Night Thunder
The moon was dark and windy, a chilling autumn night. At three quarters past midnight, the silence of Yongjiafang, near the Dali Temple's southeastern corner of the imperial city, which should have been slumbering, was suddenly shattered by a shrill clang of metal and shouts.
Dozens of dark shadows, like ghosts, leaped out from the shadows of the town wall, their target clear, heading straight for the side courtyard where the audit team temporarily stored key account books and documents! These men were agile and ruthless, and were definitely not ordinary thieves. They were the desperate criminals secretly gathered by Zhao Kai.
However, as soon as they landed, before they even reached the door, countless torches suddenly lit up in the darkness, illuminating the courtyard as bright as day! Jingzhao Prefecture yamen runners, who had been lying in ambush, and several sharp-eyed men in ordinary clothes (Lu Qinglan's covert deployments) appeared simultaneously, forming a formation and surrounding them.
"You bold lunatic! How dare you attack the government office at night? Catch him now!" The chief constable of Jingzhao Prefecture shouted angrily and took the lead to rush forward with his sword.
In an instant, the flashes of swords, shouts of anger, and screams mingled, shattering the tranquility of the night. Though valiant, the attackers had not anticipated the enemy's preparedness and outnumbered superiority, instantly engaging in a bitter struggle.
Almost simultaneously, several dark figures quietly approached outside Han Mingyuan's residence. But just as they attempted to scale the courtyard wall, several powerful crossbows suddenly blasted out from within, striking two men dead with pinpoint accuracy. Seeing the situation looming, the remaining assassins retreated into the darkness, scattering in all directions.
The much-anticipated Zhenguo Mansion, nestled in the heart of the Imperial City, was unusually quiet tonight. The patrols outside the palace seemed several times larger than usual, while the lights inside were sparse and the silence seemed almost deserted. Several figures, perched on the distant rooftops for a long time, ultimately retreated without daring to act rashly.
This night, three locations, two endings.
In Kunning Palace, Lu Qinglan hadn't slept. She sat under a lamp, draped in a brocade robe, listening to the urgent report that Fu Yu had delivered almost simultaneously.
"Your Majesty, the ambush in the Dali Temple's side courtyard was successful. The attackers have been entangled. The Jingzhao Prefecture is currently rounding up the attackers and has captured several. However, several of them are extremely skilled in martial arts. Seeing they were no match for their opponent, they...actually committed suicide by biting through the poison sacs in their mouths!"
"Lord Han's residence repelled the attackers and saved two lives. They are currently being escorted to the Jingzhao Prefecture prison."
"There were spies outside the Zhenguogong Mansion, but they didn't dare to take action and have already retreated."
Lu Qinglan listened without any surprise, and said calmly, "As expected, they've used death squads. Training such a force is not something a mere Cavalry Captain like Zhao Kai can do. Tell our men to take good care of the prisoners being taken to the Jingzhao Prefecture jail, and make sure they don't commit suicide along the way."
"I understand. I've arranged for someone to infiltrate the Jingzhao Prefecture's escort team," Fu Yu replied, then a trace of worry appeared on her face. "Your Majesty, there was such a big commotion tonight. I'm afraid that tomorrow at court..."
"I'm afraid someone will make a big fuss about this and bite back." Lu Qinglan said, a hint of coldness on the corner of his lips, "I'll wait for them."
The next day, Chang Chao.
Sure enough, before Han Mingyuan and the others could report the attack last night, Zhao Kai was the first to step out and fell to his knees with a thud. His voice was filled with grief and indignation, echoing throughout the hall:
"Your Majesty! I have a memorial to impeach Duke Wei Zheng of Zhenguo for harboring assassins and disregarding the law. Last night, he sent assassins to attack the Dali Temple and the residence of Lord Han Mingyuan, intending to destroy evidence in the military supply case and frame loyal officials! His intentions are punishable by death. Your Majesty, please make the decision for us!"
He actually filed a complaint first and directly put the blame on Wei Zheng!
An uproar erupted in the hall. Many officials, unaware of the situation, looked at each other with disbelief, their gazes filled with surprise and suspicion. Wei Zheng had been absent from court due to injury, but his lieutenant, who remained in the capital, immediately stepped forward to refute Zhao Kai's claims, angrily accusing him of slander.
