Chapter 264: Prince of Yan, Yuwen Lun, surrounds the Mingjing Si with troops

"Prince of Yan, Yuwen Lun?"

"He led troops to surround our Mingjing Si?!"

Li Tan was stunned, muttering You Xian's words just now, unable to believe it.

The Mingjing Si had been established for so long; there might have been some hot-headed fools looking for trouble...

But to dare to lead troops directly to surround it, that was truly unheard of—the first time he had ever heard of such a thing!

"Look, hasn't the person I was waiting for arrived?"

"And they arrived quite quickly..."

Chen Yan sat up unhurriedly, stretched, and laughed: "They arrived quite quickly..."

"Wait!"

Upon hearing this, Li Tan sensed something was wrong. His mind raced, and he asked suspiciously: "Big Brother, is the Prince of Yan the one you were waiting for here?"

For his big brother to be lying leisurely on a recliner at this hour was already unusual...

And to have this reaction made it even more suspicious!

There was definitely something fishy going on.

"Yes, and also no..."

Chen Yan smiled indifferently, saying meaningfully: "Whoever comes, that is who I am waiting for!"

Did they really think the news about the five great merchant guilds being raided, including all the details, was released for nothing?

Chen Yan was like Jiang Taigong fishing—the willing jumped onto the hook!

He was betting that some fool would get hot-headed and bite the hook, and he had actually bet correctly!

Big Brother had dug a pit and was waiting for a fated person to jump in... Li Tan was thoughtful, his heart suddenly enlightened.

Behind the five great merchant guilds, it didn't matter who came; all that was needed was for someone to come.

This prince of the Yuwen clan was likely about to hit the jackpot...

"Let's go!"

Chen Yan pursed his lips and smiled, beckoning to Li Tan and You Xian, "Let's go and meet this Prince of Yan..."

Outside the Mingjing Si.

Prince of Yan, Yuwen Lun, wore a four-clawed python robe with tight sleeves. His usually gentle face was now covered in frost as he strode at the very front of the formation.

Behind him, five hundred guards had solemn expressions. The long halberds and ring-pommel sabers in their hands flashed with cold light in the residual glow, like a black torrent, instantly surrounding the vermilion gates of the Mingjing Si so tightly that not even water could pass through.

Yin Shizhi led a group of White Tiger Guard embroidered messengers out from within the gates. With one hand behind his back, he swept his gaze over the aggressive soldiers and met Yuwen Lun's eyes. His momentum was not the least bit weaker as he questioned: "Your Highness, do you know what place this is?"

"This is the Mingjing Mansion established by Taizu himself!"

Having said that, he raised his hand and pointed directly at the plaque engraved with the three gilded characters "Mingjing Si."

The implication was a warning not to act recklessly...

"Yin Shizhi, you little brat, move aside!"

"Don't block this Prince's path!"

Yuwen Lun raised his head and stepped forward, his right hand supporting the saber at his waist, and shouted sternly: "Out of respect for your father and grandfather, I don't want to hurt you, kid!"

Anger was anger, but the face of the Yin clan still had to be given...

Moreover, he had no grievances with this Yin clan kid.

"Your Highness, what is your intention in leading troops here?"

Yin Shizhi seemed to turn a deaf ear, still not yielding an inch, blocking Yuwen Lun's path and asking: "Are you planning to forcefully charge into a vital government office?"

"This Prince has come to demand people from Chen Yan!"

Yuwen Lun smiled without warmth, gritting his teeth: "He touched someone he shouldn't have!"

To break ground on the head of the Tai Sui—today, he would definitely make that kid surnamed Chen pay a heavy price...

"Someone he shouldn't have touched?"

A flash of cunning crossed Yin Shizhi's eyes. After choosing his words, he asked: "Your Highness, are you perhaps talking about Shi Hanzhang and Li Lutong?"

"Exactly!"

Yuwen Lun didn't think much of it, not even hesitating, and gave a firm reply.

"Does Your Highness know that these two are major criminals involved in smuggling and colluding with the enemy?"

Yin Shizhi blinked, bowed with cupped hands, and asked: "I wonder what relationship Your Highness has with these two?"

"These two are this Prince's household servants!"

Yuwen Lun stared straight at Yin Shizhi, the anger in his eyes leaping, and he snorted coldly: "What smuggling and colluding with the enemy?"

He paused, then accused: "Aren't these charges just whatever your Mingjing Si wants to add?"

If ordinary people didn't know, how could he, a dignified Prince of Yan, not be clear about it?

Ever since Chen Yan became the Acting Zhuque Mirror Keeper, the Mingjing Si had become a foul place!

Wantonly fabricating charges, framing the innocent, and plotting against loyal officials—he was a true sycophant!

It was laughable that those ignorant commoners still thought this little brat was some kind of "Blue Sky" reborn?

Fools... Having successfully baited the words, Yin Shizhi couldn't help but roll his eyes in his heart and argued righteously: "Your Highness, our Mingjing Si has always upheld the law, and every arrest is based on solid evidence!"

