Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1139 Marquis Luo Yun Uses Heavy Hands
Dusk has passed,

Night fell over the capital, and the glazed tiles of the Marquis of Luoyun's mansion had long lost their vibrant colors.

After the carriage was ready and Zhang Jinyu boarded it, the escorting convoy slowly headed towards Shuiqiao South Street.

Soon,
The sound of horses' hooves could be heard on the bluestone pavement at the south entrance of the street.

Before an incense stick could burn, the street corner was in sight. But before the carriage could even come to a complete stop, a burst of laughter and even some vulgarities came from outside. Remembering what the lady had said, Zhang Jinyu's face darkened, and he lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage.

Looking towards the Xu family's direction, his pupils contracted. The Xu family's gate was tightly shut, but seven or eight hooligans sat in front of it, with a few broken wine jars at their feet, pointing and gesturing at the gate.

outside,

There were even a few scholars who were talking loudly there.
"Oh, isn't this the arrogant Mr. Xu? I bet there's some silver hidden in here."

A tall, burly man with a menacing face stood with his hands on his hips, fanning himself with a folding fan, and shouted loudly, as if afraid no one would hear him.
"Haha, isn't that right? I heard that when this Magistrate Xu was serving as a county magistrate in Jiangnan, he didn't embezzle disaster relief funds. But now, he's offended the Emperor and ended up in jail, leaving an old codger to enjoy his life while we poor folks can't even get a full meal."

Upon hearing this, the onlookers frowned. Many wanted to rebuke the men, but unfortunately, they were surrounded by a group of burly ruffians and scoundrels, and no one dared to speak up. Many of them were well-known figures in the area, used to acting arrogantly and domineeringly, and no one dared to risk getting into trouble.

Zhang Jinyu stood in the crowd, her dark brocade robe fluttering slightly in the night breeze, the coldness in her eyes growing ever stronger.

Ningbian,

Suppressing his anger, Ning Bian spoke coldly, his voice heavy with suppressed rage. He immediately led his personal guards to surround Ning Bian, his long sword already half-drawn at his waist, its cold light flashing.
"Master Hou!"

"Bring all these people here,"

He pointed at those ruffians, his face expressionless as he forced out a sound.

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

The guards behind him drew their weapons and charged forward like wolves and tigers, lashing out at the ruffians with the backs of their blades. Unfortunately, they were cut, and blood splattered all over the ground.

Another scholar, who had just uttered those arrogant words, was being dragged by the hair and forced to the ground. He was still trying to struggle when Ning Bian saw this and kicked him in the knee, causing him to fall to his knees with a thud, wincing in pain.

"Who are you people? You have no respect for the law!"

The burly scholar was still shouting, and when someone spoke up, the remaining hooligans all started cursing in hoarse voices.

"Yes, who is this blind fool who dares to interfere in Grandpa's affairs?"

Before he could say anything more, his personal guards grabbed the hilt of their swords and smashed it into his mouth, leaving only blood and spittle, and all that remained was his wailing.

"This is truly interesting. I've been in the capital for so long, and this is the first time someone has ever wanted to be my grandfather."

After seeing everyone brought over, he looked down at the kneeling people with disgust. However, the onlookers and the ruffians were all shocked when they saw that the person who came was actually Marquis Luo Yun. The two leaders were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they knelt down, begging for mercy.
"My lord, my lord, we were blinded by greed and spoke recklessly. Please, have mercy on us!"

"I'll spare you,"

Zhang Jinyu sneered and turned to Ning Bian.
"Draw the sword."

Ning Bian was taken aback, then drew his sword without hesitation. This sword was a treasure from the Linshan County Treasury, which had been bestowed upon him by the Marquis. The long sword was drawn, and its gleaming blade shone coldly under the palace lanterns.

Upon seeing this, the surrounding people gasped in shock, not daring to utter a sound, and all took a few steps back.

Those few scoundrels were already pale with fright; the more clever ones had already knelt down and kowtowed.
"My lord, spare us! My lord, spare us! We will never dare to do it again!"

"Yes, my lord, we only came here to make a mocking noise. We did not knock on the door and disturb the old man."

The two men dressed as Confucian scholars quickly took off their square hats. It turned out they were just talkative young men, no wonder they had such fleshy faces.

