Chapter 685: A Sleepless Night in the Capital

"Save me, save me..."

As the tumor grew from under the skin, the pain actually eased slightly.

Vice Minister of Revenue Zhou Mingyuan was full of fear, struggling to walk toward Luo Faqing and the others.

But before he could take a few steps, he felt his strength dissipate like a flood, and his consciousness became increasingly blurred.

In a trance, past memories flashed continuously in his mind.

Born in poverty, the whole family farmed to support his studies...

He was intelligent and was favored by a great Confucian, taken in as a disciple, becoming a top scholar in the capital, high-spirited and vigorous...

He was determined to be a famous minister, unwilling to be corrupted, and was sent to a remote county...

He was unwilling to be ignored, so he started learning to drill for connections...

Promoted all the way from a county magistrate, his future was limitless, and he would inevitably enter the cabinet...

He ate "flat peaches," not to regain his youth, but to borrow the power of this circle. Therefore, when the Prince of Ying's mansion summoned the "Flat Peach Banquet" and all members gathered for the first time, he was the first to run over happily...

Finally, the memory froze in front of the wooden window of the earth house in his hometown.

That year, he looked at the bright moon, his gaze clear, reciting "worrying before the world worries."

In this life, what on earth had he done...

Vice Minister of Revenue Zhou Mingyuan's memory recalled before death, but others did not know.

In the eyes of the crowd, they only saw the massive tumor on his belly suddenly burst, and the five internal organs covered in bumps, along with foul blood and pus, surged out. Afterward, Yin wind rose in the surroundings, accompanied by the crying of children, and small black palm prints covered his skin...

He was not the only one who was unlucky.

The wife of the Salt Transport Commissioner, Lin, screamed and scratched her neck, and the rotten flesh bumps under her snow-white skin grew wildly, covering half her face in the blink of an eye.

"It's all your fault, it's all your fault!"

She staggered and pounced toward the Old Princess, rolling together, the candle stand fell, and their brocade robes "whooshed" into flames, the two turning into fireballs rolling and wailing.

As for the bloated Marquis of Anping, Xiao Jinghan, he was directly burned to death alive.

Watching all this, Luo Faqing and the others felt their scalps tingle.

"Everyone, hurry and save them, we need living captives!"

Luo Faqing hurriedly ordered the Daoists of the Law Enforcement Hall, while he himself ran outside the door.

These powerful officials of the "Flat Peach Banquet" naturally deserved to die.

But if the people died, the intelligence could not be lost.

And looking at this appearance, someone wanted to silence them!

Luo Faqing held his sword and rushed out of the hall, looking left and right at the sky.

But the night sky at this moment was bright with the moon, the dark clouds like gauze, and he couldn't see anyone playing the flute at all.

Escape technique!

Luo Faqing immediately made a judgment, his left hand pinching the seal, his thumb pressing the root of his ring finger, the other three fingers standing straight, his right hand taking a peach charm engraved with "Decree to Break Escape" from his waist, throwing it toward the sky, while chanting: "Tianpeng Tianpeng, Nine-Origin Baleful Child. Five-Ding Commandant, High-Diao Northern Old Man. Seven Policies Eight Spirits, Supreme Bright Fierce. Long-Skull Giant Beast, Hand Holding Imperial Bell. Plain Owl Three Gods, Strictly Driving Kui Dragon. Majestic Sword God King, Slay Evil and Destroy Traces!"

The hand seal he pinched was called the Tianpeng Seal.

This method was called the "Supreme Clear Tianpeng Demon-Subduing Great Method," a secret transmission of the Shenxiao Sect of the Northern Song Dynasty, specialized in breaking evil escapes, Yin escapes, and other arts.

Luo Faqing came to the capital, although he had worked hard, but in these two years of experience, his cultivation had also broken through to the fourth level of the building.

This kind of secret method was also learned in the capital.

Bang!

The spell was chanted, and the peach charm that had not yet landed exploded instantly.

A large amount of dust accompanied by a wild wind scattered, drawing a tortuous route in the air.

