Sheng Fu

Chapter 1077 Righteousness Breaks Through the Darkness

The gate of the mansion was in ruins, and the onlookers were incredulous at the sight.

In many people's minds, the gates of the Prince of Nan's Mansion could be broken down, but this mansion itself would not.

The Ji family held a deep and respected position in the hearts of the people.

The families behind countless students at Nanling Academy all revere the Ji family.

Xu Yuan stood at the very front, righteous and invincible.

"Indeed, only scions of noble families of equal status have the means to uphold justice."

"If we were to demolish the Ji family's gate like this, we would probably be executed along with their entire clan."

"..."

Amidst the crowd, murmurs of discussion filled the air. At this moment, whether young or old, everyone stared at Xu Yuan in disbelief.

They envied Xu Yuan for having the Xu family backing him up, and at the same time wished they were Xu Yuan at this moment.

Young, handsome, from a prominent family, and a champion of the people!
"Aren't you going to come out yet?" Xu Yuan shouted loudly.

After an unknown amount of time, a refined and handsome middle-aged man emerged amidst the concerned gazes of the people.

Ji Ming came out. He was originally furious, but when he saw Xu Yuan, Zhu Hong, Chen Dian, and Chu Xin'er, he quickly forced out a smile that was more like a grimace.

"My dear nephew has come from afar. I am sorry for not welcoming you properly. I hope you will not blame your uncle." Ji Ming bowed to Xu Yuan with his hands clasped and forced a smile.

Silence fell immediately in all directions.

The onlookers watched this scene, waiting for the outcome, and also wanting to see if Xu Yuan would stand firm in front of the Ji family.

Xu Yuan slightly cupped his hands, his face still showing anger, and did not give Ji Ming a kind look.

"I have official duties to attend to today and cannot afford to be biased. I request that Ji Hua come out," Xu Yuan said firmly, staring intently at Ji Ming.

Faced with Xu Yuan's nonchalant attitude during the initial interrogation, Ji Ming, though seething with anger, had to continue to endure it on the surface.

After a moment's thought, Ji Ming glanced at the young man kneeling on the ground out of the corner of his eye, then looked at Xu Yuan with a forced smile and asked, "Are you here on official business?"

"As far as I know, my nephew has not entered officialdom. Since you have come on official business, may I ask what your capacity is?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan calmly took out the seal of the Prince of Nan from his bosom.

Xu Yuan said solemnly, "I am the next leader of the South appointed by His Highness the Prince of the South. Now that the Prince is not here, I can take charge of all the official affairs in the South. I wonder if this identity is acceptable to my uncle?"

"Or is it that in your heart, Uncle, the so-called King of the South is not worth mentioning?"

When Ji Ming saw this scene, he was completely stunned.

Unexpectedly, Xie Yiming actually handed over the Southern King's Seal to Xu Yuan.

"I see. I only learned today that you are the next generation leader of the South. My apologies for my ignorance," Ji Ming said.

Xu Yuan replied without hesitation, "In that case, let Ji Hua come out."

Ji Ming's face was ashen, and he said in a deep voice, "Ji Hua is not feeling well today and is unable to go out to receive guests. I will handle all matters, big and small."

At the same time, Ji Ming looked at the members of Tianrun Chamber of Commerce, and a sense of foreboding crept into his heart.

No one knew when Xu Yuan had established connections with the Tianrun Chamber of Commerce, and Ji Ming had met the members of the Chamber of Commerce kneeling on the ground several times; almost all of them were key members.

Xu Yuan looked around, then his gaze fell on the young man kneeling on the ground. He said righteously, "His name is Li Zhuang, and his sister's name is Li Wan."

"The Li siblings had been slaves to the Ji family for many years. A few days ago, Li Qing gave up all his wealth and handed it over to the Ji family steward to redeem the siblings' freedom."

"The matter had been settled, but Ji Hua, seeing Li Wan's beauty, had evil intentions. Li Wan refused, and in a fit of rage, Ji Hua raped and then killed her."

How should this matter be resolved?

The crowd remained completely silent. Even though the Ji family was at fault, the onlookers still lacked the courage to stand on the side of justice when the matter involved the Ji family.

Xu Yuan had anticipated this.

Most ordinary people have a strong sense of servility because they have never experienced a day in which they held power.

