Chapter 244: Unleashing the Ultimate Move
That night, Jiangzhou City was very lively.
Prefect Lu returned home after having a tryst with his favorite girl until midnight, only to find two people drinking tea in his backyard.
He thought he had sleepwalked to the wrong place.
The lanterns outside were still hanging quietly.
Looking closer, the courtyard was filled with people.
But the two people drinking tea were particularly prominent.
His family had all been roused, tied up one by one, and gagged.
Commander Jiang yawned and said, “Prefect Lu, I have always had a habit of sleepwalking. Whenever I am unhappy, I sleepwalk. My family worries about me, so they follow me at night, fearing I might accidentally hurt someone.”
Prefect Lu still reeked of perfume, half-drunk and half-sober, his legs weak. He leaned limply against a servant behind him, bracing himself as he said:
“You, you, you wouldn’t dare kill an official of the Imperial Court, would you? Killing an Imperial Court official is a capital offense.”
“Prefect Lu, do you not know that I was originally a Rebel, and I made my name by killing Imperial Court officials!”
“Lord Gong, Lord Gong, please talk some sense into him. My godfather is Eunuch Liu; do not bring ruin upon yourselves.” Prefect Lu had not expected this Jiang fellow to be so reckless, nor had he expected the many guards he kept to be so useless, getting captured without making a sound as the intruders slipped in.
Gong Qichi shook his head and said, “I am just sleepwalking along with him.”
Jiang Changtian held his sword and slashed it across his neck.
“Swish!”
A lock of long hair fell.
Prefect Lu nearly thought his throat had been slit; his body grew hot, and he wet himself.
Gong Qichi just sat there drinking tea, holding the cup without drinking much, just moistening his throat, worrying that drinking too much night tea would make him need to use the latrine, causing frequent urination.
He watched the scene with composure.
It was truly refreshing.
This was still the most refreshing way.
Serving as an official in the Imperial Court was suffocating every day.
Smiling at everyone, bowing to everyone; after a long time, he had forgotten his own name.
Jiang Changtian said, “I hear you are skilled at extorting wealth. Under your rule, over sixty families have been ruined. This habit of yours is not good. I also like to acquire wealth, but I always let people give it voluntarily. Just like now, Prefect Lu, are you willing to voluntarily give me two-thirds of your family fortune? Are you willing?”
“I am willing, I am willing.” Prefect Lu nodded like a garlic masher.
The sword was still in front of his eyes; did he dare say otherwise?
With swords held over his entire family’s heads, did he dare say otherwise?
Jiang Changtian sent people to the storeroom to move things.
They were skilled hands who knew to pick the valuable, expensive, lightweight, and easy-to-carry items.
Before leaving, Jiang Changtian drove his sword directly into Prefect Lu’s palm.
“I usually don’t sleepwalk, but you told me you wanted my horse. My horse was a birthday gift I gave to my daughter. I wouldn’t make her part with it. If you wanted anything else of mine, I wouldn’t care; I would have given it to you. But that belongs to my daughter, and I really couldn’t ask her to give it up. I couldn’t sleep at night, so I came personally to explain it to Prefect Lu. Perhaps Prefect Lu can understand the heartache of a father.”
“I understand, I understand.”
Prefect Lu’s tears streamed down from the pain, his heart plotting for them to die tomorrow. As long as he survived, he would crush these country bumpkins.
Jiang Changtian shook his head: “You still don’t understand. Your expression is wrong; it’s not sincere enough.”
Jiang Changtian pulled the sword out and gestured toward his heart.
Prefect Lu’s eyes were filled with terror, his whole body trembling.
“I really understand now. I don’t want the horse, not a single one.”
“It’s good that you understand. See, I came to have a heart-to-heart talk with you in the middle of the night, and we’ve settled it. If we really couldn’t talk it out, I would have had to open your heart up properly. Once it’s opened up, everything is fine, right, Prefect Lu?” Jiang Changtian placed the sword on his chest and gestured earnestly.
“Yes, yes, yes, everything you say is right.” Prefect Lu was covered in sweat and trembling. “Opening one’s heart” didn’t mean slicing it open with a sword; that was a figure of speech…
Prefect Lu’s hand bled incessantly.
He watched Jiang Changtian stand up and walk outside, gasping for air, feeling as though he had escaped death.
But he didn’t expect Jiang Changtian to walk two steps, then turn back.
He kicked him hard in the chest twice, curling him up like a cooked shrimp.
“I forgot to mention one thing. I don’t know if you, Prefect Lu, truly like horses, or if someone told you that I have good horses. Do you know that once, someone spoke ill of my daughter? I killed over six hundred people in that person’s household in one night and burned their home down. That fire burned for days and nights. My killing blade even went dull, and I had to change it three times. Can you understand it when I put it that way? That person wasn’t encouraging you to get a horse; they were encouraging you to go die. Do you understand now?”
Prefect Lu wept bitterly; he understood, he really understood.
Whoever had whispered in his ear that Commander Jiang had horses—that person wanted him dead.
Jiang Changtian looked at his not-so-bright appearance.
He gave him two more kicks.
Under the lanterns, in the night, Commander Jiang said with some annoyance: “I hate it most when you people keep bringing up connections to the Eunuch Faction at every turn. Do you have any dignity left as an Imperial Court official? You’ve shamed the face of the Imperial Court!”
“Yes, yes, yes, I will never say it again. I and the Eunuch Faction are mortal enemies.” Prefect Lu wept and raised his hand to swear.
Then he was kicked again.
“It is all you dog-thieves who ruin the reputation of the Eunuch Faction. They work hard in the Imperial Palace and can’t even come out once a year. What did they do wrong? They are just serving the Emperor wholeheartedly, yet they are smeared by vermin like you. And you have the nerve to call yourself an Imperial Court official? Bah!”
Prefect Lu was completely stunned by the kicking.
No, which side are you actually on!!
“I have a brother from a different father and mother, surnamed Yan, who is skilled in music. He is in the palace, struggling to survive, yet his reputation is ruined by you chaotic people. What ‘Eunuch Faction’? That is my good brother. I will never allow you to do this again. From now on, if I, Jiang Changtian, encounter anyone causing trouble under the name of the Eunuch Faction, I will kill them on sight.”
The lanterns swayed.
Commander Jiang finally left.
Prefect Lu finally fainted.
There was no curfew in Jiangzhou.
The night wind was cold.
Commander Jiang led his men, walking slowly toward the relay station. Fortunately, the relay station was not far from the government office or the mansions of the officials. If it were too far, he might not have wanted to come.
Gong Qichi followed along, strolling slowly.
As they walked, he fell half a step behind.
Jiang Changtian stopped to wait for him.
Gong Qichi caught up again.
“Brother Jiang, your aura of slaughter is much heavier than before.”
“Just to scare people. My wife and children are delicate; one must act a bit fiercer when out and about.”
“You should establish a curfew in the future. The public security in Jiangzhou is not good. Look at Prefect Lu; his whole family was almost wiped out, and no one cared.”
“Yes, it’s not very good. It’s not as good as Jingzhou. You manage things well, Brother Gong.”
“Yes, I didn’t worry about it before I became an official. Now that I am an official, when I see something wrong, I want to manage it.”
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