plumnovel Chapter 20, Part 1: Beating the Stunned Tyrant
Chapter 20, Part 1: Beating the Stunned Tyrant
The deputy to the provincial inspector was divided into the first deputy and the second deputy, namely the deputy provincial inspector and the assistant provincial inspector, one being a fourth-rank official and the other a fifth-rank official.
In order to enable Lin Ruhai to take control of the Provincial Surveillance Commission as soon as possible, Emperor Yankang directly transferred away both the former Provincial Surveillance Commissioner and his deputy.
The person in charge of affairs in the yamen now is the Assistant Provincial Surveillance Commissioner.
Liu Feng guessed correctly; new clues were indeed found in the prison, and they were important clues at that.
The madam of the Shuyu Courtyard on the banks of the Qinhuai River used to accompany distinguished guests from the capital and buy a number of abducted children. From then on, traffickers would send a dozen or so children to the Shuyu Courtyard every year.
This Shuyu Courtyard was no ordinary brothel; it was a gathering place for high-ranking officials, nobles, and literati in Jinling City. Even the prefect of Jinling was a frequent visitor there.
In the past, the clerk would never have stirred up such a hornet's nest, let alone risk offending the prefect of Jinling.
But now the position of deputy envoy is vacant. He wants to make a great contribution to climb the ranks, and he also wants to perform well in front of his new superior, Lin Ruhai, to secure his position.
Of course, he also had a backup plan, bringing in Liu Feng, a trusted disciple of Lin Ruhai. If something really happened, Lin Ruhai would definitely protect Liu Feng, and protecting Liu Feng would be protecting him.
Liu Feng also hoped to make a name for himself and get promoted. The two hit it off immediately. One of them would issue the warrants, and the other would lead the troops to arrest people!
Although Nanjing had a curfew, as commerce and trade flourished and people moved around more frequently, coupled with its distance from the capital and lax regulations, night markets along the Qinhuai River and Confucius Temple area became commonplace, lasting all night long.
The banks of the Qinhuai River were brightly lit, laughter filled the brothels, and the painted boats on the river swayed gently. The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments played all night long, and the entire Qinhuai River was immersed in a gentle and lively night.
A burst of hurried footsteps broke the lively atmosphere.
Before the vendors and pedestrians on the street could recover, they saw two groups of soldiers appear simultaneously from both ends of the street corner.
"Martial law has been declared! Everyone go home! Go home!"
"When government officials are on duty, idlers should stay away!"
The street vendors, their lanterns still lit, hurriedly packed up their stalls and left.
The pedestrians dispersed in a commotion.
Two teams of soldiers stood guard every few steps, completely blocking off the street.
Then Liu Feng led a group of people and rushed directly to the courtyard with big red lanterns hanging at the entrance.
This place doesn't resemble a brothel at all; it's more like the private residence of a well-to-do family. A three-tiered stone staircase leads up to a gate no more than four feet deep, which is now wide open. The courtyard is brightly lit, and the sounds of string and wind instruments mingle with laughter and chatter drift out in waves.
"What are you doing? What are you doing?" Two burly men rushed out. Even though they realized that the men were government officials, they were not afraid at all and reached out to push Liu Feng, who was about to enter the room.
Liu Feng stopped and raised his riding whip.
Two soldiers rushed up from behind and slammed the hilts of their swords into the faces of the two burly men.
The two fell to the ground screaming in agony, blood streaming from their mouths and noses.
But the two soldiers didn't stop at all, and kicked them hard.
The other officers and soldiers rushed in and scattered to stand in various places in the courtyard.
Liu Feng went inside, stopped in the courtyard, and looked at the madam who came out after hearing the noise.
The screams startled the guests upstairs and downstairs, who opened their doors and windows to peek out. Upon seeing that they were soldiers, many of those who were guilty or whose identities were not to be revealed immediately and hurriedly closed their windows and locked their doors.
Some of the doormen who recognized Liu Feng hurriedly came out of the house, ran up to the second floor, knocked on the door of a luxurious room, and went inside.
The madam approached with a smile and asked, "Sir, what brings you here? This is a legitimate brothel registered in Jinling Prefecture."
Liu Feng looked at her: "You're the madam here?"
Madam: "Yes."
Liu Feng: "Take it down."
Two soldiers roared and grabbed her.
Madam: "Why are you arresting me? Why are you arresting me?"
Liu Feng: "You'll find out when you get to the prison."
Madam: "Nanjing is a lawless place. You've arrested people without any evidence, knowingly breaking the law! I'm going to the government office to report you!"
Liu Feng laughed angrily: "Slap yourself!"
The two soldiers showed no mercy whatsoever, striking her with both hands until blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.
The madam panicked and cried out, "Your Excellency, please come and save me!"
Liu Feng glanced upstairs subconsciously. Was the Prefect of Jinling here?
Just then, a young man with a round face and a flamboyantly dressed, flowery robe came down the stairs. He waved a folding fan and asked in a nonchalant tone, "Which government office are you from?"
The madam, as if grasping at a straw, quickly cried out, "Master Xue, save me!"
Surname Xue? Liu Feng frowned. There were several families with the surname Xue in Jinling City. Which one was this? Hey, this big face, could he be Xue Baochai's brother?
The squad leader beside him whispered, "Sir, he is Xue Pan, the head of the Xue family, one of the four great families of Jinling. He is known as the 'Foolish Tyrant'."
Oh, it really is Xue Pan!
Liu Feng looked Xue Pan up and down a few times. To be honest, he was quite good-looking, except his face was a bit big.
