Most of the townspeople were fools who had never left the ravine in their entire lives. They were afraid of misfortune, so they would lose their minds at the slightest instigation. Moreover, Zhong Li's family had always been ostracized by the townspeople and lived outside the town, so they were not very popular.
At this moment, they were all talking and gesticulating, completely forgetting that the person they were forcing was just a weak girl who had lost her last pillar of support.
Zhong Li bit her lip, her face pale, but she refused to take a step back. She looked at the hateful faces around her, and the sorrow in her heart was indescribable. If it was not for the fact that her brother's funeral had not yet been held, she would have died just like this.
"Da da da!"
A series of hurried galloping suddenly sounded in the bamboo forest. It sounded far away at first, but it was close in the blink of an eye. It had no intention of stopping, and it looked like it was about to crash into the small courtyard.
The townspeople hurriedly fled.
The white horse leaped over the fence with a light leap, separating Zhong Li from the other townspeople.
The rider pulled the reins hard, and the horse reared up with a neigh. It lowered its hooves and circled restlessly on the spot, stirring up a cloud of dust.
The townspeople retreated to the edge of the small courtyard and looked at the rider in fear.
The rider was dressed in white and rode on a white horse. His long hair was loose, and his tall figure complemented the horse he was riding. His handsome face was solemn at this moment, and he had a dignified temperament that was not angry.
The midday sun shone directly on the rider's clothes and white horse. This sudden change was like a god descending to the mortal world.
Xu Xian looked around, and wherever his gaze landed, the townspeople could not help but lower their heads. He turned around and approached Zhong Li, who was just as shocked as the other townspeople. He smiled and said, "You must be Zhong Kui's younger sister!" After all, he had arrived in time and did not cause any trouble.
Zhong Li raised her head, and the dazzling sunlight made it difficult for her to open her eyes. She could only see a blurry silhouette with the golden edges of the sunlight. She could hear the voice clearly, and she could vaguely feel that he seemed to be smiling at her.
As a result, the man, who had been as dignified as a god, was now filled with warmth when he smiled. Even his voice had an indescribable gentleness to it, making you believe that this person would not have any ill intentions towards others.
Xu Xian said, "Isn't that so?"
The girl in front of him was beautiful as if she was made in heaven. She was not inferior to any woman he had ever seen. Compared to Zhong Kui, she was the polar opposite.
No matter who saw the two of them, they would not think that they were brother and sister.
Zhong Li said, "I am, and you are?" He did not remember when or where he had seen such a person, otherwise he would not have forgotten.
Xu Xian was slightly taken aback. He dismounted and said, "I'm your brother's friend. He once asked me to take care of you. Didn't he come back?" He scanned the area but could not detect any trace of Zhong Kui's aura.
Logically speaking, Zhong Kui should have returned long ago. Did something happen on the way?
Xu Xian wasn't worried at all. The famous people in the book were the kind of people who would pick up the secret manuals after falling off a cliff. He didn't need to worry at all.
Zhong Li's gloomy eyes suddenly lit up. She stepped forward and said, "You … You're saying that my brother is still alive?"
Xu Xian shook his head regretfully. "He's indeed not in this world, but you can't say that for sure."
Although he now felt that Zhong Kui's death was a worthy one, the girl in front of him clearly did not think so.
Zhong Li's body trembled, and a layer of ice formed on her face. The good impression she had of Xu Xian for helping her out of a difficult situation instantly vanished. Her heart was filled with bitterness and hatred. "Life is life, death is death.
Since my brother is no longer in this world, and you're pretending to look left and right, are you going to bully me for being a weak girl? "
"I don't need anyone to take care of me. Go back to where you came from, young master!"
Xu Xian knew that she had misunderstood because of her inappropriate words, but this matter couldn't be explained in a few words, let alone in public. She could only say, "I'll explain it to you later!" The most important thing right now was to figure out what was going on with the townspeople.
The merchant frowned and asked, "Where did you come from?"
He thought that Zhong Li was already in his pocket. As long as the townspeople forced him a little more, he could make an empty promise to Zhong Li, saying that he would help him bury his brother or something, and then he could take her away from here. At that time, she would be a weak woman who had to leave her hometown, and she could still turn the world upside down. However, he did not expect that someone would interfere.
He saw that Xu Xian's clothes were extraordinary, and that the horse he was riding on was even more expensive. It was obvious that he was not a commoner, so he wanted to retreat. However, when he saw Zhong Li standing alone behind him, as pure as clear water and as beautiful as a peony, his heart was filled with hatred. If he could hug such a woman and sleep for a night, he would be willing to shorten his lifespan. As long as he could leave this place, no one would be able to find him in this vast world.
Xu Xian glanced at the merchant but did not answer him. Instead, he raised his voice and asked, "Which one is the chief?"
The chief walked out and said, "I am. Young master, where are you from?"
