How come I'm invincible?

Chapter 122 This general plays by the rules, what are you people who dare to break the rules?
"God... Shenwusi?"

The boy, who had just turned ten, looked nervously at the soldier in front of him. His face was pale and bloodless with fear.

“That’s right, it’s the Divine Martial Division. This institution was established by the Divine Martial General of our dynasty on the orders of His Majesty. It is on par with the Three Divisions and is in charge of all affairs of the world. If you go elsewhere, I can’t guarantee that your matter will be resolved, but as long as you go to the Divine Martial Division, someone will definitely take care of you,” the guard said.

The boy said, "I'll go, I'll go."

"Alright, we'll take you there. Given your condition, you can't just move around freely in the capital. Also, take off the white cloth you're wearing. It's not good for a young man to cry out for justice under the emperor's nose," the guard said.

The boy clung tightly to the white cloth draped over his body, reluctant to let go, but he eventually put the cloth away, trusting that the soldiers here wouldn't harm him.

The guards nodded in satisfaction and escorted the burly men toward the Divine Martial Division.

Another guard saw that the boy's feet were covered in blood and wanted to get him a pair of shoes, but was stopped by the lead guard. The guard who wanted to get the shoes was slightly taken aback, but then seemed to understand.

It didn't take long.

The majestic and imposing gates of the Divine Martial Bureau appeared.

Upon seeing such a majestic and extraordinary place, the boy instantly felt nervous.

The guard patted the boy on the shoulder and said, "At such a young age, you've come all the way from Jingzhou Prefecture to here, which means something really serious must have happened to your family. Otherwise, I can hardly imagine what could have kept you going until now."

"This is the Divine Martial Division. Don't speak, just follow me."

The guards led the boy toward the door. Just as they reached the door, Yang Ming came out and met them.

The guard respectfully replied, "Sir, I am a patrolman from the Five Cities Military Command."

"What's the matter?" Yang Ming asked, his gaze falling on the restrained, dirty-looking boy, then on the burly man being escorted by several patrolmen.

The patrolman said, "Sir, this child has come all the way from Jingzhou Prefecture to the capital to plead his case. I feel there must be something serious going on, so I specially sent him to the Divine Martial Bureau, hoping that you can help this child."

After saying that, the patrolman winked at the boy, "Boy, the Divine Martial Division is the most just place. You can speak out here if you have any grievances, and the adults will not ignore them."

Pfft!
The boy knelt down.

"My lord, I am innocent."

Yang Ming quickly helped the boy up, "Come in and talk. The General is here right now. You can tell him what grievances you have."

Yang Ming believes the same is true.

The fact that the boy was forced to cry foul suggests there was a real story behind it.

"You come in too," Yang Ming said to the patrolmen.

"Yes, my lord."

The patrolmen showed great respect; anyone from the Divine Martial Division, even those who were just street sweepers, was someone they absolutely could not afford to offend.

This is the consensus among all departments in the capital.

courtyard.

Lin Fan looked at the people Yang Ming had brought with him with a puzzled expression. When he saw the boy's appearance, he frowned. His clothes were tattered and dirty, and he had no shoes. His feet were worn raw and bleeding from the long journey.

Yang Ming said, "Sir, these patrolmen said that the child cried out for justice in the capital, and these people came from Jingzhou to arrest the child. They captured him and handed him over to our Shenwu Division."

Pfft!
The boy knew that the imposing man before him was the Great General they spoke of, and he immediately knelt down, saying, "My lord, I am innocent! I am innocent!"

"Child, get up, don't be afraid." Lin Fan helped the boy up, then said, "Go, call the doctor, and have the kitchen send over some noodles."

"Yes, my lord."

Yang Ming left in a hurry.

Lin Fan led the boy to the pavilion, had him sit down, and seeing the boy's uneasy eyes, asked softly, "Child, what grievance do you have that made you come all the way from Jingzhou Prefecture?"

The boy said, "Sir, this is what happened. My brother studied from a young age and took the imperial examination, but he failed. My brother thought it was because he was not talented enough and planned to try again next year. But later he learned that the local examiner had transferred his exam paper to someone else, making that person a scholar."

“My brother was dissatisfied, so he reported it, but they arrested him.”

