How did I, a mere son-in-law lying down, become a "Fenglang Juxu" (a legendary martial art

Liu Shan looked grateful. He had acted rashly in Jinhua County, which indirectly caused the deaths and injuries of the officials. He should have been severely punished, but Prefect Yin had let him off lightly.

However, he could not remain indifferent. "My lord, I will certainly remember this lesson. At the same time, I am willing to support the family of the deceased officer as a token of my remorse."

Yin Nantian nodded in satisfaction, "Very good. Since you have regrets, you must handle this matter properly."

Liu Shan breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly replied, "This subordinate will keep it in mind. In addition, regarding the matter of the men in black in Jinhua County, this subordinate wishes to continue to investigate in order to prevent future troubles."

Upon hearing this, Yin Nantian hesitated. The case of the man in black did indeed need to be thoroughly investigated, but if another mistake was made, there would likely be heavy casualties.

Moreover, in his view, the investigation into Jinhua County could be temporarily concluded. Next, it should be handed over to Prince Kang, or reported directly to the capital for higher authorities to handle.

After all, the casualties of twenty-five officials were a serious blow to the Cangzhou government, and it would be difficult to spare so many more people in a short period of time.

Moreover, even if they were transferred out, it would be of no use. The men in black could set up a trap to kill once, and they could do it a second time.

Perhaps drawing soldiers from the garrison battalion would be a good option, but Liu Shangang forced Jiang Xiaoyong to have his own confidant beaten to death. How could the garrison battalion possibly continue to cooperate?!

Yin Nantian pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Liu Shan, this matter needs further consideration. We must not act rashly. First, comfort the families of the injured and deceased officials, and then I will report to the court to see if there are any more appropriate arrangements."

Liu Shan knew it would be difficult to persuade Yin Nantian, so he decided to let the evidence speak for itself.

"My lord, I have handed over the several ox-tail knives that I brought back from the blacksmith shop in Jinhua County to Steward He. These knives can prove that the blacksmith shop illegally forged weapons."

He Qiong sighed and said softly, "I had those ox-tail knives appraised by the blacksmith at the government office, and none of them were newly forged."

"Impossible!" Liu Shan said decisively, "These knives were taken out of the furnace by my own hands, and I personally kept them and handed them to you."

Upon hearing this, He Qiong's expression changed slightly. After a moment of silence, she said, "If that's the case, it only proves that you've been deceived. These knives took more than a year to forge, and there are more than ten small wear marks on the blades. Only years of use could cause so much wear."

Liu Shan was startled, realizing the situation was complicated, but he was still unwilling to give up easily: "Couldn't we deliberately make it look old?"

He Qiong shook her head. An antique-style ox-tail knife? That's simply a fantasy.

“It’s difficult to achieve such a realistic aging effect intentionally, and the wear marks on the blade are natural and cannot be achieved in a short period of time. Moreover, there is a significant difference between newly forged steel and old steel, and a blacksmith would not make a mistake.”

Liu Shan was in a terrible mood. He never expected to be deceived, nor did he expect the man in black to be so cunning. This was far beyond his expectations.

However, he still argued his case and wanted to continue investigating the blacksmith shop in Jinhua County and the matter of the man in black.

Yin Nantian rejected Liu Shan's proposal again, saying, "I understand your intentions, but the evidence is insufficient at present, and taking rash action will only increase the risks. Let's hold back for now and wait for the court's instructions before making a decision."

However, Chiang Hsiao-yung unexpectedly returned at this time.

“Your Excellency, I am willing to lead troops to protect Registrar Liu as he travels to Jinhua County again to thoroughly investigate the blacksmith shop and pursue the matter of the man in black.”

This suggestion made Yin Nantian frown slightly.

Chiang Hsiao-yung's sudden volunteering put him in a dilemma.

This proposal was also far beyond Liu Shan's expectations. He was mentally prepared to fall out with Jiang Xiaoyong, but he did not expect that Jiang Xiaoyong would be willing to protect him and go to Jinhua County again.

Jiang Xiaoyong's unusual behavior aroused Liu Shan's suspicion.

He wondered to himself, could it be that Chiang Hsiao-yung had other plans?

Chiang Hsiao-yung's move may be intended to gain merit, or it may have ulterior motives.

Liu Shan took a deep breath. Could he be planning to ambush and kill him on the way?

Soon, Liu Shan shook his head inwardly. Unless Jiang Xiaoyong had gone mad, he would never do something so self-destructive.

Because if they wanted to kill Liu Shan, they had to kill all the officials accompanying him... This kind of thing could not be covered up no matter what.

So what exactly is Chiang Hsiao-yung's true intention?

Could it be that he genuinely wanted to protect himself by going to Jinhua County?

why?

Yin Nantian suddenly asked, "Lord Jiang, sending your men to escort him would be enough. Why bother to make the trip yourself?"

Jiang Xiaoyong smiled and said, "Prefect, let's keep it one thing at a time. Liu Zhubu's father has been kind to me, how can I just stand by and watch him go into danger again? I will personally lead troops to protect him to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Yin Nantian looked at Liu Shan, and Liu Shan then looked at Li Polu.

Li Polu, true to his old tricks, pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "If that's really the case, would Lord Jiang be willing to sign a military pledge?"

Liu Shan's eyes lit up. A military order was a good thing. As long as Jiang Xiaoyong signed it, he wouldn't have to worry.

“I am willing to sign a military pledge to show my determination.” Jiang Xiaoyong nodded without hesitation and agreed: “Someone, quickly draft the military pledge, and I will sign it immediately.”

He Qiong dared not delay and hurriedly wrote out the military order.

Jiang Xiaoyong took the military order, didn't even look at it, and signed his name with a flourish.

Liu Shan picked up the military order and read it carefully from beginning to end. He found that the contents were very biased towards him, almost to the point that he would exchange his life for Jiang Xiaoyong's entire family.

Liu Shan felt slightly relieved, but remained vigilant. He stole a glance at Jiang Xiaoyong, wondering what he was up to.

But returning to Jinhua County was his urgent wish, and now that it could be realized so easily, he naturally did not want to miss this opportunity.

So he solemnly clasped his hands together, bowed, and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Lord Jiang."

Jiang Xiaoyong returned the greeting, saying, "Rest assured, Registrar Liu, I will do my utmost to ensure your safety on this trip."

Their eyes met, and a complex emotion filled the air.

Then, Jiang Xiaoyong personally helped Liu Shan up and said, "No need for formalities. There's no time to lose. I've already prepared a hundred elite cavalrymen outside the city. Let's set off immediately."

Liu Shan was unwilling to delay, but this was not something he could decide alone. He looked at Yin Nantian, waiting for his decision.

Yin Nantian sighed, knowing that this matter had become an obsession for Liu Shan. If he couldn't overcome this hurdle, the obsession could easily turn into a demon, and this promising child would truly be ruined.

He nodded. "In that case, we will follow Lord Jiang's arrangement. Registrar Liu, you must be careful. And this is the military order; if any accident occurs, I will punish the perpetrator severely according to the order."

To Liu Shan's surprise, Jiang Xiaoyong felt no guilt at all upon hearing this, and instead gently urged him to hurry up.