Scourge Messenger

Chapter 66 Guarantee
"The Jie family can also act as guarantors."

Jie Zilong followed closely behind, standing with Shang Yue: "Our two families can vouch for Jiang Shi, he is definitely not the murderer."

“Young Master Shang, Instructor Jie…” Lu Wangji’s head didn’t move, but his eyes were tilted so that he could stare at Shang Yue with the gaze of an eagle and the look of a wolf, “Are you qualified to make this decision on behalf of the family?”

“Jiang Shi is no ordinary person. She slaughtered prominent families with cruel methods. She came from a lowly background and also possesses the power of natural disasters. She can be described as a born evil person. If she is tolerated, there will be endless troubles. Are you two families really going to vouch for her?”

By the time he finished speaking, his voice was extremely harsh, almost threatening.

"Although Prime Minister Shang is currently in power, the Shang family doesn't have the power to control everything," Chen Linchuan said coldly. "If Jiang Shi were from a prominent family, it would be one thing, but she's just a commoner with a black belt, yet she's committed such heinous acts. If we can tolerate this, what difference is there between our Liang Kingdom and the brutal northern barbarians? There's no sense of propriety, no sense of hierarchy, the reversal of reason, and good versus evil killing each other. Have you forgotten the Five Clans Rebellion two hundred years ago?!"

“No need, no need,” Zhou Ye smoothed things over. “It’s just a murder case, far less serious than the Five Clan Rebellion. Let the three judicial departments handle it. Why argue so much here? Besides, the Five Clan Rebellion is such a distant event that few young people these days know about it.”

"I recently read Uncle Zeng's 'Taiqing Guangji'," Qun Yushu said calmly. "During the Taiqing era of the Jin Dynasty, the aristocratic families were at their peak, suppressing the military. Even a third-rank messenger would be ostracized because of his humble origins and ordered around by the aristocratic families. In the end, the five major military governors of Jin Dynasty established their own independent regimes. The aristocratic families either fought against each other or joined forces, resulting in countless deaths and blood feuds along the banks of the Lancang River. The strong acted recklessly, while the weak were slaughtered at will. People were neither human nor ghost. Finally, Emperor Taizu of Liang drew his sword to pacify the world, established the Nine Ranks system, and stipulated that contributions and merits would determine the rise and fall of a family. Only in this way could there be 150 years of peace and prosperity."

“Exactly so.” Chen Linchuan nodded. “If even the murdered scions of prominent families with great merit can be let off lightly, who can still trust the fairness of the Nine-Rank System? If bullying the weak is allowed, who can guarantee that their family will always be prosperous?”

"Jie Zilong, Shang Yue, as noble families, are you perhaps going to lead the way in breaking the rules of etiquette?"

The two sides on the field became increasingly tense. The Jie family and the Shang family wanted to protect Jiang Shi, but the other families and the imperial court were determined to kill Jiang Shi. However, all the evidence pointed to Jiang Shi's massacre of prominent families, which was extremely unfavorable to Jiang Shi in terms of both morality and the general situation.

Qian Gongyu finally managed to stop crying, but her face was covered in snot and tears, and with her beast-like appearance, she looked like a dirty little tiger. She reached out and tugged at Shang Xinlei's sleeve, sniffed hard, and didn't say anything, but her tearful eyes fully expressed her plea—now only the Jie family's Shang family could protect Jiang Shi.

Shang Xinlei took a step back and lowered her voice, saying, "They've joined forces. The Qun family, the Chen family, the Zhou family, and the imperial court represented by Lu Wangji. No matter who orchestrated this murder, Jiang Shi will definitely not be able to escape it. They want to use this murder to put Jiang Shi to death."

"I have a way to prove Jiang Shi's innocence!" Qian Gongyu said in a hoarse voice, "Her clothes were definitely soiled by Uncle Lin—Lin Yao. As long as we find Lin Yao, we can prove that Jiang Shi was framed!"

"Putting aside how to find him, how can you be so sure Lin Yao is still alive?" Shang Xinlei sighed. "Since they've decided to do this, they'll make sure it's done flawlessly. The death of a scion of a prominent family isn't a big deal; it wouldn't even weigh much in Jiangnan City. But once this matter is weighed, it's a matter of immense importance."

