Chapter 93 – We Have the Commander Backing Us

When Liu Qian and the others entered the inn, they saw three richly dressed young nobles harassing a young married woman.

Her husband lay on the ground nearby. His body was covered in footprints, his face swollen and bruised, curled up as he groaned in pain.

The person who had summoned Liu Qian and his group was a fellow traveler who had entered the capital with the couple, Wu Dabao. He pointed at the four young nobles and shouted:

“Those are the ones! They’re the ones forcibly taking someone else’s wife!”

Liu Qian and the others walked over. Immediately, the nobles’ guards stepped forward and blocked their path.

One of the young men in a green robe let out a mocking sound.

“Oh? They actually brought the Jinyiwei. We’re so scared.”

Another young man in a blue robe snorted disdainfully.

“Just a few Ordinary Jinyiwei of the Ninth Rank daring to meddle in our affairs? Be careful you don’t lose your positions the moment you return.”

The man in the purple robe said to Liu Qian and the others,

“I advise you to leave right now. We’ll pretend you were never here.”

Yang Bo and Xu Cheng exchanged glances. It was obvious these men were people they could not afford to offend, and they hesitated over whether they should arrest them.

Liu Qian also showed a trace of hesitation.

Before he joined the Jinyiwei, his father had told him many times that being an official came with countless helpless situations.

He understood clearly which people could be offended and which absolutely could not.

Seeing that Liu Qian’s group had stopped moving, the surrounding onlookers sighed and shook their heads.

“I told you the Jinyiwei coming wouldn’t help. They wouldn’t dare offend the sons of the Capital Prefect.”

“These officials only bully the weak. They strut around in front of commoners, but when they face other officials or officials’ sons, they don’t even dare to fart.”

“That poor young lady is finished. Those three young masters will probably play with her and then toss her aside.”

Liu Qian and the others’ expressions darkened.

Seeing that they weren’t acting, Wu Dabao pleaded,

“Honorable sirs, please help us!”

But Liu Qian and the others still hesitated.

The green-robed young noble suddenly burst out laughing.

“Take her away.”

“Yes.”

Two guards grabbed the young woman by her arms.

“Let go of me! Let go! Officer, please save me!”

The young woman cried desperately toward Liu Qian and the others.

“My wife! Let go of my wife!”

Her husband struggled to get up from the ground, but he had no strength left in his body.

At that moment, the two guards dragging the woman suddenly stopped.

The green-robed noble walking behind them shouted,

“Why did you stop?”

One of the guards turned his head and said,

“A girl wearing the Jinyiwei flying fish uniform is blocking the road.”

“A girl wearing the Jinyiwei flying fish uniform?”

The green-robed noble thought for a moment.

“She must be that Ninth Rank Jinyiwei personally appointed by the Emperor.”

So what if she had been personally appointed by the Emperor? There was no special treatment attached. A Ninth Rank was still a Ninth Rank, hardly worth his attention.

When Liu Qian saw Mu Nanjin enter, he immediately brightened and hurried over.

“Squad Leader Mu.”

Mu Nanjin glanced at the guards holding the woman and said calmly,

“You assaulted civilians and attempted to abduct someone else’s wife. The evidence is clear. Arrest them.”

Liu Qian had been waiting for those words. Turning excitedly, he shouted to the others:

“Brother Yang! Brother Xu! Did you hear that? Arrest them!”

Yang Bo cracked his neck, producing a series of sharp pops.

“I’ve been waiting for the Lady to say that.”

Xu Cheng, a seventh-rank martial artist, did not waste a word. He rushed forward and began beating the guards, who were only third- or fourth-rank fighters, without mercy.

Someone in the crowd shouted excitedly,

“Well done!”

The three young nobles were furious.

“Do you know who we are?!”

“Do you know the consequences of hitting us?!”

“If you don’t want to lose your positions, stop right now!”

Mu Nanjin glanced at them indifferently.

“Even if you were imperial princes, I would still arrest you.”

“You—!”

Before they could finish speaking, Yang Bo and the others had already knocked them to the ground.

“Ah! It hurts! Stop hitting us! Stop!”

Xu Cheng sneered.

“So you know pain too? When you were beating others earlier, didn’t you realize they would hurt as well?”

Mu Nanjin turned to Liu Qian.

“Go find the Jinyiwei patrolling nearby and have them come over. Send these people to the Jinyiwei prison. Also tell Colonel Liu that they are not to be released until I return and interrogate them myself.”

“Yes!”

Liu Qian quickly found ten Jinyiwei.

When the ten Jinyiwei saw the richly dressed young nobles, they hesitated, afraid of offending people they should not offend.

However, Mu Nanjin had already guaranteed she would take responsibility if anything happened. With no other choice, they obeyed and escorted the group to the Jinyiwei prison.

