pappabearbooks Chapter 62 Liu Feng: Rescue them, then take them to the execution ground and have them skinned alive
Chapter 62 Liu Feng: Rescue them, then take them to the execution ground and have them skinned alive
That night, Liu Feng was either ransacking houses or on his way to ransack houses. He not only seized more than 100,000 shi of grain, but also countless gold and silver treasures, which solved the problem of food and pay all at once!
The heavy rain outside continued unabated. Liu Feng fell asleep in his chair, snoring softly.
The curtain was lifted, and Wang Daniu peeked in, hesitated for a moment, and then withdrew.
"What is it?" Liu Feng opened his bloodshot eyes at this moment.
Wang Daniu lifted the curtain and came in, reporting, "The scouts we sent out have returned, and there is no unusual activity around."
Liu Feng paused for a moment, then said, "Tell Li Mu to set up a patrol team every five miles along the route to conduct strict inspections, and also to assign more people to keep a close eye on the movements of Xuanfu and its surrounding areas."
Wang Daniu nodded and said, "We've already figured out the details of the Fan family manor, and we can make our move at any time."
"Then let's get started!"
Liu Feng suddenly stood up, grabbed the goose-feather knife beside him, and strode out.
......................
The Fan family are local residents of Datong, and they have people and informants all over the city and its outskirts.
The ones who attacked the garrison last night and escaped the city to inform the enemy were the Mongol retainers left in the city by the Fan family.
The head of the Fan family sensed that something was wrong and immediately ordered his son to take a handwritten letter and rush to the border to deliver it.
In the Fan family head's mind, even if they obtained some evidence of crimes, the court officials would not dare to easily touch local aristocratic families like theirs.
Therefore, when he learned that the manor was surrounded by government troops, the head of the Fan family thought it was just a fog caused by the heavy rain, and that the servants and instructors had misjudged the situation. It wasn't until he personally climbed the watchtower and saw the dark mass of government troops in the wind and rain that he suddenly realized the truth and completely panicked.
While the head of the Fan family swiftly summoned the manor guards and Mongolian servants to stand ready, he also sent his steward to negotiate and delay, hoping to use money to bribe officials and quell the trouble.
Accompanying Liu Feng to attack the Fan family manor was a centurion under Li Mu.
He looked up at the sky. Would the rain stop?
Just then, an officer rushed over through the heavy rain, bowed, and reported to Liu Feng, "Your Excellency, the Fan family has sent someone!"
Liu Feng had already spotted it through the binoculars. "Bring it over."
"Bring him here!" the officer waved his hand.
Two soldiers dragged the steward over, then kicked him into the puddle, shouting, "Kneel down!"
The steward winced in pain, but dared not reveal his usual arrogance. He knelt awkwardly in the mud, respectfully kowtowing to Liu Feng: "My lord, please understand, our Fan family has been a family of loyal and virtuous people for generations. We have always upheld morality, been charitable and helpful to our neighbors, and have always acted lawfully and dutifully."
They did not violate the laws of the imperial court, their family traditions were upright, and for generations, no one in their family had ever committed a crime...
Liu Feng almost burst out laughing on the spot. This old man's shamelessness was something even Wang Lang couldn't match!
"...We don't know who is spreading rumors and slanders against our Fan family in front of you, sir. We urge you to investigate the truth. We are willing to confront them in court. If it is found that the Fan family is wrong and guilty, we will accept all punishment without hesitation." The butler said with a righteous expression.
Liu Feng looked up at the clouds in the distance. The Jingwei Martial Arts School not only taught military formations, but also imparted the skills of identifying directions and recognizing celestial phenomena.
The clouds drifted northeast, gradually becoming thinner and more fragmented, and distant mountain peaks came into view. All signs indicated that the heavy rain was about to stop.
"The rain has stopped, so it's easier to attack the city," Liu Feng said with a smile. "So, you've been wronged?"
The steward said, "Your Excellency, please understand! Our Fan family has always done good deeds and accumulated virtues. We regularly repair bridges and pave roads, and help our neighbors. We must have offended someone and been maliciously framed!"
Liu Feng nodded: "What you say makes sense. But we came all this way in this heavy rain, we can't go back empty-handed, can we?"
The steward was overjoyed; there was hope!
He immediately crawled forward two steps: "It's not a wasted trip! My master has already instructed that as long as you give us a chance to defend ourselves and allow us to confront the whistleblower in court on a chosen day, we are willing to offer ten thousand taels of silver..."
