The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 26 Extortion at the Door
The guards responded with a roar, and like wolves and tigers, they chained up the limp ship owner, the wailing steward, the ashen-faced steward, and several sailors who were so frightened they wet their pants, and shoved them away.

The dock was immediately filled with cries of pain, pleas for mercy, and shouts of injustice, creating utter chaos.

The three men, including Earl Ying, watched in fear and trepidation.

Ximen Qing sat upright on his horse, coldly observing the good show he had directed.

He held a gold-flecked fan in his hand, gently waving it at that moment.

He glanced at the three men, not worried that they might let something slip.

These three thousand catties of top-quality honeysuckle will disappear from the garrison's military depot tonight without anyone noticing, and appear in the backyard warehouse of Ximen Daguanren's herbal medicine shop, turning into another heavy sum of silver in his storeroom.

As for Commander He...

Ximen Qing's gaze swept over He Qianhu's "righteous indignation" face.

The leak of 1,800 shi of military rations that Lord He was so concerned about would naturally fall on the shoulders of the aggrieved Zhang, the wealthy man who was accused of "colluding with bandits and aiding the enemy"!
Zhang Dahu, the largest landowner in Qinghe County?
After today, it seems we'll have to change the name!

As the matter unfolded, naturally, the authorities wouldn't report it to higher authorities, such as confiscating property and exterminating the entire family.

If you don't earn many military merits, you'll attract the covetous eyes of those above you.

They'll just make a lot of noise but do little real work quietly.

Even if those three scoundrels, Earl Ying, let slip their secrets, so what?

After He Qianhu finished dealing with the scene, his gaze swept over Ximen Da Guanren's side, and the corner of his mouth twitched imperceptibly.

He rode over, reined in his horse in front of Master Ximen, cupped his hands and smiled, "Master Ximen, today's events are all thanks to your timely intelligence."

Ximen Qing, still on horseback, returned the greeting with a stern smile: "Lord He, you flatter me. It is entirely thanks to your keen insight, swift action, and impartial justice that this scourge has been eliminated from Qinghe County! I admire you greatly!"

The two exchanged a smile, their eyes meeting in a knowing glance.

Commander He clapped his hands and said, "My lord! Since that's the case, let's not delay. Let's go to the Zhang residence together! I want to see if this wealthy man is a wise and shrewd one who knows when to yield, or a fool who won't shed tears until he sees the coffin!"

“Just what I wanted.” Ximen Qing smiled slightly, unfolded his fan with a “whoosh” and shook it gently: “I wanted to see the ‘sincerity’ of this wealthy man.”

Having said that, he pulled on the reins, and the tall horse strode off lightly.

Commander He also urged his mount forward, and the two rode side by side, followed by a squad of menacing guards. The horses' hooves clattered crisply and coldly on the bluestone slabs as they headed toward the deep mansion of Zhang the wealthy man.

We arrived at the mansion of Zhang the wealthy, with its vermilion lacquer, copper nails, and stone lions guarding it.

The sharp-eyed gatekeeper had already spotted the commotion through the crack in the door. Terrified, he scrambled inside to report the commotion, only managing to shout, "Master, something terrible has happened!"

But he was kicked away by the fierce guards, fell flat on his back, and passed out without even uttering a sound.

"Investigate this serious case of colluding with bandits and aiding the enemy! Idlers, stay away! Anyone who disobeys will be killed without exception!"

The head of the guards shouted loudly, his voice shaking the roof tiles.

The mansion erupted in chaos! The screams of maids and servants, the cries of children, and the panicked shouts of servants and guards mingled together.

When the servants and guards rushed out with sticks, they saw that it was government troops, and that the leader was the commander of the guard. No matter how loyal they were, they dared not stop them. They all shrank back and gave way, and were pressed aside by the soldiers and guards, who made them drop their sticks and squat down.

The guards surged in like a tide, quickly sealing off the front and back gates and courtyard passages, their blades flashing and their killing intent palpable.

