When Liang Wu returned, he told his master the news he had found out, which gave Qian Jin even more confidence and trust in Yuan Qi.
"Young Taoist priest, shall we first find the location of Feng Youxiao's residence, then settle down nearby, and talk again tomorrow?"
Yuan Qi's eyes lit up. Sure enough, Qian Jin was a smart man and could keep his composure.
Meanwhile, Dai Zhan'an, accompanied by his guards and servants, went directly to the prefectural government office. He instructed his servants and guards to hide far away and not show themselves.
Although he didn't believe Yuan Qi's claim of imprisonment, he figured it was better to be cautious just in case.
"If I am arrested, you should go back to the manor and tell the madam to go find that young Taoist priest."
The guards and servants agreed and hid in the shadows.
Dai Zhan'an walked alone to the entrance of the yamen and said to the yamen runners, "I am Dai Yunlei and Dai Yunfeng's father. I want to see the prefect."
Upon hearing this, the yamen runner immediately went inside to report, and soon Dai Zhan'an met Feng Youxiao.
Feng Youxiao was a civil official in his late thirties, with a mustache and wearing a blue official robe. He came out from behind with an angry expression.
"You actually dare to deliver yourself to my doorstep?"
Although Dai Zhan'an was extremely wealthy, his social status was very low.
Among the social classes of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants were ranked last, and they were expected to kneel before government officials.
If merchants weren't of low social status, and even craftsmen and farmers were more respectable than them, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to send his son to school.
Although he suspected his son was innocent, he dared not challenge the prefect and could only obediently kneel down: "Prefect, I am Dai Zhan'an, the father of Dai Yunlei and Dai Yunfeng. I want to see my son and find out the reason. Your Honor, my son is not that kind of person. He would never kill someone."
Feng Youxiao snorted and slammed his gavel down heavily: "Stop trying to defend your son. My servants saw your son beat my son to death with their own eyes. The evidence is irrefutable. There's nothing more to say. I have decided to execute him in three days."
Upon hearing this, Dai Zhan'an immediately became agitated: "Everyone knows your son was born weak and needed medication three times a day. Who knows if your son just happened to have a relapse of his old illness and died? It has nothing to do with my son!"
"Your son is unambitious, always looking for people to fight with, and getting into fights every few days. He's so unruly. If your son weren't so cruel, my son wouldn't have fought with him. It's all your fault for not raising him properly. Guards, lock him up in jail!"
Dai Zhan'an panicked. He hadn't come to reason with the prefect; he wanted to use his vast fortune to buy his son's life. He shouted, "Prefect, I was wrong! Please don't hurt him! I know my son was unruly, and I know I failed to discipline him properly. But he's already gone. Let's sit down and talk about the aftermath!"
Feng Youxiao waved his hand, and the yamen runners went back to their positions.
Dai Zhan'an stepped forward and stood beside the table, whispering, "I've been a salt merchant for many years and have accumulated some wealth, though not much, it's still 300,000 taels. I'm willing to give all my wealth for my son's life. Prefect, regardless of whether my son intentionally committed the crime, this matter is related to him, I admit it, but could you please give my son a chance..."
Feng Youxiao was also somewhat tempted. His son had a heart condition, and the doctor had long predicted that he would not live past the age of eighteen. Now his son was seventeen, and he had lived for so many years. He didn't know how much money he had spent on taking care of him every day. Perhaps today, his son's heart condition had flared up and caused him to die.
It actually has little to do with Dai Yunlei; he was just unlucky to be caught in the crossfire.
My son is dead, but if I could get 300,000 taels of silver…
"The Prefect?"
"Wait a minute, I need to..."
"No!" came a woman's sorrowful and angry voice.
Dai Zhan'an looked over and knew that the woman was the wife of Prefect Feng. He felt a chill in his heart and knew that the matter was doomed.
However, Prefect Feng was not a man who was afraid of his wife, so that woman probably didn't have the final say.
Madam Feng staggered over and began scratching and clawing at Dai Zhan'an.
Dai Zhan'an didn't dodge, letting Madam Feng scratch his face until it was covered in marks. As long as it could quell the other party's anger, he didn't mind getting hurt.
Prefect Feng sighed deeply, his mind preoccupied with the 300,000 taels of silver. He could never earn that much in his entire life. Over the years, he had spent a lot of money on his son's medical treatment. Although he occasionally amassed some wealth, he still wanted to keep his official position and dared not amass too much.
The money he amassed was all from merchants who had made mistakes, which he took the opportunity to extort, but he didn't dare to be too blatant, lest someone report him.
Prefect Feng's relationship with his wife was lukewarm. He had several concubines and several illegitimate sons and daughters.
Furthermore, he had known for many years that Feng Zhizhang would not live past the age of eighteen, so he was mentally prepared for the death of his eldest son, Feng Zhizhang, and was therefore not particularly saddened.
He stepped forward and pulled Madam Feng away: "When will this end? Wasn't beating up Dai Yunlei and Dai Yunfeng enough?"
Madam Feng screamed in despair, "He failed to raise his son properly, which is why his son killed Zhizhang! I will avenge my son!"
Feng Youxiao ordered the yamen runners to lock up Dai Zhan'an first, and then he took his wife to the back hall.
"Madam, you know how Zhizhang's health is..."
Madam Feng knew her husband's character well. In recent years, she had paid great attention to the education of her illegitimate sons, and she probably had long since given up on Feng Zhizhang.
But she only had one son and no daughters. After Feng Zhizhang died, she lost the will to live.
She roared at Feng Youxiao, "I know what you want. You've been hoping for Zhizhang's death so you can use your power to groom your illegitimate sons. Let me tell you, don't even think about trading my son's life for money. Don't even think about it, not in this lifetime!"
Feng Youxiao was also heartbroken, after all, it was his eldest son who had died. He argued with his wife: "You have to speak with conscience. If I didn't have Zhizhang in my heart, why would I have spent so much money hiring famous doctors for him all these years? I know you're sad, but I'm not happy either. Can you stop making a scene?"
He waved wearily, signaling the maid to help his wife downstairs.
Madam Feng refused to leave and fiercely warned him: "Feng Youxiao, if you dare to exchange my son's life for those 300,000 taels of silver, I will die with my son and haunt you even as a ghost!"
Feng Youxiao didn't believe in ghosts and gods, and impatiently urged the maid, "Take her away quickly, take her away."
Dai Zhan'an was roughly pushed into the death row cell, where two people covered in blood lay on the ground.
He trembled with fear, and it took him a while to realize that the two people were none other than his sons.
"How could they beat you like this!" Dai Zhan'an was both saddened and furious. Fortunately, he still wanted to exchange 300,000 taels for his son's life. How could they be so cruel?
Dai Yunlei was unconscious, while Dai Yunfeng's injuries were much lighter. He struggled to his feet and said, "Father, my elder brother has a broken leg and two broken ribs. Don't touch him."
"Doctor! Doctor!" Dai Zhan'an shouted loudly, clinging to the prison bars. A jailer came over, took out a purse from his pocket and pulled out a handful of loose silver: "Here, take this and go fetch a doctor."
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