Chapter 499: with translation of chapter title

Cao Maolin didn't even have time to react in that instant—what on earth was happening?

He had already discussed it with the Prince, and the Prince directly had his attendants follow him, taking the waist tablet, and had all the people of the prefectural office transferred away—where did all these people come from at this moment?

While Cao Maolin was dazed, those people already raised torches and blocked off his men together with the surroundings of the prefectural office tightly.

Cao Maolin's heart gave a jolt, and he secretly thought, "Not good."

He hurriedly ordered those beside him to draw their waist swords and charge at those people, hoping only to carve a bloody path and capture a living prisoner.

But just as he and his death warriors rushed outward, suddenly a vigorous figure descended from the sky, and the sword wind bore directly toward his head.

Cao Maolin had never felt such overwhelming pressure; he kept retreating, while his companions were surrounded by more black-clad men and all were slain.

He retreated in terror, incredulously gazing at Ling Feng before him.

As soon as their eyes met, before he could say anything, Ling Feng swept a sword toward his head.

Cao Maolin instantly fell into disorder, scrambling backward to avoid it, but his hair bun was still cut off, and his hair fell loose in disarray.

His eyes bloodshot, he fixedly stared at Ling Feng and shouted loudly, "In broad daylight you dare commit murder—this is the prefectural office!"

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"In broad daylight? Your Highness, this is clearly pitch black—could it be that Master Cao is blind?" Gu Jiu Ling's light laugh came over, heard by Cao Maolin, making him shudder; these two have appeared again.

Xiao Yin, surrounded by the crowd, slowly walked over with Gu Jiu Ling; by then Cao Maolin had already been forced to kneel on the ground, with Ling Feng's sword resting at his neck.

Cao Maolin lifted his head and stared at Xiao Yin, his heart panicking to the extreme, yet his face remained composed as he shouted loudly, "Your Highness! Your Highness, what are you doing?"

Xiao Yin slowly sat in the chair brought by his attendants, not forgetting to help Gu Jiu Ling sit on his other side, then he raised his head and looked at the kneeling Cao Maolin before him, as if looking at a corpse.

"What are you doing? I, the Prince, should ask what you're doing here."

"You, a mere merchant, casually bring so many people to barge into the prefectural office—who gave you the gall?"

Cao Maolin's face changed, and he urgently said, "Your Highness, you misunderstand! Though I am a merchant, I also work diligently for the welfare of Yangzhou's people. These days I have some account books to deliver to the Yangzhou prefectural office; my Cao clan pays taxes properly every year. I didn't expect to run into Your Highness—why must you resort to force against a commoner?"

"This little mouth chatters on, quite eloquent, right? Your Highness. I, your concubine, have never heard of someone coming to pay taxes in the middle of the night."

"Huh? I smell a hint of fire oil—go over there and see whether what Master Cao sent is tax silver or fire oil. In this midsummer heat, we certainly don't lack such stuff."

Gu Jiu Ling, while sneering, each of her words stabbed hard into Cao Maolin's heart.

Cao Maolin suddenly realized that the Princess Consort of Rui was even more aggravating than Xiao Yin.

Xiao Yin nodded and ordered people to search around; indeed, near the office they found a large quantity of fire oil and nitre.

Xiao Yin's face instantly darkened; this brat clearly knew they were coming tomorrow to inspect the salt merchants' taxes.

Usually, inspecting salt merchants' taxes is done properly in the office, but instead they set up these things all around—clearly intending to blow them up.

Xiao Yin's face instantly darkened: "Cao Maolin, though you are glib-tongued, do you think you can escape guilt before me?"

"Seize him!"

Cao Maolin urgently said, "Your Highness, on what basis do you say I placed these nitre and fire oil? I came tonight solely to pay the merchant tax and benefit Yangzhou's people—I didn't place these things!"

Gu Jiu Ling couldn't help but laugh and scold: "Good fellow, boiling a sheep's head in a sandpot—head already rotten, yet your mouth is still so stubborn!"

"Your Highness, such a vicious villain should just be dragged out and beheaded."

As soon as Gu Jiu Ling finished speaking, Cao Maolin loudly said, "You so recklessly take lives—how can you win public support? My aunt is none other than Imperial Concubine Cao!"

"Aren't you afraid the emperor will blame you?"

"The Sixth Prince won't let you off either!"

Gu Jiu Ling laughed: "Heavens! With so many protective umbrellas, you've even upgraded, right? My lord and I have already caught you red-handed at the scene, yet you still dare to turn death into life, black into white—do you think the laws of Southern Qi can't really punish your crimes?"

Gu Jiu Ling couldn't help but laugh in exasperation; Cao Maolin has acted as if he were the emperor of Yangzhou for so long, still thinking he truly has omnipotent reach and no one can restrain him?

Cao Maolin shouted, "No matter what, though you are nobles, you cannot casually frame an innocent person. All right, let's go back to Jing Cheng together and make things clear before the emperor!"

"In any case, you have no evidence; even if you surround me here, it's your people surrounding me. Who knows if that nitre and fire oil weren't placed here by you to frame me—how then can we speak?"

Xiao Yin's face darkened; what a lawless wretch—things have come to this point, yet he can still be so arrogant?

However, according to Southern Qi law, even after apprehending the suspect, one cannot execute on the spot; he must be sent to Jing Cheng.

But once sent to Jing Cheng, the Cao clan will certainly have made preparations—not just in Jing Cheng, but even ambushes and interceptions along the route are inevitable.

This little bastard actually dares to challenge him here?

"Chop him!"

As soon as Xiao Yin's words fell, Cao Maolin's face drastically changed.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Ling Feng raised the sword in his hand and slashed toward Cao Maolin's neck.

"Wait!" Cao Maolin, scared out of his wits, no longer able to think of anything, he raised his neck and shouted loudly at Xiao Yin.

"You, as an Imperial Envoy, do not follow regulations—where do you place the imperial authority?"

"Even if you want to execute me, you need evidence; even if you kill me now, the evidence is insufficient, with so many watching, and the office personnel will come shortly and spread the word—wouldn't that make you, Prince Rui, a wanton killer of innocents? What sort of Imperial Envoy are you?"

"Evidence? I, the official, will give you one!" Suddenly Gu Kang parted the crowd and walked over slowly.

In his hand he clutched a letter, behind him a few attendants carried a wooden board.

On the board lay a corpse covered in white cloth; blood had already seeped through the cloth, making it a gruesome sight.

Gu Kang staged this, and everyone was stunned for a moment.

Gu Kang ordered the corpse lifted before Cao Maolin, then seized a corner of the white cloth and whipped it aside, revealing the ferocious, terrifying face of the official.

His chest had been stabbed several times, almost to a pulp, and all the blood on his body had drained away.

Cao Maolin instantly turned pale with shock, staggering back, terrified as he looked at the official before him.

Gu Kang flicked the letter open in the wind; the torches around cast shifting light and shadow on his face.

The Southern Qi's Jade-Faced Yama, Gu Kang, is no joke—he took up the letter and said slowly, "This letter was found on the official's person; it bears your handwriting. You invited the official to come to Wangjiang Tower tonight, yet the official died at the Watching Jiang Tower."

Gu Kang steadied himself, looked at Cao Maolin whose face had drastically changed, and coldly laughed, "Luring and killing a court official—do you think this crime deserves death?"