Chapter 219: Righteous Eunuch

"Killing your own father? Are you certain of what you say?!"

Li Ji, the Prefect of Wuchang who had been sitting as steady as a mountain, shot up from his seat, his face filled with shock and disbelief. Kneeling before him was none other than Zhao Xin, the young eunuch who had slipped away from the hall when Zhu Yunhui killed his father.

Fourteen-year-old Zhao Xin was a native of Jiangxia. At the age of eight, poverty had forced him into service as a menial laborer in the Prince of Chu's manor, and he was later assigned to the Han Yang Commandery Prince's residence. Because he was clever and sensible, Zhu Yunlong took a liking to him and chose him to serve at his side.

Moved by pity for his tender years, Zhu Yunlong and his Princess Consort, née Qin, treated him quite well, often giving him rewards and teaching him to read and write in their spare time. Zhao Xin, filled with gratitude, gradually developed a deep dependence on his two masters.

When Zhao Xin witnessed with his own eyes Zhu Yunhui killing his father outside the hall, amid his shock and terror, he immediately realized that his own master's life was likely doomed, and that as Zhu Yunlong's attendant, he himself could never escape the same fate.

Quick to react, he immediately hid to one side, and while no one was paying attention, quietly slipped out through the side door of the auxiliary hall.

Having escaped danger, Zhao Xin's first thought was to flee. The Prince of Chu's manor was no longer a place he could stay. As for where he would go after leaving the manor, he hadn't thought that far ahead—preserving his own life came first.

Fearing that Zhu Yunhui would come to his senses and send men to seal the manor gates, Zhao Xin sprinted all the way to the corner gate on the west side of the manor. There he lied to the guards on duty, claiming he was going out on official business by order of the heir apparent, and finally managed to leave the manor without trouble.

After leaving the manor, Zhao Xin breathed a sigh of relief. His inner terror gradually faded, replaced by deep worry for the Han Yang Prince and his consort, and a bone-deep hatred for Zhu Yunhui.

As a eunuch who ran errands and served at Zhu Yunlong's side, he knew his master's health well. When he saw Zhu Yunlong lying motionless on the ground outside the hall, his instincts told him that his master would not survive this ordeal.

It was Zhu Yunhui who had killed his kind master, and had also defiled the Princess Consort whom he regarded as a goddess. This beast in human clothing had even killed his own father! The Commandery Prince had died such an unjust death, without even leaving an heir behind!

No! This grudge must be avenged! Otherwise, I, Zhao Xin, would be unworthy of being called a man!

Unfortunately, he was not a chivalrous hero with extraordinary martial arts skills who could personally slay this villain. Was he to let this beast remain in the world to continue his evil deeds? Once this villain became the Prince of Chu, whether or not he himself returned home, his parents and siblings at home could not be guaranteed safety from his murderous hand!

He absolutely could not let this villain succeed! But who could he find to restrain him? That was the heir apparent of the Prince of Chu! Unless it was the Court of the Imperial Clan in the capital—but he had only a few taels of loose silver on him, and traveling thousands of li to the capital was as difficult as reaching the heavens!

Walking aimlessly through the streets, Zhao Xin racked his brains. Suddenly his eyes lit up: he couldn't go to the capital to file a complaint himself, but the authorities could! If he could just inform a high official of the local government, they would surely memorialize the court!

Using the pretext that the Prince of Chu had matters to communicate to the Prefect, he obtained an audience with Cheng Song, the Assistant Prefect of the prefectural office. Zhao Xin then recounted the whole affair from beginning to end. Shocked beyond measure, Cheng Song immediately brought Zhao Xin before Li Ji.

"This humble one saw it with his own eyes! If the Prefect would go to the Prince of Chu's manor to verify, you will know the truth!"

Zhao Xin, kneeling on the ground, declared in a loud voice.

Li Ji and Cheng Song exchanged a glance, each reading shock, anger, and a hint of secret delight in the other's eyes: if this matter were true, it meant that the great mountain pressing down on their heads would soon be removed.

Calming himself, Li Ji sat back in his chair and cleared his throat before speaking: "Assistant Prefect Cheng, what do you think should be done about this? Though you and I govern Wuchang Prefecture, we have no authority over matters concerning the imperial clan! For now, we can only memorialize the court after first confirming the truth of the matter. But how to confirm it is rather troublesome—the constables and yamen runners have no authority to enter the manor to investigate! How about you and I send a memorial to His Majesty, requesting that the capital dispatch an official to come and verify?"

Cheng Song clasped his hands and said: "The Prefect speaks truly. We cannot rashly draw conclusions based on this man's one-sided account! If things turn out differently, the Prefect and this subordinate would be left as a laughingstock! What we need now is to find someone with the authority to enter the manor to go and verify. Has the Prefect forgotten the Embroidered Uniform Guard that quietly took up residence in Wuchang Prefecture a month ago?"

Due to the nature of his duties, Cheng Song knew quite well about the previous clash between the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Chong Yang Commandery Prince's manor. Though he did not care for the Embroidered Uniform Guard's presence, he did inwardly approve of their actions in defending the innocent. Had the Embroidered Uniform Guard not intervened, those dozens of common households would not only have been beaten, but would also have had their homes forcibly demolished, receiving only a pittance in compensation—and he, as a court official, would have been utterly powerless to stop it.