“Even my parents were arrested. I ran away quickly and escaped from Jingzhou to the capital to appeal to the emperor.”

"I beg Your Honor to investigate this matter thoroughly and bring justice to my brother."

I heard what the boy said.

Lin Fan narrowed his eyes slightly, his eyes flashing with anger. "What audacity! If anyone dares to cheat in the imperial examinations, they probably don't know what death means."

"But how did your brother find out?"

The boy said, "Sir, the person who replaced my brother in the imperial examination was named Yang Lian. His uncle is Yang Ting, the imperial son-in-law of the emperor. One day, Yang Lian was drinking with someone and got drunk. When he saw my brother helping out in the shop, he made a provocative remark, saying that your imperial examination was taken away by him."

Prince Consort?

What the hell.

But he just likes messing with these guys. Now he believes 90% of what the boy says, and has only 10% of that he has basic doubts about.

Soon, Yang Ming brought over the noodles. The boy's stomach rumbled when he saw the noodles.

"Let's eat first," Lin Fan said softly.

The boy, who was starving, grabbed his chopsticks and put the noodles into his mouth.

Lin Fan glanced at the starving boy, then looked at the burly men being held captive. "Tell me, who sent you? How dare you arrest people in the capital? You must be blind."

The burly men knelt down in terror, "Sir... it's not our fault, the chief of the Public Security Bureau sent us."

"So that means what the child said is the truth?" Lin Fan asked.

The burly man said fearfully, "Sir, we don't know anything about these things. We are just following orders."

They were genuinely scared.

The young man in front of them was putting immense pressure on them.

how to say?

Although the other party was not clearly enraged, their imposing and dignified presence made them tremble with fear, as if a mountain was pressing down on their hearts.

Lin Fan glanced at them and asked, "How knowledgeable is Yang Lian?"

"I...I..."

"It's best to tell the truth."

"He's a spoiled brat, a complete good-for-nothing." Faced with Lin Fan's interrogation, they told the truth without daring to hide anything.

Lin Fan did not press them further, but instead looked at the patrolmen.

The patrolmen noticed the gaze of the Divine Martial General and became even more respectful, for who in the capital did not know the immense power of the Divine Martial General these days?

In the imperial court, it was a one-man show. Even the emperor respected the Divine Martial General very much. He was the most favored of all the ministers, and no one could compare to the General.

Not to mention the things the general did.

Each one was earth-shattering.

He was the most valiant man in the world from their Central Plains dynasty.

"Hmm, you're quite good. You even knew he was wronged and sent him to the Divine Martial Division. This shows you highly value the Divine Martial Division's fairness," Lin Fan said with satisfaction.

The patrolman said respectfully, "General, you are our idol. Everyone knows that you are just and just, and you are the upright official in the hearts of the people."

"Are you interested in working for the Divine Martial Division?" Lin Fan asked.

As soon as these words came out.

The patrolmen stared wide-eyed at Lin Fan in disbelief. They hadn't expected the surprise to come so quickly. Could it be that his ancestors' graves were emitting auspicious smoke?

The patrolmen knelt on one knee, "We swear to serve the General to the death, but where we are..."

"It's alright. No one dares to refuse the person I want. Go back and tell your commander that it was me who said it," Lin Fan said.

"Yes, General."

For these patrolmen, their hearts were pounding with excitement.

"Okay, go back first, hand over the matters of the Command Division, and then report to the Divine Martial Division."

"Yes, General."

The patrolmen left in a daze. When they reached the street, they still felt like they were in a dream. They looked at each other, and one of them pinched his arm. It hurt, it really hurt.

This is not a dream.

This is reality.

……

at this time.

The boy rubbed his stomach after eating, while the doctor applied medicine to his foot.

“Master, if this is true, we’ll have to kill a bunch of people. But since the matter involves the Prince Consort, should we report it to His Majesty?” Ning Yu asked.

Lin Fan waved his hand and said, "No need, there's no need to report such a trivial matter. Go, prepare the carriage, we'll set off for Jingzhou immediately."

"Oh." Ning Yu left.

Before this, he had already sent people to set up Shenwu Division offices in various places. Logically speaking, since his people had been in various places and learned that such a thing had happened, they would definitely have reported back. How come there was no news at all?
The three thousand iron cavalry who followed him in suppressing the Japanese pirates were all incorporated into the Divine Martial Bureau and assigned to set up offices throughout the country.

