Patrol Captain

"… Considering their unwavering determination and their loyalty despite false accusations, the Emperor feels deeply for them. I hereby issue this decree, ordering the Ninth Lieutenant General to come to the capital as soon as possible. I will personally clear their names, comfort them generously, and use them according to their abilities so that they can display their talents… I decree this!"

The eunuch's shrill voice echoed above Jinguan City and resounded throughout the city.

The sound spread throughout the streets and alleys. People stopped in the streets and in the alleys, people opened their windows and leaned in to listen.

As soon as the sound faded away, cheers broke out on the street.

"Oh, His Majesty has personally ordered that Jiu Zhonglang has not rebelled, and he will be summoned to the capital to be appeased and treated well. Everyone, this is a good thing. His Majesty has finally opened his eyes. Jiu Zhonglang has made so many contributions to Shu, how could he possibly rebel!"

"Yes, yes, with so many contributions, Your Majesty should give this gentleman more preferential treatment, otherwise it would be unjustifiable. This person is a dragon and tiger from our Shu land!"

"That's how it should be!"

"........."

Neighbors, peddlers, and hawkers all rushed to tell each other and applauded. They didn't believe a word that the Ninth Mountain was rebelling. After all, tens of thousands of people had fought bloody battles on the battlefield against the demons, and everyone had seen it. Those children were all from their own ranks, and they were their brothers, sons, and husbands. Not to mention the Ninth Mountain, which had made great military achievements and blocked the demons at the front line.

They are die-hard supporters of the lord of the Ninth Mountain, and the stories about Jiu Zhonglang slaying demons, loving his soldiers, and saving countless people are passed on from mouth to mouth among them.

Now, upon hearing the Majesty's oral order from Yunding Mountain, they thought that the adult's identity had been cleared, and they were happy. They even spoke disrespectfully to the extremely distant Majesty, saying that the adult had finally opened his eyes, and there was some resentment in their words.

All in all, the people in the city were in high spirits.

Among those tall buildings and elegant courtyards, some outsiders were shocked and questioned,
"It is true that Jiu Zhonglang slew demons and made great military achievements, but it is also true that he killed the patrol angel in front of the whole city. This is not just a matter of being an important official of the court, but also represents the majesty of the Evil Heaven Family."

"Is the current emperor so open-minded?"

"Then why is the world so chaotic now?"

As the city was bustling, in the square of the Xuntian Hall on Yunding Peak, the civil and military officials of the Fusi were kneeling and reciting the sutra.

Only Chen Yuan, who was leading the group, stood tall with his clothes fluttering. He looked at Eunuch Li, whose lips were trembling as he finished reading the speech in front of him. He smiled, waved his sleeves and held the armrest.
"I accept your instructions and thank God for His grace!"

As he said this, he pretended to open his mouth and said, "The special envoy has come from a long way to deliver your Majesty's instructions. It seems that your Majesty is wise!"

As he said this, he turned around and smiled at the officials who stood up behind him:

"Everyone, the emperor has given you the order. You don't have to worry about those unfounded things. Just keep your mind at ease!"

However, at this point, he changed his tone and said, "If anyone dares to gossip about this matter again, don't blame me for being ruthless."

The officials and generals behind him were all very calm. The civil servants quickly responded, and many people felt relieved.

The Daofusi has a large number of personnel, not just the mountain-cutting army. After all, they have to manage a piece of land, with a complex system and hundreds of officials. During the war, these people have a weak presence, but they are also an indispensable part. The recent purge of the court made many people tremble with fear, and later Chen Yuan killed the patrol angel, which made some officials uneasy and spread some gossip.

The gossip was nothing more than whether Jiuzhonglang was arbitrary in his decision-making and whether he was really planning a rebellion, which made people uneasy.

With this move today, he wants to kill three birds with one stone.

First of all, we must use this so-called oral order from His Majesty to dispel the gossip and stabilize the government.

Secondly, of course, the oral order today must be spread throughout Jinguan City, and then throughout the entire Shu area, and even to the Divine Capital tens of thousands of miles away, and to the ears of the emperor.

