Chapter 41 Feng'an Order

"General, could it be that your servants did not come to Feng'an City?"

Hearing Li Xuan's meaningful words, Feng'an Order Xu Jian spoke cautiously.

"You think so?"

Feng'an City is not far from Feng'an Military City across the Yellow River. Luo Xing would not disobey his orders, so how could he not come?
Both of them were riding horses, which was so conspicuous that no one in Feng'an City saw them.

At this time, a soldier entered Feng'an City and reported to Li Xuan that Luo Xing had not returned to the military city.

This made Li Xuan conclude that Luo Xing was missing.

There are only a few possibilities.

Luo Xing coveted the gold and fled with it.

Wang Shi was tempted by the money, so he murdered Luo Xing and took the gold and left. They never reached Feng'an City at all.

Finally, Luo Xing and Wang Shi came to Feng'an City, but no one in Feng'an City, from top to bottom, told the truth to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan can be ruled out on the first point.

Before their family moved into Pingkangfang, Luo Xing was brought back by Li Shizhi. Although he was a slave, they had a deep relationship.

On the way to the border, the gold was always on Luo Xing's body. If Luo Xing wanted to run away, he would have done it long ago.

Moreover, Luo Xing had learned riding, archery and martial arts from Li Xuan, and he was also smart. Wang Shi was just an ordinary slave without a sword, so it would be difficult for him to snatch the gold from Luo Xing.

Therefore, at this time Li Xuan began to doubt Feng'an Magistrate Xu Jian.

He felt that Xu Jian felt very guilty when facing him.

"I think the general's servants have not arrived in Feng'an City for some reason."

Xu Jian said firmly.

"Go and gather the merchants and residents near the west city gate to the county government office."

Li Xuan remained calm and spoke to Xu Jian.

Then he told Ashina Fuwen: "General Ashina, go with them."

"As ordered!"

Before Xu Jian could respond, Ashina Fuwen bowed.

"General, didn't I ask this question just now? It's late at night now and I'm afraid of disturbing the people's rest."

Xu Jian quickly responded to Li Xuan.

"What my servant is carrying concerns more civilians. It also concerns military orders. You must obey orders!"

Li Xuan said without any doubt.

"Yes!"

Xu Jian didn't dare to say anything more and could only do as he was told.

After waiting at the county government office for half an hour, the merchants and residents around the west city gate came to the government office tremblingly.

"General, please take a seat."

In the court illuminated by candlelight, Xu Jian asked Li Xuan for permission.

"That's where the parents should sit."

Li Xuan did not agree, but sat down below the main seat, at the original position of the county magistrate.

He took off the sword from his waist and placed it on his legs.

Dozens of merchants and residents entered the court, making it packed.

Xu Jian felt very uncomfortable sitting in the first seat. He looked at Li Xuan and signaled Li Xuan to give him instructions.

"Qiang!"

Li Xuan did not speak immediately, but pulled the sword out of the scabbard. Under the candlelight, the sword looked extremely sharp.

After a while, Li Xuan slowly said: "This sword was given by the current saint. I believe the county magistrate knows my identity."

"Yes Yes……"

Xu Jian smiled apologetically. It was precisely because he knew that Li Xuan was the son of the prime minister and a descendant of Emperor Taizong that he was so submissive.

"What does the county magistrate think of this missing case?"

Li Xuan did not put away the sword, but leaned on the sword and asked Xu Jian.

He was so imposing that the merchants and residents standing in the court dared not even breathe.

"General, people often go missing in every county. Such unsolved cases can only be reported to the superiors."

Xu Jian said with gritted teeth.

He didn't understand the meaning of Li Xuan taking out the sword. When he heard the saint's instruction, he thought Li Xuan was going to kill him and lost his usual composure.

"What unsolved cases are there in the world? Aren't they all just bullying of the common people by the powerful? Or are they just the powerful fighting against each other?"

