After failing the imperial examination, he began to wield immense power after entering the palace!

Feng Bao's gaze swept across the courtyard like a crazed knife.

Chen Tie, Imperial Guard, agent of the Eastern Depot...

Finally, the image settled on Li Fan's unusually calm face.

"It's you?!"

Feng Bao stood up, pointed at Li Fan's nose, his voice trembling.

"Gao Jin! You killed Xu Biao?"

"What right do you, a newly arrived admiral, have to kill our centurion?!"

"Do you even know who Xu Biao is? He was promoted by our family!"

"What right did you have to kill him?!"

Li Fan looked at the furious Feng Bao with a blank expression.

"Chief Supervisor Feng, please don't rush."

"Let me finish explaining before you get angry."

Feng Bao gritted his teeth, his chest heaving violently, but he eventually calmed down.

"Fine, we'll hear your excuses then."

"If you can't give us a satisfactory explanation, hehe, you're finished today!"

Li Fan calmly walked to Xu Biao's body, glanced down at the unseeing eyes of the dead, and said in a calm voice:

"Today, I'm leading Xu Biao and a group of guards to search Wu Zheng's residence."

"His Majesty's decree is to confiscate property, search for evidence, and imprison the criminals' families."

"But Xu Biao is incredibly audacious; he dared to order the complete slaughter of everyone in Wu Zheng's household, regardless of age or gender!"

He paused, then his voice suddenly rose:

Thirty-seven lives! And children among them!

"His Majesty wants confiscation of property and imprisonment, not the extermination of entire families!"

"Xu Biao has committed a capital offense by doing such a thing!"

Feng Bao's face turned ashen; he simply did not believe this explanation.

Xu Biao had been with him for over a decade, and he knew what kind of person Xu Biao was better than anyone else.

Although that person was ruthless and vicious, he would never be so stupid as to take it upon himself to wipe out an entire family.

Without Feng Bao's orders, Xu Biao wouldn't move a finger.

This is clearly a frame-up!

"Impossible! Xu Biao would never do such a thing!"

"Gao Jin, stop making baseless accusations!"

He whirled around, facing the Eastern Depot agents standing in the courtyard, and demanded sharply:

"Tell me! Did Xu Biao really order the killings?!"

"Did he really order you to slaughter unarmed women, children, and the elderly?!"

"Tell me the truth! Anyone who dares to utter a single lie will be severely punished!"

His voice was sharp and piercing, like a knife stabbing into the ears of every barbarian.

They shuddered and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Someone's lips moved as if they wanted to say something.

But as soon as they looked up, they saw Li Fan standing not far away, his eyes calmly sweeping over them.

That look in his eyes was neither harsh nor fierce; it even carried a hint of a smile.

But that slight smile reminded everyone of what happened this afternoon.

The thief who stole silver was publicly flogged.

He killed Xu Biao by piercing his throat with a single sword.

He personally distributed the gold and silver, smiling as he said, "If we embezzle together, we die together."

Those boxes of gleaming silver are still warm in my hands.

The Adam's apples of all the foreigners bobbed in unison.

"In reply to Governor Feng, Commander Xu did indeed order the killings."

The first servant spoke.

His voice trembled slightly, but he spoke clearly.

"Commander Xu ordered us to lead our men into the Wu residence and kill everyone we saw, regardless of age or gender."

The second servant then spoke, his tone even more resolute.

"Commander Xu said, 'Leave not a single one alive.'"

"I advised him against it back then, but he wouldn't listen..."

The third, the fourth, the fifth...

One after another, the foreigners spoke up, their stories remarkably consistent.

"Commander Xu did indeed issue the order to exterminate the entire family."

"I dare not lie."

Feng Bao's face gradually darkened.

He looked at his men, who were all standing on Li Fan's side, testifying for him.

When did these people's mouths become so obedient?

He felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Did Xu Biao really act on his own initiative?

impossible.

But Xu Biao is already dead, and the dead cannot speak.

Feng Bao gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down.

He knew that this matter could not be dragged on any longer.

The longer you dwell on it, the worse it will be for you.

"Alright, even if Xu Biao really did such a thing, according to the rules, he should be taken back to the Eastern Depot for trial and judgment!"

"What right do you, a newly arrived admiral, have to execute a centurion of the Eastern Depot on your own?!"

"This is overstepping authority! This is indiscriminate killing!"

"Gao Jin! You must give our family an explanation!"

Li Fan looked at Feng Bao's distorted face, but his expression remained calm.

"Chief Supervisor Feng is right. I did indeed order Xu Biao to be arrested and taken back to the Eastern Depot."

"But……"

He sighed, his face filled with helplessness and regret.

"Xu Biao...he's lost control."

"Our men had just stepped forward to apprehend him when he suddenly drew his knife and charged towards our house."

"He was also shouting things like 'I'll fight you to the death!'"

"The people around us were forced to kill him in an accident to protect our family."

"If you don't believe me, Chief Supervisor Feng can ask the others present."

Feng Bao's gaze fell once again on the foreigners.

The barbarians lowered their heads, avoiding his gaze.

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. Commander Xu suddenly drew his sword and charged at Admiral Gao."

"At that time, Commander Xu was completely out of control; no one could stop him."

"I saw it too; it was Commander Xu who struck first."

One caliber.

Neat and tidy.

Perfectly clothed.

Feng Bao's face turned from green to white, from white to gray, and finally became deathly still.

He knew that even if Xu Biao was stupid, he would never assassinate the admiral in public.

But he has no evidence right now, so he can only swallow his anger for the time being.

"Okay...okay...okay..."

Feng Baolian said "good" three times, each time emphasizing it more than the last.

He took a step back, looking at Li Fan with a sinister gaze, his deep-set eyes filled with deep-seated hatred.

"Admiral Gao, excellent methods, I'll remember them."

"I have something to do at home, so I'll head back now."

"Admiral Gao, if there's anything you need, you can come to me anytime."

After saying that, he turned around abruptly and left in a huff.

……

The back room.

Du Jiang sat in a grand chair, the tea in his hand had gone cold.

He saw Feng Bao push open the door and walk in, his face ashen, and immediately realized that something was wrong.

"Chief Supervisor Feng, what's wrong?"

Feng Bao plopped down, gripping the armrests tightly with both hands, his veins bulging.

He remained silent for a long while before finally squeezing out a sentence through gritted teeth:

"Xu Biao is dead."

Du Jiang's expression changed.

"Dead? How did he die?"

"He was tricked and killed by that damned eunuch."

Feng Bao's voice was hoarse, like iron that had been sanded.

"He killed Xu Biao and even made all our agents give false testimony for him."

"Our family... has failed today."