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"Treason?"

"Executed?!"

The soldiers paled when they heard Ping Yang’s words. They feared for their lives. Ironically, they had planned to pin such crimes on Fang Zhengzhi less than 15 minutes ago.

But now...

These crimes were being pinned on them.

Treason!

This was a crime that would result in the execution of nine relations! [1]

All of the soldiers did not want to die. More importantly, they did not want to implicate their families. However, they were mere soldiers, and they were no longer masters of their fates.

"Mercy, your highness!"

"Your highness, please have mercy on us, we had no idea!"

"General Wang used the power and authority of the military token to command us to kill Fang Zhengzhi. We were just following orders! Please do not execute us and our families!"

All of the soldiers kowtowed and pleaded for mercy. Not a single one dared to look up at Ping Yang.

After all, this was Ping Yang, the most favored princess in the empire. She was the unofficial master of the capital. None of the officials, even the rank one officials, dared to antagonize her.

Chi Guyan saw the scene unfold before her eyes.

She did not answer Ping Yang’s question, neither did she stop the soldiers from pleading. Instead, she walked over to Zhang Yangping.

"Greetings village elder!"

"Ah... prince... princess! I hope you are well!" Zhang Yangping was nervous to see Chi Guyan.

As a northerner, how could he not know Chi Guyan? If Fang Zhengzhi was the pride of the Northern Mountain Village, Chi Guyan was the pride of the five northern constabularies.

"I would like to thank you for taking care of Zhengzhi all these years. I came a little late today and do not know what happened. Could you explain it to me?"

"Yes, yes I will!" Zhang Yangping nodded without hesitation.

Then, he began to recount the story. He told Chi Guyan about the general’s arrival and subsequent clashes.

Chi Guyan listened quietly without interrupting.

Fang Zhengzhi had helped Fang Houde and Qin Xuelian to the side. Then, he quickly arranged for the injured villagers to receive treatment. The rest of the soldiers continued to kneel anxiously on the ground.

When they heard of the general’s heinous deeds in the village, they were all taken aback. They never expected the general to harm innocent villagers so indiscriminately.

Zhang Yangping finished the story in moments.

Chi Guyan nodded and looked at the kneeling soldiers. Her mouth twitched as she contemplated.

"Military token?"

Chi Guyan was there when Fang Zhengzhi had killed the soldiers the night before. She did not stop him because it was within his power to do so.

The soldiers had bullied the villagers. As an official, he had a responsibility to guard their rights. He may be charged for killing people in the process, but it was not a death sentence.

However, if you add in the fact that the soldiers had insulted his parents, then the charge against them would be increased.

As a rank four official in the imperial courts, it was well within his rights to have the two soldiers executed.

However, today was different.

Almost a thousand soldiers had surrounded the village, harming the villagers in the process. Furthermore, they had a military token with them.

This was no small matter.

Last night, Fang Zhengzhi had already declared his position and status. Even if the army did not know his rank, they should have checked it out before charging into the village.

Even if they really wanted to activate the troops, they would only aim to capture Fang Zhengzhi. There was no reason for them to harm the villagers and attempt to massacre an entire village.

This was a path of no return.

Someone must have directed this. The order could not have possibly come from General Wang.

So, who gave the order?

King Duan?

Chi Guyan found that rather unlikely. King Duan had control over the military. He would be the prime suspect whenever something like this happened.

For that same reason, he would never do such a thing.

King Duan was not that stupid. He would not send people to follow Fang Zhengzhi back in an attempt to kill Zhengzhi. Furthermore, he was not one to use such blunt force to achieve such a fine intent.

So...

Could it have been the Crown Prince?

He could potentially kill two birds with one stone. He would get rid of Fang Zhengzhi and pin it on King Duan?

It sounded like a good plan, but it had many problems. Firstly, this would be akin to declaring war with King Duan. King Duan had been in control of the military for so many years. This is not something that the arrival of Fang Zhengzhi could affect. Furthermore, if she could think of this, the emperor himself could too!

Not only would the crown prince fail to rock King Duan’s position in the army, he would risk the emperor’s displeasure. The crown prince loved stability.

He had to seem generous and forgiving.

Furthermore, the empire required balance. Even though he was of a higher rank than King Duan, he would not interfere in the affairs of the military unless King Duan made a grave mistake.

He would be the eventual winner as long as he did not make any unforced errors.

Else, his life would be in danger.

Furthermore, King Duan was carrying himself well in front of the Emperor.

It would not be likely that the crown prince would risk a direct conflict with him right now.

So, who was it?

"Who had given the orders?" Chi Guyan spoke after a long pause.

"We... we do not know. The messenger was dressed in black. He arrived at General Wang’s tent five days ago. At that time, the sky was dark and we could not see well. Then, he never left the camp. Last night, a soldier came to report that the garrison was chased out, with two soldiers killed in the process. General Wang immediately ordered us to come over at arrest the culprit." One of the deputies replied slowly and deliberately.

"Five days ago?" Chi Guyan frowned slightly. They had chosen to set up a garrison at the Northern Mountain Village in advance. This could only mean one of two things. One, they were afraid that they would be spotted during the railing process. Two, there were other co-conspirators.

Arresting Fang Zhengzhi may have been an on-the-fly decision.

The situation was even more complicated now. If this was a last minute decision, how did they know that something like this would happen in the Northern Mountain Village?

Unless...

This was all pre planned. Were the soldiers ordered to take advantage of the villagers? This was one possibility. The other was that the person had other motives.

Was it for the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet?

If it was for the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet, why didn’t they enter Cang Ling Mountain? Did they have links to the demons? Who had the power to command the entire army?

