"What are you doing?! This is the Commandery Commandant's Office—how dare you run wild here?!" Sure enough, someone was roaring in anger.
At the side of the man shouting, a group of soldiers surged out as well. Several wore armor, while the others held long blades, and some carried bows and arrows. They looked to be elite troops among the local garrison soldiers.
Wang Ningdao observed them. Though he did not recognize the roaring man, the Sixth Rank official robes he wore were reserved for a commandery commandant. This man should be the commandery commandant.
The local commandery commandant seemed to be surnamed Han, named Han Chengyi?
Wang Ningdao stood quietly where he was, watching everything unfold.
Some of the armored soldiers Fang Xi had brought noticed him. But recognizing him as an official who had spoken with Lord Fang, they did not approach him. They merely watched from afar and did not drive him away.
Fang Xi, meanwhile, had not noticed anyone following him at all. He was staring coldly at the man roaring at him.
"Lord Han, I have come under the Imperial Envoy's orders. I advise you not to struggle in vain. Come with us obediently to see the Imperial Envoy."
Han Chengyi roared, "What? You want to arrest me? I am an appointed official of the imperial court! If you wish to arrest me, you must follow court procedure. How can you seize me privately without deliberation by the ministries? Stop spouting this nonsense! Who do you think you can fool?!"
"Fine. You want to see the official document?" Fang Xi sneered as he pulled out an item and waved it. "Under normal circumstances, the ministries must deliberate. But an Imperial Envoy acts on Heaven's mandate and possesses discretionary authority."
"This is the document bearing Imperial