“Mr., Mr. Feng is inside the county seat. As soon as the gate opens, I’ll go in and grab him.”
Tiechui said, “With this fellow added, County Lieutenant Zhao won’t be able to deny it!”
“Good!”
Jin Feng nodded.
County Lieutenant Zhao was a court-appointed official, so Jin Feng could not touch him easily. But this so-called Mr. Feng was just a lackey of the local gentry. Jin Feng had almost no qualms about dealing with him.
“By the way, when does the city gate open?”
Jin Feng suddenly asked.
In his memory, the gate usually opened in the early hours to let vegetable farmers, hunters, and others enter to set up stalls.
By daylight, city residents could buy fresh goods.
But now dawn was near, yet the Jinchuan county gate remained tightly shut.
“If Mr. hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have noticed. The county gate opens at the third quarter of the yin hour. It’s already the mao hour. Why is it still closed?”
Tiechui also realised something was wrong.
“When you captured the man, did the soldiers on the wall know?” Jin Feng asked.
“This fellow shouted outside the gate for ages. The soldiers definitely knew. They even came down to open it for him.”
Tiechui said, “If we’d been a step slower, he might have slipped inside.”
“Alright. Looks like the gate won’t open for a while.”
Jin Feng said helplessly.
“Mr., you mean… County Lieutenant Zhao ordered it closed?”
Tiechui finally understood.
“Only three people in Jinchuan have the authority to seal the gate: Marquis Qing, the magistrate, and the county lieutenant.”
Jin Feng smiled bitterly. “Marquis Qing is not in Jinchuan. Magistrate Zhang would not close it without reason. Who else but Zhao?”
He had considered many possibilities, but not that Zhao would directly seal the gate.
This way, no matter what Jin Feng planned, he could not act.
Zhou Wenyuan was the direct heir of the Zhou family in the capital. Because his guards killed a few soldiers, Duke Zhou was still in deep trouble.
Over this, the duke had said countless kind words, surrendered much family interest, and still faced impeachment in court every day.
Sometimes the duke almost wished he could hand Zhou Wenyuan over to end it.
But he could only think it. Doing so would ruin his family standing.
Even a duke was criticised like a sieve. If Jin Feng attacked Jinchuan county by force, the consequences were obvious.
“Mr., what do we do now?”
Tiechui asked. “If County Lieutenant Zhao hides inside the county seat, we have no way to touch him.”
“He won’t. Closing the gate once or twice is fine. Without good reason, keeping it shut long-term is rebellion!”
Jin Feng knew the Dakang laws by heart. He said confidently, “At most four or five days, he must open it!”
“Right. When we found little Bei, old Xiao opened the gate at once. He dared not keep it closed a day longer.”
At this, Tiechui’s eyes lit up. “Mr., old Xiao is the garrison commander. He directly oversees the county lieutenant. We can ask him for help. Then Zhao will have to open the gate!”
“By the time you thought of it, the dish would be cold!”
Jin Feng said, “I’ve already sent someone to Guangyuan. If they’re fast, old Xiao will reach Jinchuan by noon tomorrow.”
In truth, he wanted Commander Xiao’s help not for the gate. The county lieutenant was a court official, so Jin Feng could not act. But Xiao was Zhao’s direct superior. Asking him was perfect.
Once Zhao was removed, Xiao could rightfully install his own man.
Jin Feng believed Commander Xiao would be very willing.
“Mr. thinks of everything.”
Tiechui scratched his head and grinned.
“Zhao sealed the gate because he knows he’s exposed. He might do something desperate.”
Jin Feng said, “Be careful these next days. Guard all the gates. Don’t let him slip away.”
“Mr., rest assured. If he escapes, take my head!”
Tiechui thumped his chest.
…
Wei family restaurant, the same private room.
A house servant carefully closed the door, afraid any noise would bring death.
County Lieutenant Zhao had lost all his usual calm. He paced like an ant on a hot pan.
The two gentry, Peng and Zhu, sat wilted like frost-bitten aubergines, faces full of worry.
Behind them, Mr. Feng also frowned deeply.
Since last night, they had waited for news from outside. Instead, soldiers reported that Zhao Kuan, sent to deliver the message, had been abducted at the gate.
Just now, another servant reported that soldiers on the wall had seen Jin Feng outside the city.
“How could this happen?”
Master Peng muttered. “That was three hundred bandits. Jin Feng had only twenty guards. How could he escape?”
Not just him. Zhao and Master Zhu could not understand either.
It should have been certain success. How did it fail?
Where did it go wrong?
Sadly, cut off from outside news, even if they racked their brains, they could not imagine Jin Feng had made a weapon that blinded with light.
“Zhao Kuan was too careless. He let himself be captured alive!”
Master Zhu complained. “And this so-called Mr. Feng that old Peng found. Weren’t you supposed to be infallible? You gathered so many bandits, yet Jin Feng still escaped!’
“Yesterday when we asked you for men, you said yours were useless. Now something goes wrong, and you blame us?”
Master Peng was furious with nowhere to vent. He shot back, “If your men are capable, you arrange it!”
“I may not have provided men, but I gave ten percent more money!”
Master Zhu roared. “That was hundreds of taels of silver!”
“Here. I’ll give you a thousand taels. Solve this for me!”
Master Peng pulled two large gold-edged banknotes from his robe and slammed them on the table.
“Enough. Stop arguing. Does it help?”
County Lieutenant Zhao kicked over the table and roared, eyes red. “I cannot keep the gate closed forever. We must think what to do now!”
The two masters shrank back, afraid to speak.
It was Mr. Feng, sitting behind them, who slowly stood.
“Sir, Masters, Zhao Kuan was captured alive. He will hide nothing.”
Mr. Feng said, “Given Jin Feng’s character, he will not let us go. Now, only one path remains!”
“What path?”
Zhao and the two masters stood quickly, staring at Mr. Feng.
Like drowning men clutching the last straw.
“Rebel!”
Mr. Feng slowly uttered two words.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Zhao and the two masters fell back onto their seats in terror.
“Old Feng, you’re mad. Rebellion means exterminating nine generations!”
Master Peng’s lips trembled with fear.
In feudal times, rebellion was the gravest crime, bar none.
“Sir, Masters, do you think colluding with bandits or murdering nobility are not capital offences?”
Mr. Feng said coldly. “At this point, is there a difference between exterminating three generations or nine?”