Zhang Jinyu didn't look at their pleading faces, smiled, but her eyes were filled with anger;

"This is the Xu family residence, the mansion of Xu Changwen, a disciple of this Marquis. Everyone should know this, and even those who don't should have heard about it a lot these past few days, right?"

"Your Excellency, I know... ah, no, I don't know. I've been working at home the whole time and haven't come out. I know nothing about these things."

Leaving aside the two in front, the group of hooligans behind them were so frightened they were incoherent, completely losing their earlier arrogance.

"Tsk tsk, nice words. Whether you know or not doesn't matter. I'll give you a chance to live. Tell me who sent you and you'll be spared."

As he spoke, he drew his scabbard from Ningbian's waist, examining it closely. The two leaders were terrified, their hearts filled with horror. They remembered that this morning, an old man had come to them with silver, saying he wanted to cause some trouble. Little did they know the consequences.

"My lord, my lord, spare us! I don't know who that person is. This morning, a wealthy man came to our place and offered us ten taels of silver, saying that we should make a scene here. I was only focused on taking the silver and laughing, and I didn't ask who he was."

One of the thinner men quickly spoke up; looking back now, it was indeed strange.
"Yes, my lord, we were ignorant and blind, and we offended you."

Another man with a fierce face began to plead and beg for mercy before the person next to him could finish speaking, saying some nice things. But this was not what Zhang Jinyu wanted. They dared to interfere in these matters without even knowing who was behind it all; they were courting death.

"It's just bad luck that you were caught red-handed by me today. Whether officials in the capital are guilty or not, the court will decide. But if everyone dares to humiliate the residences and families of these officials at will, wouldn't the rules of the capital become nothing more than decorations?"

He had barely finished speaking when he suddenly raised his head, his voice icy.
"cut!"

Ning Bian and his men had been waiting for a long time. They swung their knives at the ruffians, and with a "splatter" sound, blood splattered on the bluestone road. The men didn't even have time to scream before they fell to the ground, lifeless.

The remaining hooligans were terrified, collapsing to the ground, trembling all over, too weak to even kowtow. Zhang Jinyu ignored them, sheathed the knife, and by the time the knife was back in its sheath, the rest of the men were already lying in pools of blood.

The surrounding people, upon seeing the dead body, scattered in terror. Even the braver ones mostly lingered at a distance after leaving.

"My lord, what about these people's corpses?"

After all, he had killed quite a few people, and it wouldn't be easy to explain in public.

"Leave two people to keep watch, and send someone to Shuntian Prefecture to find Lord Xu Jiaqing. Tell him that I encountered spies from the outer perimeter of the cult during my night patrol and killed them all. Tell him to search for these traitors thoroughly and not let them escape."

Zhang Jinyu thought about it. Killing someone on the street for no reason was wrong in itself. If he said he came specifically to see the Xu family, it would be a bit of an abuse of power. It would be better to put a charge on him and get rid of it once and for all.

"Yes, my lord, I obey your orders."

Ning Bian gestured, arranging for two people to stay behind, and sent a captain with several soldiers to report the case to Shuntian Prefecture. After giving the instructions, seeing that the Marquis had returned to his carriage, he led the rest of his men to surround him, turned his horses around, and headed straight for the Northern Garrison Prison.

"My lord, not far ahead, I saw a carriage coming out from the Ministry of Justice, but I don't know who's inside."

After walking for a short while, passing the main hall of the Ministry of Justice, they spotted a carriage emerging from the hall at the next bend. Although it was difficult to see clearly in the night, they were certain they hadn't gone astray. Following Ningbian's report from beside the carriage, Zhang Jinyu, inside, lifted the curtain and glanced out. However, the streetlights were dim, making it difficult to see clearly.
“Someone from the Ministry of Justice is going, and it certainly won’t be Minister of Justice Song Zhen. He was unconscious this morning, and he wasn’t faking it. Even if he wakes up quickly, as the saying goes, illness comes like a landslide, but recovery is like pulling silk. So, they have to send someone else. I guess it’s Vice Minister of Justice Chang Zuo.” Speaking of Vice Minister Chang, Zhang Jinyu’s heart skipped a beat. This Vice Minister of Justice is a protégé of the Grand Secretary, and he and the eldest son are from the same school. In this way, the Li family has two spots in the presiding judge position. Add to that the Feng family and half of the Meng family who have already pledged allegiance to him, and even if the case is investigated further, they won’t get any information. Perhaps that’s why the Emperor Emeritus wants to personally preside over the case.