At that time, it will depend on how His Majesty treats him.
The emperor asked him to confess his mistakes and give him a lighter sentence, which meant that if he admitted his mistakes with a good attitude, he would be given a light punishment, and maybe even a reward of some melons and dates, like alms. However, he insisted on using the emperor's mouth to deny everything for him and tampered with the oral order.

It can be said that Chen Yuan is lawless and arrogant!
But this is exactly what Chen Yuan wanted. He couldn’t beg for mercy from others, even the emperor today!
This brings us to his third purpose, which is to make preparations for both scenarios.

The oral decree was issued today, and it is the emperor's golden mouth. If the court has murderous intentions when he comes to Beijing, then Chen Yuan will have reason to act.

Many things in the world require a legitimate reason. The emperor has now issued an oral order to summon Chen Yuan to the capital to appease the people. If he goes back on his word afterwards, he will be breaking faith with Shu. If he does something outrageous and rebellious again, it will be excusable because he has a legitimate reason!
After this arrangement, Chen Yuan was ready to go to the capital, and even looked forward to it vaguely!
At this time, Xu Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple and Gou Yue, the deputy inspector of the Xuntian Division, were standing at the gate of the main hall, looking at Chen Yuan who was laughing loudly in the square and Li Huayu who looked pale, with surprised and suspicious expressions on their faces.

Then, the two looked at each other, with a flash of surprise in their eyes.

Although they did not understand the specific content of the emperor's oral order, they felt that it would not be said in this way!
Moreover, they came to Shu secretly and did not want to make the matter of this person going to Beijing known to everyone. Thinking of this, a guess arose in their minds and they were a little frightened.

Could it be that this Chen Longhu forced the lamplighter to forge the oral order?

In front of so many people?

.........

A special envoy from the imperial court came and announced the "good news", and officials of all ranks from the Fusi also gathered. Naturally, a banquet was to be held for the guests, and of course this time it was much more grand.

Held in the Xuntian Hall.

Chen Yuan ordered people to make preparations.

During the dinner, Chen Yuan introduced the identities of Xu Shaoqing and Gou Yue to the officials of the Fusi, saying that the three of them came together on orders. This shocked many civil servants in the Fusi, and they believed in the instructions just now.

This shows that the court values ​​Jiu Zhonglang, and the previous matters will not be pursued anymore, so they can sleep peacefully.

For a moment, everyone congratulated Chen Yuan and toasted him.

Chen Yuan looked to the right and lower side, the table closest to him, and said with a smile,
"Hey, the one you should respect is not me, but Li the Lantern Envoy!"

"Li, the envoy of the imperial palace, has come thousands of miles to fulfill the order of Your Majesty, and has been exhausted by the journey."

"Come, I'll give you a toast!" He said, looking at the eunuch holding the lamp with a meaningful smile.

"Eunuch Li, please enjoy today's banquet. This is specially prepared for you!"

"As for the other two, I have already received them."

Li Huayu was a little absent-minded. He raised the cup with trembling hands and forced a smile.

"Thank you, General, for your kindness."

Having said this, he drank the wine in the glass with a bitter look on his face.

While the bitter taste of the liquor went down the eunuch's throat, Xu Liang and Gou Yue, who were sitting behind him at the table below him, noticed something strange about Li Huayu and Chen Yuan's unconcealed attitude. They looked at each other and said nothing.

I thought that this trip back to Beijing would not be smooth sailing!
With the banquet, the Xuntian Hall was bustling with activity. Many people at the banquet seemed to have put down their burdens and were enjoying the hard-earned peaceful life.

Some people thought that since Shu had received the attention of the imperial court, perhaps life would be better in the future.

The banquet ended slowly until the evening of You.

At this time, the sun had already set, with only a hint of red evening glow in the distance.

One by one, people left the hall. Some left after having a great time, staggering away after drinking heavily. Others were so drunk that they passed out and fell on the table.

Just like that eunuch Li.

"Li Zhangdeng seems to be happy today."

