856: The Strange Teng Family
The two easily snuck inside, as one used qinggong, and the other relied on her space to make her advance. The ten hidden guards outside the prefecture guard's manor were like idiots. They did not notice that two living people had already entered the manor with an unconscious person.
Feng Yu Heng and Ban Zou regrouped in the front yard. Just as the two were about to discuss which direction they would be going in, at that time, they saw two family retainers come out with lanterns in their hands. Coming around the small pond in the front yard, they began to speak. One of them weighed the silver ingot that was in their hand and said with a smile: "The madam gave a full ten taels today."
The other clearly had an envious look in their eyes: "Ten taels! Madam really is generous. But you gave your body away, right?"
That person nodded: "Naturally."
"Then saying it like this, ten taels is not much. A trip to the brothels costs more than ten taels. She benefited from this."
That person then said: "It can't be said like this. Although the madam is a bit older, she has taken very good care of herself. Also, once the lights are out and the eyes are closed, it's all the same. Look at the master, whether it's a man or woman, it doesn't matter. We even made some money. How great."
The partner nodded, "It is good, and it's just you that looks good. The madam isn't even interested in me." After the two finished speaking and laughed for a bit, they continued to patrol in another direction.
Feng Yu Heng wiped away some sweat from her brow that was never there then very helplessly said: "Why is it that everyone in the Teng family is like this? What was it that person just said? Teng Ping enjoys both men and women?"
Ban Zou nodded, "It was said like that. Tsk tsk, the madam also has such loose morals. It really is a strange family."
Feng Yu Heng's eyes lit up, and she looked at the nephew being carried on Ban Zou's back. An idea had come to mind: "Come, let's go and meet with that madam. Let's take care of the one you're carrying first."
The two entered the inner courtyard and did not need to expend much effort to find the room belonging to the madam of the prefecture guard. It was for no other reason than that this was the manor's largest courtyard. It should be evident that this was the madam's residence.
The prefecture guard's madam had already gone to sleep. Her clothes were untidy, and the bed was messy. It was clear that she had not done anything savory. Feng Yu Heng stepped forward with disdain. Injecting her with an anesthetic, she knocked the madam unconscious. She then removed the madam's clothes and threw them on the ground. She then gestured for Ban Zou to remove the nephew's clothes and stick them both under the blankets. The scene looked very harmonious.
She had a criminal smile on her face, and even Ban Zou's frigid expression revealed a bit of a smile, as he said: "If the prefecture guard saw this, he would definitely faint from the anger, right? But he must not die from the anger. Things won't be as entertaining."
"He won't." Feng Yu Heng waved her hand, "This woman frequently seeks others. It's impossible for the prefecture guard to not know about it. The two are simply married in name only. They're just living their own lives while vaguely ignoring the other. But in the past, perhaps it was not too overboard. This time, sleeping with his nephew, I want to see the expression on the prefecture guard's face after seeing this. Say, will it resemble an eggplant?" Feng Yu Heng laughed until her belly began to hurt. While speaking, she leaped out of the window. She still wanted to go and take a look at what the situation was with Teng Ping. She felt that she had not come to this prefecture guard's manor for nothing. She would most likely get to see quite a few fun plays!
"Just based on the prefecture guard's madam, the prefecture guard himself will not be anything good." While Ban Zou leaped along the rooftops, he said: "Enjoying both men and women, I really didn't know that the world would have this sort of pervert. This residence really is larger than the ones in the capital. Thinking about it, the Teng family really has not held back with its corruption over the years."
"Naturally." Feng Yu Heng did not find it strange in the slightest. With such a large family being stationed in one place for so many generations, it would be strange if there were not some family possessions. Would that not have made for a waste of time? She was happy that with her having come, no matter how much wealth the Teng family had accumulated over the years, she was preparing to take it all. Nobody would feel as though they had too much money!
The inner courtyard was very large. It was as Ban Zou had said. This entire prefecture guard's manor was around twice the size of the imperial daughter's manor in the capital. At this time, who knew what sort of place Teng Ping was in, and this left the two to search for him.
But before the two could find Teng Ping's whereabouts, they found a strange scene in one of the courtyards. In the middle of the night, there were actually six or seven women gathered in one place. They sat around a flower bed in the yard while sipping tea and chatting. All of them were extremely pretty. Because Yu Zhou was in the Southwest, the temperature was already warmer; otherwise, exposing the neck and chest in this sort of season would really be quite cold.
Feng Yu Heng stopped with Ban Zou. Without the nephew holding them down, it was much easier on Ban Zou. He was also happy to sit on the rooftop to watch them gossip.
To say that it was gossip was indeed the truth. It turned out that these women were all Prefecture Guard Teng Ping's concubines. They lived in one large courtyard, and anyone that Teng Ping thought of would be called. Servants would send them to the designated room. It was roughly the same treatment as in the imperial palace. Who knew whether or not it was something that had been deliberately copied. The concubines were unable to sleep at night, thus they gathered in the courtyard to idly chat. One of them complained: "Over the past few days, my waistline has gotten thicker. I don't know if I ate too much, but I will need to pay attention to it. Husband doesn't like fat ones."
"But of course! Ever since the madam became fat, husband has never visited her room. I heard that the madam was so lonely that nearly all of the male servants in the manor have slept with her?" While the woman spoke, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and giggled.
Thinking about it, the madam's affairs were no longer a secret. Even the concubines could ridicule her. Another concubine also said: "You said that your waistline has grown, but it shouldn't be that you're pregnant, right? I remember that husband called for you three times last month. It was far more often than the rest of us sisters."
The one from earlier that had said she had grown fat helplessly shook her head: "How could that be possible? It's not like you don't understand. Which one of us has the fortune of getting pregnant? Ever since coming to the prefecture guard's manor, we were forced to drink those soups to prevent pregnancy. Those that were unwilling to drink them were killed by the madam in secret. We were able to live because we obeyed."
With her saying this, the others also sighed: "That's right, in this manor, aside from the madam, who could possibly give birth to husband's child? The prefecture guard is a hereditary position. The madam wants to ensure that her own child will obtain this position. We were only sent into this manor to be his playthings. Whether we live or die, nobody cares."
"But even if we are just playthings, doing this sort of thing is not steady!" Someone complained, "Sisters, what sort of morals are being followed? Women are inferior to men? Now, master would rather favor men and no longer calls for us. During this month, we haven't even seen husband's face once, right?"
With her bringing this up, the faces of the other concubines became dark. But of course, Teng Ping spent his night with men. These concubines were just like decorations. They were supplied with food and drink, but they could not see their husband, and they felt uneasy.
