Sword of the Red Chamber from Heaven

"Is the investigation clear?"

In the Daming Palace, the Imperial Study, Emperor Kang of the Ming Dynasty sat on the dragon throne, seemingly taking a nap.

At some point, a figure appeared in the room. This person was dressed in black and had a stealthy aura. If the room was not brightly lit, it would be difficult to notice this person.

"It's the Second Prince and the Fifth Prince..."

The room suddenly became quiet, and one could hear a pin drop. The people who came in didn't even dare to breathe. It was a riot. Originally, they thought it was just a rebellion by the camp outside the capital, but now it seemed different.

The succession of imperial power was inherently complicated. Sometimes it was smooth, with the old emperor passing away and the new emperor ascending the throne; other times it was a fierce battle for the throne, with princes fighting openly and secretly and killing each other without bloodshed; sometimes, fathers and sons killed each other, just like Li Shimin and Li Yuan, a brother-to-brother fight that ended with Li Yuan being forced to become the emperor emeritus.

"Two beasts!!"

The deep voice showed that Emperor Ming Kang was raging with anger that he could no longer suppress at this moment.

"Xu Yuantu, pass on my order and order the Pilizi Squad to attack with all their strength and make sure to kill the invading enemy."

As his biggest backup, he would naturally not hand over all of the high-damage firearms such as Thunderbolt Bullets to those people. He kept a huge number of Thunderbolt Bullets that he had stockpiled over the years in a secret vault.

Emperor Ming Kang then said a place, gave two secret phrases for contact, and finally waved his hand.

Xu Yuantu narrowed his eyes, a little surprised. He naturally recognized that place, but he didn't expect it to be the place where the thunder seeds were stored.

After a while, Emperor Ming Kang was the only one left in the imperial study.

Looking at the orange flame in the lampshade, Emperor Ming Kang slowly opened his eyes. There were mixed emotions in his eyes: anger, sadness, hatred, confusion, and relief.

Sitting in this position, without family or friendship, he is left alone. Even the people closest to him cannot trust him. Only he knows this feeling.

In a palace not far from the imperial study, someone pushed open the door of the room and walked in.

"Old dog, it took you so long to come back. It seems you are getting old too."

A voice was heard in the room, accompanied by bursts of light coughing.

But after a long time, there was no answer from the other party, and then the voice came again.

"Where's Xia Cheng?"

"Is the Emperor asking about Eunuch Xia?"

The hall was a little dim, with three words "Taihe Hall" blurred on it.

This place is not some other place but the place where Emperor Taikang lived - Taihe Palace.

The person who spoke was the owner of this place, Emperor Taikang.

As for Xia Cheng, he was the eunuch in charge of the palace who had always been by his side.

"He left already."

The man was dressed in black, with a black veil covering his face. He held a dagger in his hand, which was stained with blood that had not yet dried.

It is obvious that anyone who sets foot here at this time and holds a sharp knife in his hand has bad intentions.

"Who are you?"

Soon Emperor Taikang came out. Compared with before, the old man looked much older now.

"Secret Guard."

These two short words clearly revealed the identity of the visitor.

Emperor Taikang let out a light exclamation.

Secret guard, this is not a strange title for him. "Are you the emperor's man?"

He immediately sat down, still looking calm and composed, not showing any fear towards the newcomer.

"Just take it as it is!"

The man sighed softly, raised his right hand slightly, and slowly drew the blade of the dagger with his left hand. A streak of blood appeared on his hand.

"It seems that's not the case."

Emperor Taikang reached out for the teacup, took a sip of the tea, and coughed twice, mainly because the tea was a little cold.

"Oh, why did the emperor say that?"

The visitor was stunned for a moment, then looked at the old man who looked like a dying candle in the wind with some surprise.

"You are clearly the emperor's man, yet you betrayed him. I am really curious about what you were thinking. If I am right, the lives of your family are in the hands of the emperor!"

The visitor narrowed his eyes. Although he couldn't see the other person's expression through the black veil, he could guess from the content of his words that the other person's face was not in a good mood at the moment.

"Why, I'm curious, why do I know?"

Emperor Taikang laughed, his eyes full of sarcasm.

"These methods are what I have left. I also know that if you have not married, you will not be able to join the secret guards."

The man tightened the dagger in his hand, and there was a murderous look in his eyes.

Emperor Taikang was right, and this was exactly how Emperor Mingkang controlled the secret guards. The whole family was forced to take a poison called Seven Day Drunk. Within seven days, someone would give them the antidote, and the prerequisite was to do what they should do.

Once someone betrays, that person's entire family will die of stomach ruptures within seven days.

"Don't look at me like that. Even if it is so, there are still many people who want to join the Dark Guard!"

Emperor Taikang glanced around with a hint of disdain.

"If you want to gain something, you have to lose something. In the Dark Guard, you have received the most advanced skills and the best training. The court has given you a salary higher than that of a first-rank minister, and has helped you take care of your family. After you die, the poison that controls your family will also be completely removed."

"There is no such thing as a free lunch. All those talented and famous masters in the martial arts world live with their heads tied to their belts, not knowing when they will be killed. They can't even sleep well, fearing that their enemies will come and kill them all."

Having said that, Emperor Taikang snorted.

Although he scoffed at using this method to control the secret guards, from a certain perspective, this is the rule of the court and also the rule of the world.

Joining the Secret Guard is not forced. Once you have joined and enjoyed the benefits, you should naturally be subject to restrictions.

"Haha, the emperor is indeed the emperor. Even if he has one foot in the coffin, he should not be underestimated."

The visitor's eyes became a little crazy.

"Your Majesty, what you said sounds like a good idea. Now that you have obtained what you want, you must pay a price."

Emperor Taikang nodded when he saw that the other party did not seem so hopeless.

But then the visitor said, "But who said that things belong to the royal family and not to us ordinary people? The royal family's food, clothing and daily necessities are all provided by the common people. If there were no farmers in the world, what would you eat and drink?"

“If there were no people raising silkworms and reeling silk, what would you wear and use? Who divided people into different classes? Who used the gold and silver in their hands, which could not feed or clothe the people, to exchange for the food in the hands of the people, leaving them hungry and clothed?”

"Secret manuals, magical weapons, gold and silver treasures, which one of them is your royal property? Doesn't the emperor think it's ridiculous? Or does he think that you are no longer a mortal after sitting on the throne for a few days?"

"The old immortal is right. You are the ones who deserve to die the most in this world!!!"

(End of this chapter)