Song Chu: Dad, if you don't work hard, how can I just lie down and relax?

Chapter 42 Zhao Guangmei: "Wang Yansheng, are you going to kill me?"

The person was killed, and the body was simply thrown away. The diners who had originally intended to watch the spectacle no longer dared to look. They all got up, paid their bills, and left. No one dared to take the opportunity to skip out on their bill.

In Kaifeng, the capital city, no one has ever seen such a ruthless person. Everyone agrees that the owner is either a real madman or has powerful connections.

The problem is that normally a madman shouldn't have the money to run such a big shop and make such soft and white steamed buns, but he has connections to the highest levels... If you have connections to the highest levels, why would you even run an inn?

Therefore, what is happening right now is definitely not a normal situation.

After committing the murder, Zhao Guangmei remained unusually calm. It was unclear whether this young child had killed anyone before or not. Ignoring the customers who were paying their bills and running away, he simply said to the dancers and prostitutes in the hall, "Keep playing the music, keep dancing."

The body was left by the roadside, and no one dared to touch it for a long time. It wasn't until nearly an hour later that Wang Yansheng, the Kaifeng inspector, arrived with a grim face and personally collected the body of his subordinate.

"Damn it, this is too arrogant! Who is this guy? Shopkeeper, they're bullying our patrol department! I'm going in right now and smashing their shop!"

"Yes, innkeeper, please let me in. No matter who owns this inn now, I'll make them pay."

"I'll go, Master. I know many people in Kaifeng; I might recognize who this person is from."

In an instant, the people around Wang Yansheng were all filled with righteous indignation and deliberately started shouting loudly.

Wang Yansheng stared at the corpse on the ground for a long time with a cold face and gritted teeth, then said, "Collect the body and let's go."

The men were all taken aback, and their previously arrogant shouts subsided, replaced by serious expressions on their faces.

Most people realized the seriousness of the problem and dared not joke around anymore, but some still didn't understand and couldn't help but say:

"Why did you leave? You killed one of our brothers in broad daylight, and you just let it go like that? At least we should ask who this boss is."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the veteran slapped him from behind, saying, "The owner of the house means to come tonight."

"this……"

"If we go to their door now, no matter who their boss is, they will definitely bring up each other's names. This boss is so arrogant, he must have a background. In the end, it will inevitably be reported up the chain of command. In the end, they will have to give face to the higher authorities and turn a big problem into a small one, and a small problem into nothing."

"Come at night, don't ask any questions, just go straight for them, don't care who's behind them, ask who they are after you're done, whatever."

To put it bluntly, Wang Yansheng's official position in Kaifeng was merely that of a garrison commander, specifically the Left Garrison Commander of the Iron Cavalry, the head of a garrison. In modern terms, he would be equivalent to a brigade commander of a main force brigade.

Although he was certainly not a minor official, he was not a high-ranking one either. In the context of the Five Dynasties and early Song Dynasty, his subordinates could not even call him Grand Commandant in private, and he was not even a military governor.

He wasn't a big shot in the capital, but he was arrogant mainly because everyone knew he was Zhao Kuangyin's confidant.

In Kaifeng, there are many people with powerful connections. The person behind this inn is so confident that they are probably someone more powerful than him. If things get out of hand and everyone takes the case to the emperor, he won't be able to gain any advantage.

But it's different if you don't even ask. Just do it first and then say you didn't know anything afterwards, that it was all a misunderstanding. Even if there really was a Grand Commandant behind it, he would most likely be praised high and then gently put down, relying on his status as Zhao Kuangyin's confidant.

Despite his low rank, he dared to extort money from even the prime minister Wang Pu in the middle of the night. What wouldn't he dare to do? This is what it means to be fearless when favored. In this new dynasty, he, Zhao Kuangyin's confidant, was arrogant and domineering.

Inside the inn, there were few fools who could survive in such a chaotic world. Seeing that Wang Yansheng had come all the way here but hadn't even sent someone to ask, they knew that he didn't intend to resolve this peacefully, and they couldn't help but feel a little flustered.

They did believe that Zhao Guangmei must have a powerful background, but this was the fifth generation after all. To put it bluntly, no matter how powerful your background was, it was sometimes useless if you encountered an unreasonable and truly ruthless person.

"Master, Wang Yansheng is known for his arrogance, rudeness, and audacity. He certainly won't let this matter rest."

It's getting dark, and we're in an inn. The imperial court imposes a curfew after the first watch, so who knows what he might do? What do you think, should we find a mediator to negotiate with him?"

Manager Tong quickly replied.

The three children completely ignored him. Li Jilong asked Zhao Guangmei, "Is this the emperor's confidant?"

"If he weren't a trusted confidant, I wouldn't bother with him. Right now, with the chaos in Kaifeng, we're in dire need of someone to take our lives."

Wang Lu frowned and said, "Mei-ge'er, why don't you go back first? I've heard of this Wang Yansheng. He's cruel, even brutal. He likes to tear people's ears off and chew them with his wine. Long-ge'er and I are fine here."

