CH 123

Zheng Shaofeng happened to hear Tang Tianyuan’s arrogant order, so he insisted on offering to help. He kidnapped Zhu Dacong with ease and threw him into the Retreat Hall.

Tang Tianyuan invited Tan Nengwen and his wife to the Retreat Hall, then closed the doors. Huanggua was guarding the outside, so that no one else could enter.

Zhu Dacong was very annoyed. Looking at the current people present, he knew why the other party brought him here. But how dare he tie him up? The man had a lot of guts. He got up from the ground and said in a deep voice, "You are quite courageous."

As if to prove how courageous he was, Tang Tianyuan suddenly lifted his foot and hit Zhu Dacong's chest. The latter was in the midst of standing up and his knees were still bent. So when Tang Tianyuan’s foot hit him, Zhu Dacong fell back to the ground with a ‘bang!’

Tan Nengwen and his wife were stunned and forgot to react. Tan Lingyin had just cried, so with reddened eyes, she wanted to stop Tang Tianyuan. Afterall, Zhu Dacong was the prefecture magistrate's son. If Tang Feilong beat him like this, he might be retaliated against.

Zheng Shaofeng pressed Tan Lingyin's shoulder down and comforted her with a smile. "Tan meizi, don't fret."

Tan Lingyin pointed at Zhu Dacong, "But he is..."

Zheng Shaofeng shook his head and interrupted her, "Don't fret, it's fine."

Although Tan Lingyin was still worried, since ‘Tang Tianyuan’ said he was fine, then he must be fine. With furrowed brows, she looked at Tang Feilong.

Zhu Dacong wanted to get up again, but just as he raised his upper body a little, Tang Tianyuan stepped forward and stepped on his chest. He pressed down hard, making Zhu Dacong unable to move.

When had Zhu Dacong been so humiliated? He glared fiercely at Tang Tianyuan and asked angrily, "Do you know who I am?!"

Tang Tianyuan lowered his eyes to look at him, and replied in a calm voice, "I don't know who you are, but I know who your father is."

"Since you know, how dare you be so presumptuous?"

Tang Tianyuan squatted down suddenly, but his foot on Zhu Dacong did not move. Due to the change in pressure, Zhu Dacong felt sharp pain on his chest and almost vomited blood. Tang Tianyuan patted Zhu Dacong's face, and said, "Li Congneng. Passed the imperial exams and was given the title of jinshi in the fourteenth year of Chundao. Eighty-ninth place in the second rank of candidates. Currently the prefecture magistrate of Jinan, a fourth-rank official."

An incredulous look flashed on Zhu Dacong's face. It was not surprising for others to know his father was a prefecture magistrate of Jinan, but to know the year and ranking of his father's imperial examination... Was this person familiar with his family?

But it was also not a heavily kept secret. As long as one puts in the effort to inquire, this information could also be found. Thinking of this, Zhu Dacong looked at him coldly again, "And you are still not releasing me? You are just a small seventh-rank county magistrate! You dare kidnap people at will in broad daylight? You really plucked up some courage!"

Tang Tianyuan slapped Zhu Dacong mercilessly across the face. Zhu Dacong was slapped silly; he could see stars in his eyes.

"I arrested you because you kidnaped innocent people," Tang Tianyuan said, "Although I hate bringing out elders, you insist on fighting with your father. Then, I don't mind telling you who my father is."

Tang Tianyuan’s calm reply caused Zhu Dacong to suddenly feel a sense of uneasiness.

"My father became a jinshi during the tenth year of Chundao. He once was also a prefecture magistrate, but that was more than ten years ago," Tang Tianyuan said as he watched Zhu Dacong's face change. He inwardly shook his head and concluded this rascal was gutless as he continued, "My old man is now a Head Minister for the Ministry of Appointments, the Chief Minister of the Royal Government; a first-ranked official."

Zhu Dacong was a little terrified at first, but when he heard this, he quickly relaxed. This person really could brag. As if he was listening to a tall tale, Zhu Dacong sneered and looked at Tang Tianyuan with disdain. "Your father is Tang Ruoling?"

Another slap hit him. Zhu Dacong was stunned, and there were more stars in front of him.

"How dare you call my father's name so casually?" Tang Tianyuan still wanted to slap him some more.

Tan Lingyin almost collapsed. Tang Feilong was pretending to be Tang Tianyuan! Although this method was very gratifying, it was too unsafe! In case someone reported it...Ah no, no, no! The real Tang Tianyuan was right in front of him, so the act of pretending should have been approved by the Lord. Was this the so-called ‘it’s fine’?

Tan Lingyin was in dismay.

Zhu Dacong took a moment to regain himself. He still didn't believe him, and deliberately sneered, "Tang Ruo..." Seeing Tang Feilong raise his hand again, he immediately changed his words; intelligent ones know not to suffer the immediate loss. Zhu Dacong said, "Tang Tianyuan is a Tan Hua personally handpicked by the imperial majesty. He works at Imperial Hanlin Academy. How could he become a county magistrate in such a dissipated place? You don't even know these things, and you still want to pretend to be Tang Tianyuan?"

"It seems that you won’t cry until you see a coffin." Tang Tianyuan stated. He suddenly raised his right upwards.

Zheng Shaofeng had a tacit understanding and threw something over.

It was quite heavy as it made a sound when being thrown midair. Tang Tianyuan caught it without turning his head.

Zhu Dacong took a closer look: it was a seal. Ah no, it was not a regional seal, because the seal was rectangular and not squared. The ink pad was not red but purple...

He thought he was hallucinating because of the two slaps he received just now.

Tang Tianyuan held the handle of the seal, shaking it in front of Zhu Dacong's eyes. "Look, this is my imperial envoy's seal." As he said, he knocked the handle of the seal on Zhu Dacong's head. The sharp and hard corner pierced the skin on Zhu Dacong's forehead, and the wound soon oozed blood.

However this time, Zhu Dacong didn’t make a sound.