Chapter 112

  Yan Dong returned to see Li Kun and told him that the mission had failed.

  "Why did it fail?" Li Kun looked at him with some doubt.

  "With Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang by her side, I couldn't get close to her." Yan Dong downplayed the severity of the situation, not mentioning the shocking news he had just learned.

  He was originally worried that this Pang girl would help Li Kun and Cheng Yuan, but the news he got tonight made him certain that such a situation would absolutely not occur.

  Li Kun walked back and forth on the ground a few times, saying: "That Cheng Yuan shouldn't be stupid enough not to know to ask for help from Pang Taishi."

  Yan Dong said: I'm afraid this time, Pang Taishi won't intervene.

  Cheng Yuan would certainly not sit and wait for death, he had already written a letter and sent someone to deliver it to the capital city to seek help from his uncle.

  He didn't know that Little Phoenix also had a book to enter the capital, and her target was also Master Pong.

  So, Pongtai Shifu received a total of two letters in his hands.

  The nephew's letter was written in a sad and sincere tone, saying that Bao Zheng was taking revenge on his uncle due to past grievances, and everything was pointing to himself, asking his uncle to lend a hand to save his life.

  And his daughter's letter was concise and clear, only listing the various things that Cheng Yuan had done in Dengzhou, finally asking: should he be rescued or not?

  The decision-making power was all in the hands of Master Pong alone.

  Pang Taishi saw it clearly, and his daughter's intention was very clear. If he wanted to save her, she would intervene even if she couldn't bear to watch. If he didn't want to save her, she would naturally choose to stand by and do nothing.

  Pang Taishi walked back and forth on the floor of his study for a long time, thinking about the last time Di Qing had betrayed him, when his daughter had a heart-to-heart talk with him in the study. He also thought about his sister's fraternal love for him, and his own avuncular affection for his nephew... Finally, Pang Taishi closed his eyes heavily and burned his nephew's letter asking for help.

  Although the daughter said that she would give him the right to choose, but the detailed list of crimes attached by her had already determined his decision. Such a crime, even if Cheng Yu was lucky enough to survive until he was tried in the capital, would still be difficult to escape death.

  As my daughter said in her letter, Cheng Yuan is not clever and was mostly instigated by a merchant named Li Kun. Such people are really hateful, if there were no people like Li Kun, Cheng Yuan would not have brought about the disaster of killing lives today.

  Cheng Yuan's crime is unforgivable, Li Kun's crime is unpardonable - they must die!

  It was a long and difficult night for Master Pong, but he endured it alone.

  Sometimes it's not that I don't want to save you, but that I just can't...

  In Dengzhou, Tang Zhen discovered a large number of unissued new counterfeit coins while searching the Four Seas Money House. The manager of the money house, Xian Zan, was taken back to the Magistrate's Office for this reason.

  Bei Baodan would not admit to the crime and was about to face sanctions, Xian Zan suddenly became a key witness and said he needed to go back to the money house to retrieve some evidence, before that, he had to go back to the village first to calm down Li Kun.

  Bao Zheng sent Xianzhao to secretly follow and protect him, while also keeping an eye on him.

  Xiang Zan thought he was clever and went to talk to Li Kun for a while, then left for Qian Zhuang.

  As soon as he left, Li Kun changed his face and said to Yan Dong: "Replace me and kill him."

  Yan Dong asked: "Don't you believe him?"

  Li Kun said: "I can no longer believe him, he wants to sell me out and beg for mercy from Bao Zheng, what a joke!"

  Yan Dong said: "Li Kun, you should know that out of the ten quotas, you only have one left. Are you sure you want me to go kill Xian Zan?"

  Li Kun hesitated, this matter was indeed somewhat serious - it seemed that if he wasn't careful, the quota for being killed would be wasted too much, and now there was only one last quota left?

  If this quota is used on Xian Zan, a small person, once an emergency situation arises, his personal safety will not be guaranteed. What to do then?

  Severe winter is not urgent, in three years he has never been so calm and peaceful, he has plenty of time and patience.

  "Kill him, kill Xuan Zan."

  Xian Zhan dies, and Bao Zheng will have no witnesses against me. I'll be safe and sound just the same.

  "As soon as Bao Zheng is gone, no matter who succeeds him as the prefect of Dengzhou, I have a way to make him my man." By this point, Li Kun's expression had become arrogant and overbearing.

  Severe winter frowns secretly, but says nothing, and just walks away.

  Yan Dong saw Zhan Zhao following and protecting Duan Zan, so he rushed ahead of them to the Four Seas Money House to wait for Duan Zan's arrival.

  As a result, when Deng Zan entered and took out the account book and money, Yan Dong immediately silenced him, but did not take away the evidence on his body, and left directly to report to Li Kun.