"Forget it." One of them was rather optimistic and said: "Either way, we have food and clothing. It's just more trouble for the doctors in the outer courtyards. They need to concentrate on making better medicine for husband to ensure that husband remains sharp in old age. They really are quite troubled."
"Right, did you hear? Apparently Imperial Daughter Ji An has come from the capital. She has already reached Yu Zhou and is living there. Say, with her coming here, does she want to take back Ji An Prefecture? If it really is taken back, can husband's position still be kept? If it isn't, what will happen with us?"
Once this was brought up, everyone fell silent. Although they were just women of the manor, where there were women, there would be gossip. The male servants might not have heard about this, but the women had received this information long ago. One of them probed: "Can it really be taken back? The Teng family has painstakingly managed it for many generations. How could it be taken back so easily? Also, we have so many troops here."
"I heard that the mission given to husband was to delay Imperial Daughter Ji An in Yu Zhou and leave her with no energy to worry about the situation in the South." Someone quietly said, "This was some news that I worked hard to obtain. Apparently, the person above is the current eighth prince."
Once these words came out, the people realized the severity of the situation; however, they did not dare to continue chatting. After exchanging a few glances, they returned to their own rooms, leaving only a number of empty teacups in the yard.
Feng Yu Heng listened from the rooftop and did not have any thoughts. She already suspected that Teng Ping was aligned with the eighth prince. No matter how great the Teng family's influence, to maintain the family's brilliance with each generation, they needed to find a pillar of support. It seemed that in this generation, the one that they had sought out was Xuan Tian Mo.
"Let's go. Let's go and see the head of the residence." Feng Yu Heng spoke then stood up first. She then continued to head deeper into the manor. After many turns, they finally found Teng Ping in a small courtyard. At this time, Teng Ping was currently in bed with two favored men. The scene was very passionate, and there was no argument over who should be on top and who should be on the bottom. The two favored men did not look old and were around 15 or 16 years of age at most. They were fair-faced young men, and they were very skilled at this sort of thing.
Ban Zou frowned upon seeing this, especially when he found that his master was earnestly staring at this scene. All that was missing was for her to begin drooling. In his mind, he wanted to vent but had no place to do it. He raised his hand and covered Feng Yu Heng's eyes then quietly asked her: "How about just killing them directly? Keeping this sort of person around is also a disaster."
"How could that do?" Feng Yu Heng pulled his hand down. How could she possibly miss such a glorious display? This was three men! It was too wonderful.
"What are you doing?" Ban Zou was speechless. Did such a woman exist?
"Killing them now would be too easy for him. We also came tonight without an invitation, and it's not too proper. How about we provide some gifts!" She blinked and flipped through her space. Remembering that she had once obtained some strong aphrodisiacs. Feeling that they were novel, she left quite a large amount inside her space. They were all powder types, and she quickly took out three large bundles. She handed it over to Ban Zou: "Go and give them some more firewood. Allow the lord prefecture guard to happily enjoy this battle for three days and three nights."
The corners of Ban Zou's lips twitched. He was happy to do this sort of thing.
Very quickly, after the aphrodisiac was applied, Feng Yu Heng came up with an idea: "How could only two men be enough. With that much medicine being dumped in, eight to ten people might not even be enough. Go, go, go, let's get all of the favored men and concubines over here. Let's allow old Teng enjoy himself a bit."
On this moonless night, Feng Yu Heng and Ban Zou dressed up as a family retainer and maidservant to wake up all of the favored men and concubines. They then had them all head to that small courtyard to find Teng Ping. None of these people were suspicious. Thinking about it, Teng Ping must have often done this sort of thing, thus it was not uncommon.
But who knew that when they left the manor, there would be a bit of a small incident...
857: Beg Imperial Daughter to Support Us!
The incident was a result of the troops that had been stationed outside of the young woman's house. They were responsible for the prefecture guard's nephew, but after standing guard outside, they found that there was not a single sound that came from inside. This was not the nephew's usual style. Fearing that something had happened, they went inside to investigate; however, they found that the inside of the room only had an unconscious young woman. There was not a single sight of the man in brocade.
These people were extremely frightened, but the young woman would not wake up no matter how they shook her. It was clear that she had been given a drug. They quickly went into the streets to search, but they ended up back in front of the prefecture guard's manor.
But Feng Yu Heng did not bother paying any attention to them. Either way, this would just be one night. The prefecture guard's manor would be extremely lively the next morning. When that time came, perhaps there would not be a single person left that cared whether the nephew was alive or dead. Everyone's focus would be placed on Teng Ping's side. If Teng Ping wished to live, he could only go to look for her.
The night was spent investigating Ji An Prefecture. When they returned to their residence in Yu Zhou, the sky was starting to lighten up. Feng Yu Heng quickly washed up then climbed in bed to catch up on sleep. Xiang Rong was still in a deep sleep, and she did not even realize that her second sister had returned.
Feng Yu Heng got out of bed after noon. She washed up and ate before acting, bringing her younger sister and their three maidservants, along with the head of the soldiers that they had found, Li Zhu, out to wander the streets. The busiest street in Yu Zhou had a Hundred Herb Hall that belonged to her. Early in the morning, Wang Lin had already brought two of the doctors from the capital to this side, and they very quickly dove into the management of Yu Zhou's Hundred Herb Hall.
All Hundred Herb Halls only recognized one master, and that master was Imperial Daughter Ji An, Feng Yu Heng. As for Wang Lin, he was the shopkeeper of the capital. At the same time, he also managed the accounts for the other provinces. Of course, Qing Yu would also do some investigating, but she did not pay as close attention as Wang Lin did.
The citizens of Yu Zhou heard that doctors had come from the capital, and everyone was very happy. They were also very intrigued. Everyone said that the doctors in the capital were famed for their medicine, especially the capital's Hundred Herb Hall. The abilities that the doctors had were all personally taught to them by Imperial Daughter Ji An and her grandfather, Divine Doctor Yao Xian. If they could have this sort of doctor examining them in Yu Zhou, it would be an extremely great thing for the people of Yu Zhou.
Many people came to admire these people. Starting in the morning, a long line began to form. The people were not even willing to leave when noon came around. The people that sold snacks and similar things were very good at running their businesses, as they began to move around the line. Those that were unwilling to leave would buy some food from them to fill their bellies.
