Wang Jian had not expected things to escalate so quickly. The agents he had stationed in the Imperial City rushed back with the latest news, saying someone had stopped the Minister of Justice, Ma Xuanlin's carriage to file a complaint, accusing Xuanqing Guard's Deputy Thousand Households, Shen Hao from Fengri City, of wantonly slaughtering innocents.
And Ma Xuanlin really did dismiss his guards on the street, carefully questioned some details from the petitioner, and then led his people straight back to the Ministry of Justice—seemingly preparing to open a formal case.
Because this happened in the street, gossip spread extremely fast. Coupled with the Xuanqing Guard's longstanding unsavory reputation—often associated with "vicious" and "ruthless"—most people took pleasure in the Guard's misfortune, even gloating at their predicament.
