Chapter 1001: The Man Ran Away

At the hour of Wei, the Feng family's martial arts wedding proposal officially began, with the arena set up outside the Prefectural School.

The Feng family immediately announced the candidates who passed the literary exam; Xue Wen ranked first, but after reading his name, he scanned the crowd and saw no Xue Wen.

Feng Hongde frowned and continued down the list; when he finished, he lowered his voice: "Find him quickly. Though I favor him, this level of disrespect is utterly excessive!"

The steward hurriedly sent men to search, whispering: "He was the last to take the stage—he's probably hiding somewhere, waiting to appear at the crucial moment."

"Hmph, he's not even my son-in-law yet, and he's already so arrogant—what would he be like if he actually entered the Feng household?"

Feng Hongde planned to give Xue Shao a humbling welcome once he arrived: "Tell Tang Jing to teach Xue Wen a lesson—just don't break him. Let him know that even if I favor him, my daughter is not so easily won."

The steward bowed deeply in agreement.

But neither master nor servant imagined that Feng family servants failed to find Xue Shao—and Xue Shao never appeared before the martial arts wedding proposal ended.

Tang Jing, who had stood on the arena until the end, stood there bewildered, having somehow won by default.

Feng Hongde's eyes turned bloodshot with rage; he snapped the armrest of his chair in half and gritted his teeth: "Find Xue Wen! Dig up the earth three feet deep until you find him!"

The steward obeyed at once, leading soldiers and retainers into the county to launch a massive manhunt for Xue Shao.

These men, emboldened by their master's authority, did not care whether anyone had ties to Xue Shao—they burst into homes and searched indiscriminately.

They smashed and trampled everything, shattered countless objects, and even had items stolen right under their noses, turning the entire Chaozhou city into chaos.

Prefect Lin could no longer stand it and was forced to intervene.

If any other official from the Prefect's office had shown up, Feng Hongde would have ignored them—but since Prefect Lin came in person, even Feng Hongde, however tyrannical, had to grant him face.

He finally restrained his men and soldiers.

The smashing and looting lessened, but resentment still ran high—who would willingly endure a random home invasion?

Seeing Feng Hongde refused to fully cease, Prefect Lin left with a cold expression.

"Xue the Scholar and his page left the city together with his junior sister—many at the southern gate saw them. Feng Hongde isn't looking for Xue Shao—he's angry about losing face and wants to reclaim it."

"He's tormenting the people of Chaozhou just to recover his face?" Lin's son exploded in anger: "Father, you're the Prefect of this prefecture—why let a thousand-household commander act so recklessly?"

Prefect Lin sneered: "His good days are numbered—wait and see."

Lin's son rolled his eyes: "Common folk have no choice, so they must wait—but Father, you're the Prefect, you have authority and law—why must you wait?"

Lin's son had long despised his father's passive tolerance; after three years away studying, he returned to find his father unchanged, and grew frustrated: "If you're only good at enduring, why be a Prefect? Just live in the water."

"What did you just say, you brat?"

"Father, hold your position and fulfill your duty—you're the Prefect, Chaozhou's civil administration is your responsibility, yet you let Feng Hongde harass the people, destroy their property—that's dereliction of duty—ah!"

Lin's son clutched his head and collapsed to the ground, glaring up at his father with accusation: "See? You strike me because I touched your sore spot—you're furious and lashing out!"

Prefect Lin gathered his breath and pointed to the door: "Get out!"

Lin's son snorted, rose from the ground, and walked out without looking back. Prefect Lin's head throbbed—his son was excellent in every way, except he couldn't endure, too fiercely opposed to injustice.

He glanced nervously at the ceiling, glancing left and right in worry—was he being watched by the Embroidered Uniform Guard now? Had they overheard his son's words?

After pondering for a long while, Prefect Lin ordered his steward to summon the Department Magistrate, Vice Prefect, and other officials, along with the County Magistrate.

Within half a day, Lin's son's words reached Feng Hongde word for word; before he could react, his men returned to report that the Vice Prefect and County Magistrate had personally led government office Runners into the streets to maintain order—and nearly clashed with his search parties.

Feng Hongde sneered: "Prefect Lin is angry and humiliated by his son's words—he's trying to reclaim face."

The steward cautiously advised: "Master, it's unwise to oppose Prefect Lin directly. If you're still furious, why not go hunting outside the city?"

Feng Hongde lowered his gaze in silence.

The steward smiled faintly: "Master, if hunting wild boar, deer, or elk bores you, why not try hunting men?"

Feng Hongde raised an eyebrow: "Hunting men?"

"Yes. The rice has all been harvested, the fields are idle, the military households have nothing to do—perfect time for training. Master, why not hunt men? After all, in battle, it's not just about killing enemies—it's about evading their attacks. Hunting them is training them to flee."

Feng Battalion Commander slapped his face, eyes brimming with contempt and mockery: "Flee? Are you mocking the Great Ming's soldiers? Who told you that war is about learning to run?"

The steward trembled, instantly realizing he'd flattered the wrong way.

His face turned ashen; he fell to his knees with a thud and began slapping his own face hard: "I am ignorant and foolish! I admit my crime—please spare my life, Master!"

Feng Hongde kicked him flying, straightened his robes, and looked down at him: "You spoke wrongly—but your suggestion is good. I've hunted wolves, even tigers—but never men. This time, I'll try."

The steward swallowed the coppery taste in his throat, rose to his knees, and smiled obsequiously: "Shall I… shall I go find men for you?"

"No need. I'll go myself. Wherever I find a military colony, I'll train there. And isn't it said Xue Wen left through the southern gate? He's heading south—I'll see whether his horse is faster than mine. I'll see whether I can hunt men."

The steward froze: "Master, you cannot leave Chaozhou Prefecture without orders…"

"If he headed north, I'd be helpless—beyond Chaozhou lies Fujian. But south? Not only does Chaozhou still hold vast lands, but even if he enters Huizhou or Guangzhou Prefectures—who would dare hold me accountable? Who could?"

Feng Hongde grew more excited, clenching his fists: "Bring my horse! Assemble the troops! We leave at once!"

The steward paled: "Master—"

He now truly regretted suggesting the idea of hunting men.

He'd only thought Feng Hongde's temper had been too high these past two days—servants inside and out were suffering, even he, the steward, had been worn thin—and so he'd wanted to send him off to the military colonies.

After all, the military households were tough, they could take punishment—but he never imagined Feng Hongde would be so bold as to chase south all the way to Huizhou and Guangzhou.

Xue Shao has been gone three days—no one has found even a shadow of him—how could they possibly catch up?