Every era was the same. Medical clinics and hospitals were the best businesses. People could choose to not eat well, but when people got sick, they needed medicine. No matter how poor the person, they would need to save some money for medicine. They could not just watch as their relatives died. Feng Yu Heng thought of the hospitals from the 21st century, and the entrance to the hospital would always have a traffic problem. No matter how many parking spots were opened up by the hospital, they would always be filled. No matter how many overnight care facilities were built, they would always be nearing capacity. Those that needed to visit the hospital to be examined would get up very early to line up and claim a number. It might be that some examinations could not even be done on the same day. Everyone said that opening a hospital would result in a huge profit, and this was totally true. It was indeed a huge profit.
The ones that came today also included some servants from large families. They had not come to seek treatment for their own illnesses. Instead, they wanted to invite the doctors from the capital to their manors to treat their masters' illnesses. The large families paid attention to a number of things. Regardless of whether it was for the madam, a young miss or the master, they could not just openly go to the medical clinic. If they fell ill, they would invite the doctor to the manor. There were even some people that would take in a doctor. In the old Feng manor, there was such an existence.
But only two doctors from the capital had come. First, they were not familiar with the situation over here. Second, the Hundred Herb Hall here was not large and could not even be compared to the one in the capital. With so many doctors coming at one time, they would not have any place to stay. Instead, it would cause the doctors that were already in Yu Zhou to have some thoughts. Wang Lin was preparing to secretly influence them. But the servants from the large families did not return home disappointed. Wang Lin made arrangements based on the people that he had in hand. Starting the next day, he could distribute the doctors to the various manors to stay and take care of the masters.
Hundred Herb Hall making a profit was one aspect, but the most important thing was to expand its influence. They had just arrived and needed to quickly spread the word about Hundred Herb Hall and Imperial Daughter Ji An. They had to create a certain positive impact on the hearts of the people.
When Feng Yu Heng arrived, what she saw was a very magnificent scene, and she was very satisfied.
She did not put on any airs and simply had the people bring out a couple chairs from inside. She and Xiang Rong sat at the entrance of Hundred Herb Hall and began to chat with the people. She told the citizens: "Normally speaking, patients that have chronic problems should remain in a hospital for treatment. This will make things easier for the doctors to observe you for the entire day. But right now, the Hundred Herb Hall that is opened in Yu Zhou is a bit small. It's not enough to fill this sort of request, but everyone can rest assured. This problem will definitely be resolved. We will do our best to expand it to allow all citizens to be able to seek treatment. In the future, we will also build a Hundred Herb Hall the same size as the one in the capital in Ji An Prefecture. Regardless of whether it's medical personnel or medicine, everything will be the same as in the capital. At that time, Ji An Prefecture's relationship with Yu Zhou will become even more intimate. Regardless of whether everyone goes over there to buy things, visit relatives or seek treatment, it will all be very convenient."
She spoke with a bright smile and gave everyone a feeling of intimacy. Although there were some things that normal commoners could not understand, they were able to understand the overarching message. Originally, she was just an imperial daughter, and the people of Yu Zhou had never met such a high-ranking person before. They were still nervous and did not know whether or not they should kneel and kowtow. It was Feng Yu Heng taking the initiative to chat with them that made them relax. They felt that this imperial daughter was different from what they had in mind. There was not any feeling of her being high above them at all. Instead, she was very close and would think about the people. She was even more harmonious than Lord Qian, the paternal official of Yu Zhou.
Thus everyone put aside their nervousness and began to speak, with someone saying: "Speaking of Ji An Prefecture, there are quite a few people moving over there now. Who knows why they moved away in such a hurry. I heard that they needed to build their own houses over there. But Ji An Prefecture does not let us in, and the people that moved in can't come out."
"Hah!" There was an older person over 50 that knew a bit about the inner workings that said: "I heard that those people were not willing to move out, but they had been threatened by the Teng family. They had no choice but to move. Imperial Daughter might not know, but the Teng family's soldiers will frequently come to our Yu Zhou and bully the citizens. When they take things, they never pay. When they buy many things and are asked to sign a contract, we will get beaten and cursed at. Hah, we citizens in Yu Zhou can be said to live in the shadow of Ji An Prefecture. We really spend our days on edge!"
While he was voicing his complaints, there just happened to be a group of troops from Ji An Prefecture walking past, and they heard all of it. The leader became angry and shouted: "What fucking nonsense are you spouting!" He then rushed over to begin beating the old man.
The old man was extremely frightened. He never thought that would speak too much and coincidentally be heard by these people. He felt regretful, and he was also worried for his own life. When the troops from Ji An Prefecture beat people, the government had no way of doing anything about it. Just how much could his old bones endure? He was originally tasked with coming to get medicine for his boss; however, who knew that his life would also get thrown in.
He closed his eyes in despair; however, that life-taking punch never came. Instead, the hand that had grabbed his was loosened. The old man was puzzled and summoned some courage to open his eyes to look. He found that the strong man that was standing behind Imperial Daughter Ji An had grabbed the soldier's wrist. The other hand did not hold back and had the other hand let go of him. When the grip was released, it was clear that it had been done very forcefully, as he could hear the sound of bones breaking.
The old man trembled with fear and subconsciously retreated a couple steps, as he heard the soldier cry out in pain. Li Zhu, however, had no intention of loosening his grip.
The other troops that had also come along saw their leader suffer, thus they also needed to come forward to help. Before they could take a step, Ban Zou had suddenly appeared from the shadows and knocked those people to the ground in the blink of an eye. After this was done, he disappeared once more in a blur. It was as though he had never appeared, and those people had injured themselves.
Li Zhu asked Feng Yu Heng: "Imperial Daughter, how should this person be dealt with?"
Feng Yu Heng glanced at that person and did not rush to respond. Instead, she asked: "Hitting people openly in the streets. In your eyes, does Da Shun not have any laws? Is Yu Zhou's government just a decoration?"
Who knew that this person would loudly say: "We are Ji An Prefecture's soldiers! Ji An Prefecture has its own laws. What do your Da Shun's laws have anything to do with me? This great one just likes beating people in the street! This great one likes beating your Da Shun's people in the street."
With him speaking, the citizens subconsciously shuddered. It was clear that these people had suffered under oppression from these people. They had already become accustomed to it as if it was natural.
"Saying it like this, you are saying that you aren't one of Da Shun's people?" Feng Yu Heng, however, was pondering over the person's words. She had come up with an idea and nodded her head, saying: "It seems that Ji An Prefecture has already considered itself another country. That's fine. Since you aren't one of Da Shun's citizens, this imperial daughter does not need to hold back. Li Zhu, beat him to death!"
Li Zhu was a born soldier. In his essence, there was a complex that compelled him to "obey." In regards to the things said by his general, unless it was directly in conflict with his own morals, such as the ones given by the eighth prince, he would always obey.
