Chapter 285
Chapter 285
“Including travel time, I can complete this mission within a month. Not only will I appease the King of Qiang’s anger, but I will also prevent him from causing any further disturbances within the borders of Yue, make him write a formal letter admitting his fault, and build an ancestral temple in the State of Qiang!”
At Shen Lang’s declaration, the King grew even more incredulous. It was a task as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
“However, I have a… very small request.”
“You want me to enfeoff your father-in-law not as the Marquis of Raging Tide, but as the Marquis of Xuanwu, officially bestowing Raging Tide City upon the Jin Clan, don’t you?”
Shen Lang said quickly.
“As expected, Your Majesty’s wisdom is truly unparalleled!”
“Are you really going to go?”
It was a path fraught with mortal danger.
“For Your Majesty and the State of Yue, I would fight until my body is shattered and my bones are ground to dust.”
*What nonsense! Who would believe you?*
Shen Lang wouldn’t risk it even if the path were only slightly dangerous, let alone one where he had to face death multiple times. But this time, his life wasn’t on the line. If he hadn’t been absolutely certain of his safety, he wouldn’t have offered to go in the first place. The King closed his eyes.
“I will write a letter to my father-in-law, stating that I volunteered to go as an envoy to the State of Qiang and that Your Majesty did not coerce me in any way. Even if I die in the State of Qiang, the Jin Clan will only hold a grudge against the Su Clan. They will never…”
He couldn’t finish the sentence. How could he utter the words ‘hold a grudge against the King’?
The King said calmly, “Shen Lang, if you truly succeed in this matter, not only will I enfeoff Jin Zhuo as the Marquis of Xuanwu, but I will also place you in a position of great importance upon your return!”
*It’s a deal. When I return and ask for an official post, you’d better not forget today’s promise.*
Shen Lang had little interest in becoming an official, but his sole objective now was to destroy the Su Clan, and to bring them to an end, he needed an official position. The King nodded and gestured for him to leave.
“You may go!”
Shen Lang bowed and exited the study. He should have knelt, but he took the opportunity to skip the formality. The King pretended not to notice. With that, the first step in destroying the Su Clan was officially complete. Now, it was time to implement the second step and plan the third.
Su Nan was a formidable man. In his many power struggles with the King, he had always managed to gain the upper hand. In terms of scheming, ruthlessness, attention to detail, and acting, he was even more impressive than Zhang Chong. In a direct confrontation, one would find no flaws in him. However, there was one area where he fell short of Zhang Chong: he lacked foresight! Zhang Chong never indulged in personal greed for the sake of his political ideals and always looked far ahead. But Su Nan coveted power for himself, so his strategies lacked the same foresight as Zhang Chong’s. This was not a matter of intelligence or wisdom, but a trait determined by his character.
After leaving the study, Shen Lang turned back and said with a shameless expression, “Your Majesty, may I ask a favor?”
“The release of Jin Mucong? I have already sent someone.”
“Could you entrust that errand to me? And perhaps grant me an imperial edict?”
“You want me to issue an edict for such a disgraceful matter? Lü Jun, you will accompany Shen Lang.”
***
“Eunuch Lü, please wait a moment. I must return home to comb my hair and wash my face. I must be a complete mess.”
Standing outside the Jin Clan’s villa, Shen Lang said with a smile. Lü Jun, seated in his palanquin, replied with a smile of his own.
“It matters not. I shall wait for you in the palanquin.”
When Shen Lang returned home, the lustful Xiao Bing hadn’t gone to bed. She was still sitting on a chair in the living room, her head bobbing as she dozed off. Fortunately, the room was warm from the burning coal, and the girl was covered with a goose-down blanket; otherwise, she would have frozen.
Shen Lang’s heart ached a little. It was almost noon, and the girl had waited up all night. Just as he was about to carry her to her room to sleep, she heard his footsteps and woke with a start.
“Young Master, you’re back!”
She greeted him with delight. At that moment, Shen Lang’s heartstrings were tugged, and he suddenly understood the girl a little better. Others had families and great ambitions, but for a mere maidservant like Xiao Bing, Shen Lang was her entire world. Her life’s dream was likely to win his favor, bear him several children, and live out the rest of her days in happiness and joy.
“Why didn’t you go to bed? You’re pregnant. You shouldn’t be staying up all night.”
“Last night, just as I was about to serve you, something came up and you had to leave. So I waited for your return to show you my skills. Young Master, let’s go to our room. Let me serve you. I will definitely prove my abilities!”
Shen Lang was dumbfounded. Then, as if possessed, Xiao Bing washed her face, brushed her teeth, and rinsed her mouth with rosewater to freshen her breath. Even more excited, she pulled Shen Lang into the room. He was speechless.
