Chapter 164 I have noted this down.
When Bai Xiuming led the Mingjing Division guards out of the city, the soldiers of the Military Command, under the leadership of Commander Liang Yan, had already found the dilapidated temple where the Dowager Consort had stayed the day before.
Zhao Hongliang followed Liang Yan up the hillside and into the temple. The bodies of the four Zhao family servants inside the temple remained in the same position as when they died.
There was also a female corpse in the corner. Zhao Hongliang went forward to identify it and recognized it as a maid who served the Empress Dowager. He told Liang Yan about this, and Liang Yan nodded, but did not rush to look for the Empress Dowager's whereabouts.
He carefully observed the temple, and finally his gaze fell on the messy footprints on the ground.
Through these footprints and some subtle clues, he had already reconstructed the scene in the temple yesterday in his mind: the four servants died from excessive blood loss, there were no signs of fighting on their bodies, and the person who subdued them must have been a monk.
When they died, there had been no conflict among the people in the temple. It's unclear why the monk killed the maid and then fled the temple for unknown reasons.
After the man fled, the Dowager Princess left the dilapidated temple. Later, the man returned and took the person from the corner away.
Liang Yan narrowed his eyes and asked Zhao Hongliang, "Does the Dowager Consort have any cultivators accompanying her?"
Zhao Hongliang quickly replied, "Yes, the Empress Dowager's personal bodyguard is named Zhao Yin, and he is a cultivator at the third realm."
"If nothing unexpected happens, the Empress Dowager's disappearance is related to this person."
“How is that possible? He is…” Zhao Hongliang looked incredulous. He was about to say something, but suddenly shut his mouth warily.
Liang Yan wasn't curious about what the Empress Dowager hadn't said. He followed the Empress Dowager's footprints out of the dilapidated temple, stood outside and looked around. He immediately spotted the manor across the mountain.
"If the Dowager Consort were betrayed and had just escaped from that person, what would she do?" He seemed to be talking to himself, yet also asking the person beside him.
“Of course, we’re going back to Beijing,” Zhao Hongliang replied.
"But walking back is too slow, and it's easy for someone to catch up with us."
Zhao Hongliang frowned upon hearing this: "Then the Dowager Consort..."
Liang Yan raised his chin: "The Empress Dowager is most likely to seek help there, let's go!"
After saying this, he led his subordinates straight to the village across the street, leaving only two people to guard the dilapidated temple.
Outside the manor, Liang Yan and his group knocked on the door for a long time but no one answered. He didn't wait any longer and ordered his men to break down the door.
The gate to Zhuangzi's house was violently broken open, and as soon as the door opened, he smelled a faint stench of blood.
Liang Yan's heart sank. He led his men forward and hadn't gone far when he saw a wooden frame ahead with a corpse hanging on it and two more corpses lying below it.
Judging from the condition of the body, the person had been dead for almost a day.
The corpse hanging on the rack had its head drooping, making its face unrecognizable. Its tattered clothes were stained with blood, and its body was a bloody mess, suggesting that it had suffered inhuman torture before its death.
Upon seeing the body, Zhao Hongliang staggered and rushed over, repeatedly calling out "Little Sister" while bursting into tears.
Liang Yan inwardly cursed, realizing that the Dowager Princess of the Northern Wilderness was indeed dead. Just as he was about to step forward to examine the body, he suddenly sensed a leak of internal energy. He immediately drew his sword from his waist, and his subordinates behind him also drew their swords warily.
"Come out, I know you're still here." Liang Yan's sharp gaze swept around, finally settling on the room with the door tightly shut, and he shouted loudly.
After waiting for a moment without any response, he said again, "You didn't run away because you know that plotting against the Empress Dowager is an unforgivable crime, and you can't escape even if you grow wings."
"This sir seems to know me quite well. May I ask where you hold this position?"
The tightly closed door creaked open, and Shang Yin's voice rang out.
"Liang Yan, Commander-in-Chief of the Military Command," Liang Yan introduced himself.
"Oh, just like me, you're a dog kept by the Zhao family."
