Chapter 293: Troublemaker [Thank you all for your support! Bowing again!]

Great Zhou law prohibits crossbows but not bows.

The reason for this,

Is firstly because bows require a long time of training to form lethality, while crossbows only require one or two days of training for ordinary commoners.

Secondly, the power of a crossbow is too great. Usually, a Great Zhou commoner pulling a bow of about one shi is a leader, but drawing a crossbow uses the strength of the whole body, so a large crossbow is often more than two shi.

And the heavy crossbows used by the Great Zhou Forbidden Army are even more powerful!

This is why the crossbow bolt pinned the Prince of Yong Heir to the pillar.

Qingfeng Tower.

Second floor,

Zheng Xiao tackled Liang Han to the ground, scanned the surroundings, and immediately understood what had happened.

He gripped his sword scabbard tightly and walked toward the Jing Wang Shizi in a rage.

"Damn you!"

He cursed as he walked up to the Jing Wang Shizi, Zheng Xiao even raised his sword scabbard, but after dancing it a few times, he didn't smash it down!

Zheng Xiao threw away the sword scabbard, changed to grabbing the Jing Wang Shizi's clothes with both hands, lifted him up, and looked downstairs again.

But, in the end, he still threw the Jing Wang Shizi onto the floor of the second floor.

Then he walked up to those two guards and slapped them hard, cursing angrily:

"Thieving birds! You dare to bring this kind of military weapon out?"

"Damn you!"

Zheng Xiao was venting fear rather than anger.

As a noble descendant, he knew the power of this heavy crossbow.

If Xu Zaijing hadn't helped him just now, he would have been pierced through the chest!

On the other side, Zhang Fangling also felt his hair stand on end. He frowned, looked at this, pointed at Qin Chi Han, who was turning to leave, and shouted angrily: "Don't let them run!"

As soon as Zhang Fangling's voice came out, Qin Chi Han ran even faster.

Xu Zaijing saw this, directly took off the jade pendant from his waist; originally aiming at Qin Chi Han's head, after thinking about the power of his throwing, he changed his aim to the knee.

"Slap!"

The jade pendant hit Qin Chi Han's knee pit. Qin Chi Han fell to the ground with a sound, and after reacting for a few breaths, he hugged his knee and groaned.

When all this happened,

The Tan Wang Fu descendant, who was not old, short in stature, and dressed in black,

Stared blankly at the hair hanging down before his eyes, then looked at the Prince of Yong Heir groaning not far away, and fell into the servant's arms with weak legs.

Lu Sanlang of the Ling Ling Ling Guo Gong's mansion, who was in front of him, let the Duke's mansion attendants look at his neck, shouting:

"Is the injury serious? Will I die!?"

"Don't worry, Third Young Master, it's just a scratch!"

Hearing the attendant's words, Lu Sanlang closed his eyes in relief.

And the Prince of Yong Heir, who was most seriously injured and pinned to the pillar, was still howling:

"Quick! Save me! Xu Wulang, you damn bastard, you dare to shoot me with a bow! I'll have my father kill you!"

Then he roared at the servant: "You dog slave! Ah! Think of a way to save me!!!"

The Prince of Yong Heir had been facing away from Xu Zaijing's group the whole time and didn't understand what had happened at all!

Looking at the Prince of Yong Heir, who was in incomparable pain, Han Chengyun of the Duke of Korea's mansion swallowed his saliva and said:

"Heir, no... it wasn't him, it was the Jing Wang Shizi, shot with the crossbow we play with!"

In the restaurant, the temperature was still high, and coupled with the pain, the Prince of Yong Heir already had sweat on his face.

But Han Chengyun's words made the Prince of Yong Heir pause, and then he asked with a painful frown: "What the hell are you saying!!?"

Han Chengyun said awkwardly: "Heir, it was the Jing Wang Shizi who shot you with the... crossbow."

"Damn you idiot! I, you, Han Chengyun, think of a way to save me! It hurts so much!! Wuwuwu!"

As he spoke, the Prince of Yong Heir cried.

When the two were talking,

Qingyun had already grabbed Qin Chi Han by the collar and dragged him over. The Dongchang Hou Fu attendants wanted to step forward but were pointed at by Liang Han.

And the Prince of Yong Mansion attendants, looking at the figure Qingyun dragged over, said: "You, you, I'm going to find a physician...!"

Qingyun looked at Xu Zaijing and Zhang Fangling,

Zhang Fangling looked at the blood flowing down the arrow shaft and nodded.

Qingyun nodded, dragged Qin Chi Han to the pillar where the Prince of Yong Heir was, and said to the Prince of Yong Mansion attendants: "Please."

Subsequently, the two walked out.

Seeing Qin Chi Han, the Prince of Yong Heir kicked him in pain, and before he could say anything,

This action involved his wound, making him scream again.

