Knife splashing

Chapter 690: A Sleepless Night in the Capital

"Save me, save me..."

As the tumor grew under the skin, the pain was slightly relieved.

Zhou Mingyuan, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was filled with fear as he struggled to walk towards Luo Mingzi and the others.

But before he had taken a few steps, he felt all his strength dissipating like a flood, and his consciousness became increasingly blurred.

In a trance, memories of the past kept flashing through my mind.

Born in poverty, his family farmed to support him in his studies...

He was gifted and intelligent, and was noticed by a great scholar, who accepted him as a disciple. He became the top scholar in the imperial examination, and was full of vigor and vitality...

He was determined to become a famous official, and was unwilling to go along with others, so he was exiled to a remote county...

He was unwilling to be ignored, so he began to learn how to make money...

He has been promoted from a county magistrate, and his future is limitless. He will definitely enter the cabinet in the future...

He ate the "Peaches" not to regain his youth, but to take advantage of the power of this circle. So when the British palace convened the "Peach Club" and all members gathered for the first time, he was the first to run over...

In the end, the memory froze in front of the wooden window of the earthen house in my hometown.

That year, he looked at the bright moon with clear eyes, worrying about the world before himself.

What have you done in this life...

Before his death, the Minister of Revenue Zhou Mingyuan recalled his memories, but no one else knew about it.

In everyone's sight, they only saw the huge tumor on his stomach suddenly burst, and his internal organs, which were covered with pimples, gushed out along with dirty blood and pus. Then, a cold wind blew around him, accompanied by the sound of children crying, and his skin was covered with small black palm prints...

He's not the only one who's unlucky.

The wife of the salt transport envoy, Mrs. Lin, screamed and scratched her neck. Lumps of rotten flesh grew wildly under her snow-white skin and soon covered half of her face.

"It's all your fault, it's all your fault!"

She staggered towards the old princess, and they rolled around in each other's arms. The candlestick fell over, and the brocade dress caught fire. The two of them turned into fireballs, rolling and wailing.

As for the fat-headed Anping Marquis Xiao Jinghuan, he was tortured to death.

Looking at all this, Luo Mingzi and others felt uneasy.

"Everyone, please save him alive!"

Luo Mingzi quickly gave orders to the Taoist priests from the Law Enforcement Hall and ran out the door.

Of course, the deaths of these powerful people in the "Peach Banquet" are not a pity.

But even if people die, the information cannot be lost.

And judging from the appearance, someone wants to silence us!

Luo Mingzi rushed out of the hall with a sword in hand, looking around at the sky.

But at this time, the night sky was filled with bright moonlight and dark clouds, and no one could be seen playing the flute.

Escape!

Luo Mingzi immediately made a judgment. He pinched his left hand, pressed the thumb against the root of his ring finger, and stretched the other three fingers vertically. With his right hand, he took out a peach charm engraved with "Edict to Break Escape" from his waist and threw it into the sky, chanting: "Tian Peng Tian Peng, the Nine Yuan Evil Boy. Wu Ding Du Si, Gao Diao Bei Weng. Qi Zheng Ba Ling, Tai Shang Hao Xiong. Long-headed giant beast, holding the Emperor Bell. Su Xiao San Shen, strictly driving Kui Long. Mighty Sword God King, slay the evil and eliminate all traces!"

The hand gesture he made was called Tianpeng Jue.

This method is called "Shangqing Tianpeng Subduing Demon Method", which was a secret teaching of Shenxiao School in the Northern Song Dynasty, and is specifically used to break evil escape, Yin escape and other techniques.

Luo Mingzi came to the capital, and although it was hard work, after two years of experience, his Taoism level had broken through to the fourth level.

This secret technique was also learned from the capital.

Bang!
As the spell was recited, the peach charms that had not yet fallen to the ground exploded instantly.

A large amount of smoke and dust was scattered by the strong wind, drawing a zigzag path in the air.

Judging from the route, the other party appeared from the side courtyard of the palace and landed above the main hall.

Luo Mingzi drew out his magic sword with a clang, exerted force on his feet, his Taoist robe fluttered, and he leaped onto the top of the hall with a few leaps.

His subordinates also cooperated well.

The Taoists in yellow robes set up formations and altars, preparing to restrain the opponent's magic.

The sharpshooter of the Duwei Division quickly jumped onto the high wall in the distance and raised his magic gun.

However, when Luo Mingzi reached the top of the hall, it was empty.

Luo Mingzi looked solemn and looked into the distance, waving his hand.

The two night owls trained by the Duwei Division immediately took off into the air.

Although these two night owls are not as good as Lu San's Lidong, they are also quite smart and better at night reconnaissance.

But Luo Mingzi didn't hold out any hope at all.

The reason is very simple. The other party was lurking above the hall silently, and so many people did not notice him. Even if he used the art of escape, it showed that his ability was far superior to theirs.

Could it be the mysterious Zhao Qingxu?

At this time, the palace was in chaos.

The women were in chaos.

The arrogant Ninth Miss, with her hairpins hanging down and her hair in disarray, ran to the inner courtyard with her skirt lifted up, her face full of fear. However, she did not notice that the personal maid whom she usually beat and scolded was looking at her with anger and pushed her hard from behind.