"We don't care whose household servants they are!"

Every word was filled with righteous indignation.

"Move aside!"

Yuwen Lun's patience was at an end. He didn't want to continue listening to this nonsense and threatened: "Otherwise, don't blame this Prince for being impolite!"

"How does Your Highness plan to be impolite?"

Yin Shizhi smiled, stepping forward instead of back, and countered: "Are you planning to use force to break into our Mingjing Si?"

"And what if I am?"

"Do you really think your Mingjing Si can cover the sky with one hand?"

"Do you really think everyone is a soft persimmon to be squeezed at will?"

Yuwen Lun, already in a rage, was further provoked by these taunting words and shouted sternly: "Pass on this Prince's order..."

The short-spear men in the front row gripped their spear shafts tightly, the tips trembling slightly.

The halberd men adjusted their stances, the cold light of the blades reflecting on their solemn faces.

"Your Highness, I advise you to think thrice before acting!" Yin Shizhi swept his gaze over the Prince of Yan's guards, who were ready to pounce, showing no fear, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"I won't think even once!"

"Today, I must level the Mingjing Si and give that kid Chen Yan a taste of color!"

Yuwen Lun cursed as he gave the order: "Attack!"

Think thrice?

Yuwen Hu didn't care if he bullied others on ordinary days.

But to touch the royal family, to touch the Emperor—that required paying a price!

"Who is this?"

"Daring to mobilize troops to surround the Mingjing Si? And daring to attack?"

"Isn't this too arrogant and reckless?"

At some point, a crowd of commoners had gathered to watch the excitement. Witnessing this scene, they all began to discuss it in a hubbub.

There wasn't a commoner living in Chang'an who didn't know what the Mingjing Si was...

Especially after the Mingjing Si produced the Great Zhou Poetry Immortal and the Young Military Immortal, it had become even more famous.

Now, someone actually dared to surround the Mingjing Si with troops—whose subordinate was this?

"I heard it's Prince of Yan, Yuwen Lun!"

Wu Mingche, an embroidered messenger mingling in the crowd, directly revealed the identity of this daring fool.

Immediately after, other embroidered messengers scattered among the crowd pretended to be "in the know" and began to explain the cause and effect of the incident...

"Swish!"

The embroidered messengers under Yin Shizhi's command were not to be outdone and drew their sabers in unison.

Each had a solemn expression, their horizontal sabers facing the weapons of the Prince of Yan's guards from afar.

The cold light on the blades intertwined with the blade-glow of the guards, making it impossible to tell whose was more chilling.

"Yo, is this a military drill?"

"Or is someone preparing to rebel?"

Just as both sides were in a state of tension, about to come to blows, a playful, teasing voice suddenly came.

Immediately after, several young people walked quickly into the center of the confrontation.

"Chen Yan, you rat hiding your head and showing your tail, you finally decided to show your face..." Yuwen Lun recognized at a glance who the leader was.

"Your Highness, we have no grievances in the recent past or the distant past; your words are too much..." Chen Yan showed no sign of anger, smiled indifferently, and said calmly.

"Chen Yan, this Prince doesn't want to talk nonsense with you!"

"And don't pretend you don't know!"

Yuwen Lun glanced at the posturing Mingjing Si Superintendent and sneered: "I'll give you two choices: either release the people yourself, or this Prince will lead troops in to take the people and property away..."

His sleeves were lifted by the wind, revealing the bulging veins on his wrists.

The threat was self-evident.

Chen Yan remained smiling, not answering directly, but changed the subject and asked: "Your Highness, do you know what price the last person who attacked the Mingjing Si paid?"

The last time... Li Tan blinked. If he remembered correctly, it seemed to be the Zhao brothers of the Duke of Chu's mansion.

"This Prince doesn't know, and doesn't want to know!"

"Don't try to change the subject..."

Yuwen Lun's patience was at an end. He stiffened his neck and shouted sternly: "Choose quickly!"

"Otherwise, this Prince will help you choose..."

By the end, his eyes were full of ruthlessness.

"What if this Superintendent doesn't want to choose either?" Chen Yan's gaze was deep as he continued to pour oil on the fire.

"Then don't blame this Prince for being impolite!"

"Even if the Heavenly King himself came today, he couldn't save you..."

"Kill your way in!"

Yuwen Lun hysterically gave the order to his guards.

The five hundred soldiers suddenly erupted with killing intent, about to rush forward.

Just at this critical moment, a sudden rush of horse hooves came from the street corner, not the sound of scattered fleeing.

Instead, it was the roar of hundreds of warhorses crushing the bluestone slabs, the crisp sound of horseshoes hitting the ground mixed with the friction of armor plates, tightening like a giant net from all directions.

"If the Heavenly King can't save him, then what about this Prince?"

"And what about the Imperial Guards in this Prince's hands?" ===== CHAPTER 265 =====