Chapter 168: Kill Them All

In the courtyard, Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin are currently pacing back and forth under the persimmon tree. Old man Yao has moved a chair to rest with his eyes closed, not lifting his eyelids even slightly.

At this time, Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin see Mr. Feng, Chen Wenzong, Chen Wenxiao, and Zhang Xia entering from behind. Their eyes almost pop out.

Beside Zhang Zhuo, a young man rushes forward like he’s gone mad: "Animal, release my sister! If you have a problem, come at us, the men of the Zhang family. Why trouble the women?"

Mr. Feng quietly watches the young man rushing over, without any intention of avoiding him.

He slowly raises his hand, as if about to strike with a single palm.

At this moment of extreme peril.

Chen Ji is the first to step forward, blocking Mr. Feng, and delivers a punch to the young man's abdomen.

The young man suddenly curls up like a dried shrimp, vomiting nonstop.

Chen Ji says coldly: "Dare to be rude to Mr. Feng? You're seeking death!"

Mr. Feng pats Chen Ji on the shoulder, praising him: "You indeed have good eyesight. Step aside. I will talk with the two officials."

Saying this, he looks at Zhang Zhuo, Chen Liqin, and old man Yao one by one, finally turning back to Zhang Zhuo: "Official Zhang, I have always heard of your unparalleled chess skills. I wonder if we could play a game? I fear that after today, there will be no more opportunities to play chess with Official Zhang."

Zhang Zhuo, supporting his son who is vomiting nonstop, is not in a good mood and says: "What time is it now? Do I still have the leisure to play chess? What you should be doing now is protecting your mother!"

Mr. Feng is startled, then bursts into laughter: "You civil officials, you still beat around the bush when scolding people. Not straightforward enough!"

He sits down at the courtyard's stone table as if there's no one else around and raises his head to smile at She Dengke: "Young man, please pour a cup of tea. I've been busy all day and haven't even had a sip of water."

She Dengke responds and quickly enters the main building of Feiyun Garden to fetch water.

Zhang Zhuo helps his son to the side, then swaggeringly sits opposite Mr. Feng and questions him: "I heard you are also a Jinshi graduate. Why waste your ten years of diligent study in the cold window, hide your name, and do this kind of head-losing work?"

Chen Liqin at the side says coldly: "Back in Donglin Academy, the teachers also often praised you. How come now you have fallen so low and become a slave for the Liu family?"

Deng Xiansheng sighs: "Donglin Academy, ah. Back in the academy, I envied all of you."

"Envied what?"

Mr. Feng recalls: "You could go on outings, you could drink wine and compose poems, you could stay overnight in brothels, and still be the teachers' darlings when you returned."

Chen Liqin frowns: "These are ordinary matters. What is there to envy?"

Mr. Feng counts on his fingers: "Going on an outing requires hiring a carriage, right? A slightly worse swift horse carriage costs thirty coins per trip, a better carriage costs over a hundred coins. In wine shops, the wine you usually like to drink easily costs several hundred coins. The only way I could go to Donglin Academy was by selling my family's fields to gather enough tuition."

Zhang Zhuo retorts: "My background isn't good either. This is not a reason to become someone else's slave!"

Mr. Feng laughs heartily: "Official Zhang, if you hadn't married the daughter of the Xu family, could you be where you are today? Back then, as the top scholar, weren't you still pressured by Xu Gelao to proofread books for several years? Alright, alright."

Zhang Zhuo asks solemnly: "Exactly what do you want by detaining us?"

Mr. Feng says calmly: "I ask the two officials to write a manifesto to denounce the rebels!"

"Denounce what rebels?"

"Xu Wenhe, Wu Xiu, the Directorate of Ceremonial, the eunuch party…"

Zhang Zhuo is not a fool and immediately takes a deep breath, "Are you entering the capital under the banner of supporting the emperor to eliminate corrupt officials?"

Mr. Feng smiles without speaking.

She Dengke brings the tea. Mr. Feng gulps down a cup, then hands it back to She Dengke: "I was indeed thirsty. Please pour some more."

Zhang Zhuo looks at Mr. Feng's calm demeanor, feeling somewhat angry: "Do you know that if I write this manifesto to denounce the rebels, I also become a rebel? If you fail, I will also lose my head!"

Mr. Feng says frankly: "I know!"

Zhang Zhuo sits up straight: "If you want to recruit us, you should at least talk about conditions, right? You can't just say you want us to write, and we just write for you?"

Mr. Feng says sincerely: "Official Zhang, if you write the manifesto to denounce the rebels for me, I will spare your entire family. How about that?"

The Feiyun Garden is suddenly quiet. The cold wind swirls in the courtyard, and the atmosphere becomes tense.

Then, Zhang Zhuo laughs coldly, "The Liu family's hasty rebellion is doomed to fail. I will be executed with my entire family sooner or later. What difference does it make?"

Mr. Feng shakes his head: "This Ning dynasty seems prosperous, but it is actually rotten. Such a large empire is like a candle in the wind, extinguished with one blow. It only depends on who blows that breath!"

Zhang Zhuo stands up and straightens his red official robe: "Making enemies before success won't work. If you kill my entire family, then you will be making an enemy of the Xu family. At that time, attacked from both sides, what basis do you have to support the emperor to eliminate corrupt officials?"