The conflict between the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Chong Yang Commandery Prince was, to Cheng Song, a welcome development. As the saying goes, only a villain can grind down another villain—only the even more overbearing Embroidered Uniform Guard could restrain the lawless descendants of the Zhu family. Moreover, they had come bearing the authority of the Court of the Imperial Clan, which served as a binding spell. For the princes of the Chu lineage, the Embroidered Uniform Guard possessed a natural restraining property.

Li Ji had not paid much attention to the newly established Embroidered Uniform Guard Centurion post, nor had he taken note of the events of the past few days. Upon hearing Cheng Song's words, he immediately came to his senses and called out: "Someone! Invite the Embroidered Uniform Guard Centurion to the prefectural office for consultation! Say that the matter is of grave importance, and he must come with all haste!"

When Li Ji, Cheng Song, and Dong Cheng arrived at the gates of the Prince of Chu's manor with more than two hundred Embroidered Uniform Guard officers, Wuchang Prefecture constables, and yamen runners, the gates were already tightly shut. Dong Cheng immediately ordered men forward to call out and demand entry, while the constables and runners spread out along both sides, securing from outside every corner gate and side door that could serve as an exit.

After a bout of threats and cajoling, the tightly shut manor gates slowly opened from within. Several manor guards who knew nothing of the situation and had merely been ordered to close the gates stepped aside. Zhao Xin led the way, Dong Cheng strode boldly into the manor at the head of the column, while Li Ji and Cheng Song followed behind the main body of officers as they stepped inside.

"Li San, well done! From this day forward, you shall be the chief of the Prince of Chu's manor guard! All these men shall be inducted into the manor guard! I shall additionally reward each man with fifty taels of silver! Serve well from now on—so long as you remain loyal to me, I will never be stingy with promotions and rewards! For now, move the corpses in the hall to a hidden location, and after nightfall, sink them all into the Gedi Lake!"

Zhu Yunhui sat upright upon the brocade couch within the hall, speaking with a dignified air.

"We thank the Prince for his gracious reward! This subordinate will serve with utmost loyalty for the rest of his life and will not disappoint the Prince!"

Led by Li San, more than twenty martial artists summoned from within Wuchang city all knelt to express their gratitude.

After dismissing Li San, Zhu Yunhui, using the pretext that his father had just passed and no weapons were permitted within the hall, confiscated all the weapons of the guards inside. By the time Prefect Li Ji and Dong Cheng and the others were mustering their forces, Li San had already led several dozen men secretly into the manor through the corner gate. Reaching the auxiliary hall, they slaughtered all the guards and eunuchs—Liu Fugui and Bureau Director Li did not escape either—while Zhu Yunlong had long since breathed his last.

Zhu Yunhui could not contain the joy in his heart. From this day forward, he had finally become the sole master of the vast Prince of Chu's manor. No one could restrain him any longer—whether it was née Qin or née Mao, both would become his new favorites.

A clatter of chaotic footsteps came from outside the hall; from the sound of it, quite a number of people had entered the courtyard of the auxiliary hall. Zhu Yunhui was somewhat displeased. He commanded with authority: "Who dares to move about the manor so recklessly! Li San, go seize the intruders and punish them severely!"

Li San rose to his feet, called out to his men, and led them toward the hall's entrance. Just as he reached the doorway, his face suddenly changed dramatically, and he turned and rushed back toward Zhu Yunhui: "Your Highness! It seems officials have entered the manor!"

He did not recognize the uniforms of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Seeing the officers in their brightly colored armored surcoats, he knew they were not regular troops and assumed they were runners from some government office.

"Drive them out! Who let them into the manor! Once I find out, they will all be beaten to death!"

Zhu Yunhui flew into a rage, rising to his feet and pointing toward the hall's entrance as he bellowed.

Never mind ordinary officials—even Governors, Prefects, or imperial envoys would not dare to barge into the manor of a Prince like the Prince of Chu. Who was so tired of living?

As he spoke, Zhao Xin had already led Dong Cheng and the others to the entrance of the hall. The men at the front immediately saw the corpses strewn across the hall and blood pooling on the floor. Zhao Xin, his heart concerned for the safety of the Han Yang Prince and his consort, steeled himself to charge into the hall, but Dong Cheng grabbed him and pulled him behind him. Dong Cheng thought highly of this loyal young eunuch and did not wish to see him harmed.

"Except for the heir apparent of the Prince of Chu, anyone in the hall holding a weapon may be slain! Liu Shi'an! Take men around to the rear of the hall to prevent anyone from escaping! Advance!"

Following Dong Cheng's command, several officers carrying hand cannons advanced first to the hall's entrance and, without hesitation, fired at the crowds on both sides inside who were craning their necks to peer outward.

After several thunderous reports, accompanied by screams from within the hall, great clouds of smoke obscured the entire entrance. A dozen or so officers skilled in martial arts, long blades in hand, vaulted over the high threshold and charged into the hall.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is conducting official business! Kneel and you shall be spared!"