Chapter 99: The Death of Lao Gui, We Meet Again, Your Highness the Shu Prince (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Relying on the speed of the Longxue Horses, Pei Shaoqing and the others entered the territory of Jingguan City in just one day.

Wei Yue split his forces into two groups.

He went personally to deal with that Lao Gui.

He ordered his foster son Lu Feng and Pei Shaoqing and the others to enter the city first to pass the order to Lu Dingchuan to surround the Shu Prince Mansion, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving, but they were not to take action without his command.

Following the map provided by Pei Shaoqing.

Wei Yue easily found that mountain cave.

"Who goes there? State your name!"

Liu Yuheng and Ye Hanshuang heard the sound and came out of the cave, drawing their swords in unison, staring at this uninvited guest with faces full of vigilance.

"Jing'an Guard Commander of the Northern Suppressing Office, Wei Yue." Wei Yue first announced his affiliation, then pulled out the waist token Pei Shaoqing had given him as a token of trust and tossed it over, "Leave this place to this official."

Liu Yuheng caught the waist token, and after confirming it was correct, cupped his hands and said, "Understood, my lord, this commoner will take her leave."

Immediately after, she and Ye Hanshuang hurried away.

Only after the sound of footsteps could no longer be heard did Wei Yue put one hand behind his back and stride into the cave with a calm expression.

"Hahahaha, come, come. This old man has lived a wretched life for two hundred years; I have long since lived enough. Even without you, in a few more days, this old man would have dissipated anyway."

Lao Gui appeared directly and laughed loudly.

Wei Yue stopped his footsteps, looked at him expressionlessly, and said indifferently, "The Emperor wishes to see you. As long as you cooperate honestly, the Emperor can grant you a continued life."

Lao Gui's laughter stopped abruptly.

Then, even louder laughter erupted.

"Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! I see, I see. So that Yan Family brat is afraid of death, is he? He wants my method for living a wretched life, does he?"

Wei Yue's expression turned cold, "Insolent! If you dare to be disrespectful to our Emperor again, this official will surely make you wish you were dead."

"Living like this, neither human nor ghost, is already worse than death! Once you have tasted over two hundred years of loneliness, you will know that nothing is more painful than this; your threats are useless." Lao Gui transformed into a mass of black mist and circled around Wei Yue.

Wei Yue suddenly said, "You are not a eunuch."

This was his intuition.

It was also the feeling Lao Gui gave him.

"Does that matter?" Lao Gui did not deny it as he had when facing Pei Shaoqing's questioning, but instead asked a rhetorical question.

Wei Yue did not want to waste any more time, "This official will only ask you one thing: do you want to die, or do you want to live?"

"How does the Yan Family brat intend to extend my life? By feeding on the souls of his Great Zhou subjects? I am a person from the previous dynasty; I have no psychological burden regarding this. Will he do this to his own people just to live a wretched life after death? The Yan Family has passed through so many generations, yet they are still such bastards!"

Lao Gui clearly held deep resentment toward the Yan Family.

Wei Yue said no more and struck out fiercely.

The sharp Grandmaster Qi sounded like a thunderclap.

But to his surprise, the Lao Gui did not even resist, nor did he dodge; he met the attack and took the punch head-on, his soul-body immediately shaking as if it were about to shatter.

"This old man will not collude with the Yan rebel! Go back and tell the Yan Family brat that he shouldn't even think about living a wretched life; it was you who personally shattered his hope, hahaha..."

"Damn it!" Wei Yue's expression was very ugly; the Emperor had privately instructed him to bring this ghost back at all costs.

But now, he could only watch helplessly as the other party was struck by his own punch until his soul scattered.

But since things had come to this, there was no other way. Wei Yue turned and searched the depths of the cave, but found nothing useful, so he could only descend the mountain helplessly.

He still did not know how to go back and report to the Emperor.

………………………

At the same time, the Jing'an Guard had already arrived at the city walls.

"Giddyap!" "Giddyap!" "Giddyap!"

"Jing'an Guard on official business! Disperse! Disperse!"

"Military intelligence is like fire; those who block it die! Disperse!"

Nearly two hundred people ignored the guards at the city gate and galloped their horses, charging into the city. The commoners on the road screamed in panic and fled in all directions.

Lu Feng detached one rider to go to the Thousand-Household office to pass the order.

And the main force charged straight at the Shu Prince Mansion.

"Quick, quick, quick! Surround it!"