*My goodness! They say a nickname is never wrong. Bing’er, you truly give your all to your work. Whatever you do, you do it with passion. Silly girl, your Young Master has no doubt about your great abilities, but today really won’t do.*
*Your Young Master was fighting with someone outside all night yesterday and is completely spent. So let’s just skip it today. I still have things to do. I have to go to the Wannian County Office to pick up Fatty, and I might have to rough someone up while I’m at it.*
Fifteen minutes later.
Shen Lang cried out in astonishment.
*Bing’er, you have a heaven-sent talent. Let’s go one more time. That old eunuch Lü Jun can wait a little longer. Fatty, you wait a little longer too. Your brother-in-law is coming to save you soon.*
***
Inside the prison of the Wannian County Office.
Wang Jiegua was furious. His rank was too low to attend the morning court session, but he had already heard about what had transpired. Moreover, he too had submitted a memorial. Damn those Qiang bastards. They could have burned it earlier or later, but they just had to burn the ancestral temple now. What was he to do about the Jin Mucong case?
However, he soon received instructions to convict Jin Mucong as quickly as possible. The ancestral temple fire would only be a hot topic for ten days at most. The world would forget about it after that; even bigger incidents would only cause a stir for ten to fifteen days. After ten days, the incident would cool down, and that was when they would break the news of Jin Mucong raping an innocent woman, ensuring everyone continued to impeach the Jin Clan and the court officials continued to attack the Count of Xuanwu.
Why would the officials attack Jin Zhuo when they had no grudge against him? He was about to be made a marquis. Wouldn’t they be jealous seeing someone else become a marquis? How many ancient noble families in the State of Yue held the title of marquis? Only two. What virtues and talents did Jin Zhuo possess to become the third? Sometimes, one had to work very hard on things that harmed others but brought no benefit to oneself. How could one feel at ease without seeing others suffer misfortune?
After receiving the new directive, Magistrate Wang Jiegua of Wannian County was ecstatic. He hurried to interrogate Jin Mucong. He had to make this an ironclad case in the shortest time possible. Shen Lang had twisted the facts last night and seized the initiative. Now, he had to make Jin Mucong confess and sign a statement. If necessary, he would use torture! Of course, it would be a form of torture that left no marks but caused excruciating pain. There were many such methods. He guaranteed it would be so painful that one would question their very existence, a torment no ordinary person’s will could endure, yet it would leave no trace.
But Magistrate Wang Jiegua of Wannian County also felt a little uneasy.
*He’s still the heir to the Count of Xuanwu’s Estate. Do I really have to torture him? Has the fight really reached this point?*
Of course, it had. Today, Shen Lang had ruthlessly framed the Su Clan, creating a massive crisis for them, so they naturally had to retaliate. Shen Lang was too cunning, so they targeted Jin Mucong. Jin Mucong was a fat, dull-witted fool who looked utterly useless. His willpower was surely weak, and a little torture would make him break and confess.
Noon.
Wang Jiegua thought of the female gang leader’s wife, and his heart itched. Soon, he once again savored her culinary skills. It was indeed delicious. A full six minutes later, Lord Wang Jiegua felt his body convulse. This was an unprecedented record.
Mistress Jin said with a coquettish glance, “My goodness, Your Lordship is so incredible. I nearly died. But, my lord, when will you send me home? And when will Jin Mucong be tried again?”
She was naturally unaware of the upheaval that had occurred in the capital. Magistrate Wang Jiegua said, “Mistress Jin, since you’ve met Jin Mucong, do you know what kind of cruel punishment would make him confess without leaving any marks on his body?”
Mistress Jin’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“It’s early spring, so there should be leeches in the fields. Catch a few hundred of them, stuff them into Jin Mucong’s mouth alive, and let them enter his stomach. He’ll have no choice but to confess.”
The County Magistrate shivered.
*This woman… is she this venomous?*
“He’ll die from that.”
“No, he won’t. When Jin Mucong is writhing in agony on the verge of death, quickly feed him saltwater to dissolve the leeches inside him. This is the cruelest form of torture, so that idiot Jin Mucong will surely confess. It’s a method I read about in a book, and it’s sure to be effective!”
Magistrate Wang Jiegua said, “Good. We’ll do that.”
Just then, his trusted subordinate reported from outside.
“Lord Wang, this is bad! Shen Lang has brought guards and is forcing his way into the county office to take Jin Mucong away.”
***
Outside the capital.
A burly man, over two meters tall, stood outside the Xuanwu Gate with a heavy, iron-rod-like sword on his back.
It was Big Dummy!
*So, this is the capital? Where is Little Dummy’s house?*
At that moment, a stunningly beautiful figure on a fine horse came galloping out. The surrounding people all made way for her. Only Big Dummy stood his ground. Princess Ning Yan, the She-Tiger, saw him but did not slow down, charging straight for him.
“Hey, you big oaf! A good dog doesn’t block the road. Move, or I’ll run you down!”