I come to see Bai Yujing today

Chapter 258 The evidence is there, and you two want to resist arrest?
Xie Hongqi and Lu Dingshan stood in mid-air, with faint ripples of energy on the ground behind them, and divine essence and various supernatural powers were brewing.

Xie You was somewhat dazed...

Since he could remember, the villas of the six families of Dayu in Xuantianjing had always been the safest places.

There has never been a court official, yamen runner, or iron-clad officer who openly knocked on the door to arrest someone.

But at this very moment, the Inspectorate command informed Lu Dingshan that he was standing outside the Xie family's villa with many bullfighting warriors and xiezhi warriors, ordered to arrest someone...

"This Chen Zhian... he's become so daring to kill people."

Xie You took a deep breath.

Although he had been in Xuantianjing for a long time, he already knew about Chen Zhian's actions in the Southern Nine Provinces. He even knew that after Chen Zhian returned to Xuantianjing, he had killed Xie Minglei of the Xie family.

But all of this was under the decree of the sage, who ordered him to sweep away demons and evil spirits, and to cleanse the sins hidden in the Great Yu.

Now that Chen Zhian has achieved his goal of becoming the seal-bearer, and has been silent for a month, is he going to target the Xie family of Longxi?

"Could this be the will of the Sage?" Xie You couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

Xie Huiqing and Xie Hongqi exchanged a glance, their eyes also showing some hesitation.

Therefore, Xie Huiqing raised his voice and asked, "Prefect Lu! My Xie family is a family with an iron certificate, protected by the merits of the founding of the nation! Today... Chen Zhiyin wants to arrest members of my Xie family. Does he have the Emperor's decree?"

Lu Dingshan hesitated for a few moments, then shook his head and said, "There is no intention of a sage."

Xie Huiqing, Xie Hongqi, and even Xie You all breathed a sigh of relief.

Xie Hongqi snorted coldly, about to speak.

But then Lu Dingshan said loudly, "The Sage has bestowed upon Lord Chen the Lu Wu Mirror to examine the merits and demerits of all the noble families under heaven, to pull out their poisonous fangs and cut away their rotten flesh!"
His position of holding the seal of office was personally bestowed by the sage, and he has the authority to decide it independently; why would he need the sage's decree?

"Please, Your Excellencies..."

Lu Dingshan had not finished speaking.

Xie Hongqi frowned, and a ball of flame suddenly ignited behind him, just like a sun, scorching and dazzling.

The flames rose, burning in the void, enveloping the entire Xie family compound, yet causing no harm to the trees or houses within.

Only its dazzling majesty shines forth within.

Whether they are famous craftsmen or renowned alchemists, they are all people with extraordinary cultivation.

The requirements for Xuanhuo (Mysterious Fire) are extremely high, including true essence, comprehension, and talent.

Xie Hongqi's ability to serve as the Right Craftsman of the Crafts Bureau demonstrates his exceptional skill.

At this moment, he unleashed his full power and supernatural abilities, proving himself to be on par with Lu Dingshan!

"My Xie family has existed in Longxi for thousands of years, with a long history and has made countless contributions to Dayu."

"It's laughable that Chen Zhian, a mere youth not even nineteen, dares to condemn my Xie family members right under the Emperor's nose, and even orders the Censorate to send a deputy magistrate to arrest them personally."

Xie Hongqi flicked his sleeve and said, "The Sage did indeed grant Chen Zhi'an the authority to hold the seal, but everything must be based on evidence."

But what evidence does Chen Zhian have that he dares to arrest someone from my Xie family?

Xie Huiqing also frowned, staring directly at Lu Dingshan.

As members of the Xie family of Longxi, they would not normally take a mere Assistant Inspector General of the Censorate seriously.

Today, Lu Dingshan came on orders from Chen Zhian, a rising star in the court. Remembering Chen Zhian's reputation, they did not rashly drive Lu Dingshan out of the Lu family villa. Instead, they asked for evidence.

