As soon as Lou Qianhuan entered the house, he saw his butler greeting him with horror and said anxiously: "Master, this is something that someone sent to the doorstep this evening. It seems...it seems to be the hairpin the old lady usually uses."

Lou Qianhuan took the jade hairpin he handed over, and when he looked at it, his body was shocked: "How come this is here?" Compared to his trusted butler, he could naturally tell that the hairpin was indeed something his mother had always worn on his head, or was it presented by himself a few years ago on his mother's 60th birthday.

What made him even more shocked was that his mother was not in this Shouchun City now, but was in her hometown of Huguang. Does this mean... he didn't dare to think about the next thing, and could only say in a trembling voice: "Apart from this hairpin, is there anything else to bring in?"

"Yes, there are just one letter, which was written by the master to open and read by himself, and the young one dared not make decisions." The housekeeper said, and handed over the letter with the letter "Lou Tongzhi's Kid".

Lou Qianhuan snatched it, tore open the envelope and quickly looked at the light in front of the door, and then his body shook even harder: "How dare they...they are so brave..."

...

At the same time, when he returned to the inn, Liu Du and others also received "gifts" and letters carefully prepared for them, as usual, one or several personal belongings of their close relatives, and a letter with direct and straightforward words threatening-

"If you dare to hurt my brothers and family members, we will have returned it to your family ten times. Now I will send you the things I have with you as a certificate. Don't say that I am not advising you - the Cao Gang will deliver it."

Sudden angrily sounds gushed out from the mouths of several people, and Fei Chong even punched the table hard, almost smashing the table: "Breaking them back! These Cao Gang thieves who killed thousands of swords really think that I don't dare to kill them all?"

However, after the angry curse, they did not win the conspiracy of the other accomplices. Their faces were very gloomy, but they were more panic. Everyone had weaknesses, and their families were their biggest weaknesses. Now these families have all fallen into the hands of the Cao Gang, and life and death are in their control. How can this prevent them from feeling fearful and panic?

"Governor Fei, I just said that this matter is not easy to deal with, but you insisted on forcing me to force me. Now, my family has fallen into the hands of the thief. How do you think we should deal with it?" Liu Du's status was still above Fei Chong, and he couldn't help but complain and accusations.

"Hmph, I don't know that they dare to really hurt the families of our officials. This will bring Yang Qinghou and others outside to lure them out and catch them all in one go!" Fei Chong took a few breaths and suddenly gave such a head-on countermeasure.

"It's time to be confused. Can you have a safer idea besides shouting and killing?" Liu Du refuted his statement without hesitation, "I won't mention that the current prefect Han is willing to let us mention people. Just pulling people out in public will alarm the whole of Shouchun! Also, I said earlier that they are all desperate people who lick blood on the knife. Do you think you will be threatened by your actions?"

The storm-like accusations made Fei Chong speechless and unable to argue. In fact, he was also panicked. Although he did not always talk about the word "loyalty and filial piety like a civil servant, he was extremely filial to his father at home. Once he thought that he might encounter an accident, his whole heart was suffering.

There are also his two sons who stayed in his hometown, but the Fei family’s future hope is that if they are really killed, they will have no successor. The more they think about it, the more panic in Fei Zhong’s heart becomes, and he can’t even speak.

Liu Du let go and continued to blame: "Also, have you ever thought about whether they would just make a big deal out of the matter or even sue it to the capital? If the trouble really starts, can you and I make everyone keep the secret? By then, don't say that you and I are just local officials, even the prime minister in the court may not be able to save their lives."

"They dare not..." Fei Chong finally gave a little reaction, but before he finished speaking, he was robbed: "I saw that they were indeed afraid of being afraid to make a big deal, but now it is probably different. Now there must be an expert in the Cao Gang who has controlled the situation, and the man grabbed our weakness and gave a counterattack. This is not what I am most worried about. The most terrifying thing is that he might wish we could kill Yang Qinghou and others.

"As long as they die, the Cao Gang will be completely decided by that person. At that time, we will not only pay a heavy price, but also not even get any benefits. Is this the benefit you want?"

When this inference hit Fei Chong's face, his last bit of persistence had dissipated, and his whole face was constantly distorted and changed color. Finally, he sat there dejectedly, but he couldn't say a word.

He really didn't expect that things would go so far. Now they were put in a position of dilemma. After a while, he murmured: "What should we do next?"