Ji Ming's eyes were sinister as he stared at Xu Yuan and questioned, "It's true that Li Zhuang wants to redeem his freedom, but what evidence do you have to prove that my son Ji Hua raped and then murdered Li Wan?"

Xu Yuan knew this would happen, and then Chen Dian behind him clapped his hands.

The crowd slowly dispersed, and a carriage draped with a white cloth arrived in front of the Ji family mansion.

Beneath the white sheet lay Li Wan's corpse.

"Unfortunately, Li Wan resisted fiercely, and there was still Ji Hua's blood under her fingernails. I want Ji Hua to come out in person to verify if it is his blood," Xu Yuan said firmly.

Ji Ming's heart skipped a beat.

“Since he is not feeling well, let’s go straight into the mansion and have Ji Hua lie on the bed. We will examine him ourselves. What do you think, Uncle?” Xu Yuan asked, his eyes like a tsunami, staring intently at Ji Ming.

Ji Ming was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond.

The other party clearly came here after having solid evidence.

In front of everyone, Ji Ming clearly couldn't settle Xu Yuan properly. Moreover, Xu Yuan's actions today clearly put him on the opposite side of the Ji family.

"Does Uncle have doubts? Or does Uncle already know the truth but just doesn't want to admit it?" Xu Yuan stared at Ji Ming's slightly flustered face and grinned maliciously.

For a powerful family, to play with a maid and then kill her is nothing more than a trivial matter. However, this trivial matter has been blown out of proportion.

The new policy clearly states that slavery will be abolished.

The new policy has not yet been implemented, but there are still laws to follow under the old policy. Once a servant has accumulated enough wealth, he can redeem his freedom from his master.

However, servants in large families, unless their ancestors' graves are exceptionally lucky, will never accumulate enough silver to redeem their freedom, even after generations of hard work.

It must be said that Xu Yuan's move, though seemingly risky, actually exploited the gap between the new and old policies.

As for where Li Zhuang got the money to redeem himself, that's no longer important.

On a distant mountaintop, Yuwen Jun watched this scene with great interest, and asked suspiciously, "You really handed over the Southern King's seal to Xu Yuan?"

Xie Yiming looked embarrassed and said, "I didn't give it to him. He stole it. Xu Yuan must have thought that if he were to attack the Ji family, I would definitely stop him. So he just pulled off a 'first to act, then to inform' act."

"But at this moment, he said in public that the seal was given to me and then to him, which is equivalent to me giving it to him."

"There's no need to dwell on this matter any longer."

Yuwen Jun chuckled softly, “By declaring himself the next leader of the South in this way, and speaking out for the people today, Xu Yuan’s reputation in the South will be no less than that of Fucheng in the North after today.”

"In my opinion, after a few years, you might as well step down and let Xu Yuan become the Prince of the South, so that you can coordinate with Fucheng from the north and south."

"Whether it is the Southern King or the Northern King, they are both young people. Isn't that wonderful?"

Upon hearing Yuwen Jun's words, Xie Yiming's eyes lit up.

"It's a good idea, but it needs a suitable opportunity," Xie Yiming chuckled.

In essence, Xie Yiming was always a free spirit, but he was a talented one. He didn't crave power, and from the very beginning, he was forced into the position of leader of the South.

An awkward silence fell outside the Ji family mansion.

Suddenly, Li Zhuang, who was kneeling on the ground, stood up. He looked at the crowd around him with a face full of sorrow, and then pounded his chest hard, making a dull thud.

"Gentlemen, I am a servant of the Ji family and also a commoner from the South. Today I have suffered such a terrible thing. If it weren't for Young Master Xu Yuan standing up for me, my sister would have died in vain."

"Please ask yourselves honestly, if you dare not do this today, what will you do if you encounter the same thing as me in the future? Will you just let injustice fall on us lowly people?"

"Are some people born superior to others?"

Li Zhuang's voice was loud and extremely tragic, echoing in the air above the Ji family mansion. Perhaps he had used too much force, because a few strands of blood had seeped from the corner of Li Zhuang's mouth.

"I am you, and you are me!" Li Zhuang shouted tragically once again.

Seeing Li Zhuang's hysterical state, Ji Ming wished he could smash Li Zhuang to pieces with one slap. With Li Zhuang's eloquence and courage, he would never say such a thing.

Someone must have secretly given Li Zhuang some pointers.