Liang Yan's expression remained unchanged: "This place is already surrounded. You have nowhere to go. Why don't you come out and meet me?"
A moment later, Shang Yin finally appeared at the doorway.
But besides him, there was a petite figure beside him; he was holding someone hostage.
Seeing this, Liang Yan frowned even more deeply, thinking to himself, "This man has made no attempt to hide the fact that he killed the Dowager Consort in the manor. Instead of fleeing, he has taken a woman hostage. What exactly is he planning to do?"
Zhao Hongliang, who was trying to take the Dowager Consort down from the shelf, heard Shang Yin's voice and turned around abruptly, his eyes bloodshot: "Zhao Yin, how dare you? The Dowager Consort is... you beast, you are utterly inhuman and devoid of conscience!"
Shang Yin looked at Zhao Hongliang with indifferent eyes: "What is the Dowager Consort to me? Why don't you say so? Why don't I say it for you? She is my own grandmother, isn't she?"
This statement truly shocked Liang Yan and his subordinates.
The Northern Wilderness King, who is not yet thirty, obviously could not have such a grown son. This matter has already touched on the Dowager Consort's privacy. If the person in front of us really killed the Dowager Consort, this matter is probably not as simple as just catching the murderer and bringing him back.
Zhao Hongliang's eyes flickered, and he did not answer directly, only saying, "Zhao Yin, you're crazy."
“I’m not crazy.” Shang Yin said calmly. “I didn’t kill her with my own hands. It was Zhao Xun who killed her, and Zhao Xun died at the hands of Zhao Zeqian. I only killed Zhao Zeqian.”
"Those are your father and your own brother!" Zhao Hongliang never expected Zhao Yin to be so ruthless, actually making them kill each other.
"They didn't treat me like family. They're surnamed Zhao, and I'm surnamed Shang. In my eyes, they're all my enemies." Shang Yin sneered. "Your Zhao family is all-powerful, colluding with the King of the Northern Wilderness to kill my entire Shang family. Zhao Hongliang, you don't think I didn't know, do you?"
Upon hearing Shang Yin's words, Liang Yan felt even more regretful for helping him. The matter was more serious than he had imagined; it not only involved the Dowager Consort's private affairs but also implicated the Northern Wilderness Prince's Mansion.
He was already calculating in his mind how he could escape, fearing that even if the Zhao family was willing to let him go, the Northern Wilderness King would not.
Zhao Hongliang's face turned pale upon hearing this. He gritted his teeth and said in a chilling voice, "Liang Yan, kill him and shut him up!"
Liang Yan glanced at the terrified young woman being held hostage by Shang Yin, and without further hesitation, ordered his subordinates, "This man is guilty of heinous crimes; execute him on the spot!"
"yes."
Liang Yan led his men forward, and Shang Yin, grabbing A Chan, leaped into the air and jumped directly out of the manor. Liang Yan gave chase, throwing a hidden weapon not at Shang Yin, but at A Chan, whom he was holding hostage.
The hidden weapon was knocked away by Shang Yin before it even got close. While dodging the people behind him, he sneered, "As expected of the Zhao family's lackeys, they won't even spare a hostage just to silence me."
Having already done it, Liang Yan no longer concealed his intentions. He brandished his knife and pursued relentlessly, saying, "I never kill innocent people. It is clearly you who are cruel by nature. You not only killed the hostages but also slaughtered everyone in this manor."
Clearly, he had already figured out how to end things.
"Aren't you afraid of people finding out if you do this?" Shang Yin dodged another arrow shot from behind.
"No one will know." With that, Liang Yan swung his knife, and in a flash, he appeared in front of Shang Yin.
After catching the knife, he slashed several times without hesitation. The blade flashed and shone, exuding a chilling aura. Shang Yin's expression changed slightly. This commander's cultivation was comparable to his own, but he was quite formidable in actual combat and his strength was not to be underestimated.
He could have handled it alone, but he was also with Achan. Liang Yan's blade flashed and enveloped both of them. In order to protect Achan, he took two blows.
The blade tore through the fabric on Shang Yin's waist and arms, leaving two deep, bloody gashes.