The ninth young lady fell to the ground, her golden shoes flew far away, her face was covered with blood, and she burst into tears...

The third concubine ran madly with her dressing box in her arms, with pearls and jade scattered all over the place. They were snatched away by some gangsters in the mansion and stabbed to pieces.

Several maids huddled behind a rockery, shivering, and watched helplessly as a guard's chest was shattered by a musket.

The British royal palace has been in business for many years, and it must have loyal servants and guards.

They carried weapons to protect their master, but facing the fierce Duwei Si, the only outcome was death.

Several palaces were already on fire, with thick smoke adding to the chaos.

Fortunately, the troops from the Duwei Division were all elite and they quickly took control of the situation.

Some people from the martial arts world and the palace guards ran out of the palace in panic, but were also captured by the masters of the Duwei Division outside the palace.

"Bah! Still want to run!"

Sharifei came from the backyard, escorting a man, and kicked him hard, knocking him to the ground.

This man was dressed like a scholar, and his face was swollen from being stung by a poisonous bee. He was Yu Wenhai who had fled to the backyard.

"Is it Yu Wenhai?"

After Luo Mingzi found out, his face was filled with surprise.

News has come from the main hall that no one from the "Peach Banquet" was spared.

The mysterious master from before disappeared without a trace again.

Yu Wenhai is Kong Hui's apprentice and must know a lot of information.

Call ~
Suddenly, there was a gust of wind in the air, sweeping away the darkness.

Li Yan pushed open the small attic window and landed steadily with a leap, "Lao Sha, in Anqing Hutong."

When Sharifei heard it, he immediately understood and ran out with Lu San.

Li Yan asked him to go, and it must be to look for Uleji's body.

No matter what, the other party is also an expert in conspiracy and might have good things on him. Moreover, his head must be handed over to Hu Yuanyuan of the Five Immortals Sect.

Luo Mingzi knew it well, but he didn't bother to respond. He said in a deep voice, "There was a master just now. Did you notice it?"

"Found."

Li Yan's face was solemn. "He is a criminal, but he has a sacred artifact of national sacrifice on him, so the certificate cannot locate him."

His hook certificate is inlaid with the mysterious jade token left by Yin Changsheng, and has a very strong detection ability.

If not for this, you wouldn't even be able to sense the other person's breath.

"Could it be Zhao Qingxu?" Luo Mingzi asked in a low voice.

"possible."

Li Yan nodded. "The other party picked the right time and took action when I was mobilizing the underworld soldiers. This shows that they know me very well. Even if it's not Zhao Qingxu, it must be that rotten gentleman Kong Hui."

As he said that, he looked at Yu Wenhai on the ground and said, "Quickly interrogate this person, maybe you will find something..." Boom!
At this moment, there was a sound of horse hooves on the street, accompanied by a roar:

"What are you doing, rebelling?"

"Go away!"

The gate of the palace, which was originally open, suddenly shattered.

But then a team of black-armored cavalrymen broke open the gate and rushed into the palace.

These black-armored cavalrymen were all full of murderous intent, holding spears and weapons in their hands, with cold expressions on their faces.

At first glance, they were the fiercest soldiers in the army, and their momentum was even greater than that of the troops of the Duwei Division.

The leader was about fifty years old, with a sharp face and a full beard. There was an arrow scar between his eyebrows that ran diagonally to his cheekbone. He was wearing armor with mountain patterns and a "Hu Ben" sword bestowed by the emperor hung on his waist. His armor gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

"Luo Mingzi!"

The man looked around, his eyes suddenly bloodshot, and he shouted: "Who gave you the courage to lead troops to massacre the palace?!"

Li Yan frowned slightly and reached for the flintlock rifle at his waist.

The reasons why the British Palace is rampant in the capital are, firstly, the emperor is nostalgic, and secondly, it has close relations with the military.

After the King of England returned from the war, he died early, but many of his men are now powerful and influential.

Seeing Li Yan's fierce face, Luo Mingzi quickly held his hand and whispered, "It's Yan Tieshan, the Left Commander-in-Chief of the Five Military Commanders' Office."

Upon hearing this, Li Yan snorted coldly and stopped taking action.

The Five Military Governor's Office was responsible for commanding troops, combat and managing garrisons, and nominally served as a check and balance of power with the military department.

Being able to become the Left General-General means that he is legally the highest military commander of the court.

Of course, with the centralization and checks and balances of imperial power, after the war in the northern border that year, it had completely become an empty title.

But even so, the position must be held by a noble or general with outstanding military achievements.

Yan Tieshan was the King of England's subordinate in the battle of Northern Frontier.

Of course, this kind of person cannot be killed at will.

After Luo Mingzi calmed him down, he turned around, clasped his fists and saluted, saying neither servile nor arrogant:

"I have been ordered to investigate the case of the British Palace colluding with the 'Peach Society' cult."

"fart!"

Yan Tieshan pointed his whip at the corpses on the ground and said, "I only saw the Duwei Division slaughtering the royal family! You mobilized troops without permission and destroyed the palace privately. How is this different from rebellion?!"

