Chapter 96 Bandits

According to ancient custom, whenever a natural disaster occurred, the emperor and empress were required to offer sacrifices.

Pray to Heaven and pray for the well-being of the people.

Given the severity of this flood, the need for sacrificial rites is unavoidable.

The next day, he led all the officials to the Cangmang Mountain on the outskirts of the capital to pray for blessings.

The Imperial Guards surrounded the entire Cangmang Mountain.

It was so airtight that not even a fly could get in.

Yun Jin asked in a low voice, "Princess, in this situation, can Long Yi and the others escape? Each member of the Dragon Feather Guard can take on a hundred men, but they can't hold off ten hundred men! There are several thousand Imperial Guards!"

She didn't feel sorry for Long Yi; she just thought he was bragging!

Qin Jinzhi raised an eyebrow. "Who said they were the only ones who attempted assassination?"

Yun Jin had a knowing look on her face. "Princess! Why didn't you let me go on something so exciting! I'm much better than them!"

Qin Jinzhi looked at Yun Jin's beautiful face and shook her head, "You're too pretty, not scary enough."

Yun Jin suppressed a smile, raised her chin, and said in a pretentious tone, "Being beautiful is also a sin."

Qin Jinzhi smiled.

The officials were even more concerned when they saw that only Qin Jinzhi, a junior, accompanied them.

Generally, those accompanying the priests are princes and princesses.

The emperor and empress only brought Qin Jinzhi with them; such favor was truly unprecedented and unparalleled.

Qin Jinzhi was dressed as extravagantly and ostentatiously as ever.

Turning around, I saw Pei Jinnian with eyes swollen like a frog's.

Did she hit me that hard?

This swelling is disgusting!

Just as Pei Jinnian was about to respond to Qin Jinzhi's gaze, he saw her turn her head away with a look of disgust.

Could it be that Qin Jinzhi's expression just now indicated that there was someone around him whom Qin Jinzhi disliked?

Pei Jinnian's eyes darted around, and he was now treating Qin Jinzhi's every move as if he were reading a comprehension exercise!

Just as the sacrificial ceremony was completed and everyone was preparing to return to the palace.

Suddenly, a loud shout came from the foot of the mountain: "Protect His Majesty! The bandits are here!"

What!

The crowd immediately panicked!

There have always been bandits roaming the mountains outside the city.

They were ruthless robbers and thieves, and they even dared to rob the emperor!

The people on the mountain were incredulous when they saw the sheer number of bandits!

I thought it would be at most three or five hundred, and the Imperial Guards would be able to capture the man soon.

But these bandits looked like they couldn't be stopped by more than a thousand men!

With so many bandits, not a single official in charge of maintaining order in the capital petitioned for their suppression!

Just as everyone was surrounded by bandits and panicked, suddenly, eighteen more men in black appeared and pointed directly at His Majesty!

"Guards! Save the Emperor! There's an assassin!"

Hong Dequan was trembling with fear, but he still insisted on standing in front of the emperor and empress.

The Imperial Guards fought back desperately.

Qin Jinzhi slowly drew the sword from her waist and leaped to the Emperor and Empress.

He drew his sword and began fighting with the man in black.

"Go help Jinzhi! Hurry!"

The emperor shielded the empress behind him, his eyes filled with coldness. They were assassinated as soon as they left the capital, and there were still many bandits down the mountain. The officials in the capital were really something!

Several men in black took turns exchanging blows with Qin Jinzhi, but were all knocked to the ground by her palm strike.

"Such formidable martial arts! We are no match for them! Let's go!"

Qin Jinzhi's lips twitched. "What terrible acting, brother!"

The Dragon Feather Guards vanished instantly.

Qin Jinzhi held her sword and stood protectively in front of the Emperor and Empress.

Eunuch Hong was so excited he almost cried. The little princess is amazing!

The officials were also somewhat surprised, as Qin Jinzhi usually went out with her maids.