"You have a kind heart, even when you're about to die you still want to save the hostages."
Before Shang Yin could speak, he heard A Chan plead in a tearful voice, "My lord, please don't kill me, I don't want to die."
Liang Yan looked at A Chan and his heart stirred slightly. She looked so pitiful when she cried, which made him waver. However, this wavering only lasted for a moment before he forcibly suppressed it.
"I'm afraid that won't work. It's just bad luck that you heard something you shouldn't have. Don't run around like that in your next life."
As soon as he finished speaking, Liang Yan clashed with Shang Yin again.
After exchanging dozens of blows, he leaped into the air, but before his knife could fall, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his side. The next moment, he lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground, coughing up blood.
Liang Yan lay prone on the ground when a pair of black official boots came into view. He struggled to lift his head and saw someone who shouldn't be there.
"Him...for nothing?"
"What did she hear that she shouldn't have heard? Tell me so I can hear it too," Bai Xiuming said, looking down at Liang Yan.
Liang Yan clutched his waist and struggled to his feet: "Lord Bai must have misheard."
He pointed at Shang Yin and said, "This man is extremely cruel. He killed the Dowager Princess of the Northern Wilderness and Zhao Xun and his son, and also took hostages in an attempt to fight against the government. When I was chasing him just now, I found that he was very protective of that woman. I guess they must be accomplices, so I took action. I ask Lord Bai to investigate thoroughly."
"So you were accomplices." Bai Xiuming tilted his head slightly, looking at A Chan who was being held captive by Shang Yin, his eyes full of meaning.
Under Bai Xiuming's gaze, Achan quietly moved to the side.
In just a few words, Liang Yan's subordinates and Zhao Hongliang had caught up, and not far away, the sound of hooves rang out, and the Mingjing Division guards arrived on their dragon-blood horses.
A group of people surrounded Shang Yin and A Chan.
Upon seeing Bai Xiuming appear here, Zhao Hongliang knew something was wrong, but he couldn't force Liang Yan to kill someone in front of Bai Xiuming. He could only bite the bullet and step forward to ask, "What brings Lord Bai here?"
Bai Xiuming's indifferent gaze swept across Zhao Hongliang's face: "I have received a report that someone has been taken hostage."
"Who has such great influence that Lord Bai would personally..." Zhao Hongliang stopped mid-sentence.
Everyone looked at Achan, who was being held hostage by Shangyin.
At first, no one cared about the hostage. Zhao Hongliang and Liang Yan had no intention of letting her live, and neither did anyone else in the village.
However, the plan, which should have gone smoothly, was disrupted by the seemingly insignificant hostage.
"Lord Bai, help me..." Achan looked at Bai Xiuming not far away, sobbing softly, tears falling like beads, looking aggrieved and pitiful.
Shang Yin, who was standing next to A Chan, was startled. She was fine just now, so why did she start crying?
Oh no, this woman actually knows Bai Xiuming!
A thought flashed through Zhao Hongliang's mind, and he looked at Liang Yan, wanting him to come up with a solution. Liang Yan, at this moment, also didn't know what to do.
If it were someone else, he might dare to make some underhanded moves and take the opportunity to cause someone's accidental death. However, Bai Xiuming's cultivation level is much higher than his, and he is ruthless. If he were discovered by the other party, he might die on the spot.
He was afraid of losing his official position, but he was even more afraid of losing his life.
Bai Xiuming ignored the two's subtle exchange and said directly to Shang Yin, "Release the person. You can make any demands you have."
This was the first time Shang Yin had seen Bai Xiuming. Although he had been told that this Lord Bai was not to be trifled with when he investigated him, the impact of seeing him in person was even stronger than he had imagined.
This is a completely different person from the Northern Wilderness King. The Northern Wilderness King appears to be gentle and polite, but this person, even just by looking at his appearance, seems dangerous.
If Shang Yin hadn't met him in this setting, he might have wanted to ask A Chan how she managed to have such a close relationship with someone like that.
Shang Yin's eyes flickered for a moment before he spoke, "I can release the people and I don't want to make any demands. I just want justice."