After that, he turned around and ordered, "Capture them all. I will go to see His Majesty right away. Luo Mingzi colluded with the remnants of the Maitreya Sect and falsely issued an imperial decree in an attempt to overthrow the country!"

As he spoke, he glanced at Li Yan and the others, "These gangsters will all be treated as accomplices in treason!"

Wow!
His brave soldiers all raised their spears.

How could the troops of the Duwei Division surrender? They immediately raised their crossbows and muskets.

Just when the two sides were in a stalemate, a long laugh was heard:
"Commander-in-Chief Yan has great authority!"

Zou Yanli, the Imperial Academy's chief academic officer, staggered over with a wine jug in his hand and shouted angrily, "I also participated in the arrest of the evildoer and the suppression of the rebellion. Are you going to charge me with treason too?"

Yan Tieshan frowned slightly and snorted coldly: "If there is any crime, the emperor will deal with it. It is unacceptable to massacre the Yingwang Mansion."

He naturally knew that there must be something wrong with the British palace.

But if they attacked the mansion and killed people so brazenly, wouldn't their military prestige be completely destroyed?

Wow~
At this moment, the sound of dense footsteps was heard again outside the British Palace.

This time, more soldiers came in, wearing golden armor with red tassels fluttering on the top of their helmets.

Royal Guards?
When Yan Tieshan saw this, his heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm and said in a deep voice: "General Liu has come at the right time. These people are slaughtering the palace, which is like a rebellion. Take them down quickly..."

"Commander Yan!"

The middle-aged general in the lead twitched his eyes and said coldly: "What are you doing here? Don't mess around."

As he spoke, he took out a token from his pocket.

When Yan Tieshan saw this, his expression changed drastically.

On the token, the words "As if I were here in person" were clearly written.

His face turned pale and he pursed his lips. "Is this what the Emperor meant?"

"Commander Yan, don't think too much."

The middle-aged general in the lead said in a deep voice: "The matter of the Yingwang Palace is bigger than you think. His Majesty said that no matter who colludes with them, even the crown prince, he must be arrested immediately. Do you want to stop it?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Tieshan immediately shut his mouth.

He lived on a nearby street, and although he was indebted to the old British king, he also knew that the British palace was in trouble now.

This also involves the struggle between the Kaihai faction and the local faction.

Although he received the invitation, he only sent a gift and did not attend the banquet.

Only when he discovered that the British palace was under attack did he hurried over with his men.

He originally thought that it was just the trouble caused by the Jinghai Gang, but now it seems that something is not good.

Luo Mingzi also realized that Yan Tieshan did not seem to be involved in this matter, so he ignored him and bowed to the Imperial Guards and said, "General Liu, the people from the 'Peach Club' have been killed. Please control the palace and wait for us to find clues."

General Liu didn't waste any words and turned around to give orders.

After the Imperial Guards rushed to each courtyard, he shook his head slightly and whispered, "Who are they? I will make preparations."

He has more than one mission on this trip. All the Imperial Guards have been dispatched tonight, and the Jinwu Guards are also on standby at all times. As long as they get the list, they will immediately control and capture the relevant personnel.

Luo Mingzi bowed and replied: "Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Zhou Mingyuan, the tigress of the Salt Transport Commissioner, the Marquis of Anping..."

General Liu gasped and asked carefully, "Are they all dead?"

"All dead."

Luo Mingzi said helplessly: "The thing they ate was a bit like a poisonous insect, which was detonated by a master..."

After hearing this, General Liu looked up to the sky and sighed, "Tonight, things are going to get serious."

The left commander Yan Tieshan beside him was covered in cold sweat...

…………

The morning bell rang through the mist, and the capital city woke up to the smell of blood.

The bluestone slabs of Zhuque Street were still covered with night dew. The early-rising vegetable vendors had just set up their stalls when they saw teams of golden-armored imperial guards marching out of the alleys in orderly steps. The sound of their iron boots made the window frames along the street rustle.

The old man selling pancakes shrank his neck and muttered: "Oh my god, the weather is going to change!"

There was a fire in the British palace last night, and many houses of powerful people were sealed off.

Later, not only the Imperial Guards, but also the Jinwu Guards got involved.

The Jinwu Guards were responsible for ceremonial escort and the security of the capital.

The Imperial Guards were responsible for guarding the imperial city.

In fact, the Jinwu Guards also belong to the Imperial Guards.

This involved the reform of the Daxuan military system, which is still somewhat vague and often led to mutual deployment.

But no matter what, they are the emperor's personal army, independent of the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commanders' Office.

He doesn't care about trivial matters in daily life.

Now that everyone is out, naturally there are rumors.

People in the market said all kinds of things, such as the King of England was rebelling and the Emperor wanted to kill his old ministers.

But officials in Beijing understood another thing.

Last night's actions showed that the emperor did not trust any of them.

Naturally, they were much more informed than ordinary people and quickly found out the reason.

The "Peach Banquet" surprised many people and also made some people scared.

The name of the Twelve Yuanchen also spread throughout the capital...

(End of this chapter)