After everyone left, Fan Zehao began to discuss with Zhao Jiaqi how to deal with the audacious prefect.
"Tell me, should I cut off Zhao Qing Sui's flesh piece by piece, fry it in oil, and feed it to dogs, or should I shave the bones from his feet to make soup and feed it back to him!"
He spoke through gritted teeth, his molars grinding together, his eyes filled with murderous intent. These words truly terrified her.
This was the first time she had heard him mete out such a punishment to someone.
"His flesh is so rotten that even dogs won't eat it, so forget it, don't bother!"
No matter how much fuss was made, it would end in death anyway.
If they truly wanted to punish them, they should just throw them into the crowd and let the masses deal with them. It would be better to let the victims decide how they die, that would be much more fitting and appear more benevolent!
It would save the trouble of frying them in oil, skinning and dismembering them, which looked terrifying. More importantly, if word got out, it would make him, the king, appear a tyrant.
When morning came, Zhao Jiaqi ate a little and went to rest.
Before noon, Long Yi led more than ten people into Shangmen Village.
With more than ten additional people in the village, Old Man Chen arranged them in the vacant houses next door. Although the houses were dilapidated, they were still habitable.
These dozen or so people were quite happy with such accommodations. They finally saw the light of day, and were happy even if they had to sleep outdoors.
As evening approached, Liu Cheng, the advisor to the Prefectural Governor's office, rode into Shangmen Village on a tall horse, with others leading the horse and a group of yamen runners following behind him. He swayed precariously in his saddle.
It was fortunate that the rain had stopped, otherwise, with his frail physique, a single downpour could have sent him to the underworld.
At this moment, Liu Cheng's proud neck was held high. He surveyed the entire village. The dilapidated village looked worse than a beggar's den in his eyes. He smirked even more, completely disregarding the people and affairs here.
No... to be precise, in the entire Hedong Prefecture, only the Prefect himself commanded his attention. Everyone else was beneath his notice.
A group of people suddenly entered the village, all looking fierce and wearing official robes, with swords at their waists. They stood in the village, their eyes glinting with killing intent, and their sharp gazes making everyone look like a villain.
Seeing this, the villagers knew these were not local yamen runners, but likely people from higher up. Those who had just peeked out immediately retreated back into their homes, looking through the gaps in the fences, curious about their purpose and whether it was related to the group from that morning.
"Go and search house by house. I want to see who has the courage of a leopard to dare to disturb the peace, and whether they know that the King of Hell has three eyes. Today, I will show you all what happens to those who dare to harm the Prefect's people!"
These words were overheard by Zhao Jiaqi, who had come out to watch the commotion. She couldn't help but chuckle and ask, "I was the one who had them beaten. I'd like to know, what is my fate?"
The woman's sudden voice appeared in the public view. Everyone turned their heads to look at Zhao Jiaqi. Especially Liu Cheng, who sat high and could see farther and clearer.
Facing so many people, she could still speak so nonchalantly, which made him pause for a moment. Then he sneered, "Auntie, you should be careful with your words. Your head might roll and blood might spill the next second, which is quite frightening!"
Auntie?
She was in the prime of her life, and he called her an old woman!
If she could tolerate it, her aunt couldn't!
Zhao Jiaqi retorted, "Damn it, you old fossil, your eyesight is bad enough, but why are your mouth and teeth mismatched? Be careful, lest your teeth are pulled out and you're left with only a tongue, unable to speak clearly. Wouldn't that make you upset!"
Chun Fen, standing beside her, giggled and said, "Madam, why not pull out his tongue? Then he wouldn't be upset. His tongue is useless anyway, and everything he says stinks. Why keep it? It's an eyesore. Madam, please do us a favor and take care of him completely!"
The mistress and her servant were trading barbs, which truly infuriated people!
Liu Cheng was so enraged that he almost fainted. His face turned as red as a pig's liver. In these years, in Hedong Prefecture, he was ranked third, and no one dared to claim second.
Now, this woman dared to insult him in front of so many people. If he didn't teach her a lesson, wouldn't his authority be undermined, and how would he establish his authority before his subordinates in the future?
"You've had your fun with your mouth, so I'll let you have a complete blast. Before you die, I'll turn you into a lecherous ghost."
After speaking, Liu Cheng waved his arm and shouted, "Guards! Seize this slut and give her to you all. Play with her to your heart's content. If anyone dares to play any tricks, I will cripple them!"
The subordinates behind him rubbed their hands, waiting for the yamen runners to bring the person to them.
As the yamen runners took a step forward, Shi He and Feng Xiao appeared in front of her like lightning. No one saw where they came from; they just felt that the two men had appeared out of thin air.
One held a saber, the other a sword, and they stared menacingly at the people in front, not backing down an inch.
Outside the crowd, Fan Zehao walked over. For the first time in his life, he felt the urge to grind someone into dust. This was the first time, and so far, the only time.
"I can't bear to speak harshly to those I care about, yet you want to turn her into a lecherous ghost. You have quite the nerve. I'd like to see who can protect you!"
Fan Zehao was extremely angry and too lazy to say anything more. He waved his hand and said, "Capture Liu Cheng alive. Anyone else who dares to resist will be killed without mercy. I want to see who dares to commit treason. I will exterminate their nine generations, leaving not even a speck of bone!"
He said "朕" (Zhen, the imperial 'I') twice. Everyone's ears were not deaf, and they naturally heard it. At this moment, everyone present was stunned for a moment, and they started whispering and discussing the matter.
Everyone in Yun Kingdom, from ninety-nine years old to toddlers, knew that the Emperor of Yun loved to travel in disguise. This might truly be him in disguise, visiting their impoverished region.
The villagers of Shangmen Village heard him claim to be the Emperor, and they all rushed out of their homes, scrambling to catch a glimpse of Fan Zehao and the woman beside him.
The Emperor and Empress of Yun were considered paragons of married couples throughout the country. The emperor's reputation for being henpecked had spread to every street and alley in Yun Kingdom.
Liu Cheng was the first to recover. He sneered, "I'm not scared by mere words. If you're the Emperor, then I'm the Emperor's ancestor!"