"Fairness? Tell me about it?" Bai Xiuming asked with interest.
However, before Shang Yin could speak, Zhao Hongliang interrupted him: "Lord Bai, he is the offspring of my son Zhao Xun. He has been raised and carefully educated by the Dowager Consort for many years. He has a madness inherited from his mother's clan. Now that he has killed his father and brother, he must be terminally ill. His words are not to be trusted."
Bai Xiuming's gaze swept over Zhao Hongliang, making his scalp tingle, before he spoke: "Lord Zhao, do not speak without my permission, otherwise I will consider it as deliberately obstructing the Mingjing Division from handling the case, do you understand?"
Zhao Hongliang was publicly warned without any mercy, which made him feel embarrassed. However, he could only think to himself that Bai Xiuming only got his current status by relying on the Ming King.
Before he could think any further, a knife was already pressed against Zhao Hongliang's neck. The blade seemed to be pressing into his flesh, leaving a red mark on his neck. Jiang Kai, standing beside him, asked in a sinister tone, "Lord Zhao, did you understand what my master said?"
Zhao Hongliang nodded, feeling frustrated but unable to express his anger.
"Speak," Bai Xiuming said, turning his gaze back to Shang Yin.
Without further hesitation, Shang Yin said, "My name is Shang Yin. I am Zhao Xun's son and the grandson of the Dowager Princess of the Northern Wilderness. The Shang family, which was wiped out more than 20 years ago, was my mother's maternal clan."
Bai Xiuming raised an eyebrow; surprisingly, his surname was Shang.
"Go on, I'm listening."
Shang Yin took a breath: "Zhao Qi colluded with the previous Northern Wilderness King to wipe out my entire Shang family, and then divided up the Shang family's wealth. The Northern Wilderness King used this wealth to amass troops in the Northern Wilderness, intending to rebel. The Zhao family stole the Shang family's Ghost Control Technique, intending to use it on the late emperor to obtain royal secrets."
The following paragraph is Achan's improved version of the statement, which sounds easier to achieve, but Shangyin still thinks it is a bit far-fetched. After all, not everyone can learn the art of controlling ghosts. Zhao Qi obviously does not have that talent, but Achan said that others do not know. Even if Zhao Qi has a way to prove himself, the emperor does not need evidence to suspect someone.
After these words were spoken, a hush fell over the surrounding area. No one dared to speak, and even the sound of breathing subsided.
First, they accused a prince of treason, then they accused the former emperor's tutor of spying on the royal family's secrets. Are they trying to rip the sky apart?
"What does this have to do with you killing the Northern Wilderness King's Consort?" Only Bai Xiuming remained unaffected and continued to ask.
“She is the culprit. She colluded with the previous King of the Northern Wilderness to kill my maternal grandfather’s family. She also killed my grandfather, her ex-husband, and then killed my mother in front of me. I killed her not only for revenge, but also to use my life to ask His Majesty to seek justice.”
After saying that, Shang Yin knelt down on the ground with a thud: "My lord, my whole clan died tragically. When I was a child, I was used by the Dowager Princess of the Northern Wilderness to threaten my mother. Later, my mother died because of me, and the Dowager Princess trained me to be her assassin."
After leaving the Northern Wilderness, I witnessed peace and prosperity throughout the land, and knew that His Majesty was a wise ruler. I could not bear to see His Majesty deceived by the King of the Northern Wilderness and the Zhao family, and I also wanted to avenge the Shang family. Therefore, I resorted to this desperate measure. I am willing to pay the price for my actions, and I beg Your Excellency to give me and the Shang family justice.”
Shang Yin spoke with such sincerity that it was touching, but Bai Xiuming's gaze was fixed on A Chan beside him.
She was dressed rather lightly today, and her hair wasn't styled in an elaborate updo; it was simply braided and hung down in front of her. Her eyes were still red from crying, and she looked at people timidly.
He knew she was faking it, but he just couldn't take his eyes off her.
"Do you have any evidence?" Bai Xiuming asked, glancing at A Chan with a distracted look.
