Zheng Yi raised his voice to create momentum, and the neighbors from the back street came out of their homes. They saw Zheng Liu holding a sword and forcing the prisoners to kneel on the ground, where they gathered around, trembling with fear.
Guiyuanfang Back Street, a place where the legitimate sons of powerful and wealthy families avoided.
The streets, where commoners and servants gathered, were only frequented by one or two officials from the Yongzheng and Daizheng governments who occasionally came to manage the neighborhood. The only other place was where the Five City Offices sent people to check the household registrations of the back street residents. Even the patrol teams didn't come here.
The sudden arrival of Prince Rong's men terrified the neighbors.
The women and children in the back alleys hid at home in fear, while the men who were responsible for their households bravely gathered on the street to watch and bolster their morale.
In less than a quarter of an hour, the streets were packed with people after the snowfall at dusk.
Zheng Yi arrogantly declared, "You residents bear witness that Zheng Twenty-Three, a servant of Prince Rong's mansion, has recently been gambling and whoring, owing tens of thousands of taels of silver."
In the past, he didn't owe much money and always relied on his reputation as a prince to intimidate people.
The creditors dared not offend the prince and risk getting into trouble, and were all deceived by him, thus tarnishing Prince Rong's reputation.
What's even more despicable is that Prince Rong trusted him, but because he was too in debt, he took a risk and broke into Fu Ya's house last night to kill him and steal his money.
Fortunately, Fu Ya escaped his clutches and was spared.
Upon learning of this, Prince Rong personally ordered the arrest of Zheng Twenty-Three and his public execution to demonstrate his hatred of evil and his benevolent love for the people…
"What a fine example of benevolence and love for the people! Running around here trying to win people's hearts..." Zheng Ya couldn't stand it anymore and walked out of the courtyard gate, laughing.
The neighbors all turned to look, but out of fear of Prince Rong's power, they had a bellyful of questions and no one dared to speak.
Zheng Yi turned around and sneered, "Fu Ya, you've finally decided to go out?"
"From what you're saying, you're deliberately going against your conscience to promote Prince Rong's benevolence, while concealing his crimes of plotting to usurp the throne and bringing disaster to the country and its people, using this opportunity to create momentum and mislead people..." Zheng Ya stood on the stone steps of the courtyard gate, channeling his inner energy to imbue his body with spatial power to ward off the onslaught of wind and snow, and spoke with a faint smile.
Zheng Yi angrily rebuked, "Fu Ya, you've made baseless accusations against Prince Rong! Do you know your crime...?"
Haha, come on.
"Since your master, Prince Rong, is attempting to trample on me to create momentum and achieve his ulterior motives, what's wrong with me exposing Prince Rong's sinister face in public?" Zheng Ya retorted bluntly.
The neighbors stirred, but no one uttered a word.
However, everyone's expression towards Zheng Ya changed to fear, pity, and disgust.
Ignoring those outside, Zheng Yi angrily rebuked, "Fu Ya, do you know that slandering the Prince is a capital offense?"
Don't think that just because you're from a sect of immortals you can slander the prince and trample on the laws of the dynasty with impunity. Do you really think no one will punish you with death...?
"Alright, who are you putting on this show for?"
"Just as you said, don't think that finding a scapegoat can fool the world in place of Zheng Twenty-Three..." Zheng Ya retorted decisively.
Zheng Yi frantically protested, "You're talking nonsense, he is Zheng Twenty-Three..."
"Boss, are you stupid?"
He doesn't play by the rules. The more anxious you are, the more it proves you're insecure. Stay calm..." Zheng Liu urgently sent a telepathic message to advise him.
Before Zheng Yi could recover, Zheng Ya said, "Idiot, Zheng Twenty-Three's attempt to murder Fu failed, but he exposed his voice, appearance, and characteristics."
"So, as Zheng Ershisan's colleagues, do you all know his physical characteristics and facial features? Do I really need to say it out loud?"
“Shut up! Zheng Twenty-Three’s men are right here. What scapegoat is this?” Zheng Yi’s panicked explanation made Zheng Liu unable to finish the job: “Alright, he is Zheng Twenty-Three from the Rong Prince’s Mansion.”