I never knew your martial arts skills were so amazing!

But thinking about it, it makes sense. If someone like her didn't know some martial arts to protect herself, that would be a real problem!

Just as the bandits were about to attack the mountain, the unique bugle call of the Zhenbei Army suddenly rang out.

The Zhenbei Army was a real, regular army that had seen battle and tasted blood.

Even these vicious thugs dared not confront them!

The bandits who clashed with the Zhenbei Army were killed almost instantly.

Among the bandits, a burly figure riding a tall horse was masked, holding a pair of double axes, and had a long scar above his right eye. Even without seeing his face, one could sense his extraordinary ferocity!

The man suddenly looked at the emperor, who was standing in the center, and roared, "You old emperor, you have increased taxes, let natural disasters run rampant, and neglected the people. One day, I will take your dog's life!"

He then swung the axe in his left hand down in one blow.

The axe was practically aimed at His Majesty's face!

Qin Jinzhi cleaved him down with a single sword stroke.

The man shouted, "Brothers! Let's retreat!"

The bandits were almost half wiped out, and the Zhenbei Army immediately cleared the battlefield.

One person in the crowd quickly walked up the mountain.

"Your subject, General Li Muli, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

The emperor walked forward with a calm expression. "So it's General Li. What brings you here?"

Li Muli immediately replied, "Your Majesty, my princess said today that there were bandits roaming outside the city. Fearing that they might disturb Your Majesty and the Empress, she asked me to patrol outside the city. I never expected that we would actually encounter bandits."

After he finished speaking, he immediately looked at Qin Jinzhi, his eyes filled with flattery.

Qin Jinzhi raised an eyebrow. This was a gesture of goodwill; it seemed she had figured some things out after going back.

Otherwise, such a minor patrol task wouldn't require a general as high as Li Muli to personally handle it.

The Empress stepped forward and looked Qin Jinzhi up and down. "Are you injured?"

Qin Jinzhi shook her head and put the sword away.

The emperor said to Li Muli, "Today we are fortunate to have the Zhenbei Army. I will give you credit for this."

Li Muli quickly replied, "It is because my princess cares deeply for His Majesty and the Empress that I dare not take credit for her work. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave!"

The emperor nodded, then said with a grim expression, "Where are the Commander of the Infantry, the Imperial Censor, and the Prefect of the Capital?"

Two officials rushed over in a panic and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, we are here!"

Hong Dequan stepped forward and said, "Wei Xueyi of the Kyoto Prefecture is still imprisoned in the imperial prison."

The emperor let out a heavy sigh. "Wei Xueyi, exile three thousand li, confiscate his property. The infantry commander and the patrolling censor, for dereliction of duty, each shall be given one hundred strokes of the cane. They shall be imprisoned in the Court of Judicial Review, and the Court of Judicial Review shall dismiss them from their posts and investigate them!"

The two immediately kowtowed to the ground, crying, "Your Majesty, please have mercy!"

"show mercy?

You treat my life and the lives of my people like a game, and you still have the nerve to ask me for mercy!

There are over a thousand bandits, and the people are suffering. Have you considered sending troops to suppress them?

I have never even seen a single memorial regarding the suppression of bandits!

How dare you ask me for mercy!

Drag him away and execute him immediately!

Officials in the capital would never invite trouble if they could keep the news a secret!

Even if there were bandits, they were only around the capital.

In their eyes, the only ones who were hurt were the lowly commoners; these ants were not worth their time to petition!

If His Majesty hadn't been in danger today, the bandits would probably have grown into a regular army in a few days!

The emperor looked at the assembled ministers below and asked, "Where is Zheng Wenbo, the Minister of Revenue?"

A middle-aged man with triangular eyes and a small mustache, dressed in a red official robe, walked over.

"Your subject is here!"

The emperor's voice pierced through the crowd.

"In recent years, I have already exempted taxes! How can there be any talk of increasing taxes!"