After thinking for a while, he couldn't help but shake his head. The reason why the Emperor Emeritus was angry should also include those princes. Since the time of Prince Yizhong, they have all been willing to forget righteousness for small gains, and neglect their own safety for great things. They are ambitious but incompetent. When it comes to seizing the throne, which one of them didn't fight for it with their heads? They were hesitant and indecisive. Even Prince Zheng did not have the determination to fight. Thinking of those people, he thought of the Court of State Ceremonial. He wondered how they were doing now.

"By the way, I heard that Lord He from the Military Commandery also went to the Court of State Ceremonial. What happened there?"

"Reporting to the Marquis, the Court of State Ceremonial was attacked by the cultists. Many members of the foreign delegations also suffered. The vice envoys of various countries were causing trouble there. Lord Sun couldn't control the situation, so he went to the Military Command to ask for reinforcements. That's why Lord He personally led troops there to stabilize the situation."

Ning Bian, mounted on his horse, reported the intelligence from the Court of State Ceremonial. His face was somewhat strange. Logically speaking, if the members of the Thieves Sect were to assassinate several vassal kings, it might cause a greater commotion. However, this time, the opposite was true. Not a single one of the princes' men was injured. On the contrary, the delegations from various countries in Xiyuan suffered heavy casualties. He wondered what their intentions were.

"Hehe, that's interesting. They say you pick on the weak. The delegations from various countries all brought their best fighters, especially the Donghu delegation. They might have had some grassland archers, but now they've all been wiped out. I imagine that Right Wise King Qie Ti Hou won't let this go easily. The northern border is in some danger."

Squinting, he thought about the situation in the northern prefectures. The strategic passes were heavily guarded, so even if the Right Wise King was furious, it would be of no use unless he could fly over those mountains and attack from behind, but how could that be possible?

“The Marquis is right. The northern border is heavily guarded, and border troops are stationed at every pass. Even if that Right Wise King and Marquis Qieti had three heads and six arms, he would not be able to enter the pass.”

Ningbian held the reins in one hand and instructed his personal guards to speed up the convoy. Just then, a series of rapid hoofbeats came from not far behind them.

The caravan suddenly slowed down, and the guards behind them formed circles, watching warily. As the caravan approached, a lithe figure leaped down from his horse.
"Reporting, Your Excellency, I am here on the orders of Commander Shen of the Imperial City Guard to report an important matter."

The newcomer was a secret guard from the Imperial City Guard, holding a golden token from the Marquis's residence in his hand, his voice hurried and trembling.

Ning Bian's wariness eased slightly, and he reached out to take the golden token and examine it. It was indeed a golden token from the Marquis's residence.

"Come here and report back. What instructions did Commander Shen give you?"

"Reporting to Vice General Ning, today, Liu Chen, the commander of the Northern Garrison of the Imperial City Guard, who is in charge of the assassination case at the Court of State Ceremonial, discovered during the search of the Court of State Ceremonial that several princes were no longer there, leaving only a few heirs. Commander Liu suspects that the princes have secretly left the city."

The newcomer approached the carriage, speaking softly but clearly. He recounted what had happened at the Court of State Ceremonial, his voice trembling slightly. These were secret matters, matters that could cost one's head.
"What."

inside the car,

Zhang Jinyu was filled with disbelief. Yesterday they were arguing fiercely in the palace, and today the person was gone. Was he sure that the person had left or was hiding?

He reached out and lifted the curtain, asking in a deep voice,
"Then do you know why Commander Liu would make such a guess, instead of saying that the princes went to some brothel or inn to drink?"

After all, the capital city is so big that hiding a few people is easy. Even if they deliberately don't hide, it's not impossible for them to go to some brothel and have a few drinks.

The guard kept his head down, his voice tinged with fear.

"My lord, the news came from Xizhimen. Lord Liu originally thought so too, but by evening, the princes were still nowhere to be seen. So, Commander Liu went to the East Garden to pay his respects to the princes. But the princes' sons said that the princes were not there. Lord Liu sensed something was wrong. After the princes returned to the Court of State Ceremonial, the guards had not seen them leave. How could they not be here?"

He paused for a moment before raising his head.
"I ordered my subordinates to make contact and investigate in all directions. Later, at Xizhimen, we found that a coal convoy from the Honglu Temple had left the city. Lord Liu guessed that it might be this coal convoy that was providing cover."