Could it be that they encountered obstacles in the process of establishing the government office?
The boy secretly watched Lin Fan. Despite his young age, he was not stupid at all and knew that this was a really important person. Yet, such an important person was so gentle to him, an ordinary citizen.

This deeply moved the boy.

……

Jingzhou Prefecture.

dungeon.

Yang Lian swaggered into the dungeon. The smell inside was unbearable. He walked up to a cell, looked at a young man inside who had been tortured, and said with a smile, "Ma Yang, why did you have to fight with me? Look, you're locked up here now."

Ma Yang slumped in the corner. Hearing the voice, he slowly raised his head and said angrily, "Yang Lian, you have no respect for the law. You will be punished."

Yang Lian waved her hand dismissively, "Alright, what's with all this talk of retribution? The entire Jingzhou Prefecture is under my control. How can you, a mere ordinary person, possibly compete with me? My uncle is the imperial son-in-law, and my aunt is a princess, a prefect, and a chief clerk. They all respect my uncle very much. I'll just take your scholar title. You can always try again next year."

He completely disregarded Ma Yang.

Given his background, he wouldn't even need to take the imperial examinations.

But his uncle told him that he had to take the imperial examination to get a status. It didn't matter how high his score was. As long as he had a status, his uncle could pull some strings and arrange for him to become a county magistrate.

Yang Lian thought it made sense.

Although the county magistrate was not a high-ranking official, he was practically a local tyrant.

why not?

He just didn't expect the imperial examination to be so difficult. When he saw the questions, he felt dizzy. He had no choice but to borrow Ma Yang's exam paper, and his uncle had told him to.

Now that a major upheaval has occurred in the court, His Majesty has ordered the Divine Martial General to establish the Divine Martial Bureau, which is undoubtedly intended to oversee the entire realm. This is to take advantage of the fact that the Divine Martial Bureau has not yet fully commenced operations.

Let's finalize this matter in advance.

Others may not know what kind of person the Divine Martial General is, but Yang Ting, as the imperial son-in-law, does.

Ma Yang angrily said, "Yang Lian, don't think that just because your uncle is the emperor's son-in-law you can cover up everything. I don't believe there is no justice or law in this world."

He never expected that after more than ten years of hard work, hoping to participate in the imperial examinations, rise through the ranks, and serve the court, such a thing would happen.

Yang Lian laughed and said, "Alright, what justice, what law, it's all nonsense. Once we bring your brother back, we'll exile your whole family. The road to exile is fraught with danger, and whether you'll make it there alive is still unknown."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Yang Lian was determined to kill Ma Yang's entire family and give them no chance to recover.

His original idea was to kill Ma Yang's family on any pretext, but his uncle said that the case of execution should be recorded and sent to the higher authorities. Once the Divine Martial Division was established, they would definitely reopen old cases, so they couldn't leave any evidence.

Exile is the best option.

At that moment, Ma Yang lowered his head in despair, looking at his suffering parents beside him, his heart filled with extreme sorrow.

He knew he couldn't defeat them.

……

a few days later.

Jingzhou Prefecture, the official road at the city gate.

A group of several people appeared. Lin Fan rode Ye Zhao and stared at the city wall in front of him. The people passing by cast curious glances at Lin Fan and his companions.

Lin Fan carefully observed the people's mental state.

He sighed softly to himself.

The people in this group had a poor mental state, and their clothes were patched and mended repeatedly. Their living standards were not good; in the end, they were just poor.

Lin Fan, who started from the bottom, couldn't bear to see suffering.

“Master, I’ve found out all about Yang Ting, the princess’s husband in Jingzhou. When the princess came to Jingzhou for a visit, she met Yang Ting, who was teaching here at the time, and they fell in love and started dating. His Majesty didn’t approve of it at first, but he had no choice. The princess and Yang Ting had pledged their lives to each other, and in order not to make the royal family lose face, he had to agree.”

"His Majesty then settled them in Jingzhou Prefecture."

Ning Yu spoke eloquently.

She had no interest in these matters, but when she left the capital, she specifically asked her aunt about it and learned about the situation back then. She had to admit that His Majesty was still easy to talk to.