Feng Yu Heng's order to kill was not one that Li Zhu hesitated over. Pulling out his sword, he cut off the person's head.
In an instant, blood sprayed everywhere, and this blood sprayed onto a number of people; however, the people did not avoid it. Instead, their eyes were filled with an angry, vengeful look that was directed at the already-fallen corpse.
How many years had it been? Yu Zhou had been suppressed by Ji An Prefecture, and they needed to live carefully. Successive generations of Yu Zhou's prefects could do nothing about that unique area. There were people that had thought of fighting back; however, they did not have any examples of success. Those that fought back were killed or injured. Gradually, there were no longer any people that dared to oppose Ji An Prefecture.
Now, Imperial Daughter Ji An had come. The proper owner of Ji An Prefecture had come. This was the imperial family's imperial daughter. She was the god of war, the ninth prince's future wife, and she had been personally conferred this fief by the Emperor. This was the only person in Da Shun that had a fief.
The people suddenly remembered the rumors regarding Imperial Daughter Ji An. They remembered that she helped the people, and they remembered that she helped produce steel for Da Shun. They remembered that she had gone with the ninth prince to conquer Qian Zhou...
The people finally realized that this imperial daughter was also a god of war. She was also someone that could not be overlooked. Now that she had come, the people of Yu Zhou would no longer be bullied by the Teng family!
Who knew who it was the started it, as someone kneeled and loudly shouted: "We beg Imperial Daughter Ji An support us!"
Everyone kneeled on the ground and loudly said in unison: "We beg Imperial Daughter Ji An support us!"
858: The Mighty Lord Teng!
Imperial Daughter Ji An had been offended, and she directly ordered for someone to be killed without even blinking, and the one killed was one of the Teng family's personal troops. The remaining ones that had been knocked to the ground revealed looks of horror. When they looked at Feng Yu Heng once more, it was as though they were facing King Yama. With just a few words, a person's head fell. Even Prefecture Guard Teng Ping was not this quick to act, right?
Someone that was slightly less injured began to crawl backward while on the ground. Feng Yu Heng did not stop them and said: "Going back to report is also fine. Just tell Teng Ping that the person was killed by this imperial daughter. As for the identity of the dead, don't impudently refer to yourselves as Ji An Prefecture's soldiers. You're just the Teng family's people. My Ji An Prefecture does not want scum like you. Go and tell your master that this is the result of opposing Da Shun."
Seeing her agree to let them go, the injured ones acted as though they had been granted a pardon. Regardless of how severely injured they were, they did all that they could to crawl as far away as possible, fearing that they would lose their lives if they crawled slowly.
Feng Yu Heng could not be bothered with paying them any further attention. She just had the people at her side call for the citizens to get up then said in a sharp voice: "There's no need for everyone to worry. Since ancient times, evil has never triumphed over good. You are Da Shun's citizens. Da Shun's court will guarantee you safety within its borders. As for the Teng family, since they refuse to acknowledge themselves as people of Da Shun, they are rebelling. Today, this imperial daughter has made an appearance, which represents the court dispatching troops to suppress them. Even if Ji An Prefecture must be attacked, I will take it down, but the people that left Ji An Prefecture in such a bad condition must pay. Do not worry, a lowly Teng family and a mere thousand troops are not enough for a battle. Since you have lined up, go ahead and get examined. I will be going to the government office." As she spoke, she turned and said to Li Zhu: "There's no need for you to come along. Go back and call 20 comrades to stand guard outside Hundred Herb Hall. If there are any people related to the Teng family that come to cause trouble, kill them all!"
She had given the order, and Li Zhu gave a salute before returning to fetch some soldiers. Wang Lin had also brought people to clean up the corpse and the blood. The corpse was taken out of Yu Zhou City and thrown in a ditch in the mountains.
Feng Yu Heng bid farewell to the citizens then quickly went to see Qian Feng Shou.
Word of what had happened in front of Hundred Herb Hall reached Qian Feng Shou's ears. Faced with this matter relating to the Teng family, this was the first time that he did not feel helpless and afraid. The person was killed by Feng Yu Heng. This made Imperial Daughter Ji An's intentions clear. She wanted to take back Ji An Prefecture! She wanted to fully use her power to fight with the Teng family to the end! This was the result that the people of Yu Zhou had been waiting for for many generations. This was something that he, Qian Feng Shou, had dreamed of seeing realized.
But he was a bit worried. After all, he was clear on the number of troops that Feng Yu Heng had brought. The Teng family's personal army numbered around one thousand! That was why Qian Feng Shou's first words to Feng Yu Heng upon her arrival at the government office was: "Yu Zhou City has 500 soldiers and horses. They will all be given to imperial daughter to use!"
Feng Yu Heng nodded and did not act reserved, saying to Qian Feng Shou: "Bring out the Teng family's family register. I'll take a look. Is it here or in Yun Province?"
"Family register?" Qian Feng Shou was stunned then shook his head, "There isn't. When this lowly official took over the position as Yu Zhou's prefect, I have never seen one. Apparently, the Teng family's family register has not been in Da Shun for a few generations. Yun Province does not even have one kept."
"Oh?" Feng Yu Heng raised an eyebrow, "Then are they not an unregistered household in Da Shun?"
Qian Feng Shou thought for a bit then said: "They shouldn't be considered one, right? At the very least, they are not one of Da Shun's unregistered households. I heard that the Teng family established a family registry in Ji An Prefecture long ago. It's not just their Teng family. All of the people living in Ji An Prefecture were erased from Da Shun's registers and entered into the one inside the fief. From that moment on, they became Ji An Prefecture's people. They are not related to Da Shun."
"Does Da Shun not care about this? Have you never reported it to court? Has Yun Province's prefect never intervened?" Feng Yu Heng just could not understand, "To become independent with just a few words, could it be that the laws of Da Shun's courts really are just decorations?"
"Imperial Daughter, please calm your anger." Qian Feng Shou quickly replied: "There's nothing that this lowly official could do. Speaking of, it's a matter from many decades ago. It's not like this lowly official never inquired with Yun Province's prefect about this after taking over this position, but the Yun Province's prefect was truly helpless. He had once said to this lowly official that he had sent a report to the court when he had taken over, but the report was suppressed. Since then, there has been no news. Ever since that time, every report relating to the Teng family, regardless of how many were sent, would disappear like a stone dropped in the ocean. It's clear that there's someone protecting them inside the capital. Since we are not officials in the capital, we cannot attend court. Aside from sending reports, there's nothing else that we could do. Eventually, there was no longer anyone that could do anything about the Teng family."
