“Kill the county magistrate?”
Tang Xiaobei panicked as soon as she heard it. She quickly ran a few steps and grabbed Jin Feng.
She could feel Jin Feng’s rage and knew he was not just saying it.
She also had no doubt about Jin Feng’s ability to kill the county magistrate.
But a county magistrate was an official appointed by the court. Even a duke would need a proper reason to kill one.
Jin Feng was only a minor baron. If he rashly stormed into the county office and killed the magistrate, the consequences would be endless.
“Husband, I know you are very angry. Cai Liuyang deserves to die. But we cannot act so impulsively!”
Tang Xiaobei held tightly onto Jin Feng’s sleeve. “Calm down. Let us go back and discuss this properly, alright?”
“Xiaobei, I know this seems impulsive.”
To Tang Xiaobei’s surprise, Jin Feng did not get angry. Instead he spoke very calmly. “On the way back, I kept thinking about what I should do. But I could not think of any other way…”
At this point, Jin Feng squatted down in some pain. “We transported so much grain from Jiangnan. Dongdong has saved up so much cloth. We clearly could have gotten through this hardship. Yet every day countless people are still freezing and starving to death. When I think about this, my heart feels blocked!”
Tang Xiaobei looked at the somewhat helpless Jin Feng. Ignoring the people around them, she gently pulled him into her arms. “I understand. I understand everything! But… but killing the county magistrate is far too serious. We must think it over carefully.”
“Xiaobei, I have already thought it through clearly!”
Jin Feng broke free from Tang Xiaobei’s embrace and stood up again. “Since I have decided to act, there is no need to hesitate any longer! Every extra day of hesitation means more common people will die!”
These words were spoken both to Tang Xiaobei and to encourage himself.
After saying this, Jin Feng’s gaze became even more resolute.
“Xiaobei, go back to the village first. Tell Xiaorou about this so she can be prepared.”
After giving the instructions, Jin Feng headed down the mountain without looking back.
Tang Xiaobei stood behind him, anxiously rubbing her hands, but she did not know how to stop him.
Killing the county magistrate would inevitably bring punishment from the court.
Jin Feng had already offended so many powerful families. If he did not want to die, the only path left was rebellion.
She had long considered what it would be like if Jin Feng rebelled.
But she never expected this day to come so quickly and so suddenly.
“Don’t worry. I promise to bring your man back alive!”
Bei Qianxun walked over to Tang Xiaobei’s side, pulling the little girl along. “Help me take good care of Ling’er!”
With that, she placed the little girl’s hand into Tang Xiaobei’s, then limped after Jin Feng.
Down at the mountain, the stable hand had just led the warhorses into the stables when he saw Da Liu arriving with men.
“Old Cao, have the warhorses been fed?”
“Da Liu, don’t you trust me when I handle things?”
The stable manager patted his chest and said, “Fed with the best fodder and bean cakes. I was just about to arrange for someone to wipe them down.”
“No need. We need the horses now. Have someone bring all the horses out!”
“Bring them out? … Alright!”
The manager was stunned for a moment and wanted to complain a little. But seeing Jin Feng’s poor expression nearby, he quickly told the hands to bring the warhorses out of the stables again.
Under Jin Feng’s lead, the cavalry thundered out of Shuangtuo Peak and galloped along the official road.
On the way back, to avoid unnecessary trouble, Jin Feng had ordered the escorts to put away the big flags and their escort uniforms. They only revealed their identity when bandits blocked the road.
But once they reached Jinchuan, there was no need to worry about that anymore.
The escorts put their armour back on and raised the black flag of the Zhen Yuan Escort Agency.
This stretch of the official road was still fairly busy, with many common people and traders coming and going.
Hearing the sound of hooves from behind, they quickly moved to the sides of the road.
“Make way, make way! The bandit-suppression team from Zhen Yuan Escort Agency is coming!”
“A few days ago the bandit-suppression team only had fifty men. Why are there so many in this group?”
“Look quickly! The one leading seems to be Mister Jin!”
“It really is Mister Jin! I saw him at Xihe Bay!”
“Which one? Point him out to me. I have never seen Mister Jin before!”
“The one right at the front on the warhorse, wearing the moon-white long robe.”
“Mister Jin is so young!”
“That is great! Mister Jin has finally returned!”
“Now Jinchuan will be at peace!”
Jin Feng’s prestige in Jinchuan now far surpassed that of Emperor Chen Ji. Quite a few common people had seen him before.
In recent times the bandit attacks on Shuangtuo Peak had caused great suffering to the surrounding people and traders.
Although Iron Ox had been suppressing bandits ever since, and no more bandits appeared near Shuangtuo Peak, the common people still felt uneasy inside.
Only now, seeing Jin Feng return with their own eyes, did their hearts finally settle.
Some of the common people who had spoken with Jin Feng before raised their hands to greet him.
Normally, even if Jin Feng did not respond to each one individually, he would at least slow his horse and exchange greetings with the people.
But now, filled with anger, he only cupped his hands toward the common people and galloped past.
“Something is wrong. This feels like trouble is coming!”
After the cavalry passed, one trader frowned and said, “Brother Liu, after we finish this trip, let us stop running for a while. Something does not feel right!”
“Brother Zhang, why?”
The trader surnamed Liu said, “Salt is scarce everywhere right now. This is exactly the time for us to make money. Mister Jin has returned, so why stop?”
“Mister Jin only cupped his hands toward us just now. He did not even slow down…”
The trader surnamed Zhang seemed to be answering his companion and also muttering to himself. “Something is wrong. Very wrong!”
“Mister Jin has such high status, and we are just ordinary people. For him to cup his hands at us is already giving us great face. What more do you want?”
The trader surnamed Liu laughed. “Have you forgotten what happened in Qingshan County?”
A while back they had gone together to Qingshan County to sell salt. On the road they met the son of the Qingshan county magistrate going out. Because they were slow to give way, the magistrate’s son whipped them several times.
In the eyes of the trader surnamed Liu, Jin Feng taking the initiative to cup his hands at them was already showing enormous courtesy.
“Brother Liu, you are from out of town. You do not understand Mister Jin.”
The trader surnamed Zhang said, “Mister Jin is kind and gentle. He never looks down on us merchants, and he never acts arrogantly. Normally, when he meets us, even if he does not greet each one personally, he will at least stop to thank everyone for making way.”
“Maybe Mister Jin has urgent business today?” the trader surnamed Liu asked.
“Unless it is something extremely urgent, Mister Jin would never lead men galloping wildly on the official road! And just now I noticed that Mister Jin’s expression was not right.”
The trader surnamed Zhang said, “Brother Liu, anyway, after this trip I am not running anymore. Listen to my advice and take a break for now too. I have a feeling something big is about to happen!”
“Alright then. I will listen to Brother Zhang.”
The trader surnamed Liu saw how serious his companion’s tone was and began to take it seriously as well.
…
Three li outside Jinchuan County Office, Jin Feng reined in his warhorse and stopped at an open area.
He dismounted and climbed onto a large rock beside the open ground.
The escorts also stopped one after another and looked up at Jin Feng.
At Shuangtuo Peak they had only received the order to set out, but they did not know where they were going or what they were going to do.
They thought Jin Feng was heading west back to Xihe Bay, but then he turned toward the county office.
Now, Jin Feng was about to announce the answer.