After a while, he spat out a mouthful of water and shouted: "Playing with... damn... crossbow, pfft!"

Hearing the clamor,

The Jin Kingdom warriors who were about to leave returned to the building.

Looking at the scene on the second floor, several warriors laughed in muffled voices.

Wanyan Zongjun left three companions to watch the drunken ones, and the rest walked closer to take a look.

The group that had been arrogant just now was currently standing or leaning on the side of the second-floor corridor with disheveled clothes,

And in the middle were several people rolling and groaning in pain.

Then, Wanyan Zongjun and the others saw the heavy crossbow thrown aside by the Jing Wang Shizi,

And looked at the crossbow bolt deeply embedded in the floor.

Just as the Jin Kingdom warriors were about to take a few steps forward to pick it up, a figure appeared in front of them.

Xu Zaijing shook his head at them, and Zheng Xiao, who was questioning the guard carrying the crossbow, also turned his head and stood beside Xu Zaijing.

Seeing the strongest Jing Wang Fu guard just now, who was currently lying on the ground,

And seeing that neither Xu Zaijing nor Zheng Xiao had any injuries,

And looking at Xu Zaijing, whose expression was extremely ordinary, without a hint of nervousness or excitement,

Wanyan Zongjun smiled and retreated.

"Barbarian! You... beat them to death, gold? Silver? Women? Whatever you want, this Heir will never go back on his word!"

The miserable-looking Jing Wang Shizi looked at the sturdy Jin Kingdom warriors, and after following their gaze, he smiled and said:

"Crossbow? You want a crossbow? Fine! Beat them to a pulp, and I'll give it to you!!!"

"Translator, why are you looking at me? Tell these barbarians!"

The Jing Wang Shizi, who was in pain, shouted anxiously.

Wanyan Zongjun said in somewhat broken Great Zhou language: "Is he a roe deer?"

Hearing this, Zheng Xiao turned his head and looked at Xu Zaijing in confusion. Xu Zaijing said: "Roe deer, stupid."

The translator beside him had his chin dropped, but after glancing at the Jing Wang Shizi watching from the side, he didn't nod.

Wanyan Zongjun glanced at the Jing Wang Shizi, nodded at Xu Zaijing, smiled, and then led his people downstairs.

After going down the stairs, some Jin Kingdom warriors looked back at the second floor and said in Jin Kingdom language beside Wanyan Zongjun:

"Young Master, that weapon could actually shoot a feathered arrow deep into a wooden board; the power is extraordinary! We should have tested it."

Wanyan Zongjun looked at the somewhat embarrassed translator beside him and said:

"It's not good to use force at this time! When the time comes, I will beg the Great Zhou Emperor to bestow it upon our Jin Kingdom."

"Moreover, that boy gives me a feeling that is too dangerous."

As they were talking and walking out the door,

A group of yamen runners walked in.

Upstairs, Xu Zaijing dismantled the crossbow string of the heavy crossbow and handed it to Zheng Xiao.

He walked a few steps, came to the side of the Jing Wang Fu guard who had been crippled by Qingyun, and squatted down.

Looking at the sweat on the guard's face from the pain and his eyes full of hatred,

Xu Zaijing carefully recalled the battle outside Yang Zhou City before,

He looked at the guard's face and asked in confusion:

"Hiss, in my memory, you really do look like that fierce bandit; what is your relationship?"

"No relationship, that was a villain who betrayed the Wang Fu! His actions have nothing to do with the Wang Fu."

Xu Zaijing said "Oh" with an expression of disbelief.

Watching the yamen runners walking up the stairs, Xu Zaijing saw a familiar face and nodded with a smile.

The several yamen runners following Li Mubai didn't mind the somewhat bloody scene,

But this group of noble boys dressed in luxury made them somewhat nervous.

Subsequently, Li Mubai squeezed out a fake smile and began to direct the yamen runners,

Arranging to guard the door, find witnesses, report to the yamen, etc. After the work was done, the last yamen runner behind Li Mubai was already full of admiration.

The yamen runner whispered:

"Constable Li is amazing! You are so calm and composed."

"By the way, Constable Li, have you seen this kind of scene often at Pan Tower or Fan Tower before?"

Li Mubai shook his head with a straight face: "Not often."

"Then, how many times have you seen it? Which scene was bigger?"

"Go, go outside and see if the physician has arrived."

"Yes, Constable Li."

Xu hour (eight o'clock in the evening).

In the vicinity of Qingfeng Tower,

It soon became lively.

In the cold winter, many commoners, after hearing the sound of soldiers' footsteps and cavalry galloping outside, peeked through the cracks in their doors,

And seeing soldiers holding torches without fiercely driving them away, those who loved excitement poked their heads out from the second floor of their homes or by climbing ladders on courtyard walls to watch.

