When Mu Jin heard that they were about to move against several prominent families, excitement immediately lit up her face. “Yes, Commandery Princess. I’ll have people seal their shops at once. I’ll personally lead the men to deal with the Song family.”
Upon hearing Xi Qingyue’s orders, Nan Yun quickly set down her roast chicken and happily walked over. “Commandery Princess, I’ll handle the Qiao family.”
Xi Qingyue nodded slightly. “All right. Nanxing will deal with the Pei family. Have the men seal their overpriced shops first. Since they refuse to do business properly, they don’t deserve to keep those shops. Also, surround the residences of these families. No one is to leave, though people may enter. Arrest anyone who needs to be arrested. Anyone who resists is to be killed without mercy. Take the submachine guns.”
As she spoke, she placed several submachine guns in front of Mu Jin.
She trusted Mu Jin and the others’ martial skills, but powerful families inevitably kept a few highly skilled martial artists in their households. With weapons in hand, there would be no room for accidents.
“Yes, Commandery Princess.”
Mu Jin and the others accepted their orders and left.
After everyone had gone, Xi Qingyue smiled and walked over to Xi Weilan. “Slow down, and have some soup.”
Xi Weilan set down her chicken leg. A bowl of mung bean soup to clear away the heat of summer had already appeared beside her. She happily picked it up and began drinking.
After finishing the soup, she grinned at Xi Qingyue. “Big Sis, am I really very powerful now? I can fly so steadily.”
Xi Qingyue smiled and stroked her head. “Of course. Lan’er can already use qinggong at three years old, while other children your age are still playing in the mud. Naturally, you’re amazing. Our Lan’er is the cleverest of all.”
She was not exaggerating. It was the truth. Her little sister had always been intelligent, and after drinking so much spirit spring water, her mind had become even sharper. She learned things faster and faster—though she did have a fondness for playing.
But three was the age for eating, drinking, and having fun. Xi Qingyue thought that was perfectly fine. Children deserved to have a happy childhood.
Xi Weilan’s eyes narrowed with delight at the praise. After smiling, she shook her head. “Big Sis is the most amazing one. I’m still far behind you. I can’t make those pretty ice arrows.”
She was referring to the ice arrows Xi Qingyue had made for Lu Jinshuang to play with. Before leaving, Xi Qingyue had also given her wooden arrows and earthen arrows. All of them had been created with her supernatural ability, and their power was far beyond that of ordinary arrows.
Xi Qingyue could only feel helpless about the matter. She had given Xi Weilan a crystal core and tried to get her to absorb it, but it had no effect at all.
She patted Xi Weilan’s head and comforted her. “It’s all right. Drink more spirit spring water. Maybe one day you’ll become just like your big sister.”
At those words, Xi Weilan’s eyes lit up. She happily picked up her chicken leg and resumed eating.
Outside the county office, Mu Jin and the others each led their people toward the residences of the Song family and the others, submachine guns in hand. The remaining guards headed for the various shops owned by those families.
They had already been planning this operation, and they had made detailed records of every shop that was to be sealed. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.
The overpriced shops had long been cursed by the common people. Many had even wondered why Xi Qingyue had not intervened. When they saw the guards step forward to seal the shops, they all burst into delighted laughter.
“Wonderful! They should have done this ages ago. Before, everything in the city was expensive because the county magistrate was dead, and there was nothing anyone could do. Now everyone else has gone back to normal prices, but these people still insist on charging so much. They’re absolutely shameless.”
“Exactly! Their salt costs a fortune. We can’t afford to buy it, but we can’t live without it either. This is great—their shops are finally being sealed.”
“And the cloth shops? I haven’t worn new clothes in half a year. I wonder if those will be sealed too.”
One of the guards kindly answered the crowd’s question. “Of course they will. The Commandery Princess said that all shops that ignore the people’s welfare and set prices however they please are to be sealed. Not only will they be sealed, they’ll also be confiscated in their entirety. Anyone who tries the same thing in the future will face the same consequences.”
The shopkeeper was so frightened that his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground. Cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
One of the onlookers could not help asking, “Will these shops open again later?”
“Don’t worry, they will. Once they reopen, they’ll sell their goods at normal prices. Just wait and see.”
After saying this, the guard led the others to another grain shop nearby.
After they left, an old man could not help muttering, “Isn’t this a little too harsh? They’re confiscating the shops outright.”
The moment he finished speaking, the people around him glared at him angrily. A burly man gave a cold laugh. “What’s so harsh about it? Every other shop in the city sells things at normal prices, but they insist on charging exorbitant amounts. How long has this been going on? The Commandery Princess already gave them a chance. They brought this on themselves by being insatiably greedy.”
“Well said. The Commandery Princess only ordered the shops that broke the rules to be sealed. All the others are perfectly fine. If she weren’t a little ruthless, someone else would certainly try the same thing. She’s using them as an example to warn the rest.”
While the crowd was still discussing the matter, a young man came running over in excitement.
“Quick, go and see! The Commandery Princess’s people have gone to the Song family’s residence. I heard they’re going to seal the Song family’s home and arrest a whole group of people. They might even start fighting soon, so hurry! If we’re late, we’ll miss it!”
At once, the crowd took off running without a second thought. Their eagerness to watch the spectacle surpassed everything else.
At the shop entrance, the shopkeeper and assistants were as pale as death. Just moments ago, they had been worried that no one would compensate them after the shop was sealed, and that their family head would punish them. Now, however, it seemed that their master might not even be able to protect himself.
One of the assistants looked anxiously at the shopkeeper. “What are we going to do? Will the Commandery Princess punish us too?”
The shopkeeper shook his head. “She probably won’t. If she intended to punish us, she would have arrested us already. We haven’t committed any murder or arson. But we worked for the Song family, and many people in the city resent us for it. We could easily be dragged into this. Hurry home, pack your things, and leave.”
With that, he strode toward his home. Before long, he broke into a run.
He knew at least some of the things the Song family had done. Although he had not taken part in them, everyone knew that he was the shopkeeper of the Song family’s salt shop.
The Commandery Princess might not move against him, but that did not mean some of the townspeople would not attack him in secret. Only by leaving this place could he sleep peacefully again.
Outside the Song family residence, Mu Jin led her people and blocked the main gate. She did not enter immediately.
Standing at the entrance, she loudly addressed the watching crowd:
“Song Linzhi, head of the Song family, has seized other people’s farmland, beaten civilians to death in the street, and forced the shopkeeper of a medicine store to his death over a prescription. His crimes are numerous and monstrous. The members of the Song family are all arrogant and lawless—running over children, abducting women, forcibly taking other people’s homes, and beating the owners to death. Their evil deeds are too numerous to list.
“Now that the evidence is conclusive, effective immediately, the Song family residence is to be sealed. No one is permitted to leave, and all guilty members of the Song family are to report to the county office and submit themselves to justice. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!”
Her declaration caused an uproar among the onlookers.
The young gatekeeper of the Song family was so frightened that he fell hard onto the ground, completely forgetting to report the matter to those inside.
A servant sweeping the front courtyard hurried toward the rear compound to deliver the news, forgetting all about the household rules in his panic.
Mu Jin saw him run off to give the warning, but she paid him no attention.
She merely glanced at the servant before leading her people through the gate. Then she instructed the guards she had brought to remain there and block the entrance.
“Hold this gate. No one is to leave the residence. Anyone who disobeys or tries to force their way out is to be killed without mercy.”