A smile appeared on Lu Dingshan's face.

"A great reputation in the world is indeed earned through fighting."

Lu Dingshan thought to himself, "If it weren't for Lord Chen's campaigns in the southern Nine Provinces, these two would never have taken him seriously."

Even if he obtains the Lu Wu Mirror, in many people's eyes, he might still just be a greenhorn.

Lu Dingshan was a native of Dayu and had lived in Xuantianjing for a long time. He naturally knew the nobility and arrogance of the six families of Dayu: "If it weren't for those killings, they probably wouldn't speak to me like this."

He shook his head slightly, and as he explored, a piece of Luohe paper appeared in his hand.

The words on the paper flowed like dragons and phoenixes, bold and powerful.

Lu Dingshan glanced at the words on the paper and said, "Do you two gentlemen want evidence? Let me explain."

"Xie Yunqi of the Xie family served as the Supervising Secretary of the Six Ministries! In the fifteenth year of the Dazhi era, he seized 1,742 mu of farmland belonging to 926 households in Beiyun Prefecture, converting rice paddies into medicinal plants... leaving more than 900 households to lose their land and become homeless."

"The Inspectorate has records of every detail, piece of evidence, and complaint from the people."

Lu Dingshan spoke slowly, then frowned and sighed, "Since you want to convert rice paddies into medicinal herb fields, those fields must be quite fertile, or perhaps they possess natural spiritual energy."

This member of the Xie family must have made a fortune from planting medicinal herbs.

How much greed could a mere thousand households possibly have? If the adults find some ordinary fertile land for them and compensate them with some silver... they will not only not cause trouble, but they will probably be grateful to the Xie family.

Unfortunately, this censor of the Six Ministries was used to being arrogant and domineering, only thinking about seizing property... or perhaps he was too indifferent to the lives and property of these people, finding it troublesome, and thus made no attempt to compensate them.

Lu Dingshan recounted the story in detail, then read aloud, "There's also Xie Lang, the Imperial Academy Attendant... This man comes from an extraordinary background; he's the nineteenth son of the Xie family of Longxi, currently holding the position of Attendant Scholar. He doesn't have many vices in his life, except that he enjoys taking other men's wives..."

Lu Dingshan frowned even more deeply upon reading this, and snorted coldly, saying, "Not only does he take advantage of other men's wives, but he also enjoys seeing their families destroyed and their husbands begging and pleading..."

One or two would be one thing, but the number of victims recorded was a staggering 261.

No wonder Xie Lang, at sixty-nine years old, is only a mere attendant at the Imperial Academy! It turns out he's devoted all his energy to this.

"Xie Jinning, Registrar of the Court of Imperial Stud..."

"Xie Ruyun, the Secretary of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices..."

"Hmm? And Xie Luxi, the daughter-in-law of the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, has also practiced that Dragon-Walking Technique..."

Lu Dingshan frowned deeply, slowly reciting many names and presenting evidence of their crimes.

Xie You couldn't help but take a deep breath.

Xie Huiqing and Xie Hongqi also had different expressions.

They never knew... but the Inspectorate, which turned a blind eye to the powerful clans, was surprisingly well aware of their crimes!
Upon careful consideration, Xie Huiqing broke out in a cold sweat.

"Upon closer reflection, it turns out that there are very few members of the six prominent families in the Censorate. Even among those from aristocratic families, most are members of the Xiezhi or Dou Niu clans, and there are very few deputy commanders, let alone commanders!"

Neither of the two vice censors came from aristocratic families.

Xie Huiqing took a deep breath as his thoughts turned to this.

The long period of comfort and privilege has made the powerful families and clans of the land somewhat complacent!

"Besides Zhao Chongzhi, the Censorate also has a Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, Song Xiqu... Song Xiqu has been planning this for a long time."

Xie Huiqing's eyes flickered.