Feng Yu Heng frowned upon hearing this. It was very clear that the Teng family had a pillar of support in the capital since the last generation, and that support had quite a great deal of influence. It was such that they could suppress reports. In this generation, it was the eighth prince, but who could it have been for the previous generation? But she had no desire to investigate too hard. Even if she did investigate, it was pointless. Either way, she had already come, thus she could not allow an existence like the Teng family to continue existing. It would be best if she, Feng Yu Heng, reclaimed her territory a bit quicker.
"Bring along the soldiers guarding the city and immediately begin closing up all of the Teng family's businesses!" She put on a cold expression and gave the order to Qian Feng Shou, "If there is anyone that obstructs you, kill them all."
It was once again the order to kill, and this caused Qian Feng Shou to tremble with fear. He felt that the young girl before him was exuding a force that could not be ignored. Even from five paces away, he could feel the awe of this force. But he was still a bit hesitant. Seal up all of the Teng family's businesses! The Teng family had more than just one or two businesses in Yu Zhou. He had calculated it once before, and there were more than 18. The people even called them the 18 levels of the underworld in secret. Even as the prefect, he would go out of his way to take routes that would avoid those shops. Now, however, he needed to lead people to seal them up. Why did he still feel a bit worried?
Feng Yu Heng could see what Qian Feng Shou felt and could not help but shake her head, "Lord Qian, Deputy General Qian Li has never been as hesitant as you are. If there is even the slightest bit of fear toward the enemy, there is no other outcome on the battlefield aside from death."
Qian Feng Shou trembled then remembered that his son had once sent a letter that said Imperial Daughter Ji An, Feng Yu Heng, was not a normal girl. With expert martial abilities, even His Highness the ninth prince had no choice but to admire her. Not the slightest bit of pettiness that was usually found with young girls could be seen with her. This girl was one of the most magnanimous people out there. With strange abilities, the archery skills and formations came from her. On the battlefield, she was like a man that charged into battle. Standing at the ninth prince's side, she was a perfect match.
Qian Feng Shou gritted his teeth and no longer hesitated, saying: "This lowly official has received the order." Without any delay, he set out to retrieve his troops.
As for the soldiers that had been seriously injured, when Feng Yu Heng's group had left, they sought out their comrades that were inside Yu Zhou City. They were carried back, and they complained about their leader having his head cut off. Through gnashed teeth, they wanted to report to Prefecture Guard Teng to have him support them and get revenge.
However, who knew that the current prefecture guard's manor was presently a mess. How could he possibly care about these matters?
Starting from the previous night until the evening, Teng Ping had been enjoying himself in that small courtyard without ever coming out. he had clearly only called for two of his favored men, but for some reason, all of the men and concubines in the manor gathered in that courtyard. The servants wanted to stop them, but it was as though the two men in the room had gone crazy. They expressed an extremely warm welcome to those that came.
Seeing as Teng Ping had done such a thing in the past, calling seven or eight people at once, the servants believed that he had become excited this time and was preparing to go even further, thus they did not stop them. They knew about their master's hobbies, and they understood that if they stopped them now, it was possible that they could lose their heads. Thus all of the men and concubines were let inside. The sounds of pleasure coming from inside the room were relentless, and they were such that even the old woman in the manor could hear them.
The servants were secretly envious; however, who knew that they did not stop for all night or during the day. It was only in the afternoon that some concubines crawled out of the room without any concern for appearances and begged for help. The servants saw that blood was flowing from the women's lower regions and knew that something had happened. They quickly went to the front yard to call the doctor that had been kept in the manor.
However, who knew that with the three doctors coming, they would go in and desperately run back out a short while later. One has lost their clothing, one had lost their pants, and the other could not escape. Not long later, the screams of that doctor could be heard coming from inside along with the sound of Teng Ping's wicked laughter.
The faces of the two doctors that had escaped turned pale, as they quickly informed the housekeeper of the Teng manor: "Quickly! Quickly call someone that can make a decision! Who knows what happened with Lord Teng. If this continues, he will pass away! Quickly! Not a single moment can be wasted!"
The housekeeper turned around and ran off, thinking to himself, who could he go and call? Would he call for the old woman or the madam? Thinking a bit, the old woman was too old, and her own body was about to fall apart. How could she possibly handle this sort of shock. What if she came and ended up like the doctor that could not get away...? He shook his head and did not dare to continue down that line of thought; however, he began to wonder why his master had suddenly become like this. Could it be that the medicine produced by those doctors was too strong, and he could not tolerate it? Looking at it like this, even if this could be suppressed, those favored men and concubines could no longer be kept. They would need to be kicked out, and a new batch would need to be brought in.
While thinking about this, he headed toward Madam Teng's side. When he reached the front of the courtyard, he saw a group of maidservants and grannies standing in the yard. Only then did he urgently say: "Quickly! Bring me to see the madam. There's an urgent matter to report!" While he spoke, he began to rush inside. At this time, it was time for dinner. He was the housekeeper, and he would often come to the madam's side to report about the situation in the manor. Since he had a few encounters with the head madam that could not be mentioned, he did not think anything about it.
He thought that he would give the servants a shout from the outside then go in; however, who knew that a group of maidservants and grannies would block the entrance. No matter what was said, he would not be allowed a single step inside...
859: Want to Live? Need to Invite Imperial Daughter Ji An
Seeing the maidservants and grannies in the yard have this sort of reaction, the housekeeper was stunned. He then suddenly thought of something and could not help but slyly smile: "Could it be that the head madam found another one to play around with? Hah, but you need to go and tell the madam that something has happened with the master. The elder madam's health is not good, and this matter requires head madam's approval."
The maidservants and grannies were troubled, as the head maidservant helplessly said: "Housekeeper Liu, could you do us a favor. It's truly not convenient for the head madam today. In this manor, aside from the masters, you have the most power. How about you do as you see fit for this matter. After madam finds out, she will not blame you for it." After saying this, she gave housekeeper Liu an ambiguous smile and even took a couple steps forward to get closer to housekeeper Liu and softly said: "I'm begging housekeeper Liu, don't come looking for our madam today."
To the outside, the prefecture guard's manor was a very prestigious place, but behind closed doors, only they themselves knew. This was a den of obscenity, through and through. It was not just the master and madam that were absurd. Even the servants were not that reliable. The housekeeper and head madam had gone at it, and the head maidservant at the madam's side was also in an unclear relationship with the housekeeper. This girl was 17 years of age, and she was in her growing years. Her chest was very large, and the way it brushed against the housekeeper left him feeling completely dazed. He stopped caring that there were people around, as he reached out to grab the maidservant's chest then said: "I want to make the decision myself, but I can't possibly make a decision for this! You don't know, but master's side..."