"The lord has ordered! Do not let a single one escape!"

Upon arrival, everyone dismounted and blocked the front and back gates of the Shu Prince Mansion with the fastest speed, while simultaneously flying onto the walls to set up Broken Gang Crossbows to prevent anyone from escaping.

"What are you doing! Do you know what place this is? You're crazy, you're all crazy!"

"A bunch of things that don't know life from death."

"Quickly go report to the Prince that someone is committing treason!"

The servants were both shocked and angry, falling into a state of chaos.

At this moment, the Shu Prince's family was enjoying breakfast in harmony; a family without Yan Sichen was very harmonious.

"How nice it would be if the whole family were harmonious. If Chen'er didn't have prejudices against me, his mother, we could be like this every day," the Shu Princess suddenly sighed and said.

"Don't mention that rebellious son." The Shu Prince's face darkened instantly, and he said irritably, "That bastard hasn't sent word in over ten days; I don't know where he's gone crazy to again. Does he still have me, his father, in his eyes?"

The Shu Princess curled her lips; it was precisely because Yan Sichen was missing again that she had intentionally brought it up.

Yan Siqin wore a faint smile and said in a gentle and refined manner, "Father, please calm your anger. It's not the first time Big Brother has been like this in the past two years. Perhaps he just forgot to greet you, and he will suddenly appear in a few days."

"You, you always speak for him, but that bastard never appreciates it." The Shu Prince shook his head.

Yan Siqin smiled harmlessly, "Big Brother just has a sharp tongue but a soft heart; he's quite good to me."

Yan Sidong curled his lips; he had no good feelings for his arrogant Big Brother or his insidious Second Brother.

The Shu Prince suddenly heard the commotion outside and frowned in displeasure, "Someone go out and see what's going on. What kind of decorum is this, making such a racket?"

"Your Highness! Something has happened, Your Highness!" The Butler ran in, panicked and anxious, saying, "There are many Jing'an Guards outside, and they have surrounded the Prince Mansion."

"What? Lu Dingchuan has such great courage, has he gone mad?" Yan Sidong set down his bowl and chopsticks, filled with shock and anger.

"Third Young Master, it is not Thousand-Household Lu," the butler said, his head covered in sweat. "They are all riding Dragon Blood Treasure Horses."

"People from the Capital!" The Shu Prince stood up abruptly.

In an instant, everyone realized the gravity of the situation, because this could only be an order from the Emperor.

The Shu Princess's pretty face turned deathly pale. "Your Highness, how could this be? How could the Emperor suddenly..."

"Do not be impatient. This Prince has always been respectful to the Emperor, my elder brother; perhaps there is some misunderstanding. I will go out and see first," the Shu Prince said in a deep voice after taking a deep breath.

Although he said that, he was panicking inside; that Second Brother on the Dragon Throne had once rebelled against the Eldest Brother, and had a prior record of plotting against his own siblings.

Yan Siqin said, "Father, I will go too."

"And me," Yan Sidong followed closely behind.

The father and his two sons went together to the front courtyard gate.

At a glance, they saw someone who was one of the leaders.

Yan Sidong exclaimed in shock, "Pei Shaoqing!"

"Your Highness the Shu Prince, Third Young Master Yan, we meet again." Pei Shaoqing sat on horseback, looking down at the three of them from above, saying with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

The Shu Prince looked around at the sea of Dragon Blood Treasure Horses, his heart rate accelerating. He feigned composure on the surface and asked, "Baron of Pingyang, what is the meaning of this?"

Pei Shaoqing looked at Lu Feng; the other party's rank was higher than his, so he could not act as if he were the boss.

"Brother Pei, please feel free," Lu Feng said in a friendly manner. He saw that the two sides had old grudges and did not mind doing Pei Shaoqing a favor, letting him enjoy his moment of triumph.

It was the exact opposite of Wei Yue's cold personality.

Lu Feng, this adopted son, was very skilled at socializing.

"Many thanks, Brother Lu." Pei Shaoqing smiled and cupped his hands at him, but when he turned to look at the Shu Prince, his expression had already turned cold. He said in a chilling voice, "The Shu Prince, as a member of the imperial clan, has repeatedly bathed in imperial grace, yet you do not think of repaying it, but instead harbor disloyal intentions and plot rebellion. Today, we have come under the Emperor's order to take Your Highness the Shu Prince to the Capital to face justice."

"What? I am plotting rebellion!" The Shu Prince's eyes widened upon hearing this, and his body staggered back a step.