If he is not the same person who murdered Fu Ya, then someone else must have murdered you, Fu Ya.
This incident proves that someone deliberately framed my lord…
"Yes, yes, that makes sense."
Fu Ya, tell everyone in public what characteristics the person who murdered you had.
"Since this person has framed my lord, Your Highness must investigate this matter thoroughly and find the mastermind behind it..." Zheng Yi asked in return after realizing what was going on.
Zheng Ya laughed angrily: "Are you two putting on a show?"
Tell your Prince Rong that this feud is over, and you can all get out of here.
"Fu Ya, you have slandered Prince Rong time and time again, committing insubordination..." Zheng Yi was furious and drew his sword.
Zheng Liu pushed aside the prisoner who was blocking him with his sword, and Zheng Ya directly delivered a planned and guided spiritual technique: Visual Nerve Reflex.
Zheng Yi's vision blurred for a moment, and he saw Zheng Ya's figure, standing on the stone steps, suddenly appear to his right. He quickly twisted his sword and slashed horizontally, but the sword struck Zheng Liu's neck, who was blocking his way. Zheng Liu broke out in a cold sweat and cried out as he fell backward: "Ah, boss..."
With a "whoosh," Zheng Liu couldn't dodge in time, and Zheng Yi sliced off his scalp with a single sword stroke, leaving blood staining the snow.
The crowd on the street gasped in surprise and quickly retreated.
Zheng Liu screamed and rolled onto the snow. Zheng Yi, whose visual reflexes had not yet returned, chased after him with his sword: "Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
With a whoosh of sword light, tearing through a patch of wind and snow, Zheng Ya, while watching the spectacle, delivered a guiding spiritual spell to the kneeling prisoner: Potential Activation.
Unleashing human potential is a method of guidance that Zheng Ya gradually perfected to help people awaken their supernatural abilities and develop gene potions.
Driven by a spiritual energy consumption of 100, equivalent to 200,000 units of mental will energy, the prisoner's physique reversed from a state of weakness to one of heightened excitement. He then leaped up in a furious, long voice: "Prince Rong has taken me, a death row inmate to be executed in the autumn. Qi Zheng of the Qi Clan in the Northern Border has delivered the head on his behalf. This grudge will be avenged one day..."
"Whoosh!" Qi Zheng shouted as he flew away. Zheng Liu, terrified, dodged Zheng Yi's attack with a sharp sword. He caught a glimpse of Qi Zheng's figure disappearing into the wind and snow. He wanted to chase after him and catch him, but it was too late.
Zheng Yi had just shaken off the misleading guidance of the spiritual technique when Zheng Ya clapped his hands in delight: "Good, what a benevolent Prince Rong!"
He protected his subordinate Zheng Twenty-Three and used a death row inmate named Qi Zheng to fill the position.
He even publicly won people's hearts, praising Prince Rong's benevolence and hatred of evil, which was truly an eye-opener..."
"Shut up! If you dare to disrespect the Prince again, I will kill you!" Zheng Yi shouted angrily at Zheng Ya while chasing Zheng Liu, but dared not take a step forward.
Zheng Liu clutched the bleeding wound on his forehead, scrambled to his feet from the snow, and said, "Boss, let's retreat..."
"No, why are you withdrawing? Let the world see the power of Prince Rong, his deceitful and treacherous face."
Come on, stop standing there baring your teeth, draw your sword and attack.
"What's wrong? Come on!" Zheng Ya challenged him dismissively.
Zheng Yi was trembling with rage. He charged forward with his sword, but Zheng Liu grabbed him with his right hand: "Are you stupid? Think about how you accidentally killed me just now. If you rush up and do it again, who will die, you or me? Let's go..."
"Ah, this..." Zheng Yi was shocked and furious, and lost his composure.
Zheng Ya laughed: "You want to leave? I'm afraid you can come but not leave. Do you really think I'm made of clay, to be toyed with and humiliated by you at will..."
"Indeed, how can the Fu family allow others to bully them and humiliate the Dukes of Yong and Dai? Guards, seize them for me! Anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!" Fu Zhen, accompanied by Steward Dequan, rushed to the scene and ordered the arrest of the men.
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