Let Them Have a Taste of Losing Their Loved Ones

The second prince looked at Cheng Xiao and sneered:

"Your prefect is truly useless; he can't even take down a small mountain stronghold?"

Today I'll show you how formidable we Khotan people are.

See our little team? We're all skilled in light-footed martial arts. What's so scary about that little mountain?

Cheng Xiao quickly nodded and said, "I also contacted some people from their village. Let's see what they do then."

The second prince nodded and said, "If they don't come out, kill their entire family and let them taste the bitterness of losing loved ones."

Zhou Fuyu, who was next to Cheng Xiao, was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost knelt down.

Cheng Xiao returned to the county government office and looked at him, saying, "Zhou Fuyu, what do you think we should do now?"

Zhou Fuyu waved his hand and said, "Lord Cheng, we have absolutely no connection with them. Our family and their family have an irreconcilable feud."

Cheng Xiao nodded and said, "Of course I know that. Don't they have any other relatives?"

Zhou Fuyu shook his head and said:

Zhou Fusheng grew up in our village, so everyone he knows is from our village.

As for Liu Su'e's family, they have all gone up the mountain; they are the people from Liu Family Village.

However, the people of Wild Field Village had a good relationship with their family and had taken them in before.

I think we could try arresting the people of Wild Field Village.

Cheng Xiao nodded and said:

"There's one more person, you've probably forgotten, there's Feng Jiao, arrest her."

She's Zhou Wanwan's godmother, I refuse to believe Zhou Wanwan won't save her."

Feng Jiao was quickly arrested. She looked at Cheng Xiao and said, "Why are you arresting me, Magistrate?"

Cheng Xiao looked at Feng Jiao and said:

"Feng Jiao, your Feng Clan has fallen on hard times, do you know that?"

All the men in your family have been sentenced to exile, and all the women have been sold off. You can't be unaware of this news yet, can you?

Feng Jiao looked at him coldly and said, "Cheng Xiao, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Cheng Xiao laughed heartily:

"I'm talking nonsense? It's true, I just received the news."

But your third brother is pretty clever; he got wind of it and ran away.

Eunuch Hai was afraid you would run away too, so he notified me in advance. News is currently scarce in the capital.

"Feng Jiao, if you come with me, you'll be safe, won't you? With my relationship with Eunuch Hai, I can definitely protect you."

Feng Jiao snorted and said, "Cheng Xiao, you disgust me! You actually recognized Eunuch Hai as your godfather. He's just a eunuch, a spineless man."

Cheng Xiao laughed loudly, "Spirit? Feng Jiao, you forced me into that state back then, what kind of spirit could I possibly have?"

Feng Jiao couldn't help but laugh too:

"Did I drive you to that point? Don't you have any shame?"

Are the things you and Feng Caigu did even humanly possible?

"It's just that I saw through you beforehand, otherwise the first thing you would have done after you got ashore would probably have been to kill me."

Cheng Xiao said with a dark face:

"Stop talking nonsense and just stay here!"

I've already sent someone to find Zhou Wanwan. I want to see if your goddaughter is willing to come and rescue you.

After saying that, Cheng Xiao turned and left.

No sooner had she left than Feng Caigu entered with a dozen or so maids.

Feng Caigu, now the wife of the county magistrate, was adorned with gold and silver. She looked at Feng Jiao and said, "Oh! Isn't this my dear sister? How did she end up a prisoner?"

Feng Jiao stared at her coldly, without saying a word.

Feng Caigu smiled and said:

Don't look at me like that. I know you hate me, but there's nothing I can do. Who told Cheng, My Love to like me?

Dear sister, I'm pregnant again, and it's probably another boy.

Cheng, My Love is so good to me now. He leaves all the household chores, big and small, to me, and now he even manages my monthly allowance."

Feng Jiao scoffed coldly:

Does he even need to manage his meager monthly salary?

Feng Caigu, you're not doing so well, are you? I heard Cheng Xiao recently got a few new gadgets.

What West Lake's "slender horses"? What Western Regions dancers? Oh my! Your house must be quite lively right now.

I'm so envious of you! You have so many good girlfriends by your side.

Feng Caigu Feng Jiao was living a comfortable life or not.

Cheng Xiao is now on good terms with Eunuch Hai, and they're secretly enjoying her newfound connection.

Anyway, Cheng Xiao can earn several thousand or even tens of thousands of taels of silver a month.

With money comes extravagance, and Cheng Xiao is known for her womanizing ways; how could Feng Caigu possibly have an easy life?

Feng Caigu forced a smile and said:

"So what? It's still much better than your situation. At least I still have a man."

Unlike you, who has a daughter but no man.

I heard your parents have been exiled; their journey must have been difficult.

And your two older brothers, tsk tsk tsk...

Feng Jiao snorted coldly:

"Feng Caigu, we are all Feng Clan, why are you kicking us when we're down?"

What good will it do you if the Feng Clan falls?

Feng Caigu spat and said:

I hate your condescending attitude.

Who do you think you are? Just because you come from a slightly better background, you actually think you're something special?

"What does the fall of your Feng Clan have to do with my family? My family has never received any favors from your Feng Clan."

Feng Jiao angrily said:

"You all must have attended the clan school, right? Our family paid for all the expenses of that school."

When your family was short of money, it was my family who provided the funds.

Now look what's happened! Your family hasn't received any favors from my family? You should think carefully about it: doesn't the clan give your family a sum of money every year?

Those were also produced by our family.

"Bah! Who wants your family's fake kindness? Why should I only be your maid? Why should my younger brother be your older brother's page?" Feng Caigu said bitterly.

Feng Jiao ignored her completely. Feng Caigu was utterly unreasonable; this kind of woman was shallow and always thought she was right.

Feng Jiao was also a little worried about Feng Yueyao, wondering how she was doing.

And the Feng Clan, she's trapped here now, with no way to go out and rescue them.

Her face was filled with despair. If she hadn't insisted on marrying Cheng Xiao, she wouldn't be in this situation now.

"Bang!" She saw the window smashed open by something.

Upon closer inspection, one could see Feng Yueyao sitting on the trunk of an Old Scholar Tree.

She looked at Feng Jiao and said, "Mother, I'm so glad you're alright. I was so worried. Come on up quickly, we need to get out of here."

Feng Jiao climbed directly up the tree trunk, and the Old Scholar Tree caught her and placed her in the treehouse.

Zhou Wanwan sat in the treehouse and poured Feng Jiao a cup of tea.

Feng Jiao took a sip of tea and said, "Many members of my family have been exiled, and I don't know where they've been sent. I'm very worried. But my third brother has escaped."

Zhou Wanwan comforted them, "They'll be fine, your third brother is so capable."

Feng Jiao then heard someone outside shouting, "Feng Jiao, Feng Jiao... Oh my god! What is that thing? How is it so powerful? Can a tree walk?"

Feng Jiao suddenly stood up and said, "That's my third brother's voice."

Zhou Wanwan saw a man running behind the Old Scholar Tree.

Zhou Wanwan said to the Old Scholar Tree, "Let's stop for a moment."