“Good! Fang does not see the wrong person!”
“That person is the Zheng family’s steward, and he has already been handed over to the Ministry of Justice.”
“But relying on a steward alone, he would never dare to do such a thing.”
“Therefore, this general has reason to believe that his actions were instructed by the head of the Zheng family.”
“That is why this general has brought his troops to stop here specifically.”
“Prefect Feng, you do not need to worry. The Zheng family will be handled by this general. You should continue with your duties as usual.”
“When things are concluded, this general will depart. At that time, without the Zheng family, I also ask Prefect Feng to act freely and treat the common people under his jurisdiction with kindness.”
After Fang Er finished speaking, he stood up and bowed to Prefect Feng.
“Since that is the case, then this official will no longer inquire.”
“Farewell!”
Feng Xing’an quickly stood up to return the bow, and then left directly.
It was not that he believed Fang Er so easily.
Rather, he had no choice but to believe him!
Three thousand troops had traveled all the way from Chang’an to Hejian Commandery.
A journey of over a thousand li.
If they had moved troops privately, they would have long been investigated by the court.
And since Fang Er dared to sit in this inn and speak frankly with him, he must have had some backing.
In any case, it was the Zheng family’s misfortune, so it was a welcome sight.
After Feng Xing’an left.
Fang Er asked the innkeeper to find a piece of wood and some ink and brush.
He wrote a few large characters on it.
Then, taking Guan Chang and the others, he returned to the Zheng Residence.
He directly planted the wooden sign by the roadside opposite the Zheng Residence.
He then arranged for a few people to watch the other exits of the Zheng family.
“Hejian Zheng Clan colluded with Goguryeo, stealing the nation’s sharpest weapons. In three days, a thunderous wrath will descend to signify heavenly punishment!”
From the moment the wooden sign was planted, people began to point and talk.
Zheng Wushuang, the head of the Hejian Zheng Clan, heard the report from his servants.
He was so enraged that smoke billowed from his seven orifices.
“Who did this! Send someone to smash that sign!”
With the steward absent, the servant quickly found the head of the household guards.
Then, over a dozen household slaves, armed with water and fire clubs, rushed out of the Zheng Residence.
“Who are you…!”
The servant’s words were not finished before he swallowed them back.
This was because the Eighteen Riders of Yan and Yun were all clad in bright silver armor and holding Mo sabers, standing behind the wooden sign!
Seeing the Zheng family’s household slaves and thugs emerge, Fang Er drew his pistol and fired at the foremost man.
The bullet did not hit the man.
Instead, it accurately struck a pit at the man’s feet.
Upon seeing this formation, the servant immediately chickened out.
Firearms were no longer a secret to the Zheng family.
Although the item the person opposite was holding was not quite the same as what was rumored,
the sound and the bullets fired were the same!
If he took another step forward, his foot would become that pit!
He quickly retreated into the Zheng Residence and closed the main gate.
“Master, something is wrong! The people outside are imperial soldiers! Over a dozen of them are wearing bright silver armor! And they have firearms!”
“What did you say?”
Zheng Wushuang was stunned.
“What is going on?”
“Did the steward get into trouble in Chang’an?”
“But the steward’s family is all within the Zheng Residence. Wouldn’t he be afraid that I would kill them all in my anger?”
His heart in chaos, he paced back and forth in the courtyard.
The gate was guarded by firearms. With the hundred or so men within his household, he truly wasn’t sure if they could break out.
Thinking this, Zheng Wushuang wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
“Someone, immediately send men to invite the chiefs of the eighteen mountain strongholds from outside the city!”
“Remember, go from the back!”
Zheng Wushuang suddenly stopped and said to a servant by his side.
Lü Bo saw a servant coming out from the back door and asked Sima Wan to follow and keep an eye on him.
He also asked Bai Song to report to Fang Er.
“A few servants are nothing. Go and tell Zhuzi to let them out of the city and send a few people to watch them from afar.”
Fang Er was very curious about what plans the Zheng family had when they sent people out of the city at this time.
That night.
Eighteen fierce-looking men, one after another, quietly slipped into the Zheng Residence from the back gate.
All of this was seen by Lü Bo from afar.
“Are they seeking help from bandits?”
“It seems that raising bandits and mountain outlaws is indeed the Zheng family’s business of keeping watch.”
“How can so many come to this small Hejian Commandery at once!”
“What about Chang’an then? How many will there be?”
“It seems that practicing with mountain bandits a few days ago was indeed a fortunate coincidence.”
In the inner courtyard of the Zheng Residence.
Zheng Wushuang looked at the eighteen bandit leaders before him.
These were the reasons why his Zheng family dared to run amok in Hejian Commandery.
The Hejian prefects who had died at the hands of these bandits were no fewer than eight or ten!
But no one dared to inquire.
These bandits disguised themselves as ordinary people and holed up in their strongholds.
In their daily lives, they engaged in normal farming.
The causes of death of those prefects were all meticulously arranged.
Either a fall from a horse.
Or drowning.
Or illness.
In short, everything appeared very natural.
Although prefects had successively taken up their posts in Hejian and then mysteriously died, any discerning person knew there was something fishy going on.
But with the support of the Zheng family members in the imperial court, these matters basically did not reach Li Shimin’s ears.
Even Du Ruhui did not know about the affairs in Hejian.
This was because of Zheng Qian!
The position of Vice Minister of Personnel!
And Zheng Qian was a member of the Zheng family. Although not from the Hejian branch, they were still of the same root!
Therefore, the Hejian Zheng Clan had become the de facto emperor of Hejian Commandery.
Even Feng Xing’an was restricted everywhere.
For some of his decrees, the yamen runners below simply ignored him.