Looking at the route, the other party appeared from the side courtyard of the mansion and landed above the great hall.

Luo Faqing sheathed his Dharma sword with a clatter, exerted force under his feet, his Daoist robes fluttering, and with a few leaps, he jumped onto the roof of the great hall.

His subordinates also cooperated tacitly.

The yellow-robed Daoists set up altars to form formations, preparing to restrain the other party's sorcery.

And the sharpshooters of the Commandant's Office leaped quickly to the high walls in the distance, raising their Divine Fire Muskets.

However, by the time Luo Faqing reached the top of the great hall, it was already empty.

Luo Faqing's expression was solemn, looking into the distance, while waving his palm.

Two night owls trained by the Commandant's Office took off instantly.

Although these two night owls could not compare to Lu San's Lidong, they were quite spiritual and better at night reconnaissance.

But Luo Faqing didn't hold any hope at all.

The reason was simple: the other party lurked silently above the great hall, and so many people didn't discover them; even if they used an escape technique, it showed that the other party's cultivation was far higher than theirs.

Could it be that mysterious Zhao Qingxu?

At this moment, inside the mansion, it was already a mess.

The female relatives were in a complete chaos.

That arrogant Ninth Miss had her hair disheveled, lifting her skirt to escape to the inner courtyard, her face full of horror, but she didn't notice that the personal maid she usually beat and scolded at every turn had hatred in her eyes, directly giving her a fierce push from behind.

This Ninth Miss fell to the ground, her golden silk shoes flying far away, her face covered in bloodstains, wailing loudly...

The Third Concubine ran wildly holding her makeup box, pearls and jade scattering all the way, being snatched by the martial arts people in the mansion, and then slashed by the way.

Several little maids huddled behind the rockery, trembling, watching a guard's chest being blown apart by a musket.

The Prince of Ying's mansion had been managed for many years, and there were inevitably loyal servants and guards.

They carried weapons to cover their masters, but facing the fierce Commandant's Office, the only outcome was death.

Several palaces had already caught fire, thick smoke rolling, adding to the chaos.

Fortunately, those who came from the Commandant's Office were all elites, quickly controlling the situation.

Some martial arts people and mansion guards ran out of the mansion in a panic, only to be captured by the Commandant's Office experts on the periphery.

"Bah! Still want to run!"

Sha Lifei escorted a person from the backyard, giving a fierce kick, knocking the other party to the ground.

This person was dressed as a scholar, his face swollen from the poisonous bees, it was none other than Yu Wenhai who had fled to the backyard.

"Is it Yu Wenhai?"

After Luo Faqing asked clearly, he was full of surprise.

News had already come from the great hall that none of the members of the "Flat Peach Banquet" had escaped.

The mysterious expert from before had disappeared without a trace.

This Yu Wenhai was Kong Hui's disciple and must know a lot of intelligence.

Whoosh~

Suddenly, a wild wind in the air wrapped in darkness and dissipated.

Li Yan pushed open the small window of the pavilion, leaped down steadily. "Old Sha, in Anqing Alley."

As soon as Sha Lifei heard this, he understood immediately, taking Lu San and running out.

Li Yan let him go; he must be looking for Wuleji's corpse.

No matter what, the other party was also a Yin criminal expert, perhaps having good things on him, and his head had to be handed over to Hu Yuanyuan of the Five Immortals Hall.

Luo Faqing knew it well, but couldn't care about it, ordering in a deep voice: "There was an expert just now, did you notice?"

"Discovered."

Li Yan's expression was solemn, "It was a Yin criminal, but the other party had a national sacrificial artifact on them, so the hook-order could not locate them."

His hook-order was embedded with the mysterious jade tablet left by Yin Changsheng, and its investigative ability was very strong.

If it weren't for this, he wouldn't even be able to sense the other party's aura.

"Could it be Zhao Qingxu?" Luo Faqing asked in a low voice.

"Possible."

Li Yan nodded, "The other party timed it perfectly, acting when I was driving the Yin Division troops, showing they knew me very well. Even if it wasn't Zhao Qingxu, it was that Rotten Scholar Kong Hui."

