kingnovel Chapter 165 Collusion with the Enemy
Chapter 165 Collusion with the Enemy
Caught off guard by the sudden questioning, the three kneeling men were all stunned, none daring to utter a sound. In fact, when the general spoke, many people outside the courtyard were also silenced by fear.
This general's voice was truly awe-inspiring. "A voice like a booming bell" was clearly insufficient to describe his distinctive voice. For his voice possessed a profound depth, a powerful and resonant quality imbued with a sense of desolation and chilling solemnity.
Everyone present was so stunned by the sound that they dared not even breathe. Xiao Jun clung tightly to the old lady's leg, his mouth agape, but he dared not cry out. Su Shi trembled, clutching tightly at Li's father's sleeve.
Father Li's face was expressionless, but the sweat streaming down his forehead clearly reflected his fear at that moment.
As for the old lady, she remained calm and composed, patting Xiaojun's back and gently coaxing him while looking at Li Xiaonuan with concern.
Those who had been kneeling smugly at the bottom of the steps were now trembling with fear. The woman, in particular, was so frightened that she knelt prostrate on the ground.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Weren't you all so confident and speaking so fluently and loudly before? What, do you look down on my status and are unwilling to answer my questions?" the general said in a flat tone.
Li Xiaonuan sensed an implication and a hint of threat in his words. But those kneeling on the ground didn't understand. They only felt that with each word the officer on the steps spoke, their fear grew.
If Li Xiaonuan knew what they were thinking at that moment, she would definitely tell them without hesitation: that's because the young general on the steps came down from a battlefield littered with corpses.
How did Li Xiaonuan know that?
Is there even a question? Anyone who hasn't experienced that kind of scene, how could they possibly feel such a bloody and chilling aura?
"If you don't answer, then I'll take it as false accusation. False accusation is always punished as such. You've falsely accused others of treason, a heinous crime punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan. Therefore, your punishment will be measured accordingly. While it may not reach the point of extermination, confiscation of property and exile are inevitable." The tone remained the same, the air still chilling.
As soon as he finished speaking, the three people who had been terrified and speechless finally broke down in tears and begged for mercy.
"Sir, this isn't our fault. We were ordered to do it. They said if we could bring the Li family to justice, they would give us a hundred taels of silver. If the Li family members were arrested and sentenced, we could get a thousand taels of silver." The old man's voice was loud and clear.
"Yes, yes, yes, it was someone who paid us to make false accusations. It has nothing to do with us. If anyone's to blame, it's the Li family. They're so hated; they've done all sorts of terrible things, even things that could kill them off their lineage!" The woman screamed hysterically, her voice like a ghost's wail, frightening many of the children watching outside the courtyard into tears.
After the woman finished shouting, the middle-aged man punched her to the ground. He angrily cursed, "You spendthrift woman, you dare to say anything! When did she ever do anything to kill her off? Did you see that? You've really ruined my life. I'm divorcing you today!"
The officer, watching the scene unfold below the steps, subtly gave a signal to the soldier waiting nearby. The soldier, receiving the instruction, immediately stepped forward and knocked the man unconscious with the handle of his sword.
The old man and woman were terrified. The woman felt a warm, wet sensation below her, and a large amount of warm liquid flowed out. She stared in horror at the foul-smelling liquid gushing out, too ashamed to know what to do.
"Brother, Auntie wet her pants." Erbao giggled, breaking the tense atmosphere.
As Erbao's childish voice rang out, bursts of laughter erupted outside the courtyard.
The officer on the steps glanced at the woman with disgust and ordered, "Drag that woman outside the courtyard and tie her to a tree. Wu Zi, you stay outside and keep watch. Jiang Zi, Ni Ba, you two go and clean up that urine."
As soon as the order was given, three soldiers stepped forward and quickly completed the task. At first, the woman's cries could still be heard outside the courtyard. But as the urine inside the courtyard was cleaned up, the woman outside fell silent.
Erbao, tugging at Dabao, asked in a bewildered voice, "Brother, did they take Aunt to change her pants? We don't have any pants that Aunt can wear. What should you do if she wears your pants?"
Da Bao looked at Er Bao with a headache, then glanced at the steps. Making sure the people on the steps weren't paying attention to the two brothers, he whispered to Er Bao, "Er Bao, don't worry, Auntie is tied up outside and can't come back to our house to change her pants."
Erbao felt a little relieved, but he still had some childish worries: "Won't my aunt stink to death? What if she wants to come home with us later?"
Well, the officer on the steps couldn't hold back any longer.
He pointed at the two children standing next to Li Xiaonuan and said, "Hey, you two kids, stop talking for a moment. Otherwise, everyone here will laugh themselves to death, and you won't be able to afford to pay for it."
The officer's voice was unexpectedly gentle, and the natural curve of his lips added a touch of approachability. Hearing this, Erbao smiled at him, then quickly covered her mouth and nodded. Everyone in the courtyard was astonished by the officer's change.
The officer was satisfied, and resumed his usual cold and stern demeanor, looking at the old man who was already terrified and lying on the ground.
"Old man, tell me, who exactly bribed you to make this false accusation? If you can find the culprit, I'll spare you exile. But if you can't find the person, then I'll have to make you bear the blame yourselves." Hmm, a very menacing statement.
The old man, who was lying on the ground, trembled and said intermittently, "It's...it's the daughter-in-law of Wang Da...Da...tou's family in this village. She came to our door in person. She even gave us twenty taels of silver as a deposit."
The officer was somewhat dissatisfied with the old man's answer. But he still gave the order: "Shengzi, take ten men and bring all of Wang Datou's people to us. Anyone here who is willing to lead the way will be rewarded with ten taels of silver."
Before the officer had even finished speaking, Erbao hurriedly removed his hand from his mouth and shouted, "I'll go, I'll go, I'll lead the way. Sir, I know where it is."
There were many people present who were interested, but they were all somewhat afraid of the general and therefore did not react. But Erbao was different. Although he also found the general frightening, he simply chose profit in the face of the temptation of money.
The officer thought to himself, "It's still the young kid who's in charge."
"Alright, you little brat will lead the way. Shengzi, carry him there. Go quickly and come back quickly," the officer ordered.
Da Bao held Er Bao's little hand tightly and asked hesitantly, "Sir, can I hold my little brother's hand?"
The officer said impatiently, "Your younger brother walks too slowly, so let Shengzi carry him. If you're worried, you can go with him."
Da Bao thanked the officer gratefully and followed the person carrying Er Bao towards Xinzhou Village.
After Da Bao and his brother left, Old Song hurriedly arrived at Li Xiaonuan's house. He had just gone to Li Xiaonuan's chili pepper field because he had noticed a lot of weeds while picking chilies that morning.
When he returned, he found that neither of the two brothers, Da Bao and his brother, were home. After finally finding out what had happened, he rushed over in a panic.