  Upon seeing the evidence brought back by Zhen Zhao, Bao Zheng understood what Yan Dong had in mind.

  "Lu's daughter."

  Suddenly seeing his idol, Lu Xiao Feng blinked his eyes, "Bao Daren?"

  "Miss, what do you think?"

  Lu Xiaofeng suddenly smiled, "Is Lord Bao sympathizing with Yan Dong for being pitied?"

  "Indeed, I regret it." Bao Gong frankly admitted.

  Lu Xiaofeng's eyes swept across the crowd in the hall, seeing that everyone was looking at him with anticipation, so he said: "You guys are looking at me like this, I'll feel a lot of pressure."

  Gongsun Ce smiled and said: "I'm sure Miss will think of a way."

  "Gongsun, I'm not a panacea, I can't make everything okay. The fact that Yan Dong kills people is true, even if many of the people he killed were bad guys who needed to be silenced, it doesn't change the fact that he's a killer."

  Gongsun Ce nodded, "The young lady is right, even if it's killing a bad person, it's still killing."

  "Judge Bao upholds the law with severity, and in this severe winter, it is only natural that a life must be taken for a life." The idol's determination to defend the dignity of the law has never been in doubt. Even if he didn't want to execute the person a million times over, he still threw down the fire sign in his hand, letting the executioner's blade fall.

  Strict law enforcement does not mean being cold-faced and heartless.

  Bao Zheng let out a soft sigh and walked out with his hands behind his back.

  "Miss, is there anything you can do?"

  "Yan Dong is a Jianghu person, Jianghu knights-errant eliminate evil and promote good with their swords, often wandering outside the law, this has probably become a convention. If knights-errant who kill bad people also have to pay with their lives, then all the knights-errant will die out."

  "It's not just bad people who can be killed by a severe winter." Zhan Zhao's expression was somewhat heavy.

  Lu Xiaofeng nodded, "So you're saying that he must pay with his life is the most correct?"

  Zhan Zhao fell silent.

  Bai Yutang said: "Why should we die in this severe winter? We Jianghu people don't have to be restricted by these official rules."

  Lu Xiaofeng smiled but did not speak.

  "Sister, what do you mean by this? Are you for it or against it?"

  Lu Xiaofeng sincerely said: "Although I very much agree with what you just said, considering my identity in the government, I have no way to openly express my opinion."

  Bai Yutang: "...", Little sister, don't be like this, covering your ears and stealing the bell. You're clearly in agreement, and you're openly showing it too.

  "Mr. Gong Sun."

  "Huh?"

  "Go, help me out."

  "Alright." Gong Sun Ce didn't ask her what she needed help with and directly agreed, following along.

  Xiaohe followed him very consciously.

  As for Lu Ming being hugged by his fifth uncle, Bai Yutang really liked this little nephew and felt that he was more fun than Lu Zhen when she was a child.

  Zhan Zhao didn't follow her, he wasn't worried about what his wife was going to do.

  The next day, Bao Zheng held court and first tried Cheng Yuan. He waited in vain for his uncle to save his life and had no choice but to plead guilty.

  When it was Li Kun's turn for review, Yan Dong took the stand as a witness to testify against him, recounting everything he had seen and heard while being by Li Kun's side over the past three years.

  Li Kun's crime was conclusive and he was sentenced to beheading.

  Li Kun spoke a few words to Bao Quan after his confession, which deeply moved Lu Xiaofeng who was listening in the back hall.

  Many officials in the capital accepted bribes, but in the end they chose to protect themselves and no one came forward to rescue Li Kun. So Li Kun unreservedly handed over their list, stating that he wanted to let Lord Bao bring these court parasites to justice, otherwise he would not be able to die with his eyes closed... When a bad person is so good at it, it's really worthy of praise!

  Li Kun only enjoyed the treatment of being beheaded by a dog's head knife, while Cheng Yuan was slightly better off and at least managed to get a tiger-headed knife, but in the end, they both lost their lives.

  In the end, only the severe winter remained on the hall.

  Bao Da-ren then recounted to Li Gong all the crimes committed by Yan Dong, who had killed someone beside Li Kun. Yan Dong did not raise any objections and pleaded guilty.

  But Yan Dong had already made up his mind. He would plead guilty, but he wouldn't die under the executioner's blade. The Yan family of Liaodong would have their own way of dying.

  "Hello, Mr. Bao."

  Yan Dong heard the voice and immediately saw Pang Taishi's daughter, Nan Xia's wife. She was wearing a official robe, walking step by step onto the stage.

  "Lord Feng, this official is currently in court, please forgive Bao Zheng for not showing full respect."

  "It doesn't matter."

  "What is Lord Feng doing?"