Seeing that Liu Feng didn't answer, Xue Pan snapped his folding fan shut and pointed it at Liu Feng, shouting, "Are you mute?!"
His servant, also trying to intimidate him, pointed at Liu Feng and said, "Our master is asking you a question!"
Liu Feng glanced up at the upstairs and, seeing that the prefect of Jinling still hadn't made a move, waved his hand and said, "Beat him."
The captain hesitated: "Sir..."
"Hmm?" Liu Feng glared at him.
Helpless, the team leader could only look at his trusted confidant and give him a wink.
The confidant understood, stepped forward, kicked the servant to the ground, and then slapped Xue Pan hard across the face.
Xue Pan covered his face, his eyes filled with disbelief: "You...you dare hit me..."
He immediately flew into a rage and cursed, "You son of a bitch! Do you know who I am?! I'll make sure your whole family suffers a terrible death..."
Liu Feng tossed the riding whip to the squad leader: "Give him twenty lashes."
The team leader stepped forward and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Uncle Xue."
He raised the whip high, but secretly reduced his strength, and the whip fell on Xue Pan one lash after another.
Xue Pan had been pampered since childhood and had never suffered like this before. Even though the officer showed mercy, the whip still hurt terribly when it hit him, causing him to roll on the ground and howl in pain.
The servant lay down on the ground and pretended to be dead. The madam and the onlookers were all shocked. Someone actually dared to hit the tyrant!
The Xue family are imperial merchants, and even if they are only nominally so now, they are not people that a minor official can afford to offend.
The twenty lashes were quickly finished, and Xue Pan groaned on the ground.
Liu Feng walked up and kicked the servant boy: "Stop pretending to be dead, help your master back. Tell your young lady that Shuyu Courtyard is a kidnapping den, and the madam is the ringleader, understand?"
The servant wasn't stupid; he understood that Liu Feng was saving Xue Pan, so he quickly scrambled to his feet and bowed, saying, "Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"
They helped Xue Pan up and fled the place as if they were escaping.
Liu Feng smiled to himself. Not only did Xue Pan get a beating for nothing, but he would also have to send gifts to thank him another day. How wonderful!
Upon hearing that Shuyu Courtyard was a kidnapping den, the guests immediately erupted in anger, and the madam cried out in protest.
Liu Feng ignored him and directly ordered a search.
Before we arrived, we had already discussed it with the clerk. We wouldn't search the upstairs. If we actually found officials there, it would be awkward.
Only search the backyard, woodshed, and storage room—places where people can hide...
......................
The Xue family was in an uproar. Upon hearing that her beloved son had been beaten, Aunt Xue didn't care about avoiding suspicion anymore and rushed straight to the front yard.
Xue Pan had already taken off his clothes and was lying on the bed, his back covered in crisscrossing whip marks, some blue and some purple.
The maidservant carefully applied the medicine to Xue Pan, but even so, Xue Pan grimaced in pain and cursed incessantly.
Aunt Xue stood by the bed, looking at her son's miserable state, and her teeth itched with hatred. In her heart, she wanted to tear Liu Feng to pieces eight hundred times.
"The young lady has arrived!" came the announcement from the living room.
Aunt Xue turned and walked out. Standing in the living room was a girl who looked about twelve or thirteen years old. She was beautiful with fair skin, red lips without lipstick, and dark eyebrows without makeup. Her face was like a silver basin, and her eyes were like water apricots. Her hair was tied up in a shiny black bun, and her honey-colored jacket was neither new nor old. It did not look luxurious, but rather added to her dignity and beauty.
The young girl was Xue Pan's younger sister, Xue Baochai. She slowly walked up to Aunt Xue and gave a slight bow: "Mother, the people who went to gather information have returned. The Provincial Surveillance Commission has rescued several abducted children from Shuyu Courtyard..."
"Is Shuyu Courtyard really a hideout for human traffickers?"
Aunt Xue's face changed slightly in surprise, and she unconsciously clenched the handkerchief in her hand a little tighter.
Xue Baochai: "Even if it's not a hideout, it must be colluding with human traffickers."
Hearing this, Aunt Xue felt a chill run down her spine. She clasped her hands together, murmured "Amitabha," and said, "It seems the officials from the Provincial Surveillance Commission really are helping your brother. In times of crisis, relatives are the most reliable! Once your brother has recovered, prepare generous gifts and have him personally visit the Lin family to express his gratitude. They're all relatives; keep in touch. There will be many times when the family needs their help in the future..."
"I'm not going!"
From the bedroom came Xue Pan's furious shouts, "What kind of lousy relatives are they? Hitting me in front of so many people! How am I supposed to face anyone in Jinling City after this... Ouch, be gentle! You're trying to kill me!"
"Slow down, be gentle!" Aunt Xue felt sorry for her son and quickly turned around and went back to the bedroom.
Xue Baochai sighed softly, her face showing sadness.
She knew perfectly well that while the intervention of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner to save her brother was partly due to the Lin family's influence, it also served as a deliberate attempt to humiliate the Xue family. Otherwise, why would they have chosen such a method that would cause the Xue family to lose face?
The Xue family has truly fallen into ruin!
My brother is unreliable, and my mother is clueless...
Thinking of this, Xue Baochai sighed again.
In any case, we must hold on tightly to the Lin family as relatives. I've heard there's a young lady in the Lin family; it would be a good opportunity to pay her a visit.
Hmm, I'll write a letter tomorrow to let them know...