If it were any other parents, and Yang Ting had made a lifelong commitment without their consent, he would definitely have been beaten to death.

He still wants to be a prince consort and live a life of luxury?
That's just a dream.

Lin Fan said calmly, "So, relying on his status as a prince consort, he colluded with local officials and became a local tyrant."

"Ning Yu, let's start with the Imperial Son-in-Law as the first major case we handle."

Seeing her master's calm expression, Ning Yu knew that the officials of Jingzhou Prefecture were about to be in big trouble.

She has followed her master for so long.

She knew her master very well; once the killing started, there was no stopping her. If the officialdom of Jingzhou Prefecture was truly corrupt and involved too many people, she doubted how many of the Jingzhou Prefecture officials would survive.

The city gate.

The soldiers were on guard. When Lin Fan led his team in, the soldiers tried to stop him for inspection, but in the instant they looked up and met Lin Fan's eyes, they realized that...

The soldiers stood frozen in place, feeling an invisible domineering aura emanating from the other side's gaze.

The soldiers were so frightened that they dared not utter a word.

He stood there obediently with his head down.

After entering the city, Lin Fan stopped a commoner and asked, "Excuse me, do you know where the Divine Martial Division's office is?"

"The Divine Martial Division? Never heard of it." The commoner shook his head.

Lin Fan frowned. What was going on? How come he hadn't heard of it?
Just as he was about to ask someone else, a peddler said, "Sir, I know about the Shenwu Division, but it's not finished yet; it's still under renovation."

"Could you take us there?" Lin Fan asked with a smile.

"This……"

The peddler was in a bit of a predicament; he still had to do business.

Xu Ming, who was standing to the side, took out some copper coins from his pocket. "Take us there, and this money is yours."

"Okay."

The peddler was overjoyed and immediately agreed.

on the way.

The peddler followed Lin Fan, smiling, and said, "Sir, you must be an important person."

Lin Fan laughed and said, "I wouldn't call myself a big shot, just an ordinary person."

"Hey, you're being modest, sir. Judging by this setup, they're definitely not ordinary people." The peddler had a good eye; he noticed that these people were all riding horses, and their clothes were clean, neat, and full of energy—something that ordinary people couldn't possibly possess.

Lin Fan asked, "How is the local prefect as an official?"

The peddler laughed and said, "Sir, please don't ask. I'm just an ordinary citizen. How dare I comment on the prefect of Jingzhou? Even if you gave me ten lives, I wouldn't dare."

Lin Fan asked, "Is it because the prefect is incompetent and afraid of being retaliated against if people find out?"

The peddler waved his hands repeatedly, "Sir, let's not talk about these things, we really can't talk about these things. If you want me to tell you where in Jingzhou Prefecture is fun or where is good to eat, I can really point you out. But as for commenting on you, sir, I really dare not."

while walking.

There was a commotion ahead.

Several thugs were seen acting arrogantly and domineeringly, patting the surrounding stalls. The stall owners were terrified and took out their money.

Satisfied with the money, the thugs passed by Lin Fan, and one of them slapped the vendor on the shoulder, saying, "Is this a place you can just come here? You paid the money, so you can set up a stall here?"

The peddler repeatedly said, "Sir, I'm not here to sell anything; I'm here to guide these gentlemen."

The thug arrogantly raised his head and looked at Lin Fan and his group. When he saw them clearly, he immediately realized that these people were not to be trifled with. Without saying a word, he threw a few harsh words at the thugs and left in a hurry.

Lin Fan asked, "Which gang do they belong to?"

The peddler said, "Sir, they are from the Long Snake Gang. They are all ruthless people, not ordinary folks like us. I've heard that the leader of the Long Snake Gang is a man who kills without blinking an eye."

"Oh? You kill without blinking an eye, that's quite impressive. Doesn't the local police station do anything about it?"

"Hey, mind your own business, we're too busy colluding with each other." The smuggler blurted out his dissatisfaction, but he quickly realized that these were not words he should be saying, so he covered his mouth and looked around furtively.

He breathed a sigh of relief only after confirming that no one else had heard.

He then looked at Lin Fan awkwardly, "Sir, please don't take my words to heart. I was just saying it casually."

