The emperor's birthday celebration was actually no different from that of most ordinary people.
Strip away all the tedious formalities and red tape, and you're left with just four words: eating, drinking, and having fun.
Zhou Heng was in high spirits this time, so he made a grand spectacle of it, holding a banquet in the square outside the main hall of the palace, which was open to all officials of the sixth rank or above in the capital.
Besides these, there were countless singers, dancers, opera troupes, and performers, both inside and outside the palace, and many of them were entering the palace for the first time.
As soon as Yang Cheng took his seat, Ye Meiniang came over to report on the defenses of the palace.
"Boss, Yin Wuxie, Chen Da, and Zhang Meng have already led their men to guard three of the palace gates and have taken full control of the Imperial Guards' defenses."
One of the Imperial Guard captains, oblivious to his own mortality, refused to retreat. He was slapped twice and finally quieted down.
In terms of trust levels, Yang Cheng can now be considered the most powerful minister in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
On Zhou Heng's birthday, Yang Cheng took over the deployment of the Imperial Guards under the pretext of a dangerous situation, and Zhou Heng actually agreed.
Yang Cheng simply didn't trust the Imperial Guards. Not only were they all pampered and negligent in their duties, but their skills were also quite weak.
So Yang Cheng simply replaced them all with his own people.
Looking at the chaotic scene, Ye Meiniang frowned and said, "This emperor is really something. Does he even know what the situation is like in the Great Zhou? Why is he making such a big scene?"
With so many miscellaneous people coming from out of town now, who knows if any dangerous individuals might have infiltrated them?
Yang Cheng said casually, "Actually, it was I who suggested that the emperor make it bigger."
"Why?"
Yang Cheng squinted and said, "There's no such thing as being a thief for a thousand days but not being able to guard against thieves for a thousand days. Rather than staying by the emperor's side all day in fear of being assassinated, it's better to expose the emperor and draw out any potential dangers."
"Good or bad, it'll only last one day. Let's deal with any problems at once."
Ye Meiniang's eyes widened immediately.
The eldest brother seems to be bolder than she imagined.
To ensure the emperor wouldn't be assassinated, he used the emperor as bait to lure out all the danger? What kind of tactic is this?
If Fang Mingjun, the Night Wanderer, heard these words, he certainly wouldn't be surprised.
In his eyes, Yang Cheng was already a complete madman and a psychopath. No matter how outrageous his plans were, Fang Mingjun would not be surprised.
Just then, a group of singing girls finished their performance on the stage, and the palace maids and eunuchs brought up plate after plate of new delicacies.
Zhou Hengzhi raised his cup triumphantly and said loudly, "Although my Great Zhou has suffered unexpected disasters in recent years, thanks to the protection of our ancestors, outstanding talents have emerged one after another, which can continue the national fortune of my Great Zhou."
Let us all raise a toast to our Great Zhou Dynasty, wishing it a long and prosperous future!
The crowd below raised their cups and shouted, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! May the Great Zhou Dynasty enjoy a long and prosperous reign!"
Just as everyone was raising their glasses to drink, a strange laugh suddenly rang out.
"This old emperor is really interesting. The Great Zhou is about to be destroyed, yet he still talks about the long-lasting fate of the nation."
Why don't you pass the throne to my elder brother? My brother will help extend the fate of the Great Zhou Dynasty for several hundred more years.
The expressions of everyone present immediately changed. Zhou Heng's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and he shouted angrily, "Insolence! Who is spouting nonsense?"
A ball of flame appeared in the void, and three figures strode out from it.
This scene horrified everyone present. What kind of sorcery was this?
The man in the lead was ugly and strange-looking, with an upturned nose and an underbite. He was wearing a short jacket and was the one who had just spoken.
The other man was a burly, muscular man with a full beard, wielding a black iron rod.
The last person appeared to be the most normal, with a dignified appearance and wearing light silver armor, but he carried an extremely ancient bone bow and arrow and a quiver.
"Thirty-six bandits! How dare you!"
Cai Yan suddenly stood up and shouted angrily.
Grand Tutor Cai was in charge of the Ministry of War. Although he was a treacherous and wicked official, he still had basic abilities.
The Thirty-Six Great Bandits wreaked havoc in the Central Plains, but unlike the Holy Duke Zhang Liang, they were not mysterious figures, so the Ministry of War still had information on them.
The ugly-looking freak laughed smugly, "I didn't expect our brothers' reputation to have spread all the way to the capital."
I am Tong Bao, 'Scale in Fire', and these two are my brothers, Dong Tiangang, 'Mischievous Rascal', and Xie Xiaoyi, 'Arrow of the Underworld'.
Today, having heard of the Emperor's birthday, my two brothers and I, on the orders of my elder brother, 'Heavenly King' Zuo Yuan, have presented the Emperor with a grand gift!"
As the strange man finished speaking, he suddenly placed his hand on Xie Xiaoyi, the 'Netherworld Arrow,' and flames immediately ignited on the other's body.
The "Mischievous Gangster" Dong Tiangang also placed his hand on Xie Xiaoyi's other side, and a surge of black energy flowed into Xie Xiaoyi's body.
The next moment, Xie Xiaoyi drew his bow and nocked an arrow. A crooked bone arrow was nocked on the bone longbow, shrouded in a deep black aura.
An arrow burst forth, its surface gleaming with fire, and then vanished in the next instant. With a flash of fire, it reappeared a foot away from Zhou Heng!
The three men acted with incredible speed, and the imperial guards had no time to stop them.
Zhou Heng had some personal guards, but they didn't expect that the arrow could be teleported. For a moment, their attention was on Xie Xiaoyi and the other two, and they didn't even have time to react.
At this critical moment, Yang Cheng suddenly exerted his strength, and the extreme speed he unleashed even caused a loud bang in mid-air.
With a single hand outstretched, Yang Cheng actually caught the bone arrow in his hand!
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