Xie Hongqi also lowered his head and pondered for a long time before raising his head to interrupt Lu Dingshan, who was still listing the crimes of the Xie family members, and said loudly, "Lord Lu! You may search all forty-two courtyards around the Xie family's villa."

It's quite a coincidence... The people you just mentioned have either resigned from their official posts or returned to their hometowns these days, and are no longer in this Xie family villa or the surrounding courtyards owned by the Xie family.

Now, all that remains of the Xie family are old people like Xie Huiqing and me.

"It seems Lord Lu has come all this way for nothing."

Xie Hongqi remained calm and composed, even sporting a slight smile.

Xie You's eyes flickered, and he admired his elder who gave the order even more—Xie Zuoliang, the official in charge of the Astronomical Observatory.

"Fortunately, those Xie family elders or young people with ordinary official positions had already been sent back to Longxi Prefecture," Xie You thought to himself. Xie Huiqing and Xie Hongqi exchanged a glance at that moment.

Xie Huiqing flicked his sleeve and smiled at Lu Dingshan, saying, "Lu Tongzhi, please go and arrest them. If you succeed, punish them for their crimes, and the Xie family will not interfere... If you fail, Lu Tongzhi can have a cup of tea before you leave."

Xie Huiqing personally poured Lu Dingshan a cup of tea: "This tea is Tianling Bud Tip from Tianshan Prefecture. It is sweet, refreshing and fragrant... It is a famous and excellent tea. Prefect Lu will know its extraordinary quality after drinking one cup."

Upon hearing this, Lu Dingshan frowned even more deeply.

He clapped his hands.

The auras behind him immediately dispersed; some flew into the Xie family's villa, while others explored the many courtyards surrounding it.

Several dozen breaths passed, and people began to arrive with reports.

These courtyards were indeed deserted.

Many of the people on the list have already left Xuantianjing.

Lu Dingshan looked solemn, somewhat unsure of his esteemed Left Censor-in-Chief Zhao Chongzhi's stance.

Logically speaking, if an official submits his resignation or even leaves Xuantianjing, the Censorate should record it.

But Lord Zhao made no warning whatsoever, letting them come all this way...

"It's really hard to guess what adults are thinking," Lu Dingshan thought to himself.

Seeing Lu Dingshan's expression, Xie Huiqing's smile deepened, and he then said to Lu Dingshan, "Lord Lu, this tea is getting cold..."

Lu Dingshan looked up and saw the expressions on Xie Huiqing and Xie Hongqi's faces, and suddenly smiled.

He continued to look down at the Luohe paper in his hand: "It seems that these Xie family members who hold low-ranking official positions or are still young and unemployed, wandering around Xuantianjing, have all returned to Longxi Prefecture."

"Now, only a few Xie family members who are truly law-abiding remain in this Xie family villa."

"It seems we won't be able to catch these small fish and shrimp."

As Lu Dingshan spoke, he seemed to be talking to himself: "Then we can only catch some of the big ones."

big?

Xie Huiqing and Xie Hongqi had not yet reacted.

But then Lu Dingshan recited to the Luohe paper: "Xie Huiqing, Imperial Academy Grand Master, in the spring of the twelfth year of the Dazhi era, obtained a rare treasure of the Great Qian Dynasty. Ten years later, Lord Xie Huiqing personally collected human pills for sacrifice... The vast majority of these human pills came from outside Xuantianjing, and a few were from the maids and servants of the Grand Master's mansion... After ten years of cultivation, he has probably killed more than a thousand people."

Xie Huiqing's expression suddenly changed.

Xie Hongqi's expression also changed, and he was about to speak.

Then Lu Dingshan raised his head and looked at him, saying, "Xie Hongqi! Right Craftsman of the Crafts Bureau, Lord Xie Hongqi has bought an estate in Heshang Prefecture and planted a rare flower in the estate, called the Spirit Flame Flower."

Exotic flowers bloomed...enveloping the surrounding mountains...and the mountain people gradually died out, their lineages dwindling...yet Lord Xie Hongqi's mystical fire for refining weapons grew ever more comprehensive, soon to become a celestial fire!