Seeing Liu Feng's smile fade, he quickly changed his tune: "Twenty thousand... thirty thousand! Thirty thousand taels of silver to offer as a tribute to you, sir, and all the officials!"
Liu Feng smiled and replied, "Okay."
Just as the steward arrived to express his gratitude, Liu Feng abruptly changed the subject: "But there are also accusations that you are privately keeping Mongol servants. This is no small matter, and I must personally investigate it."
The steward panicked instantly. Just as he was feeling anxious and at a loss, he suddenly saw Liu Feng gently tap the bamboo handle of the oil-paper umbrella in his hand, then spread out his palm and showed five fingers.
Knock on the bamboo bar!
The steward cursed the corrupt official in his heart, but quickly said aloud, "I will go back and report to the master immediately, and will definitely give you a thorough and satisfactory answer."
Liu Feng nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing the steward ascend the watchtower in a bamboo basket, Wang Daniu lowered his binoculars and asked, "Sir, is the Fan family really willing to pay?"
Liu Feng smiled and said, "Even if it's 100,000, they'll still pay."
He then turned and ordered the captain, "Put the mother-and-child cannons we brought on the camels, and we'll blow the door open in a bit."
The officer was taken aback: "Shouldn't we wait for the rain to stop before we make our move?"
Liu Feng shook his head: "The Fan family must have sent people to get reinforcements. We must finish this quickly and return to the city to defend it as soon as possible."
Inside the watchtower, the head of the Fan family gritted his teeth: "Give it to him!"
Before the steward could respond, an old man quickly interjected, "Based on the distance, the vanguard of the cavalry should arrive at the walls of Datong around noon. If we can just manage to delay them for an hour or two, we can annihilate this government army and even take the opportunity to storm Datong."
The head of the Fan family rolled his eyes and immediately instructed the steward: "Go tell that greedy scoundrel that all of the Fan family's bank drafts are stored in the city's banks, and there are only five thousand taels of silver winter melons left in the vault. If he agrees, I will give him another one."
The butler instantly understood.
These heavy silver winter melons are already extremely difficult to move, and now with the heavy rain, the carriage is moving at an absurdly slow pace, barely faster than walking. If the transport is delayed a bit longer, we can definitely wait for the cavalry to arrive.
Liu Feng was stunned by the butler's words! "I pretended to be a corrupt official, and you actually believed me?"
How corrupt must the officialdom in Datong be for the head of the Fan family to be so certain that he had come to extort money?
If this storyline were made into a movie or TV series, who knows how much criticism it would receive!
No door-to-door visits, may I be struck by lightning... Ugh!
Liu Feng readily agreed, stating that he would only send a dozen men to bring the carriages carrying the silver winter melons over, and that the main force of the government troops would never approach the Fan family manor.
The steward was overjoyed and happily turned to go back and report.
......................
Wang Daniu, accompanied by a dozen or so Imperial Guards dressed in military uniforms, arrived at the manor gate and gestured with his hand to indicate that he was unarmed.
With a creak, the manor gate slowly opened. First, a group of servants carrying long spears came out to guard the gate. After a while, several strong men with knives on their shoulders drove a carriage slowly out of the manor.
"Everyone step back a bit, don't block the doorway and get in the way," Wang Daniu told everyone to disperse.
The Imperial Guards retreated and stood separately next to the servants, without arousing any suspicion from them.
Just as the carriage was almost completely out of the city gate, Wang Daniu and his men suddenly launched an attack, grabbing the necks of the servants around them and snapping them with a snap. They then seized the spears and charged toward the city gate.
"Close the door now!" The burly men's expressions changed drastically.
But the city gate was already blocked by the carriage and could not be closed at all.
Wang Daniu and his men charged into the sheepfold like tigers, quickly dispatching the men and taking control of the manor gate.
The rain had just stopped, and Liu Feng laughed heartily, raising his hand to chop down hard!
The bugle call to attack resounded across the fields, and the officers and soldiers of Datong Guard, who had been waiting for a long time, charged forward with their swords and spears.
The private army raised by the Fan family was no match for the fully armed government troops; they were slaughtered and scattered in an instant.
"Sir, look! There's a fire over there!" The officer hurriedly handed the binoculars to Liu Feng.
Liu Feng glanced around; it was the backyard.
"Quickly, go save them!"
The officer looked puzzled.
"We can't let them die so easily. Rescue them and take them to the execution ground to be sliced to death!"
The officer's eyes widened in shock.