"Yes, half of our Shang family's wealth is still in the Zhao family's secret vault. Not long ago, an incense burner was lost, and it was engraved with our Shang family's mark."
"Oh? That's quite a coincidence. That incense burner is currently in my possession."
Shang Yin hurriedly added, "The Dowager once sent a cultivator from the Fourth Realm to retrieve the incense burner that had been lost. That cultivator was named Huang Lin, a guard of the Northern Wilderness King's Mansion. If you don't believe me, you can interrogate the maids around the Dowager. Three of them are still in the Zhao Mansion."
As he listened to the two of them talking back and forth, Zhao Hongliang's hands and feet gradually grew cold, and he sensed that the matter had completely spiraled out of control.
"Do Lord Zhao and Lord Liang have anything they wish to say to me?" After Shang Yin finished speaking, Bai Xiuming finally turned his gaze to the two men.
Liang Yan vaguely sensed something was wrong. When did Bai Xiuming become so easy to talk to, actually having the patience to listen to a criminal say so much?
But he had no time to think about it and could only try to distance himself from the Zhao family: "This humble official was only helping Lord Zhao find the whereabouts of the Dowager Consort. I hope Lord Bai can see the truth."
As a member of the Zhao family, Zhao Hongliang could not use such an excuse. He said firmly, "My father was honest and upright throughout his life and devoted himself to the Great Xia and His Majesty. Lord Bai cannot judge my Zhao family based on just his one-sided story! This man is clearly harboring evil intentions."
"Lord Zhao, you can rest assured that I will report everything that happened here today to His Majesty. However, before that, I ask for your cooperation with the Mingjing Division."
The two were naturally unwilling to cooperate. Liang Yan spoke up: "Lord Bai, although you are the superior, our Military Command is not under the jurisdiction of the Mingjing Division."
“That’s true.” Bai Xiuming smiled. “But you heard things you shouldn’t have heard. If you’re unwilling to cooperate, I’ll have no choice but to silence you to prevent the information from leaking.”
Not long ago, Liang Yan wanted to silence others, but in the blink of an eye, the tables have turned.
Liang Yan shut his mouth, but Zhao Hongliang still looked shocked and angry: "How dare you!"
"Let Lord Zhao see if I dare to do it."
As soon as Bai Xiuming finished speaking, Jiang Kai drew his dagger and stabbed Zhao Hongliang in the leg.
Zhao Hongliang clutched his thigh and fell to the ground screaming, and no one dared to approach him.
Liang Yan and his subordinates were stunned. They knew that the Mingjing Division was arrogant, but they did not expect it to be this outrageous.
This is the eldest son of the Imperial Tutor, and an official of the court. Although his official position is not high, he should be respected. He was stabbed for saying something offensive.
"Would Lord Liang also like to give it a try?" Bai Xiuming asked Liang Yan.
Liang Yan shook his head violently, his whole body tense, because he sensed the murderous intent hidden in the eyes of the person in front of him. He was puzzled as to where the other party's hostility came from.
Bai Xiuming didn't look at Liang Yan again. He instructed his subordinates, "Put him in shackles and bring him safely back to the Mingjing Division."
"Yes." The guards from the Mingjing Division stepped forward to put shackles on Shang Yin. Shang Yin did not resist at all, but instead reached out his hands.
Before being taken away, Shang Yin glanced at A Chan, and A Chan met his gaze before watching him leave.
After clearing away all the irrelevant people, Bai Xiuming finally turned his gaze to A Chan, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Aren't you coming over?"
Compared to his previous cold and domineering demeanor, he was now quite gentle.
Having watched the entire spectacle and fully participated in it, Achan was now completely satisfied.
She lifted her skirt and walked lightly to stand in front of Bai Xiuming. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes shimmering with tears, and her red lips parted slightly: "I have no way to repay Lord Bai's life-saving grace."
Bai Xiuming stared intently at her.
Then, Ah Chan suddenly changed the subject: "I can only repay you with my body."
Liang Yan, standing to the side, was dumbfounded, while the guards of the Mingjing Division seemed unfazed, at most stealing a few glances before continuing with their business.
Bai Xiuming chuckled: "I've got it."
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