There were also passersby on horseback who stopped, and after seeing the carriages inside, they exclaimed:

"Whoa! What happened? Even our Bianjing Prefect, Lord Gu, has come."

Although Lord Gu was surnamed Gu, his ancestral home was in Yuezhu, and he had no relationship with the two Marquis mansions.

Inside Qingfeng Tower,

Bianjing Prefect Gu Lin arrived on the second floor with his clerks, frowning.

Looking at the order in the building, this second-rank official of Great Zhou asked: "Who was the first to arrive here?"

"Reporting to my lord, it was this humble subordinate."

"Hmm, well done!"

"Thank you, my lord, for the commendation!"

After speaking, Gu Lin turned his head and looked at the heavy crossbow and crossbow bolts placed on the ground, narrowing his eyes. Although no joy or anger could be seen on his face, the clerks behind him lowered their heads slightly.

Walking forward, he looked at the crossbow bolt inserted into the floor again, and Gu Lin pondered for a moment.

Looking up, he saw the injured people sitting on the chairs on the second floor, already bandaged by physicians, some wrapped around the shoulders, some around the neck or arms, and some wrapped all over, lying on the ground.

Gu Lin sighed deeply and said:

"Fourth son of the British Duke's family, come and explain what happened!"

Zhang Fangling bowed and cupped his hands:

"My lord, this matter happened when this humble one heard the servant beside Liang family's Sixth Young Master in the room say..."

After listening, Gu Lin nodded and said:

"The one from the Duke of Korea's family, you speak too."

Han Chengyun:

"My lord, we, along with the two Heirs and the Tan Prince's son, went upstairs, just to play a joke, I didn't expect that Xu family's Fifth Young Master..."

Gu Lin waited for him to finish, nodded, and said to the clerk beside him: "Have you recorded it all?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Xu family's Fifth Young Master, what about you?"

Xu Zaijing bowed:

"My lord, I was also joking with my servant. Previously in Yang Zhou, there was a group of fierce bandits who attempted..."

"Seeing the Jing Wang Shizi raise the crossbow again, for the sake of everyone on the second floor, this student then threw the dagger..."

Gu Lin listened, his expression softened a bit, and he nodded:

"Hmm, it can be considered as eliminating harm for the people!"

It wasn't clear who he was referring to as the "harm," but the group of Heirs and young masters from the Jing Prince and Duke of Korea families all looked embarrassed.

"Are you currently studying in Old Zhuang's school?"

"Yes."

"Currently, you are...?"

"Participating in the Academy Examination after the New Year."

"Hmm! Do not be lazy."

"Yes, my lord."

After Gu Lin finished speaking, he turned his head and looked to the side: "Have the adults from the Zongzheng Division and the Palace Guard Division's cavalry and push-cases arrived yet?"

The clerk beside him looked downstairs and replied: "My lord, Old Prince Hui of the Zongzheng Division has just entered the building and is walking over..."

Gu Lin nodded.

"My lord, our Heir is seriously injured; can we let our Heir go and recuperate first!"

As soon as the servant's words came out, the Jing Wang Shizi on the side cooperated with a few painful groans and said: "Go, go, go! Go find Old Prince Hui!"

Gu Lin narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to say:

"Stand still!"

"What? Have you stayed in the fiefdom for too long?"

"Do you think that because you have an Assistant Ling Ling Guo Gong as a maternal grandfather, this official can't control you?"

The Jing Wang Shizi was startled and turned to look at Gu Lin: "You! Fine, fine, fine, then I'll wait for Old Prince Hui to come over."

As he spoke, he even pointed at Gu Lin with his uninjured hand.

Old Prince Hui, the head of the Zongzheng Division, climbed to the second floor, panting. Seeing Gu Lin standing up, he also hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting.

Listening to Gu Lin briefly explain the situation, Old Prince Hui looked angrily at the descendants of the two Prince Mansions and said:

"When I was young, I also fought quite a few fights with this Lu family, his Zhang family, your Han family, and your Lu family!"

"But I never lost! And I never used this kind of military weapon! What do you want to do? Kill people?"

Hearing this Prince say "I never lost,"

Zhang family's Fourth Son hurriedly lowered his head, hiding his gaze; previously, his father, the British Duke, hadn't said it like that.

"You are just like your father!"

The Jing Wang Shizi lowered his head, his eyes full of dissatisfaction and impatience.

At this moment,

Outside Qingfeng Tower,

The various noble families related to this matter were all gathered outside the building.

Although the families kept inquiring, the soldiers and yamen runners maintaining order just blocked them from entering.

Finally, after the Bianjing Prefect walked out of the building, he said:

"My lords, ladies, I will go to see the Emperor shortly!"

"As for how to deal with the Heirs and young masters of each family, please wait for the Emperor's decree outside the Imperial City."