Ximen Qing and Commander He strode confidently past the panicked and kneeling servants and entered the main hall.

He Qianhu, dressed in military uniform, stood in the hall with his hand on his sword, his face ashen, his gaze sweeping over the Zhang family, old and young, who had stumbled in from the back room upon hearing the news.

His gaze swept over the rosewood octagonal table, the ebony armchair, the mother-of-pearl inlaid peony screen, and the dazzling array of antiques and jade artifacts on the display shelves. He especially lingered on the half-person-high Jun ware vase in the corner. He was overjoyed, but he couldn't openly snatch it and give others an excuse to object.

They could only look longingly at Master Ximen.

Ximen Da Guanren, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, gently waving the gold-flecked fan in his hand, and watching with a cold smile as Zhang Da Hu stumbled and ran out of the inner hall in a panic.

They refused when we spoke politely and tried to negotiate, but they insisted on bringing their own people to ask for it.

As soon as Zhang the landlord arrived at the hall, he saw this scene, especially He Qianhu's military uniform representing the authority of the government and Ximen Qing's face, which was both smiling and scheming.

I suddenly understood!

He felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, his legs went weak, and with a "thud," his obese body crashed heavily into the armchair, which creaked under the weight.

His face was ashen, his lips trembled, and his throat made a gurgling sound, but he couldn't utter a single word. Large beads of sweat instantly covered his forehead.

Commander He sneered, "Lord Zhang! Do you know your crime?!"

Zhang, the wealthy man, trembled violently. He barely managed to hold onto the cold, slippery rosewood armrest, trying to stand up but his body was too weak. His voice trembled and became incoherent, choked with sobs: "Lord He... Lord He, I have always been law-abiding and have never... committed any crime!"

"You don't know?!" Commander He suddenly stepped forward, his sword at his waist clattering as it was half-drawn from its sheath, a flash of cold light in its wake!
He slashed the sandalwood table with marble inlay next to him.

The shock caused the set of Chenghua polychrome teacups on the table to clatter and jump around. One teacup rolled to the ground and shattered with a crash, spilling tea leaves and tea everywhere.

"You colluded with the notorious bandit Fang La in the southeast, secretly hiding and transporting three thousand catties of top-grade honeysuckle, which he plundered from the Ministry of War! You have been caught red-handed, and the evidence is irrefutable! Your steward, boat owner, and manager have all signed and confessed in the prison of this garrison!"

"How dare you still try to deceive and deny this?! This is an unforgivable crime, punishable by the confiscation of your property and the extermination of your entire clan! According to the law, you should be executed by slow slicing, your property confiscated, and your wife and daughters sent to the brothel as slaves!"

"Boom!" Zhang, who had already been terrified when the knife struck the table beside him, felt as if his mind had been hit by a heavy hammer upon hearing this! His mind went completely blank!
Colluding with Fang La?

Looting military supplies?

Lingchi (death by a thousand cuts)?

Confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan?

Wife and daughters enslaved?

He was merely involved in the grain and cloth trade, and at most engaged in some shady smuggling. How could he dare to do something that could lead to execution and the extermination of one's entire family?!
These three thousand catties of honeysuckle were clearly stolen from Ximen Qing, so how did they become military supplies?

Yes! Yes!
This is clearly... a frame-up! It's that scoundrel Ximen Qing!
He glared at Ximen Qing with resentment, only to see the other man leisurely fanning himself, the cold smile on his lips exactly the same smile he had given before leaving that day.

Then he looked at the fierce-looking He Qianhu.

I shuddered, everything went black, and I saw stars.

His eyes rolled back and he fainted.

See this situation.

Ximen Da Guanren and He Qianhu looked at each other in bewilderment.

This guy's passed out, which is a bit of a problem.

They were still hoping that this guy would kneel down and beg for mercy, and then plead to go to the inner hall to "discuss" things properly.

How did you faint?

[Please vote with your monthly tickets, gentlemen!]

(End of this chapter)