Mr. Feng asks curiously: "Does Official Zhang perhaps think the Xu family will become enemies with my Liu family for your sake? Great families are great families. Great families never look at the gain or loss of one person, only at interests. That is how they can have prosperous official careers. My Liu family plans to share the world with the Xu family and the Chen family. I believe Xu Gelao and Chen Gelao will certainly be interested."

Zhang Zhuo laughs coldly: "You can try."

Mr. Feng shakes his head disappointedly, his gaze turning to Chen Liqin: "Official Chen, what do you say?"

Chen Liqin says solemnly: "My Chen family has passed down rites and books. How can we associate with you?"

Mr. Feng says "Oh": "It seems, everyone is someone who won't shed tears until they see the coffin. Official Chen, your son Chen Ji is in my hands. If I give an order now, his head will fall. I will give you ten breaths to think. After ten breaths, you will lose a son!"

Chen Ji is slightly startled, then reacts. Mr. Feng is bluffing Chen Liqin.

Mr. Feng counts down: "Ten, nine, eight… three, two, one!"

Chen Liqin's face is dark, and he remains silent.

Mr. Feng laments: "An illegitimate son is indeed an illegitimate son. Everyone says there is no distinction between legitimate and illegitimate in our dynasty, but even if there is a distinction, there should still be fatherly benevolence and filial piety, brotherly friendship and respect. But great scholars say one thing and mean another, one thing on the surface."

Saying this, he turns his head to Chen Ji and says: "Zhang Yuan, go kill Official Chen's illegitimate son!"

Chen Ji bows and says dully: "Yes!"

Before Chen Ji leaves, Zhang Zhuo suddenly speaks: "Wait."

Mr. Feng unexpectedly turns his head: "Oh? Does Official Zhang have something to say?"

Zhang Zhuo thinks for a moment, then says: "That Chen Ji turned against the Chen family long ago. He has lived in Taiping Medical Hall for many years without returning home. What does this matter have to do with him? You claim to be righteous people supporting the emperor to eliminate corrupt officials, why do you do things that are against heaven and reason and involve the innocent?"

In the courtyard, old man Yao, sitting on the chair, finally opens his eyes and says slowly: "Mr. Feng, how about I write this manifesto to denounce the rebels for you!"

Mr. Feng is speechless.

After a long while, he cries and laughs: "You have all confused me. How can the fathers themselves not beg, yet you two are more concerned than the people involved? Imperial Physician Yao, it's useless for you, an imperial physician, to write a manifesto to denounce the rebels. Just don't join in the fun."

Old man Yao glances at him, "I am at least a positive seventh-rank official."

Mr. Feng laughs: "If I take a manifesto to denounce the rebels written by an imperial physician to execute the rebel party and wave the banner, I will probably be laughed at by the world. At that time, the storytellers in the tea houses will mock me: This Feng Wenzheng, this person…"

Zhang Zhuo raises his eyebrows: "Then you shouldn't trouble a small medical hall apprentice. This is a petty person's act."

"That's also true!"

Mr. Feng's gaze turns, and he instructs Chen Ji: "Bring Official Chen's legitimate son over."

"Yes!"

Chen Ji brings Chen Wenxiao to the stone table: "Official, what should I do?"

Mr. Feng sniffs: "Wait… what is this smell?"

He lowers his head to look, only to see urine dripping from Chen Wenxiao's pants leg.

Mr. Feng waves his hand to fan his nose in disgust: "Pull him farther away and cut off one finger!"

Chen Wenxiao is struck by lightning and cries out in pain: "Dad, save me!"

Chen Wen presses Chen Wenxiao down under the persimmon tree and holds him. Then he pries open the other's fingers one by one and presses them to the ground, stepping on them to fix them in place.

He draws the dagger from his waist, raises the knife, and chops down.

Chen Liqin suddenly steps forward: "Wait."

Mr. Feng's eyes light up: "What do you say?"

Chen Liqin is silent for a long time: "I can write the manifesto to denounce the rebels. But I will only write to denounce the eunuch party. I will not care about the rest."

Mr. Feng claps his hands: "Good, good, good. The eunuch party has harmed the country for a long time. All ambitious men in the world have the right to punish them. Compared to Official Zhang, Official Chen is the true man of insight!"

Zhang Zhuo at the side says coldly: "Chen Liqin, have you thought clearly? If you become this spineless person today, you will never be able to lift your head again in your lifetime. You usually cherish your reputation more than me. How come now?"

Chen Liqin turns his head away, not saying a word.

Mr. Feng smiles at Zhang Zhuo: "Official Zhang, each person has their own aspirations. If this time supporting the emperor to eliminate corrupt officials succeeds, Official Chen can also go down in history, right? How about it, is Official Zhang willing to write this manifesto to denounce the rebels?"

Zhang Zhuo turns his head to look at his son: "Should I write?"

Zhang Zheng says angrily: "Write his mother's."

Zhang Zhuo again turns his head to look at Zhang Xia: "Daughter, what do you say?"

Zhang Xia purses her lips: "Cannot write!"

Zhang Zhuo laughs heartily: "My daughter is still alright, at least stronger than Official Chen's."

Mr. Feng stands up to leave: "No matter, Official Chen's manifesto to denounce the rebels is enough. Take Official Chen and his family away!"

An armored soldier asks in a low voice: "Then the rest…"

Mr. Feng says casually: "Kill them all!"