Chapter 72

"Who told you that this person is my son? What a joke. He is just one of my guards, who has a slight head injury." Pan Fuyin sneered and waved his hand, saying, "Take action. If anyone resists, subdue them. Remember, just restrict their movements; don't hurt them."

"Lord Pan, I only now realize how despicable you are!" Pang Da underestimated the old fox's level of despicability. He refused to admit that the person with the bandaged head was Pan Shaofeng and was unwilling to confront him face-to-face, leaving him with no choice.

Although these young men were all highly skilled, they were no match for the ferocious guards. Despite some resistance, they were quickly subdued by the guards.

"Pan Shijian, you destroy evidence, take bribes, and allow your son to commit violence. May you die a terrible death!" Pang Da was also subdued by the guard leader and could only curse.

Pan Fuyin glanced at him coldly, ignored him, and waved his hand, ordering the guards to quickly drag the carriage away.

At that moment, a clear voice came, "Lord Pan, what are you doing? Why are you picking on the young ones?"

Pan Shijian turned around at the sound of the voice and saw Song Xinghai, wearing a crown and a brocade robe, riding a tall horse and leading a group of guards, coming in a grand procession. His heart sank, thinking, "Oh no, I couldn't get the carriage away before Song Xinghai."

Pang Da, the clever boy, saw the Ming King in person and his eyes darted around. He called out loudly, "Your Highness, you must do us justice. Lord Pan allows his son to commit violence and even tries to destroy evidence."

The special guard, following Song Li's instructions, quickly returned to headquarters and reported the information to the Ming King. Song Xinghai immediately understood, thinking, "My son is truly a lucky general. I was eyeing the Zhong Prince's faction, and I was worried about not finding a reason to act. My son's information is like a timely rain."

So, Song Xinghai led the guards of the Mobile Department to Chang'an Street.

Pan Shijian's face darkened, and he said coldly, "What nonsense are the children talking? Speaking without evidence is slander. Be careful, or I'll tell Secretary Pang to teach you a lesson." Facing Song Xinghai, he smiled and quickly dismounted, bowing and saying, "I greet Your Highness. How have you been, Your Highness?"

Pang Da pursed his lips, thinking, "This old fox changes his face so quickly."

Song Xinghai waved his hand and smiled, "In the market, there's no need for such formalities. I saw from afar that Lord Pan was having a dispute with some children. What's the matter?"

Pan Fuyin smiled and said, "Your Highness, you exaggerate. It's not a dispute. I received a report that a carriage was blocking the market on Chang'an Street. As you can see, this is a bustling commercial street. The carriage is causing a local traffic jam, and many people are gathered to watch. As the governor of the capital, I should handle this. I ordered my guards to move the carriage to restore traffic flow. These children were obstructing the guards in their duties, so I ordered them to stop."

Song Xinghai said coolly, "Shouldn't such matters be handled by the Capital Road Department? Lord Pan, with your many responsibilities, do you need to handle such trivial matters personally? What's the use of the Road Department's head if he can't help his superior? If he can't alleviate the burden, I think he should be dismissed and investigated."

Pan Shijian's heart sank. Song Xinghai's words were not friendly. He openly criticized the Road Department's head for being a figurehead and subtly accused him of being a lax and inefficient governor. His words carried a deadly threat.

"Your Highness, I just happened to be here. Public affairs, big or small, are all for the benefit of the people. I will do my best without any complaint," Pan Fuyin said with a righteous expression and a firm tone.

Seeing Pan Shijian's smooth words, Pang Da rolled his eyes, thinking, "What a load of nonsense. You're just bowing and scraping on your concubine's belly. If it weren't for covering up for your rotten son, you wouldn't care about such trivial matters."

Song Xinghai's face darkened, and he said sternly, "I also received a report that someone was driving a carriage recklessly in the market, disregarding the safety of the people. The carriage is made entirely of gold, and the horses are precious fire kirins. According to eyewitnesses, the driver was Lord Pan's son, Pan Shaofeng. Is this true? I oversee the three special departments, and the Inspection Department has jurisdiction over officials' treason, corruption, and other illegal activities. This golden carriage is so luxurious. If we don't clarify its origin, we can't explain it to the people of the capital! Driving recklessly in the market and disregarding human life is not my responsibility, but the Criminal Department will handle it. However, I must investigate the origin of this golden carriage."

"Your Highness, are you saying this golden carriage belongs to my son? That's impossible. I've never seen such a carriage in my house. Where did Your Highness get this information? Please have the informant come forward and confront my son," Pan Shijian said with a look of surprise, as if he had never heard such news before. Even Pang Da had to admit that this old fox was a superb actor.

