Now that everything had been exposed, all conspiracies laid bare, Qi Wangkui wasn’t nervous at all anymore.
After all, what was the point of panicking?
What’s done is done, what was there to be afraid of people saying?
He lowered his head coldly and muttered, “I’m innocent. I won’t say a word! I’ll wait to return to the capital and let the Three Judicial Offices try me!”
He had family and friends in those offices and Qi Wang would definitely find a way to intervene.
In the end, the relief silver hadn’t been lost. The fire hadn’t been lit. There was no actual damage.
Even if a charge was brought against him, it wouldn’t be too severe.
Confident he had protection, Qi Wangkui remained unbothered.
But at that moment, Xiao Yunting let out a soft chuckle.
He then asked, “You think you’ll still have a chance to return to the capital and wait for a trial?”
Qi Wangkui replied arrogantly, “I am a jinshi, a scholar selected by the imperial exams, I’m a disciple of the Emperor himself, a court official! To try me, you must first strip me of my title! Your Highness, you do not have the authority to do that.”
He was only the Imperial Grandson, not the Emperor. Any rash action could provoke Emperor Yongchang’s wrath, step on the dragon’s reverse scale, and disaster would follow.
Power is not something one may seize lightly.
He didn’t believe Xiao Yunting would dare overstep his bounds and punish a fourth-rank official of the court.
Who was afraid of whom?
Qian Yuan was so furious he could hardly speak, pointing at Qi Wangkui yet unable to utter a word.
Utter b*stard. The worst kind!
But Xiao Yunting simply smiled and, in front of everyone, pointed at the pile of kindling and oil on the ground, then called out, “Anyone who was asleep in the inn earlier, raise your hand!”
Nearly half the people raised their hands.
Especially the soldiers, overworked and exhausted, they had been sleeping in the communal quarters downstairs.
If the fire had been lit, none of them would’ve made it out alive.
Their eyes now burned with hatred as they looked at Qi Wangkui.
Xiao Yunting gave a slight smile, as if he’d expected this, and continued: “So, Minister Qi tried to embezzle relief funds, and to seize them, he disregarded the lives of his fellow envoys, the nearby citizens, and even the suffering people of Jiangxi.
Tell me, should I, as the Imperial Grandson, step in? Should I not step in?”
Qian Yuan swallowed hard.
He suddenly understood why Emperor Yongchang liked this grandson so much.
Plenty of people understand principle.
But few can act decisively.
And fewer still can sway hearts with a few well-placed words.
Xiao Yunting was that kind of man.
Even Emperor Yongchang himself, he’d be proud to have a successor like this.
Then, someone in the crowd shouted: “We should! We must!”
“Your Highness, punish the corrupt! Execute the corrupt!”
Along the journey, Qi Wangkui had lived lavishly. The one who had committed the crimes in Hebei was under his command.
And he had shown no remorse.
By contrast, Xiao Yunting, far above Qi Wangkui in status, had treated everyone fairly. He had personally purchased herbs and ensured medicinal teas were prepared. Everyone drank it.
Food was rationed fairly and generously. At post stations, he even ordered extra dishes for the men.
Most people treated soldiers like expendables, uncertain of life or death, destined to die unknown on battlefields.
Many believed that “benevolence does not rule armies,” and that behind every general’s success lay mountains of corpses.
But Xiao Yunting treated them like human beings.
And now, he was ready to purge corruption, for the people of Jiangxi, and for them!
Led by those voices, all the soldiers suddenly roared in unison:
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
Qian Yuan looked nervously at Xiao Yunting, his feelings now completely changed.
What a man.
With just a few words, he had seized the hearts of the people and made them his own.
Qian Yuan took a breath and said: “Urgent times call for special measures. When a general is in the field, he may defy orders, His Highness has the right to act on the spot!”
He meant to say Xiao Yunting had the authority to detain Qi Wangkui temporarily and take him to Jiangxi for proper interrogation.
But he was wrong.
Xiao Yunting turned toward the soldiers and shouted: “Good! We’ve endured hardship all the way here to save the people of Jiangxi! We came to build merit, to earn our rewards! If anyone dares obstruct us, if anyone dares harm the people, execute without mercy!”
Qi Wangkui panicked. He saw clearly that Xiao Yunting was rousing the troops, turning the whole mission’s personnel against him.
He tried to protest: “No! You’re overstepping your bounds! The empire has its laws, the home has its rules, you can’t—”
But Xiao Yunting suddenly drew the sword at his waist and shouted: “My royal grandfather granted me authority as imperial envoy, I now execute this traitor in the name of justice for all under heaven!”
As his words fell, Xiao Yunting raised his sword with both hands and brought it down in a swift, merciless strike.
Qi Wangkui’s head rolled across the ground.
His warm blood splattered across Qian Yuan’s face.
Qian Yuan was stunned.
He’d actually done it. Xiao Yunting had really killed Qi Wangkui right then and there!
Everything he’d done, the speeches, the emotion, the righteous rage, had all been for this moment:
To legitimize killing Qi Wangkui on the spot.
This prince…
He was no heir meant for peaceful succession.
He would be even more ambitious than his grandfather.
Good. Excellent.
To have such an Imperial Grandson, what a blessing for the dynasty. What fortune for the world!
Xiao Yunting, expression unchanging, straightened and swept his gaze across the crowd. Under the light of the torches, he declared loudly:
“From this day on, we march to Jiangxi with full force. Anyone who dares to sabotage us, anyone who plays tricks along the way, will end up like this traitor. EXECUTE WITHOUT MERCY!”
The soldiers erupted.
The Imperial Grandson had really killed a fourth-rank court official for them!
He was someone who truly wanted to do real work, not just decorate his name with false merit.
Everyone roared as one:
“Execute without mercy! Execute without mercy! Execute without mercy!”
The whole post station was in an uproar.
Meanwhile, Chun Lin quietly thought of his master.
Lord, please, please, don’t truly fall for Miss Qi.
Even though his master insisted Chun Lin was overthinking it, Chun Lin knew the truth. Otherwise, why would master, even after setting out to sea, never once forget to write to her?
Liking a girl wasn’t a problem.
But liking Miss Qi?
That was the problem.
Because those two… those two were the same kind of beast.
More ruthless than the Embroidered Uniform Guard themselves.
Want to show your support? Go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! Want to get early access to at least 20+ chapters in advance? Go to my Patreon to join now! :)