Saying this, he looked at Yu Wenhai on the ground, "Interrogate this person quickly, perhaps there will be discoveries..." Boom, boom, boom!

Just at this moment, the sound of horses' hooves came from the street, accompanied by a roar:

"What are you all doing, rebelling?!"

"Get lost!"

The Prince's mansion gate, which was already open, shattered with a bang.

One saw a team of black-armored cavalry crashing through the gate and pouring into the mansion.

These black-armored cavalry were all full of killing intent, holding long spears and weapons, their expressions indifferent.

At a glance, they were fierce soldiers from the military, their aura even suppressing the Commandant's Office.

The leader was about fifty years old, his face like a knife cut, full of sideburns, an arrow scar running diagonally across his brow to his cheekbone, wearing mountain-pattern armor, with an imperial-bestowed "Tiger-Brave" saber hanging at his waist, his armor flashing with cold light in the moonlight.

"Luo Faqing!"

This person looked left and right, his eyes instantly bloodshot, roaring: "Who gave you the guts to lead troops to bloodbath the Prince's mansion?!"

Li Yan frowned slightly, reaching for the flintlock musket at his waist.

The reason the Prince of Ying's mansion ran rampant in the capital was firstly because the Emperor remembered old feelings, and secondly because they had deep relations with the military.

After the Prince of Ying returned from the war, he died early, but many of his subordinates were now high-ranking and powerful.

Seeing Li Yan full of murderous intent, Luo Faqing hurriedly pressed his hand, whispering: "It's Yan Tieshan, the Left Commander of the Five Military Governor's Office."

Hearing this, Li Yan gave a cold snort and stopped moving.

The Five Military Governor's Office was responsible for commanding troops, operations, and garrison management, nominally sharing power and checking the Ministry of War.

Being able to become the Left Commander, legally he was already the highest military commander of the imperial court.

Of course, with the centralization and balance of imperial power, after the Battle of the Northern Frontier that year, it had completely become a nominal title.

But even so, it had to be held by meritorious officials or generals with outstanding military achievements.

Yan Tieshan was a subordinate of the Prince of Ying during the Battle of the Northern Frontier that year.

Such a person naturally couldn't be killed recklessly.

After Luo Faqing pacified him, he turned around, cupped his hands, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly:

"This official is acting under orders to investigate the case of the Prince of Ying's mansion colluding with the 'Flat Peach Banquet' evil sect."

"Fart!"

Yan Tieshan pointed his horse whip at the corpses all over the ground, "This commander only sees the Commandant's Office slaughtering imperial relatives! You people unauthorizedly mobilized troops and privately destroyed the Prince's mansion, how is this different from rebellion?!"

After saying that, he turned and ordered: "Take them all down, I am going to see His Majesty now. Luo Faqing colluded with the remnants of the Maitreya Sect, faked imperial decrees, and intended to subvert the nation!"

As he spoke, he glanced at Li Yan and the others, "These martial arts bandits, all treat them as accomplices to treason!"

Whoosh!

His fierce soldiers raised their long spears in unison.

How could the Commandant's Office people be captured without a fight? They directly raised their crossbows and muskets.

Just as both sides were deadlocked, a long laugh was heard:

"Commander Yan has such great official authority!"

One saw Zou Yanli, the Libationer of the Imperial Academy, walking over unsteadily while holding a wine pot, roaring: "This time capturing the demon people to quell the chaos, this old man also participated, could it be that you also want to give me a charge of treason?"

Yan Tieshan frowned slightly, snorting coldly: "If there is a crime, the Emperor will handle it. Slaughtering the Prince of Ying's mansion, no matter what, it cannot be justified."

He naturally knew that the Prince of Ying's mansion must have some problems.

But to break into the mansion and kill people so blatantly, their military lineage would lose all dignity.

Clatter, clatter~

Just at this moment, the sound of dense footsteps sounded outside the Prince's mansion gate again.

This time, more soldiers poured in, wearing golden armor, with red tassels fluttering on the tops of their helmets.