  "Has this official come for this severe winter?"

  "Are adults supposed to talk about feelings?"

  "No, I'm just stating the facts."

  "We would like to hear more about it."

  Lu Xiaofeng then gave a fairly detailed account of the family background of the people killed by Yan Dong three years ago. Excluding two people who were on official business to deliver secret letters to the magistrate at that time, all those killed by Yan Dong had reasons to be killed.

  It's obvious that someone who can engage in a dispute with Li Kun over interests and force him to consider killing, is unlikely to be very clean themselves.

  Yan Dong killed people on orders, he was not the mastermind.

  For the countless refugees in Liaodong who were saved by Yan's family that year, Lu Xiaofeng also wanted to fight for a chance to survive this harsh winter.

  Bao Zheng only then realized what she had been busy with in her study for the past few days. On that day, she knew the implication of his words but did not promise anything, yet privately focused on finding a way to make it happen. This girl... because she was uncertain about success or failure, she would not rashly make promises. But once things were under control, she would also be fearless and resolute.

  Finally, Bao Zheng sentenced Yan Dong to ten years of hard labor.

  Severe winter is in charge of leading the crime.

  After retreating from the hall, Yan Dong was directly summoned to the rear palace.

  In the back courtyard, he not only met Bao Daren but also saw Lu Xiaofeng.

  "Thank you for saving me, miss."

  "No need, I saved you because you have a reason to live. If you want to thank someone, thank yourself. Your Yan family has done good deeds and that's why you're enjoying the good results today."

  Yan Dong gave her a deep bow.

  Bao Zheng said at this time: "Severe winter."

  "The common people remain."

  "This court has sentenced you to hard labor, but in fact, I want you to be a personal bodyguard."

  "A humble villager dares to ask, who is it?"

  Bao Zheng looked at the person who was slowly drinking a cup of warm water and smiled slightly, saying: "It's this Lord Feng, appointed by His Majesty to handle various prison cases."

  Severe winter was shocked again, "Is she really Feng Daren?"

  Bao Zheng nodded, confirming his doubts, "It's her."

  It's clear now, no wonder she appeared in the main hall wearing official robes, no wonder as the daughter of Grand Master Pong she could get along with the people of Kaifeng so harmoniously and even married Zhan Zhao.

  Lu Xiaofeng held his teacup and looked at his idol with suspicion, "Bao Daren, I already have five mice as my guards. Why do you want to add another one?"

  Bao Zheng said: "Wu Yi and the young lady have a bond of righteousness, and they do not usually attend to the young lady's side. Therefore, the emperor is also concerned about the young lady's safety."

  "This time, with good fortune, our imperial court will naturally find a suitable guard to accompany the young lady, ensuring her personal safety when going out and also putting the emperor's mind at ease."

  Zhan Dong's heart was secretly shocked, how did he get involved with the emperor again?

  Lu Xiaofeng slightly furrowed his brow, "If the Emperor indeed entrusted this to you, then I won't say anything." He would just obey the imperial decree.

  Bao Zheng nodded slightly towards Yan Dong.

  Yan Dong bowed again and greeted Lu Xiaofeng, "Your subordinate has seen you, sir."

  "No need for formalities." Lu Xiaofeng took a sip of tea. "You want to be my bodyguard, that's a big problem, but I still have some smaller issues."

  "Please go ahead, sir."

  "I don't need you to be like Li Kun, carrying a knife with you all day. When needed, you may have to work as a part-time driver, housekeeper, cook, and errand boy, do you understand?"

  "I understand."

  Bai Yutang inserted a flower, "Severe winter, I hope you really understand."

  When necessary, you may also need to act as an actor according to her requirements and perform according to her script. Master Wu tells you with his own experience - it's very miserable!

  However, in accordance with the principle that it's more enjoyable for many people to have fun together than alone, Bai Yutang kept the second half of his words in his own belly.

  The people of Kaifeng Prefecture and the other four mice silently shifted their gaze to one side, some things still needed to be understood by Xuanzang himself.

  "Winter understands." Winter replied as usual with a loud and clear voice.

  "Lord Bao, the Dengzhou case is closed, and I will be leaving next."

  Bao Gong said: "I don't know where you want to go, miss?"

  "Changzhou Exhibition Hall."

  "Expand Protection——"

  Zhan Zhao said: "Subordinates will first escort the adults back to the capital."

  White Jade Hall said: "We five mice will send you off, and you can accompany our sister back together."

  "Thanks for your trouble."

  Bai Yutang waved his hand in disgust and said, "Don't get sentimental, we're doing this for Liu Mei, not for you, you stinky cat."

  Lu Xiaofeng sighed and said, "The cat and mouse are sworn enemies, even the gods can't help it."