Chapter 1539: Coercion
One of the two women present was youthful and beautiful, and yet her appearance carried a hint of a mature air. The other had more of a classical and dignified appearance, with the bearing of a proper lady.
Because the bailiffs were usually in charge of the marketplace, they couldn't help but become a bit rowdy themselves. When they saw the women, they couldn't help but whistle in admiration.
The young man in the lead was dressed in embroidered robes, but they didn’t do much to hide his deer-faced, rat-eyed appearance. His eyes swept wantonly across the two women’s bodies. He clicked his tongue and said, “There have always been rumors that the Sang clan managed to bring back an incredibly charming daughter-in-law, but in my opinion, the Sang clan’s young miss isn’t so bad either.”
“Young master’s opinion is wise. These two women indeed both have their own distinctive traits.”
“But didn’t the rumors say that the Sang clan’s young lady was slim? Why does she look a bit chubby today?”
“What do you understand? That’s called being well-rounded! The feeling will be too wonderful for words. If they’re too skinny, it’ll just hurt a bit.”
…
The other bailiffs surrounded the young master, all voicing their critiques without restraint.
Previously, Zheng Dan and Sang Qien had been in the lady’s chambers discussing the disappearance of Sang Hong’s Imperial Envoy fleet. Both of them were intelligent, but the amount of information they had access to was limited. The two had both been at their wits’ end due to the situation.
“Don’t worry. With Ah Zu there, nothing will happen to father-in-law,” Zheng Dan said reassuringly, gently holding Sang Qien’s hands.
“Yes, I hope so,” Sang Qien replied, reflexively touching her swelling belly. That’s the father of my child you’re talking about…
The two of them hadn’t actually been all that close before, and even during their most intimate moments, it had been pitch-black. And yet, right now, she felt a deep sense of attachment to that most familiar stranger.
Right at that moment, a disturbance had suddenly occurred outside. The two women had both emerged to take a look. Because Sang Qien was pregnant, Zheng Dan was worried that her condition wouldn’t be at its best; thus, she stood protectively in front of her sister-in-law.
“Who are you? You dare cause trouble in the Sang clan?!” Zheng Dan yelled, staring furiously at the one in front.
Sang Qien said quietly through ki, “Sister-in-law, he’s Yi Zhibing, the son of Yi Chun; he’s someone who has always liked to oppress the people. He’s famous for his wretched character.”
Zheng Dan had spent a long time in Brightmoon City, so she still wasn’t too familiar with the people of the capital. However, she frowned slightly when she heard Sang Qien’s explanation. Even though the young man had a bad reputation, he definitely couldn’t be stupid. Otherwise, there was no way he could have thrived for so long in the capital, which was full of powerful cultivators. And yet, such a person had barged straight in. That meant something big had probably happened.
“The Sang clan? Oh, I’m so, so scared!” Yi Zhibing replied, slapping his chest and putting on an exaggerated expression. His appearance really was as lowly as lowly could be. Shortly afterward, his expression changed and he said, “Sang Hong is suspected to have colluded with the Fiend races, conspiring with them to harm the Imperial Envoy fleet. I’ve received orders to carry out an investigation. Men, search this entire place!”
At the same time, his eyes wandered across Zheng Dan’s body. He had heard from his circle that this woman who had just gotten married had a kind of traditional beauty to her appearance. Now that he had seen her for himself, he found that to indeed be the case. Even her angry voice sounded like that of a wise and virtuous woman. Her voice was enough to make him feel as if his bones were melting.
“Understood!” the bailiffs replied, rushing into the courtyard like wolves. They overturned trunks and boxes, turning the entire place into a complete mess. The Sang clan’s staff had been about to fight back at first, but when they heard about such a huge crime, and that the bailiffs represented Capital Magistrate Yi and were acting under orders, they didn’t dare to anymore.
Zheng Dan’s long brows rose. She replied, “Nonsense! My… father-in-law has always been loyal and true to his majesty. How could he possibly have colluded with the Fiend races?!”
When they were in Brightmoon City, Sang Hong had been famous for being part of the emperor’s faction. How could he possibly have done something like that?
Sang Qien added furiously, “Exactly! Just whose orders are you acting under? My father is the honorable Vice Minister of Finance. There haven’t even been three trials yet, so how can he be convicted of a crime so quickly?”
“That’s why we’re here to investigate!” Yi Zhibing replied with a sinister laugh. Then, he gave a subordinate a look and said, “Search this entire place carefully; don’t let a single corner go. This kind of proof would definitely be hidden in the most secretive places.”
Sang Qien sneered, saying, “Hah, you can search all you want, but our Sang clan has a clear conscience.” Inwardly, however, she was worried for her father’s safety.
Zheng Dan frowned. Even though Sang Qien had always been a resourceful person, all she had been in contact with ever since she was little were schemes between the nobility. She didn’t understand just how difficult those from the lowest rungs of society were to deal with at all. With her status, Zheng Dan initially hadn’t known either; however, she had been the boss of the largest gang in Brightmoon City! She naturally knew how easy it was for them to leave a family completely destitute and homeless.
