Chapter Fifty-Eight: Such Overbearing Authority!
Su Qingmeng, as the elder sister, always cherished her younger sibling deeply.
With just a glance from Su Xiyan, she put away all her hostility and roughness.
After a brief moment to tidy themselves, the group stepped onto the streets of Jiangnan.
Su Xiyan hopped along the way, brimming with excitement.
Relying on her delicate cherry lips, she ate her way from Linjiang Street to Xinyue Street, not pausing for even a moment.
“But I ought to thank you as well,” Su Qingmeng suddenly said as they walked. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen Xiyan this happy.”
“Is it really that rare?” Li Yunjie replied. “Whenever I saw her at the Prime Minister’s residence, she seemed carefree every day.”
“You don’t understand,” Su Qingmeng sighed softly. “Since the accident when she was six, Xiyan has never gone out.”
“I didn’t have high hopes when we set out for Jiangnan this time.”
“But just before we left that day, you somehow managed to persuade her.”
“Though I hate to admit it, it seems Xiyan trusts you more than she does me.”
Li Yunjie glanced at Su Xiyan, her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk from all the food, and chuckled, “I think she’s simply indulging her appetite.”
“But speaking of that,” he paused, then continued, “What exactly happened during that accident?”
Su Qingmeng let out a long sigh and began to recount, “That year, it was during the Emperor’s spring hunt.”
“Father was commanded to accompany him.”
“Xiyan and I were part of the entourage.”
“The Emperor, in a whim, decided he wanted to see a hunting competition.”
“Xiyan was curious, so I took her to watch.”
“Who could have guessed…”
Su Qingmeng’s brows knitted together, her mood turning somber.
“I became so absorbed in the spectacle that I forgot to keep an eye on Xiyan.”
“When I came to my senses, she had disappeared.”
“When we finally found her behind the mountain, she was already unconscious…”
It was clear from her voice how deeply Su Qingmeng blamed herself for that memory.
As she spoke, tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes.
“Behind the mountain?” Li Yunjie’s expression grew serious. “From what I know, the hunting grounds are a fair distance from there.”
“Xiyan was just a six-year-old child—how could she have ended up there alone?”
Su Qingmeng’s face darkened. “Father suspected the same.”
“But aside from Xiyan, there wasn’t another soul on the mountain.”
After that, the two fell silent.
They walked on, not knowing how long had passed, when Shi Yi suddenly spoke up, “Young Master, it’s quite lively up ahead.”
Looking in that direction, they saw a crowd gathered not far away.
They moved closer, squeezing through the wall of people, and soon caught sight of a middle-aged man at the center.
The man was covered in dust, his face haggard and worn.
Around his neck hung a battered wooden board.
Looking closely, one could see several words scrawled on it in blood-red paint:
“Son of the Prefect, Song Zeye, has violated my wife! May he die a thousand deaths!”
“Make way! Out of the way!”
A few constables, swords at their sides, pushed through the crowd and surrounded the man.
“Official business! Civilians are not to approach!”
At the sight of the authorities, the bystanders scattered in a panic.
Li Yunjie immediately recognized the leader among the constables—it was the very same head constable who had once escorted him to a jail cell.
“Name and identity!” barked the constable.
“How dare you slander Young Master Song in broad daylight! Are you tired of living?!”
He drew his sword and pressed it to the man’s neck, shouting angrily.
The man’s eyes burned red, his pale lips trembling as he cried out in despair:
“Corrupt officials! Kill me now!”
“You dogs of the Song manor! Scum and filth!”
“Even in death, I will haunt you!”
“Kill me!”
The man’s ferocity stunned the head constable, who hesitated, his confidence wavering.
At that moment, chaos erupted—a single arrow flew from the distance, its path straight for the man.
In the blink of an eye, a streak of crimson sword energy shot out from the crowd, slicing past the constable’s hair and splitting the arrow in two.
On a distant balcony, a masked man furrowed his brow, then melted into the shadows.
“Impressive, Head Constable Wang!” Li Yunjie called out loudly. “Is this how the Jiangnan patrol treats the common people?!”
Hearing Li Yunjie’s voice behind him, Head Constable Wang stiffened, his back ramrod straight.
He turned slowly, face pale as ash.
“Li—Li Shaoqing.”
“No, Li Shizi.”
“What brings you here?!”
Li Yunjie did not answer.
He strode forward, looking Head Constable Wang up and down, then sneered, “Eighty strokes of the rod, and you recovered so soon?”
Anxiety flashed across Head Constable Wang’s face. “I—I’ve always been sturdy since childhood, so I heal quickly.”
Li Yunjie snorted, unimpressed.
If you’re going to put on a show, at least make it convincing.
Taking the sword from Head Constable Wang’s hand, Li Yunjie spoke in a low, cold voice, “Is this how the Jiangnan patrol treats the common folk?!”
As the blade drew closer, Head Constable Wang stammered, “Your Highness… This man is spreading false rumors in public, so we’re obliged to arrest him.”
“False rumors?” Li Yunjie’s tone chilled. “You’ve yet to investigate, and already you call it slander.”
“Is this how you conduct your investigations in Jiangnan?!”
His words rang with fury, the blade pointed directly at Head Constable Wang’s brow, causing cold sweat to break out on his forehead.
“If it’s not slander, why didn’t he go to the yamen and beat the drum for justice?”
“Why make a scene in the street instead? What is he hoping to achieve?”
From the crowd, a familiar voice rang out.
Li Yunjie turned toward it—it was indeed Wu Jin!
What was he doing in Jiangnan?
Li Yunjie’s brows drew together.
“Well, well!” Wu Jin said with a sly, mocking smile. “To think it’s the Young Lord himself! My apologies, my apologies.”
His sarcastic tone did not provoke Li Yunjie in the slightest.
After all, when a dog bites you, would you bite it back?
“Wu Jin,” Li Yunjie shot him a cold glare, “since when does the Ministry of Revenue interfere with criminal cases?”
Wu Jin smiled faintly. “I merely had my suspicions—never intended to meddle in the yamen’s affairs.”
“Of course, if Your Highness intends to cover for this man—Wu Jin gives my word, I’ll never breathe a word of it.”
Oh?
Improvement at last!
Li Yunjie thought to himself, noting the attempt at goading.
He let out a snort, set the sword aside, and said solemnly, “Young Master Wu is right!”
“To settle the matter, let us take it to the court!”
With that, he bent down to help the kneeling man to his feet. “Come, follow me to the yamen.”
“Beat the drum and petition for justice!”
...
“Dong—”
With several heavy blows, Li Yunjie struck the drum, and its deep thrum echoed through the magistrate’s office.
Tension filled the air; the yamen runners rushed out, and upon seeing Li Yunjie, they straightened at once.
“Hurry, notify the Prefect!”
Advisor Pan whispered urgently to a yamen runner.
Then, smoothing his expression, he stepped forward with a sycophantic smile.
“Your Highness, what brings you to our humble office?” Advisor Pan flattered.
Li Yunjie didn’t spare him a glance and strode straight for the main hall.
Upon entering, the four characters for “Upright and Impartial” greeted his eyes.
Prefect Song scrambled to fix his official hat before bowing respectfully to Li Yunjie, only daring to take his seat at the front of the hall afterward.
“Who brings a case before this court?”
“A humble citizen, Mao Shan,” the man answered, his voice trembling with emotion.
“Who do you accuse?” Song Yongnian barked sternly.
The man paused, then slowly raised his head and said in a low, steady voice, “The son of the Prefect, Song Zeye…”