As expected, Li Zhuang's demands made the onlookers' expressions gradually become uncomfortable.

Many of the onlookers were just ordinary people, although some of them were relatively wealthy. But the wealthier the people were, the more they realized the terrifying power of authority.

The voices of the new policies are now deafening; perhaps this is their chance to defy fate.

"Get Ji Hua out here!"

"Get Ji Hua out here!"

"Get Ji Hua out here!"

"..."

The crowd finally erupted in a frenzy, their roars of anger towards the Ji family overwhelming and unstoppable, as if they wished to transform into a world-destroying flood and reduce the magnificent Ji family mansion to ashes in an instant.

Xu Yuan felt very satisfied when he heard such a voice.

As long as the people in the south dare to shout so loudly at the Ji family, then the day when the new policies are implemented will not be far off.

Xu Yuan stepped forward, slightly raising his chin, revealing the initial signs of a superior. He said to Ji Ming with reason and evidence, "The will of the people is such, Uncle, do you really want to try to stop this chariot with your bare hands?"

"Does Uncle think that the public opinion of the people in the South is like the noisy chirping of cicadas, not worth mentioning? If you get impatient with it, you can just smash the noisy cicadas at will?"

Ji Mingwei took a step back, unsure of how to respond.

"Get Ji Hua out here!"

"..."

The shouts and cries were incessant, and the power of public opinion was immense. The foundation of the Ji family mansion began to waver slightly amidst the angry roars of the people.

Just when people thought Ji Hua wouldn't come out, a cough suddenly came from inside the Ji family mansion.

Immediately afterwards, a young man dressed in white walked out with a livid face.

Upon seeing his son emerge, Ji Ming's face turned deathly pale. He stammered, pointing at Ji Hua's nose and cursing, "You...you...you..."

Ji Hua gazed deeply at his father, then smiled bitterly and said, "Father, I have brought shame upon the family. I will take responsibility for this."

Faced with the current situation, Ji Hua knew that he had no room for maneuver.

Li Zhuang's first reaction upon seeing Ji Hua was fear—a fear that had been suppressed for many years. But slowly, the fear in his eyes transformed into anger, an endless rage burning fiercely.

Ji Hua glanced at Li Zhuang, then opened her spatial artifact, took out a silver note, and handed it to Li Zhuang, saying weakly, "A life for a life. This silver note is your sister's money for her life." Li Zhuang did not reach out to take the silver note.

Ji Hua smiled bitterly, then handed the silver note to Xu Yuan, revealing a bitter smile that showed he had seen through life and death, and said: "Brother, you have come from afar for a servant in my family mansion. In my lifetime, to be targeted by you like this is a kind of luck."

"I did it, and I killed the person."

Xu Yuan accepted the silver note, a hint of appreciation for Ji Hua appearing in his eyes.

When the family is disgraced, this culprit still dares to stand up. This kind of courage is not something that all vain young people have.

"May I borrow your sword, brother?" Ji Hua asked, his eyes glazed over.

Xu Yuan hesitated for a moment, just as he was about to hand the sword to Ji Hua, Ji Ming appeared in front of Ji Hua in an instant, protecting his son, and said loudly to Xu Yuan: "We can pay for the lives, even several times more."

"Please, my dear nephew, spare my son!"

However, Ji Hua pushed his father away with a look of fearlessness and said, "Today's events are my fault. I will take responsibility for my own actions. In the future, my brothers and sisters will take care of my father. I hope that my father will not be saddened by today's events."

Upon hearing this, Ji Ming felt utterly devastated.

The words had already been spoken in public, and the shame was too great to bear.

Xu Yuan readily agreed, saying, "Very well, since you are so determined, I will do my best to help you achieve your goal!"

Then, Xu Yuan drew his sword and threw it to Ji Hua.

If the Ji family has to pay extra for his life, then Xu Yuan's trip today will have been in vain.

Upon seeing this, Ji Ming was filled with grief and indignation and immediately closed his eyes, unable to bear looking.

Ji Hua gritted his teeth and drew his sword to commit suicide. Without any extra movement, blood gushed from his throat, staining his white clothes red. The young master of the Ji family fell to the ground.

"My son!" Ji Ming rushed forward, his eyes filled with tears of blood.

Xu Yuan reached out, and his longsword instantly returned to its sheath, emitting a clear, ringing sound.

