"What?" The man's expression suddenly froze. After a moment, he finally reacted and glared at Feng Jin, "You designed this to trap me!"
Feng Jin snorted coldly, sat opposite him, and said dismissively, "If you had nothing to hide, why would you try to be clever and expose yourself instead?"
"You framed me for this! I didn't do it!"
Seeing that he was still stubbornly refusing to admit guilt, Feng Jin's last shred of patience wore thin. "If you didn't do this, you wouldn't have fallen into the trap. This is all your own doing, and you have no one to blame but yourself!"
"The dagger is still on him. Lu Shi, search him."
"Yes, Young Madam."
The guards held him firmly on either side. Lu Shi stepped forward and searched the dagger hidden on him, "Young Madam, we found this."
Feng Jin drew the dagger and indeed, it was stained with dried blood. "The evidence is conclusive. What else do you have to argue?"
"This... this thing isn't mine... it's not mine!"
The man flatly denied it, believing that as long as he didn't admit it, they wouldn't dare to do anything to him.
"The evidence is irrefutable. Your denials are useless," Feng Jin said coldly.
"You dare do anything to me? My father is a Censor. You dare do anything to me? My father will not let you go."
Censors were responsible for advising the emperor, correcting and criticizing the mistakes of the emperor and officials. Their power was considerable, and sometimes even the emperor found it difficult to deal with them.
"Censors? They are just a bunch of scholars who only know how to read books and wag their tongues like village gossips, talking about others behind their backs. Do you really think I'm afraid of him?"
She was quite confident in dealing with those who only knew how to talk.
"As for you, I doubt you'll live to see your Censor father come to save you. Since he didn't teach you how to behave, I'll take the trouble to do it on his behalf and educate you properly."
Feng Jin approached him step by step, exuding an overwhelming sense of pressure. The man trembled with fear, unable to even speak clearly.
"You... what do you want? I warn... I warn you, my father is... Ah!"
A roar was followed by the sound of bones breaking. The man clutched his right leg, curled up on the ground in agony. Sweat dripped from his forehead, his features contorted in pain. One could tell his suffering just by looking at his face.
"You... you..."
Gu Bei Chen watched his tragic fate and silently prayed for him in his heart. How pathetic...
Who told him not to pick his battles? Why pick a fight with Feng Jin? Wasn't he just asking for trouble?
"What 'you' 'you'? Can't you even speak properly? I've injured one of your legs today, so our grievances are settled. If your father wants to seek justice, so be it. If he wants to come to my door or make a fuss in front of His Majesty, I'll accompany him to the end. Don't forget to tell your father that it was I who injured you!"
Feng Jin crouched down to his level. Her sheer presence was enough to crush him.
The man was in too much pain to speak, but his gaze remained defiant, fixed on Feng Jin, unwilling to move an inch.
"Lu Shi, find two people to send him home. Remember to explain the situation clearly to Lord Censor. If he wants revenge, I'll be ready to face it anytime."
"Your subordinate obeys. Come, carry him away."
Lu Shi called out towards the tent. Two people entered, carrying a stretcher, and carried the man away.
"You really have quite the presence. Handling the investigation with such ease and dominating everyone. Impressive!"
Gu Bei Chen gave Feng Jin a thumbs-up, his words sincere. Feng Jin's methods were swift and decisive, and even he was impressed.
Feng Jin ignored him, giving him a fierce glare. Talking to him was a waste of time. She then turned her attention to the silent Ling Mo Han, "Dismiss the soldiers."
The investigation was over, and it was inappropriate to keep everyone detained. Besides, these ladies and young masters were all delicate and pampered, unable to withstand hardship. It wouldn't do to truly frighten them.
"You're just letting them go like this?" Gu Bei Chen asked, stopping Ling Mo Han.
"None of the people outside are easy to deal with. If you just detain and release them as you please, you'll likely make enemies. We need to find a proper way to appease them, at least to silence their gossip."
Gu Bei Chen spoke with conviction. He had some experience in dealing with such social intricacies. If a suitable explanation wasn't given this time, things wouldn't end so easily.
Don't underestimate these ladies and young masters. Although they usually acted dignified and understanding, when faced with trouble, they could be quite formidable, giving even street brawlers a run for their money.
Feng Jin glanced at Gu Bei Chen. "Since you have a way to deal with them, then I'll trouble you to handle it."
"This... as the heir, I naturally have a way, but..."
"Speak. What benefits do you want?"
Feng Jin saw through Gu Bei Chen's thoughts at a glance and asked directly.
"Since you've put it that way, it would be rude of me to refuse. If I didn't ask for something in return, you'd feel bad asking me to do this for free. In fact, I'm doing this for your own good."
Gu Bei Chen put on a show of concern for Feng Jin and said with apparent reluctance, "I won't make it too difficult for you. Just cancel all the debts I owe you from when I was staying at the Ling Mansion some time ago. Then we'll be even."
Feng Jin's ledger had always been a major concern for him. This was the perfect opportunity to clear the slate and be free of his worries.
"What, you disagree? In fact, you're the one who's benefiting. You must understand that offending these people can't be compensated with just a little money..."
Seeing that Feng Jin hadn't agreed for a long time, Gu Bei Chen urged impatiently, as if trying to force her to agree.
Feng Jin sat on the chair, looking calmly at Gu Bei Chen. This fellow had gone to such lengths, all for this moment.
After a long pause, Feng Jin finally said slowly, "It's as you say. You deal with those people outside, and your debts to me will be wiped clean."
"It's a deal!" Fearing that Feng Jin might change her mind, Gu Bei Chen quickly agreed. "I'll go and send them away right now. I'll handle it perfectly for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Bei Chen scurried away.
Feng Jin watched Gu Bei Chen's uninspired demeanor and couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Those people aren't worth worrying about. I can handle them."