Exiled to the Frontier, He Became the Empire’s Most Powerful Lord - Chapter 8

Hong Jiuming swiftly snapped Zhang Zhongliang’s thumb off, causing the latter to scream in agony.

“Did you kill the old man on the ground?!”

Zhou Lingfeng asked.

“I didn’t kill him! It was my men who did it! It has nothing to do with me!”

Zhang Zhongliang was also a bully who preyed on the weak and feared the strong, so he immediately denied it.

This is a common trick used by the sons of the powerful and wealthy. When they are investigated, they make their servants take the blame and at most pay some money to settle the matter.

“You’re the one who ordered the servants to kill my grandfather! You’re a murderer!”

The girl then began her accusation, her voice choked with sobs.

Her voice was very pleasant to the ear, just like the song of a nightingale!

Such a beautiful and talented young girl with such a wonderful voice actually came from a farming family.

Even if it was your servant who did it, you still have to compensate them!

Zhou Lingfeng stared coldly at Zhang Zhongliang!

He really wanted to kill that scumbag!

However, according to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Zhang Zhongliang could not be sentenced to death.

“He’s just a mere old farmer; he’ll only have to pay a few taels of silver at most!”

Zhang Zhongliang said nonchalantly.

A fierce glint flashed in Zhou Lingfeng’s eyes, and Hong Jiuming immediately broke off another of his fingers!

How much compensation?

Zhou Lingfeng asked again.

“One thousand taels, I’ll pay you one thousand taels!”

Zhang Zhongliang looked at Zhou Lingfeng with utter fear; this guy was simply a devil.

“Young lady, the dead cannot be brought back to life! This wicked servant killed your grandfather and will naturally pay with his life! Zhang Zhongliang is the wicked servant’s master; how about he compensates you with a thousand taels of silver?”

Zhou Lingfeng looked at the girl and said softly.

“Thank you, Your Highness. I will leave everything to Your Highness’s decision!”

Tears streamed down the girl’s face, evoking pity in many onlookers!

Mo Li felt deeply sympathetic at this moment and went over to help the girl up, saying, “Sister, please accept my condolences and don’t hurt yourself.”

“Take these two wicked servants to the authorities!”

Zhou Lingfeng gave instructions to the two bodyguards beside him.

At this moment, Zhang Zhongliang shakily took out a thousand taels of silver notes, which Mo Li snatched away and gave to the girl.

“Mo Li, why don’t you take the two of you and help the girl’s grandfather with the funeral arrangements?”

Zhou Lingfeng then gave further instructions.

“Your Highness, this matter is settled. May I leave now?”

Zhang Zhongliang looked at Zhou Lingfeng and fear had already appeared in his eyes!

“Come on, we haven’t settled the score for your offense against me yet!”

Zhou Lingfeng looked at him coldly, then ordered, “Break his legs and hang him on the city wall for three hours!”

“You dare!”

Zhang Zhongliang screamed in fright, but Hong Jiuming wasn’t having any of it. He broke all four of Zhang Zhongliang’s limbs and carried him to the top of the city wall.

“Your Highness is wise! You have punished evil and promoted good!”

“Yes, that guy, relying on being the Fifth Prince, has ruined countless girls!”

“Now that the prince has punished him so severely, he’ll probably behave himself a bit more in the future.”

The people nearby couldn’t help but feel overjoyed!

It’s a pity that His Highness the Barbarian King is about to leave Shengjing for the border city of Mangcheng. I just hope he will be safe.

The winter temperature was freezing, and Zhang Zhongliang, who was hung on the city wall, quickly became critically ill from the cold!

Fortunately, someone notified the Marquis of Yuanshan’s residence, and they quickly sent someone to bring him back.

Uncle Yuanshan originally wanted to find the culprit, but after learning that it was Zhou Lingfeng, he immediately fell silent!

After lying low for three years, the deposed crown prince was suddenly granted a title and enfeoffed as a prince!

His own son offended the prince today and was punished by being sent to a place where he couldn’t explain his mistake.

Moreover, His Majesty currently hopes that the Barbarian King will leave the city as soon as possible. If anyone delays him, and Emperor Yuanwu is enraged, who can withstand his overwhelming wrath?

“Send someone to invite the young lady back!”

After thinking for a long time, Uncle Zhang Yi of Yuanshan had no choice but to go find his daughter.

The old farmer arranged the funeral quickly. The girl was an orphan with no relatives, so he could only afford a coffin, a few boxes of paper money to burn, and a simple burial. There weren’t many formalities involved.

After everything was settled, Mo Li brought the girl back, her face still streaked with tears, clearly showing her great sympathy for the girl.

“Your Highness, I have a favor to ask of you!”

Mo Li pleaded, pushing the wheelchair.

“What’s wrong?”

Zhou Lingfeng had already guessed what Mo Li wanted to say.

“Sister Qiutian has no relatives left, and she has so much silver on her. It would be troublesome if she encountered bad people!”

Mo Li whispered in Zhou Lingfeng’s ear, the girl’s fragrant breath tickling his ear.

“So you want to take her in as a maid to serve you?”

Zhou Lingfeng asked with a smile.

“I’m just a maid myself, how can I let Sister Qiutian serve me!”

Mo Li hurriedly waved his hand and said.

“Your Highness, look at how even a noble young master has several maids, while you only have one. Isn’t that a bit too shabby?”

Mo Li spoke softly and gently.

“She hasn’t even said anything herself, and you’re already making the decision for her?”

Zhou Lingfeng looked at her.

“Sister Autumn!”

Mo Li shouted with great joy.

“The orphaned girl Qiutian begs for mercy from Your Highness!”

Autumn immediately knelt on the ground and bowed her head.

