Chapter 16: The Crowd Were Burning with Rage.
Rebirth Grand Marshal's Wilful Fiancée-Chapter 16 :The Crowd Was Burning With Rage.
"Yeah, that's it, so what?"
Maybe having been provoked by Jiang Feng jia's calm reaction, Ling Yuanling spoke defiantly through her bloodied mouth, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous mix of pain and pride.
"Now you've admitted it." Jiang Feng jia said, clenching her hands behind her back as she stared at Ling Yuanling with fierce determination, her posture betraying none of the satisfaction she felt at this small victory.
Ling Yuanling laughed, blood staining her teeth and trickling down her chin, creating a grotesque mask that only enhanced her disdain. She sneered, "Do you think you can convict me according to these misses' words? Words against the Ling Family mean nothing in Tan Yang."
"Why can't I? Remember that you are kneeling on the court now," Jiang Feng jia said coldly, her voice carrying throughout the hushed courtroom. "This is not your family's private chamber where you can dictate terms."
"Cough, hah, hah, hah..." Ling Yuanling spat out blood, droplets spattering across the polished stone floor. She looked up at Jiang Feng jia and jeered, "Do you believe Tao Feng can destroy our Ling Family? You must be dreaming! We have stood for generations while families like yours have risen and fallen around us."
"Young miss!" The butler of the Ling Family shouted to stop Ling Yuanling before others could react. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, his face a mask of terror at what his young mistress was revealing in her rage.
"Why did you shout at me?" Ling Yuanling suddenly turned her head and cast a stern glance at the butler. She said angrily, "You, you useless thing, didn't know to protect me when I was beaten. When my Godfather comes, he will strip your skin off and use it to make boots for his horses!"
"Yuanling!" Even Wang Shi was shocked this time. To gloss over her daughter's reckless words, she scolded Ling Yuanling hurriedly, "What nonsense are you talking about? Control yourself in the court!" Her eyes darted nervously around the room, taking in the many witnesses to her daughter's outburst.
Tao Feng sat at the front of court, his face darkening like storm clouds gathering on the horizon. He looked at Wang Shi, the coldness in his eyes making her blood freeze in her veins. In that moment, she knew their careful plans were unraveling with each unguarded word from her daughter's mouth.
"Godfather? You dare to regard Zheng Chong as your Godfather," Jiang Feng jia said to Ling Yuanling, allowing just enough surprise in her voice to draw attention to this revelation while concealing that this was precisely the admission she had been fishing for.
"Does it surprise you? I allow you to follow me because I pity you. Do you really think you are an exalted person in Tan Yang?" Ling Yuanling's voice rose with each word, her dignity forgotten in her rage. "You are just a lowly orphan. Do you believe your grandfather who is going to die can support you? Damn, your Jiang Family should be clear about your own place. How dare you block Ling Family's way? How dare you convict me? Stop daydreaming!" Ling Yuanling shouted crankily, spraying blood as she yelled.
Everyone in the court was shocked by Ling Yuanling's arrogant behavior. The crowd watching outside began to murmur, their voices rising in volume as the implications of her words spread through the gathering.
Jiang Feng jia appeared to be overwhelmed with indignation, her shoulders rigid and her hands trembling. But inside, her heart leapt with satisfaction. This was better than she could have hoped for.
From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of her Second Uncle and another middle-aged man in an official uniform making their way through the crowd. They would arrive soon, just in time to witness this spectacular downfall. The timing was excellent. Before she had even fully formulated her plan to trap the Ling Family, Ling Yuanling had handed her the perfect weapon with her own reckless words.
"It seems that I was right from the beginning," Jiang Feng jia declared, her voice ringing clear through the courtroom. "The Ling Family has already come to despise the government and the law because Zheng Wei is Ling Yuanling's Godfather. Ling Yuanling, as long as our Great Yue dynasty exists, no one can defy the law in the court unless they intend to rebel against the Emperor himself!"
The middle-aged man, who had almost entered the court, halted upon hearing Jiang Feng jia's words. His face changed subtly, the political implications of this scene instantly clear to him.
Ling Yuanling's expression also transformed, fear finally beginning to penetrate her arrogance. She stared at Jiang Feng jia, suddenly realizing the trap she had walked into.
"Since you said that we would get into terrible trouble after Commander Zheng arrived, I also want to see if Zheng Wei is so powerful and unruly that he controls everything in Tan Yang," Jiang Feng jia continued, addressing not just Ling Yuanling but the entire audience. "In front of Tan Yang's people, everything is exposed openly. I wonder whether Zheng Wei dares to destroy the truth, break the law, and do whatever he wants to!"
Her voice rose in challenge as she looked around the courtroom. "I guess he would have to kill us all or besiege Tan Yang with soldiers so that no one can leave! If he really does that, I won't be scared. But I don't need to do anything. Because the imperial army will do justice for us!" Jiang Feng jia declared loudly, invoking the higher authority that even Zheng Wei must answer to.
The whole yamen fell silent. No one dared to make a noise as the weight of her accusation settled over them all.
"Right. I also want to see it." Tao Feng broke the silence and said slowly, lending his authority as magistrate to Jiang Feng jia's challenge.
"Yes. We also want to see it!" came a shout from the crowd.
"Does he dare to kill us all?" another voice called out.
"I have always respected the Prefecture Guards. But I never knew that the Ling Family dared to be so arrogant because its main daughter regarded the commander as Godfather. Is this still the Prefecture Guard that I respect, or has it become the private army of one family?" The voices grew in number and volume.
After the initial shocked silence, the court erupted in noise. The crowd began yelling, their anger building like a wave that threatened to crash over the Ling Family. Years of resentment against their haughty behavior found voice in this moment of vulnerability.
Outside, a team of soldiers rode their horses swiftly to the yamen entrance. As they dismounted, the shouts from within reached their ears. The leader's face darkened immediately, understanding that they had arrived at a pivotal moment.
The Prefecture Guards, long accustomed to commanding respect and fear, now stood at the threshold of a political storm. Their commander Zheng Wei's name was being dragged through the mud, associated with corruption and favoritism toward the Ling Family. The leader of the squad hesitated, uncertain whether to enter and defend their commander's honor or to retreat and report what was happening.
Inside, Jiang Feng jia saw the uncertainty rippling through the crowd. She had set events in motion that could not be easily stopped. For better or worse, the carefully maintained balance of power in Tan Yang was about to shift dramatically. All she could do now was ride the wave and hope she would not be crushed beneath it.
Wang Shi pulled at her daughter's arm, attempting to silence her before she could cause more damage, but Ling Yuanling was beyond restraint. The facade of the respectable family had cracked, revealing the rot of entitlement and corruption beneath. And all of Tan Yang was watching.