Chapter 250: Driving Ourselves to Jail

This fee is several times higher than Jingcheng's entry tax—it's outright robbery!

Xiao Ran couldn't hold back any longer; he lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down, shouting, "What nerve you have! In broad daylight, who gave you the right to set up a toll here?"

Ma Ye glanced up and sized up Xiao Ran—decently dressed, young, but with a big mouth!

He spoke in a snide tone: "Yo, which young master's son are you, running over here to meddle? The rules of this one-line sky are set by yours truly! Even if the Heavenly King himself came, he'd still have to pay!"

"You!" Xiao Ran had never suffered such insolence, especially not in front of Tuan Tuan!

His face flushed instantly: "Do you know who I am? I am…"

Ma Ye slammed his hand on the chair arm, cutting him off, and shouted sternly: "I don't care who you are! On my turf, even a dragon must coil, a tiger must lie down! If you don't pay, nobody's getting through!"

He waved his hand, and the dozen or so men around immediately closed in, wielding clubs and knives; the atmosphere turned tense in an instant.

Lu Qi jumped down from the carriage and whispered to Xiao Ran: "Get back inside."

But Xiao Ran wouldn't listen; he assumed a stance, wanting to fight these men himself.

Xiao Er glanced at him, then grabbed his shoulders, lifted him up, and shoved him back into the carriage.

Xiao Ran's face flushed with anger, but he ultimately didn't charge out again; he sat in the carriage, arms crossed, seething.

Tuan Tuan asked, "Is it wrong for them to collect money?"

Xiao Ran snorted angrily, "Never mind that they aren't wearing official uniforms—you can't even tell if they're local magistrate lackeys."

"Even if they were officials, they're taking far too much, you little brat! You don't know—they're collecting more than Father Emperor!"

Xiao Ningxun frowned: "If they were government officials, how could they not wear official uniforms? Since they aren't, why dare they openly collect money here—and do so with such righteous bravado?"

Tuan Tuan nodded, half-understanding.

Outside the carriage, Xiao Er stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Lu Qi, eyeing the opponents' weapons, smirking as they slowly closed in—just about to strike.

"Everyone, stop! Who dares to cause a ruckus here?"

A stern shout bearing official authority came from behind the crowd.

The onlookers parted like a wave, revealing a squad leader in a cyan uniform with a saber at his waist, leading twenty or thirty constables wielding fire-and-water staffs, surging forward with a mighty presence.

The character 'capture' embroidered on their chests was especially conspicuous.

Upon seeing them arrive, Ma Ye instantly switched to a fawning smile, trotted over, and bowed: "Captain Zhao! Why have you come in person? It's just a small misunderstanding—sorry to have disturbed you, it's all my fault!"

Captain Zhao glanced at Xiao Er and Lu Qi, then at their carriage behind them, and asked, "What's going on here?"

Xiao Er clasped his fists and, without servility or arrogance, recounted how Ma Ye had forcibly extorted a high 'road fee', spoken rudely, and even moved to violence.

"'We're merely passersby, not looking for trouble—it's just that this person's 'rules' are excessively harsh and unacceptable."

Upon hearing this, Captain Zhao straightened his face, glared at Ma Ye, and rebuked: "Ma Daqiang! The Prefect, knowing you're familiar with local conditions, specially permitted you to assist in managing the mountain pass and keep the peace."

"'Collecting a little hardship money to supplement your livelihood—how can you act so recklessly! You're tarnishing the government's reputation."

As soon as he said that, the surrounding merchants and townsfolk instantly showed delighted expressions.

"'Finally, someone's come to keep them in check!"

"'No kidding! These people are completely lawless here!"

"'The great and just official has finally arrived!"

Even Xiao Ningxun and Xiao Ran inside the carriage let out a slight sigh of relief—'Indeed, how could Imperial Court officials possibly tolerate such lawlessness?'

Captain Zhao listened to the surrounding chatter, and his expression shifted.

His gaze turned icy as he looked at Xiao Er and Lu Qi: 'Well, you gentlemen clearly are respectable folks from out of town, unaware of the hardships of our poor, remote region.'

"'Ma Daqiang and his crew toil here under wind and sun, assisting the authorities—it's truly arduous."

"'A few silver coins are nothing to you—just a trifle. Why argue over it and invite trouble?"

He stepped forward two steps with a false smile, voice raised: 'If you truly find it inconvenient and don't wish to pay according to the rules, that's easily settled.'

"'Then I'll have to ask you to come with me to the prefecture office and spend some time in jail."

As soon as he finished speaking, the dozens of constables behind him stepped forward in unison, their fire-and-water staffs striking the ground with a simultaneous 'thud', sending out a deep, booming resonance—an awe‑inspiring show of force.

Ma Daqiang and his gang's faces instantly lit up with undisguised glee and mockery.

Only now did everyone finally realize—this wasn't about upholding justice at all.

This is clearly official‑bandit collusion—one plays the red face, the other the white face!

Xiao Ran, seething inside the carriage, pulled out his Prince's Token, ready to charge out.

Xiao Ningxun grabbed him: 'This is Tuan Tuan's carriage! Your own carriage hasn't caught up from behind yet—if you reveal your identity now, this vehicle will draw attention.'

Tuan Tuan thought she'd misheard: 'Third Brother, are they trying to send us to jail?'

Xiao Ningxun nodded: 'It seems Ma Daqiang is colluding with the local officials, definitely lining his own pockets—we just don't know how long they've been doing this or how much silver they've taken.'

"'If we had evidence of their crimes, Xiao Ran's Prince's Token could be put to good use."

Tuan Tuan's eyes shifted: 'That's simple, Third Brother—have you ever been to jail?'

Xiao Ningxun blinked: 'No!'

Tuan Tuan laughed: 'Me neither! Let's go check out the jail together.'

Xiao Ran protested: 'You little brat! You want a prince like me to go to jail?'

Tuan Tuan glared at him: 'Even I, a State‑Protector Princess, can go—why can't you?'

Xiao Ran was left speechless: '……'

Xiao Ningxun looked at his sister: 'Tuan Tuan, what are you thinking?'

Tuan Tuan took his hand: 'Or maybe Third Brother's the clever one!'

Xiao Ran looked at the brother and sister, utterly bewildered.

Tuan Tuan lifted the carriage curtain and shouted: 'Hey! Who said they were sending us to jail? I want to go now—I've never been before—is jail fun?'

Captain Zhao was amused by her fury: 'You really have no fear of death—you actually want to try jail! All right, men! Take them to the prefecture office!'

Tuan Tuan retorted: 'No way! We have our own carriage—we don't need you! Where's the prefecture office? Just show us the way, and we'll go ourselves.'

"Nonsense!" Head Constable Zhao had lived half his life and never heard such a demand; he was so angry that veins bulged on his forehead.

The several young constables behind him couldn't help but turn their heads away, shoulders twitching slightly as they struggled to suppress laughter.

Head Constable Zhao flared: "I've been on the job all these years and never seen anyone drive a carriage to jail themselves! Men!"

The constables were about to rush forward when Xiao Er and Lu Qi stood before the carriage, poised to draw their swords: "Either you listen to our miss, or we'll let you see what we're capable of!"

Head Constable Zhao glanced at the two, hesitated a moment, then said: "Fine! Today I'll be gracious and allow you to drive yourselves to jail!"