Chapter 408: A Gentleman Like Jade, Xu Jingxi

Chapter 408: Chapter 408: A Gentleman Like Jade, Xu Jingxi

The old woman, who had seemingly fainted, stirred awake at Liang Yici’s words.

"Lord Qing Tian, listen to this! She’s using her noble status to disregard the lives of us common folk!"

With that, the old woman began slapping the ground. Her wails, joined by her daughter-in-law’s, were loud enough to tear the roof off.

Her daughter-in-law kept lifting the corner of her eye, stealing glances at Second Master Xie.

"We aren’t asking for much," the daughter-in-law cried, wiping her tears. "It’s only 500 taels to cover the medical bills for our family. Is the Commandery Princess of Cangyun Country really unwilling to part with such a small sum?"

Liang Yici pointed at her, enraged. "And you still claim this isn’t a setup? How dare you ask for that much silver!"

The official stood up and positioned himself between Second Master Xie and Liang Yici, a placating smile on his face.

"Second Young Master Xie, Princess Rongshu, according to the law, if the Commandery Princess truly injured someone, she must be imprisoned for three days."

"If the victim’s condition worsens later, the prison term will be extended accordingly."

He looked troubled and lowered his voice. "With people like her, it’s best to just pay them off. She’s old and shameless, with nothing to lose. Your Highness, don’t let a scoundrel like this tarnish your good name."

Second Master Xie nodded and decisively ordered his attendant to take out a silver note.

"I’ll pay for her."

Liang Yici was seething.

"Who do you think you are to me? I won’t accept your meddling! Even if my mother were here today, she would demand to get to the bottom of this."

Second Master Xie’s expression turned cold. "Do you want to go to jail?"

"So what if I go to jail? I’ve done nothing wrong. Is the law of Cangyun Country meant to protect justice, or does it indulge these villains in their reckless schemes?"

Liang Yici gritted her teeth. Her furious expression made Second Master Xie’s attendant’s mind wander; it was as if he were seeing the domineering air of his master in his youth.

The old woman and her daughter-in-law, sprawled on the floor, exchanged a glance.

The old woman suddenly clutched her heart, gasped, and fainted dead away.

The daughter-in-law threw herself on top of her, her cries wretched. "Mother! Oh, Mother! You vicious Commandery Princess! It wasn’t enough that you beat our whole family, and now you’ve angered my mother into fainting!"

"Lord Qing Tian, 500 taels is no longer enough! For my mother’s condition, we’ll need at least seven hundred taels!"

Their greed was astronomical!

The official’s eyes widened in anger. "That’s enough out of you. If you keep pushing this, it won’t end well for anyone."

Liang Yici was now well and truly in the clutches of this family of Lai Zi.

Having stumbled upon a wealthy mark, they caught the scent of money like sharks to blood, sinking their teeth in and refusing to let go.

And they kept demanding more and more silver.

Liang Yici looked at Second Master Xie and sneered. "You hear that? What’s the use in you giving in? Give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile."

"Hah! So this is the legendary, arrogant, and peerless General, Second Master Xie. Nothing so special after all. Caving to hooligans... I’ve never been more disappointed!"

’He’s nothing like my father, General Liang. I really don’t know what mother ever saw in a man like him.’

Second Master Xie’s stern expression tightened.

Just then, a clear, cold voice came from the doorway—

"Princess Rongshu will not go to jail. She is innocent, as you well know."

Everyone looked toward the entrance. They saw Xu Jingxi, dressed in a robe washed so often it had faded to white, step out of the shadows and into the light under the moon.

Seeing him, Liang Yici was taken aback for a moment, then frowned.

’What’s he doing here?’

"Mother! Oh, for...! Mother!" A man darted out from behind Xu Jingxi and ran toward the old woman and his wife, pulling at their arms. "That’s enough! Stop pretending. Let’s go."

His wife shook off his arm.

"You’re supposed to be resting at the clinic! What are you doing here?" Her eyes flickered guiltily. "Can’t you see the Commandery Princess has angered Mother into a faint?"

She frantically tried to signal her husband with her eyes.

