Chapter 701

First Volume, Chapter 701: Terror Balance

Palace Guards in the Imperial Palace kneel only to two people: one is the Liang Emperor, the other is the Empress.

Beyond that, they may salute no one else.

Qin Feng dared command Palace Guards to kneel in the Imperial Palace—this is grave treason, an outrageous overreach!

According to palace rules, Palace Guards may draw their waist sabers and execute Qin Feng on the spot.

But given Qin Feng's current status and power, who dares kill him? Even the Sage himself would never dare strike Qin Feng—only cunning methods could be used against him.

Thud.

With a muffled sound, the Palace Guard knelt on one knee: "Please, Lord Anle, calm your anger."

Qin Feng's face showed no expression: "Your heart is not sincere."

He immediately raised his hand: "Give me your sword."

At these words, the Palace Guard's heart lurched—was Qin Feng going to commit murder in the Imperial Palace?

If Qin Feng were merely bluffing, it might be forgivable—but the Palace Guard knew well: Qin Feng had the audacity to do it.

The Palace Guard removed his waist saber and offered it with both hands before Qin Feng.

This scene was witnessed not only by eunuchs and maidservants, but also by Zhang Xiuye and the Imperial Guard hiding at a distance, as well as two furious Palace Guards—all of them dared not approach.

Qin Feng seized the waist saber, weighed it in his hand, his eyes glinting with coldness.

He truly had no desire to rebel, nor to plunge the Liang into civil war; thus, he constantly manipulated, set traps, and played a game of balance with the Liang Emperor.

But relying solely on strategy clearly failed to make the Liang Emperor and the court nobles see the true situation.

If so, occasionally using a thunderous display of force would better clarify his stance.

Qin Feng drew his waist saber and looked down with contempt at the Palace Guard: "If you call yourself a servant, you must kneel on both knees."

"Kneeling on one knee means some arrogance still remains unbroken."

"If this were my own man, I might endure the patience to slowly correct him."

"But for others, I have no such patience."

"Remove your neck guard."

The Palace Guard gritted his teeth and slowly unfastened the armor around his neck, silently telling himself that Qin Feng would not kill him—this was merely a show of power.

Zhang Xiuye, hiding at a distance, felt his heart rise to his throat.

One of the Imperial Guards wiped sweat from his brow: "Zhang… Zhang Zongguan, will Qin Feng really act?"

Zhang Xiuye shook his head frantically: "N-no! Young Master Qin may be swift and decisive, but this is still the Imperial Palace—he wouldn't dare…"

Before Zhang Xiuye could finish uttering the word "overreach."

A young maidservant screamed.

Zhang Xiuye's eyes widened in shock and terror.

Without hesitation, Qin Feng raised his blade and brought it down—thwack! —severing the Palace Guard's head clean off!

Qin Feng, who had once fought alongside Northern Border Generals on the battlefield, was no longer the frail young nobleman he once was—his strike was swift and clean.

Thud… thud…

Two muffled thuds—the head and body of the Palace Guard fell to the ground, staining the Hanyu White Jade floor of the Imperial Palace with crimson blood.

Qin Feng casually tossed the waist saber aside, his gaze undisturbed.

"A servant who defied his master has been executed."

Qin Feng spoke lightly, turned his back, and did not leave the Imperial Palace—he walked toward the Hou Gong.

His peripheral vision flickered toward Zhang Xiuye.

"Zhang Zongguan, lead the way."

Zhang Xiuye shuddered, dared not hesitate a moment, scrambled forward on hands and knees.

"Young Master Qin… please, after you."

The Imperial Guards and Palace Guards standing nearby stared at the corpse in the pool of blood—first their faces flushed with fury, then turned deathly pale.

Everyone now understood: Qin Feng today was no longer a man anyone could control.

The news quickly reached the Imperial Study.

Upon hearing Qin Feng had publicly beheaded a Palace Guard, the Liang Emperor's hand trembled, nearly dropping the Imperial Memorial.

The Liang Emperor leapt to his feet, glaring fiercely at the Imperial Guard who reported: "Has Qin Feng left the palace?"

Facing the Liang Emperor's question, the Imperial Guard felt nervous—and yet couldn't help wondering.

Qin Feng had just murdered a Palace Guard in public, yet the Sage didn't immediately demand punishment—instead, he first asked if Qin Feng had left the palace. How strange.

The Imperial Guard could not fathom it, but answered obediently: "Your Majesty, Qin Feng has not left the palace—he went to the Hou Gong, responding to Chang Princess's summons."

Hearing this, the Liang Emperor exhaled in relief and sat back on the Dragon Throne.

He muttered softly to himself.

"Good. If Qin Feng had left the palace, it meant he intended to strike against me."

"Now, responding to a noble's summons means he still wishes to remain a subject…"

At that moment, the Liang Emperor froze—he realized, in that instant, his palm had sweated.

By palace rules, Imperial Household members may not summon outside ministers without the Liang Emperor's approval.

Chang Princess, as the Liang Emperor's confidante, summoning Qin Feng now was clearly done with the Liang Emperor's consent—to warn Qin Feng not to grow arrogant after his great achievements, to remind him he must still keep his head down.

Yet the result…

This seemingly casual maneuver of balance provoked an explosive reaction from Qin Feng.

For a moment, the Liang Emperor feared Qin Feng was preparing to rebel and force a palace coup…

"Transmit my order: Qin Feng's execution of the Palace Guard must not leave the Palace Gate!"

"Whoever dares discuss this matter—kill on the spot!"

The Imperial Guard quickly withdrew.

The Liang Emperor closed his eyes and let out a long breath; a moment ago, he had been reveling in the joy of a great victory in the State Peace Talks, and now his back was cold.

The Liang Emperor already understood: trying to suppress Qin Feng anymore was no longer realistic.

Whether his throne remained secure depended entirely on whether Qin Feng was willing to continue pledging loyalty.

And the facts proved that Qin Feng's core remained loyal—he was unwilling to easily betray the Qin Family's Qingfeng Legacy.

The Liang Emperor slumped, powerless, and turned to the Black Colonel standing beside him.

"Now… how many troops can Qin Feng directly mobilize in the Jingji Region?"

The Black Colonel bowed his head and replied softly.

"Tianji Camp Guards, Black Riders, the Brocade Uniform Corps, and… the Longhu Army, along with the Garrison Army under the Ministry of War's command."

"Roughly over fifty thousand…"

Zhao Li and Zhao Yulong of the Longhu Army had long been core pillars of the Taolin Party.

And the Garrison Army was under the Ministry of War's control—entirely owned by the Qin Family.

The situation had gradually become clear; the Liang Emperor had focused too much on the Northern Border Troops, assuming the Central Plains Imperial Party could keep them barred from the Jingji Region, yet ignored the threat right beside him…

Now, the Longhu Army and the Garrison Army—the two forces defending Jingdu—had already pledged allegiance to the Qin Family.

The Liang Emperor still held the Western and Eastern Camps, as well as the Imperial Guard and Palace Guards.

The military strength of both sides had reached a balance…

Should conflict erupt, the Jingji garrison troops would immediately turn on each other; should the Central Plains Imperial Party dare send reinforcements, the Northern Border Troops would instantly march and attack the Central Plains Imperial Party's stronghold.