Chapter 41: Banishment from the City and Contemplation Facing the Wall (Part 1)

The bailiffs were, by rights, law enforcement officers. Yet in the eyes of this group of arrogant and lawless scions of noble families, they were utterly worthless. Seized by the collar, the bailiffs were subjected to a brutal beating. They wailed in agony like ghosts and howled like wolves, yet not a single one dared to strike back.

As the saying goes, the courage of the soldiers stems from the general. Did they not see that the county magistrate himself wore a tangled expression of distress, playing dumb and dragging his feet while lacking the courage to step forward?

The Magistrate of Lantian glared at his subordinates, who were looking up to him with pleading eyes. Sweat poured down his face in torrents. Just as he was caught in a painful dilemma, another troop of men charged through the temple gates. Wearing black armor and white tassels, they marched in such immaculate formation that one could tell at a glance they were well-trained elite troops.

Stuck in his panic and helplessness, the Lantian Magistrate flew into a rage and roared, "Are you motherfuckers never going to stop? Do you really take this official for nothing? Which unit are these newcomers from?"

Before his voice had even faded, a tall, burly military officer with a square face and hawk-like eyes strode up to him. Without a word, the officer simply fixed a cold, piercing gaze upon him.

The Lantian Magistrate was about to rain down further reprimands when his gaze suddenly locked. Meeting the general’s predatory and ruthless eyes, a cold sweat instantly drenched his back. His legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees on the spot, trembling as he stammered, "General Li... This subordinate... This subordinate..."

The newcomer was none other than Li Junxian.

Li Junxian stared coldly down at the Lantian Magistrate, his face utterly expressionless. With a cold huff, he declared, "Failing to stop a brawl, neglecting public security, showing cowardice in the face of trouble, and desecrating your official duty—I shall report the truth directly to His Majesty. Guard yourself well!"

With that, he paid no further heed to the Lantian Magistrate, who had slumped into a puddle of mush. Slowly turning around, he swept his massive arm through the air and commanded coldly, "By imperial decree, arrest them all!"

The imperial guards brought by Li Junxian, belonging to the elite "Hundred Riders" unit, were no mere rabble of county bailiffs. Every single one of them was tall, robust, and reeked of a murderous aura. Upon receiving the order, they plunged straight into the fray, forcibly tearing apart the two warring factions.

Amidst the chaos, some men had their eyes bloodshot from fighting. Not hearing Li Junxian’s proclamation of an imperial decree, they stubbornly refused to let up. Once pulled apart by the guards, they immediately broke into foul-mouthed curses: "Who gave you the gall to lay hands on this young master? Do you even know who I am..."

Before the words could fully leave his mouth, a guard brought the heavy hilt of his saber down hard across the man's face. Teeth instantly flew out amidst a splatter of fresh blood, rendering him utterly speechless as he clutched his face with eyes wide in terror.

The entire crowd felt a chill strike their hearts and hastily ceased their blows.

The scene fell into instant silence.

Li Junxian glanced around the courtyard. Seeing Chai Lingwu with disheveled hair and his face stained with blood and dirt, he could not help but frown. Who on earth had delivered such a heavy hand? Then, turning his gaze to Fang Jun, he found him looking entirely unconcerned and breezy. Having been besieged by opponents outnumbering him tenfold, Fang Jun's expression had not changed, nor was he panting; even his dark cyan brocade robe remained almost entirely clean and unruffled.

For some reason, the thought flashed through Li Junxian's mind: *This lad's martial prowess is truly extraordinary. If placed on the battlefield, he would undoubtedly make a fierce general...*

Li Junxian gave a light cough and said in a ringing voice, "By imperial decree, all participants in the brawl are to be escorted into the palace. Gentlemen, if you please!"

Yet these young masters showed not a whit of fear. Enter the palace? So what? Was there a single year they didn't stroll into the palace two or three times? There was no pressure here at all!

Shoving and pushing each other with reluctant steps, the two rival factions continued to hurl abuses across the space between them.

"Brat, you just wait for me! You were the one who kicked me earlier, weren't you?"

"That's right, I kicked you. Afraid now? How about a rematch outside the Mingde Gate another day? I'll still kick you until you're calling me grandfather..."

"Bah! It infuriates me to death! If it weren't for your sneak attack, you turtle's spawn wouldn't have gained the slightest upper hand!"

Fang Jun glanced at his anxious mother and elder sister, nodding gently. He turned back to look at Li Siwen beside him, patted his shoulder, and said with genuine gratitude, "Many thanks for your rescue today, Second Brother Li. Another day, this younger brother shall treat you to wine to show my appreciation."