He raised his voice a bit and clearly recounted what had happened on Teng Ping's side. He was thinking that it would be best if the madam could hear it from inside then take the initiative to end her current battle to quickly come out and take care of this.
However, who knew that after this explanation, the madam inside did not hear it; however, it would be heard by the elder madam who was being brought over in a sedan. The elder madam nearly passed out from the anger. The maidservants and grannies let out a shrill cry and knew that they had caused trouble. They quickly went forward to kneel and kowtow.
The elder madam forcefully held herself up and asked housekeeper Liu: "Was what you just said the truth? I just went to Ping'er's side to take a look, and the entire yard of people did not allow me inside. They also did not say what exactly had happened. I just heard some strange sounds coming from inside, and I thought that I would come to this side to ask the madam; however, who knew that it would be so absurd." The elder madam trembled with anger. She had eaten a bit much for dinner. Just when she thought that she would go out for a stroll, she heard that Teng Ping was in that small courtyard, thus she headed in that direction. As a result, she was stopped by the servants and told that she could not enter. She was an experienced person, so how could she possibly not know what those sounds were. As a mother, she felt that it was not too good to concern herself with such matters, thus she quickly got on a sedan and headed toward the head madam's side.
There was nothing that the housekeeper could do. Even if he wanted to, he could not hide this matter; moreover, the elder madam had already heard it. What could he do? He just nodded, "Elder madam, everything that this servant said was true! Right now, not even the doctors can do anything. There's even one doctor that got trapped inside and could not get out."
The elder madam breathed heavily, as the maidservants and grannies quickly went to help ease her breathing. Finally managing to calm her down, the elder madam then arranged to barge into the head madam's room.
There was nothing that the maidservants and grannies in the head madam's yard could do. After thinking a bit, since the master's absurdities have already been exposed, perhaps the situation in the madam's room could also not be hidden. Forget it, if things were to get messy, it might as well all become a mess together. Who knew, it might even cause the elder madam to die from anger. From this day forward, their madam would be the one with all of the power in the inner courtyard. They would no longer need to pay any heed to the elder madam.
It was only now that housekeeper Liu understood why he had been stopped earlier. Who knew that the head madam would not even let go of her own husband's nephew! But it was strange. With that much commotion, why was it that neither one woke up and slept so soundly?
He stepped forward and called out a few times, but there was still no reaction from the people in bed. The head maidservant from earlier also stepped forward at this time and said to him: "Stop calling, it seems that she has been given some sort of drug. We've called out to her for the entire day, yet she has not woken. Just now, you said that something also happened with master's side. What exactly is going on? Why has so much happened in one night?"
Housekeeper Liu was also filled with worry. Over the past few days, he had heard that Imperial Daughter Ji An had arrived in Yu Zhou, and he had always felt a little uneasy. The entire manor had been completely redeployed, and even the hidden guards and soldiers were increased, but he still felt uneasy. Who knew that something would really happen. Although the incident had just occurred, why did he feel that this could not be unrelated to Imperial Daughter Ji An?
The elder madam was being treated by a doctor and managed to recover. The elder madam did not argue over it. After waking up, she immediately sat up with the support of the servants and began to inquire in great detail about Teng Ping's situation. As for her daughter-in-law sleeping with her grandson, she chose to not think about it. After all, compared to her son, a daughter-in-law was really not worth much. Even that grandson was not the son of the first wife. It was fine. In the end, this was nothing more than a family scandal. Later on, she would get rid of that daughter-in-law; however, she was still very worried about Teng Ping's side, as she asked the doctors: "What exactly happened on master's side?"
One of the doctors said: "By the looks of it, it seems that he was given some sort of aphrodisiac. The effect of the drug was too fierce. In order for it to wear off, it will take another six to ten hours, but we don't know if master's body will be able to last for that long." There was nothing that they could do. Having been given an aphrodisiac, unless a very primitive method was used to relieve it, there really were no other methods.
The elder madam angrily shouted: "Report it! Immediately go and report it! What sort of person would dare to drug the lord prefecture guard? This is clearly attempted murder! Report it! Immediately report it!"
Once these words came out, everyone was dazed and very helpless. Report it? Report it to whom? Housekeeper Liu summoned some courage and said: "Elder madam, in Ji An Prefecture, our master is the highest-ranking official. With something happening to him, there's no place to report it."
"Then go outside Ji An Prefecture to report it! Go to Yu Zhou! Go to Yun Province!"
"Has elder madam forgotten? Ever since four generations ago, the Teng family has retracted its family register from Da Shun. To Da Shun, we are no longer their citizens. If anything happened, we would resolve it ourselves. Da Shun does not care about it at all."
The elder madam cried anxiously. While crying, she said: "I knew that something would eventually happen. Back then, I had advised Ping'er's father to show restraint, but he would not listen. Instead, he went one step further. Now, things are great. With something happening, there's nobody to report it to. Tell me, now that Ping'er has been drugged, what should be done? I said that my Ping'er plays around too much each day, but he's not quite this absurd. It turns out that he was harmed by some lowly person! My Ping'er really is unfortunate!" The elder madam began to wail.
There was nothing that the servants could do. They could only wait for the elder madam to finish crying before a doctor asked: "In truth, it's not as though it's impossible to treat master." He looked at the elder madam and saw that there was an expectant look in her eyes before helplessly saying: "It's just that a person needs to be invited, and this person is not that easy to invite."
"What sort of person is it?" The elder madam was a bit confused, "What sort of person could our Teng family not invite? Is that person a heavenly soldier or something?"
The doctor said with trouble: "Although not a heavenly soldier, that's not too far off. That person is Imperial Daughter Ji An, who recently arrived in Yu Zhou."
The elder madam nearly choked to death on her own saliva. Imperial Daughter Ji An! It was not as though she had never heard of this person before; however, what she had heard was not about how famed she was as a doctor. Instead, Imperial Daughter Ji An was the true master of Ji An Prefecture, and she had received the imperial decree from the Emperor. She was the person with the deed for the entirety of Ji An Prefecture. Her Teng family had guarded it for a few generations; however, they were only prefecture guards. They had the right to guard and manage it; however, they did not have any rights to the lands. That was to say that the Teng family was just taking care of Ji An Prefecture. In the end, the land did not belong to them.
The doctor saw that the elder madam was frozen, thus he added: "Imperial Daughter Ji An is the most famous divine doctor in Da Shun. Master can either endure and possibly survive if he can last six to ten hours, or we can invite Imperial Daughter Ji An to help."
