Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 258: Press the gourd and lift the ladle

Shiqian Hall.

Xiao Hong knelt outside the palace gate, begging to see Xiao Yan.

"Your Highness, please go back. The Emperor is very angry." Zhu Yi stood in front of him and sighed, "You should wait until the Emperor calms down before coming back."

"When the emperor calms down, the heads of those two evildoers will also fall to the ground." Xiao Hong insisted, "Please tell the emperor that I only ask for a chance for them to explain to the emperor in person. We cannot take their lives based on one-sided statements!"

"What one-sided story?!" Xiao Yan's furious voice rang out at the door of the palace. He was like an angry old dragon, his teeth chattering, as if he was going to choose someone to bite.

"It was my daughter who rescued the man! The witnesses were my niece and my wife's sister. Can they still frame those two beasts?!"

"Third brother!" As soon as Xiao Hong saw Xiao Yan coming out, he hurriedly knelt forward and said repeatedly: "I am not saying that Changle and Amei are lying, I just think this is too outrageous. With the family tradition of my Xiao family, even if the children are naughty, they will not do such beastly things!"

"I also feel extremely sorry for them!" Xiao Yan roared, "Am I not good enough to them? Especially to Xiao Zhengde, I was more lenient than to my own son! How could he repay me like this? If I don't kill him, I will never be able to relieve the hatred in my heart!"

"Brother, calm down." Xiao Hong hurriedly explained, "What I suspect is that they may have been bewitched by evil and perverse ways, and lost their minds, and committed such a foolish and immoral act?"

He raised his voice and said, "I don't believe it at all. That's in their nature!"

"They are all wearing the magical protective weapons bestowed by me. If they were bewitched by evil spirits, how could I not know?" Xiao Yan waved his hand, refusing to accept his guess.

"The higher the virtue, the higher the evil, my brother. If Xiao Zhengde hadn't been possessed by evil spirits, how could he have come and gone from his dreams at will, and even hidden someone inside?" Xiao Hong kowtowed heavily and begged in tears, "My brother, please, give them a chance to explain in person. What if they were really being used? Wouldn't that let the real murderer go unpunished?"

"..." After hearing this, Xiao Yan remained silent for a long time, and Xiao Hong kowtowed continuously.

"Well, fine. Let's hear what those two beasts have to say!" Xiao Yan was finally relieved by Xiao Hong's crying, and said in a muffled voice: "But let me be frank in advance. If they don't have the situation you said, they will definitely be beheaded without mercy!"

"Yes, I thank you for your mercy, my brother!" Xiao Hong kowtowed heavily, feeling a little relieved. He understood his third brother, and knew that Xiao Yan was the softest person towards his family. As long as those two beasts knelt in front of the emperor and cried bitterly, and put all the responsibility on others, they would definitely be spared the death penalty.

Of course, they will definitely be punished alive, so let's just teach them a lesson and let the emperor vent his anger...

So he quickly stood up and urged Zhu Yi, "Quick, Mr. Zhu, please write the imperial edict quickly, otherwise it will be too late."

"Your Majesty?" Zhu Yi looked at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan kept a straight face and said nothing at first, but he couldn't resist Xiao Hong's pleading and finally nodded reluctantly.

"Hurry up, hurry up." Xiao Hong urged repeatedly, and Zhu Yi walked to the desk in the hall that was specially used for drafting imperial edicts. He picked up a pen and drafted an edict, and handed it to Xiao Hong.

Xiao Hong was overjoyed, holding the imperial edict and kowtowed to Xiao Yan. "I thank you for your mercy, brother. I will go and capture those two beasts and have them explain everything to the emperor!"

"Hmph!" Xiao Yan didn't even look at him. He turned around and walked into the hall, obviously still angry.

Xiao Hong didn't have time to calm him down, and immediately walked out of the Shiqian Palace, sat on his own sedan chair, and anxiously ordered: "Quick, go to Shitou City, don't let the people from the Gouchen Division take advantage of the opportunity!"

Eight Jing soldiers carried the sedan chair and rushed towards Xihua Gate.

