surnamed Wang

Chapter 723
The night was pitch black, and the center of the capital was silent. There were hundreds of guards from the four gates of the southeast, north, and west marching towards the palace with guns and knives.

In addition to the guard captain in charge of [-] elite soldiers, the imperial guards in the capital also have infantry captains, cavalry captains, and longbow captains.

In order to avoid the suspicion of the rest of the guards in the capital, Xu Xin, the captain of the gate guard, specially divided his troops into four groups, and each hundred households led a team.

Not far ahead, a team of infantry was patrolling the night. Seeing Xu Xin leading the troops, he raised his hand and said:

"Yo, Captain Xu, you're not at home in the middle of the night to sleep with your mother-in-law in your arms, what are you fussing about?"

Xu Xin has long been used to the other three factions looking down on people, so he said in a neutral way:
"Can't sleep, take someone out for a stroll, but you, after hearing that you just married a concubine, are you willing to keep her at home?"

"Ham, who told us that we are working hard. After the autumn harvest, it is most likely to go into the water and make trouble for thieves. There is an order from the top of the mountain. Let us keep our eyes open and watch closely. Brothers have been guarding the night four times this month."

"It's better to be smart, but pay more attention to your home, don't catch fire in the backyard before the fire outside."

After Xu Xin finished speaking, he led the team and left directly, leaving the Baihu staring at his eyes for a while before saying:

"Hey, what does this surname Xu mean, cursing the young master to wear a cuckold?"

The confidant on the side spoke and said:

"My lord, don't be as knowledgeable as he is. If it weren't for an elder brother who is a cavalry lieutenant, how could he get this idle position?"

"It makes sense. Our positions are all made with real knives and real guns, and we can't compare with others."

Baihu sneered in the direction of Xu Xin's departure, and was about to turn around when he suddenly remembered something and ordered:
"You send two brothers to guard outside my house."

"My lord, don't you really believe that Xu's words?"

"It's better to believe it, in case he really knows something, what about me at this point?"

"Okay."

The subordinates responded and hurried down to make arrangements.

……

At the north gate of the capital, a hundred guards of the capital also rushed towards the palace. Along the way, they encountered a group of officers and soldiers on horseback. The leader was sitting on a horse in plain clothes, and raised his whip to signal them to stop.

"Zhao Rong, it's so late, where are you going?"

Hundreds of gatekeepers bowed respectfully and said:
"Back to Colonel Xu, Captain Xiao just had a drink in the brothel, got drunk and got into a fight."

It is somewhat inappropriate to refer to others as major and minor captains, but this person in front of him is Xu Xin's elder brother, Xu Ju, from the rank of fourth-rank cavalry captain.

There is nothing wrong with calling the two brothers big and small. Many soldiers in Xu Xin's team were borrowed from his brother, and the hundred households named Zhao Rong are one of them.

Hearing that his younger brother was in trouble again, the man couldn't help but frowned and said:
"Is it important, do you need me to go over?"

"It's okay, the other party is a wealthy businessman from outside, and he has no backer in the capital."

"Proceed with caution."

"Yes."

After Zhao Rong led the team to leave, a thousand households complained:

"Second Master really doesn't let you worry more and more. The 100 people borrowed half a year ago have not been returned, and now Zhao Rong is almost becoming his man."

"They were all raised by a mother. If you don't look at his face, you have to look at your mother's face. Zhao Rong will give it to him. If he is able to win over his subordinates, he is considered a good kid."

The difference between the two brothers is less than half a year. Xu Ju's mother died early. They were raised by their second mothers.

……

In the palace, Zou Lang is in charge of the night watch tonight, the 27th generation great-great-grandson of the Zou family, who was once the commander of a big inner guard.

The Zou family has had ups and downs for hundreds of years since Zou Shun. At most, there were more than a hundred descendants, and they all made their mark in the imperial palace and the Ministry of War.

There are only three generations of dignitaries. The Zou family is like other big families. From time to time, some jerk patriarchs come out. They are obviously not capable enough, but they want to do something better than their ancestors.

After a series of events, the Zou family's fortunes were almost ruined. In Zou Lang's generation, the only backer was a distant cousin in the palace.

The Zou family traveled for a long time, and finally managed to get Zou Lang into the palace. Relying on the fact that he spent a few years in Congmo Courtyard when he was young, he practiced martial arts well, and he was quickly promoted to be a small commander.

For tonight, Zou Lang made arrangements several months in advance, took the money given by the emperor to invite several palace commanders to eat, drink and have fun, and lied that his hometown had found a lucrative job.

Being short-tempered, the commanders were embarrassed to refuse such a small request, so only Zou Lang and his men were left to guard the imperial city tonight.

In the middle of the night, a cat meowed intermittently outside the palace wall. Hearing the sound, Zou Lang lifted his spirits, and said in a deep voice, "According to the plan."

The gates of the Sifang Palace were wide open. Xu Xin led a group of people to enter through the east gate, and Zhao Rong from a hundred households entered through the north gate, accompanied by Liu Baoqing, the second son of the Liu family. A dozen strong men in black clothes rushed in from the west gate.

The four hundred imperial guards and the one hundred internal guards all tied red cloth strips on their right arms, and ran towards the predetermined position cautiously.

Empress Dowager Liu Pheasant is suspicious and cautious, and she sleeps in more than one place, Shufangzhai in the north, Hall of Mental Cultivation in the east, Compassionate Palace in the west, and Kunning Palace in the center. She regards herself as the emperor and can live wherever she wants.

There were several assassins who sneaked into the palace in the middle of the night, but they couldn't find her after a long circle. Finally, they were found and captured by the guards. The only one who succeeded was a substitute maid.

……

More than a hundred people from the north gate arrived at the destination first, and they did not encounter any resistance along the way, even if they didn't even meet a court lady and eunuch. Liu Baoqing was surprised, but he opened the gate of Shufang Zhai as planned, and there was no one inside.

Walking out of the room, the young man turned around and looked in the direction he came from, frowning and wondering what he was thinking.

On the east side of the palace, Xu Xin took three steps in parallel and kicked open the gate of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, but there was no one there either.

At this moment, there was a sudden sound of horseshoes behind him, and nearly a thousand soldiers rushed into the imperial city with open fire. Zou Lang's guards were killed by spears and horses before they even had time to resist.

Iron hoofs trampled on the bluestone slabs, and a thousand cavalrymen stopped in front of hundreds of people, led by the cavalry captain Xu Ju.

To the south, two hundred Jing guards rushed to Kunning Palace, and there was a sudden sound of string control behind them.

Accompanied by the icy word "kill", five hundred feathered arrows flew out of the string, and all armor-piercing arrows pierced into the back of the front robe with the sound of piercing through the air.

……

(End of this chapter)