Noon.
On the main street of the royal city.
Several n and won dressed in splendid attire walked side by side, their every move radiating nobility.
These n and won were no ordinary people; they were the fad young lords and ladies who had road the royal city with unchallenged arrogance for years, and no one dared to provoke them.
In the center of the group walked a woman in a pure white dress, with heavy makeup, and fairly attractive features. She was Xiahou Bing, the daughter of the City Defense General Xiahou Wei. To Xiahou Bing's left was a man, dignified and handso, nad Linghu Piaoshui, the son of the Great Commander of the inner army. On Xiahou Bing's right was Du Feichong, the son of the Great Commander of the outer army, and the rest, of sowhat lesser status, were typical second-generation officials.
"Sigh..." Walking along, Xiahou Bing suddenly let out a sigh.
"What's wrong?" Linghu Piaoshui asked with confusion, "Why the sigh all of a sudden?"
"I'm just not in a good mood," Xiahou Bing shook her head, "Last ti I got kidnapped, the attacker was ruthless and crippled my Cultivation. For two years, I've been trying to restore it, but... I've never been successful. Am I really going to be a cripple for the rest of my life? I can't accept that!"
"Neither can I," Linghu Piaoshui chuckled wryly, "Watching people around improve their Cultivation so quickly, I'm nearly dying of envy."
"What infuriates the most is... that to this date, we haven't caught the bandit who kidnapped us," Du Feichong cursed through clenched teeth, "Heaven must be blind, letting a villain roam free."
"I'll tell you this, even now, I have nightmares every day," Xiahou Bing said with a bitter smile, "I have to sleep with a light on at night, and soone guarding by my bed. Otherwise, I can't sleep. Even if I do fall asleep, I'll wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, and then I can't fall back asleep."
"I don't have nightmares, but I'm irritable every day and can't seem to do anything with enthusiasm."
"It's all that bandit's fault; he has ruined us. If I can find him, I'm going to flay him, pull his tendons, chop him up and feed him to dogs."
"Feeding him to dogs would be letting him off too easy; he should be chopped up and fed to pigs!"
"Even pigs would be too good for him; he should have his bones ground to dust and his ashes scattered! His soul should be destroyed so he can't even reincarnate."
"Exactly! That's exactly what should be done."
"You damn bandit, if you have the guts, co out, co out! You only dare to do harm behind our backs, hiding your head and shrinking your tail, you shaless thing."
The group beca more and more agitated as they talked and cursed with increasing vigor.
"You bunch of damned brutes! I've finally found you!" An old woman rushed over from the side of the road, hands outstretched toward Xiahou Bing: "Give back my son's life..."
"Where did this old hag co from? Seeking death," Xiahou Bing exclaid, startled: "Guards, guards, co quickly and drive this crazy woman away!"
"Hoo-hah!"
A group of guards ran over and kicked the old woman away with a foot.
"Bang!"
The old woman fell to the ground, clutching her chest, her face turning purple with pain, "You... you demons... may you never die a good death... never a good death..."
"Dare to curse us! Co on, give her a good lesson! No matter if she dies!" Xiahou Bing's face darkened as she gave the order to her guards.
"Hoo-hah!"
The guards rushed up and started beating the old woman with a flurry of punches and kicks. In a short while, the old woman was left breathless.
Just then, a luxurious carriage approached from afar, surrounded by a large retinue of guards, "Stop!" A loud shout ca from within the carriage: "Everyone stop!" The carriage door opened, and out stepped a man wearing a yellow robe, exuding an imposing aura.
"Why is he here?" Xiahou Bing frowned from the back of the crowd.
"Who is that? Do you know him?" Du Feichong asked, puzzled.
"I've seen him once in the palace..."
"The palace?"
"He is the Crown Prince, He Hentian."
"Ah? It's him!"
As the two were talking, He Hentian ordered his guards to rush forward and rescue the elderly woman whose face was covered in blood.
"You have so nerve! To actually dare to beat the common people in the streets! And to do so with such cruelty, do you have no regard for the law!" He Hentian bellowed angrily, "Co, arrest these vile scoundrels! Arrest them all, and if anyone dares resist, lash them hard."
"You wouldn't dare! We are from the General's Mansion..."
"Ow, you really dare to hit , it hurts like hell!"
"I warn you, don't act recklessly, hey, hey, hey, go easy on , my arm is about to break."
The scene was sowhat chaotic, but soon cald down. The guards who had beaten the old woman were arrested, and even Xiahou Bing and the others were taken into custody.
"Crown Prince! This is a misunderstanding!" Xiahou Bing shouted loudly, "My father is the City Defense General Xiahou Wei..."
"My father is Linghu Wuheng, the Inner Army Great Commander," Linghu Piaoshui followed with a shout.
"My father is Du Yue, the Outer Army Great Commander," Du Feichong also cried out.
The other sons and daughters of nobility also took turns revealing their family nas.
"All of you co from noble families! You should be role models, how can you knowingly break the law and engage in such misconduct! Today you've crossed , and that's your bad luck! I'm soone who can't stand a speck of sand in his eyes, and the common folk aren't just anyone you can bully! Co, take these people away," He Hentian said righteously.
"Let's talk this over, don't get physical."
"Crown Prince, I beg you to show leniency."
"We understand our mistake."
Seeing that He Hentian was serious, Xiahou Bing and the others were imdiately frightened and hastily pleaded for rcy, but He Hentian simply ignored them.
And so, Xiahou Bing and the others were taken away.
"Long live the Crown Prince!"
The onlookers cheered in unison, "These young masters and ladies are so arrogant and bullying, please Crown Prince, seek justice for us."
"My fellow townspeople, rest assured, I will judge fairly and give you all an explanation," He Hentian promised, patting his chest for emphasis.
"The Crown Prince is a good man! A truly good man!"
"A great good man."
"Thank you, Crown Prince!"
The actions of He Hentian won the trust and favor of the people, which was an unexpected pleasure for him. He had deliberately set a trap today to catch Xiahou Bing and the others, and he hadn't anticipated the public's acclaim. This showed just how much hatred Xiahou Bing and the others had garnered.
"Everyone, go to the Governnt Office to file a complaint now. Speak out about all the grievances and harm you've suffered. As long as it is verified, I will deal with it seriously," He Hentian declared loudly. Arresting them was the first step, gathering criminal evidence was the second. As long as they found proof of Xiahou Bing and the others' cris, the initiative would firmly be in He Hentian's hands.
"Let's go, to the Governnt Office! To file a complaint!"
A large group of citizens, fuming with anger, ran towards the Governnt Office.
The Governnt Office had already been instructed by He Hentian, and a courtyard had been specially cleared out to receive the plaintiffs. By noon, they had accepted several hundred cases, all against Xiahou Bing and the others.
As night fell...
Not only had the number of citizens coming to file complaints not decreased, but it had also increased. More people continued to gather outside. Just how many misdeeds had Xiahou Bing and the others committed? How could there be so many people coming to file complaints? It was remarkable!
After receiving the news, He Hentian imdiately ordered the Governnt Office to work overti overnight, and sent a large number of assistants. They kept at it until dawn, and only then did the citizens reporting their cases begin to dwindle.
Reviews
All reviews (0)