Chapter 66: Guarantee
"The Jie Family can also guarantee."
Jie Zilong followed closely and stood beside Shang Yue: "Our two families can guarantee that Jiang Ten is not the murderer."
"Young Master Shang, Instructor Jie..." Lu Wangji’s head didn’t move, but his eyes shifted sharply toward Shang Yue, gaze like a hawk’s and a wolf’s, "Do you have the authority to make this decision on behalf of your families?"
"Jiang Ten is not an ordinary person. She has slaughtered nobles, used cruel means, comes from a humble background, and wields the Power of Calamity. She’s a born evildoer. If left unchecked, the consequences will be endless. Are you two families really willing to guarantee her?"
By the end of his words, his tone had become extremely stern, bordering on a threat.
"Though the Court is currently ruled by Prime Minister Shang, that doesn’t mean the Shang Family can block out the sky alone." Chen Linchuan also said coldly, "If Jiang Ten were also of noble blood, perhaps it would be different, but she is merely a black-banded commoner and committed such heinous acts. If she is allowed to go unpunished, how are we any different from the brutal Northern Barbarians? No propriety, no morals, no social order—right becomes wrong, and good kills evil. Have you forgotten the chaos of the Five Clans two hundred years ago!?"
"No need for that," Zhou Ye tried to mediate, "It’s just a murder case, far from being as serious as the Five Clans’ rebellion. Let the Three Judicial Offices handle it. Why argue so fiercely here? Besides, the Five Clans’ rebellion is so long ago. Most young people today don’t even know about it."
"I recently read the Annals of Taiqing written by my granduncle," Qun Yushu said calmly, "During the Taiqing era of the Jin Kingdom, the aristocracy was flourishing and suppressed martial families. Even Third-Stage Messengers were shunned for their lowly origins and ordered around by nobles. In the end, the five grand military governors split the nation. The noble clans either resisted or merged, and corpses lined the banks of the Lancang River, blood feuds filled the skies. The strong acted wantonly, the weak were slaughtered—neither man nor ghost. Finally, Emperor Taizu of Liang drew his sword to bring peace, established the Nine-Rank System, and linked family rise and fall to merit. That’s what brought one hundred and fifty years of peace."
"Exactly." Chen Linchuan nodded, "If even noble children with great merit can be casually murdered without consequence, who would trust the fairness of the Nine-Rank System? If bullying the weak is tolerated, who can ensure their own family’s prosperity forever?"
"Jie Zilong, Shang Yue, as noble families, are you going to take the lead in breaking the code of propriety?"
Tension erupted between the two sides. The Jie and Shang families wanted to protect Jiang Ten, while the other families and the Court were determined to sentence her to death. All the evidence pointed toward Jiang Ten’s brutal killing of a noble—both moral standing and public sentiment were against her.
Qian Gongyu finally stopped crying, though her face was a mess of snot and tears. With her beast-like features, she looked like a dirty little tiger. She tugged at Shang Xinlei’s sleeve and sniffled hard. She didn’t say a word, but her tear-filled eyes pleaded—only the Jie and Shang families could protect Jiang Ten now.
Shang Xinlei took a step back and lowered her voice: "They’ve joined forces. The Qun Family, Chen Family, Zhou Family, and Lu Wangji representing the Court. No matter who framed this case, Jiang Ten won’t escape. They’re using this murder to put her to death."
"I can prove Jiang Ten’s innocence!" Qian Gongyu said hoarsely, "Her clothes must have been dirtied by Uncle Lin—by Lin Yao. If we find Lin Yao, we can prove Jiang Ten was framed!"
"Let’s not talk about how to find him—how are you so sure Lin Yao is still alive?" Shang Xinlei sighed, "If they’re doing something like this, they’ll leave no loose ends. One dead noble heir isn’t much—it doesn’t even weigh four taels in Jiangnan City. But put it on the scales in this case, and it’s heavier than a thousand catties."