After speaking, the Bianjing Prefect didn't listen to the surrounding voices and went straight into his carriage.

The yamen runners and soldiers maintaining order still didn't retreat, but waited for the noble sons of each family who were being helped, carried, or walking out of the building to follow Lord Gu's carriage.

When the sons of the Dongchang Hou Fu and the Duke of Korea's mansion came out with limping legs and wrapped necks,

The female relatives of the two families immediately...

"My son! What happened to you!"

"Young Master, are you okay?" they shouted, as if crying at a funeral.

The servants of the two families hurriedly shouted a few times, and the mother of Lu Sanlang of the Ling Ling Ling Guo Gong's mansion immediately began to scold by pointing at the mulberry tree and cursing the locust tree.

And the Prince of Yong and Jing Prince Heirs, who were carried out, made the families and retainers of the two Prince Mansions shake the yamen runners maintaining order incessantly.

"What happened to the Heir!? Speak!"

The retainers of the Prince of Yong Mansion hurriedly replied:

"The Heir, he was pierced through the shoulder by the Jing Wang Shizi with a crossbow and bled a lot!"

"Our family's Heir was beaten by the Zheng family and the Yongyi Marquis family, breaking his leg! And his arm was poked! And he was thrown!"

Hearing this, the Prince of Yong Mansion and the Ling Ling Ling Guo Gong's family became one side, and the servants were already pushing and shoving, looking like they were about to stage a fight.

At this moment, Xu Zaijing walked out while talking with his friends.

The retainers and servants of the Jing Wang Fu stopped caring about the Prince of Yong Mansion and roared at Xu Zaijing and Zheng Xiao:

"Injuring people is a crime!"

"Injuring the imperial clan is an even greater crime!"

Xu Zaijing acted as if he hadn't heard, got on his horse, and led by the yamen runners of the Bianjing Prefect, walked toward the Imperial City.

On the road, Xu Zaijing cupped his hands toward Zaihang and Gu Tingyu who had rushed over.

The British Duke Zhang family's Third Son looked at the Fourth Son, nodded, and then shouted at Zheng Xiao:

"Don't worry, I'll tell your sister-in-law that you're fine!"

Zheng Xiao hurriedly said:

"No, no! Third Brother, don't tell her! You know my sister-in-law's temper."

After the people were gone, the yamen runners and soldiers maintaining order followed.

There were also idle people who loved excitement who went to the hotels along the road to shout that there was excitement to watch, and those idle people were rewarded with quite a few copper coins.

On the road to the Xuande Gate,

Although there were many merchants hanging lanterns along the Imperial Street, the light was still somewhat dim, and people were asking each other which family's young master was riding the horse.

"Listening to this, the families that are on good terms with the Duke of Korea have all suffered losses!"

"Look, that Xu family's Fifth Young Master, I often see him in the morning, that's him."

"Sitting so steadily, it looks like nothing happened to him!"

Rong Xian, who had just arrived here, came to the front through the gap pushed open by his tall servants and jumped on his feet, shouting:

"Jing-ge'er! Why didn't you call me?"

"Yo! Fourth Brother Zhang!"

After the people passed, Rong Xian shook his head and said:

"Sigh, what a great excitement I missed!"

"You go wait at the Imperial City gate, you go find out exactly what happened!"

The two servants beside him hurriedly agreed.

Subsequently, Rong Xian got into a sedan chair and said: "Go back, our family is close to the Imperial City."

A servant who ran fast told the original story he had heard from the idle people who were calling for others, and explained it clearly on the road.

Returning to South Lecture Hall Lane,

Rong Xian arrived at Hui Xue Courtyard.

Amidst Rong Feiyan's anxious expression, he told the story with an annoying speed.

Rong Feiyan stomped her feet hatefully: "He... he really is a troublemaker!"

In the Imperial Palace,

The Emperor looked at the memorial from the Bianjing Prefect.

For the parts that were unclear, the Emperor asked a few more questions.

"Hmm! Don't let them enter the palace! For those who took action, give them ten strokes at the palace gate!"

"Beat them hard for me!"

"Investigate the source of the heavy crossbows carefully, and tell me tomorrow morning after the court session!"

After the Bianjing Prefect took his leave,

Watching the imperial guards who had received the order to execute the punishment,

The Emperor sighed and said: "Go, bring me the secret report on the Jing Prince's fiefdom."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Two quarters of an hour later,

Zhao Zilong was summoned to the hall.

"Zilong, what is this talk here, saying it was torn up by you?"

"Your Majesty, it's just crazy talk from rumors!"

"Hmm?"

"Your Majesty, I... I dare not say."

"I pardon you."

"The secret report says, in the Jing Prince's fiefdom, someone said 'This imperial prince won't live long either'."

The Emperor's movements froze for a moment.

Clang!

The priceless incense burner on the imperial desk was swept onto the floor!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 294 =====