jdhmnovel Chapter 647 I'll at least give you some face
Chapter 647 I'll at least give you some face
Judging solely from appearance, Yang Shaofeng would never have believed that Xiang Fei, the commander of Lingshan Guard with his sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and a dignified appearance, would be involved in the case of missing children.
The key point is that this guy is already a proper commander of the guards at the age of less than thirty. Anyone would have to give him a thumbs up and say that he is young and promising. As long as there are no major problems, he will definitely be able to rise to the level of commander-in-chief in the future, and it is even possible that he will enter the governor's office.
So, what was this guy thinking that made him willing to give up his promising future and get involved with those bastards who kidnap children?
Just as Yang Shaofeng was looking Xiang Fei up and down, Xiang Fei was also looking Yang Shaofeng up and down.
It doesn't look like anything good at all.
Xiang Fei didn't even want to say a few more words.
After a long silence, Xiang Fei snorted coldly and said, "I have long heard of the Prince Consort's great name, but after meeting you today, I find you to be nothing special."
Yang Shaofeng was a little confused.
It's normal for civil officials like Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen to have grievances against me, given how much they've been tormented.
It's understandable that local gentry like Liu Hongchang and Master Geng would hate him, after all, he had even lost his life.
But you're just a guard commander, and I'm only meeting you for the first time. What gives you the right to be so hostile towards me?
Not to mention that I haven't really messed with your general system much, even if I did, it was with Xu Da and Chang Yuchun, so why would I mess with a little Karami like you?
Yang Shaofeng looked Xiang Fei up and down again, and asked with suspicion, "Have we met before?"
Xiang Fei sneered and said, "I just said that I have long admired your name, how could I have met you before?"
Yang Shaofeng's curiosity grew, and he continued to ask, "Have I ever offended you?"
Xiang Fei sneered again and said, "No."
That makes even less sense.
I've never met him, and I've never offended him, so why is he putting on such a sour face?
Just as Yang Shaofeng was pondering this, Xiang Fei suddenly snorted coldly, stood up from his chair, and walked towards Yang Shaofeng, saying, "You don't need to overthink it. This commander simply looks down on treacherous and sycophantic people like you."
Who?
I?
Am I now a corrupt and treacherous villain?
Xiang Fei stopped in his tracks, sneered, and said, "What, do you think I, Xiang Fei, can't say that you're a treacherous and wicked official?"
Before Yang Shaofeng could speak, Xiang Fei spoke first: "I, Xiang, joined the army at the age of seventeen and fought alongside my superior for almost ten years, participating in dozens of battles, large and small, before gradually accumulating merits and rising to the rank of Commander of the Guard. But your son-in-law has only been with your superior for a few years?"
"My annual salary is only 420 shi, while your salary as the prefect alone is 300 shi a year."
"I have a large number of soldiers and their families who were wounded, maimed, or killed back then, and I have to support them. Your husband's salary alone is more than enough to live on."
"I'd like to ask you one thing: on what grounds?"
Xiang Fei grew increasingly furious as he spoke. Suddenly, he reached out and ripped open his armor and tore open his upper garment. Pointing to several scars, he stared intently at Yang Shaofeng and roared, "I'll ask you, Your Highness, one question: why are these wounds on my body no match for your pen?"
"Didn't you come here to arrest me, the commander?"
"This commander is ready to surrender."
"However, I would like to trouble you, my son-in-law, to ask the Emperor on my behalf whether he has done right by us, the old brothers who put him on the throne, when he has trouble sleeping at night!"
As Xiang Fei finished speaking, Yang Shaofeng was completely stunned.
No.
You can call me a corrupt and treacherous official if you want; there are hardly any officials in the Ming Dynasty who don't criticize me anyway, so one more of you won't make a difference.
You can call Zhu Chongba heartless and ungrateful, after all, that old scoundrel Zhu Chongba really wasn't a good person.
The problem is, you've gotten yourself involved in the child abduction case, and you're still so self-righteous?
Also, you may feel good about cursing now, but do you really not consider your entire family?
Seeing Yang Shaofeng's completely bewildered expression, Xiang Fei actually chuckled and said, "I thought you, Yang the Madman, were something special, but it turns out you're nothing special after all?"
Hey!
You're the first person to call Yang the Madman in front of me!
Seeing Yang Shaofeng's face grow increasingly gloomy, Xiang Fei sneered again, "Yang the Madman, others may fear you, but this commander does not."
"Don't even think about threatening me with my wife, children, and elderly parents."
"Let me tell you frankly, my entire family, including my nine generations of relatives, died at the hands of the Tartars long ago."
"As for my wife and children... they have enjoyed good fortune with me, so naturally they should accompany me on my journey. If anyone has something to complain about, it's their bad luck."
Yang Shaofeng was so angry he laughed. He strode up to Xiang Fei and suddenly raised his right leg to kick Xiang Fei's knee. Xiang Fei was about to back away when Yang Shaofeng took the opportunity to step forward and turn around, his fist lashing out at Xiang Fei's face like a whip.
"Bad luck?"
Yang Shaofeng pressed his advantage relentlessly. While Xiang Fei was still somewhat dazed after being punched in the face, he took a small step forward, grabbed Xiang Fei's left arm, turned around, and threw Xiang Fei to the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw. He then grabbed Xiang Fei's left elbow with his left hand and twisted Xiang Fei's entire left arm upwards with his right hand until Xiang Fei's left arm was dislocated before letting go.
"Those who were unlucky were the soldiers who had already died on the battlefield."
Yang Shaofeng stood up, kicked Xiang Fei in the head, then quickly took a step back and sneered, "Instead of a heartless bastard like you, enjoying high office and wealth while complaining about the injustice of fate."
"What the hell are you talking about, having wounded, crippled, or dead soldiers and their families to take care of?"
"If you, you dog, had actually taken care of them, I would at least have given you some face."
"And what's with all this talk about whether His Majesty has treated you well?"
"Tell me, among you, besides yourself, Xiang Fei, who else is there?"
"Do you think it's right to let you abduct children?"
The funeral allowance of one shi of rice for fallen soldiers was a bit low, but the families of military officers and soldiers who died could continue to receive their salaries. If they had no children but only parents, the government would support their parents for life. If they had young children, they would continue to receive their salaries until the children came of age and inherited their positions.
To say how good the treatment is would be an understatement.
However, in the early days of the Ming Dynasty, it was already extremely rare to be able to have a full meal. In comparison, this treatment could not be considered low.
As Yang Shaofeng cursed, he took the horsewhip from the lame man and began to whip Xiang Fei mercilessly: "You, Xiang Fei, are dissatisfied? You're a damn rebel! If you just grabbed those who were willing to rebel with you and raised the flag, I might look at you with more respect."
"But you bastard, you don't have the guts to rebel, yet you collude with those bastard gentry and not only do you have the audacity to prey on children as young as ten, you're incredibly bold. What kind of skill is that?"
The lame man and the commander of the imperial guards standing nearby were completely dumbfounded.
What was that word again?
So, it's as swift as a rabbit's leap and as fast as a falcon's fall, right?
In the blink of an eye, a commander who had fought in dozens of battles was beaten into this sorry state by his own son-in-law.
No.
The commander of the Imperial Son-in-Law's personal guards whispered, "Isn't the Imperial Son-in-Law a civil official?"
The lame man replied foolishly, "Yes, he's a civil official. He usually spends his time drinking tea or reading. He almost twisted his ankle when he kicked someone in Ningyang County."
So, are civil officials really that terrifying?
Where the hell can I go to seek justice?!