An hour later, the surrounding commoners gradually dispersed. Fan Shun, who had been beaten by everyone, had already breathed his last, leaving behind no intact corpse.
The brutality of the scene was enough to make even seasoned soldiers tremble.
Chu Chenyi only glanced at it before quickly turning his head away, "Clean this up. Prepare Fan Shun's body and throw it directly into the mass grave."
He doubted a complete corpse could even be found. The commoners had indeed been ruthless.
Fan Shun had oppressed them for years, and his demise was nothing short of karmic retribution, a testament to the fact that justice, though sometimes delayed, would eventually prevail.
Upon returning to the posthouse, Chu Chenyi began to vividly describe the scene, painting a truly remarkable picture.
Feng Jin could visualize the scene based on his narration.
"You didn't witness thousands of commoners swarming in and beating Fan Shun to death with their bare hands! When they dispersed, there wasn't even a whole body left of Fan Shun!"
"Alright, stop talking. I still want to eat."
What had initially been captivating to listen to had now turned nauseating for Feng Jin, who quickly urged Chu Chenyi to cease his retelling.
Ling Mo Han, having grown impatient with their chatter, had already departed the moment Chu Chenyi began to speak.
"Now that Fan Shun's matter is settled, we can return to the capital sooner."
They had been in Yun Cheng for quite some time, and Feng Jin was genuinely concerned about her shops, wondering about their current state – profitable or not.
She sighed, lamenting the slow information exchange in ancient times. Sending a letter from Yun Cheng to the capital might take ten days, with a round trip consuming an entire month.
"You'll have to ask Ling Mo Han about that."
Chu Chenyi gestured towards Ling Mo Han, who stood outside with his hands behind his back. After all, the timing of their return was his decision to make.
Before Feng Jin could even voice her question, Ling Mo Han spoke calmly, "We will return to the capital after the dowry from Xi Liang arrives."
"You went to great lengths to return the dowry from Xi Liang, and now you're waiting for them to send it back again. You truly have too much time on your hands," Chu Chenyi exclaimed, utterly bewildered by the back-and-forth.
"Returning the dowry was necessary because accepting it immediately would have required us to leave Yun Cheng. This was simply to delay our departure, allowing you to arrive with your army and suppress Fan Shun, eradicate his cronies, and pacify Yun Cheng."
"Now, all we need is for the Xi Liang dowry to be sent back, and then we will travel back to the capital."
All their previous actions were aimed at waiting for Chu Chenyi's army. Not only was it to deal with Fan Shun, but the dowry was also a significant sum. Along the way, bandits and highwaymen would inevitably be tempted. If the dowry were to encounter trouble within Dong Chu's territory, it would provide Xi Liang with a pretext, putting Dong Chu in a passive position and hindering their actions.
With the escort of a large army, even if they encountered any troublesome individuals, there would be no cause for worry.
"You went to great lengths to bring this Prince here just to have me act as your bodyguard."
At this moment, Chu Chenyi finally understood Ling Mo Han's true intentions.
Feng Jin also suddenly realized why Ling Mo Han had told her yesterday, when she had lamented that Chu Chenyi's time as her bodyguard was too short, that she would reminisce about it later.
It turned out he had already planned this all along. He truly was the man she loved, so intelligent.
"With Prince Jing escorting us, it is naturally the safest option."
Ling Mo Han readily admitted to it. While he could manage on his own, he also had Feng Jin and their two children with him, so he had to make more thorough plans.
Chu Chenyi's lips twitched twice. It was only a few days ago that he had provoked Ling Mo Han with his sharp tongue and gotten the better of him. Now, he had to repay him with interest.
"You're ruthless!" he declared, casting this resentful remark aside, and with a flick of his sleeve, he departed.
"But if we accept the dowry, won't the marriage between Gu Bei Chen and Mu Rong Jin Yun still proceed as planned? Do you really intend for them to marry?"
The matter of the political marriage was nothing more than Xi Liang's scheme to attack Dong Chu and aid Chu Yan Xi in usurping the throne.
If such a situation were allowed to develop, and chaos were to erupt in the capital...
"If the existing order is not completely disrupted, how can a new one be established? Chu Yan Xi's influence in the court is deeply entrenched, and the Emperor also dotes on him. On previous occasions when he tried to suppress Chu Yan Xi, the Emperor's actions were lenient, and the minor reprimands caused no damage to Chu Yan Xi."
"After much consideration, the only way to utterly defeat Chu Yan Xi is to accuse him of colluding with a foreign power to rebel."
Indeed, this was the only method that could completely dismantle Chu Yan Xi. Even if Emperor Xuan Wen was biased and inclined to protect him, he would be powerless.
"This method is effective, but it is also extremely perilous. If there is the slightest misstep and Chu Yan Xi succeeds in usurping the throne, we will truly be finished."
Feng Jin's concerns were not unfounded. After all, no one could accurately predict the unknown. Who could say for certain what would happen next?
"You, you can't always expect the worst. However, your worries are understandable. To be honest, even with this plan, my chances of success are not high. But given the circumstances, we have no other recourse but to proceed."
Ling Mo Han said in a low voice, his expression heavy with worry. He had considered countless strategies, but the political marriage was unavoidable. After much deliberation, this was the plan with the highest probability of success.
Before that, he had to devise the most complete plan to ensure the safety of Feng Jin and their two children, regardless of victory or defeat.
"Do whatever you need to do. I will protect myself and the children and will never become a burden to you."
Since the man was determined to pursue his ambitions, all she could do was manage the household and children well, and try not to hold him back. This was her responsibility.
"But you must also return safely and unharmed," Feng Jin raised her eyes and looked at Ling Mo Han with concern. He was perfect in every way, except for his tendency to keep everything bottled up inside, forcing others to guess his thoughts. It was truly infuriating.
"I will naturally return safely, and I will not let my wife worry about me."
Ling Mo Han said in a deep voice, pulling Feng Jin closer.
"If you dare not come back, I'll remarry and find a handsomer stepfather for our son, making him call someone else 'father' and give you a cuckold's hat."
Feng Jin buried her head in his chest, uttering these words with a pout.