Lin Fan laughed and said, "It's alright. I heard that the Divine Martial Bureau has been established to supervise local officials. At the same time, people who have been wronged can go to the Divine Martial Bureau to appeal. Aren't they afraid that the Divine Martial Bureau will take them down for being so arrogant?"

The peddler said, "Sir, there are policies from above and ways from below. Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. The Divine Martial Division seems to be a newly established government office, but its roots in Jingzhou are too shallow. I don't think it will be of much use."

“That’s true. Even a powerful dragon can’t suppress a local snake. There’s a saying, ‘If it’s a dragon, I’ll coil up; if it’s a tiger, I’ll lie down.’ Is that what it means?” Lin Fan enjoyed chatting and laughing with the people.

What ordinary people say often represents the truth.

He was unfamiliar with Jingzhou, but the local people had lived there for generations and were very familiar with the officials there.

Of course, is it that they don't want to report it?
No, it's not that. It's that they lack connections, and more importantly, they're afraid to get into trouble for fear of affecting their families.

They strayed further and further off course, and after a long time...

"Sir, this is the Shenwu Division's yamen. It's still under renovation." The peddler stopped and pointed to the dilapidated building in front of him, where even the entrance was broken.

Seeing this location, Lin Fan's heart sank, and anger burned within him. He had been sending people to various prefectural cities to establish the Divine Martial Bureau for quite some time now.

He went to the area with his orders, and the local officials were bound to cooperate fully.

How did things get to this point?

The Shenwu Division office is not yet fully repaired.

Just then, a voice came from inside, "Hey, what's going on here? It's only been a short time, and you're already quitting?"

The words fell.

Then, several craftsmen carrying tools strolled out leisurely. One of them turned around and said, "Sir, don't worry, we guarantee we'll finish as quickly as possible, but we really have something to do right now."

At this moment, the soldiers who had once been three thousand iron cavalrymen, dressed in the uniform of the Divine Martial Division, rushed out with anxious expressions. Just as he was about to try to persuade the group of craftsmen to stay, he saw Lin Fan riding a horse.

Suddenly jolted, he immediately stepped forward and knelt on one knee.

"Your humble servant Huang Hai greets the General."

"This humble servant has failed the General's high expectations and has not done a good job. The yamen has not been properly managed yet."

Huang Hai was terrified and had no face to face the general.

Lin Fan said, "Get up and tell me what exactly happened. Why was the Divine Martial Division's office located in such a remote place? I asked you to communicate with the local prefect, and he gave you this location?"

Huang Hai stood up, bowed his head and said, "General, when I arrived in Jingzhou, I met with the local prefect. At first, we agreed that I would be given the best location, but later the prefect said that there was no suitable site and that we could only go here. I was thinking of setting up the Shenwu Division as soon as possible, so I didn't say anything more."

"I thought that with the help of craftsmen, the work would be completed in a few days at most, but who would have thought that it would be delayed until now."

Lin Fan asked, "Where are the others?"

Huang Hai said, "They're all helping out inside. The craftsmen don't want to rush the work, so the brothers have to do it themselves."

"Go and call them out."

"Yes."

Soon, Huang Hai called out the people, more than ten in total. When they saw Lin Fan, they all knelt down on one knee.

"This humble servant greets the General."

"Nonsense!" Lin Fan roared. "As members of the Divine Martial Division, how come you lack the ruthlessness you showed when fighting enemies in Japan? The local prefect isn't cooperating, so why don't you show some fighting spirit?"

"Remember this, you are from the Divine Martial Division. When you are out in the world, you represent the face of this general."

Lin Fan was truly enraged. He had thought that they had undergone tempering and had developed a fierce spirit, but he never expected to be bullied like this in Jingzhou.

They have no backbone whatsoever.

Everyone lowered their heads, filled with shame.

The general trusted them so much that he sent them as vanguards to establish the Divine Martial Division, but so much time has passed and they haven't even set up the yamen yet.

I have no face to face the general.

"Go, summon the local prefect now and tell him I've arrived. Tell him to come here to see me," Lin Fan said.

"Yes, General."

Huang Hai and his group left in a hurry.

The peddler leading the way stared at Lin Fan in disbelief the whole time. He never expected that the person he was chatting and laughing with was actually the Grand General of the Divine Martial Division. Just how high a rank must that be?

