A dark and windy night, a time for murder and arson.
In Huaizhou County, the magistrate's mansion was brightly lit, with revelry and debauchery taking place every night, a stark contrast to the miserable and helpless people.
Tonight is the birthday banquet hosted by County Magistrate Fan Donghai, who has invited a host of high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants, and lackeys.
The cheerful music echoed throughout the county town in the quiet night.
The people smiled bitterly, touching their empty bellies, their eyes dull and lifeless.
For them, living is such a luxury and something unattainable.
If it weren't for the children and elderly at home, they would have wanted to die long ago. Living like walking corpses, they would rather be dead.
Damn you dog emperor, damn you dog magistrate, I curse you to a terrible death!!!
County Magistrate's Office.
Fan Donghai sat in a high position, with a stunningly beautiful woman sitting on either side of him. They would occasionally feed him wine and food.
The hall was filled with people on both sides, who kept flattering Fan Donghai and then commenting on the dancing beauties in the hall, using explicit and vulgar language.
They made no attempt to conceal their lecherous and filthy mentality.
Fan Donghai was in high spirits, holding the beauty on his left with one arm and raising his wine glass to look at everyone with the other.
"Come, come, everyone, eat, drink, and have fun. If you see any beauties you like, feel free to take them with you. There are plenty in my mansion."
The men present were immediately delighted and began to flatter him.
"If we're talking about generosity, Magistrate Fan is the best. I'm truly grateful to Magistrate Fan for his generosity today."
"This humble subject wishes Magistrate Fan a life of boundless happiness and longevity."
“Magistrate Fan, my family has a family heirloom. I will personally deliver it to you tomorrow so that you can take a look at it.”
"Since following Magistrate Fan, life has been getting better and better. Come, everyone, let's raise our glasses and wish Magistrate Fan a long life!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the others changed slightly.
He glanced at Fan Donghai, who was in a high position, without showing any emotion. He saw that Fan Donghai's expression was normal, as if he thought it was a matter of course.
That's it. He's the one who calls the shots in the entire Huaizhou County, and they can only go along with his nonsense.
So the people present exchanged glances and reached a consensus, raising their glasses to look at Fan Donghai.
"We hereby wish Magistrate Fan a long and healthy life, a thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand years."
"Ha ha ha ha……"
Fan Donghai laughed heartily and with satisfaction, "Good, good, good, thank you all for your blessings. As long as you follow me wholeheartedly, I will certainly not treat you unfairly."
"How dare you, a pig like you, call yourself a thousand years old? Are you perhaps planning a rebellion?"
Sheng Lingwei's cold and authoritative voice clearly reached the ears of everyone in the hall, and their expressions immediately changed.
Fan Donghai frowned, pushed away the beauty in his arms, stood up with his fat body, and looked menacingly at Sheng Lingwei and her entourage outside the hall.
"Who are you? Why are you barging into the magistrate's residence?"
"The one who will kill you!"
Sheng Lingwei exuded a bloodthirsty murderous aura.
Standing beside her were Nangong Zichen and Jing Qingyun, while behind her were five women, including Rong Momo, as well as Luo Xingyuan and Fang Xiuer.
Fan Donghai was terrified; he could sense the intense killing intent emanating from the group of people outside the hall.
"Guards! Guards! Guards! Quickly arrest all these thieves who have trespassed into the magistrate's residence without exception!"
The group of wealthy merchants and high-ranking officials looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
The dancing girls had long since cowered in a corner, terrified.
Their faces showed fear and unease. They were just insignificant people, and they only hoped that the person who came would not implicate them.
Sheng Lingwei curled her lips into a cold smile and led her group into the hall. Her gaze was icy as she stared directly at Fan Donghai, her expression extremely disdainful.
"Go ahead and shout, shout as loud as you can, but you won't be able to summon a single person."
"What? What do you mean?"
Fan Donghai looked astonished, and the fat on his face trembled involuntarily.
Did we run into a tough opponent tonight?
Sheng Lingwei crossed her arms and said sarcastically, "What do you mean? Are you deaf?"
Oh, that's true. You have a fat head and big ears, and your body is covered with layers of fat. Your pig ears have long been buried by fat.
It's normal not to hear what others are saying.
"Outrageous! Shut your mouth!" Fan Donghai was furious. He had been arrogant for so many years, but this was the first time anyone had dared to insult him like this.
"Shut up? I won't. Otherwise, you can demonstrate."
"This...this Empress?"
Fan Donghai looked horrified. Only then did he see Sheng Lingwei's face clearly, especially the red beauty mark that symbolized her status.
"You...you are the Third Princess, no...no, you are Princess Chang Le?"
Sheng Lingwei smiled, but her tone was chillingly cold.
Congratulations on answering correctly, but there's no reward!
"Chuanwu, Chuanqiong, pull out this fat pig's tongue. I'm in a good mood tonight, so I'll teach him the proper way to shut up."
"Yes, Princess."
The two men respectfully accepted the order and arrived in front of Fan Donghai in the blink of an eye. Chuanwu forcefully grabbed his chin, rendering him unable to move an inch.
Chuan Qiong smiled coldly, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He quickly put on the gloves the princess had given him and pulled out Fan Donghai's tongue.
"Waaaaah, help, waaaah..."
Fan Donghai was terrified, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets, and then his miserable screams echoed through the hall.
The wealthy merchants and high-ranking officials were pale-faced, covered in cold sweat, and huddled to the side, almost scared to death.
They are doomed today; Princess Chang Le, that great demon, will certainly not spare them.
I should never have said such a treasonous thing as wishing Fan Donghai a thousand years of life just to curry favor with him, and Princess Chang Le just had to find out.
Oh no, this is a job that could cost me my head!
If Princess Chang Le were to seriously investigate, their entire clan would be implicated.
...
Fan Donghai's tongue was ripped out by the roots, and Chuan Qiong threw it disdainfully in front of the men, whose already trembling bodies trembled even more violently.
They all knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly to Sheng Lingwei and begging for mercy.
"Princess Chang Le, please spare us. We shouldn't have said such treasonous things, but Fan Donghai forced us to say them."
"Yes, yes, yes, it was all Fan Donghai who forced us to say these things."
“Princess Chang Le, I have young children and elderly parents to support, and I have a family to feed. If I hadn’t tried to please Fan Donghai, my family would have been long gone.”
“Princess Chang Le, you should know that Fan Donghai is the fourth prince’s uncle. With the fourth prince backing him up, even though he is just a minor county magistrate, we have to curry favor with him.”
"..."
"Shut up, all of you!"
Sheng Lingwei's eyes darkened, and her sharp gaze swept over each of the people who were begging for mercy. "Do you also want to experience what it's like to shut up?"
No, no, no, they don't want to try at all.
The kneeling man covered his mouth tightly, trembling all over, and dared not make a sound.
The rumors were true; Sheng Lingwei is indeed a complete and utter devil.
Sheng Lingwei snorted coldly and ordered Chuanwu Chuanqiong, "Come on, it's time to show your true strength."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com