"I've sent men to secretly follow and protect them. If anything happens, they'll send a message back immediately by carrier pigeon. Don't worry too much," Shang Xiye gently patted the little bandit's back to comfort her.
Ji Fengyao nodded.
Since there were no communication talismans in this world, and messages couldn't be exchanged, she could only wait for carrier pigeons to deliver the messages.
The next morning, several messages were indeed sent back to the capital via carrier pigeon from Hualiang City.
At the morning court session, the officials lamented.
The sky above was shrouded in gloom and despair.
"Your Majesty, it is said that Marquis Anping and his son have committed atrocities in Hualiang City, robbing many officials and merchants, including the garrison commander Chen Yunli, of everything. Their banditry is outrageous!" Long Jianbing, Minister of Justice, declared vehemently.
"To prevent more officials and merchants from suffering, I implore Your Majesty to recall the Marquis of Anping and his son, and from now on, order them to live in seclusion in the Marquis's residence in the capital. As for the western expedition, the three of us—the Duke of Chen and his son—are sufficient," an old official lamented with great distress.
Minister of Rites Feng Zhengchang indifferently added insult to injury: "It's no use just recalling Marquis Anping and his son. With the Ninth Prince backing them up, their bandit nature is hard to change. Aren't there enough colleagues in the capital who have been harmed by them?"
He was the biggest victim among them; most of his life savings were taken by that gang of bandits, and he couldn't find a single piece of evidence!
Everyone fell silent upon hearing this.
Even Emperor Shang Xiche raised his head from the dragon throne, lifted his eyelids, and glanced indifferently at Feng Zhengchang and Shang Xiye.
Oh ho!
Has Lord Feng suddenly become so audacious that he dares to openly impeach the Ninth Prince?
Shang Xiye, who rarely spoke in the court, remained silent for a long time. Just when everyone thought he was going to hold back, he suddenly turned the wool blanket with a bald patch on his leg around.
His slender, pale fingers lightly traced a patch of thick wool on the new wool blanket, his deep voice sounding exceptionally cold: "I do not wish to remind you all a second time that you are officials of the court, pillars of the nation, not gossipy commoners. Your actions and words should be based on reason and evidence. Otherwise, anyone who groundlessly slanders or challenges the authority of the royal family, I have the right to execute them first and report later!"
His tone wasn't harsh, but it carried a powerful weight.
The officials silently gasped, increasingly convinced that Feng Zhengchang had lost his mind.
Feng Zhengchang also felt a chill in his heart, but remembering his own position, he knew he would have to confront the Ninth Prince sooner or later. Now that the words had been spoken, he could only grit his teeth and bear it.
“In the capital, under the emperor’s nose, all the villains hide. As soon as that gang of bandits came, officials’ homes were robbed one after another. Hua Liang City has always been peaceful. After that gang of bandits left, officials and wealthy families were also robbed one after another. If you say that these are all coincidences, then it is too coincidental.”
"Catch the adulterer in the act, seize the thief with stolen goods; Lord Feng, now that you've risen to the rank of Minister, do you still need me to teach you the fundamentals of being an official? Or perhaps, Lord Feng needs to start all over again from a lowly seventh-rank official, to gain experience once more?"
As Shang Xiye spoke, he turned to Shang Xiche on the dragon throne and said indifferently, "Your Majesty, the position of the magistrate of the northwestern border city has been vacant since he was assassinated by the mutinous army last year. I think that since Lord Feng is so good at spouting nonsense, he is perfect for dealing with the fierce and unruly people on the border. Why not send Lord Feng to gain experience for three to five years and then recall him after the war is over?"
After hearing Shang Xiye's words, the emperor raised his hand and touched the secret letter that Ji Chenhai had sent back that morning, which was hidden in his sleeve, and remained silent.
Feng Zhengchang's heart tightened: This is bad!
It seems that the Emperor is indeed considering the Ninth Prince's suggestion.
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