If the Tang Empire won, it would say to its opponents: "You damn well behave yourself in the future, or be careful that I wipe out your entire clan. Pay tribute obediently every year!"
<...By late October, Tokyo was already very cold. The cold winds blowing from Siberia had formed a cold wave north of the Yellow River and were quickly penetrating to the south bank of the Yellow River.
People on the street have already put on thick clothes.
Before dawn, the hustle and bustle outside Donghua Gate had quieted down considerably.
The hour before dawn is the quietest time in Tokyo.
Those magnificent yet elegant pavilions, bathed in the silvery moonlight, resembled the layered celestial palaces of the Moon Palace.
At this moment, Tokyo resembled a sleeping beauty, elegant and luxurious.
A disheveled figure disappeared into a side alley of another street. Judging from his gait, he was a cripple.
He was running with great difficulty, using all his strength to run.
I've heard that the princes and ministers of the imperial court most often come to the area outside the Donghua Gate.
The area outside Donghua Gate was a place of unbridled pleasure for them, but for him, it was a place of life-saving.
Three thousand lives!
Three thousand families!
"You guys, go search over there!"
"You guys, go to that alley, grab him and kill him on the spot, don't give him any chance!"
...
A fierce voice faintly came from behind, making Zhang Kaichun even more desperate.
Seven days ago, he fled overnight and jumped into the Bian River, where he finally found a chance.
Fortunately, he grew up by the river and was the best swimmer in the whole village. Although he was missing a leg, he managed to swim down the Bian River.
It was also better that it wasn't yet the twelfth lunar month, otherwise the Bian River would have frozen over, and he would have surely died.
Even so, the water in the Bian River was still icy cold.
After crawling out of the Bian River, he ate withered grass, rotten leaves, and even soil, barely making it to the capital, Tokyo.
What kept him going was the only hope in his heart, a hope that came from his two children and his elderly mother whose hair was turning gray.
His father joined the army in his early years and was assigned to the border defense army in the Northwest. At that time, Tong Guan was the Northwest Military Commissioner, and his father was just a soldier. His body was abandoned in the Wuding River and no one took care of it. It was eaten by crows and wild dogs.
He is the pillar of the family; he cannot die.
Once people have hope, they can unleash their potential.
He rushed forward, his right leg already deformed.
His face was frighteningly pale, without a trace of blood.
"There seems to be some movement ahead! Let's go check it out!"
Zhang Kaichun started running frantically, but his movements were too stiff.
"He's over there! Kill him! Now!"
Zhang Kaichun felt as if a knife was approaching from behind, getting closer and closer, and death seemed to be drawing ever closer to him.
Suddenly, he ran out of the alley and into the main street.
Then, he bumped into someone.
"Your Majesty, please be careful."
In the blink of an eye, Xie Dahai stepped forward and grabbed Zhang Kaichun by the neck with one hand, stopping him.
"You audacious thief, how dare you act so insolently here!"
Xie Dahai was about to pull out a short, straight pen knife to stab Zhang Kaichun to death when Zhao Huan stopped him.
"stop."
By the light of the roadside lamp, Zhao Huan could make out the man's appearance.
Zhao Huan was simply tired of staying in the palace and suddenly wanted to experience the youthful feeling of staying up all night in an internet cafe during his university days, so he impulsively left the palace in the middle of the night and went to Yingchun Tower for a drink.
No one knew about this, and the emperor himself acted very childishly, wearing a mask like the ones assassins wear in martial arts movies, looking very mysterious.
Zhao Huan couldn't help but sigh: People who suppress their emotions for too long are prone to becoming abnormal!
Suddenly, several more people rushed out of the alley. These people were carrying knives and appeared to be gangsters from Tokyo.
They were taken aback when they saw Zhao Huan and his group. Then the leader said, "Sir, this man is a servant of my household. He ran away because he violated the rules of the household. We are going to take him back now."
That makes perfect sense.
In the Song Dynasty, household slaves were the private property of the household master, and no one else had the right to interfere.
Even if the other party holds a high position of power, one should not arbitrarily interfere in their private affairs; otherwise, the rules will be broken and one's reputation will be ruined.
Therefore, it is reasonable for this person to say so.
Zhang Kaichun, on the other hand, was hungry and exhausted, and was at his last gasp. He barely had the strength to speak, and with Xie Dahai choking him, he couldn't even utter a word for a moment.
He could only weakly shake his head.
"Let him go."
Xie Dahai released Zhang Kaichun, and the leader put on a fake smile: "Thank you."
Zhao Huan said, "Did I tell you to touch him?"
"Help...help..."
Zhang Kaichun made a weak sound, grasping at the last straw, and grabbed Xie Dahai's arm tightly.
The leader's smile vanished instantly: "Sir, he is my master's private slave. My family's handling of private slaves is none of your business, is it?"
Zhao Huan asked, "Whose family are you from?"
The leader was slightly taken aback, not expecting to encounter such a meddlesome person.
If this happened at Chunhua Restaurant, who would have the time and energy to care about the life or death of someone who looks like a beggar?
But this guy in front of me took care of it.
"The Zhu family in the east of the city."
What crime did he commit?
“He stole his master’s gold and silver and conspired with outsiders to murder his mistress.”
Both of these crimes are capital offenses.
Zhao Huan said, "Even so, it should be sent to the Kaifeng Prefectural Government!"
Holy crap! Who are you?!
The leader felt like several alpacas were running wildly through his mind.
"Whether or not to send it to the government office is my family's decision, and my master will abide by the law."
"Oh," Zhao Huan suddenly asked, "What's your master's name?"
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!