The elder madam gritted her teeth: "Go invite her! For Ping'er's life, regardless of how difficult that person is to invite, we must try. As long as my Ping'er can be treated, and as long as Ping'er is alive, even if Ji An Prefecture is given back to her... it's fine."
The servants heard the elder madam say this and did not add anything else. They just quickly set out for Yu Zhou to invite her.
But after mucking about for so long, the sky had begun to darken. Could she be invited at this hour? The ones that went to Yu Zhou were very upset. They also speculated about Imperial Daughter Ji An a bit. If Prefecture Guard Teng really was drugged by such a vicious girl, they would not need to worry about their lives, right? Would Imperial Daughter Ji An have them killed on the spot?
On this side, the servants went to Yu Zhou to find Feng Yu Heng to save Teng Ping. On the other side, the injured soldiers returning from Yu Zhou gathered in the military camp for the private troops. They reported to their general, Han Gang, about what had happened in front of Yu Zhou's Hundred Herb Hall. After saying this, one of them said: "General Han, you must help us get revenge! Imperial Daughter Ji An is arrogant to the point of daring to kill people in the streets. She looks down on our Ji An Prefecture. If this continues, what path would we have left? Sooner or later, we will be eradicated by her!"
Another person said: "When we returned, we passed by the manor and heard that the manor had become chaotic. Something has happened to both master and madam. General Han, do you think that this is the end for our Ji An Prefecture? Imperial Daughter Ji An has come and wants to take this land back. What will happen with us in the future? The Teng family has large sums of money, and they can escape to any place they desire, but what about us? Who would care for us?"
"Forget about who will care for us. As their personal troops, once we truly meet in battle, we will just be scapegoats to block Imperial Daughter Ji An to help the Teng family escape. Only by walking over our bodies can Imperial Daughter Ji An set foot in Ji An Prefecture. As for the Teng family, no matter how much martial ability they possess, I fear they may have already run far away, such that not even a shadow could be found."
The personal troops were young men that were full of vigor and vitality. When Han Gang heard this, his breathing became erratic, and his face turned a bit red before he finally made a decision: "Rather than having them come to us, it would be better to go on the offensive! Call up all of the comrades. We will go and surround Yu Zhou to find Imperial Daughter Ji An for revenge! While we're at it, we'll put on a show of strength for the prefect of Yu Zhou to have him know how fierce we brothers are!"
Why Have You Come?
1000 soldiers were led by Han Gang in a rush overnight toward Yu Zhou City. News of this very quickly reached the ears of the elder madam inside the prefecture guard's manor. The elder madam was not too foolish, but it was a pity that she was already old. Even if she was clear on the situation, she could not make any decisions. She could only sigh: "It will become a mess, it's going to become a mess! I told Ping'er long ago that this fief does not belong to the Teng family, but nobody would listen to me. Now, retribution has come. Retribution has come!"
The inside of the prefecture guard's manor was a mess, and inside Yu Zhou City, a spy that Feng Yu Heng had placed outside the city had come to report about the 1000 troops that were moving.
After Feng Yu Heng heard this, she quickly stood up and left three hidden guards to protect those that stayed behind. She then ordered Li Zhu to gather the troops before bringing Wang Chuan and Huang Quan to the government office. Qian Feng Shou also received a report and was anxiously waiting at the entrance of the manor. Seeing Feng Yu Heng arrive, he quickly stepped forward to await orders. Feng Yu Heng only said: "Normal officials should stay in the city to comfort the people. Gather the soldiers protecting the city and have them follow this imperial daughter to face the enemy!"
When she said this, the gates of Yu Zhou City had already been broken through by the enemy soldiers. Under Han Gang's lead, they very arrogantly charged into the city. If they were going by their usual style, they would have begun smashing things and hitting people upon entering the city, but since this was late at night, there were no people outside. Even if they wanted to hit people, there were no people to hit and nothing to smash. Han Gang simply ordered everyone: "Preserve your strength to fight Imperial Daughter Ji An at full power."
Finally, the two sides met on the streets of Yu Zhou City.
Compared to the thousand troops of the Teng family, the few people that Feng Yu Heng had looked very pitiful. Even if the 500 of Yu Zhou City's soldiers were added in, it was not enough. In practically the instant that Han Gang saw Feng Yu Heng's troops, he could not hold back his laughter. Extending his hand, he pointed at Feng Yu Heng's side and laughed: "Imperial Daughter Ji An, did you really only prepare so few troops to face me? Hahahaha! You really are just a little girl that doesn't know anything about the world. Just your small group of people isn't even enough to fill the cracks between our teeth. You inexperienced little girl that's still wet behind the ears, quickly scram back to the capital. Don't be an eyesore here just to lose face!"
These crude words were said without any reservation, as the things said were uglier and uglier; however, Feng Yu Heng did not get angry because she knew that with the opposition saying such a thing, he would need to pay for it. Also, this payment would not be lenient. It would need to be paid immediately.
Sure enough, just after Han Gang stopped talking, blood suddenly appeared from the mouth that did not yet have time to close. Teeth were knocked out by the hidden weapon, and they all fell down his throat. Along with the blood, it was swallowed into his stomach. As for the person that acted, it was none other than Ban Zou, who hated hearing others speaking poorly of his master.
Han Gang had suddenly been knocked over, but he did not know who it was that hit him. With his teeth having been swallowed, he was both in pain and nauseous. There was even one tooth that was stuck in his throat that left him coughing.
Feng Yu Heng giggled with delight, "I'm truly sorry. My subordinate does not like seeing this imperial daughter get bullied. This time, you could be considered lucky and only lost your teeth. Normally speaking, they will go straight for the person's life. But you also saw it. Although we have few people, when it comes to fighting a battle, victory is not determined by numbers. Strong troops will not lose to ineffective troops. One of the Teng family, have you prepared your coffins? If you haven't, we can only throw you all into a mass grave when it comes time to clear up the battlefield."
She spoke with a smile; however, every word that she said was shocking. The foreheads of the troops began to sweat upon hearing this. Looking at how Han Gang had lost a mouthful of teeth in an instant, they suddenly felt that rushing into Yu Zhou was truly a bit rash. A feeling of horror of never returning began to fill their hearts, and many people wanted to retreat.
Han Gang had lost his teeth, but this was not life-threatening. He just sounded a bit like an old lady when he spoke. No matter how one listened, it was quite strange. He pointed at Feng Yu Heng and cried: "Impudent little girl, you dare to touch your grandaddy Han. Today, grandaddy Han will have your head fall to the ground and leave it to your people to clean up your corpse!"