The surrounding citizens burst into applause.

Liu Qian then asked Mu Nanjin,

“Miss, my father told me a Squad Leader can lead ten people. Why do you only have the three of us?”

If they had ten people, they would not have needed help.

Mu Nanjin explained,

“There’s a saying: better to have none than to have inferior ones. Most Ordinary Jinyiwei of the Ninth Rank are only first-rank martial artists. They would not be much help by my side. It’s better to wait until we meet higher-ranked martial artists before recruiting them.”

Liu Qian nodded.

“So that’s how it is.”

He felt fortunate that his father was a Colonel, which allowed him to be assigned under Mu Nanjin. Otherwise, with his fourth-rank cultivation, Mu Nanjin likely would not even look twice at him.

Just then, Wu Dabao and the young woman helped the injured husband over and knelt before them.

“Thank you, Lords! Thank you!”

Liu Qian quickly helped them up.

“This is our duty. There’s no need for such a grand gesture. Please stand. Also, this inn is no longer a safe place for you, leave as soon as possible.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Lord. We’ll leave immediately.”

Wu Dabao and the others quickly helped the man away to find a doctor.

Mu Nanjin said,

“Let’s continue the patrol.”

Since the government office was nearby, she also went there to handle the matter of changing her household registration.

When the officials saw her wearing the flying fish uniform, they immediately guessed her identity and did not make things difficult. They quickly processed her registration as a common citizen.

Half an Hour Later – Left Courtyard of the Commander’s Office

While Colonel Liu was working, someone came to report:

“Colonel Liu, a group of troublemakers has been brought in and needs to be detained in the Jinyiwei prison. However, the jailer says they should not be imprisoned there. If they are to be locked up, it must be personally approved by you.”

Colonel Liu stopped writing.

“Troublemakers being sent to the Jinyiwei prison? Who arrested them?”

“Squad Leader Mu.”

Colonel Liu: “…”

He had only asked her to patrol. She had actually gone out and arrested people?

He went out to take a look.

It would have been better if he had not.

But once he saw them, his heart nearly stopped.

“The second son of the Capital Prefect… the direct grandson of Marquis Wenle… the youngest son of General Dingguo…”

With every identity he recited, his heart hurt a little more.

Especially seeing their bruised and swollen faces, his heart hurt even more than theirs.

The Jinyiwei who had escorted them said,

“Squad Leader Mu said they must wait for her to return and interrogate them personally before deciding whether they can be released.”

Colonel Liu knew very well that if he did not follow Mu Nanjin’s instructions, she might do something even more unpredictable.

Exhausted, he waved his hand.

“Lock them up first. We’ll deal with the rest when she returns.”

“Yes.”

With Colonel Liu’s approval, the jailer stopped objecting.

Colonel Liu quickly reported the matter to Kan Chaoyan.

Kan Chaoyan sighed helplessly and patted his shoulder.

“Don’t worry. We have the Commander backing us.”

Colonel Liu: “…”

He suddenly realized that the Commander must have it pretty hard too.

Less than three quarters of an hour later, another group of people was delivered to the prison.

Colonel Liu went out to check.

This time, not only did his heart hurt, his liver hurt too.

“The heir of Prince Fu’s residence… the heir of Prince Bao’s residence…”

Another three quarters of an hour passed.

Now even his stomach and lungs hurt.

Because Mu Nanjin had sent another large batch of people.

The prison was almost full.

Colonel Liu could not understand it.

Other people patrolled and nothing happened.

Why was it that every time Mu Nanjin patrolled, she arrested so many people?

Mu Nanjin herself was also puzzled.

Wasn’t patrolling supposed to be the easiest job?

Wasn’t it supposed to involve eating and drinking while strolling around?

Why had she spent the entire time arresting people, arresting people, and still arresting people?

Was heaven deliberately making things difficult for her?

Every time she patrolled, trouble appeared.

Eventually, Mu Nanjin became tired of arresting people.

By mid-afternoon, she returned to the Commander’s Office.

Colonel Liu had been waiting at the entrance and hurried over the moment he saw her.

“Ancestor, you’re finally back!”

Liu Qian, Yang Bo, and Xu Cheng: “…”

Mu Nanjin asked,

“Where are the people I arrested?”

“In the prison.”

Mu Nanjin nodded.

“Let’s go to the prison.”

“Wait.”

Colonel Liu grabbed her shoulder.

“Before that, come meet some people with me.”

“Who?”

“The elders of the people you arrested. They’re already waiting for you in Lord Kan’s document chamber.”

“Let them wait. I’ll interrogate their juniors first.”

Colonel Liu said anxiously,

“Ancestor, do you even know who they are?”

“Even if the Emperor came, he would have to wait.”

