Ting He came rushing in, covered in sweat. “Young Lady, terrible news! The Xiao family has surrounded the Young Master. The Young Master is about to be taken hostage by them.”

Zhao Hanzhang shot to her feet. Ji Yuan also couldn’t sit still and quickly asked, “How did they surround the Young Master? Where are his attendants?”

In his anxiety, Ji Yuan forgot himself. Zhao Hanzhang actually calmed down and sat back, asking, “Is the Young Master alright?”

Ting He said, “They were blocked by the guards and couldn’t get close, but they all knelt around the Young Master in a circle. Now the Young Master can neither advance nor retreat.”

Zhao Hanzhang frowned slightly, contemplating for a moment before asking, “Is Wang Huifeng in the city?”

Ting He was momentarily stunned. “She should be at the county office.”

After Zhao Hanzhang appointed a new county magistrate for Gucheng, she transferred Wang Huifeng and Fourth Miss Wang back to Luoyang.

Their status was too high for the new magistrate to manage.

It wasn’t that she needed to suppress them, but with their high status, the new magistrate wouldn’t assign them tasks. Having two people stay in Gucheng would be wasteful, so she called them back.

Luoyang had plenty of work.

Zhao Hanzhang said, “Go ask her to come.”

Ji Yuan relaxed. “Young Lady, don’t be anxious. Clerk Wang has authority. The Xiao family will give her some face at least.”

But Zhao Hanzhang didn’t plan to hide. She stood and headed for the side gate.

Fu Tinghan now had quite a few people around him too. Zhao Hanzhang had personally selected a personal guard unit for him from Zhao’s Army.

Not only that, because Fu’an now quietly managed the shadow operations and was occasionally away from Fu Tinghan’s side, two more servants were added.

They’d been sent from Xiping, not only skilled at service but also in martial arts, mathematics, and literacy—much more capable than Fu’an. However, they had to obey Fu’an, who was their superior.

At this moment, the group was blocked outside Zhao residence’s east gate. This was a side entrance that Zhao Hanzhang normally didn’t use.

Who knew today they’d also be ambushed here? Fu Tinghan had just stepped off his carriage when people surrounded him. However, the other party couldn’t get close—the guards blocked them seven or eight steps away.

Seeing they couldn’t approach, they tactfully knelt down to block the way.

Fu Tinghan could neither advance nor retreat. Rather than leaving, and since the other side was crying so miserably, he wanted to know what had happened. So he stopped and asked, “Please rise and speak.”

The kneeling elderly lady didn’t rise. Seeing Fu Tinghan’s gentleness, she bowed deeply. “This old woman is the mother of Xiao Wei of Xin’an. I wish to beg the Governor to show mercy and spare the Xiao clan, allowing Xiao Wei and clan members to return to the estate. We’re willing to submit our entire clan to the Governor.”

Fu Tinghan immediately asked, “What crime did the Xiao clan commit?”

Old Lady Xiao quickly said, “The Xiao clan failed to recognize greatness and offended your Second Young Master.”

She said bitterly, “At the time, we truly didn’t know it was the Second Young Master. If we’d known, we wouldn’t have dared offend him even with ten times the courage.”

Fu Tinghan frowned slightly. Though Erlang was impulsive, he wasn’t unreasonable. On the contrary, he was rather naive and soft-hearted.

His expression cooled as he asked, “How exactly did you offend him?”

Old Lady Xiao paused. Seeing Fu Tinghan’s displeasure, she could only smile bitterly and bow down. “Fu Gongzi, in these chaotic times, each clan must build estates and watchtowers to defend against enemies if they wish to preserve themselves.”

Fu Tinghan nodded, indicating understanding.

Building fortified estates had been popular since Cao Wei’s time. After Emperor Hui of Jin, to resist Xiongnu, Jie barbarians, and refugee armies, construction of large and small estates throughout the land was countless.

Now with the court’s prestige diminished and each region maintaining its own armed forces, some slightly larger gentry families secretly raised retainers as private soldiers. This was perfectly normal.