Zhao Guangmei waved her hand and said, "No need. He knows me. I want to see if Wang Yansheng dares to tear off my ear and drink it with him."

Li Jilong: "How about I talk to my dad and ask him to send some soldiers to protect him? I'm not afraid of anything else, I'm just afraid he'll get carried away and act recklessly."

Zhao Guangmei: "No, if your father finds out, my older brother might find out too. If my older brother finds out, he'll definitely stop me, and all our efforts will be in vain."

The world has been in chaos for too long since the end of the Tang Dynasty. The people of Kaifeng need Wang Yansheng's life to sacrifice for this treacherous world. My Great Song Dynasty is about to usher in a hundred years of peace. What risk do I have to fear?

"Today I'm not going anywhere, I'm not calling anyone, I'll just wait for him here. I've heard he's arrogant, this Kaifeng inspector, and I want to see just how arrogant he really is! Is the law of our Great Song Dynasty truly untenable?!"

………………

At midnight, just as the first watch drum sounded and curfew was imposed, the inn street in Anrenfang, which had no curfew to begin with, was still filled with a few pedestrians who hadn't had time to go home. Suddenly, they heard the distant rumble of hooves and the clanging of armor.

Wang Yansheng wouldn't tolerate even a quarter of an hour longer, so he used his authority to patrol after the curfew in Kaifeng to mobilize more than fifty armored soldiers.

"Listen up, everyone! Tongfu Inn is hoarding forbidden weapons and supplies, plotting rebellion. Open the gates and surrender immediately, or you will be killed without mercy!"

This wasn't entirely baseless speculation, since Zhao Guangmei did indeed use a crossbow bolt.

But after he shouted that, he didn't give anyone time to react. Because the inn wasn't subject to the curfew, the doors were always open.

Wang Yansheng immediately shouted, "These thieves are putting up a stubborn resistance! Arrest them! They are defying the patrol inspector! Kill them!"

After saying this, Wang Yansheng gave an order, and the fifty-odd patrol soldiers did not even enter the door. Instead, they drew their crossbows outside the door, tied fire oil cloths to the arrows, lit them, and fired!

He was afraid that he would recognize the people in the inn and that he wouldn't be able to fight them if he went in, so he simply didn't bother to see them and launched rockets, intending to burn everyone in the inn to death.

Rockets soaked in tung oil, streaking with sparks, hurtled through the air. One of them slammed into the vermilion lintel of the inn, its flames instantly licking the carved wooden beams. An unlucky waiter was hit and died instantly with a cry of pain.

The skirts of several prostitutes caught fire, and flames shot up their brocade skirts, causing them to scream in terror. Groups of customers hurriedly crawled under the tables in fright.

Inside the building, even the three little ones, who were originally prepared, couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

I knew Wang Yansheng might be ruthless, but I never imagined he would be this ruthless. In Kaifeng, right under the emperor's nose, he actually dared to set fire to the city?!

The buildings in Kaifeng are mostly wooden structures. You just set them on fire?

Should we just smother them all to death?

Li Jilong immediately shouted, "Wang Yansheng! The Emperor's younger brother, the Third Prince Zhao Guangmei, is inside! You dare to attempt assassination and treason? Do you, the soldiers of the Patrol Division, intend to exterminate his entire family?!"

The inn's staff and prostitutes were all startled. They might have had their suspicions, but even now that the truth was revealed, it still felt somewhat unreal. They hurriedly tried to put out the fire while simultaneously shouting and repeating Li Jilong's words:

"Wang Yansheng! The Emperor's younger brother, the Third Prince Zhao Guangmei, is inside. You intend to assassinate him and commit treason? Do you, the soldiers of the Patrol Division, intend to exterminate his entire family?!"

Zhao Guangmei's face was ashen, her fists clenched tightly. She saw that several of the inn's staff and prostitutes had already been shot with arrows, and the scene was chaotic. The veins on her temples bulged slightly.

Suddenly, he rushed down himself, ignoring Li Jilong and Wang Lu's attempts to pull and drag him, picked up an unlit arrow from the ground, and with a sudden thud, stabbed himself in the left shoulder.

"Mei-ge'er!! You, you, you, how could you do this, how could you do this?!"

Zhao Guangmei gritted her teeth in pain, but glared and said, "This man is my elder brother's confidant. If I'm not injured, I'm afraid he won't die!"

"The Third King is injured! The Third King is injured!!"

The guards outside the door clearly heard the shout and stopped the rain of arrows. They were all a little dumbfounded.

I had thought the people inside might be influential, but I never imagined they were this powerful!

Wang Yansheng's official position was actually not high; his arrogance stemmed from his status as a confidant of the emperor. But no matter how close a confidant he was, he couldn't be closer than his own brother.

After a long while, Zhao Guangmei, clutching her shoulder which was still bleeding profusely and where an arrow still trembled, walked unsteadily to the door with her head down. In a low voice, she asked, "Wang Yansheng, are you going to kill me?"