He spouted these frightening things, but it did not frighten Feng Yu Heng. Instead, it caused Feng Yu Heng to say: "You'll have my head hit the ground? Then you will need to ask my future husband the ninth prince if he is willing to or not!"
Han Gang became enraged, and his mind went hot. How could he possibly care about something like the ninth prince. He did not even notice the bit of dread in his troops. He just continued to shout: "Bring the horse over! Come and fight with grandaddy Han to the death!"
Following Han Gang's shout, the two sides stood in formation. Li Zhu had even brought his troops to advance a few steps; however, it was at this time that chaos broke out among the Teng family's personal troops. One soldier quickly rushed forward and reported to Han Gang: "General Han, it's not good. We've been surrounded!"
Han Gang was stunned: "What do you mean surrounded? The opposition only has a few hundred people. Could they possibly surround us?"
"No, that's not it!" The soldier reported: "It's not just a few hundred people. There are tens of thousands of troops! They have already surrounded Yu Zhou City. Their leader has already entered the city and is heading in this direction!"
"Tens of thousands?" Han Gang heard this and was a bit dazed. He did not take a few hundred troops seriously, and he could fight off a few thousand, but tens of thousands created a gap that was too large! The Teng family's reports had never said that Imperial Daughter Ji An still had a supporter. He had never heard that tens of thousands of people had also come. What should be done? "Are you certain?" He asked the person, "Since it's tens of thousands, they will definitely be flying a flag. Where did these troops come from? What did the flags say?"
That person scratched their head, "It seemed that there was a character for Wind written! I don't know which side those people are from, but they are definitely not helping us because they killed the comrades that were left to defend the gates!"
"Hiss!" Han Gang inhaled sharply and finally realized that the situation was not good. But to retreat at this time was too late. Seeing that Yu Zhou was completely surrounded, everyone was squeezed onto this street. The banner that read "Feng" was very noticeable at night, and its appearance caused him more pain than his mouth. But Han Gang still did not understand. What did the character "Wind" mean?
At this time, Feng Yu Heng had also noticed the soldiers that had suddenly entered Yu Zhou City. The character for "Wind" also entered her view; however, her mind shifted. Although she felt that it was not too possible, among the people in Da Shun that could lead troops, the only one that was worthy of the character for "Wind". Aside from that person, there was nobody else. But why would that person come to Yu Zhou City? And with 30 thousand soldiers?
For a while, both sides were puzzled, but it was at this time that someone riding a horse from the army flying the "Wind" banner came out. Stopping in front of the army, the person was in grey robes and had a thick aura of a scholar. He did not at all match with the army behind him. But when he spoke, the words caused Han Gang to feel despair along with the other soldiers, as he said: "Ji An Prefecture Guard Teng Ping has rebelled and caused chaos. This prince has come today with soldiers to quell the chaos on Father Emperor's behalf!" After saying this, he waved his hand, and 30 thousand troops from the Northeast charged forward. In the blink of an eye, the Teng family's army was completely erased without a trace.
With such a large army pressing forward, it was fortunate that it had happened at night; otherwise, the citizens of Yu Zhou City would have been frightened to death. But the army under the "Wind" banner moved quickly and did not delay. Very quickly, the one thousand personal troops were completely eradicated.
Blood flowed in the streets, and the entire street was dyed red by the blood. The faint sounds of soldiers that had not been completely killed could be heard; however, they were quickly killed off without any pity.
Yu Zhou's prefect, Qian Feng Shou, was an official. Although his son had become a deputy general, he had never seen any blood on a battlefield. At this time, seeing the blood that had already flowed to his feet and smelling the bloody air, he nearly vomited. But the assistant at his side supported him and quietly said: "My Lord, you must endure! You are the prefect. If you faint or vomit at this time, it would be a bit too disgraceful."
Qian Feng Shou also understood this reasoning. Moreover, he had already recognized the person leading the 30 thousand troops into Yu Zhou, and a cold sweat appeared on his brow. Who knew what sort of wind was blowing in Yu Zhou that would attract these important people!
He quickly brought his people forward. Without any concern for the streets being covered in blood, he began to kowtow to the young man. At the same time, he exclaimed: "This official greets Your Highness Prince Xian. Long Live Your Highness Prince Xian!"
The person that had come was none other than the sixth prince, Prince Xian, Xuan Tian Feng.
He glanced at Qian Feng Shou, and his expression still carried a faint aura of a scholar. He just slightly raised his hand and said: "Lord Qian, please rise."
Qian Feng Shou stood up, and his body was soaked in blood. He also swayed a bit and looked very weak.
Xuan Tian Feng did not pay much attention to him. Instead, he urged his horse to head toward Feng Yu Heng's side. They were across from each other, as Xuan Tian Feng peacefully smiled, "Younger sister, sixth brother did not come too late, right?"
Feng Yu Heng smiled and replied: "Not late, not late, but sixth brother, why have you come?"
As the two began to speak, Qian Feng Shou felt very awkward standing there, thus he found some work for himself. He directed the soldiers of Yu Zhou City to begin cleaning up the battlefield. Behind Feng Yu Heng, Li Zhu also arranged for the troops to leave and return to where they had been living. The Northeast Army of 30 thousand, however, did not continue to linger. Under the leadership of a deputy general, they headed toward Ji An Prefecture. Even Wang Chuan and Huang Quan followed Li Zhu's group. In the blink of an eye, aside from the soldiers tidying up the battlefield, only Feng Yu Heng and Xuan Tian Feng were left, along with their hidden guards.
Xuan Tian Feng had no desire to look at such a bloody scene and subconsciously averted his gaze; however, he could not avoid it. Feng Yu Heng took the initiative to suggest that they head to the residence where she was temporarily living. Naturally, Xuan Tian Feng had no objections. The two turned their horses around and departed. Along the way, Xuan Tian Feng said to her: "In truth, a little more than two months before the new year, the Northeast Army had received a secret order from Father Emperor to return. The army moved separately and did not alert anyone. Originally, they were supposed to hide in the area around the capital, but there was fear that there would be some sudden movements inside the capital. Father Emperor and ninth brother's side would be unable to manage; however, I was worried about the situation here. I privately spoke with Father Emperor and brought the troops to this side to provide you with assistance." Seeing that Feng Yu Heng's expression changed, he could not bear to see her with some sort of burden, thus he added: "This was all permitted by Father Emperor. I was moving under orders. If you wish to give thanks, just wait until you return to the capital to thank Father Emperor."
Feng Yu Heng nodded but still said: "No matter what, A-Heng will definitely remember sixth brother's grace!"