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Hearing the incessant knocking on the door, Tao'er muttered, "Who's coming to visit so early in the morning?"

Before the words were even finished, the knocking on the door became more urgent, banging like drums, and someone outside was shouting, "Open the door! Open the door!"

His tone was rather impolite, carrying the kind of arrogance typical of officials.

Tao'er's heart skipped a beat. She then ran back to tell her parents a few words before going over to open the door.

Xiao Yi caught up with her and stopped her. He remained calm and simply said, "I'll go get it."

Tao'er nodded and followed behind him, her palms damp with sweat.

As soon as the bolt was pulled open, five or six officers with long swords at their waists stood outside, surrounding two people.

Leading the group was Liu Tianbao, dressed in a brand-new blue robe befitting a seventh-rank county magistrate. His hat wings swayed slightly, his chin was held high, and he wore a smug, petty smile on his face.

Standing next to him was a middle-aged man, quite imposing, dressed in the robes of a fifth-rank official, with a somber expression and hawk-like eyes staring at them.

Tao'er's heart skipped a beat; that damned Liu Tianbao had actually become an official.

She subconsciously leaned closer to Xiao Yi, whose hand was behind his back. He gently waved his hand at her, meaning not to panic.

Xiao Yi stood on the threshold, showing no intention of making way, and coldly asked, "What do you two want with so many soldiers at the Liu family's residence?"

A nearby constable immediately stepped forward, slammed his sword sheath on the ground, and shouted: "You audacious scoundrel!"

"Why aren't you kneeling before Lord Wu and Lord Liu!"

Xiao Yi remained motionless, only raising his hand to bow slightly. He was polite, but his knees were stiff.

He asked again, "Oh, so it's Lord Wu and Lord Liu."

"I wonder what the Liu family has done to warrant such a large mobilization of several people so early in the morning?"

Liu Tianbao chuckled sinisterly, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "Xiao Yi, you'll find out soon enough what we're here for."

He suddenly straightened his face, waved his sleeve, and shouted, "Someone come here!"

"Take down both this man and this woman!"

Two soldiers stepped forward and reached out to twist Xiao Yi's arm.

Xiao Yi took a step back and swept his left leg out. Before the two men could even touch the hem of his clothes, they stumbled and fell face-first into the mud, groaning and unable to get up.

Tao'er was both anxious and angry. She took a step forward, pointed at Liu Tianbao's nose, and shouted, "Liu Tianbao!"

On what grounds are you arresting people?

"You, a mere seventh-rank county magistrate, lead your men to break into ordinary people's homes so early in the morning. Is there no law left?"

Liu Tianbao tilted his head back and laughed, his laughter full of smugness, looking at Liu Tao'er as if she were a clown.

He pointed at Tao'er and drawled, "Liu Tao'er, you harbored a wanted criminal of the imperial court, what is your punishment?"

His voice suddenly rose, and the villagers watching the commotion outside the courtyard wall could hear it clearly, and a buzz of discussion immediately arose.

Tao'er was on edge, but she forced herself to remain composed.

She crossed her arms and raised her chin: "Lord Liu, you must have evidence to back up your words."

Where is the fugitive?

Who is the fugitive?

Even officials appointed by the imperial court cannot falsely accuse ordinary people without cause.

If you can't produce evidence today, that's a crime of defamation, and you'll lose your job.

She paused, then gave a cold laugh.

Liu Tianbao remained calm and turned around to beckon to a man who looked like a clerk behind him. The man immediately handed over two scrolls.

Liu Tianbao quickly unfolded a painting, a portrait of a military general in silver armor, with handsome features, bearing a striking resemblance to Xiao Yi, who was standing at the door at the moment. However, the person in the painting was younger, with his helmet plume fluttering, just like the Fifth Son of the Xiao family when he was still alive.

He then unfolded a second picture, which depicted a four- or five-year-old child, exquisitely beautiful, who was none other than Ayan.

"Xiao Yi, you're the fifth son of the Xiao family, General Xiao, who faked his death and went into hiding three years ago. Am I right?"

Liu Tianbao spoke each word clearly and distinctly.

"As for Liu Tiao'er, the child you brought back is the son of the rebel Xiao Wen."

Not a single remnant of the Xiao family will escape!

And also, none of you in your family are going to escape.

"You just have bad luck; you saved the wrong person!"

There was a sudden uproar outside the courtyard wall.

Tao'er's palms were icy cold, and her mind was racing.

Before the imperial edict exonerating the Xiao family had even been issued, Liu Tianbao had somehow found out their background and even prepared a portrait of them, clearly indicating that he had come prepared.

Lord Wu, who had been silent until now, frowned impatiently, flicked his sleeve, and said in a deep voice, "Stop talking nonsense!"

Go in and get them!

As soon as he finished speaking, the officials poured into the courtyard like water released from a dam.

Tao'er turned around anxiously, but her parents and the others were no longer in the backyard.

I guess Dad and Mom, along with Ayan and Huanhuan, and the Xu couple, crouched down and hid in the mountains behind the back gate.

With Little White leading the way, you can find the big white tigers and the others.

That's what Tao'er greeted them with just now.

At this moment, the eldest brother and the others did not leave. One of them picked up the door bolt, and the other picked up the wood-chopping axe. They stood on the left and right behind Tao'er and Xiao Yi.

Qingge and Lin Baozhu also blocked the path to the backyard from the moon gate on the other side.

The officials swarmed to the door, their blades flashing so brightly they were blinding.

Tao'er could feel her older brother's hand trembling as he gripped the door latch behind her, but he stood firm and didn't back down an inch.

Just as the knife tip was about to pierce Xiao Yi's nose, Xiao Yi suddenly shouted, "Who dares to touch the people here!"

The sound was like metal striking stone, startling the officers at the front for a moment.

Xiao Yi raised his hand and took something out of his pocket, holding it high above his head.

The morning light was shining from behind him, making the thing appear dark and shiny.

It was a black iron token, about the size of a palm, engraved with a coiled dragon pattern, and in the center was a character "令" (command) with strong, sharp strokes, exuding a chilling and murderous aura.

Liu Tianbao squinted at it for a moment, then chuckled, "I thought it was some kind of treasure, but you're just trying to fool people with a piece of junk..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lord Wu's face turned deathly pale.

Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and he felt as if his bones had been removed. His knees buckled and he knelt down.

He stammered, "Heaven... the Emperor's Black Iron Decree... is as if I were personally present..."

The officers who rushed forward looked at each other, unsure whether to put down their knives or keep them up, frozen in place, unable to move forward or backward.

Finally, with a clatter, all the weapons in everyone's hands fell to the ground one after another.

Liu Tianbao's face turned pale, his lips trembled, he looked at Lord Wu and then at the token in Xiao Yi's hand, he gurgled twice in his throat, but couldn't utter a single word.

Xiao Yi held up the token, his gaze slowly sweeping over the kneeling officials, finally settling on Liu Tianbao and Lord Wu. His voice was as cold as ice: "You want to arrest us? Do you have an imperial edict?"

Lord Wu knelt on the ground, trembling like a leaf, shaking his head like a rattle drum.

Liu Tianbao finally couldn't hold on any longer and knelt down with a thud. His knees hit the bluestone slab with a dull thud, and he mumbled incoherently, saying things like "This humble official is unaware" and "This humble official is blind."

Tao'er stood beside Xiao Yi, looking at the black iron token. Good heavens, this guy has this intimidating thing. It would have been better if he had taken it out earlier!

Just then, a series of rhythmic hoofbeats came from the alley entrance, the clattering of horseshoes growing louder and louder as they approached, the horseshoes striking the bluestone road crisp and rapid.