Pfft!
"This humble subject pays his respects to the Great General," the peddler said hastily, putting down the load he was carrying on his shoulder.

"Get up."

Lin Fan chuckled, "I have come to Jingzhou because someone has cried out for justice. Now, can you tell me about the situation with the local officials?"

The peddler quickly replied, "This humble citizen is willing to speak."

Lin Fan said, "Alright, the prefect hasn't arrived yet, so you can have a good talk with me."

……

at this time.

The prefect's residence.

The local head steward and the prefect were drinking tea and chatting.

"Brother Chen, you said that the Divine Martial Bureau is going to set up an office in our Jingzhou with great power. Once it is established, won't our Security Bureau be out of business?" Chief Zhao said, sipping his tea with a furrowed brow, clearly worried.

Prefect Chen said helplessly, "There's nothing we can do. This is the Divine Martial Division established by His Majesty. You should have heard of the Divine Martial General. The news from Anzhou is that this general is domineering and ruthless. He's not someone to be trifled with. The only thing we can do now is to stall for time."

General Zhao said, "Do you think we can bribe those guys? Even if he, the Divine Martial General, has three heads and six arms, he can't possibly manage so much."

Prefect Chen shook his head and said, "It's difficult, extremely difficult. You saw those people yourself. They're all uneducated soldiers who got lucky and followed the General to achieve great things. The imperial court even erected a so-called monument to commemorate the suppression of the Japanese pirates in their hometown. They cherish it and are sworn to be loyal to the General to the death. It's not easy to deal with them."

Immediately, Prefect Chen said, "We must clean up the mess surrounding the Imperial Son-in-Law and leave no room for any foul play. To be honest, I don't know what the Imperial Son-in-Law is thinking. His nephew is a good-for-nothing who idles away his days, yet he still wants to get him an official title and arrange for him to become a county magistrate. Isn't that just ridiculous?"

"Forget it, he married well and became the emperor's son-in-law." Zhao Zongban's tone was full of envy.

Just now.

The steward hurried in and whispered a few words in the prefect's ear.

Immediately, Prefect Chen stood up abruptly, his expression changing drastically.

Zhao, the head of the squad, sipped his tea and glanced at him, saying, "Brother Chen, what's wrong? What's made you look so pale?"

Prefect Chen looked at Chief Squad Leader Zhao and said, "General Lin Fan, the Divine Martial General, has personally come to Jingzhou Prefecture and is currently at the Divine Martial Division office. He has ordered me to go there immediately."

As soon as these words came out.

Even General Zhao found it difficult to remain calm.

"This...this, how did he get here?"

"I don't know, but for some reason, I feel my heart beating a little fast, and I feel inexplicably panicked. Brother Zhao, do you think they're here to mess with us?"

"Stay calm, you must stay calm now, don't panic. We can only go and see what's going on."

"Yep."

Prefect Chen was truly flustered, and his hands and feet began to sweat.

Although I have never met the Divine Martial General, I have heard of his deeds, each one of which was earth-shattering.

……

At the entrance of the Divine Martial Division.

The peddler spoke eloquently, explaining the situation in Jingzhou Prefecture in great detail, while Lin Fan grew increasingly depressed as he listened, never expecting things to turn out this way.

It's one thing for officials to protect each other.

The local Long Snake Gang is so arrogant and its malignant nature is so obvious, yet the local police department does nothing about it, as if they don't see it at all.

at this time.

There was a sound of dense footsteps.

He looked up and saw a group of officials hurrying towards him.

The peddler said, "General, that man is our local Prefect Chen, and that man is Chief Squad Leader Zhao from the Security Bureau."

Lin Fan squinted, looking at them expressionlessly.

As he ran, Prefect Chen wiped his sweat from his brow, his heart pounding with anxiety. A moment later, he reached Lin Fan and immediately knelt down.

"Your humble servant Chen An, Prefect of Jingzhou, pays respects to the Divine Martial General."

"Your humble servant Zhao Zhen, Chief of the Security Bureau of Jingzhou, pays respects to the Divine Martial General."

Prefect Chen and Chief Squad Leader Zhao knelt respectfully.

As they knelt down.

