Prefect Wang was almost choked to death.
He finally understood the use of Xie Jiang bringing these young wastrels.
However, enforcing the law impartially was not feasible among the powerful and wealthy.
Whoever had power was the public, whoever had power was the law; it had always been this way since ancient times.
Prefect Wang subtly persuaded Xie Jiang to take a small step back.
After all, Xie Jiang had not suffered any losses in this matter.
It was Hao Wei who was beaten and injured, and it was Hao Wei who suffered the loss.
Speaking of which, the Hao family had also taken a step back, otherwise the injuries on Hao Wei's body would have been evidence for the Hao family to hold Xie Jiang accountable.
The Hao family also had to endure this anger because Xie Jiang had just been enfeoffed as the Marquis of Nanhai, the delegation from the Xie clan of Lanyong was about to arrive in the capital, and His Majesty had high hopes for the Xie clan's allegiance.
What was wrong with everyone taking a step back and letting this matter be put to rest?
Xie Jiang would eventually enter officialdom after being enfeoffed as a marquis. What good would it do to push things too far when serving in the same court as those from the Hao family?
"I understand what both lords mean, and I also understand what the Shuntian Prefecture means."
Xie Jiang interrupted their unsolicited advice, which they thought was for her own good.
Did she really understand?
Vice Prefect Huo looked at Xie Jiang suspiciously.
Xie Jiang nodded, "I really understand."
Prefect Wang breathed a sigh of relief, "Then..."
Xie Jiang said earnestly, "Not only do I understand, but I have also attained enlightenment and received a divine revelation."
Prefect Wang felt that these words were a bit off.
Xie Jiang said, "I understand how soft the Shuntian Prefecture's bones are. I once naively thought that the Shuntian Prefecture would give me justice, but the Shuntian Prefecture turned around and released Hao Wei."
"..."
So all their efforts to persuade her until their throats were dry were in vain?
"So, trespassing into someone's residence and wantonly committing violence and murder is not a crime in the Shuntian Prefecture." Xie Jiang drank her tea.
"This, of course not..." How could she say that!
If Hao Wei were just an ordinary commoner, he would have been imprisoned and convicted by now.
Xie Jiang herself was part of the privileged class, wouldn't she understand this?
Vice Prefect Huo suspected that Xie Jiang was about to cause trouble again.
Of course, Xie Jiang was going to cause trouble.
Why else would she come to the Shuntian Prefecture for tea?
Xie Jiang put down her teacup and looked at Prefect Wang and Vice Prefect Huo, suddenly smiling brightly.
"Since the Shuntian Prefecture has taught me that trespassing into someone's residence and wantonly assaulting is not a crime, then I will certainly apply what I have learned."
"Wh-wh-what?!" What did they teach her?!
"I hope the Shuntian Prefecture does not have double standards. Hao Wei committed violence and murder and was released without charge, but if I commit assault, I will be arrested and held accountable. I am not someone to be bullied so easily."
Xie Jiang stood up, flicked the hem of her clothes, and walked out with her hands behind her back.
Xu Hengyi and the young wastrels followed suit.
"Wh-what do you mean?!" Prefect Wang watched Xie Jiang leave with suspicion and uncertainty. He seemed to understand what Xie Jiang meant, yet he also didn't.
Prefect Wang turned to Vice Prefect Huo with some panic.
Vice Prefect Huo looked utterly dejected, "It means exactly what you think it means."
Prefect Wang exclaimed, "Is Xie Jiang going to beat people up at the Hao family's residence? Or kill them?!"
Vice Prefect Huo's voice was hoarse, "Extermination is even possible."
Vice Prefect Huo suddenly thought of a possibility, and a great chill surged from the bottom of his heart, rapidly crawling up his spine to his limbs.
Xie Jiang was using the Shuntian Prefecture!
It had started three days ago when Hao Wei was sent to the Shuntian Prefecture!
The Shuntian Prefecture's inaction, and the Hao family taking Hao Wei away, were all within Xie Jiang's expectations.
If the Shuntian Prefecture had sided with Xie Jiang and prosecuted Hao Wei, perhaps the entire Shuntian Prefecture would have had a way to survive.