Never mind that Zhao Hanzhang didn’t want to make trouble over this now—even if she did, she wouldn’t dare.

She was doing the same thing herself.

So what else was there?

Fu Tinghan stood quietly, waiting for her to continue.

Old Lady Xiao said, “These are all hot-blooded young masters. Once they have some men under them, they can’t help but go out to show off and gather more people. Who knew they’d run into the Second Young Master?”

Fu Tinghan pressed his lips together, somewhat displeased. He tilted his head to look at Fu’an.

Only then did Fu’an step forward. “Replying to Young Master, relying on their estate’s power, the Xiao family constantly robbed passing refugees and merchants. Xin’an has many bandits. The Second Young Master periodically leads men to suppress them. He happened to see a group robbing ordinary people traveling together to seek refuge in Luoyang, so the Second Young Master treated them as bandits and suppressed them.”

Fu Tinghan nodded. Fu’an continued, “Reportedly, in just the past six months, the Xiao family has seized over a hundred beautiful women from outside. When the Second Young Master broke into the Xiao estate, he rescued over six hundred female servants and slaves, while the Xiao clan itself numbered only about a thousand.”

Fu Tinghan’s face grew stern. He swept his gaze across them and asked, “Where are the Xiao family men?”

“They were all conscripted into the army by the Second Young Master and tattooed as slaves.”

Fu Tinghan’s mood improved slightly. He asked, “Did many people die?”

Fu’an glanced at the Xiao family members. “Yes. They captured refugees as slaves, beating and cursing them at will. If people died, they died. According to Xiao family members, slaves are cheaper than grass. If they can’t catch more, there’s no need—refugees outside are more plentiful than grass now.”

Old Lady Xiao’s face changed drastically. She quickly said, “These are all rumors, Fu Gongzi. Every festival, my Xiao family distributes grain. The people of the Xin’an region also receive my Xiao family’s protection. Even when Luoyang was in difficulty, my Xiao family donated considerable funds and grain, contributing merit to the state. Please ask Governor Zhao and Fu Gongzi to show mercy.”

“Merit cannot offset crimes. If you killed people, you killed people. The good deeds you did don’t benefit the victims,” Fu Tinghan said with barely controlled anger. “Just being tattooed and conscripted as military slaves after killing so many people?”

He told Fu’an, “Have Erlang execute the ringleaders.”

Fu’an acknowledged and immediately sent guards to relay the message.

Old Lady Xiao was shocked and dismayed. She hadn’t expected her plea to fail and instead doom her son. Looking at Fu Tinghan with hatred, she crawled up from the ground, pointed at his face, and cursed, “You’re nothing but a small man gaining power through his wife’s family. How dare you act so presumptuously before me! I knelt to you only to give Zhao Hanzhang face. You…”

“Old Lady has quite the imposing manner,” Zhao Hanzhang interrupted her words, stepping forward.

The personal guards quickly moved forward, pulling the Xiao family members kneeling and surrounding Fu Tinghan to the side.

Old Lady Xiao’s angry expression vanished instantly. Her whole demeanor gentled as she faced Zhao Hanzhang and prepared to kneel.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t stop her, simply standing to receive the bow.

Old Lady Xiao lowered her head. “Governor, this old woman spoke in anger and confusion. Please forgive me, Governor. I beg the Governor to show the Xiao clan mercy. In the future, the Xiao clan is willing to serve the Governor and the Zhao clan with utmost loyalty.”

Ji Yuan, who had followed out, hesitated before moving close to Zhao Hanzhang and whispering, “Why not take the opportunity to bring them under our wing?”

Zhao Hanzhang glanced at him. Fu Tinghan also heard and pressed his lips together, saying to Zhao Hanzhang, “I already had Fu’an relay the message to execute the ringleaders.”

Zhao Hanzhang’s expression remained unchanged. “Execute them then. With so many dead, they should indeed be executed.”

The Xiao family’s women and children all heard this, their faces draining of color as panic set in.