There was a moment of silence among the crowd, followed by a hubbub.
"Alas, this isn't Miss Su."
"Yes, why has the person changed?"
Xu Yi, holding a broadsword, looked even more serious. He pressed the blade against the woman's neck and demanded,
"Are you Li Kunshan's accomplice? Where has he gone?"
The woman trembled all over, her face as pale as paper. She wanted to shake her head but didn't dare to move. Crying, she said,
"My name is Li Yun. I don't know who Li Kunshan is. Miss Su asked me to write a letter home on her behalf here. If you don't believe me, sir, go and ask her. She's in the carriage over there at the end of the street."
Li Yun pointed at the carriage at the end of the street. The carriage curtain was quickly lowered, and the coachman whipped the horse to set off.
"Go and bring her here. Search the carriage by the way."
Xu Yi frowned, his voice full of malevolence.
Immediately, a yamen runner rushed towards the carriage, shouting as he ran to stop it from leaving.
Xu Yi scanned the crowd and then said,
"Li Kunshan is a wanted criminal who has killed countless people. If you hadn't blocked our way here, we would have arrested him long ago. If he escapes into Zhuque Street in the north and harms any noble person, none of you will get away easily."
As he spoke, he unfolded a wanted poster in front of the crowd.
"Take a good look. This is Li Kunshan. Did any of you see which way he went just now? If you tell me, I'll overlook your previous misdeeds, and you'll even be credited for your contribution."
He scanned the crowd again, but no one dared to meet his eyes. They all hung their heads.
Xu Yi's heart sank. It seemed that no one had seen Li Kunshan. But just now, Li Kunshan had disappeared into this crowd.
Just as he was thinking, a yamen runner brought a woman over. It was Su Hele.
The yamen runner silently shook his head at Xu Yi. Xu Yi couldn't help but grip his broadsword tightly. This was really getting troublesome.
"Why did you ask someone to impersonate you? What's your purpose? Do you know Li Kunshan?"
Xu Yi stared intently at Su Hele, his voice cold.
Su Hele had already learned the whole story from the yamen runner. She lowered her eyes and said nothing.
This was a serious matter. She had to think of a proper reason.
Xu Yi shouted angrily, "Speak up!"
"Miss Su, please tell them quickly. You were just tired and didn't want to write the letter home but didn't want others to know, so you asked me to be your substitute. I have nothing to do with Li Kunshan. You know that. Please tell them quickly!"
Unable to bear the pressure, Li Yun blurted out. Tears left white streaks on her face. She looked pitiful and ridiculous.
The crowd looked at each other in surprise. So it was because of this.
Xu Yi had been working in the Jingzhao Prefecture for many years. He immediately understood what was going on. Anger welled up in his mind.
"If you hadn't been here putting on an act to gain fame, Li Kunshan wouldn't have escaped in the chaos. If he causes more trouble, I'll surely punish you. You, keep an eye on her."
He casually pointed at a yamen runner and then said,
"Continue the search. Dig three feet into the ground if you have to, but find Li Kunshan for me."
Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, Su Hele's face turned pale. She bit her inner lip hard to control her emotions and not lose her composure.
She looked coldly at Li Yun. What a spineless thing.
"Sir, I saw the wanted criminal running towards Zhuque Street."
The familiar voice immediately caught Su Hele's attention. She turned her head abruptly and saw Su Nansheng sitting on the ground not far away, protecting an old woman.
The old woman seemed to be frightened. Her breathing was a bit rapid. Su Nansheng was gently patting her on the back to comfort her.
"If you saw him, why didn't you say so earlier? These sirs have been waiting impatiently." Su Hele said immediately.
Su Nansheng sneered,
"If it weren't for the crowd your sister gathered almost trampling me and this old lady to death, I would have led people to chase the wanted criminal long ago."
Hearing this, the yamen runners glared at Su Hele and then rushed towards Zhuque Street.
"Wait a minute, sister. You can't make up stories to get out of trouble. How did you know he was the wanted criminal? Do you know him?"
Su Hele's face remained calm, but her tone was full of meaning.
"Of course I recognize Li Kunshan." Su Nansheng's words immediately made Xu Yi stop in his tracks. He motioned for a few yamen runners to continue chasing and stayed where he was.
"I saw many wanted posters on my way here. How could I not recognize him? As for getting out of trouble, it wasn't me who gathered the crowd. What crime do I have?"
Su Nansheng stepped towards Su Hele step by step.
"Sister asked me to write the letter home on your behalf here yesterday. I came here sick to share your burden, but you imply that I know the wanted criminal. What's the reason for this?"
After saying that, Su Nansheng stood in front of Su Hele, her eyes cold and frosty.
Su Hele was intimidated by her imposing manner. She staggered and took several steps back.
Xu Yi sighed and turned to run towards Zhuque Street.
Just then, he saw a group of people coming towards him. At the front were several yamen runners, and they were holding a man captive. It was Li Kunshan.
Xu Yi couldn't help but feel overjoyed. He quickened his steps to greet them.
"Boss Xu, it was these strong men who subdued him."
Immediately, several strong men showed their heads from behind.
"We heard there's a reward of fifty taels of silver?"
"Just now, this man almost slipped into a lord's mansion. The gate of that mansion is vermilion."
Xu Yi's heart skipped a beat. Only officials of at least the third rank could use vermilion.
If this wanted criminal who had killed dozens of people really escaped into the mansion of a third - rank official... Xu Yi's eyebrows twitched. He didn't even dare to think about the consequences.
"There's a reward. Those who participated in the capture should register. You can go and collect the silver tomorrow."
Xu Yi was very generous. Since a disaster had been averted, he was happy to give out the silver.
The crowd cheered and turned to thank each other.
"Miss Bitao, you're also entitled to a share. If it weren't for you showing us the wanted poster, we wouldn't have had the chance to earn this silver."
Only then did Xu Yi notice a young girl behind the crowd.
Bitao grinned. "Hehe, it was my miss who told me to look at the wanted poster carefully. We'll earn the silver together."
Xu Yi smiled and ordered the prisoner to be escorted back to the Jingzhao Prefecture.
"Sister, you actually asked those commoners to do such a dangerous thing. He's a murderer. He'll surely take revenge when he gets out. How could you put them in such danger?"
Su Hele raised her head, her tone solemn.
"If we don't arrest him and let him run into our mansion and harm our master, what's wrong with you, girl? Who's your father?"
A man who looked like a butler chased after them from behind. Then he bowed deeply to Xu Yi.
"On behalf of our master, Minister Cao, I thank the Jingzhao Prefecture for ridding the people of this evil. Our master ordered me to go with you and tell the prefect about the situation. This criminal must be severely punished."
Xu Yi understood that this was an attempt to put pressure on the prefect. How could he refuse?
Just as he was leaving, he said coolly,
"Li Kunshan will surely end up being executed in the marketplace. He won't be able to come out for revenge. But Miss Su gathered a crowd and blocked the road to gain fame, almost allowing the wanted criminal to sneak into Minister Cao's mansion. This matter must be accounted for."
After saying that, he ignored Su Hele and accompanied the butler to the Jingzhao Prefecture.
Behind him, Su Hele's face turned deathly pale.