Chapter 33 The Red Falcon Clan all died because of them...
Arriving with such fanfare, apart from the one from the Prefect's Office, no one else would dare to act recklessly in front of the Xuan Ce Army, not even bothering to make the slightest attempt at concealment.
Amidst the rising dust, hundreds of soldiers halted in front of the county government office.
A short, stocky clerk with a mustache, dressed in a light green cross-collared official robe, stepped forward, brandishing his whip. He glared at Zi Jing and his companion, his nostrils flaring, and shouted, "You dare to stand guard like this? You've seen the Prefect, why don't you hurry forward to greet him? Insubordination! You'll lose your heads!"
Zi Jing listened, a slight smile playing on his lips as he glanced at the minor official.
Lu Jinshi stood to one side, his gaze sharp as a blade, staring directly at the man.
Perhaps annoyed by the cold stare, the minor official dismounted with a flourish, dusted off his clothes and sleeves, puffed out his chest, and pointed at Lu Jinshi: "You mere military man, how dare you be so insolent! Do you know that I am the Chief Clerk of the Prefect's Office? You uncouth fellow, when you see your superior, why don't you quickly pay your respects!"
Lu Jinshi let out a cold laugh, took a few steps down the steps, stood in front of the arrogant and domineering chief clerk, and slapped him twice without any politeness.
The chief clerk's head was knocked to one side, his hat was askew, and five red marks appeared on his cheek in an instant.
Before he could even yell and curse, Attendant Lu struck again with his palm. The Prefect's Chief Clerk staggered back several steps, his lower back slamming against the saddle with a thud. His face swelled up like a pig's liver: "Lieutenant of the Xuan Ce Army, you dog, how dare you disrespect my master! You deserve to die!"
The three slaps left him stunned, clutching his face. After a brief moment of daze, he gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and his eyes nearly bursting open.
"You, you lowly scoundrel, how dare you lay a hand on me!" Feeling humiliated in front of everyone, the chief clerk, filled with shame and indignation, immediately raised his hand to retaliate.
Unexpectedly, Attendant Lu did not back down. He stepped forward, grabbed the other man by the collar, and pulled him close to him, saying, "I'm beating you, you dog who relies on his master's power. A warrior? So what if you're a warrior? Today I'll show you that even a warrior's slap can be hard on a scoundrel like you."
After speaking, Attendant Lu pushed him backward, and the Chief Clerk staggered and fell to the ground in a sorry state.
Humiliated by the disrespected military household, the Chief Clerk was relentless and ordered his entourage to teach Lu Jinshi a lesson.
"Stop—" As the attendant was about to step forward, a deep, slow voice suddenly came from the carriage with its golden embroidered canopy.
Everyone stopped instantly, turned around to look at the layers of curtains behind them, and parted to the sides to make way for a passage.
Silence reigned.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, two coachmen stepped forward from the side of the carriage, one on the left and one on the right, and parted the heavy brocade curtains.
He wore a wide purple robe with large sleeves, a Jinxian double-ridged crown, and had a pair of slanted eyes under his long beard and eyebrows. His face was square.
Even though they were dozens of meters apart, Zi Jing could clearly see the faces of the people in the carriage.
Seeing this, Xie Cheng spurred his horse forward a few steps, landed, and walked to his side, reporting in a low voice: "Prefect Zhao said that as a member of the royal family, we have no right to arrest him, but he is willing to come and assist you in resolving the He Renzhi case because of the Grand Commander."
He Ren's case has long been settled, with irrefutable evidence and witness testimonies, leaving no room for maneuver.
All the women in the family, including children under fifteen and women over seventy, were exiled to Yingzhou. The men, however, were to be taken to Caishikou for execution at noon the day after tomorrow.
Zhao Shuhuai's words were utterly ridiculous.
With a few words, he absolved himself of all responsibility, as if he were merely an insignificant bystander. But who didn't know that he was the ringleader on trial in this case?
And yet he said it was out of respect for the Grand Commander. Zhao Shuhuai had always looked down on those from military families, and besides, he had a grudge against Yan Yue, who was now the Grand Commander of all military affairs. Others might not know this, but Zijing and Xie Cheng knew perfectly well that this was just an excuse.
The fact that he came today must mean he has other plans behind the scenes.
As Yu Nie said in the morning, the Huaiyuan garrison had become Zhao Shuhuai's private army, but if they were to actually fight against the Xuan Ce army, it would be no small matter. In the history of the Xuan Ce army, there were many instances of defeating the many with the few. It was precisely through such experience that the Xuan Ce army was able to secure a place among the various armies and gain widespread fame.
If a real fight breaks out, who wins or loses is another matter. Zhao Shuhuai dared to challenge the Thousand Continents Iron Cavalry he brought, so he should be prepared to make enemies of the entire Xuan Ce Army. Moreover, the new emperor has just ascended the throne, and Zhao Shuhuai is the son of the Prince of Yan. The Prince of Yan did not stand with the new emperor when the princes were vying for the position of crown prince.
Even if he obtains what he desires in this struggle and escapes punishment, as long as the Xuan Ce Army refuses to let him go and continues to investigate, they will eventually uncover some clues.
Given Zhao Shuhuai's mindset, he certainly couldn't perceive the endless troubles that would follow.
He was only able to come today because his aides had repeatedly dissuaded him last night, pointing out the potential dangers. That's why he made such a big show of it today, ostensibly to cooperate with the questioning, but in reality, to stall and maneuver.
Although Zi Jing did not know the reason, he could guess that someone like Zhao Shuhuai was likely preparing a backup plan.
