Having served as an official for many years, Chen Zhifu knew very well that when offending someone, one must remember not to offend them too harshly.
Otherwise, the dog will jump over the wall when it is desperate, and it will inevitably suffer a backlash.
Prefect Chen thought they could just compromise and sort out the mess. "I've brought the marriage certificate, and I'll return the betrothal gifts in full. Please also tell His Majesty that from now on, my daughter and the Prince are on their own terms, and we have nothing to do with each other anymore."
Princess Rong raised her eyebrows. "Really?"
"I'm not kidding." Prefect Chen stopped the old lady and continued, "With my mother as my witness, there's absolutely no chance of regret."
This matter is very strange.
Princess Rong understood the temperament of the Chen family girl and knew that she would not marry anyone but Ye Changge.
How come he changed his tone after just a few days? It was Magistrate Chen and Old Madam Chen who came to cancel the engagement. It's really hard to explain the ins and outs here.
Princess Rong took back the marriage certificate and watched the two of them breathe a sigh of relief. She still had doubts in her heart, so after the others left, she immediately sent someone to inquire.
Because his subordinates kept the matter secret and Prefect Chen also deliberately told his family not to talk about it, nothing was found out.
Princess Rong didn't believe it, so she sent people to investigate. As a result, they actually found out a lot of things.
Two days later, the wind from Jianzhou also blew over Jingzhou.
Not only Princess Rong, but even Prince Rong knew that the evil son had broken into the prison at night for a peasant girl.
Prince Rong was so angry that his chest hurt. He immediately packed his luggage and rushed to Jianzhou to clean up the mess.
Even if his precious son had done something wrong, he couldn't be thrown into jail. Besides, Jiang Xuqing was only a fifth-rank official, not even worthy of carrying shoes in their family. Where did he get the right to detain a relative of the emperor?
Prince Rong came to Jiang Xuqing in a rage to call him to account.
He received the news early in the morning and went to the prefectural government office to welcome Prince Rong in advance.
Prince Rong snorted coldly, not even giving Jiang Xuqing a good look. He sat down in the hall and asked, "Jiang Xuqing, are you so arrogant that you want to rebel? You even dared to detain the Prince of Nanping. Do you not take the royal majesty seriously?"
Xu Jing estimated that within three days, the 800-mile express delivery would have reached the capital. Facing the impending disaster, Prince Rong had nothing to fear. After paying his respects, he said, "I am acting impartially and will not shield a criminal."
"How dare you." Prince Rong slammed the gavel and shouted angrily, "How can my son Changge be considered a criminal?"
"Dayan's laws stipulate that anyone who breaks into the prison at night, regardless of who they are, will be handed over to local officials for punishment. Your Majesty, even if you are shielding the County Prince, you must act according to the law."
"Bullshit!" Prince Rong was furious, his beard puffing and his eyes glaring, completely devoid of any sense of morality or decency. "Why did my son break into the prison at night? He was just there to enjoy the scenery, how can you treat him like a criminal? I think you're abusing your power and bending the law for personal gain. If you know what's good for you, forget about my son, or don't blame me for being so ruthless."
Prince Rong claimed to be the emperor's brother, so he did not take a small fifth-rank prefect seriously.
In Prince Rong's view, Jianzhou and even the entire Jingzhou were under his control. He didn't need to waste his breath on a fifth-rank official.
"We can't let him go." Xu Jing remained calm and composed as he faced Prince Rong. "Not only did he break into the prison at night, he's also suspected of treason."
Prince Rong was completely shocked.
Didn’t you say that you broke into the prison at night just for a woman?
How can it be involved in the affairs of the court?
After realizing what was happening, Prince Rong stood up and pointed at Jiang Xuqing's nose, cursing, "You're talking nonsense and spewing shit. How dare you say things like treason and collaborating with the enemy?"
"No," Xu Jing said loudly, "I only dared to detain the prince because I had solid evidence. If I release someone with such evil intentions, it would be my fault. Even if I die, I will never escape the blame."
"Jiang Xuqing, do you know what you are saying?" Prince Rong was so angry that he swept the books and pen holder on the table to the ground.
"How could I, the prince, and the current emperor, be so utterly traitorous as to share the same mother as him? What crime should you, a mere prefect, commit for insubordination?"
Xu Jing spoke bluntly. "I have not committed any offense against my superiors, and the Jianzhou government office is not under the control of Your Majesty. If Your Majesty truly wishes to punish me, please obtain the Imperial Sword and then proceed."
"How dare you." This was outrageous. A fifth-rank official actually dared to openly contradict him. Was there no reason to go against the law?
If there is no punishment, where is the prince's dignity?
Prince Rong slammed the table and shouted, "Come here, bring this traitor who has committed treason and disobeyed the Holy Order to me."
The yamen runners were all clerks under Shi Dianli, who was also Xu Jing's subordinate and listened to him alone.
Prince Rong's words were nonsense to them. They just acted like a deaf ear and refused to listen.
Prince Rong's anger peaked when he saw that he couldn't control the yamen runners of the prefectural government. Since he couldn't control them, he could probably use his own team, right?
"Jiang Xuqing intends to assassinate me. Someone strip him of his official uniform and arrest him."
Prince Rong's dogs were much more obedient. Upon hearing this, they swarmed around Jiang Xuqing. Some of the braver ones even went up to him and tried to strip him of his clothes.
Xu Jing remained undaunted and shouted, "How dare you! I am an official appointed by the imperial court. Who are you to openly insult me? Do you want to die?"
Xu Jing roared, barely frightening the servants who came to strip him of his clothes. Upon hearing this, Prince Rong said, "Jiang Xuqing is so bold as to dare to assassinate me. This is a heinous crime. Take him down."
"Your Highness is lying with open eyes. Why would a mere civil servant like me do such a dangerous and evil thing?"
Prince Rong smiled instead of getting angry, signaling his servants to arrest him. "You also arrested the child without reason. I am giving him a taste of his own medicine."
"I am an official appointed by the imperial court. If you want to arrest me, you need the emperor's order. You also need to verify my crimes before you can bring me to justice and serve as a warning to others." Xu Jing sneered, "Your Highness, do you really think that the prefectural government office is the Rong Prince's palace, and that I am a servant in your palace who can be beaten and killed at will?"
"Don't waste your time talking to him, and don't take him down."
"How dare you." Xu Jing said coldly, "Come here! These guys are trying to assassinate me, and I won't let them arrest them."
Now the deaf bailiffs understood and threw away their sticks, ready to join in a fight.
Seeing that things were not going well, Prince Rong shouted, "Jiang Xuqing, are you going to rebel?"
"I would like to ask Your Highness, are you planning a rebellion?" Xu Jing straightened his robe and said calmly, "Your Highness, if you want to arrest me, please produce the arrest warrant. Otherwise, I will deny all responsibility. Arrest those who dare to strip me of my clothes and throw them into jail to await your punishment."
Prince Rong was so angry that he was fuming. He was used to being arrogant at home, and this was the first time he saw someone so stubborn.
Jiang Xuqing is just a fifth-rank official. How could he have the courage to offend him? Is there someone above him?
Or did he really catch something wrong?
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