps alerting those who had come to rescue him and prompting them to retreat in time. So, he mustered all his strength and shouted, "Xiao Qi—"
Before the word "Di" could even be uttered, Duan Wu, quick as a flash, grabbed the gavel and hurled it at him.
Snap!
The gavel smashed into Lord You's mouth, shattering all his teeth and blocking his throat.
Among the crowd, the people were getting impatient as General Duan had not yet begun the trial of the governor of Longyuan.
They couldn't help but start discussing and urging each other on.
Duan Wu felt quite anxious as he listened to the commotion from all directions.
He had no choice but to take out bamboo slips and slowly read out a series of charges against the governor of Longyuan.
Even after a long list of charges had been read out until his throat was dry, no one came to his rescue.
He even began to wonder if the emperor's plan had failed.
The people were filled with righteous indignation, and their shouts of "fight!" and "kill!" were deafening.
Just then, a group of people came galloping from afar, rushing into the crowd like arrows, raising dust wherever they went.
"Get out of the way! Anyone who blocks the way will die!"
The man leading the way rode his horse recklessly, roaring loudly.
The people were so frightened that they scattered to make way.
With this powerful advance, a large number of people quickly stormed to the front of the trial table.
Then, several carriages followed closely behind, lined up in the open space.
The people, still shaken, looked at the suddenly appearing procession of carriages. Although they didn't know who they were, judging from their imposing manner, they were definitely not ordinary people.
The exquisite and luxurious nature of those carriages was so great that even the governor of Longyuan County couldn't compare to them, let alone the county magistrate.
"Lord Xue has arrived!"
A loud shout rang out.
The curtain of the carriage in the middle was lifted by the entourage.
Then, a man in his fifties or sixties got off the carriage.
He wore an official hat and robe, and his eyes, though not angry, exuded an imposing aura. He merely glanced around, and the people dared not even breathe.
"Lord Xue is the Grand Censor of the Great Xuan Dynasty!" the attendant shouted sternly. "You all, kneel down now!"
The people then came to their senses and hurriedly knelt down.
To avoid alerting the enemy, Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli also squatted down.
"Mother... what kind of official is the Imperial Censor?" An'an asked curiously.
Xiumei could only vaguely understand what a prefecture was, let alone an official position like the Imperial Censor.
Even Xiumei's husband could only say, "That's an official from the capital, a very high-ranking one."
"How big is he? Bigger than a county magistrate?" An'an asked, her eyes full of doubt.
Xiao Qidi explained softly, "In our Great Xuan, the position of Imperial Censor is second only to that of the Prime Minister."
"Big brother, what is a prime minister?"
"The prime minister is the highest-ranking official."
"Is it bigger than a king?"
"No, the whole country belongs to the monarch. The prime minister is an official appointed by the monarch to help the monarch govern the country."
"Oh... I see. The king is the highest, then the prime minister, and then the censor-in-chief."
"Yes, that's roughly how you understand it."
As the two exchanged questions, Xiumei's husband muttered, "Why would the Imperial Censor come to a small place like ours?"
“That goes without saying,” Xiumei said, “it’s definitely to deal with the governor of Longyuan County.”
Xiumei's husband shook his head, "I don't think so. If they wanted to pack, they would have done so long ago. Why did they have to come over at this time?"
Xiumei thought for a moment, "It must be that he didn't know before, but now General Duan has found out and reported it to the capital, so His Majesty sent the Imperial Censor. It seems that our His Majesty attaches great importance to this matter."
At this moment, the people in the other carriages also got off.
There were six people in total, dressed in extremely gorgeous and exquisite clothes, exuding an extraordinary air of nobility.
"And who is that?" Xiumei asked, her eyes wide.
Xiumei's husband looked left and right, indicating that he didn't know.
Ning Jinli nudged Xiao Qidi with her elbow. "Do you know him?"
Xiao Qidi narrowed his eyes slightly, "I know them, they're all acquaintances. I never expected... it would be them."
On the trial platform, Lord You was bound hand and foot by the soldiers, his mouth even gagged with thick rope. He could only watch those people appear, powerless to do anything about it.
"This humble general greets Your Excellency the Censor," Duan Wu rose and clasped his hands in a salute. "I was unaware of Lord Xue's presence and have failed to greet you properly."
Lord Xue glanced indifferently at the scene on the judge's platform. When he saw the disheveled appearance of the Prefect of Longyuan, his eyes darkened. "General Duan, haven't you gone a bit too far?"
Duan Wuzhuang feigned ignorance, "Ah? Why do you say that, sir? This humble general is dull-witted, and hopes that you will explain yourself."
Lord Xue said slowly, "Investigating and interrogating cases is not your job as a military officer, is it? Instead of guarding Xitun Pass properly, you come here to act recklessly. Who gave you the audacity?"
“Your Excellency is mistaken,” Duan Wu said solemnly. “As a general guarding this region, I cannot turn a blind eye to either enemy invasions from the outside or corrupt officials committing misdeeds from within. Moreover, the magistrate of Hewan County has been using the war as an excuse to set up private projects and extort money from the people. Now he has gone even further. For the sake of the reputation of the Great Xuan Army, the reputation of the Emperor, and the peace of the people, I must investigate this matter thoroughly.”
"Hehehe, I didn't expect General Duan to be so eloquent. He has impressed me greatly," Lord Xue chuckled. "However, according to you, isn't it enough that you alone are enough for the western border of Da Xuan? Why not simply dismiss all the civil officials governing this place? What do you think?"
