Chapter 86: First Volume, Chapter 86: Digging Holes in Heaven and Earth

First Volume, Chapter 86: Digging Holes in Heaven and Earth

Imperial Edict?!

Before anyone could react, Li Zhan had already taken the Imperial Edict from the Imperial Eunuch, raised it above his head, and his smile vanished instantly as he declared solemnly: "Imperial Edict!"

Whoosh—

Instantly, a sea of people knelt to the ground, leaving only Qin Feng with his hands on his hips, glancing left and right, utterly refusing to kneel.

This suicidal act sent chills down everyone's spines, but Li Zhan paid it no mind.

Not even when facing the Emperor himself had Qin Feng ever knelt—Li Zhan was long used to it.

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

"For Qin Feng's meritorious counsel, he is hereby granted a Golden Girdle as reward."

The courtroom, already silent in reverence, fell utterly dead—only faint breaths echoed through the vast DaTang.

Gao Song's eyes bulged in disbelief, his heart screaming in anguish: "How could this shameless scoundrel Qin Feng possibly earn a Golden Girdle?!"

Qi Cheng's back was drenched in cold sweat; he didn't know whether to rage in frustration or rejoice in relief.

This Imperial Edict was, in effect, a proclamation to all of Liang: Qin Feng's standing in the Emperor's heart.

After a long while, murmurs from the Chiguo crowd outside finally rose.

"Golden Girdle? What's that? I've never heard of it."

"Of course you haven't! No one in this dynasty has ever been granted a Golden Girdle. Since the founding of Shedynasty, only two have ever been awarded—to the founding meritorious minister and the former dynasty's Grand Tutor. The Golden Girdle carries no official power or rank, yet it is the highest honor!"

"This… what's going on?! Qin Feng gathered a mob, attacked Longhu Gang, got arrested by the Jingchao Yin Fu—in any other man's case, death or worse. Yet Qin Feng walks out unscathed… and gets a Golden Girdle?! All the good fortune in Heaven and Earth has been hoarded by Qin Feng!"

Feeling the waves of envy and hatred around him, Qin Feng had little interest in the Golden Girdle; he thought the Emperor was just fooling people—if he truly wanted to reward him, he should've just given him ten thousand li of silver instead.

Seeing Qin Feng's utter lack of decorum, Li Zhan sighed and shook his head, whispering: "What are you waiting for? Quickly receive the Edict! This is the honor countless people dream of!"

With no choice—defying the Edict was a crime he couldn't bear—Qin Feng reluctantly took the Edict and lazily droned: "Thank Your Majesty's great favor; I shall spare no effort to continue contributing to the glory of Shedynasty."

Li Zhan shot Qin Feng a disgusted look but had no power over the little rascal—he just wanted to get this over with, gave a quick signal, and motioned for the Imperial Eunuch to hand over the item.

The Imperial Eunuch hurriedly presented a purple sandalwood brocade box; inside lay a girdle forged entirely of pure gold, intricately carved with exquisite patterns.

Qin Feng finally perked up, excitedly exclaiming: "Whoa, this must be worth a fortune!"

Li Zhan thought he'd hallucinated; after confirming those words truly came from Qin Feng's mouth, he first erupted in fury, then dread, and clamped a hand over Qin Feng's mouth, hissing:

"Are you trying to die?! Even if it's just any trifle the Emperor bestows, you must treat it with reverence—if you dare sell it, your entire Qin Family will be executed with you!"

Can't sell it? Then what's the point?!

Qin Feng's enthusiasm vanished instantly; he gritted his teeth and asked: "So what's the use of this Golden Girdle?"

Li Zhan glared at him fiercely and lowered his voice: "Let me put it this way—with this Golden Girdle, no one except the Emperor may execute you without prior approval. Even if you commit a crime in the future, only the Emperor may authorize your case, to be handled by Dali Temple or Zongren Fu. Understood?"

Qin Feng suddenly understood, and shouted triumphantly: "So this is basically half an Immunity Gold Medal?!"

In Heaven and Earth, only the Emperor could decide Qin Feng's life or death; if he flattered the old man well and kept him content, it was practically the same as having an Immunity Gold Medal.

Qin Feng snatched the Golden Girdle and, before everyone's eyes, strapped it around his waist, stood tall and proud, hands on hips, as if daring all of Heaven to admire his brand-new belt, strutting like a peacock.

Li Zhan finally realized: serving the Emperor and serving Qin Feng were equally exhausting!

One was like serving a tiger; the other was pure reckless self-destruction.

Qin Feng turned to Qi Cheng and grinned: "Lord, weren't you just about to interrogate me? Why not try again? This time, I'll confess everything honestly."

Qi Cheng's face turned green with rage, but seeing the Golden Girdle on Qin Feng's waist, he trembled with fear and forced a fake smile: "Young Master Qin, you're joking. With the Golden Girdle, I, a mere Jingchao Yin Fu, have no authority to interrogate you. The case of the Longhu Gang attack will be transferred to Dali Temple."

Qin Feng "oh"ed: "That's too bad…" Then turned to Gao Song and Zhao Zhangfu: "Come on, shall we head to Dali Temple next?"

Gao Song clenched his fists, teeth grinding audibly, yet forced a smile: "I withdraw my complaint. Young Master Qin, please leave."

Qin Feng thought Gao Song's hairstyle was annoying, so he reached out and ruffled his hair, ignoring Gao Song's venomous glare, grinning: "Since that's settled, Young Master Gao, don't forget the twenty-four thousand li of silver. Otherwise, with interest compounding, I fear you won't be able to pay."

Gao Song took a deep breath, suppressing his boundless rage, teeth clenched: "Thank you, Young Master Qin, for the reminder—I'll return immediately to arrange the funds."

Satisfied, Qin Feng strode out of the Fu Men of the Jingchao Yin Fu, deliberately walking with his hands on his hips, ensuring no one missed his Golden Girdle.

To get something this good and not show it off would be a waste of Heaven's gift.

At that moment, a faint voice called from behind.

"Young Master Qin, this, this…" The Yamen Runner hid by the door, waving two fingers at Qin Feng, reminding him of Xu Nuo's bribe.

Qin Feng looked puzzled: "What do you mean?"

The Yamen Runner nearly shoved his fingers into Qin Feng's face: "Young Master Qin, don't play dumb—you promised this amount!"

Looking at the Yamen Runner's two rough fingers, Qin Feng finally understood, and held up two fingers himself: "I meant—when you beat me, try not to hit these two legs. That's what you thought, right?"

The Yamen Runner froze, never imagining this bastard would scam even the Yamen Runners!

The Yamen Runner fumed: "You little brat, mocking me? Don't you ever fall into my hands again, or—"

But then he saw the golden gleam of Qin Feng's belt, and his anger deflated—no matter what Qin Feng did in the future, it was no longer under the Jingchao Yin Fu's jurisdiction.

He could only swallow the bitter pill, face twisted in misery, watching Qin Feng strut away…