Chapter 272
Yang Xu watched He Nuan turn back to get the silver, then looked at the relatives who had stopped crying and stood up from the bodies. He opened his mouth in a daze, "That's it?"
"Otherwise?" Zhan Feiyu retorted.
The deceased were all local ruffians. Their families knew exactly who they were. For the people of Xiangwu County, the death of a few scourges was a public service. As for the families of these ruffians, this hundred taels of silver was enough to silence them.
Moreover, with Zhan Feiyu's arrogant and noble demeanor, would they dare to cause trouble? If they escalated things and offended a noble person, they would get no silver, and they wouldn't even have a place to cry.
Ignoring the bewildered Yang Xu, Zhan Feiyu looked at the ten or so anxiously waiting relatives. Her attitude was arrogant, "If the yamen officials come later, remember what to say and what not to say. After everything is done, I will give each family another fifty taels of silver."
Seeing everyone stunned, two old women's eyes gleamed with greed. Zhan Feiyu sneered, "Don't have any improper thoughts, otherwise you'll lose everything. Remember, if even one family causes trouble, all the money will be taken back. Look at the bodies on the ground and think if you have the ability to extort me!"
Could someone who could produce thousands of taels of silver be an ordinary person?
Looking at the bodies on the straw mats, they suddenly understood that even if they took the silver home, they might not be able to keep it if they displeased the noble person.
Furthermore, Zhan Feiyu's words implied collective punishment. If one family caused trouble, everyone else would lose their money. Now, it was one hundred and fifty taels of silver. The family could build two more rooms, and the children of marriageable age would have money for weddings. The smartest youngest son could also go to a private school…
Wealth moved people's hearts. The relatives of the deceased nodded repeatedly, and even warned the two old women. They all lived in the county town, and these ruffians frequented each other, so everyone knew the situation of each family.
"We won't cause trouble." The two old women said awkwardly, pulling their faces.
An old man looked at his youngest son on the straw mat and sighed faintly after a long while, "The dead cannot be brought back to life. It's best to be content. It's not easy to take the noble person's money."
He said his youngest son, who usually only stole chickens and dogs, at most bullied people from outside the village. If he dared to provoke the rich and noble, being beaten up was the least of it.
"The constables are here!"
"Quick, make way, clear the path..."
Following the shouts of passersby, the onlookers moved to the sides of the alley. They saw Constable Luo leading twenty to thirty constables running over. The originally crowded alley became even more congested.
"Elder Qiu." Constable Luo glanced quickly and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He had expected a commotion, at least wailing and cursing, if not a fight. Constable Luo did not expect the entrance of the Qiu mansion to be so peaceful.
Constable Luo bowed respectfully to Qiu Zongxi with clasped fists and said, "Lord Zhu already knows about the homicide and has sent me ahead. His Lordship will arrive shortly."
Qiu Zongxi didn't even give Lord Zhu County Magistrate face, let alone a sinister person like Constable Luo. He didn't even look at him.
This old geezer! Having lost face in public, Constable Luo could only retreat to the side with a dry laugh. He looked at the more than ten people standing in front of the bodies and sternly questioned, "Since there's a homicide, why didn't you go to the yamen? Who allowed you to cause trouble at the Qiu mansion? Lord Zhu will handle everything. You commoners are not allowed to act rashly!"
Ordinary people were already afraid of constables in official uniforms, and Constable Luo's stern demeanor and forceful attitude further terrified the crowd.
"Constable Luo, there's no need for that. They brought the bodies here simply because they heard that Elder Qiu is benevolent and charitable and wanted to ask for some funeral expenses. After all, their families suffered a great misfortune, and they can't even afford a simple coffin." Zhan Feiyu's clear voice rang out, directly rescuing the scolded crowd.
"However, the public order in Xiangwu County is indeed questionable. Eight people died at once. If Magistrate Zhu does not thoroughly investigate and apprehend the murderer, I'm afraid he won't want his official hat anymore."
As soon as Zhan Feiyu said this, not to mention the surrounding onlookers, even Constable Luo, the constables, and the bailiffs were stunned. This young girl was too audacious to utter such wild words!
But thinking of what happened in Shitou Village before, when Commander Wu retreated with his men in disgrace, Constable Luo and the others dared not provoke Zhan Feiyu. This young girl was a jinx, and no one knew her background.
For a moment, there was an eerie silence at the entrance of the Qiu mansion. He Nuan returned with the banknotes and eight deeds. The servants who came with him placed the table, which had brushes, ink, and inkpads. Those who could not write could press their fingerprints.