"The code of propriety is the highest law in Liang."
"This murder is just an excuse." Jie Yuanshao squatted down and took out a handkerchief to wipe Qian Gongyu’s dirty little face, speaking softly, "Even the Power of Calamity is just an excuse—they just don’t want Jiang Ten to join the Shang or Jie families. They would rather kill her in the cradle."
"Have you noticed? The path to the personal scoreboard has the most elite guards stationed, even guards from other families are blocking it. They’re trying to stop Jiang Ten from claiming her personal treasure chest." Jie Yuanshao’s voice held a trace of mockery, "They even want to steal Jiang Ten’s treasure chest."
"But if they think this will make us bow our heads, they’re underestimating the Jie and Shang families." She spoke seriously, "Don’t worry. This is no longer just about Jiang Ten. To others, Jiang Ten has already become one of our own. If we can’t even protect you, where would our families’ honor be?"
"That’s right." Shang Xinlei’s tone was a bit complicated, "The dignity of noble families is not so easily trampled."
Qian Gongyu immediately sighed in relief. If Jie Yuanshao had merely said she would protect Jiang Ten, she might not fully believe it—but if she said their family would protect her for the sake of honor, then Qian Gongyu had no doubts.
At the level of noble families, honor and reputation were the most valuable assets.
At that moment, several more squads of soldiers entered the camp. All were elite warriors wielding Divine Crossbows, forming a perimeter around the crowd. Although they didn’t raise their crossbows, the killing intent was thick in the woodland. The noble heirs watching sensed things were escalating. Some quietly slipped away, but more hid in safe corners to continue watching—if the Five Great Families and the Court really clashed here, witnessing such drama was worth getting caught in the crossfire!
"Lu Wangji, what’s your deal?" Jie Zilong didn’t hold back, calling him by name, "What, are you going to accuse me of murdering a noble too? Given my status, at least Young Master Qun would have to die before you have the right to arrest me."
"Heh, Uncle Zilong, that joke’s not funny." Qun Yushu raised both hands in mock surrender, "I’ve always respected you."
"Respect? It’d be one thing if you came to me for a proper negotiation. Even if you bypassed me and spoke directly with the old man, I could accept that. At least show some courtesy before force, right?" Jie Zilong raised his head, unable to contain his fury, "But instead, you just suddenly tell me ‘Jiang Ten is a murderer,’ using rules and propriety to bind us so we can’t act—have you ever respected the Jie Family, you bastard!?"
"Instructor Jie, calm down." Shang Yue placed a hand on Jie Zilong’s shoulder. He looked at Lu Wangji: "Xiaoqi Lu, what do you say? Even with guarantees from both our families, it’s still not enough?"
"What law allows your two families to guarantee a traitor who killed her superior?" Lu Wangji said blandly. With hundreds of soldiers present and the backing of three noble families, he had no need to show the Jie or Shang families any face, "If you have no evidence proving Jiang Ten’s innocence, then step aside. I am here to arrest the criminal Jiang Ten. Or are you..."
"Killing a superior is an unforgivable crime—it is one of the Twelve Jade Laws established by Emperor Taizu of Liang." He stared intensely at them, his voice echoing like a deep abyss, "Do you wish to defy the Jade Laws set by Emperor Taizu himself?"
The woodland suddenly fell silent. Everyone waited for Shang Yue and Jie Zilong’s reply. Depending on their answer, the soldiers might shift their Divine Crossbows from Jiang Ten to them—no one could defy the laws set by the founding emperor. No one.
"Huainan Underground Palace Secret Realm." Shang Yue coughed lightly, "If our family names aren’t enough, is this sufficient?"
Everyone was stunned. He continued, "I pledge the Huainan Underground Palace Secret Realm to the Court for five years. In that time, we will prove Jiang Ten’s innocence. If we fail to produce evidence, the Palace will belong to the Court."
"What say you?"