But the Shuntian Prefecture chose to play the mediator...
Vice Prefect Huo was covered in cold sweat.
He secretly glanced at Prefect Wang, his mind quickly flashing through the possibility of pushing Prefect Wang out if the situation got out of hand.
"This, this..."
Prefect Wang was still wondering if Xie Jiang was really going to wipe out the entire Hao family.
In the eyes of a scoundrel like Xie Jiang, were these noble families in the capital like ant nests, which she could destroy as she pleased?
He did not notice the small schemes that Vice Prefect Huo was silently hatching.
Prefect Wang originally wanted to say that Xie Jiang wouldn't be so lawless, but how long had it been since the incidents at the Marquis of Nanxiong's residence and the Earl of Xingshun's residence?
Perhaps Xie Jiang was simply a madwoman?
Would a madwoman care about the consequences of her actions!
A madwoman only sought her own satisfaction!
Even if His Majesty was furious and had Xie Jiang executed afterward, they would absolutely not come out unscathed if they were implicated!
Prefect Wang grabbed Vice Prefect Huo and hurried to find the Prefect of the Prefecture for a solution. They could not handle this matter!
~
After leaving the Shuntian Prefecture, Xie Jiang led her lackeys straight to the Hao family's mansion.
Nie Tong and Luo Tie, who were waiting halfway, met up with Xie Jiang, bringing the human-shaped killing machine, Big Hammer, and their subordinates.
They couldn't miss out on smashing doors and fighting.
They had extensive experience in this line of work.
As they passed an alley not far from the Hao family mansion, Ruan Ziji asked Xie Jiang if she wanted to call out those ruffians and thugs now.
The 110 ruffians and thugs he had found were already waiting there as instructed.
Ruan Ziji did not have these people gather at the Marquis of Nanhai's residence not because he was afraid of people knowing that Xie Jiang had instructed them, as Xie Jiang would not be afraid of people knowing what she dared to do.
Ruan Ziji was worried about these people expending too much energy by running around.
Xie Jiang had asked him to find some hoodlums to deal with the Hao family, and one could guess Xie Jiang's intentions.
Xie Jiang nodded.
Ruan Ziji beckoned to a tattooed man standing at the entrance of the alley.
The tattooed man immediately turned and ran back into the alley.
When Xie Jiang and the others stopped in front of the Hao family mansion, a group of men who clearly looked like trouble gathered one after another in front of the Hao family's door.
The doorman of the Hao family saw so many people gathered and shouted from the elevated steps, "What are you doing here? Don't you know what kind of place this is?"
Xie Jiang had no intention of making a surprising appearance or announcing her name. She simply nodded at Luo Tie.
Luo Tie grinned sinisterly and walked towards the doorman.
The doorman had never seen Xie Jiang before and did not recognize her. Xu Hengyi and Ruan Ziji stood behind Xie Jiang, and he only glanced at them, not recognizing her for a moment.
Luo Tie exuded a non-human aura. The doorman instinctively retreated, "Wh-what do you want! Who are you people!"
Luo Tie grabbed the doorman by the neck. The doorman, unable to resist, was shoved into the embrace of the stone lion at the gate.
The doorman's head was stuck in the gap, unable to get out or pull free, only able to curse at the top of his lungs.
Big Hammer, receiving Xie Jiang's gaze, vibrated his rock-hard muscles with excitement, grinned, and pounced to smash the door.
"What do Young Marquis Ruan need us to do?"
The burly and strong tattooed man clearly had considerable prestige among these ruffians. Since it was the Ruan family who found them, the tattooed man walked up to Ruan Ziji.
"This Hao family is no ordinary family. I heard they have several officials in their family. If the price you offer is too low..." Why should they take such a risk.
A small steward from the Ruan family promised them that they would be given a good price, but seeing the Hao family's gate with his own eyes, the tattooed man felt that he had to raise the price.
Finding them was nothing more than to fight and cause trouble, but fighting and causing trouble at the doorstep of an official's residence was indeed beyond their imagination.
But what the tattooed man did not expect was that things beyond their imagination were yet to come.