Imperial Guards?

Seeing this, Yan Tieshan felt a thud in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged, saying in a deep voice: "General Liu came just in time, these people slaughtered the mansion, like rebellion, take them down quickly..."

"Commander Yan!"

The leading middle-aged general's eyes twitched, and he said coldly: "What are you doing here, don't act recklessly."

Saying this, he took out a token from his bosom.

Seeing this, Yan Tieshan's complexion changed drastically.

On that token, it was clearly written "As if His Majesty is present."

His face turned pale, his lips pursed, "Is it the Emperor's intention?"

"Commander Yan, don't think too much."

The leading middle-aged general said in a deep voice: "The Prince of Ying's mansion affair is bigger than you think. His Majesty said, whoever colludes with them, even the Crown Prince, must be taken down immediately. Do you want to block it?"

Hearing this, Yan Tieshan immediately closed his mouth.

He lived on a nearby street, and although he had received the favor of the Old Prince of Ying, he also knew that the current Prince of Ying's mansion was in trouble.

Among them, it also involved the struggle between the "Open Sea" faction and the local faction.

Although he had taken an invitation, he only sent birthday gifts and did not come to the banquet.

Finding the Prince of Ying's mansion being attacked, he hurriedly brought his men to rush over.

He originally thought it was just those Jinghai Gang matters, but now it seemed not good.

Luo Faqing also saw that Yan Tieshan didn't seem to be involved in this matter, so he stopped paying attention to him, instead cupping his hands to the Imperial Guard general: "General Liu, the people of the 'Flat Peach Banquet' have been silenced, please control the mansion, and wait for us to find clues."

This General Liu didn't talk nonsense, turning and ordering directly.

After the Imperial Guards rushed to various courtyards, he shook his head slightly, whispering: "Who are they, so I can prepare."

He had more than one task this time; the Imperial Guards had all been dispatched tonight, and the Golden Uniform Guard was also on standby. As long as he got the list, he would immediately control and capture the corresponding personnel.

Luo Faqing cupped his hands and replied: "Vice Minister of Revenue Zhou Mingyuan, the mother tiger of the Salt Transport Commissioner's family, the Marquis of Anping..."

Hearing this, General Liu gasped, asking carefully: "Are they all dead?"

"All dead."

Luo Faqing said helplessly: "That thing they ate is a bit like Gu poison, detonated by an expert..."

Hearing this, General Liu sighed at the sky, "Tonight, the matter is big."

And the Left Commander Yan Tieshan beside him was already covered in cold sweat...

The morning bell broke the thin mist, and the capital woke up in the smell of blood.

The bluestone slabs of Zhu Que Street were still covered in night dew, and the early-rising vegetable vendors had just set up their stalls when they saw teams of golden-armored Imperial Guards stepping out of the alleys in neat steps, the iron boots making the window lattices along the street rattle.

The old man selling pancakes shrank his neck and muttered: "Good heavens, the sky is about to change."

Last night, the Prince of Ying's mansion caught fire, and many powerful officials' houses were sealed.

Later, not only the Imperial Guards, but even the Golden Uniform Guard participated.

The Golden Uniform Guard was responsible for ceremonial escorts and public security in the capital.

The Imperial Guards were responsible for guarding the imperial city.

In fact, the Golden Uniform Guard also belonged to the Imperial Guards.

This involved the Great Xuan military system reform, which was still somewhat vague, and they were often transferred to each other.

But no matter what, they were the Emperor's personal troops, independent of the Ministry of War and the Five Military Governor's Office.

They wouldn't bother with small matters on weekdays.

Now that they were all dispatched, rumors were naturally flying.

Among the common people, they said everything, such as the Prince of Ying rebelling, or the Emperor wanting to kill old officials.

And the officials in the capital understood another thing.

Last night's action showed that the Emperor did not trust any of them.

Their news was naturally much better informed than the common people, and they quickly figured out the reason.

The "Flat Peach Banquet" affair surprised many people and also made some people fearful.

And the name of the Twelve Yuan Chen also spread throughout the capital...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 686 =====