The adopted daughter returns with a new face

Fang Xiaobao rode his horse back to the city at full speed and asked his soldiers to pull the carriage back to Baiyan Mountain. He saw the carriages piled high with official salt and more than ten boxes of gold and silver treasures. They worked together to load them onto the carriages. More than ten carts were filled with official salt and jewelry. He took a few guys back to the city and it was already afternoon when he returned.

Fang Zhongjing and Liu Da were relieved to see the official salt and jewels brought back. Liu Da had the salt stored in the warehouse and the jewels brought into the palace for Prince Rong to handle, and then he invited everyone to the hall for lunch.

After the meal, Fang Zhongjing reported to Prince Rong that he did not find the account books in Guan Zizhang's and Liang Ping's houses. Guan Zizhang told him that the account books he had obtained were fake.

"The account book is with me. General Fang and Lord Liu, go to the prison first, interrogate a few people and record their statements. We will then hand them over to the prince for examination tomorrow morning." Mu Rongchen instructed the two men.

Fang Zhongjing and Liu Da were no longer surprised to hear that the account book was in Prince Rong's hands. They also knew that Prince Rong's people were secretly watching in Shangyang City, so they agreed to go to the government office.

The next day, after breakfast, Lan Rufeng wanted to go out for a walk around Shangyang City, but Mu Rongchen forced her to go to the government office to attend the trial.

Mu Liangcheng sat in the court. Liu Da presented the confessions of several people yesterday to the prince for review, and also brought several people to the hall.

Guan Zizhang, Liang Ping, Chai Yi, Yan Sai, the three brothers of the Gong family, all sat in the hall looking at the Crown Prince and Zhang Cheng in the hall. On the left sat Prince Rong, Lan Rufeng, and Yang Feng. On the right sat General Fang, Zhong Yan, and Prefect Liu. Outside the hall were the common people.

After reading the confessions of several people, all of which pointed to the Feng family and Uncle Feng, Mu Liangcheng felt a little disappointed. He looked at them and asked: "Your confessions all pointed to collusion with Uncle Feng and the Feng family to steal the official salt. Is that true?"

"Your Highness, what we have said is all true. We dare not say a single word of falsehood. I hope Your Highness will understand clearly." The four of them replied in unison.

The three Gong brothers, seeing that several people had betrayed their master, panicked and quickly pleaded guilty: "Your Highness, I am just following the orders of the Second and Third Masters. Please spare my life, Your Highness."

"Your Highness, I know I cannot escape the blame. Please forgive my family. They are not aware of the crime." Guan Zizhan leaned over and pleaded for his wife and children.

"Your Highness, I committed the crime because I could not resist the temptation of high position and generous salary. I am willing to die to atone for my crime. I beg Your Highness to forgive my family." Liang Ping also leaned to the ground and pleaded.

Chai Yi and Yan Sai also leaned forward to plead for mercy. Faced with life and death, only if they gave out the person behind the scenes would their families have a glimmer of hope of survival. If they did not give out the person behind the scenes, their families would not be able to be saved.

"If you want to get rich as an official, you should not be an official. The sage said: What the king fights for is the world, what the princes fight for is the territory, what the officials fight for is power, what the scholars fight for is status, and what the common people fight for is food and clothing. Although what they fight for is different, they are all for their own desires. Only when you are content and have few desires can you be talented and not fight."

Lan Rufeng's faint voice rang out in the hall.

Everyone was shocked and looked at Lan Rufeng. He revealed in one sentence all the greed in people's hearts.

"Master Lan, have you ever fought for anything?" Mu Rongchen asked calmly.

"Prince Rong, I am a lonely man. Fame, fortune and money are nothing but fleeting clouds to me. I cannot bring them with me when I am born and I cannot take them with me when I die. What's the point in fighting for them?" Lan Rufeng asked with a faint smile.

"If everyone in the world had the same mentality as Young Master Lan, there would be no corrupt officials in the world." Although Mu Rongchen agreed with Lan Rufeng's words, there was no one in the world who did not covet power and wealth. Perhaps she was an exception.

"Alas!" Lan Rufeng sighed, "Regardless of whether they are wise or foolish, virtuous or not, all rulers want to seek loyal people to serve them and to appoint virtuous people to assist them."

"Mr. Lan is a man of unparalleled talent. Why don't you serve as an official in the court and assist the emperor?" Zhang Cheng said a few words of respect to Lan Rufeng.

"Commander Zhang, don't joke around. You guys can conduct the interrogation! I'll go out for a walk." Lan Rufeng stood up with a smile, glanced at the people in the hall, and walked out.

"Liangcheng, since they have all pleaded guilty, we will punish them according to the law, confiscate their properties and exile their families. I will accompany Master Lan for a walk." Mu Rongchen instructed his nephew to stand up.