Questions flew by in Chi Guyan’s mind.

However, Chi Guyan did not ask any of them. The general was dead.

With the commotion at the Northern Mountain Village, the black robed man was likely to have left the camp. There was only one way to get to the bottom of this.

Bait him out.

In order to do so, they had to capture all of the soldiers and interrogate them individually.

That was the only way they could lure out the opponent.

"Even though you were under orders, you have harrassed the villagers. We will have to investigate the details! From this moment on, you are not to have any interactions with others. You are to await further orders here. Anyone who runs will be executed, along with all nine groups of your family!"

"Yes ma’am!" None of the soldiers dared to protest. Even though Chi Guyan did not have control of the military, she was being groomed to be the commander in chief.

Who in their right mind would protest?

"Sister Yan, they have done so much evil, why don’t we kill them all?" Ping Yang said unwillingly.

"The mastermind has yet to reveal himself! We will be helping him silence them if we execute them." Chi Guyan explained patiently.

"I see. Then we will spare them for now! Sister Yan, how will we deal with them?"

"We will punish them lawfully!"

"So we are going to hand them over to the military courts?"

"No, at least not right now!" Chi Guyan shook her head.

"Then are we just going to make them kneel here all day?" Ping Yang sneered as she glanced at the kneeling soldiers.

"Yes, let them kneel! Someone will come and bring them away later!"

"Where will Sister Yan take them?"

"The Divine Constabulary!"

...

Within fifteen minutes, a grey armored middle aged man arrived by Chi Guyan’s side.

Fang Zhengzhi knew this man.

This was General Li, the same man who had accompanied Chi Guyan to the Southern Mountain Village. However, he had much more white hair than before.

"Greetings my lady! I have already brought 2000 men to the gates of the village. These are the medicine you asked for."

"Good, leave the medicine here. Bring these men back to the Divine Constabulary. Ensure that they to not communicate with anyone along the way. Take them back separately and make sure they are well guarded. Interrogate them all individually back at the Divine Constabulary!"

"Yes ma’am!" General Li replied respectfully before leaving.

Within moments, all 1000 soldiers and the deputies were led away.

Fang Zhengzhi did not stay at the square. The moment Chi Guyan gave the orders, he already began leading his parents back to their home.

Ping Yang looked at the leaving General Li, as well as the thankful villagers. She smiled.

"Sister Yan, where are we going next?"

"We’re staying here!"

"But we haven’t had anything good to eat in so many days! You have no idea how horrible rations are. Why don’t we go to Huai An County? What’s there to eat here?"

"Oh, that’s where you are wrong. How can the food in Huai An County ever match up to the food here?" Chi Guyan ruffled Ping Yang’s hair. Then, she looked anxiously in the direction of Fang Zhengzhi’s house.

"There are delicacies here? Where at?"

"The shameless fella’s house."

"What? What delicacy could he possibly offer us?"

"You will find out later! However, it will take some effort if you want to eat something yummy today!" Chi Guyan frowned slightly. Today’s events had already derailed her plans slightly.

An event as major as this would spread quickly throughout the empire. An investigator from the law ministry would be sent over very soon.

Massacring the soldiers of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Even a rank one official did not have that much power, much less a rank four official.

Even though Fang Zhengzhi’s actions were not unreasonable, killing nearly a hundred soldiers bordered on the ridiculous.

"What happened?" Chi Guyan was confused. Based on what she knew about Fang Zhengzhi, he would never have killed this many people even if he was just guarding his village.

She didn’t think much about it. All her questions would be answered when she saw Fang Zhengzhi. She guided Ping Yang towards Fang Zhengzhi’s residence.

"Sister Yan, do you think that he seems a little strange today?" Ping Yang asked as they walked.

"Why do you say so?"

"I feel like his gaze is much icier than before. Furthermore, he did not have an opinion as to how we should deal with the soldiers. Don’t you think that it’s slightly out of character?"

"Why don’t you ask him later?"

"Never! That being said, did he really grow up in this village? It’s so run down here! Furthermore, none of these villagers seemed to have entered Dao. How did he become so powerful?"

"Why don’t you ask him?"

"Not again! Sister Yan, you’re bullying me!"

...

Before long, they arrived at Fang Zhengzhi’s house.

Fang House and Qin Xuelian were sitting in the living room. When they saw Chi Guyan and Ping Yang, the welcomed them at the door.

"Greetings your highness and princess!"

"Uncle, auntie, I’ve said this before. Just take me as the Guyan you know. Else, I will not feel comfortable." Chi Guyan immediately helped them up.

"So where will you stay..."

"We will have to trouble uncle and auntie!"

"No way!" Just at this moment, a voice rang out from inside the room. Then, a figure in a blue robe appeared at the door.

It was Fang Zhengzhi.

When Ping Yang heard it, she pouted and eyed Fang Zhengzhi discontentedly. "Fang Zhengzhi, you should be honored that I want to stay here! Furthermore, I saved your life today, shouldn’t you be grateful?"

"You can stay here, but you have to pay 100 silvers a night!" Fang Zhengzhi wagged his finger at Ping Yang.

"Sister Yan, I take back what I said just now. He is just as shameless as before!" Ping Yang raged.

"As for you, the treasured daughter of the Divine Constabulary, you should find someplace else to stay! I won’t accept any amount from you!" Fang Zhengzhi ignored Ping Yang and said to Chi Guyan assertively.

"Is that right? What if I offered you 10,000 silvers a night?" Chi Guyan smiled, not shocked by Fang Zhengzhi’s attitude at all.

[1] The punishment involved the execution of all relatives of an individual, which were categorized into nine groups