Chapter 624: First Volume, Chapter 624: Pointing at a Deer and Calling It a Horse

First Volume, Chapter 624: Pointing at a Deer and Calling It a Horse

The Empress's unexpectedly "frank" words left Li Xiaolan utterly unprepared.

A surge of hatred spread through Li Xiaolan's heart, but she quickly suppressed it.

Having been hunted for so many years, Li Xiaolan knew full well how dangerous the Empress's methods were.

Even if her mother's killer stood right before her, Li Xiaolan could not show the slightest disrespect.

After all, the one she now faced was the Lord of the Six Palaces, the Da Liang Empress, the one beneath Heaven and above ten thousand others.

"Does Mother mean that you killed my imperial consort, and it was her own fault?"

"Mother has spent so many years fasting and chanting Buddha's name, cultivating day and night in sincere devotion—what exactly have you cultivated?"

You speak endlessly of supreme goodness and beauty, yet your actions are swift and merciless.

What kind of Guanyin has such a killing heart?

The Empress clasped her hands together, gazing at the Guanyin Statue before her, utterly sincere.

Had Li Xiaolan not heard with her own ears the Empress give the order to kill, she could never have linked this benevolent Empress to a merciless demon.

"I do not cultivate the Eight Precepts of Buddhism—I cultivate only the Heart Realm."

Li Xiaolan blurted out: "Then, no matter what Mother does, you can do so with a clear conscience?"

The Empress slightly turned her head.

Two gazes collided; the Guanyin Temple, thick with Buddhist aura, instantly brimmed with killing intent.

…

The Qin Family Back Courtyard was bustling with activity.

Qin Feng lounged comfortably on Liu Hongyan's lap, one leg crossed over the other, occasionally yawning.

Besides Zhao Yulong and Ning Hu, many sons of officials had also come.

The entire back courtyard was nearly packed to the point of having no room to step.

Those who had once doubted Qin Feng—or even openly opposed him—now came shamelessly to his side.

They insisted on making amends with Qin Feng.

"Young Master Qin, I always knew you were no ordinary man!"

"Earlier, if not for the circumstances, I would never have stood against Young Master Qin."

"It was Minister Lin who blinded us, making us say foolish things."

"Young Master Qin, your stomach can hold a boat—please don't hold our petty offenses against us."

"Heh, Young Master Qin, this small amount is not enough to show respect—please accept it."

Several sons of officials bowed and scraped, where was their former arrogance?

The money chest before Qin Feng was small, yet heavy—only the top layer held Silver Ingots.

Beneath it was all gold.

This sum had been collectively raised by all of Minister Lin's allies.

Qin Feng glanced at the chest and exclaimed: "No way?"

"Minister Lin is already in Bandit Imprisonment, yet you still dare to be so brazen? Who gave you the nerve?"

At these words, the young nobles exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes filled with confusion and fear.

Dai Ming, the son of the Ministry of Justice Department Director, swallowed hard and asked cautiously.

"Young Master Qin, why do you say that?"

"We have come here with true remorse—certainly not to be brazen."

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow: "Bribing me in front of so many people—isn't that brazen?"

Dai Ming's face turned instantly pale, his legs trembling with tension.

"Young Master Qin, your title has been stripped—you're now just a commoner."

"We are giving this money to an ordinary Common People—it cannot be called bribery."

"Besides, in all of Heaven, who ever heard of an Official bribing a Common People?"

Seeing Dai Ming's mind work so swiftly to twist the truth, Qin Feng was quite satisfied.

Yet he still felt not the slightest goodwill.

After all, these men were all turncoats—now flattering Qin Feng only because of the circumstances.

The moment Qin Feng fell, they would betray him without blinking an eye.

As for this money, it was all looted from the people's flesh and blood.

Qin Feng naturally accepted it without refusal.

But he did not immediately order Qin Xiaofu to take the chest—he deliberately showed a look of contempt.

"Heh, you bastards—I remember every insult you hurled at me in the past."

"You think this small sum can settle things? Dream on!"

Seeing Qin Feng suddenly turn hostile, Dai Ming's heart sank—he quickly protested.

"Young Master Qin, this is no small amount!"

"Beneath is all gold—altogether, it's worth at least Ten Thousand Li Silver!"

Qin Feng glanced at the Silver Ingots laid flat on top: "Gold? I don't see any gold here."

"It's all Silver!"

Dai Ming turned beet red, reaching out to push aside the Silver to reveal the gold beneath.

That brat Qin Xiaofu reacted lightning-fast.

He slapped Dai Ming's hand away, irritable: "How dare you touch my master's Silver?"

Dai Ming was stunned on the spot: "Huh?!"

Qin Xiaofu shot him a look: "Huh what huh? Wasn't this silver already given to our young master?"

"Then it's the Qin Family's property. How can an outsider like you touch the Qin Family's silver?"

Dai Ming wished he could bash his head in and die. This master and servant pair was far too treacherous!

If the silver on top couldn't be pushed aside, the gold underneath couldn't be revealed.

That bastard Qin Feng had dug in his heels again, insisting the money box contained only silver, and no matter how Dai Ming explained, he refused to believe it.

Qin Feng examined the silver chest and said casually: "In my view, there's only a few hundred taels of silver in here."

Ning Hu deliberately stirred things up, letting out an angry roar at Dai Ming.

"How dare you!"

"You cur, you're clearly deliberately humiliating Brother Qin!"

"With such a paltry sum, you still have the nerve to bring it out?!"

Faced with Ning Hu's sudden angry roar, Dai Ming's legs gave out and he collapsed on the spot.

The other officials' sons behind him weren't much better off, their bodies trembling violently.

One had to remember, this fellow Qin Feng had even dared to strike the Assistant Minister of Justice and walked away scot-free.

If Qin Feng truly chose to take revenge, none of them could escape today's beating.

The young masters wailed one after another.

"Young Master Qin, please calm your anger. Give us three days, and we'll go raise another ten thousand li of silver."

"No no no, two days will do, one day!"

"From now on, just one word from Young Master Qin, and even if it means mountains of blades and seas of flames, we will not hesitate."

Qin Feng narrowed his eyes.

"Fine then, I'll trust you one more time."

"Go raise the silver immediately. Deliver it before dark. Ten thousand li, not a single coin less."

"From now on, when you see any Qin Family member, you must take a detour. If you dare to offend, your legs will be broken on the spot. Have you memorized that?"

Sensing the murderous aura emanating from Qin Feng, the young masters were scared out of their wits. How would they dare hesitate in the slightest?

Even the Second Prince had fallen before Qin Feng. Throughout all of Jingdu, who else would dare make an enemy of Qin Feng?

In the hearts of the crowd, only pure fear remained.

Afraid that one careless slip would leave them with no place to be buried.

Watching Dai Ming and the others scramble away on hands and knees to raise the silver.

Qin Feng couldn't help but chuckle lightly. He called Qin Xiaofu before him: "Distribute all this silver to the common folk of Jingdu."

"One tael per person!"

"Just tell the people: take from the people, return to the people."