It was the utterly worthless petition of the common people!
This truly left the Ninth Prince with no room to vent his anger!
He desired fame, fame in front of his Imperial Father, not the gratitude of these damned people of the desolate northwest.
To speak frankly, if the iron cavalry of the Northern Di had breached Liangzhou City, he wouldn't have cared about the lives of these people. To him, this thing could neither be eaten nor used; it was merely a decorative flourish to his reputation.
Gritting his teeth, he said to the fiercely loyal and death-defying head of the Tie family.
"Thank you for your trouble, Patriarch. This item is to my liking."
After he finished speaking, the other patriarchs also presented their gifts.
There were parasols of the common people, steles of merit, and some even suggested erecting a bronze statue of him.
He was so enraged he almost spat blood on the spot, but he couldn't lash out. He could only feign great pleasure.
Finally, amidst the unanimous congratulations of the banquet attendees, he could bear it no longer and swept out of the hall.
Yet, facing the pretense of innocence from everyone, the person who had pleaded for him had to step forward to smooth things over, explaining the Ninth Prince's departure.
Otherwise, the news that he had left in a huff due to an unsuccessful bribery attempt would likely spread throughout Liangzhou City by tomorrow.
As the several patriarchs walked out of the General's mansion, they all cheered with delight, but they dared not speak their minds freely.
What they didn't know was that the Ninth Prince was currently throwing a furious tantrum in the main chamber.
"Hmph, truly a bunch of unruly commoners, trying to fob me off with these insincere trinkets, do they truly not regard me as anything?"
With that, he shattered another teacup.
Those below dared not utter a sound, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire. However, the person who had offered the suggestion had to step forward, bracing himself. Otherwise, once the Ninth Prince calmed down, he would surely find trouble with him!
"Your Highness, do not be anxious. Even if they had a hundred guts, they would not dare oppose Your Highness. They must have been instigated by someone. In my subordinate's opinion, it must be the head of the Feng family who is causing trouble."
"How so?"
"Firstly, he is the president of the Chamber of Commerce in Liangzhou City, so his words naturally carry weight. Secondly, his elder brother is a Vice Minister in the Ministry of Revenue in the capital, and he is married into the Bai family, so he naturally has a strong backing. Thirdly, he controls the mines, which are like a hen that lays golden eggs. Each year, sixty percent of the iron ore resources are supplied to the court for forging soldiers' weapons. This point alone is enough for him to act with arrogance. It is likely that he is testing you, thinking that Your Highness has just arrived."
The man's words somewhat eased the Ninth Prince's emotions, but his anger had nowhere to go.
"To dare to disrespect me! The Feng family is the first! Even if his elder brother is in the capital, what of it? He is still but a subject, how can he be compared to me."
What's more, he had long coveted the Feng family's mines. The reason he had expedited his journey here was because he had received some news concerning the mines. Now that the current head was a troublemaker, he had abandoned the idea of profiting from Feng Shan.
His eyes were filled with ferocity, and his lips curved into a half-smile.
"You refuse the toast and choose to drink the forfeit. I shall see how many lives you have to be so defiant in front of me!"
In the military camp, Feng Shan was reporting the recent situation to Xiao Ji. After finishing the official business, Xiao Muqian looked at Feng Shan with concern.
"Uncle, I heard you angered the Ninth Prince?"
Although they did not reside in the General's mansion, there were many people within who were under their command, so they naturally knew some of the inside story.
Xiao Ji also looked at him with considerable worry. "Brother Feng, you acted too rashly. The Ninth Prince, with his vengeful nature, will surely not let you off."
Feng Shan laughed heartily. "General, rest assured. A fly does not land on an egg without a crack. But my Feng family has never bullied others, nor have we harmed the nation or its people, nor have we broken any laws. Even if the Ninth Prince wants to find trouble, he must be able to find a reason."
He was always confident in the matters handled by the Feng family.
This was because it was the ancestral instruction of the Feng family for hundreds of years!
One branch served as officials, and the other as merchants. If they did well, they would rely on each other. But if they did poorly, it would be collusion between officials and merchants.
Therefore, the ancestral instructions clearly stipulated the Feng family's business practices. He dared not act recklessly, nor did he ever allow his subordinates to do so.
This was why he was not afraid of the Ninth Prince causing trouble.
However, man proposes, but heaven disposes. Before his words had even fallen, a soldier reported from outside that the Ninth Prince's men had led troops into the camp, claiming to arrest Feng Shan!
"What!"
Not only Feng Shan, but even Xiao Ji and Xiao Muqian, the uncle and nephew, were shocked.
They had expected subtle maneuvers, but they never imagined such a blatant attempt to arrest someone. There must be a reason.
Patting Feng Shan's shoulder, he said, "Brother Feng, do not panic. I will go out and see."
With that, Xiao Ji strode out of the tent and headed straight for the entrance of the military camp.
He saw that the newcomers were indeed subordinates of the Ninth Prince. Xiao Ji had met them twice, so they were not unfamiliar.
The man sat high on his horse, his condescending expression making Xiao Ji somewhat displeased. He immediately reprimanded him.
"This is the Northwest Army's camp. How dare you act presumptuously!"
The years of military prestige were not to be trifled with. These words made the man on horseback falter slightly, but thinking of his purpose, he straightened his back and said to Xiao Ji.
"General Xiao, please forgive me. I am here under orders to apprehend the bandit leader Feng Shan and bring him to justice. I beg the General to facilitate this by handing over the person, so I may report back to His Highness!"
His words carried a hint of threat, which Xiao Ji could not tolerate.
He stepped forward and reprimanded him.
"Bandit leader? Are you implying that I, the General, am harboring a criminal? You speak of a bandit leader at every turn, what evidence do you have to prove it! Everyone in Liangzhou City sees the help the Feng family head provides to the people. Yet you, young man, wish to go against the will of the people. I think there's no need to arrest any bandit leader; I'll deal with you first, and consider it ridding the Great Jin of a scourge!"
With that, he ordered his men to surround them.
Although they numbered over a hundred men, arresting Feng Shan would have been easy.
But facing the sharpening blades of the Northwest Army, they were not even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth. As spears were pointed at them, they all retreated in fear.
The man on horseback was also thrown to the ground, covered in dust.
"You... I am here under orders to arrest someone, how can you turn the tables! Feng Shan instigated the Su tribe people to assassinate His Highness, what else is he if not a bandit leader? Not to mention him being a traitorous official, that's already a good outcome! You... you still dare to harbor him!"
Although he was afraid, thinking of the Ninth Prince's plan, his confidence increased considerably.
He responded repeatedly to Xiao Ji.
Su tribe people?
Assassination?
What was going on?
In the great tent, Xiao Muqian and Feng Shan, having waited for Xiao Ji for a long time and worried that something had happened, rushed to see the situation.
Who knew that as soon as Feng Shan appeared, the conflict would escalate.
The newcomer repeatedly called him a bandit leader and insisted on arresting him for punishment, but Feng Shan was completely unaware of this.