After disguising themselves, Jian Hong and the others lowered their heads and bowed slightly as they followed the steward into the mansion, looking no different from ordinary guards.
"Be alert, all of you! We didn't hire you as guards just to be idle!" The butler said, raising his chin as he looked at the "guards." "Come with me."
"Yes!" Jian Hong and the others responded in unison.
After walking around with the butler, they silently memorized every route in the Zheng residence.
When they arrived at a courtyard, they found it to be different from the others. There were many guards in human form standing in front of the gate, and others patrolling around the courtyard.
Jian Hong, who had practiced martial arts for many years, could tell at a glance that these people were different. They were all trained martial artists. One of the guards sensed the unusual gaze and stared sharply at him. Jian Hong calmly lowered his head.
"You don't need to keep an eye on this courtyard. Just inform the master as soon as anything happens." The butler was no longer arrogant, but rather a little nervous: "Alright, let's go."
"This is truly a case of 'protesting too much,'" Jian Hong sneered inwardly.
For several days, Jian Hong and the others outwardly acted as "honest and dutiful" guards, but in reality, in addition to figuring out the terrain of the Zheng residence, they also made contact with the people the emperor had planted in Jiangzhou. At this time, the emperor also came to Jiangzhou in disguise.
After the two met, the emperor put on the prepared human skin mask and successfully blended into the guards.
"Your Majesty, tonight at midnight is the perfect time to make our move," Jian Hong said, bowing respectfully.
The emperor nodded: "Success is imperative."
The ledger was hidden in a secret room in that courtyard, guarded by two teams of men who patrolled it continuously for twelve hours a day. But even the best-laid plans can have a loophole.
Every night at midnight, another team would come to relieve them. At this time, the guards would gather in one place, and there would be no one guarding the back of the courtyard.
The old master of the Zheng family was quite old, but he cherished his life very much. He always carried the key with him, and never took it off even when he slept. This shows that Prince Chen had explained the pros and cons to him very clearly.
That night, a wisp of smoke gently drifted into Master Zheng's room, and he fainted in his sleep.
Jian Hong jumped off the roof, took the key from the old man's inner robe, and then left silently.
At this moment, the courtyard outside the secret chamber was completely silent. The guards remained vigilant and dared not relax their guard in the slightest, keeping a close watch on the surroundings for any possible movement, lest they miss anything.
The guards, dressed in black, lay hidden in the night, waiting for their chance to strike.
It was almost midnight, and the patrolling guards had all returned to the gate. Another team of guards was about to arrive from a distance. Jian Hong gave his secret guards a wink.
The only sound was the soft thud of footsteps on the grass. The group jumped into the yard from the trees behind it and crept forward.
Two guards stood outside the secret chamber. Jian Hong and the emperor exchanged a glance, then quietly circled around to their backs.
"Sizzle—"
Both were fatal blows.
Upon opening the secret room, the box containing the account books was placed right in the center of the room. Jian Hong was about to go over when the emperor stopped him.
"Wait a minute." The emperor frowned as he looked at the empty ground around him, and threw a few silver coins on the ground. Sure enough, a lot of arrows came flying from all directions.
He threw a few more arrows, which shot densely towards the center and then stopped. The arrowheads were exceptionally sharp, gleaming silver in the night. Soon the ground and walls were covered with them.
Jian Hong gasped. If he had been there just now, he would have been riddled with bullets.
Only then did the two of them go inside and open the box. Inside, the account book was right there, and they both breathed a sigh of relief.
The emperor first checked the account books and confirmed that they were correct. With the account books in hand, his ambitious second brother's death was not far off.
Thinking of this, the emperor remembered his Ah Yang again, and gripped the account book tightly until his knuckles turned white.
A-Yang is still in the dungeon. He needs to deal with Zhou Jing'an as soon as possible and rescue A-Yang. He misses her very much.
At that moment, there was a faint commotion outside.
A guard pushed open the door and entered: "Your Majesty, our scouts report that Prince Chen seems to be arriving with his men."
Yes, just three days ago, because Zhou Jing'an incited the ministers to remonstrate and his scheme against the emperor failed, those ministers were very dissatisfied with him and often came to warn him.
He was of royal blood, yet he was being manipulated by these officials. He was very resentful, but he had to put on a kind face to appease them.
If one plan failed, he would always try to find other ways to sow discord between the emperor and the elders.
Just as Zhou Jing'an was racking his brains over this matter, a scout came to report from the door.
"Your Highness Prince Chen, both the Emperor and the General of the Northern Garrison are not in the capital. There may be something amiss here."
"What? When did they leave the capital?" Zhou Jing'an asked in a panic, and quickly stood up.
"The General of the Northern Garrison left sometime ago, but His Majesty must have left today," the scout replied, bowing respectfully.
What else could the emperor and Jian Hong do after leaving the capital? Naturally, they went to Jiangzhou and set their sights on the account books.
Zhou Jing'an clenched his fists and gritted his teeth: "Gather the troops and head to Jiangzhou, quick!"
If the account books fall into the emperor's hands, they're all doomed! Zhou Jing'an urged his horse onward, not daring to waste a moment, praying only that he could reach Jiangzhou before they made their move.
They finally arrived in Jiangzhou at night, but there was nothing unusual in front of the Zheng residence. Zhou Jing'an was a little puzzled. Could it be that the secret report was wrong? Or was the emperor's target not the account book? Zhou Jing'an led his guards toward the secret room.
"Retreat quickly!" Jian Hong shouted. "It's too late!"
The emperor's eyes darkened, as if he had remembered something, and he looked at Jian Hong.
“My second brother has arrived in Jiangzhou. At this time, the defenses in Prince Chen’s residence must be weak. I want to give it a try.” He looked at Jian Hong with determination.
Jian Hong knew he was talking about A Yang, and his eyes suddenly reddened. He had no idea how much suffering his precious little sister had endured.
"Then I'll go too." Her voice was choked with emotion.
The noise outside was getting louder and louder; if they all left, Zhou Jing'an would definitely give chase.
Jian Hong gritted his teeth and made up his mind: "Your Majesty, I will stay behind to cover the retreat. You should take the account books and leave as soon as possible to find A Yang, at least to see her."
After saying that, he opened the secret room: "Go through the back mountain, there's a shortcut there."
Jian Hong, along with his guards, blocked the courtyard gate from the inside, lying in ambush and quietly waiting for Prince Chen's arrival. He wanted to hold off the scoundrel who had kidnapped his sister and at least slash him a few times.
The emperor nodded and looked steadily at Jian Hong, saying, "Be sure to take care of yourself. A-Yang will be worried." Then he left all the guards around him to Jian Hong and instructed them to protect him.
Having said that, the emperor jumped out from behind the secret chamber, mounted his horse, and galloped away, leaving the clamor behind him as it gradually faded into the distance.
The road behind the mountain is rugged, but it's the shortest route back to the capital. By passing through a large forest, you can reach the city directly.
The emperor rode at breakneck speed, not daring to stop for a moment. All he could hear was the sound of the wind, the sound of the horse's hooves, and the pounding of his own heart. He had to find his A-Yang as quickly as possible.
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