"Of course, we are discussing with others. I think this time they will definitely not only target you and me. The families of other officials are afraid that they will also fall into the hands of the Cao Gang. One person has a short plan and two are the leader. They can only discuss with the prefect of Han, Governor Wei and others, and then think of a proper countermeasure." Liu Du also helpedlessly gave a solution that was not a solution.

But he said it right. Before they could calm down from this mutation, the prefect sent someone to come and said that Prefect Han had an urgent matter to discuss.

The two of them knew what this was for and did not dare to delay, so they turned back to the government office. By the time they arrived, Wei Xian, Lou Qianhuan and the others had already arrived first. The expressions of the few people were very ugly. With just one glance, they could guess what they had experienced in less than an hour.

Han Zhun, who was most anxious, didn't care about the superiors and inferiors at this time, and the rules of the officialdom were the first to say: "It seems that you should have received letters and objects from the Cao Gang, right? To be honest, my wife and children were captured by them today. At this point, I have no choice. I dare not force myself to keep people anymore, let alone torture them. If you still want to persevere, I will withdraw."

"The same is true for me. My mother fell into the hands of these wild wicked people. As a son, she felt panic and guilty. She just wanted them to be safe and nothing else mattered anymore." Lou Qianhuan also expressed her opinion.

Only Wei Xian is still making the final efforts: "Have you ever thought about it? They may not really dare to take action. Maybe we can use this as an excuse to disclose their crimes, use troops against them, and capture the Cao Gang members, etc."

"What's the use of this? What we want is the control and interests of the Cao Gang in the Lianghuai River. We don't really want to take the Cao Gang and replace it. If you send troops to take them, not to mention whether it can be done. Even if it really happens, who will take over the mess later? Once the Cao Gang really goes wrong, can you and I afford it?" Liu Du immediately opposed.

Then he quickly left himself clear: "I never thought about how much oil and water could be scraped out of the Cao Gang before, and it was because you were attracted to it that I had to help. But now, my family is implicated, and I can no longer stand on your side anymore. At most, I just pretend not to know." After that, I suddenly got up, bowed my hand slightly, and turned around and left.

As soon as he withdrew, the others were even more difficult to persevere. Han Zhun bit his teeth and said immediately: "Tomorrow, I will send the gifts out of the city. If you want to take him, just do it, but you must be outside my Shouchun Mansion."

"Major Han, you can tell me clearly, but don't forget that this is what the governor means. Do you think it can be really clean?" Seeing that the matter was going to be bad, Fei Chong became even more annoyed, and he sank his face and simply threatened him.

Unexpectedly, his threat did not work this time. Han Zhun shouted: "Who knows whether the governor means it? Even if it is true, since I have made the idea, I will not change it anymore! I said, if you want to do it yourself, just do it, as long as you don't involve me. Governor Fei, at least now I am still the governor of Shouchun. If you force me again, I will take you down and report this matter to the court as it is!"

As he was about to turn against him, Wei Xian, who was standing by, quickly persuaded: "My lords, don't hurt the harmony. We are all people on the same boat. Even if this matter cannot be done, we cannot attack each other. We also empathize with the concerns of the prefect Han. Since you say you want to release people, then let them go. But have you ever thought about it? Can the Cao Gang really accept it? Especially Yang Qinghou and others, who have been under house arrest for many days, how can they not be resentful? If you don't respond properly, the things that follow will still be difficult."

"Governor Wei was thinking about it, and the officials were a little anxious. Since that was the case, let's discuss it again, but the people must be released as soon as possible and notified the Cao Gang and let them release them quickly." With the steps, the prefect Han naturally went down.

Fei Chong's expression changed a few times, but when everyone had already made a choice, he didn't dare to insist anymore. He could only hum, "Then let people go. But I have to make it clear to them. First, I have to send all our families back safely, and second, the matter is over, and no one can mention it again."

"Of course, I think with the wisdom of Yang Qinghou and others, this will still be what we say." Wei Xian said and looked at Han Zhun and Lou Qianhuan again: "This matter will be left to the two adults to deal with."

The two local officials frowned suddenly and wanted to refuse, but they knew that this was the condition for the two governors and the governor behind them to make concessions. So even though this matter seemed quite difficult, they still gritted their teeth and responded: "As you said, we will go to see them tomorrow morning and convince them."
Chapter completed!