Chapter 1148

First Volume, Chapter 1148: The Qin Prince's Helplessness

Aside from Wang Chen and his henchmen, everyone present looked at him as if he were already a corpse.

Only Wang Chen held his head high, sensing not the slightest danger.

In his view, the other side was merely bluffing.

If their status truly surpassed that of a Ministry of Justice Magistrate, why would they come here to stroll in the dead of winter?

Most crucially, not a single guard accompanied them—only servants and maids.

In short, these people must be common folk, utterly incapable of being from an official family.

Facing Liu Hongyan's well-intentioned warning, Wang Chen showed not the slightest gratitude.

"Heh, what relation do you have with this fellow?"

Saying this, Wang Chen, utterly fearless, raised his hand and pointed at Li Xiaolan and Jing Qianying.

"These two pregnant women are surely this man's wives."

"You woman—are you just a maid? And a trouble-seeking one at that? Hahaha!"

"If that's truly the case, this merchant is willing to pay another five hundred taels of silver to buy you as well."

Wang Chen, caught up in his excitement, failed to notice the onlookers beginning to retreat.

They had already begun cursing inwardly.

"This damn fool has heaven's path open before him yet chooses not to walk it, and walks straight into hell's door."

"First he dared to lay hands on the Qin Prince's personal maid attendant; now, even worse, he insults Liu Hongyan right before the Qin Prince's face."

"Who is Liu Hongyan?"

"She is not only the Second Miss of the Qin Family, but also one of the most important women to Qin Feng."

"Among the Qin Family's four sisters, three stand equal to Qin Feng—but this Liu Hongyan, though ranked as Second Sister, holds a status that towers above Qin Feng."

"Insulting Liu Hongyan is no different from insulting Qin Feng's mother, Cheng Shi!"

At that moment, Qin Feng, who had been watching coldly, finally spoke.

He sighed deeply, showing no anger whatsoever—only profound helplessness on his face.

"Today's matter is but a trifle."

"These siblings erred first and deserve punishment; I came here to plead merely because I did not wish to spoil the ladies' enjoyment."

"If you would just let it go, that would be fine."

"Even if you refuse to spare them, extorting some silver might still save their lives."

"But you insist on forcing me to act—Tomorrow is the Spring Festival; why must you make things so difficult for me now?"

Wang Chen crossed his arms, his gaze growing even more contemptuous.

If this man truly had power, why would he speak so endlessly?

He is ultimately a hollow shell, all bluster and no substance.

"Hmph! Stop wasting my time."

"You're asking for trouble!"

"You probably don't know—my entourage is far larger than this. Long before you moved, the servants standing afar already rushed to the Ministry of Justice to report."

"I gave you a chance to kneel and apologize. Since you refuse to take it, when the Ministry of Justice Magistrate arrives, I'll see how you die!"

Qin Feng also wished to see how this matter would end.

Wang Chen was undoubtedly doomed; Qin Feng was in no hurry—he simply stood where he was, waiting for the Ministry of Justice Magistrate's arrival.

At that moment, cold laughter echoed from all sides.

Wang Chen noticed the strange glances of the onlookers and assumed they were mocking Qin Feng—he lifted his head even higher.

Today, he would deal with this fool who didn't know his place, gain fame in Jingdu, then seamlessly expand his business and become a true citizen of the Liang Capital!

As Wang Chen fantasized about his grand ambitions, a rapid clatter of hooves approached.

Instantly, every eye turned toward the sound.

Who dared ride wildly through Jingdu?

Everyone stared—and to their shock, it was Ministry of Justice Magistrate Wang Pu!

Wang Chen's face flushed bright red with excitement—he never expected Wang Pu to care so deeply about his affairs.

Knowing full well that riding at full speed was forbidden in Jingdu, Wang Pu had ignored the rule, as if eager to fly here for him.

Afterward, he must prepare a lavish gift to properly thank him.

Just as Wang Chen basked in his triumph, Wang Pu arrived fifty steps away.

He leapt off his horse, too hurried to steady himself—he tumbled several times, appearing utterly disheveled.

Yet Wang Pu paid no heed; he sprinted toward them.

Upon reaching them, he fell to his knees with a thud, his knees slamming hard into the ground, then slid forward several feet, snow spraying in all directions.

Wang Chen froze in surprise, silently wondering: Why does the Magistrate bow so deeply?

Before he could recover from his shock, Wang Pu flung himself at Qin Feng's feet, bashing his head against the ground like a pounding pestle, wailing hysterically.

"Your Highness! Your servant is guilty of death!"

"This Wang Chen is a distant relative of mine—he came to Jingdu seeking refuge. As family, I could not avoid the obligations of kinship and offered him minor aid."

"If he had merely quarreled with neighbors, I could have let it pass."

"As a government official, I naturally could not interfere."

"But no matter how hard I thought, I never imagined this fool would dare provoke you."

"If Your Highness's wrath cannot be calmed, I beg you to spare my entire family from this calamity—I alone shall bear the full blame."

Wang Chen's smile had frozen completely.

He thought he was dreaming and lightly slapped his own cheek.

Wang... Prince?!

This young man before him was actually a Prince!

How could this be?!

Wang Chen felt his head buzzing, and from the other's age, he deduced there was only one explanation: such a young man could become a Prince only if...

This man must be a Prince granted title.

Wang Chen felt as if struck by a bolt from the blue—he had not stirred up great trouble, only drawn down trouble from the heavens.

At that moment, Wang Pu glared fiercely at Wang Chen, teeth clenched.

"You dog, kowtow and beg forgiveness from Prince Qin!"

Prince Qin?!

Wang Chen froze again.

Though he had only just arrived in Jingdu a few days ago, Prince Qin's name had long been thunderously famous.

After all, all of Jingdu took pride in the very words "Prince Qin."

The Prince before him held a status higher than even a Prince.

He had personally eliminated one Prince and thwarted another Prince's attempt at Forced Palace Coup; even His Majesty relied on him deeply.

Throughout Shedynasty, no other Prince, no Imperial Relative, carried the weight of "Prince Qin of the Northern Border."

Wang Chen finally realized his actions were no different than pointing at the Liang Emperor's nose and screaming insults.

And...

Attempting to seize the Liang Emperor's most beloved Imperial Consort and humiliating the Imperial Consort...

The only silver lining now... was that Qin Feng would not exterminate the Nine Clans...

Thud...

Wang Chen collapsed onto the ground, eyes vacant, utterly broken and numb.

The group of his henchmen who had also collapsed in kowtow were no exception.