Although it's just a guess, it's pretty close to the truth. Not to mention the strict guard, if the princes really wanted to leave the city, no one could stop them unless an imperial decree was issued from the palace.

Hearing this explanation, Zhang Jinyu lowered the carriage curtain again. Thinking about it, it made sense; if these masters really wanted to leave, who could stop them? Thinking of the elite troops at the post station, she casually asked...
"Have the elite soldiers from the various princely residences left the post station outside the south city?"

"My lord, the troops at the post station assembled and headed south around noon today,"

The guards answered honestly that they had been keeping a close eye on these matters for a long time.

"It seems Commander Liu has also realized that if those soldiers hadn't left, the princes might not have necessarily left. But if those soldiers went south, these princes would definitely have to leave. Ningbian, reward him!"

Zhang Jinyu's eyes were filled with a smile. Originally, when she returned to the imperial prison, she was still unsure of the Emperor Emeritus's intentions. Even if she tried to make excuses, she didn't have many reasons. Fortunately, those arrogant people left. As the saying goes, even if you don't get hit by a bucket of excrement, you can still smell it, right?

outside,

Ningbian took out a silver note and handed it to the guard. After receiving it, the guard bowed, hurriedly mounted his horse, and left. The entire convoy fell silent again.

"My lord, the princes have left without saying goodbye. I wonder if the palace is aware of this."

The situation at the imperial court is still far from stable. These princes have left without saying goodbye. Regardless of what the retired emperor thinks, the emperor is likely to be furious.

"Hmph, you underestimate the palace. If I'm not mistaken, the Emperor Emeritus may not know, but the Emperor certainly does. The Emperor has laid countless traps at the Court of State Ceremonial. Perhaps no one expected that the princes would leave so quickly."

It seems that the emperor sensed the danger. It would be easy to lure the enemy into a trap, but if he wanted to escape, he had to prepare in advance. Regardless of what happened later, the emperor had lost an opportunity.

"Has there been a turn of events in Xu Changwen's case? Even if the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs keeps pressing the issue, they've lost the support of several princes after all."

As the prison drew ever closer, one couldn't help but worry about that Supervisor Xu.

"No rush. Right now, all the court officials are trying to guess the Emperor's intentions. The Emperor Emeritus's wishes are the most important. If the civil officials turn against us, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs will be unable to hold us back alone."

Thinking of the carriage of the Vice Minister of Justice ahead, Zhang Jinyu's lips curled up slightly. He could only say that Eunuch Chen from the Directorate of Ceremonial was too hasty.

And so, the convoy slowly approached the Northern Garrison Prison.

The first to alight was Chang Zuo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. Dressed in a dark blue rank robe, his boots touched the stone platform in front of the Beizhenfu Gate. Unbeknownst to him, a gust of cold wind blew by. Vice Minister Chang tightened his sleeves and looked at the six gilded characters above the gate: "Beizhenfu Imperial Prison." The characters were vigorous but covered with a layer of gray and decay, as if shrouded in a deathly aura. He couldn't help but frown.

"Sir, the ground is slippery, slow down."

The attendant beside the carriage whispered a reminder, holding a lantern in one hand and reaching out with the other to help his master.

Chang Zuo waved his hand, but his gaze was drawn to the sound of horses' hooves and wheels rolling behind him. He saw a group of people slowly approaching from the street corner not far away. The soldiers guarding the convoy looked familiar.

"It's a carriage from the Marquis of Luoyun's residence."

Beside Chang Zuo was a servant, whose tone carried a hint of reverence.

As soon as he finished speaking, the convoy stopped about a meter away.

Zhang Jinyu lifted the carriage curtain and stepped out. Seeing that Vice Minister Chang was still standing in front of the yamen, he quickly stepped forward with a smile on his face.
"Lord Chang, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

Chang Zuo quickly turned around, cupped his hands in a salute, and performed the movements with utmost care;
"Greetings, Lord Marquis. I never expected to arrive here with you within the same hour today."

"Alas, we cannot say that. After all, it was the Emperor Emeritus who summoned us. It seems that we will have to re-examine him tonight. I wonder how Lord Song of the Ministry of Justice is doing now? Is he more clear-headed?"

Since the person in charge has changed, it's quite a "coincidence" that Grand Secretary Song has managed to avoid the case.

(End of this chapter)