’We were about to get a huge pile of silver! Why is he here making trouble now?’

The man looked like he was in an impossible situation. ℴℴ𝘮

Xu Jingxi walked calmly into the public hall.

His clothes were exceedingly simple, yet he stood tall and slender, straight as a proud, unbending stalk of bamboo, radiating an innate integrity.

"Your Honor," Xu Jingxi said to the official, "I can testify that Princess Rongshu, seeing this old woman had trouble walking, carried her on her back to take her home."

"At the time, I was working for the Chai Family, who live across from the old woman. I saw it with my own eyes. The Chai Family can also testify that what I say is true."

Liang Yici’s brow, which had been tightly furrowed, relaxed. She was taken aback.

The man’s wife immediately shrieked, "You’re her accomplice, so of course you’re trying to get her off the hook! It was obviously the Commandery Princess who injured my mother-in-law. She only took her home because she had a guilty conscience!"

Xu Jingxi looked at the man’s wife, his fine, handsome eyes as deep and calm as still water.

"Do you dare to swear an oath?"

The woman froze, stammering, "I... I dare. I swear to the heavens, I..."

Xu Jingxi cut her off. "You need only swear on a portrait of Princess Funing that what you say is true, that you are not lying for silver coins. Do you dare?"

The woman’s face immediately turned pale.

Her husband, standing to the side, waved his hands frantically. "We don’t dare! We don’t dare! It’s nothing, let’s just forget about it."

The old woman, who had at some point opened her eyes, scrambled to her feet, patting down her clothes and trousers with an awkward laugh.

"Officer, Commandery Princess, I’m old, so I get uncomfortable easily. But see, after lying down for a bit, I feel much better."

"Can we go now?"

Before the official could speak, Xu Jingxi said coldly, "Hold on. I have here a letter of complaint, signed jointly by your neighbors, stating that your family has a long history of petty theft and has, on multiple occasions, poisoned the neighbors’ chickens and ducks out of jealousy."

"It also includes signatures from families you’ve scammed out of silver in the past." Xu Jingxi handed it all to the government.

The official took one look, saw the evidence was conclusive, and immediately turned and slammed his gavel. "Seize this family of scoundrels!"

He had long wanted to arrest these hooligans but had been unable to because no one was willing to step forward and testify.

Their family was notoriously aggressive; the old woman and her daughter-in-law would often throw excrement at people’s doors and sit there, cursing loudly.

No one wanted to get dragged into their filth.

Now, Xu Jingxi had gathered all the complaints, made possible because the family had long since incurred public outrage.

"Your Honor! We’re innocent!" the family shrieked in terror as they were dragged away by the government officials.

The official cupped his hands in a salute toward Xu Jingxi. "Thank you, young sir. We can finally get rid of these three notorious scoundrels."

Xu Jingxi’s expression didn’t change. "No thanks are needed. It was a small effort."

With that, he turned to leave.

Liang Yici chased him to the doorway. "Stop! You, stop right there!"

Only then did Xu Jingxi stop and turn his head, looking at her with a cool indifference.

"Why were they so scared when you mentioned Princess Funing?"

"Because you haven’t experienced it firsthand. Shen Ningning helped us survive two natural disasters. The common people have long seen her as a goddess. Even if these scoundrels in the Capital City are willing to risk their lives for money, how would they dare offend a deity? They wouldn’t dare swear an oath on her, fearing it would actually come true."

Liang Yici pressed her lips together, finding it incredible.

’I’d only heard the legends about Shen Ningning. I never imagined her influence was this great.’

"Then why did you help me? You must have noticed I’m not exactly polite toward Princess Funing. Since you’re her friend, you shouldn’t have gotten involved in my affairs."

Xu Jingxi didn’t answer this time.

His gaze merely went past her, landing on Second Master Xie, who was standing in the courtyard.

Second Master Xie was also frowning, watching the two of them. He seemed puzzled, wondering who this suddenly-appeared Xu Jingxi was.

"Helping you makes things easier for Shen Ningning." Xu Jingxi retracted his gaze. After saying this, he turned and left, his departure swift and decisive.