“Shhh——don’t be so loud! Didn’t you see that the last horse in the group was being ridden by the governor himself? The two people in front of him should be the noble individuals living in the guest residence. Perhaps one of them is even the great imperial envoy!” A young fellow whose aunt’s third nephew had a job at the neighborhood yamen spoke up in a quiet voice.

“The great imperial envoy can’t recklessly hurt people. How could it be okay if the horses rushing by trampled people?” The person who spoke up was a scholar dressed in appropriate attire.

The person with the relative at the yamen continued, “Perhaps it’s related to the recent spree of crimes. I heard that in the northwestern suburbs another family had been extinguished and it was a very bloody sight. These horrible criminals are too cruel. Stealing valuables is one thing but why do they need to kill off an entire family?” 

“Is the governor riding fast through the marketplace related to that group of criminals?” Another passerby believed this was the truth. 

No one complained anymore. Recently, all of the families that had a bit of wealth had been trembling with fear as they were afraid that they might become the next unlucky target. The earlier this band of criminals got caught, the earlier the people of Jinling could...