Sure enough, a bailiff soon emerged to report, “Young master, we’ve found some suspicious items.”
“Oh? Lead the way!” Yi Zhibing replied, as if he had anticipated the answer. He didn’t even need his subordinates to lead the way, quickly rushing in a certain direction.
Sang Qien and Zheng Dan quickly followed along, and the group quickly arrived in Sang Qien’s chambers. The bailiffs had left it an absolute mess. Clothes had been tossed everywhere, and the bedding had been overturned.
“What in the world are you doing?!” Sang Qien exclaimed, her little face completely red. Even though there weren’t any strict rules prohibiting men and women from entering each other’s rooms, the chambers of an unmarried woman were still something few men entered. Now, however, this group had barged right in without any reservations and caused such a mess.
Zheng Dan gently patted Sang Qien’s shoulder, as if to tell her not to let anger overtake her. With a wave of her hand, a blast of air sent the bailiffs who had overturned everything staggering back. She was an outstanding cultivation genius, after all; dealing with ordinary bailiffs wasn’t difficult at all.
“Are you trying to rebel?!” Yi Zhibing quickly shouted.
The eyes of the bailiff who had always remained silently at his side narrowed. He stared directly at Zheng Dan, his hand wrapping around the hilt of his blade.
Zheng Dan was shocked. She immediately felt as if some energy had locked onto her. The capital really was different… Even a bailiff had such a high level of cultivation! Still, she figured that made sense. If they didn’t have any skills, how could they carry out any arrests in a place like the capital?
Sang Qien said coldly, “Young master Yi, there’s no need for you to try to scare us. There’s no imperial decree, nor is there an arrest warrant from the Commandant of Justice. If you treat us like prisoners, your own violations will come first. There will be nothing for us to fear if this matter reaches the court.”
“I’ve long heard of young miss Sang’s sharp mouth. Today, I’ve seen that it is indeed the case,” Yi Zhibing said, although he didn’t get angry. He continued, “Still, you’ll soon regret saying that.”
Then, he gestured with his eyes. A bailiff off to one side quickly shouted, “Young master, we’ve found something here.”
A hidden compartment by the bed opened up, revealing several sealed letters inside. Yi Zhibing seized them and said, “Haha, there’s proof of Sang Hong colluding with the Fiend races right here. Is there anything else you two want to say?”
“You’re clearly framing us!” Sang Qien exclaimed, vexed. There have always been rumors that you won’t be in your right mind for three years after becoming pregnant. How could I have forgotten to guard against something like this?!
“Be careful, or else I’ll report you for slander too,” Yi Zhibing said with a laugh. “This is clearly something I found in your room. So many people here can attest to that. Why are you blaming me now?”
“Right, exactly! We all saw it ourselves!” the bailiffs around him all said simultaneously.
“You didn’t even look at the letter, so how do you know it’s proof of colluding with the Fiend races? The only way would be if you personally forged this evidence,” Zheng Dan said coldly. When she was a gang leader, she had seen such methods often. She had just never expected officials in such high positions to use such crude and simple methods.
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Yi Zhibing choked. Only after a while did he catch his breath again. He said, “Hmph, whether or not this information is related to the Fiend races or not is something you can debate in prison. Men, bring them away!”
“Sir!” the bailiffs replied as they surrounded the two women.
Sang Qien’s expression changed. At the moment, she was covered by her spacious robes, but if she reached the prison, wouldn’t her pregnancy ultimately be revealed? The Sang clan’s reputation wasn’t nearly as important as her child. What if she ended up being treated roughly and something happened to the child? That was what she was most worried about.
Zheng Dan had clearly thought of that as well, so she stood in front of Sang Qien. She hesitated, wondering whether to take Sang Qien with her and run away. Even though the bailiff was tricky, if she and Sang Qien worked together, there was still a chance that they could get away. However, they would become wanted criminals. The capital was full of experts, so at that point, they really wouldn’t have any place left to stay. However, if they just willingly let themselves get captured, she knew it would only be more dangerous. She thus found herself in a dilemma.
Yi Zhibing waved his hands, gesturing for his subordinates to stand guard outside for the time being. He said, “Let me have a chat with these two women first.”
When the bailiffs closed the door, Zheng Dan asked coldly, “What do you want to talk about?” She wanted to see whether she could find a chance to seize him and turn him into a hostage.
Yi Zhibing sized up her wonderful figure. He clicked his tongue and said, “You have such an incredible body, such an incredible face; and yet, your fate is so cruel. Your husband died as soon as you got married, and you are still so young and youthful; and yet, you can only squander it as a widow.”
When she heard the frivolous tone in his voice, Zheng Dan’s expression turned cold. She snapped, “Shut up!”
“I only said that because I want to make a deal with you,” Yi Zhibing said, feeling that this young woman was incredibly endearing even when she got angry. He found it a bit too difficult to hold back. He raised the letter in his hands and began, “Madam, you don’t want anything to happen to this clan, do you?”