Though Li Siwen bore a name meaning "thoughtful and refined," he possessed not an ounce of scholarly gentleness. He waved a hand carelessly and said, "We're brothers of the same household, why mention such things? Forget about the thanks, but you better be there when it's time to drink!"

Fang Jun smiled and nodded.

The words were easily spoken, but their adversary was Prince Wei, Li Tai—a formidable imperial prince who stood a very real chance of supplanting the crown prince as the second generation's ruler!

The two Li brothers were men well worth deep friendship.

It was just a pity that Li Jingye, the son of Li Yuan, was not a man who knew how to stay out of trouble...

Listening to the noise, Li Junxian felt a dull ache in his temples, yet he was utterly helpless. He couldn't very well sew these young masters' mouths shut, could he? He hummed inwardly: *Just wait. In a moment, you'll all be howling, and heaven help you if your cries aren't loud enough...*

Lady Lu, however, stepped forward, offered a respectful bow with her hands folded, and said, "General Li, this old woman greets you."

Li Junxian hurriedly returned the bow, looking deeply uneasy and alarmed: "Madam Fang, please dispense with such formalities. This subordinate cannot accept them."

This was the very woman who could bring the formidable prime minister of the Great Tang to heel with absolute obedience; she was someone he could ill afford to provoke lightly...

Lady Lu wore a worried expression. "General Li, it is true that my second son was in the wrong today, but I beg the General to examine the facts clearly. Today's incident was truly provoked entirely by His Highness Prince Wei speaking improperly first."

The Princess Consort of Han also stepped up to chime in, "Indeed! His Highness Prince Wei went much too far. As an imperial prince, to actually harass the female dependents of another family—what kind of behavior is that?"

Li Junxian offered a wry smile. "Madam Fang, Your Highness, this subordinate is merely acting on imperial orders. I have neither the authority to investigate nor the power to dispose of the matter. I hope the two of you will forgive me..."

As the head of the "Hundred Riders," he kept his fingers on the pulse of every shift in the wind within Chang'an City. Today's incident had been reported to him directly by his scouts, which was why he had been able to brief Emperor Taizong in advance. As for the origin of the conflict, he was naturally crystal clear.

It was simply that this matter did not fall under his purview, leaving him powerless to intervene.

Lady Lu said anxiously, "Then this old woman shall enter the palace right now to explain the origin of the matter to His Majesty..."

Li Junxian paused in slight contemplation before saying, "Madam Fang, might you hear this subordinate out?"

Lady Lu composed her expression. "General, please speak freely." Though Lady Lu usually stayed within her manor and rarely went out, she was well-informed about this capable general by the Emperor's side and naturally knew the trust and high regard the Emperor placed in him.

Li Junxian said softly, "This matter has created quite a stir, and several imperial censors have already rushed to the Taiji Palace to submit memorials accusing them..." Seeing the anxiety on Lady Lu's face, he smiled and added, "But when all is said and out, it is merely a group of idle young masters stirring up trouble. His Majesty deals with matters with absolute fairness and will certainly see through to the finest detail."

His underlying meaning was clear: although the incident had a broad impact, its essence was nothing more than a farce with no grave consequences. The Emperor would handle it justly. However, one could easily imagine that right now, quite a few imperial relatives and nobles were undoubtedly rushing to the Emperor's side—either to lodge complaints or to plead for leniency—and His Majesty would surely find it thoroughly tiresome.

Given the Emperor's unyielding and stern temperament, if no one pleaded, things might be fine; but if people were to make a noisy fuss and cry tears, it would only fan the flames of the Emperor's wrath, and the matter could very well yield the exact opposite of the desired result.

How could Lady Lu fail to understand the implication behind Li Junxian's words?

She expressed her gratitude, saying, "I am merely a woman of narrow vision. Thank you, General, for your guidance. Another day, the Fang family will surely offer a generous token of appreciation."

Li Junxian gave a faint smile. "Though your esteemed son and I hit it off immediately, I have spoken somewhat too deeply given our brief acquaintance. Madam need not take it to heart. I shall take my leave now."

Lady Lu replied, "Then let us settle it for another day: my unruly second son shall invite the General for wine."

Li Junxian laughed heartily. "That would be best! Madam, farewell!"

Lady Lu smiled. "It's a deal then. General, please go ahead."

Li Junxian offered another bow to the Princess Consort of Han, then turned and strode away at the head of the large troop, escorting the flock of spoiled scions.

The Princess Consort of Han watched the retreating back of Li Junxian with a thoughtful gaze, remarking, "This Li Junxian has always been a man of few words. Why would he speak at such length today?"

Trying to second-guess the imperial will was a grave taboo!

Lady Lu wore a similarly puzzled look. "How should I know?"