Li Xuan saw that Xu Jian was already panicking. Under normal circumstances, Xu Jian should ask for more details and give Li Xuan a few more days to start from the surrounding areas of Feng'an City. As soon as it happened, Xu Jian said it was an unsolved case and there must be something fishy going on.

Li Xuan knew very well that most of the unsolved cases at that time were caused by nobles and powerful people bullying the common people.

The government colluded with the powerful and knew the truth but did nothing, so the case was reported to the Dali Temple and remained unsolved.

The murders and robberies among ordinary people are nothing compared to the crimes committed by local tyrants.

"I am stupid and don't understand what the general means."

Xu Jianqiang suppressed the nervousness in his heart.

"Have you heard of the story of Mu Ye Que Jin, County Magistrate?"

Li Xuan asked Xu Jian again.

"I don't know..."

When Xu Jian heard the word "gold", his mind was confused. He knew it clearly, but he pretended not to know.

"When Yang Zhen of the Later Han Dynasty was the governor of Penglai, he passed through Changyi. The county magistrate Wang Mi asked to see him and presented him with gold, saying, 'It's late at night and no one will know.' But Yang Zhen replied: Heaven knows, God knows, you know, and I know!"

"How can a person accept ill-gotten gains? Don't you think so?"

Li Xuan spoke the story slowly, word by word, and at the end he asked the merchants and residents with a smile.

After hearing what Li Xuan said, some of these merchants and residents began to tremble.

Late at night, beads of sweat appeared on Xu Jian's forehead.

"My slave was carrying gold for the border soldiers, but now he has disappeared for no apparent reason. If this matter is investigated, all those implicated will be executed, and their families will be made slaves."

"But I'm giving you a chance now. If anyone can give me clues about the two servants, I'll forgive them. Otherwise, it will be too late to regret it."

Li Xuan's expression suddenly changed and his tone became stern.

"Qiang!"

As he spoke, he suddenly stood up from his seat and put his sword back into its scabbard.

At this moment, the sound of the sword being sheathed is more chilling than the sound of it being unsheathed.

"General, please spare my life. I did see those two people leading horses into the city..."

A middle-aged man couldn't bear the psychological pressure and knelt down to beg for mercy from Li Xuan, looking extremely scared.

"Shut up, you rude scoundrel!"

But before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Xu Jian in the court.

"Oh!"

"You shut up!"

Li Xuan kicked over the table in front of him.

"General Ashina, arrest the Feng'an magistrate and escort him to Huile City tomorrow."

When the court was silent, Li Xuan gave the order directly.

It's obvious that this guy knows Luo Xing.

If this is the case, Luo Xing will be in great danger, which makes Li Xuan very angry.

Ashina Fuwen, along with two soldiers, rushed into the court and pressed Xu Jian on the table that symbolized "justice."

"I am the Feng'an Order, you have no right to touch me, come here, come here..."

Xu Jian struggled desperately and called for the county soldiers.

Upon hearing the noise, a team of county soldiers rushed into the court with knives in hand.

"The Feng'an Army is right beside the Yellow River. Don't you want to live?"

Li Xuan glanced at the county soldiers.

These county soldiers were fine at bullying the common people, but when faced with the ferocious border troops, they were as weak as babies.

"Get out!"

When the county soldiers looked at each other in confusion, Li Xuan scolded them again.

The county soldiers were frightened and retreated immediately.

Although Xu Jian was the county magistrate, they did not dare to confront the border troops.

The commander of the border army, Wang Zhongsi, was the governor of Lingzhou and had the power to monitor the local area and impeach officials.

"General, please spare us. It was the county magistrate who forced us to say that we had never seen those two people. We were afraid of being imprisoned, so we dared not disobey..."

After Xu Jian was arrested, the merchants and miscellaneous business owners were emboldened and they all knelt down and begged for mercy.

And they unanimously identified Xu Jian.

(End of this chapter)