After speaking, he grinned triumphantly at Fan Zehao, baring his teeth. "Let me tell you, the Emperor, Empress, and the two princes are all in Lingnan City. It's not a hundred thousand miles away, at least a ten-day to half-month journey. Here, you dare to call yourself 'Zhen' (Emperor)? You must be tired of living. Today, I'll deal with this imposter on behalf of the Emperor!"
Liu Cheng's eyes flashed with ferocity. He shouted to the bailiffs behind him, "Charge! Alive or dead, no matter! A thousand taels for each kill, and five thousand taels for capturing that woman alive!"
Everyone hesitated for a moment, but upon hearing about the reward money, their hearts stirred. Especially when they looked at Zhao Jiaqi, their eyes gleamed with avarice. This woman was worth five thousand taels. If they captured her, they would never have to worry about food and drink again and could even live a life of leisure.
Zhao Jiaqi smiled helplessly at their reactions. As the old saying goes, money makes the world go round. If the money is right, even a ghost can be made to push a millstone. As for whether it was a ghost with a split personality or a sentient millstone, that answer was unknown!
She turned to Fan Zehao, pouted, and said with feigned grievance, "Husband, I'm only worth five thousand taels!"
"Good girl, don't be angry. In my heart, you are a priceless treasure. Don't let these bastards dirty your ears with their words. Watch your husband deal with them!" Although he knew his wife was acting, seeing her wronged expression still made his heart ache.
After doting on his wife for a moment as if no one else were present, he suppressed his anger and ordered, "Make way, I'll handle him myself!"
Both Shi He and Feng Xiao understood who Fan Zehao was referring to. Facing the man approaching with murderous intent, Liu Cheng's heart chilled. However, he forced himself to remain calm, thinking he had brought enough men to deal with three men easily. He remained seated on his horse and commanded his men, "Charge! Kill him, and I'll reward you with ten thousand taels of silver!"
Motivated by the ten thousand taels, the bailiffs were eager to attack. They rushed forward in a mass, accustomed to outnumbering their opponents. However, they couldn't even touch Fan Zehao's clothes before being blocked by two guards. After a brief exchange, they discovered that the two men's martial arts were superior to theirs. Within a few rounds, the entire group was lying on the ground, groaning.
Liu Cheng was stunned. Only then did he realize fear. His pupils dilated, and he dismounted, preparing to flee. The moment his feet touched the ground, a knife thrown by Fan Zehao struck his calf with speed and precision. Liu Cheng immediately knelt, blood gushing from his leg.
Step by step, Fan Zehao walked steadily towards Liu Cheng, looking down at him. His cold, thin lips opened, "My woman is priceless, yet you think she's worth five thousand taels? Your judgment is truly poor. Why keep such eyes?" With that, he directly poked out Liu Cheng's eyes!
"Ah... My eyes... It hurts so much, I can't see!" Liu Cheng gasped in pain. Even in such agony, he still wished he could see the world one last time. What was most regrettable was that he didn't even get to see the setting sun for the final time. Perhaps, the heavens heard his plea, or perhaps it was because Fan Zehao, besides being a bully, had cast a beautiful, red afterglow on the western horizon.
Shi He, being observant, saw his master's hand was stained with blood and immediately offered his handkerchief. "Master, leave the rest to your subordinate. Don't dirty your hands further."
"Mmm. Tie them up and throw them at the prefect's doorstep. Have Sun Mo bring his men to watch them. If anyone escapes, the consequences will be on your head."
Shi He replied, "Yes, your subordinate will attend to it immediately."
As for the remaining riffraff, who had never done anything good, they had never been absent from doing bad deeds. Feng Xiao was instructed to tie them all up and send them to the town's prison to await judgment.
After Fan Zehao finished giving his instructions, he princess-carried Zhao Jiaqi to the carriage. Sixi drove the carriage directly to Hedong Prefecture.
After they left, Feng Xiao frowned, looking at the people lying scattered on the ground. With only two hands, it was impossible to tie them all up quickly. By the time they were all bound, the sky would be dark.
After watching for a while, Old Man Chen tremblingly walked over, tugged at Feng Xiao's sleeve, and asked, "Child, is that Master Fan really the Emperor? I'm old and my heart isn't very good. Don't lie to this old man. In my life, the highest official I've ever met was a scribe!" The scribe, who was usually a smiling tiger, had been so infuriated by this master and madam today that he had revealed his true face.
Feng Xiao smiled at Old Man Chen. He quite liked Old Man Chen, who, despite being a blabbermouth, had a good heart and had brought them joy over the past two days. "Uncle Chen, I'm not lying to you. Master Fan is indeed the current Emperor, and the lady is the Empress. They were returning to the inner city to visit their son but took a shortcut and encountered rain. As a result, the road in this area was not repaired, which is why the Emperor wants to investigate thoroughly."
"Unexpectedly, it was discovered that the local government officials were negligent. That's why they decided to stay and resolve the problem from the root. So that all of us common people can eat and wear warm clothes, live in good houses, have money in our pockets, and our children can afford to go to school. Our sons won't have to worry about finding wives, and our daughters won't have to worry about getting married. In short, whatever the people in other prefectures have, we will have too!"
Feng Xiao finished speaking and teased him with a smile, "Uncle Chen, you must live well. The Empress said you will eat meat and drink heartily from now on. This village will rely on you to lead the villagers to prosperity. Don't be like a monk hitting a bell, be spirited! Good days are coming soon!"
Old Man Chen's heart was agitated, and his hands trembled. Would the days he spoke of truly come? Why was he so excited even before they arrived? "My greatest wish is for my son to marry a good daughter-in-law. If not... even a widow would do. If the days ahead are as good as you say, I think... living to be a hundred would be too short!" Old Man Chen chuckled at his own words. He didn't need anyone else to laugh; he started laughing himself.
Looking at the people before him, who wore human skin but often committed deeds worse than beasts, Old Man Chen, wielding the authority of a village chief, shouted to the onlookers, "Villagers, these people are no good. Everyone, help Feng Xiao tie them up and send them to the town's prison! Don't let Lord Feng work alone. He is someone who is standing up for us."
With the village chief's command, everyone agreed. The people who had been bullied finally knew how to resist.