Chapter 25: Pointed Daggers Drawn

  The heavy rain was vast and endless, but it was unknown whether Huaying Feng had rushed to Baoying Prefecture at a speed of 100,000 fires. After waiting for a while, however, no other figures appeared. Yang Suofeng stood quietly under a large tree, seemingly lost in thought, dragging his gun behind him.

  Yang Jirui paced back and forth in the rain, as if he had some kind of trouble on his mind.

  Yang Shuangfeng suddenly said: "Second Uncle, come over here."

  Yang Jirui walked over, looked at him for a moment, and then began pacing back and forth in distress.

  Yang Shuang said in a low voice: "Second Uncle, I think I can guess what you're thinking."

  Yang Ji Rui said somewhat strangely: "What am I thinking about?"

  Yang Shuang looked at the horse carriage not far away and a deep and mysterious strange smile appeared on his face.

  Yang Jirui seemed to have made up his mind, and said firmly to Yang Shuangfeng: "Feng, although I think this is a despicable idea, I think I must say it out loud."

  Yang Shuang looked at the rainwater flowing under his feet with a careless expression and said faintly, "Uncle Er, aren't you thinking of dividing up the family property?"

  Yang Jirui's eyes flashed quickly, and he nodded lightly, saying urgently: "According to our intelligence, the Cai family has no other male members besides Cai Yanqi. This means that once the women of the Cai family are taken away, their whereabouts will likely not be inquired about again. However, what I am concerned about is not them, but the Cai family's property. Feng, I dare to guarantee that as soon as Mu Shunying learns that the lord of the Cai family has encountered difficulties, he will personally come and make a move that will deeply move these widows, luring them to Baojing Prefecture. At that time, he will think of ways to force them to hand over all the property of the Cai family. With his position as a governor and his extensive network of relationships, he can definitely do this without leaving any traces, not only getting the wealth of the Cai family but also deceiving these women, achieving both goals at once."

  Yang Shuangfeng casually waved the Türgesh rifle in his hand, seemingly not taking his words to heart, and said lightly: "Perhaps Mu Shunying won't do that?"

  Yang Ji Rui sneered coldly and said indifferently, "Mu Shunying wouldn't do such a thing? Only a three-year-old child would believe that. You're not unaware of his greed, otherwise he wouldn't have been demoted from being the Minister of Official Affairs to being the Prefect. In an empire with such a corrupt government, he was actually demoted due to corruption - it's likely that his greed is something that both heaven and man despise. The world can change easily, but one's nature is hard to shift - do you think he'll turn over a new leaf?"

  Yang Shuang said indifferently: "I understand what you mean, but I can't do it."

  Yang Ji Rui frowned and said: "Are you willing to watch the Cai family's property being taken away like this? Those are our Meini region's wealth. The Cai family has always been famous for their cotton and clothing business, and they have a very strong presence in Zhenchuan Road. To be honest, the Cai family is much richer than us Yang family. If you really decide to rebuild the Blue Feather Army, you can't avoid dealing with the Cai family on matters of clothing and supplies. In that case, why not take them down now..."

  Yang Shuang said with a bitter smile: "No matter how I put it, I just can't say it out loud. If I were to come forward, it would seem like I'm taking advantage of the situation."

  Yang Ji Rui said meaningfully: "Have you forgotten the words of Tang He? As long as it's for Meini, for the motherland, even if we have to dig up the ancestors' graves of the Tang family, let alone this small misunderstanding. With the help of Cai's family wealth, we can do many things with half the effort. If Mu Shunying takes away Cai's property, he will only use it to indulge in luxury and pleasure. As long as we successfully recover Meini area, we will repay Cai's family double later, who will have anything to say then? A great man does not bother with trivial matters, there are things that must be done..."

  Yang Shuang said sternly: "Second Uncle is right."

  Yang Jirui nodded and said, "This is what a big man should do." He felt quite relieved in his heart. However, he immediately realized that although Yang Songfen kept speaking, his gaze was fixed on the lieutenant general's sword worn by Cai Yanqi, and the calm and determined look almost revealed that he had already made up his mind to plot against the Cai family's property, and as for chatting with himself casually, it was just a pretence.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, after waiting for a long time again, the sound of horse hooves finally came from the front official road, like thunder bursting on the ground. A moment later, more than 100 riders appeared in front of everyone. The leader was indeed Luona Youxia Feng, and behind him was a tall and thin official wearing the uniform of a fourth-rank prefectural magistrate. Without introduction, everyone knew it was Mu Shunying, the Prefect of Baojing Prefecture.

  Luona Youxiang was indeed arrogant, the flower feathered spear reached the ground, without saying a word, he pointed his horse whip forward and turned to run away.