“Get up! But I must warn you beforehand, the journey to Python City will be extremely arduous, so think it over carefully!”

Zhou Lingfeng sighed, cursing his own damned soft heart.

In fact, he always felt that there was some strange secret about Qiu Tian, ​​but there was no evidence or indication of it.

“Your Highness has done me a great favor. Wherever you go or whatever you do, I will follow you to the death!”

As autumn rose, a resolute look appeared on her charming yet innocent face.

“Foolish Mo Li, you’ve just created a formidable opponent for yourself!”

Hong Jiuming stood to the side, rubbing his forehead, utterly speechless.

With Qiu Tian’s exquisite beauty, if she keeps lingering around the prince, she’ll eventually bewitch him and take him into her room.

“Let’s go to the western suburban camp to receive the personal guards!”

Zhou Lingfeng said casually.

“Fifth Prince, you must do me justice!”

Zhang Fenglan started crying as soon as she returned to the Fifth Prince’s residence.

“Oh, my darling, what’s wrong? You look so upset!”

Zhou Zhen felt sorry for him when she saw it.

Chang Ning is aloof and beautiful, but she never lets him touch her!

Zhang Fenglan is usually very sweet-talking and cooperative, and she can play all sorts of poses with great skill, so she is naturally his darling.

Every time he wanted to dress Zhang Fenglan the same as Chang Ningshuang, he would then have a good time playing with her.

“My younger brother, Zhongliang, he…”

Zhang Fenglan embellished the story, and Zhou Zhen’s veins throbbed as he listened.

“This good-for-nothing is about to leave the capital, yet he dared to humiliate me like this. It seems I must settle both old and new scores!”

Zhou Zhen said sinisterly.

After all, he broke a leg last time, and it’s only now that he’s almost fully recovered.

However, he quickly sneered and said, “Don’t be impatient, baby! Once this good-for-nothing leaves the city, he’ll only have a thousand personal guards with him. At that time, more than one person will want to kill him!”

“Then I’m counting on Your Highness to avenge my brother!”

Zhang Fenglan’s voice immediately became even more charming, and her delicate hands began to tease Zhou Zhen.

Inside the room, an atmosphere of intense intimacy quickly filled the air, with the two breathing heavily in rhythm with each other.

Chang Ningshuang heard this sound as soon as she returned to the mansion!

An ordinary person would not be able to hear this, but she was a powerful third-rank expert with astonishing hearing.

“Two beasts, so thirsty even in broad daylight!”

Chang Ningshuang left with a cold face!

She suddenly remembered what her father had said. Back then, she should have chosen Zhou Lingfeng instead. At least he was the crown prince. Although he was useless, he seemed to have a much better character than Zhou Zhen.

The main problem is that she now has inner demons, and due to her special constitution, she is prone to going astray in her cultivation.

She secretly consulted all the books in Yunxin Palace and found only two methods she could try.

One way is to kill Zhou Lingfeng and make him forget that shameful past.

Or maybe she’s fallen in love with this man—is that even possible?

“Your Highness, I’ve heard that the commander of the western suburban camp has already defected to the Third Prince!”

Hong Jiuming reported this on the way.

“We’re here with the imperial decree to select people. If he dares to cause trouble, you can beat him up!”

Zhou Lingfeng sneered.

He has never been a person who is afraid of trouble.

He was now on the verge of taking up his fiefdom, and he didn’t believe anyone would dare to face Emperor Yuanwu’s wrath.

Those people weren’t tough guys like Tie Xuan; they were just a bunch of cowardly bullies.

Why bother? He had made ample preparations and was fully confident in selecting a group of elite personal guards to take with him.

The wheelchair was now being pushed by Hong Jiuming. Mo Li and Qiu Tian, ​​the two little girls, were tired from walking, so they returned to the carriage.

The assassins had already arrived outside the western suburban camp!

Hundreds of large trucks were neatly parked not far from the military camp, attracting the curious gazes of many soldiers.

“His Highness the Barbarian King is coming to select his personal guards after taking up his fief. Commander Fan Liu of your Western Suburbs Camp is to come out and greet him immediately!”

Hong Jiuming held the imperial edict and shouted loudly.

Fan Liu arrived quickly. Faced with the imperial edict, he naturally dared not be disrespectful and respectfully welcomed Zhou Lingfeng inside.

“Your Highness, I will certainly carry out His Majesty’s decree with all my might! However, Python City is located in the southern barbarian lands, and none of my brothers want to go there!”

Fan Liu quickly began to complain.

Zhou Lingfeng knew his tricks; he would surely give him some old, weak, and disabled soldiers later.

“Your western suburban camp must have 30,000 men!”

Zhou Lingfeng interrupted him.

“Your Highness is right!”

Fan Liu gave a dry laugh, feeling a little guilty.

He hadn’t expected that this deposed crown prince would be so familiar with these matters.

“Since you say your brothers don’t want to go, then I can give it a try! Commander Fan, why don’t you gather all the brothers? If I can’t recruit any personal guards, I won’t blame you!”

Zhou Lingfeng said very kindly.

“This is what Your Highness said! If we can’t find anyone, this humble general will not be held responsible!”

Fan Liu immediately said.

“That’s only natural!”

Zhou Lingfeng closed his eyes, while Fan Liu was extremely smug.

This deposed crown prince is indeed a good-for-nothing. He controls the western suburban camp with his own hands, and since his brothers all know that he has sided with the third prince, how could they possibly follow him to that barren land of Python City?

If he were to personally recruit soldiers, he would inevitably lose face completely, and might not even be able to recruit ten men.

If the Third Prince knew that this was such a slap in the face to the Barbarian King, he would surely be overjoyed.