Holding his son's body, Ji Ming turned his head and looked at Xu Yuan with a sinister and vicious expression, gritting his teeth and saying, "Xu Yuan, what happened today will surely be repaid handsomely in the future!"

Xu Yuan remained dismissive upon hearing this.

Xu Yuan said firmly, "We'll talk about the future later. I know my uncle resents me."

"However, besides Li Zhuang's sister's matter, there are also some difficult problems from the Tianrun Chamber of Commerce waiting for you today, Uncle."

Ji Ming was furious. His true energy surged like a tide, and he wanted to get up and kill Xu Yuan as soon as possible.

However, Xu Yuan was not to be outdone. He stepped forward, and before Ji Ming could react, Xu Yuan unleashed the aura of the early stage of the Returning Origin Realm. His sword intent surged like a tidal wave, unstoppable, and surrounded Ji Ming.

Both were at the Returning Origin Realm, but despite being at the same level, their combat strength differed greatly.

How could the ordinary talents of the old era compare to the prodigies of this era?

"Do you really intend to slaughter them all!" Ji Ming roared.

Xu Yuan retorted loudly, "Uncle, you're mistaken. I'm just stating the facts!"

On the distant mountain peak, Yuwen Jun and Xie Yiming were also taken aback upon seeing this.

Yuwen Jun clicked his tongue and said, "Xu Yuan's boldness is greater than I imagined. Tianrun Chamber of Commerce naturally has some unclear accounts, involving the major and minor matters of corruption and bribery by Ji family officials."

"I never expected Xu Yuan to dare to openly create such a huge hole?"

"However, if Xu Yuan continues to cause trouble like this, Ji Jian will probably have to make a move."

"But if Ji Jian were a smart man, he would naturally choose to cut off the gecko's tail."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yiming scoffed, "Of course he would choose to cut off the gecko's tail."

"Now that things have come to this, whatever reputation we can salvage is what we can!"

Yuwen Jun chuckled and said nothing more.

Standing before the dilapidated gate of the Ji family mansion, Xu Yuan produced a thick ledger and said, "These are all concrete evidence of embezzlement and bribery by officials of your Ji family."

"I wonder how Uncle plans to handle this matter?"

Upon hearing this, the crowd of onlookers became even more enthusiastic and began to shout their condemnation.

"So the Ji family was so corrupt and decadent!"

"The Ji family is no longer qualified to be a prominent family in the South!"

"..."

The curses filled the air, like an endless rain of arrows, striking the Ji family's courtyard.

At this moment, an old man in the Tianrun Chamber of Commerce also raised his head and said to Ji Ming with a forced smile, "Sir, it's not that we are heartless or unjust, but your clansmen are too greedy. We also have to make a living, and we can no longer satisfy their appetites. We hope that you will see the truth."

After one person took the lead, the rest of the Tianrun Chamber of Commerce complained bitterly.

To the direct descendants of the Ji family, merchants were merely tools for accumulating wealth, not even considered as individuals.

The Tianrun Chamber of Commerce was only able to get through thanks to the joint efforts of the Xu and Chen families. Of course, they also uncovered some of the shady dealings of the core members of the Tianrun Chamber of Commerce. Otherwise, these businessmen would never have dared to kneel before the Ji family mansion, even if they had ten times the courage.

When powerful figures clash, it's always the lesser figures who suffer.

When the big shots aren't scheming against each other, it's always the little guys who suffer.

At this moment, Ji Ming felt utterly hopeless. He knew, of course, that the evidence was real, but he was surprised at how Xu Yuan had managed to do all this.

"I wonder what Uncle intends to do at this moment?" Xu Yuan pressed.

Suddenly, a deep sound rang out in the sky.

"Since the evidence is conclusive, let's hold a public trial in the governor's mansion to give the people justice. All members of the Ji family involved in this matter shall be executed without mercy!"

Ji Jian's voice resounded through the sky.

Upon hearing this sound, Ji Ming felt utterly devastated and collapsed to the ground, clutching his son's body.

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan gazed at the gloomy sky, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and loudly replied, "The Dean is indeed fair!"

"According to the law, the members of the Ji family have not committed any heinous crimes!"

There was no response from the sky, and the crowd of onlookers erupted in jubilation.

