Chapter 683: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 683: Slap in the Face - The Imperial Edict Arrives (4)
Mo Yan seemed not to notice the six men and gently patted the heads of the Five Beasts, saying softly, “You all stand still and let the officer and the elders touch you. Don’t run away.”
Her tone was as if soothing children, but the Four Beasts, despite their usual disdain for anyone other than Mo Yan touching them, complied. They knew that their temporary sacrifice would help prove their innocence and give Mo Yan the opportunity to take rightful revenge on the schemers.
Encouraged by Mo Yan, the officials and elders nervously reached out to touch the Four Beasts. To their surprise, the beasts' fur felt incredibly smooth and soft, like the finest silk. It quickly became clear why Mo Yan had asked them to do this.
Seeing their reaction, the six men felt uneasy. Before they could voice their doubts, they hurriedly turned to Mo Qingze and threatened, “We’ve shown the evidence. Pay us quickly, or we’ll make sure to get influential people involved. Your family will have no good days ahead!”
Mo Qingze, confident and amused by their threats, retorted, “I’m curious to see how your so-called influential people will make us have a hard time.”
At this point, the six were not trying to escape but were still trying to extort money. It was unclear whether they were incredibly foolish or overly confident in their so-called supporters.
The leading official interjected, sternly rebuking the six men, “You’re the ones who falsely accused the Five Beasts and tried to extort the Mo family. How dare you threaten them now? Who gave you the nerve?”
Caught off guard by the sudden rebuke, the six men, flustered, began to shamelessly argue, “Who said we falsely accused anyone or extorted the Mo family? We still have the injuries on us. We couldn’t have done it ourselves! Officer, you’ve accepted benefits from the Mo family. Don’t lie!”
“That’s right! What benefits did the Mo family give you to make you protect them? Don’t forget why you were sent here!” The six continued to berate the officer, using threats and coercion.
The officer, who had been instructed to handle the case impartially, found himself in a difficult situation. He had hoped to use this case to earn favor from the Mo family, but with the clear evidence of extortion and falsified claims, he was reluctant to play along with their deceitful tactics.
While the officer dealt with the six, Mo Yan took the opportunity to hand the four clumps of fur to the most vocal villagers outside. She asked them to compare the fur with that of the Five Beasts. This would not only discredit the six but also dispel any doubts the villagers might have about the Five Beasts.
The villagers, eager to examine the fur, quickly compared it with the Five Beasts' fur. It didn’t take long for them to realize the fur was fake. Their faces turned grim, and even those who had previously been skeptical or opportunistic now dared not voice any further doubts.
The six, undeterred, continued to insist that the Five Beasts were responsible for their injuries.
Mo Yan, having cleared the villagers' doubts, grew impatient with the six and called the Four Beasts over to compare their claws and teeth directly with the wounds on the six men. The results were clear: the bite and scratch marks did not match the Five Beasts' claws and teeth.
The irrefutable evidence left the six men speechless. But upon hearing that Mo Yan planned to report them to the authorities for extortion, they resorted to threats, claiming they had influential backers who could make things worse for the Mo family. They threatened, “We have powerful people backing us. If you don’t let us go, we’ll report your illegal keeping of these beasts to the Emperor. Your entire family will face ruin!”
In the past, the late Emperor had decreed that any wild beasts that posed a threat or were kept by ordinary people should be dealt with by the authorities. While noble families could keep such beasts if they did not cause trouble, ordinary people faced severe penalties if discovered, including fines or detention.
Mo Yan was enraged by their threats, her anger boiling over. She would have gladly let the Five Beasts attack them, but she knew she needed to stay rational. Since these men admitted to having powerful connections, she speculated that their backers might be the ones orchestrating the whole scheme or were closely involved with the mastermind.
Just as Mo Yan tried to figure out who their influential backer might be, a sharp voice rang out from outside the door: “The Imperial Edict has arrived—”
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