"Alright, sign and fingerprint, then take the silver. Bury them properly as soon as possible." After Zhan Feiyu spoke, she looked disdainfully at Constable Luo, who dared to be angry but not speak. Did he dare to stop them?
Although she didn't want to offend Constable Luo, seeing the banknotes in He Nuan's hand, a group of people unconsciously swallowed. Finally, Hu Da Ya was the first to walk over.
Perhaps it was because they were of similar age, looking at the noble and beautiful Zhan Feiyu, and then at her own patched old coat, Hu Da Ya inexplicably felt inferior. She said timidly, "I can't write, I'll press my fingerprint."
"That's fine. You can deposit the banknotes at the bank. No one can snatch them away." Zhan Feiyu nodded. One hundred taels of silver was enough for a family to live on for ten years. Hu Da Ya might not be able to keep it, so it was safer to put it in the bank.
"Elder Qiu, Magistrate Zhu will be here soon. How can a homicide case be handled so carelessly?" Constable Luo spoke with a forced smile. He would rather be ignored by Qiu Zongxi than bow to a young girl like Zhan Feiyu.
Raising her eyebrows, Zhan Feiyu sneered, "Apprehending the murderer is the duty of the yamen. Can't these bodies be buried until the murderer is caught?"
"Or does Constable Luo think we killed them? I can understand the grief of the deceased's families and their nonsensical words. Constable Luo, you'd better think carefully. If you dare to slander us without evidence, Xiangwu County's prison is still quite empty!"
"You?" Constable Luo glared angrily at the domineering Zhan Feiyu. He had been in Xiangwu County for many years and was considered someone. How dare a little girl threaten him like this?
Her dark eyes sank. Zhan Feiyu pushed her arrogance to the extreme, "A Sheng, slap her. Who does she think she is to yell at me!"
Before Constable Luo could react, he saw a figure flash before his eyes, and then his cheek ached violently. He was slapped to the ground, his right cheek instantly swelling red, his lips cracking, and blood gushing from his nose.
Heh! Everyone was stunned speechless watching Constable Luo being slapped.
Although Zhan Feiyu had been aloof from the beginning, even if her attitude was a bit arrogant, she had not been aggressive.
Who would have thought that she would suddenly order He Sheng to act, and even slap Constable Luo of the yamen? Could she be a daughter of an official? Otherwise, how could she be so arrogant?
Yang Xu was also dumbfounded. He had always known that Zhan Feiyu was delicate and particular about her food, clothing, housing, and transportation. But this was the first time Yang Xu saw Zhan Feiyu bullying others with her power.
Looking down at Constable Luo, who had fallen to the ground, Zhan Feiyu arrogantly raised her chin, her eyes filled with disdain, "He's just a petty official. Talking to you is giving you face. Go to the capital and ask around. The last person who dared to disrespect me has grass as tall as a person growing on his grave!"
The surging anger instantly extinguished. Constable Luo stared blankly at the triumphant Zhan Feiyu. His gaze inadvertently swept over her palm, and he noticed a thin layer of calluses on her fingertips, which were formed from holding a brush and writing for years.
Looking at Zhan Feiyu, this small figure, who was probably only seven or eight years old, her hands were already calloused. This meant she had started learning at least three or four years old and had been holding a brush for four or five years. Thinking of Zhan Feiyu mentioning the capital, Constable Luo's face suddenly turned pale. This must be a daughter of a noble family or a scholarly family from the capital.
"I wouldn't dare, I have offended the noble person. Please forgive me, noble person." Having made a judgment, Constable Luo immediately knelt and begged for mercy, his attitude so humble that he wished Zhan Feiyu would treat him like a stinky bug and spare his dog's life.
Zhan Feiyu looked coldly at the pleading Constable Luo and didn't pursue the matter further. "Alright, get up, and deal with this matter first."
Constable Luo looked awkward, but he understood that the noble person had long known about this clumsy scheme but was too lazy to expose it. After all, the higher the official position of the family, the more they valued their reputation. Matters that could be resolved with a little money would naturally not be complicated.
When Magistrate Zhu's sedan chair stopped, the families of the eight ruffians had already signed and fingerprinted. The hundred taels of banknotes were also safely tucked away.
"Luo Shunxiang, how did you handle this?" As soon as he got out of the sedan chair and heard Constable Luo's report, Magistrate Zhu's face turned red with anger. If he hadn't been conscious of his status, he would have slapped him.
The enraged Magistrate Zhu, seeing the five-finger print on his face after being scolded by Luo, was stunned for a moment, and then became even more furious.