Duan Wu immediately said, "No, no, this humble general is, after all, a rough man. To govern a region well, we need educated civil officials."
"Alright, I won't chat with you any longer," Lord Xue said sternly. "As a border general, you have abandoned your post without authorization, which is a serious crime. However, I will consider that you had good intentions and will not pursue the matter further. Take your troops and leave immediately."
Duan Wu also said in a serious tone: "I cannot agree to this. I was the one who brought the case of the magistrate of Hewan County to justice, and the trial has been completed. However, the prefect of Longyuan County who was implicated in the case is even more heinous. I have not yet finished the trial. How can I give up halfway?"
Lord Xue's face darkened. "You're not even obeying my orders?"
Duan Wu said calmly, "If you are worried that I will not conduct a proper trial, you are welcome to sit in and supervise. Someone, bring a chair and please take a seat, Your Excellency."
"No need!" Lord Xue's eyes darkened further. "It seems General Duan doesn't understand what I mean. I'll stop beating around the bush and hand over the governorship of Longyuan to me!"
"Why should I hand it over to you?" Duan Wu asked.
Lord Xue snorted, "Do I need to explain myself to you?!"
Duan Wu replied confidently, "Of course, without a reasonable explanation, I cannot comply!"
"You..." Lord Xue, being a man of calm and collected nature, was somewhat annoyed by this stubborn fellow and directly told his attendant, "Go, bring him down."
"Yes, sir!" Several attendants carrying long swords leaped onto the judgment platform.
But before they could get close to the governor of Longyuan, a row of Xuanjia soldiers in full armor blocked their way.
"Duan Wu!" Lord Xue roared, "What do you mean! Do you want to fight my men?"
Duan Wu grinned, "How could I dare? Didn't you make the first move? However, as long as your men don't draw their swords, my men will never strike first. It's best not to ruin our harmony."
“Lord Xue, this kid seems to have a death wish,” a middle-aged noblewoman beside him said with a look of disdain. “He’s just a few soldiers. Let our guards lend you a hand.”
After she finished speaking, she waved her hand.
The hundreds of attendants in the carriage, including the coachman, all drew their knives and surrounded the judge's platform.
Duan Wu feigned surprise, "Lord Xue, so you were planning to forcibly seize him? What's that called again, a prison break? As a high-ranking official, how could you do such a thing in front of the people?! Are you trying to protect the criminal?"
Lord Xue was somewhat embarrassed, so he told the guards not to move and then said loudly, "No matter what the prefect of Longyuan has done, you, a border general, have no right to interrogate him. I have repeatedly given you face, but you have been disrespectful and ungrateful. I have no choice but to forcibly take him away for further interrogation. You must not talk nonsense and disturb the peace of the people!"
Duan Wu thought to himself, "If I don't push this old man too far, he won't reveal his true colors. Otherwise, even if the emperor intervenes, he'll have a reasonable excuse to distance himself from the situation."
Moreover, the fact that the emperor has not shown himself yet proves that the emperor is also waiting for his weakness.
Since that's the case...
Duan Wu made a snap decision and ordered the soldiers blocking the Imperial Censor's entourage, "Kick them down!"
Without saying a word, the soldiers simultaneously raised their feet.
Those attendants never expected that a mere border soldier would be so bold. Caught off guard, they were all kicked away and fell to the ground with thuds.
"Come on, all of you come up here," Duan Wu beckoned to the group of armed guards around the judge's platform. "If anyone dares to snatch a prisoner again, don't blame this general for showing no mercy. Kill one if they come, kill two if they come!"
Lord Xue's expression changed, and he frowned as he pondered a way to deal with the situation.
But the middle-aged noblewoman beside him lost her patience and angrily retorted, "How dare you! It's one thing to fight with Lord Xue's attendants, but you even dare to threaten my guards?!"
"Who are you!" Duan Wu roared, his eyes wide. "What business is it of yours that I, the general, judge criminals?"
The lady was furious. "You...you dare to talk to me like that!"
"What's wrong with talking to you like that?" Duan Wu continued to retort. "Go back to where you came from, and don't get in my way, or I'll take you down with me!"
Just as Lord Xue was about to advise the noblewoman to calm down, several arrogant men beside her spoke up one after another.
"We are the Great Xuanxiao Clan."
"General Duan, please watch your words."
“If we were to take it seriously, disrespecting princes and nobles would be a serious crime.”
Upon hearing these words, Duan Wu secretly gasped.
The Xiao family?
They are all relatives of the ruler!
These are no ordinary princes or nobles!
Who knows, one of them might be Xiao Qidi's paternal elders!
What to do?
Is it possible to continue the investigation?
Duan Wu felt a cold sweat break out on his back. He gritted his teeth and secretly cast his gaze toward the emperor, who was hiding among the crowd of people.
Ning Jinli whispered in Xiao Qidi's ear, "So those nobles are that close to you? What are you going to do now?"
Xiao Qidi's face was tense, and his eyes were terrifyingly cold. "They are only related by blood. They may be familiar, but there is no affection between them. Even if there were affection, I would not let them go if they committed a crime."
Immediately, Xiao Qidi gave Duan Wu a look, signaling him to continue.
Duan Wu took a few deep breaths, then adopted a humble posture and said to the Xiao family nobles, "This humble general truly does not understand. It is reasonable for the Imperial Censor to intervene in the trial of a prefect who has committed a crime, but why has it alarmed you all?"
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