After all, no one would entrust their fate to an enemy. Even if the Prefect's Office did not yet know his true identity, it was common knowledge in the court and among the people that the Xuan Ce Army was the personal guard of Yan Yue's adopted son.
After Xie Cheng whispered in his ear, Zi Jing remained silent, only turning his gaze to the carriage.
A maidservant helped the man down from the carriage, followed by a woman with cloud-like hair, a beautiful face, and wearing a silk robe and jade pendants. Judging from her attire, she was likely Lady He, the wife of the prefect, and the eldest daughter of He Ren.
Zi Jing didn't move an inch, not even stepping forward.
Zhao Shuhuai raised his head and looked Zi Jing up and down several times, only to find that the other man stood with his hands behind his back, showing no intention of coming forward to greet him. Instantly, a surge of frustration welled up in his chest, and he glanced at his staff behind him with a hint of annoyance.
The advisor in blue understood and quickly walked to the gate of the government office, bowing deeply and asking, "May I ask if you are the Commandant of the Xuan Ce Army?"
"Who are you?" Zi Jing asked briefly, without a single superfluous word.
Compared to the arrogant chief clerk, this staff member was much more respectful, bowing again: "My lord, please understand, I am a staff member of the prefect's office, my humble name is Gaoge. The prefect was feeling very cold yesterday, which is why he was unable to come for questioning. It seems that the messenger was confused and mistakenly reported that he was too ill to walk as refusing to appear for questioning, which is why you, my lord, have to make such a fuss and cause such a misunderstanding."
"That lowly official who relayed the wrong message has been dealt with according to family rules." Gao Ge waved his hand, and a servant carrying a box ran up to Zi Jing. He opened the square box, and a bloody human head appeared before everyone's eyes.
Zi Jing didn't even lift his eyelids, so his expression was unreadable.
"This lowly slave's head is merely an apology to you, sir." Gao Ge continued, "You see, the Prefect's illness has only just begun to improve, yet he immediately came with your army. I hope you will forgive what happened yesterday."
Knowing that the other party was fabricating a non-existent truth, Zi Jing was too lazy to expose him.
"What's with all this talk of forgiveness? Since Lord Zhao has come in person, I should handle the case according to procedure." He gestured for him to proceed, saying to the distance, "Prefect, please."
This move startled Gao Ge, who was suddenly stunned. He had thought that by explaining himself and finding someone to take the blame, the person in front of him would give him face and go to greet Zhao Shuhuai, thus saving face for both of them.
In officialdom, everyone is like this, scheming against each other, but there must be a middle way, and one must always leave some room for maneuver on the surface.
He didn't know if the person in front of him was just young and impetuous, or if he was just trying to get by because he didn't even bother with the pretense of politeness.
This invitation clearly indicates that the governor's office will not give them any face.
Zhao Shuhuai stared coldly at the imposing young man standing before the vermilion gate, his anger rising instantly. But thinking of his plans, he quickly suppressed his anger and laughed heartily, "I've long heard of the young talent of the captain, and seeing him today, I can see that his reputation is well-deserved."
As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves and walked slowly toward Zijing.
Zi Jing smiled but remained silent, standing motionless in the courtyard. Only when Zhao Shuhuai stepped onto the steps and walked up to him did he raise his eyes to greet him.
Zhao Shuhuai seemed to only then remember that his chief clerk had offended him earlier, and said to him, "Look at this... Just now, Chief Clerk Liu was too impulsive. He had never seen the captain in person and mistook him for someone else, thus offending the captain. I hope the captain will forgive him."
Zi Jing replied casually, "Prefect Zhao is too kind, of course I will forgive him. But I should ask the Prefect for leniency. Attendant Lu is impulsive and has no temper. His attack on the Chief Clerk today was ultimately because he was eager to protect his master. I hope the Prefect will be lenient and allow me to discipline him properly when I get back."
These words were both reasonable and irrefutable, leaving Zhao Shuhuai speechless. He could only chuckle awkwardly, "Having such a loyal subordinate is a blessing for the captain. It was all my chief clerk's fault to begin with, and Attendant Lu was also acting out of injustice for his master. How could I possibly blame him?"
Zi Jing still wore a faint smile, his gaze subtly sweeping over Zhao Shuhuai's neck. Anyone familiar with the ornament would immediately recognize it as the beak of a golden eagle, plated with gold. The entire beak was perfectly intact, and what was even more remarkable was the intricate pattern on its surface.
This pattern is only found among the King of Golden Eagles, and legend has it that only the Red Falcon tribe can paint it.
The Red Falcon tribe, which now lives in Beiye, has long since disappeared, leaving no trace of it.
In Beiye, the beak of the golden eagle is believed to ward off evil spirits, but golden eagles are difficult to catch, and only royalty and nobles could afford such an ornament; ordinary people could not afford it.
Zi Jing's gaze lingered on the golden beak pattern for a moment longer, a dark and unfathomable look flashing in his eyes.
As Zhao Shuhuai continued his condescending remarks, he listened and suddenly chuckled softly, his tone indifferent: "Prefect Zhao, this ornament is truly rare. The patterns on the beak are indeed unusual; I have traveled far and wide and have never seen such exquisite designs. I wonder which craftsman the Prefect commissioned to paint these patterns on this object. Perhaps I can have that same craftsman paint them on my jade thumb ring someday."
Zhao Shuhuai said arrogantly, "As for the craftsmen... I'm afraid we can't find any more captains."
Zi Jing gave a half-smile: "Is that so?"
"Why?" he asked deliberately.
Zhao Shuhuai grinned widely: "Because...they're all dead."
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