"Then, Lord Pan, please have your son come forward. The people here know best if this carriage belongs to him," Song Xinghai pointed to the crowd, who were the most powerful witnesses.

"Um... My son just returned from his sect. He has many friends, and I don't know where he is. Let me move the carriage to avoid traffic congestion. I will ask him clearly when he returns and give you an answer," Pan Shijian signaled to his guards to move the carriage quickly.

Suddenly, there was a loud "clang" as the guards of the Mobile Department drew their long swords, the cold blade light flashing in the sunlight, blinding everyone. Song Xinghai roared, "Without my order, who dares to move the carriage? They will be killed without mercy!"

"Yes!" Hundreds of Mobile Department guards responded in unison, their long swords pointing at Pan Fuyin's guards. A cold and deadly aura spread!

Pan Fuyin's guards were terrified. They were just private guards, and compared to the battle-hardened steel guards of the Mobile Department, they were worlds apart. The pressure from the Mobile Department guards' drawn swords was overwhelming, making it hard for them to breathe.

"Your Highness, calm down, calm down!" Pan Shijian didn't expect Song Xinghai to turn so quickly. He said respectfully, "We are all serving the empire. There's no need for bloodshed. Let's talk it out, let's talk it out."

Song Xinghai's face was stern, and he said solemnly, "Lord Pan, you claim to be performing official duties, but you brought your private guards. When did your private guards become capable of performing official duties? Do you consider the Holy Lion Empire to be your personal property? Pan Shijian, you have a lot of nerve!"

Song Xinghai's final roar made Pan Shijian shudder. Pan Shaofeng, the young man, was even more terrified, his head almost touching his crotch. Song Xinghai's words were a direct attack on his heart. Bringing his private guards to perform official duties wasn't a big deal, but Song Xinghai accused him of considering the Holy Lion Empire as his personal property, implying that he had rebellious intentions. This accusation of rebellion was a heavy charge, and even the cunning Pan Fuyin couldn't help but panic.

Who in the capital today doesn't know that the Ming King is the most favored by the Holy Emperor? His words have a significant impact on the Holy Emperor. If he says Pan Shijian is plotting rebellion, the Holy Emperor will likely believe it. Even if he doesn't believe it, he will pretend to, to show trust in his top confidant. Besides, why should you, Pan Shijian, who is aligned with the Zhong Prince, be spared from such an accusation?

"Your Highness, I only saw the traffic congestion and the distance to the Road Department, so I brought my guards to clear the road. Everything I did was for the people, with no personal motives," Pan Shijian cried out, claiming innocence.

"Lord Pan, traffic is a small matter, but official corruption is a big one. I will take this carriage back for a thorough investigation by the Inspection Department! I won't wrong a good person, but I won't let a bad person go unpunished, especially those in high positions who abuse their power to oppress the people and embezzle the empire's wealth. I will deal with each one, without leniency!" Song Xinghai's words were stern and forceful, making cold sweat pour down Pan Shijian's back.

Pan Shaofeng also realized that he had made a big mistake. He shouldn't have provoked Song Li, the star of misfortune. If Song Li had asked him to apologize to the people, he could have just apologized. Saying sorry and admitting a mistake wouldn't have cost him anything, and he would still have enjoyed his life afterward. But he insisted on making Song Li bow and even left the carriage at the scene, which was a clear mistake. However, he couldn't blame himself entirely; he didn't know that Song Li's father, Song Xinghai, had become the head of the three special departments. If he had known, he wouldn't have dared to do it even with ten thousand lives.

As the saying goes, "Thirty years on the east side, thirty years on the west side." He suffered because he didn't expect that Song Xinghai and his son would rise from being despised to becoming powerful figures in just one year!

With these words, Pan Shijian naturally didn't dare to argue with Song Xinghai over the carriage. He watched helplessly as the Mobile Department took the carriage away, even taking the driver inside. The poor driver heard everything clearly but didn't dare to come out.

Song Xinghai led the Mobile Department guards, taking the carriage away triumphantly. Pang Da and his Justice Alliance brothers cheered, witnessing the Ming King's might and envying their leader Song Li even more. Pan Shijian, a prominent figure in the empire, was completely powerless against the Ming King, utterly defeated.

Pan Shijian and his son left the scene in disgrace, and Pang Da and his group burst into laughter, their laughter filled with ridicule and mockery of the Pan family.

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