Xiao Jingche sat high on the dragon throne, his face sullen. He had already learned the details of last night's events through the secret reports from the Imperial City Bureau. His eyes swept across Zhao Kai, who knelt on the ground, then looked at Han Mingyuan, who looked sullen, and finally landed on Gu Zhao, who lowered his eyes and remained silent, as if none of the matter had anything to do with him.
"Zhao Kai," Xiao Jingche said slowly, his voice filled with unquestionable authority, "Do you have any concrete evidence to prove your impeachment of Wei Zheng?"
"Your Majesty!" Zhao Kai raised his head, his face filled with indignation. "The weapons and techniques used by the attackers last night were very similar to those of the border army spies! Moreover, their target was clear: they were targeting the evidence in the military supply case. If Wei Zheng hadn't been guilty, why would he have resorted to such desperate measures? This is the first point! Secondly, Wei Zheng's assassination was already fraught with suspicion. How could we know that he wasn't the one who staged it himself, crying thief, to confuse the public and cover up his crimes of colluding with imperial merchants and reselling military supplies?"
He spoke with such conviction that he even tried to justify himself, muddying the waters even further.
Han Mingyuan stepped out of the line and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, my residence was also attacked last night. Fortunately, the guards were able to prevent the thieves from succeeding and captured two of them alive. They are now being taken to the Jingzhao Prefecture Jail. Attacking government offices and the residences of officials appointed by the court is a heinous crime that is unforgivable! I implore Your Majesty to try this case together with the military supply case and thoroughly investigate the mastermind behind this, without mercy!"
A living person! Zhao Kai's heart suddenly sank. The news he received was that all the assassins had committed suicide or were killed. How could there be any survivors in Han Mingyuan's place?
Xiao Jingche's eyes flickered slightly. The existence of a living person meant a turning point in the situation. "Approved. Instruct the Jingzhao Yin, the Dali Temple, and the Ministry of Justice to conduct a joint investigation into last night's attack. All suspects must be kept under strict surveillance. If anything goes wrong, you will be held responsible!"
"Your Majesty obeys!"
After leaving court, Xiao Jingche left Gu Zhao alone in the imperial study.
"Minister Gu, what do you think about what happened today?" Xiao Jingche rubbed his eyebrows, unable to hide his fatigue.
Gu Zhao pondered for a moment before speaking, "Your Majesty, General Zhao's words may seem reasonable, but they lack concrete evidence. Especially since Lord Han has captured a man alive, this could be a breakthrough. However, whether the Duke of Wei is completely innocent also needs to be verified. With the court in turmoil and the borders in turmoil, I believe the most urgent task is to stabilize the court and thoroughly investigate the truth, rather than hastily making conclusions that could be exploited."
His words were flawless, neither favoring any side nor pointing out the key point.
Xiao Jingche was silent for a long time, then sighed, "I know this, of course. But the person behind this is pressing me, even daring to attack officials and ministers within the imperial city! Their arrogance is so strong, they treat me like nothing!" His tone was filled with suppressed anger, and even more so, the rage of having his authority challenged. "Investigate this for me! Investigate it thoroughly! I want to see who is stirring up trouble!"
Gu Zhao bowed his head: "This old minister accepts your order."
At this moment, in Yonghe Palace, Lin Wanru learned the news that Zhao Kai had turned against Wei Zheng in the court and Han Mingyuan had captured a living person. Her slender nails almost dug into her palms.
"Waste!" she whispered, not knowing whether she was scolding Zhao Kai for his incompetence or the captured assassins. "The living...must be eliminated as soon as possible! Otherwise, if they bite back, the consequences will be disastrous."
She immediately wrote a letter and sent it out of the palace through special channels, directly to the Duke of En's mansion.
The thunder of the night raid had already shattered the silent night sky. And the storm that followed would only intensify. The survivors became crucial chess pieces, igniting the emperor's wrath. Would the forces hidden behind the scenes, "Ninth Brother," be implicated? Both the court and the harem were pushed to an even greater precarious edge by this night of bloodshed.
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