The local officials who came also knelt down, bowed their heads, and dared not look up at the Divine Martial General.

Lin Fan watched indifferently, without speaking or telling them to get up.

In an instant.

A deathly silence.

Prefect Chen could almost hear his own heart pounding.

I don’t know how long.

Lin Fan slowly said, "I heard that you seem to disregard this general. Is that true?"

As soon as these words came out.

The officials present were so frightened that their faces changed drastically.

Prefect Chen said in a panic, "General, why do you say that? I have the utmost respect for you."

"Respect my ass! Is this how you arrange things? The Divine Martial Division is set up in such a remote place? Do you not want the people to know that the Divine Martial Division exists, or do you think this general is easy to bully?" Lin Fan didn't give them a good look and directly scolded them angrily.

Prefect Chen said in a panic, "General, I dare not, but there is no suitable place in the inner city of Jingzhou, so I... that's why I chose this place for the yamen."

"Nothing suitable? Is 'nothing suitable' your attitude?" Lin Fan said angrily.

Prefect Chen was so overwhelmed by the general's imposing presence that he could hardly breathe.

He immediately kowtowed and said, "General, please calm down. I will definitely choose the best location for you."

Lin Fan's gaze fell on Class Manager Zhao. "Class Manager Zhao."

"The subordinate is here."

"Heh!" Lin Fan sneered, "This general has certainly broadened his horizons. I've just arrived in Jingzhou and I've already encountered local thugs extorting money from the people. Are you all dead, you magistrates? Can't you see this, or do you simply not want to care?"

Zhao Zongban was so frightened that he trembled and hurriedly said, "General, please calm down. I failed to supervise properly. I will immediately arrange for people to arrest these local thugs who are harming the people. I will definitely give you an explanation."

"Fuck you!" Lin Fan kicked Chief Zhao to the ground, scaring him so much that he quickly scrambled to his knees. "Do you think I'm a greenhorn who doesn't know anything? Back when I was in Yong'an and Anzhou, I killed countless thugs. Do you think that because the emperor is far away and I can't control this place, you're letting the local gangs run rampant?"

Zhao Zongban was terrified and trembling, his head bowed low. "General, please calm down. I know I was wrong and I failed in my duty. I will definitely lead men to wipe out the Long Snake Gang and not let a single one escape."

Lin Fan took a deep breath and looked at them coldly, "You bunch of useless things."

Then, his voice softened considerably.

"Child, come down."

Inside the carriage, the boy nervously lifted the curtain and was lifted down from the carriage by Xu Ming.

Lin Fan said, "Look up and see if you recognize him?"

Prefect Chen and Chief Squad Leader Zhao slowly raised their heads, looked at the young man, and shook their heads, "General, we don't know him."

Lin Fan said, "You must know his brother, Ma Yang, right?"

When Lin Fan uttered that name, the prefect and the chief steward panicked completely. Their bodies trembled even more violently, gripped by fear, as if the sky were about to fall.

"Tell me, do you know him or not?" Lin Fan suddenly raised his voice, which reached their ears like a thunderclap, making their hearts pound with fear.

For a moment, Prefect Chen and Chief Steward Zhao were at a loss for words.

"General, this...this..." Prefect Chen stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Lin Fan angrily retorted, "Do you know who I am?"

"The Divine Martial General".

Do you know what rank I hold in officialdom?

"First-class."

"Do you know that this general is extremely busy with state affairs, leading troops on expeditions, and not long after returning, he rushed to Jingzhou without even taking a break. Do you know why?"

"This humble official... does not know."

"Damn it, you actually say you don't know? I, the general, am still trying to communicate with you properly within the rules, but you bunch of good-for-nothings dare to act arrogantly and disregard the rules against the common people. Even I, the general, dare not bully the common people, so what makes you dare? Or is it just because of your mere sixth-rank or fifth-rank official positions?"

Getting angrier as he spoke, Lin Fan kicked Prefect Chen to the ground.

At this moment, Prefect Chen was so frightened that he crawled and rolled, kneeling tremblingly in front of Lin Fan.

"I am ashamed of you all. A ten-year-old child was driven to desperation by you, and had to travel all the way to the capital to plead his case. Is this how you act as officials who care for the people?"