Xu Xian said, "How can you force a weak girl like this?"
He was considered a "red scarf" who respected the old and loved the young, but after seeing the scene just now, he really did not have a good impression of the chief who led this group of people here.
Seeing that he ignored his question, the chief obviously did not take him seriously. He snorted and said, "This is our Stone Well Town's matter, it has nothing to do with an outsider like you."
The merchant walked past Xu Xian and said to Zhong Li, "Miss, don't you want to bury your brother?
How are you going to bury him here? Why don't you follow me to Chang 'an to collect his corpse? I will give you another 100 taels of silver, and you will definitely be able to hold a grand funeral. "
Zhong Li suddenly raised her head. She was not a fool, so how could she not see the merchant's intentions? However, she was currently in a difficult situation.
Usually, Zhong Kui had to focus on his studies and did not care about production. She only relied on her weaving to make a living, and all the money she saved was given to Zhong Kui for the imperial examinations.
Now that Zhong Kui was dead, there was only some food left at home. Not to mention collecting Zhong Kui's corpse, they could not even hold a simple funeral.
Zhong Li looked up at Xu Xian and thought to herself, "Since this person claims to be my brother's friend, he must be thinking the same thing."
Xu Xian frowned and said, "I came back this time because of the imperial edict to bury Brother Zhong properly."
Imperial edict?
Some people did not understand what these two words meant, while others had their eyes wide open and were speechless.
The merchant trembled and said, "Imperial edict?
You, what proof do you have? "
He could vaguely feel that he had hit the wall this time. Counterfeiting an imperial edict was a crime punishable by death, and no one would dare to do so.
Xu Xian cupped his hands towards the sky and said, "I am the Tanhua, a seventh-ranked editor of the Hanlin Academy, appointed by the Emperor himself. Why would I lie to you?
This is the imperial edict that His Majesty passed down during the Qionglin Banquet. He also bestowed upon Zhong Kui the title of 'Blessing the Manor', a green robe, a portrait, and a temple as a sacrifice. All the Jinshi can testify to this. "
As soon as he said this, the small courtyard fell silent, and the sound of the wind blowing through the bamboo forest could be heard.
The patriarch was indeed experienced and knowledgeable. He was the first to react and immediately knelt on the ground. He kowtowed repeatedly and said, "It turns out to be the master of Hanlin Academy. I have eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai."
He was filled with regret and fear. The highest ranking official he had seen in his life was the county magistrate, but that was only a seventh-ranked official. This young man in front of him was actually a seventh-ranked official in the capital, even higher than the county magistrate. Moreover, he was the editor of the Hanlin Academy. He did not know much about editing, but the three words' Hanlin Academy 'were indeed well-known.
In his eyes, those who could enter the Hanlin Academy were all masters of the Literati Star. There was one standing in front of him, and he had dared to speak to him in such a manner just now. Now, Zhong Kui looked very dissatisfied with him. Wasn't this asking for his life?
Never in his wildest dreams did he expect that not only was Zhong Kui not punished, but he was even rewarded. He did not know what crime he had committed by pressuring Zhong Li. Even if he did not go to jail, a few floggings was not something his old bones could take!
When the clan leader knelt, the rest of the townspeople also reacted. They all knelt on the ground and called out, "Master!"
It was the most basic common sense in this era that commoners had to pay respect to officials. Even the most unruly commoners would not dare to disobey this rule. The crime of "being rude" could be serious or minor, and the punishment could also be severe or minor. It was not impossible for people to lose their lives after being flogged dozens of times. This was the cruelty of the class society.
Xu Xian was now an official in office. He did not seem to be a high-ranking official in the imperial court, but in the eyes of the commoners, he was like the sky. The commoners only interacted with officials.
Only the merchant was still standing there in a daze, not knowing what to do.
He hoped very much that Xu Xian was lying, but at the same time, he understood that no one would dare to say such a lie. His legs immediately trembled and turned to jelly. The little bit of lust in his heart was immediately thrown out the window. However, before he could kneel, the clan leader said bitterly, "Shitou, Ergou, hold him down!" He hated the merchant to the core. Not only did the merchant not solve the disaster, but he had also brought disaster upon himself.
Immediately two farmers with big shoulders and round waists emerged from the crowd and pounced on the merchant, pressing him to the ground.
Zhong Li's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly. She did not expect things to develop like this. Looking at Xu Xian's back, her heart was in turmoil.
"He's here to help my brother bury him, and he's here under the imperial edict.
He's the third flower, so did he get to know my brother during the exam?
He said he's my brother's friend, so maybe he's not lying!
Is my brother really going to entrust me to him? "
She had thousands of questions in her heart, but the most realistic one was that she should kneel to him as well.
Xu Xian looked at the people kneeling in front of him and felt a little uncomfortable. However, when he thought of how they looked just now, he thought of it as punishment!