The two sons hurriedly supported him. "Father!"

The Shu Prince suddenly remembered that two days ago at Furong Xuan, Pei Shaoqing had pinned the label of rebellion on Yan Sidong. His eyes bloodshot, he roared, "Slander! Pei Shaoqing, are you framing this Prince? I want to confront you before the Emperor!"

"Does Your Highness look down on me, or do you look down on the Emperor? How wise is the Emperor; how could he be deceived by others?" Pei Shaoqing let out a cold snort, his eyes filled with mockery as he said, "It was your good son, the Shu Prince Heir, who personally confessed that the Shu Prince Mansion has been plotting rebellion!"

Boom!

Hearing this, the Shu Prince felt as if he had been struck by lightning. Blood rushed to his head, his vision went black, and he nearly fainted on the spot.

"The Eldest Son... how could he..."

Yan Siqin's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.

"Where is that rebellious son? I want to see that rebellious son!" the Shu Prince roared hysterically.

The mockery in Pei Shaoqing's eyes grew deeper. "Why does Your Highness need to put on an act? The person who exposed his rebellion was captured by me. He went to silence the witness under your orders, but was captured alive by me. Under my guidance, he has already confessed everything, and the testimony has long since been presented to the Emperor."

"Because he felt ashamed before the Emperor, he committed suicide in prison two days ago, leaving behind a last testament saying he is waiting below for Your Highness the Shu Prince to go down and reunite the whole family."

The Shu Prince was numb, his whole body trembling, muttering to himself, "Rebellious son! Rebellious son! This rebellious son!"

Sitting at home, the crime of rebellion falls from the sky.

"How could the Eldest Brother do this! He must have wanted to rebel himself! It has nothing to do with Father! And even less to do with us!" Yan Siqin said, his face flushed with anxiety.

"That rebellious son wants to drag us to the grave with him!" The Shu Prince gritted his teeth. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Pei Shaoqing and said hoarsely, "If the Emperor wants to hold me accountable, I will cooperate fully. Take us to the Capital now."

It was not that he did not want to resist.

It was that he had absolutely no ability to resist.

Moreover, if he resisted, he would definitely die; if he did not resist and went to explain in person, there was still a chance to live.

"I cannot make that decision; everything must wait for the Suppressing Commissioner to arrive," Pei Shaoqing replied indifferently.

Hearing that Wei Yue had come in person, the Shu Prince knew how furious the Emperor was, so he pursed his lips and said no more.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

Just at this moment, Lu Dingchuan arrived with his men.

"Subordinate Lu Dingchuan pays respects to the Commissioner!" He walked quickly to Lu Feng and knelt down cleanly to salute.

Lu Feng lowered his head to scan him, saying with great vigor, "Completely surround the entire mansion. Clear the area within three miles to ensure no rebels are hiding."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Lu Dingchuan received the order and stood up.

He looked at Pei Shaoqing with gratitude.

Only now did he understand why Pei Shaoqing had stood up against the Shu Prince for the sake of a mere prostitute back at Furong Xuan, and why he had insisted on forcing him to choose one of two sides.

It was fortunate that he had made the right choice.

Thus, he was about to earn the merit of exterminating the rebels.

Instead of being exterminated as a follower of the Shu Prince.

The men from the Thousand-Household Office acted quickly, surrounding the Shu Prince Mansion tightly and violently clearing the surrounding residents, driving everyone away.

The commoners were also very understanding of the Jing'an Guard; they didn't even need them to draw their blades before they voluntarily cooperated.

Just as the clearing was finished, accompanied by the crisp sound of horse hooves, Wei Yue rode in from afar.

On horseback, his expression was calm, his posture upright like a green pine, the corners of his black robe fluttering in the wind.

"We respectfully welcome the Suppressing Commissioner!"

Clatter, hundreds of people at the scene knelt on one knee in unison and shouted loudly, their voices like a great bell, soaring straight into the clouds.

"Wei Yue, quickly take me to see the Emperor. I am innocent; I want to explain to him personally." Seeing an acquaintance, the Shu Prince, filled with fear and anxiety, stepped forward and stood on the steps of the gate to speak.

"Whoa!" Wei Yue, holding the reins with one hand on horseback, tilted his head to glance at him sideways. His refined face showed no emotional fluctuations, and without any wasted words, he gave a cold and decisive order: "Kill!"

Looking at a dead man for even a second more was a waste of time.

(End of chapter)