Chapter 294: Chapter 294: No Guests Here

Shang Jingwang saw Xia Wenjin’s bright smile, and although her face was thin, it did not affect her picturesque beauty in the slightest. Her eyes seemed to gather the stars, shining brightly.

This smile infected him too, lifting his mood a little, and he said, “Where is Young Master Jing?”

Xia Wenjin replied, “He went to bring a guest for you!”

“Guest? What guest?” He didn’t have any guests.

“Just wait a moment, they’ll be here soon!”

“Doctor Xia, can you give me a little hint? Since they’re a guest, at least let me, the prefect, have some mental preparation!” Seeing Xia Wenjin’s confident demeanor, yet refusing to tell him more, Shang Jingwang couldn’t help but feel a bit curious. Everyone has a sense of curiosity. Shang Jingwang had been in officialdom for years, and this sense had long since been dulled. After all, who isn’t cunning and crafty after many years in officialdom?

But in Wangshan Town over the past month or so, Shang Jingwang wasn’t dealing with colleagues or the piles of local government affairs, but with pure people like Xia Wenjin and individuals like Huangfu Jingchen, who clearly had no vested interest, but were willing to risk their lives for righteousness. The little purity remaining in his heart slowly began to resurface.

Xia Wenjin just smiled and pointed behind him, “Here they are!”

Shang Jingwang turned to look at the door, and a soldier walked in.

He was stunned for a moment and then looked again. It was Huangfu Jingchen, wearing the clothes of the soldiers surrounding Wangshan Town, holding someone in his hand.

He carried that person like a chick, came in, and casually threw him on the ground, face down. Then he stripped off the soldier’s uniform and tossed it aside.

Shang Jingwang looked at him in astonishment and cupped his hand, saying, “Young Master, who is this?”

Huangfu Jingchen said, “Wen Hao!”

Shang Jingwang: “…”

Did he hear that right? Commander Wen?

The dignified Fourth Rank Military Commander, carried like a chick and walked out from the layers of encirclement? Was he mishearing things, or was Young Master Jing joking?

But that armor…

Shang Jingwang hurriedly rushed over, turned the person on the ground face-up, and saw a pair of furious eyes. Although he was only a Fifth Rank Prefect and Wen Hao was more militarily inclined, both were officials of the Northern County Court, and they had met a few times. If this wasn’t Wen Hao, then who?

Shang Jingwang had never expected Huangfu Jingchen to actually bring Wen Hao, leaving him dumbfounded.

It wasn’t that he thought Huangfu Jingchen was bold, given Huangfu Jingchen’s royal background, causing some trouble wasn’t a big deal. He was just at a loss. Wen Hao was a Fourth Rank Military Commander, being thrown down like this in disgrace, and judging by his murderous eyes, he was clearly furious. How was this going to end?

Huangfu Jingchen pointed to unlock Wen Hao’s acupuncture points: “Lord Shang, earlier he put on official airs and avoided you, but now he can’t do that anymore. You can speak with him!”

Wen Hao’s eyes were bloodshot, but he didn’t dare to act rashly towards Huangfu Jingchen. Instead, he gritted his teeth at Shang Jingwang, saying, “Shang Jingwang, you are audacious, colluding with Jianghu people and abducting a superior. Do you know what punishment awaits you?”

Shang Jingwang hurried to help Wen Hao up, smiling wryly, his voice pleading: “Mr. Wen, I’ve sought an audience with you, and you avoided me. The matter was critical and urgent, and I truly had no choice!”

Huangfu Jingchen, speaking coolly from the side, said, “He didn’t abduct you; I did! Also, I’m not from the Jianghu, nor am I a subordinate of Lord Shang!”

“You’re all the same!” Wen Hao would never believe it. He was confident, after all, being a rank higher in officialdom was a significant advantage. A Fourth Rank General could be haughty in front of a Fifth Rank Prefect!

Suddenly, Xia Wenjin spoke from the side, saying: “I heard you not only surrounded the entire Wangshan Town but also prepared a lot of kerosene and saltpeter, waiting for Yu Shikui to arrive tomorrow to burn the whole Wangshan Town to the ground?”

Having seen Shang Jingwang, Wen Hao was no longer afraid. If he had been abducted by Jianghu people, they were desperadoes capable of uncontrollable acts, with his life in their hands. But Shang Jingwang was a court official; he wouldn’t dare!

He was now seated in a chair, supported by Wen Hao, his gaze carrying the coldness of a superior, sweeping over everyone present. The one who had abducted him was a young man, looking not yet twenty, and he was actually abducted here by a kid with underhanded means. It was truly a disgrace!

He had been quite fearful before seeing Huangfu Jingchen’s face, fearing his elusive presence, fearing the ever-present short knife in his hand. Now seeing Huangfu Jingchen’s young face, he felt it must have been underhanded means; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been caught.

So his gaze towards Huangfu Jingchen was particularly poisonous.

To Xia Wenjin’s question, he was disdainful to respond to it, being a dignified Fourth Rank Military Commander.

Along the way, he had been worried, but after seeing Shang Jingwang, he was not worried anymore. Shang Jingwang wouldn’t dare let him die or even go too far!

He said harshly: “You all seem to have heard a lot. Wangshan Town is the source of the epidemic. If the epidemic isn’t eradicated, do you want Yanglu County and all of Northern County to be infected?”

“Your so-called eradication of the epidemic means destroying the entire Wangshan Town with a fire?” Xia Wenjin asked in a cold, expressionless voice.

Wen Hao looked at her, a thin, fragile young person, seemingly ready to fall with a gust of wind. Did he even know who he was? He snorted: “What do you know? Using the smallest cost to nip the most likely issue in the bud is what’s best for the country and its people!”

A kid with an unclear identity acting profound in front of him? Was he giving him face?

“Smack!” Wen Hao was inwardly grumbling when a sudden slap left him dumbstruck.

But it was only for an instant. When he saw who slapped him — it was the thin youth in front of him — he immediately became furious, eyes filled with murderous intent, and shouted, “You dare hit me? Do you know who I am?”

However, he barely finished speaking, and instead of facing apologies filled with fear, he was met with a round of punches and kicks.

The thin youth seemed possessed by a demon, unleashing fists, feet, fingers, and palms, treating Wen Hao like a human punching bag.

Shang Jingwang couldn’t help swallowing a gulp of saliva, feeling that this seemed overly brutal. But why did he find some satisfaction in it?

Xia Wenjin showed no mercy in his actions. With only Yu Shikui, without Wen Hao’s assistance as an accomplice, Yu Shikui wouldn’t have been able to harm all the villagers of Wangshan Town in such a short time!

Yu Shikui was evil, and Wen Hao was no better!

After this beating, Wen Hao was left with bruised eyes and a swollen face, wailing and roaring in pain!

By this time, Wen Hao’s acupuncture points had been unlocked, and when Xia Wenjin slapped him the first time, he wanted to fight back! However, Xia Wenjin, looking weak, didn’t seem to move quickly, yet he couldn’t dodge or evade! The pain came in waves, and his attempts to block were useless, always hitting empty air!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep