The crowd below the palace city was stunned, never imagining that Lu Qing Wan would dare reveal the whereabouts of these three individuals.
Amidst a chorus of skeptical murmurs, a tearful voice interjected, "My son is still alive? Is my Jin Bao really alive? Is the Princess lying to us?"
Lin Tian Mu and those around him deliberately fanned the flames, "See, I told you so, didn't I? It's this vixen who captured our loved ones to please the Emperor of Qin. Otherwise, how would she know where our kin are?"
As Lin Tian Mu stirred up trouble, he couldn't help but glance back. Hadn't the Wu clan army arrived earlier? Why weren't they here yet?
Seeing that a new wave of unrest was about to erupt, Lu Qing Wan took a guard's bow and arrow, drew it, and this time, aimed directly at Lin Tian Mu.
Her eyes, however, were fixed on the peasant woman weeping tears, "Whether I'm lying to you or not, you can judge later. As for whether this young master of Lin's Merchant House is a living Bodhisattva who supports you, or a living Yama who sends you to the underworld, you'll know very soon!"
As she spoke, the arrow tip pointed at Lin Tian Mu, "Lin Tian Mu, do you dare to tell the assembled populace why you incited them to cause trouble outside the palace gates today? Do you dare tell them why you struck the Deng Wen Drum? Do you dare tell them what is inside the oil-paper packages carried by these people beside you?"
As Lu Qing Wan's three "do you dare" questions fell, the imperial guards guarding the palace gates immediately stepped forward, forcefully apprehending several of Lin Tian Mu's followers and unceremoniously stripping off their outer garments.
A total of six followers, each with flat oil-paper packages wrapped around them, made Lin Tian Mu panic.
However, he relied on the fact that the common people were unfamiliar with the contents of the oil-paper packages, and Lu Qing Wan, as a Princess, had to consider the overall situation and could not detonate those powder kegs in such a crowd. Therefore, if he refused to admit it, Lu Qing Wan would be helpless.
He shamelessly denied it to the death, "They are just some medicine packs. Lin's Merchant House is a large enterprise, and I, the young master, am often attacked when traveling. It's natural for them, my guards, to carry some medicine. Is the Princess going to arrest me for this?"
Lu Qing Wan ignored him and coldly looked at the guards, "You, will you tell these fellow countrymen what you are carrying?"
These guards were the dogs of Lin's Merchant House and would naturally not help Lu Qing Wan. They were all tight-lipped.
Lu Qing Wan sighed and shook her head, "It's a pity. I've given you the opportunity, but you've missed it."
Then, her voice turned cold, "Hang them all up and let everyone see the miraculous effects of Lin's Merchant House's medicine!"
Including the first person captured, all seven guards were successively hung up. The soldiers of the Shen Ce Battalion were quick-witted and removed most of the oil-paper packages from them, leaving only one.
Then, the specially made arrow in Lu Qing Wan's hand was shot out. The moment the flame touched the oil-paper package, there was a loud bang, and the people suspended in the air were instantly torn to shreds. The blood and flesh splattered onto the commoners below.
Screams erupted everywhere, yet Lu Qing Wan seemed oblivious, continuing to muse, "Lin's Merchant House's medicine certainly has peculiar effects!"
Lin Tian Mu's face turned ashen, and he could no longer utter a coherent sentence. The civil and military officials present, as well as the commoners drawn by Lin Tian Mu's striking of the Deng Wen Drum, were all shocked by the bloody scene before them.
Just as everyone was rendered speechless by the shock, the Deng Wen Drum in the distance was struck again.
Dong!
Dong!
Dong!
...
The dull yet powerful drumbeats echoed throughout and outside the palace city. Without anyone needing to ask who was striking the drum, a clear female voice rang out.
"Your Highness the Princess, officials bear witness, I, Yue Zhao, accuse Lin Dong Ye, the shopkeeper of Lin's Merchant House, of colluding with foreign enemies from the Turks and remnants of the Northern Wei to traffick people. Of forced purchases and sales, illegal mining, disregard for human life, and inciting the Mu Ge chieftain to intentionally commit rebellion by taking our Wu clan's divine soldiers..."
With each crime she listed, Madam Yue Zhao took a step closer to the palace gates. As she approached, everyone saw that Madam Yue Zhao was wearing the most solemn ceremonial robe, worn only by Wu clan priestesses during sacrifices to heaven. And behind her followed a group of people wearing peculiar masks, twelve on each side, a truly formidable and grand procession.
"Yue Zhao!" Lin Tian Mu was stunned to see Madam Yue Zhao. It was supposed to be Na Zhen bringing the Wu clan soldiers today, so why was it Yue Zhao? Realizing what Madam Yue Zhao had said, he quickly and fiercely questioned, "You dare slander my father, I'll kill you, you poisonous woman!"
As he spoke, he actually drew a knife and lunged at Madam Yue Zhao. A commotion also arose from the crowd. Before the capital was established, Madam Yue Zhao was a figure akin to a tribal leader in Jin City. Compared to Lin Tian Mu, a rich second-generation who relied on money, Madam Yue Zhao was a goddess in the hearts of Jin City's people.
Hearing Madam Yue Zhao's words, someone exclaimed, "Is what Chief Yue Zhao says true? But Young Master Lin said that Si Feng Wu and Lu Qing Wan were the ones who trafficked people. Who should we believe?"
Lin Tian Mu was young, impetuous, and prone to rash actions, but those around him were not foolish. After all, Lin Tian Mu had struck the Deng Wen Drum first, and Madam Yue Zhao appeared afterward. Even based on the principle of first impression, Lin Tian Mu had a greater chance of winning. Therefore, seeing this, the person immediately spoke on Lin Tian Mu's behalf, "Indeed, Chief Yue Zhao, you accuse Shopkeeper Lin of so many crimes, but what evidence do you have? If I recall correctly, Chief Mu Ge was also captured by Lu Qing Wan yesterday. If you have no evidence, I would say that you colluded with Lu Qing Wan to slander Shopkeeper Lin in order to suppress Chief Mu Ge! Who doesn't know that Chief Mu Ge is the only great chief in Shopkeeper Lin's heart? Without Shopkeeper Lin's support, wouldn't your and Chief Long An's lives be difficult?"
The person reacted quickly, immediately framing Madam Yue Zhao as colluding with Lu Qing Wan. If Madam Yue Zhao could not produce any concrete evidence, then whatever she said later would be considered by the onlookers as mere slander against Lin Dong Ye solely to suppress Chief Mu Ge.
However, Madam Yue Zhao was an ally invited by Lu Qing Wan, so how could she be intimidated by such petty tricks? Hearing the person's words, Madam Yue Zhao didn't even bat an eye, "Steward Lin, please calm yourself. I am not the waste beside you, who can only stir up trouble with their mouth and present no useful evidence."
As Madam Yue Zhao spoke, she slightly raised her delicate hand, and the bright decorations on her sleeves emitted a dazzling glow. Everyone heard her loudly declare, "Come, bring forth the witnesses the Princess helped us find."
This confident demeanor made everyone very curious. They couldn't imagine where Madam Yue Zhao got the confidence to confront Lin Tian Mu so boldly in full view of everyone. But soon, they realized something was amiss. Because after Madam Yue Zhao finished speaking, it wasn't her twenty-four followers behind her who moved, but the imperial guards standing at the base of the palace wall.