"Even the dean has spoken, it seems this matter is about to be settled!" An elderly schoolteacher stroked his beard and remarked with feigned righteous indignation amidst the crowd.

Xu Yuan looked down at Ji Ming, who was slumped on the ground, and said in a deep voice, "In that case, please come to the governor's mansion, Uncle."

Upon hearing this, Ji Ming either heard it or didn't, and in any case, he made no response.

Upon seeing this, Xu Yuan immediately gave Chen Dian and Zhu Hong a wink.

Without saying a word, the two members of the Five Greats stepped forward, picked up Ji Ming, and headed towards the governor's mansion. The crowd surged towards the governor's mansion as well.

On the mountain peak, Yuwen Jun and Xie Yiming were still observing.

"It seems this matter has come to an end. It's a pity that Xu Yuan chose such a poor timing," Yuwen Jun said with a hint of regret.

Upon hearing this, Xie Yiming asked with a puzzled expression, "Why?"

Yuwen Jun smiled helplessly and said, "In a few days, Princess Qianling and Gu Cheng of the Ling Clan will represent their two clans to jointly enter the ruined land of the Demon Realm to mine resources. The fact that the three clans are working together to make this a great event will surely become a topic of conversation among the common people."

"Otherwise, the misfortune that the Ji family has encountered today will become the main topic of conversation among the people for a long time to come."

"Invisibly, the Ji family has also mitigated some of the minor calamities."

Xie Yiming then suddenly realized what was going on.

It's not entirely a pity, after all, Xu Yuan put the Ji family in such an embarrassing situation, which would undoubtedly be of great benefit to the implementation of the new policies.

I wonder if the Northern King in the North has the same courage and determination as Xu Yuan.

However, for a long time to come, Fu Cheng would be forced to compare himself with Xu Yuan.

"Are you going to the governor's mansion next? Such an important matter requires His Highness the Prince of Nan to personally intervene," Yuwen Jun said with a gloating smile.

Xie Yiming shook his head decisively: "For such a small matter to require His Highness the Prince of Nan to personally intervene makes me, the Prince of Nan, seem too insignificant and worthless!"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Jun was slightly taken aback, then threw his head back and burst into laughter.

After laughing for an unknown period of time, Yuwen Jun kindly reminded him, "But you have to be careful. Xu Yuan has shown his prowess this time, and he will inevitably be targeted by those with ulterior motives. Don't let this future leader of the South die at the hands of assassins."

"Xu Yuan as he is now is still worth a personal attack from a Wuji expert."

Xie Yiming nodded emphatically.

Yuwen Jun added, "As far as I know, Fu Cheng has begun to settle his subordinates and take over the officialdom in a small area of ​​the north. However, most of the talented people under Fu Cheng's command come from poor families."

"You can also learn from this method."

"Unfortunately, you, the King of the South, do not have that many followers from humble backgrounds."

Xie Yiming grinned and said, "I don't actually have that many followers from humble backgrounds, but Xu Yuan has been investigating and gathering talent all these years, so he still has a group of people under his command."

"Given the situation in the south, it's unlikely that we can replace some prefects, but we can replace some county magistrates."

Such instability in the officialdom must be causing leaders at the top a great deal of trouble.

Yuwen Jun suddenly felt very sorry for Qiu Qing. The details of today's events would surely appear on the Prime Minister's desk.

"I really enjoy today's lively atmosphere," Yuwen Jun said with a smug smile.

The new policies, the restoration of order, and the abolition of slavery alone were enough to make many people who refused to accept their fate grit their teeth and give it a shot. This was further supported by the leadership of the Northern Seven-Character Classics and the Five Wonders of Nanshan, as well as the tacit approval of His Majesty the Emperor.

If this trend continues, we may see results within a month or two.

Xie Yiming said, "But compared to the scenes of battle, it is still much inferior."

Yuwen Jun shook his head and smiled slightly: "No, fighting on the battlefield is ultimately the courage of a common man, but today's fighting is what people's hearts desire, and it has also invisibly broken the servility that weighs heavily on many people."

"Daring to think and daring to act are four words and two things."

"But most people don't even dare to think about it, let alone take any real action."

"After all this commotion today, at least the flame of courage has been ignited in many people."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yiming's eyes were full of smugness. He had not misjudged Xu Yuan, but Xu Yuan's actions were indeed playing with fire.