"Tell me, where is the Ma Yang family? Immediately, bring them to me. I'm telling you, if anything happens, none of you will escape."

Lin Fan said angrily.

An endless rage surged forth, engulfing everyone.

Prefect Chen panicked completely. "General, spare my life! I know I was wrong, but this was not my request. It was the Imperial Son-in-Law Yang Ting who ordered us to do this."

Lin Fan angrily said, "I'm asking you now, where is he?"

"The man was imprisoned in the prefectural jail."

"Xu Ming."

"Yes, sir."

"You immediately take your men to the prison and bring the person back to me safely. Anyone who obstructs you will be executed on the spot."

"Yes, my lord."

Xu Ming waved and led a group of people away in a hurry.

At this moment, Lin Fan stood with his hands behind his back, not saying a word, just waiting quietly.

The vendors standing nearby were dumbfounded.

That's so domineering.

He had never seen Prefect Chen and Chief Squad Leader Zhao before, and he was so frightened that he was completely pale, as white as tofu.

Gradually, more and more people gathered around, all watching from a distance.

As the officials rushed over, some people noticed what was happening and came out of curiosity, but who could have imagined that they would witness such a scene?

Especially when Ma Yang is mentioned, many people know this very learned young man.

Although he came from a poor family, he was truly learned.

When he has free time, he writes calligraphy for others to supplement his family's income.

Some wealthy families in the city valued Ma Yang's scholarship and believed that he would surely excel in the imperial examinations, so they all wanted to take him as their son-in-law.

After all, being poor or not doesn't matter; what if I get into high school?

But no one expected that the imperial son-in-law Yang Ting would extend his reach to Ma Yang, so much so that some people who knew the inside story felt regretful and sorry.

Such a talented person will likely be suppressed for life.

Even if I take the exam again next year, I still won't pass.

What if the other party really becomes a high-ranking official? Wouldn't they bring up old grievances?
It didn't take long.

"Brother, Father, Mother..." The boy rushed over excitedly when he saw the people Xu Ming brought back and threw himself into his brother's arms.

On his way here, Ma Yang already knew the situation. He never expected that the Divine Martial General would come in person for his sake. This was something he could not have imagined.

I patted my younger brother's head. Everything is because of my younger brother.

Think of this.

Ma Yang, accompanied by his family, knelt before Lin Fan with a thud, saying, "This humble subject greets the Great General. Thank you for redressing my grievances!"

Lin Fan helped them up. "Ma Yang, I know about your situation. Don't worry, no matter what, I will seek justice for you."

"The cheating in the children's examination must involve the officials of the Imperial Academy. They are deeply trusted by the Emperor and were sent to review the papers and conduct the examinations, but they have caused such a mess. They have betrayed His Majesty's trust and deserve to die."

Lin Fan knew that this matter involved quite a few people.

If Yang Lian was truly an incompetent fool, then how did he pass the county examination, the prefectural examination, and finally the provincial examination?
Therefore, Lin Fan intends to treat this matter as a major case and handle it severely, specially, and strictly.

In any case, we must spread the prestige of the Divine Warrior Division.

Now, Prefect Chen felt his scalp tingle and a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, especially when the general said that they all deserved to die.

It terrified him so much that he was almost scared out of his wits; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to stay calm.

His crotch is probably going to get wet.

Ma Yang said gratefully, "Thank you, General. I now know that there is still justice in the world."

Lin Fan said, "Ma Yang, along the way, what your brother has said to me the most is that you are very knowledgeable, single-mindedly pursuing officialdom, wanting to enter the court as an official, and benefit the people, so you should work hard."

"Yes, General, I will certainly do my best," Ma Yang said excitedly.

He knew of the Divine Martial General's reputation.

They are the pillars of the nation.

He was bestowed the title of the number one in the world by His Majesty.

Seeing him in person now, he is truly extraordinary, a dragon among men.

Lin Fan patted Ma Yang on the shoulder. "Come on, I'll take you to the Prince Consort's residence. You've been wronged so much that it can't be resolved simply by clearing your name. Don't worry, with me here, no one in this vast Jingzhou can stir up any trouble."

Then, he looked at the official who was still kneeling.

“You all follow along.”

"Damn it, a bunch of sons of bitches."

(End of this chapter)