“My goodness, the prefect has actually left!”
“If he doesn’t leave, what can he do? Mr. Jin is a noble with military honours!”
“What is a noble with military honours?”
“A noble with military honours is someone who has achieved military merits on the battlefield and been ennobled by His Majesty. For example, our deputy prefect is a marquis!”
“But the deputy prefect’s rank isn’t as high as the prefect’s.”
“What do you know? In the entire prefecture city, there are dozens if not a hundred officials big and small, but nobles are only a handful.
To put it bluntly, officials don’t know when they might be dismissed for making a mistake, but nobles won’t be, except for major crimes like treason. Generally, His Majesty won’t touch nobles.”
“So that’s how it is, no wonder the prefect yielded.”
“If he doesn’t yield, there’s no way. He can’t touch Mr. Jin at all.”
“Isn’t Mr. Jin a scholar? How could he have military merits?”
“Speaking of this, I remember. My cousin was wounded and retired from the army. He came back and told me that recently the Dangxiang people invaded the border again, and were repelled by the Iron Forest Army. The one leading them in battle was a Mr. Jin from Jinchuan!”
“If you don’t know, don’t talk nonsense. My third aunt’s cousin used to serve in the Iron Forest Army. He told me that the Iron Forest Army belongs to Marquis Qing!”
“You’re the one who doesn’t know. My cousin is also from the Iron Forest Army. He said Marquis Qing was seriously injured in an ambush by the Dangxiang people. Mr. Jin took command in the crisis, shouldered the banner of the Iron Forest Army, not only invented a battle formation to deal with the Dangxiang cavalry, but also created a very powerful war chariot that can throw stones over a hundred zhang away, and defeated the Dangxiang people in one go!”
“Is that true or false?”
“Of course it’s true. My cousin just came back from the Iron Forest Army recently. Who could know better than him?”
“What this brother said is true. I’m a merchant from Jinchuan. Recently I heard that Mr. Jin used a kind of war chariot that can throw stones to wipe out several groups of bandits, and he even put out the word that in the future, whoever dares to collect annual grain west of Jinchuan, he will wipe them out!”
“Without bandits collecting annual grain, wouldn’t the local common people be overjoyed?”
“Not only the local people, we merchants also have to thank Mr. Jin. Now when we go west of Jinchuan, we don’t have to worry about bandits blocking the road and robbing!”
“Mr. Jin can write such good poems as ‘Hoeing grain under the midday sun’. His heart is indeed with us common people.”
“Mr. Jin is mighty!”
……
Many people knew about Jin Feng wiping out the bandits. Jinchuan to the prefecture city isn’t far, there are many coming and going merchants. The common people chatted with each other, and Jin Feng’s deeds gradually spread.
And the great hero in their mouths, Comrade Jin Feng, at this time was looking at Tang Dongdong with a face full of heartache.
Earlier he hadn’t noticed. Tang Dongdong’s calf had been whipped broken. Blood had dyed the white foot-binding cloth red.
“Da Liu, see if there’s a clinic nearby. I’ll take Dongdong to have a look.”
“Brother Feng, no need. When we go back, let Runniang help me apply some herbs.”
Tang Dongdong smiled and shook her head. “I still want to see Xiao Bei hang this tigress at the entrance of Fengyue Lane.”
“Nonsense. If the scab sticks to the skirt, it won’t come off.”
Jin Feng didn’t allow any argument. He directly hugged Tang Dongdong by the waist, carefully placed her on the horseback.
Then he instructed Da Liu to arrange three veteran soldiers to escort her back to the inn.
Although Tang Dongdong had long considered herself Jin Feng’s person in her heart, being hugged onto the horse by Jin Feng in public was still the first time.
At this time, she only felt her head buzzing. Shyly lying on the horseback, she didn’t dare to lift her head.
When she came to her senses, they had already gone far.
Only then did she remember that Tang Xiaobei was also injured. She immediately made a fuss to go back, but the veteran soldiers didn’t listen to her at all. They escorted her all the way back to the inn, handed her to Guan Xiaorou.
After sending off Tang Dongdong, Jin Feng naturally didn’t forget Tang Xiaobei.
But Tang Xiaobei was resolute, and Jin Feng wasn’t familiar with her. He could only let her be.
Although Tang Xiaobei was very smart and good at reading people’s expressions, after all, she was just a sixteen-year-old girl. In the end, she didn’t strip the tigress naked, nor splash manure. She just had people untie her from the tree, tie her with a rope to the saddle, dragging her forward.
The yamen runners in front, veteran soldiers in the middle, the onlookers following at the end. A large group of people marched mightily to Fengyue Lane.
At this time, it wasn’t yet noon. It was the quietest time in Fengyue Lane. Many girls responsible for soliciting customers were listlessly standing at the doors of their brothels.
Hearing the noise coming from the entrance of the lane, they all craned their necks to look over.
In Chunfeng Building, the madam was pointing at two girls in front of her, cursing with spittle flying.
Since Tang Xiaobei had an accident in the oiran contest, the madam’s mood had been very bad. Today it reached the peak.
These two girls were also unlucky. Playing around in the hall, they were bumped into by the madam……
The two knelt on the ground trembling with fear. Inwardly praying nonstop, hoping heaven would send a god to save them.
As if heaven heard their prayers, the next second, the madam’s personal maid rushed in hurriedly.
“What’s the panic, what’s the panic?”
The madam smacked the maid on the head. “If I see you like this without rules again, you’ll go to the kitchen to burn fire!”
“Yes!”
The maid shrank her neck in fright.
“Speak, what happened again?”
“Madam, you should go out and see. Xiao Bei has come.” The maid quickly answered.
“This dead girl didn’t leave with Mr. Jin? What is she coming for again?”
The madam’s first thought was that Jin Feng instigated Tang Xiaobei to come ask for things. “You go out and tell her, I’m willing to let her redeem herself. That’s already bodhisattva-hearted. Don’t think of taking a single needle from Chunfeng Building!”
“No. Xiao Bei didn’t come to Chunfeng Building. She came to the entrance of the lane.”
“What is she going to the entrance for?”
“After Mr. Jin took Xiao Bei back, he sent someone to remove her from the registry. On the way back from removing the registry, they encountered Madam Wei……”
The little maid quickly recounted what she heard.
“You damned dead girl, daring to make up stories about the prefect and Madam Wei!”
The madam fiercely pinched the maid twice. “Be careful if Madam Wei hears. She’ll come tear your mouth apart.”
Madam Wei had become the nightmare of all brothels in Fengyue Lane.
“Madam, how dare I make up such things?”
The maid pointed outside. “Xiao Bei and Mr. Jin are outside, having people hang Madam Wei on the archway.”
“Really?”
“If Madam doesn’t believe, just go out and see.”
“Is the sky changing?”
The madam slapped her thigh, twisting her plump body. She dashed out the door.
The group of girls behind hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed.
This news was too explosive, too unbelievable. They would rather come back and be scolded by the madam, but had to go see.
Running to the entrance of the lane, at a glance they saw Tang Xiaobei with left hand on hip, right hand directing a group of government soldiers to thread rope on the archway.
And at Tang Xiaobei’s feet, the woman like a pile of mud. Who else but Madam Wei.