"The rules and regulations are the greatest laws of the Liang Kingdom."

“The murder case is just an excuse.” Jie Yuanshao squatted down, took out a handkerchief to wipe Qian Gongyu’s dirty face, and said in a low voice, “Even the power of natural disasters is just an excuse—they just don’t want Jiang Shi to join the Shang family or the Jie family, and they would rather nip her in the bud.”

"Have you noticed? The path leading to the individual score leaderboard is heavily guarded, with even guards from other families blocking it. They're wary of Jiang Shi retrieving his personal treasure chest." Jie Yuanshao's voice carried a hint of sarcasm. "They even want to take Jiang Shi's treasure chest."

"But if you think you can make us bow down like this, you're underestimating the Jie and Shang families." She said seriously, "Don't worry, this is no longer just about Jiang Shi. In other people's eyes, Jiang Shi, you've long been one of us. If we can't even protect you, what about the reputation of our two families?" "That's right." Shang Xinlei's tone was somewhat complicated: "The dignity of a noble family is not so easily trampled on."

Qian Gongyu breathed a sigh of relief. If Jie Yuanshao had said that they would definitely protect Jiang Shi, she might not have believed it entirely, but if he said that their family would protect Jiang Shi for the sake of their reputation, she would have no doubt about it.

At the level of established families, honor and reputation are the most valuable assets.

Just then, several more squads of soldiers entered the camp, all elite warriors armed with crossbows, and formed a defensive perimeter around the crowd. Although they didn't raise their crossbows, a chilling atmosphere permeated the forest. The noble young men who had been watching the spectacle sensed that things were escalating. Some quietly left, but many more hid in safe corners to continue watching, unwilling to miss the next scene—if the five great families and the imperial court really did clash in the forest, seeing such a dramatic turn of events would be worthwhile, even if it meant being caught in the crossfire!

"Lu Wangji, what do you mean?" Jie Zilong addressed him by his name without any politeness. "What, you also want to frame me for murdering a nobleman? Given my status, you can only arrest me if at least a bunch of young masters are dead."

“Hey, Uncle Zilong, that’s not a funny joke.” Qun Yushu raised his hands in surrender: “I’ve always respected you.”

"Respect? If you wanted to negotiate with me slowly, that would be fine. I could even accept it if you bypassed me and went directly to the old man. At least you should try to be courteous first before resorting to force." Jie Zilong raised his head, his face already burning with barely suppressed anger. "Instead of suddenly telling me 'Jiang Shi killed someone,' using rules and etiquette to suppress us and prevent us from taking action—have you ever shown any respect to the Jie family?!"

"Instructor Jie, calm down." Shang Yue pressed down on Jie Zilong's shoulder and looked at Lu Wangji: "Lu Xiaoqi, what do you say? Isn't even the guarantee from both our families enough?"

"What law allows your two families to vouch for a traitor who murdered his superior?" Lu Wangji said calmly. With hundreds of soldiers present and the backing of three major families, he had no need to give face to the Jie and Shang families. "If you have no evidence to prove Jiang Shi's innocence, please step aside. I am going to arrest the criminal Jiang Shi now. Or..."

"The crime of murdering one's superior is unforgivable. This is one of the twelve jade laws established by the founding emperor of the Great Liang Dynasty." He stared intently at the two men, his voice deep and resonant, like an echo from an abyss. "You intend to defy the jade law established by the founding emperor of the Great Liang Dynasty?"

The woods suddenly fell silent, everyone awaiting Shang Yue and Jie Zilong's reply. Depending on their response, the soldiers' crossbows might shift their aim from Jiang Shi to them—no one could disobey the laws set by the founding emperor, no one.

"The secret realm of the Huainan underground palace." Shang Yue coughed. "If just the family name isn't enough, adding this should suffice, right?"

Everyone was taken aback. He continued, "I will pledge the secret realm of the Huainan Underground Palace to the imperial court for five years. In five years, we will definitely be able to prove Jiang Shi's innocence. If we cannot produce evidence by then, the Huainan Underground Palace will belong to the imperial court."

"how?"

　There is one more chapter.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)