"Yes, uncle." Mu Liangcheng agreed and watched his uncle follow Lan Rufeng out the door.

"Deputy General Guan, Lord Liang, and Master Chai, Yan Sai colluded with the Gong brothers to steal official salt. This is an unforgivable crime. According to the law, he will be executed at noon today. General Fang will be responsible for confiscating his property and exiling his family to Gannan. This is my decree." Mu Liangcheng decisively issued an order to execute him.

"Thank you for your grace, Your Highness." Guan Zizhang and the other three bowed down and confessed their crimes, while the three Gong brothers collapsed to the ground in fear.

"Come here, take them to the execution ground to await beheading." Liu Da ordered his men. A dozen constables entered the hall, took the men down, pushed them into prison vans and escorted them to the execution ground.

When the people saw this scene, they couldn't help but throw the things in their hands onto the prison van, shouting "Well done for the corrupt officials!" as they threw the things.

Lan Rufeng walked for a while, then stopped and looked at Mu Rongchen who was following her and asked, "Why are you following me, Prince Rong? Are you afraid that I will run away?"

"Perhaps people from Guanzhi Tower are also in the city, so I will naturally follow you." Mu Rongchen said bluntly.

"Prince Rong is overthinking. If they dare to take action in the city, it won't be so easy for them to leave." Lan Rufeng didn't believe that those guys were brainless, so he turned around and walked forward.

"That being said, you're alone and there's no guarantee that others won't risk attacking you. Two fists can't beat four hands, so it's better to be careful." Mu Rongchen followed Lan Rufeng closely, just because he wanted to be alone with her and get to know her better.

"It's up to you..." Lan Rufeng threw out two words, and walked and watched on her own, completely ignoring Mu Rongchen as air.

Chongtong and Yu Meiniang stood in a restaurant next to the street, watching Lan Rufeng and Mu Rongchen walk by downstairs. Chongtong saw that Lan Rufeng was tall and thin, but couldn't see his face clearly.

"See that? That guy is the same as Mu Rongchen. He looks like a decent human being, but he is more ruthless than the other when it comes to his attacks." Yu Meiniang said angrily as she looked at the backs of Lan Rufeng and Mu Rongchen.

"Doesn't that girl like him? She calls him Brother Lan all the time. Let's fulfill her wish." Chongtong sneered.

“Zhongtong, you knew she was a member of the Feng family, yet you still captured her to threaten Mu Rongchen. When Feng Qingge catches up to us, we will have another powerful enemy.” Yu Meiniang was speechless. This guy was simply crazy.

"One more or one less doesn't make any more. What use is the Feng family now? Once Mu Rongchen's memorial returns to the capital, it will be their death. In this case, why don't I use that girl to get rid of Mu Rongchen?" Chongtong didn't care. His goal was to kill Mu Rongchen, not just to solve the trouble for the Feng family.

"Whatever you say! I'll go see that girl." Yu Mei Niang couldn't convince Chong Tong, so she turned and left. She came to the room where Feng Qing Wu was imprisoned, pushed the door open and saw her rolling off the bed and lying on the ground. She walked up to her and said with a smile: "Little girl, I just saw your uncle and your brother Lan."

"Hmm..." Feng Qingwu raised her head and looked at Yu Meiniang. Her mouth was blocked, and her hands and feet were tied. She couldn't shout or run away. She was almost mad to death, and she hated herself for trusting others and being tricked.

"What does the little girl want to say?" Yu Meiniang asked as she squatted down and looked at Feng Qingwu with a smile on her face.

Feng Qingwu stared at Yu Meiniang with her eyes wide open, feeling so aggrieved that she wanted to cry.

"Little girl, your brother Lan is a playboy. If he dares to be disrespectful to me, I will make him pay with his life." Yu Meiniang said, reaching out and pulling the cloth bag out of Feng Qingwu's mouth.

"You're talking nonsense. Brother Lan is not a pervert." Feng Qingwu shouted in dissatisfaction. She didn't believe Yu Meiniang's words at all.

"If you don't believe me, let's make a bet. I'll let you see his true face." Yu Meiniang stuffed the cloth back into Feng Qingwu's mouth, carried her to the bed and said, "Be good and obedient, and you'll be able to see your brother Lan soon."

Feng Qingwu looked at Yu Meiniang who was leaving, wondering what she was going to do. She was anxious and angry and stared at the ceiling of the bed. Yesterday, she had just arrived outside Shangyang City and met Yu Meiniang. Seeing that she was good-looking with a man, she chatted with him for a few words, but she was knocked unconscious the moment she turned around, and when she woke up, she was tied up and thrown here.