Colonel Liu: “…”

He knew she truly dared to do such a thing.

He ordered the gate guards to inform Kan Chaoyan and followed her to the prison.

The prison was noisy, more lively than a marketplace.

“Do you know who I am?! I’m the heir of Prince Bao’s residence! If you imprison me, my father won’t spare you!”

“My father is a general who has rendered great service to the empire! Treating his son like this will chill the hearts of the soldiers!”

“My imperial uncle is the Emperor! You dare imprison his nephew? I’ll have him punish you!”

The jailers wiped sweat from their foreheads after hearing these identities.

They desperately wanted to know which high official had arrested these great lords.

One jailer whispered to the jailer-in-chief,

“Boss, what crimes did they commit? Why were they brought here?”

Another guessed randomly,

“Did their families get confiscated? Or did they commit treason against Great Qian?”

Normally, only major criminals were sent to the Jinyiwei’s heavenly prison for interrogation.

The jailer-in-chief knocked him on the head.

“Stop guessing. They were causing trouble on the street and got arrested by Squad Leader Mu.”

“Squad Leader Mu? Who’s that?”

“Miss Mu. She’s now a Seventh-Rank Squad Leader.”

“Oh, her. She’s really bold to arrest people like these.”

The jailer-in-chief nodded.

“I truly admire her.”

At that moment, Mu Nanjin walked in.

The jailer-in-chief hurried forward with a smile.

“Greetings, Squad Leader Mu.”

Mu Nanjin asked,

“Where are the people I arrested?”

“They’re all locked in the cells.”

Ten prison cells were packed full.

Most of them were guards and attendants.

Mu Nanjin walked to the cells.

When the prisoners saw her, their eyes bulged with rage.

“You damn girl! Let me out now or I’ll have my imperial uncle strip you of your position!”

“You brat! I’ll report you to the Emperor for abusing your authority!”

“If you don’t want your family dragged down with you, release me immediately! Otherwise that Assistant Director in the Ministry of Personnel will have a terrible time!”

Hearing the chaotic shouting, Mu Nanjin frowned slightly.

Xu Cheng shouted,

“Quiet! Everyone be quiet!”

“Who are you, brat? Why should we listen to you?”

“Bah! What authority do you have to silence us?”

Mu Nanjin spoke a single word:

“Silence.”

The word carried overwhelming pressure.

The prisoners instantly felt sharp pain in their heads and fell silent.

“You—”

The moment they tried to speak, their heads throbbed painfully.

Mu Nanjin turned around and sat behind the interrogation desk, signaling Xu Cheng to bring out the first group she had arrested.

Xu Cheng dragged forward the son of the Capital Prefect, the grandson of Marquis Wenle, and the youngest son of General Dingguo.

Mu Nanjin said to the clerk recording the case,

“I speak. You write.”

The clerk nodded.

Mu Nanjin asked calmly,

“Name.”

The three young nobles obediently answered.

Son of the Capital Prefect: “Ma Xuanming.”

Grandson of Marquis Wenle: “Zheng Hongyi.”

Youngest son of General Dingguo: “Shi Yongfeng.”

The clerk was surprised. Just moments ago they had been furious, yet now they answered obediently.

He hurriedly wrote down their names.

Mu Nanjin continued asking their ages and identities.

“Do you know what crimes you committed?”

Ma Xuanming: “Assaulting civilians.”

Zheng Hongyi: “Attempted abduction of a civilian woman.”

Shi Yongfeng: “Insulting a court official.”

Mu Nanjin asked the clerk,

“How many years would these crimes be sentenced to?”

The clerk hesitated.

“That… is difficult to say. It depends on the victim’s injuries and the fact that the abduction wasn’t successful. The severity will determine the punishment. But in my opinion, at least six months.”

Mu Nanjin frowned.

“So short?”

A furious voice suddenly thundered from the prison entrance.

“I’d like to see who dares put my son in prison!”

Colonel Liu, who had been silent the entire time, thought to himself:

This is bad. Prince Bao has arrived.

He turned to Mu Nanjin.

“Prince Bao is here. Come with me to greet him.”

Mu Nanjin lazily stood up and followed him outside.

At the same time, she withdrew her oppressive aura.

The prisoners instantly regained clarity.

“What just happened? My head hurt terribly.”

“Same here. My body felt incredibly heavy.”

Outside the prison, Colonel Liu saw that not only Prince Bao had arrived, many of the prisoners’ elders were present as well.

He quickly cupped his hands.

“Greetings, Prince Bao, Prince Fu…”

Prince Bao’s gaze swept past everyone before landing on Mu Nanjin.

He snorted coldly.

“A mere seventh-rank sesame official, yet with such great authority. You dared ignore us and run straight to the prison instead. Do you know we could charge you with disrespect?”