"Who laid a hand on him?" Even a dog needs to consider its owner. Luo Tou is, after all, a constable of the yamen. If he was beaten, it was Magistrate Zhu who lost face.
"Your Lordship, please calm down." Constable Luo dared not complain. He glanced at the entrance of the Qiu mansion and said in a low voice, "Your Lordship, that young lady is from the capital. Her father must be a high-ranking official. Her fingertips have calluses..."
Not to mention far away, just look at Madam Zhang of the Zhenbian Marquis's mansion. Even though she was a concubine's daughter from the prefectural yamen, she had been reading and writing since childhood. Which noble daughter wasn't talented, proficient in Qin, Qi, Shu, and Hua? But Zhan Feiyu was so young, and her hands were already calloused from the brush. This was definitely not an ordinary official family, but a family with deep heritage, and their education of daughters was the same as that of their sons.
Magistrate Zhu's head ached from listening. This was like gods fighting, and mortals suffering! Since the Zhenbian Marquis's mansion wanted to target the Yang family, they didn't come forward themselves and let Madam Zhang manage the affairs, but they encountered a noble person from the capital. What was this?
"Did those people sign and fingerprint?" Magistrate Zhu glanced from afar. Fortunately, it was a noble person from the capital. At such a young age, she was so experienced in handling matters.
Originally, accusing Yang Xu of murder was just a pretext. Magistrate Zhu could only take it one step at a time, trying to extricate himself. But now, with Zhan Feiyu, Magistrate Zhu, who sought to protect himself, only hoped not to offend either side. Let them fight as they wished!
Regardless, now that someone had arrived, he couldn't be a turtle hiding in its shell. Magistrate Zhu forced himself to step forward, "Elder Qiu, have you been well? Today's matter is due to my poor handling, which has disturbed your peace."
"It's nothing. It's already resolved," Qiu Zongxi replied coldly, his attitude distant, giving Magistrate Zhu no face at all.
When the prefect came, Qiu Zongxi had the same lukewarm attitude. Magistrate Zhu was already used to it. He smiled and spoke again, "May I ask, Elder, what is this young lady's surname?"
He didn't dare to ask for her full name, after all, she was a girl, and the rules of noble families were strict. Magistrate Zhu, no matter how incompetent, would not make such a mistake. He just wanted to know her surname to see if he could find out anything. However, there were too many high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital, so Magistrate Zhu's question was just to get closer.
"Magistrate Zhu, there's no need to be polite. Before coming, my elders instructed me not to bully others with my status when I'm out. Of course, if someone dares to bully me because I'm young, I have two tokens with me. Whether it's to the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office or the Commander's Office, I can go." Zhan Feiyu said casually, without taking out the tokens, but then added, "I believe Commander Wu of the Guard has already seen my token before."
Zhan Feiyu's mentioning it was fine, but it reminded Magistrate Zhu of this matter. A mere commander was not to be feared, but he represented the guard, the military power. Zhan Feiyu could scare Commander Wu like that, and Magistrate Zhu's scalp tingled again. What was this young girl's identity?
If she was from a military family, she would naturally have connections with the Commander's Office. But she also mentioned the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office, which was the civil official lineage. Both civil and military connections, Magistrate Zhu's eyes widened. Could this be royalty? Only the royal family had this ability.
No wonder this young girl didn't even mention her surname. After imagining it, Magistrate Zhu's attitude became even more respectful. As for the Zhenbian Marquis's mansion, let them go to hell!
If the Zhenbian Marquis or the heir came, Magistrate Zhu might not dare to be so negligent. But Zhang Yiyi, who had no proper title, was just a confidante by the Marquis's side, without even a formal position. Against royalty, she wouldn't even know how she died.
Zhan Feiyu smiled at the fawning and ingratiating Magistrate Zhu. "Since Magistrate Zhu is here, this matter is your duty. Why don't you sign the deed as well, Magistrate Zhu, to avoid future trouble?"
Ah? Magistrate Zhu was stunned. Facing the smiling Zhan Feiyu, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine. If he signed his name, he would truly offend the Zhenbian Marquis's mansion to death!
Compared to Zhan Feiyu, Magistrate Zhu would naturally fawn over her. But thinking that Zhan Feiyu would leave Weizhou in the future, and then the Zhenbian Marquis's mansion would settle accounts, how could he, a seventh-rank county magistrate, resist.
Raising her eyebrows, Zhan Feiyu looked at the hesitant Magistrate Zhu with a half-smile and said slowly, "Magistrate Zhu, there's no need. Since I'm asking you to sign, I will naturally resolve your future worries. Do you think I traveled thousands of miles to this desolate place just to suffer?"