"You scanned the crowd and noticed that all those standing before you were fatties. You couldn’t help but think that the food in Minzhou must be even better than in Chang’an, to be able to raise so many fat pigs.
Though you looked down upon these officials in your heart, your face remained all smiles, "Of course, of course."
After the officials dispersed, Pei Yuanfu led you into Minzhou to your new residence. You didn’t let Zhen Nan and the others get out of the carriage, allowing the four won to remain inside while you sat in Pei Yuanfu’s carriage.
"General Luo, as soon as your official docunts arrived, I, your humble servant, had already prepared a residence for you. This residence was once the mansion of Prince Yuanji," Pei Yuanfu said with a smile so disgusting that you almost wanted to give him a good beating for his sycophantic manner.
"This seems a bit... inappropriate."
"Not at all. My colleagues and I bought this mansion, it’s not the fruit of corruption. It’s also been renovated and is especially prepared for you, General. Please rest assured and live comfortably," Pei Yuanfu said as they soon arrived at the residence he ntioned, the forr mansion of Li Yuanji.
The mansion far exceeded your expectations; it seed too large, even twice the size of your ho in Chang’an. Looking at the carriage where Zhen Nan and the others were, the party totaled only five people: Zhen Nan, Zi Yi, Little Yue, and Cui’er. If five people were to live in such a large mansion, not to ntion the four won, even you would find it awkward.
"That, Lord Pei..." You were about to speak when suddenly, a figure erged from the corner of the wall. You were quick to react and prepared to strike with your fist.
"Injustice!"
The person was an old man in tattered clothes, who rushed out from the corner and threw himself to the ground before you.
Fortunately, you stopped yourself in ti, else the old man would likely have been sent flying by your blow. The old man kept kowtowing to you, and though you were quick to help him up, you found that his forehead was already broken and bleeding, the fresh blood streaming down, staining his wrinkled and aged face.
"Old man, what’s happened to you?"
"Great General, please, I beg you to take up my family’s cause!"
"How dare you disturb the General! Soone, throw this wretched old man out!" Pei Yuanfu’s face changed imdiately, and he urgently ordered the guards to step forward.
"Hold on!"
Your face still wore a smile, but this smile was the kind that made others feel extrely oppressed. You helped the old man to the entrance of the mansion and let him sit on the tall threshold. Then, you gently placed your right hand on the old man’s forehead, and in the blink of an eye, when you took your hand away, the wound on his forehead had disappeared.
By now a crowd had gathered, and seeing this, they all emitted sounds of amazent.
"Old man, rest assured. Though I am not a county magistrate, I have one flaw – I like to ddle in affairs. Tell of your grievances, and I think I should be able to seek justice for you."
Hearing your words, the old man burst into tears, clutching your hands tightly, pleading with a desperate face, "Great General, I beg you, please save my son and daughter-in-law!"
"Soone, bring a bowl of water." Seeing the old man’s cracked lips, you commanded soone to bring water to quench his thirst. Shi Kai imdiately ordered the soldiers to find water, and they quickly borrowed a bowl from a nearby house.
The old man drank the large bowl of water in one gulp.
"Now, old man, you can tell the entire story."
"Great General, I am but a farr from the North Suburb. I own a few patches of thin farmland; my son and daughter are both married, and our life was quite stable." At this point, the old man’s expression suddenly turned ugly, "A few days ago, so young masters passed by my ho on horseback, and one of them took a fancy to my daughter-in-law. They wanted to take her by force. My son and daughter-in-law strongly resisted, so they broke my son’s legs and forcefully took my daughter-in-law away!"
"Why didn’t you report this to the officials instead of seeking out a General?" Pei Yuanfu looked at the old man with disdain.
"Report to the officials? Hmph! With officials protecting each other, what use is there in reporting? Even after spending all my family’s wealth, I couldn’t fill the officials’ greedy mouths! Moreover, those conscienceless dogs dared to sar my daughter-in-law, accusing her of seducing that tyrant and then forcibly seized my house and fields, oh heavens!" The surrounding people were enraged by the old man’s cries, and so were you.
You were especially quiet, listening only to the old man’s lant and then asked softly, "Do you know which young master did this?"
"The Lin Family in the East City!"
You slowly stood up and fetched a gold dal from your bosom, tossing it to Shi Kai behind you, and commanded lowly, "Take a team and arrest soone!"
"Yes!" Shi Kai imdiately set off!
"General, this can’t be done!"
Pei Yuanfu beca noticeably anxious. As the Governor of Min Province, he naturally knew about this incident. The Lin Family in the East City was a vassal family to the leading Aristocratic Cui Family in the Tang Dynasty.
The current head of the Lin Family was the brother-in-law of the Cui Family’s head, and the two families were inextricably linked. The Lin Family’s influence in Minzhou could be said to reach the heavens, akin to being the land emperors of Minzhou. You, as the appointed Protector of Minzhou, had yet to take office, and clashing with the Lin Family would be like beating an egg against a rock.
"Give a Li You." A smile slowly spread across your face, and upon seeing your smile, the mbers of the Death Squad chuckled; they knew it was the signature smile of their leader when about to wreak havoc.
"That, the Lin Family is too powerful, we can’t afford to provoke them." This ti, Pei Yuanfu was genuinely concerned for your welfare, as you were the biological son of Luo Cheng and held a very high status in the military.
"Is that so? How does this Lin Family compare to the Changsun Family?"
"That... The Changsun Family is an Aristocratic Family, the Lin Family cannot be ntioned in the sa breath." The Changsun Family was related to the Emperor, and although it couldn’t match the Cui Family, it was still one of the top families in the Tang Dynasty.
"If Brother dares to kill even the biological son of Changsun Wuji, why would he care about a Lin Family’s dog that abuses its power?" Saying so, you waved your hand, and Shi Kai led twenty subordinates galloping towards the East City.
In just a few minutes, Shi Kai and his n returned with a handso young man in brocade, presenting him before you.
Shi Kai threw the young man to the ground and reported to you, "Boss, this is the Third Young Master of the Lin Family, the very villain the old man spoke of."
"Old man, is it him?"
"Yes! I would recognize him even if he turned to ashes!"
Despite appearing sowhat disheveled, the young man in brocade maintained an arrogant look on his face, showing no hint of panic.
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