Lu Dingshan recounted the crimes of these two officials, word by word!

Xie Huiqing and Xie Hongqi were breathing erratically.

Xie Hongqi's supernatural flames reignited, spreading across the sky with terrifying power.

Xie Hongqi was furious and said, "Lu Dingshan, I am the Right Craftsman of the Crafts Bureau! I am a third-rank craftsman!"

According to the official system of Dayu, it was equivalent to a substantive position of the fourth rank in the current dynasty!

Huiqing was also a Grand Master of the Imperial Academy, a position bestowed by imperial decree, a position of great prestige.

"We two hold such low-ranking official positions; what authority do you, a mere Deputy Commander of the Censorate, have to arrest us?"

Xie Huiqing lowered his eyelids slightly and said, "We two still have official robes and seals on us! Without removing our official titles, robes, and seals, and without the Emperor's decree, what right does the Censorate have to arrest us?"

As he spoke, wisps of purple mist rose from his body, transforming into a faint, indistinct figure.

A divine figure appeared behind Xie Huiqing, about four or five zhang tall, looking down at the people in the Inspectorate.

Xie You was somewhat at a loss.

However, within the Xie family's villa, many of the Xie family's retainers suddenly unleashed their supernatural powers, channeling their divine essence!

Hundreds of armored soldiers rushed out from the Xie family's backyard, forming a battle formation with fierce momentum.

Another of Xie's retainers left the Xie family's villa and went somewhere to deliver a message.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Even the most knowledgeable and experienced officials of the Censorate, such as the Bullfighting Envoy and the Xie Zhi Envoy, had never seen such a spectacle before.

Xie Huiqing and Xie Hongqi exuded a powerful aura!

Two mysterious mansions stood in the air, seemingly trying to isolate everything.

The auras of the two Xuanfu experts, carrying extraordinary supernatural powers, pressed down, actually overshadowing Lu Dingshan's imposing presence.

In addition, there were many retainers.

The Inspectorate was completely suppressed by the overwhelming power of the strong figures in the Xie family's villa.

Lu Dingshan, however, was not afraid at all. He raised his head and said, "You two lords, please think it through. The register in my hand was written by Chen Zhian, the official in charge of the seal on the spot."

Those from families with a long history of holding official seals and overseeing affairs are naturally included in this category.

Now that the charges are irrefutable, if you disobey the imperial decree...

"Chen Zhian's orders can be considered imperial decrees?" Xie Hongqi stood up, his hair and beard bristling. "We'll discuss everything once my lord Xie arrives..."

……

Before Xie Hongqi could finish speaking, a voice suddenly came from the howling clouds: "My orders, Chen Zhian's orders, are decrees to you aristocratic families."

The voice was quite deep and youthful.

Xie You's expression shifted, and he suddenly looked up: "Chen Zhi'an!"

But all that could be seen was a raging storm in the void, with clouds and mist swirling around, and a bronze laurel tree slowly appeared.

Chen Zhian stood on the imperial palanquin, his hands behind his back.

Her clothes fluttered in the wind, and her long hair swayed.

At this moment, his eyes were calm as he looked down at everyone in the Xie family's villa!

"The evidence is there, and you two intend to resist arrest?"

Xie Huiqing and Xie Hongqi's auras surged, and Xie Huiqing was about to speak.

Chen Zhian suddenly shook his head: "Using supernatural powers and manifesting divine forms in front of me is undoubtedly an act of resistance against capture!"

He just finished speaking.

Beneath the Xie family's villa, the earth cracked open.

The demonic puppet arrived with a roar, and terrifying blood energy surged forth like a tidal wave, striking Xie Huiqing and Xie Hongqi in the blink of an eye.

Both of them coughed up blood, and their supernatural powers shattered.

Chen Zhian's expression remained unchanged: "Arrest them."

Lu Dingshan: "Yes!"

(End of this chapter)