The fifth brother, Xiao Zhengli, followed closely beside him. Confused, he asked, "Didn't the second brother go to talk to the people from the Gou Chen Division?"

"Who knows what the result of their discussion was?" Xiao Hong sat on the slightly bumpy sedan chair, his face livid as he said, "Besides, Chen Qianzhi's mind is very unpredictable. Who knows if he will agree on the surface but stab you in the back?"

He sighed and said to his beloved Lao Wu: "Remember this, Xiao Wu. What others promised you is not counted. Only what you hold in your hands counts."

"Yes, I will remember my father's teachings." Xiao Zhengli responded respectfully.

~~
Xiao Hong hurried on and finally caught up with Gou Chensi's team at Xili Gate. Seeing the ghostwriters of the large team in front of him walking quickly through the city gate, Xiao Hong quickly asked someone to invite the leading officer to come over and talk.

Soon, Xiao Zhengyi and Xue Dingnan arrived together.

"Father."

"Your Majesty."

"I'm sorry to have caused trouble to Lord Xue." Xiao Hong looked at Xue Ding and said, "I'll remember this favor."

"Your Highness, you are too polite. I am just doing my job." Xue Dingnan said without missing a word.

"I'm doing my job impartially and without making things difficult. That's just a favor." Xiao Hong smiled and said, "I will definitely reward you handsomely."

"Then I would like to thank Your Highness in advance." Xue Dingnan bowed deeply.

"You are too polite, Lord Wei." Xiao Hong smiled and took out the imperial edict from his sleeve. Xiao Zhengli took it with both hands and handed it to Xue Ding, who looked at it with sadness.

"The Emperor has changed his mind and ordered us to capture those two evildoers and take them to Shiqian Palace. He wants to interrogate them personally."

When Xue Dingnan took the imperial edict and took a look, he found that it was indeed the case. He could not help but feel secretly delighted. He thought that he had done a favor without having to make excuses. It was perfect.

He then handed the imperial edict back with both hands and said respectfully, "I obey your order."

"Then let's go together to capture those two evil creatures." Xiao Hong also breathed a sigh of relief. At least his son's life was saved.

"Yes, Your Highness, please." Xue Dingnan said in a deep voice.

"Please come in, Lord Xue Wei." Xiao Hong nodded slightly and returned to his usual calmness.

The two teams merged into one, left Jiankang City, and slowly headed towards Stone City.

Along the way, Xiao Hong and Xue Dingnan had a very pleasant conversation, and it seemed as if they had met too late.

The two were chatting animatedly when they saw a plainclothes ghostwriter holding a badge of the Gou Chen Division flying over from the front.

Xiao Hong's guards immediately became alert, but Xue Dingnan smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, they are one of us. They should be here to report to the two marquises that they have entered Stone City."

So the plainclothes officer flew unhindered in front of Xue Dingnan and reported in a deep voice: "My Lord, the Fifth Lord brought the brothers of Chongguang Clan to stop Xiao Zhengde and Xiao Zhengze in front, and the two sides have already started fighting!"

"What?!" Xue Dingnan was stunned.

"Mr. Xue, what's going on?!" Xiao Hong was very anxious when he heard this, and he stopped being polite to him. "You say one thing to his face and another behind his back, right?"

"Your Majesty, please calm down." Xue Dingnan hurriedly explained with sweat on his forehead, "I have already issued a house arrest order to the Fifth Dimension, but this person has a problem with his brain. I think he is trying to compete with me."

"I won't listen. If anything happens to my son, your whole family will be buried with him!" Xiao Hong stood up suddenly and looked ahead.

Although his nine orifices were purely the result of taking drugs, he still had some basic strength. He could see at a glance that Xiao Zhengde and Xiao Zhengze were trapped in the siege of the ghost swordsman several miles away.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will rush over right away and will never let the two Marquises get hurt!" Xue Dingnan said as he took off into the air and flew quickly forward.

"Follow him!" Xiao Hong also shouted in a low voice and followed closely behind.

(End of this chapter)