  Yang Suofeng stood quietly beside, sizing up Mu Shunying's every move. Mu Shunying was about fifty years old, tall and thin, with a waxen complexion that seemed slightly malnourished, his two wispy goatees pointing slightly to the sides, his eyes constantly darting back and forth as if he was always plotting something. From appearances alone, this person indeed gave off an untrustworthy feeling. On the other hand, the bailiffs and constables behind him were extremely robust, each one skilled in horsemanship, their dismounting movements also very practiced. The lead constable had a sturdy build, triangular eyes, deep gaze, truly a character. Beside him followed a strikingly handsome beautiful youth, red lips white teeth, clear eyebrows bright eyes, slender figure, straight waist, seemingly like a woman, able to anticipate the triangular-eyed one's every move, attending to him with great care. However, Yang Suofeng always felt something was off, but couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

  The widow Su Yun first got off the carriage, followed by her sister Cai Yun. They walked to Mu Shunying's face, knelt on the ground and cried out grievances, asking Mu Shunying to take charge for them. At that time, the crying sound was mournful, tears rained down like pear blossoms, moving heaven and earth. Su Yun even almost fainted, but Cai Bingyun quietly walked to Yang Songfeng's side who remained unmoved.

  Although Namu Shunying was tall and thin, he wore a dignified official uniform that also had a subtle deterrent effect. He helped Su Xiang up with both hands and said excitedly: "Get up quickly! The catcher is so lawless and reckless, plotting against the pillar of the state in broad daylight, which is really detestable to both humans and gods! I will do my best to arrest him and bring him to justice, to offer sacrifice to General Cai's spirit in heaven."

  Cai Bingxiao suddenly said coldly beside Yang Shuangfeng's ear: "The cat cries for the old mouse, fake compassion."

  Yang Shuang didn't turn around and just faintly said: "Why?"

  The sound of ice silk was very small, but it was very clear, and he said one word at a time: "My sister-in-law has a silver ticket worth two million gold coins on her body."

  Yang Shuang's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't control his own mind, blurting out: "Really?"

  She cut off her words and didn't speak anymore.

  "Madam Cai, please restrain your grief and get on the carriage. We will discuss everything once we arrive at Bao Ying Fu. I will immediately arrange for personnel to transport the bodies of General Cai and the other brave warriors, ensuring that they are not damaged in the slightest. General Cai's untimely death before achieving victory has brought tears to the eyes of heroes everywhere, and we all deeply admire him. I will immediately report this to the imperial court and request a state funeral for General Cai."

  Su Yun was even more moved, and deeply bowed three times, saying in a sorrowful voice: "Thank you, sir."

  Mu Shunying's eyes also welled up with tears, and he said with emotion: "General Cai was young and promising, we all thought he was a model for the imperial army, the heavy responsibility of recovering the Minis area was all on his shoulders, but he... Alas, heaven is jealous of youthful talent..."

  "Milord... I really..."

  Mu Shunying let out a few sighs, then immediately ordered his subordinates to start clearing the corpses from the ground. Yang Suofeng walked over slowly and said faintly: "Governor, thank you."

  Mu Shunying suddenly turned his head and saw Yang Suofeng, slightly startled, then smiled awkwardly and said: "This general is..."

  Yang Shuangfen looked him up and down before saying calmly: "I'm Yang Shuangfen."

  Mu Shunying said respectfully: "It's General Yang, I don't know what instructions you have?"

  Yang Shuang said: "General Cai unfortunately encountered difficulties, we are all very sad. His funeral will be handled in Baoying Prefecture, thank you for your hard work. After the funeral is over, I will escort his family back to the Minas area along the way. Therefore, please ask the adults to arrange the funeral time as soon as possible, and try to do it with great fanfare, so that General Cai can rest in peace and not feel regretful."

  Mu Shunying's eyes rolled, and he immediately agreed: "Of course, of course, I will definitely take care of General Cai's funeral in a grand manner. As for General Cai's family, I will also take care of them together. There is no need to trouble you with this, General. You still have to go to Menes to carry out the Emperor's important mission, and you must not waste your energy on these trivial matters. Please leave all the trivial matters to me to handle, and I guarantee that they will be handled properly."

  Yang Shuang's heart was cold and he smiled faintly, but his tone was very polite as he said: "Mu sir, you should understand that they are all relatives of the Cai family. The emperor's sacred decree specifically states that they must go to the area of Meini Si. Whether they live or die, they must appear in Meini Si. Otherwise, it would be a rebellious and heaven-defying crime... I don't know if Mu sir understands my meaning?"

  Mu Shunying's beady eyes rolled around, and he said with the same warmth: "Of course I understand... However, General Yang, they don't seem to have any special relationship with you, do they? They will naturally go to the Minis area, but not now. General Yang is also a sensible person, should understand my meaning?"

  Yang Suofeng's face fell, and he said coldly: "Mu sir, I don't like the way you're speaking. You also know that I am a naval lieutenant general bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor, and General Cai and I share the same mission. This is an imperial edict issued by His Majesty, take a look at it, it clearly states that within the Menis region, both military and political affairs are under my discretion. They are all people from the Menis region, how can they have nothing to do with me?"

  Mu Shunying smiled slightly, not intimidated by Yang Suofeng's oppression, and calmly said with a gentle smile: "Sorry, Rear Admiral, I of course know the Emperor's edict, but it seems that you should also know that this is the jurisdiction of Fangchuan Dao Baoying Prefecture, not the Menis region. No matter how great your power is, it can only be exercised in the Menis region. If you enter the inland deeply, I'm afraid there will be a suspicion of overstepping. Interfering with internal affairs of another region won't do any good for your military career."