"Please help him away, and then go to the yard where you live and find a room to sleep." Chen Yuan glanced at Xu Liang and the others at the main table and spoke.

Xu Liang and Gou Yue looked at Li Huayu who was lying on the table, then bowed to Chen Yuan, said nothing, and helped Li Huayu leave.

After the two men took Li Huayu away, they came to the villa on the mountainside, walked into a room, and then put Eunuch Li on a chair in the room.

Then, Xu Liang, one of them, pinched his fingers together and emitted a beam of green light, which quickly enveloped the room like water waves.

Then he glanced at the person sitting on the chair, leaned over to the table in front of him, and seemed to be drunk and unconscious. He slowly spoke,
"Stop pretending, Lantern Master!"

"Do you really think that Chen Longhu can't see it?"

As he spoke, the air in the room remained quiet and there was no response.

Xu Liang looked at the other party motionless and sneered, "Changing the emperor's order is a heinous crime punishable by the death of the entire clan!"

As soon as these words fell, the drunken Eunuch Li trembled, jumped up suddenly, and screamed, "We don't have it!"

As he spoke, his eyes widened as if he wanted to kill someone.

Xu Liang just glanced at him sideways and said slowly:
"Did your Majesty really give such an order?"

"If you have nothing to hide, why do you have to do this?"

"Now, everyone knows about this oral order, and it will definitely reach your Majesty's ears. Is it true or not, your Majesty still not aware of it?"

As soon as these words came out, Eunuch Li, who was sitting on the chair, changed from a fierce expression to a panic expression, and then knelt down towards Xu Liang.
"I hope Master Shaoqing can save our family!"

"I only have one life. If I don't do what Chen Longhu said, you won't see me now."

"This guy is going to kill me!"

As he said this, the servant portrayed his fear of death to the fullest.

Xu Liang looked at the lamplighter who was showing his true colors as a slave. He looked at a dead man and said calmly, "You should go back and talk to His Majesty about these things yourself."

Then he turned to Gou Yue and said, "Master Gou, let's go and let the lamplighter sober him up!"

Then, he flicked his sleeves, the door opened, and he walked out.

Gou Yue shook his body and followed him out.

Li Huayu was horrified when he saw that the two men had given up on him. He hurriedly chased after them and begged for mercy, but was brushed away by Xu Shaoqing.

A gust of wind blew him backwards, smashing the tables and chairs and causing him to scream.

Then, the door slammed shut!
Outside the door, Xu Shaoqing exhaled a stream of yellow gas, which turned into a cloud and quickly dispersed, quickly enveloping the room.

Soon, a layer of pale yellow light film sealed the room!

Deputy Inspector Gou Yue saw this and asked, "What's this, Xu Shaoqing?"

“Of course we can’t let him run away! He must go back the same way he came. Otherwise, as the person in charge, how can I explain to His Majesty if this happens?” Xu Shaoqing had a blank expression on his face and cold eyes. He didn’t want to take the blame.

Gou Yue looked doubtful, "This Li just worked for that Chen Longhu. Will this make him unhappy?"

"I am a little nervous. This person is overbearing and scheming. He seems to have no scruples. If he really wants to embarrass us, we will not be able to fight back. I dare not ask him for the person now!"

Xu Shaoqing shook his head and said, "No, he didn't hide it at all. He didn't take Li seriously at all and regarded him as a discarded pawn. He asked us two to help him back just now. His meaning was very clear."

"Take the initiative to let us handle it!"

At this point, Xu Shaoqing's eyes flashed with deep fear. "He can be in a high position for a short period of time, let a group of soldiers fight for him, and control the entire Fusi. This person is unfathomable, and there must be a deep meaning behind everything he does. I don't know what he wants to do, and I don't want to get into it."

"But you and I have been ordered to bring this great Buddha into the capital. I think Supervisor Gou should know how to do it."

As he spoke, Xu Shaoqing looked straight at Gou Yue.

Gou Yue's eyebrows were tangled. He was in a high position and was Chen Yuan's superior. But now he had to swallow his pride and sighed, "Take good care of this man and take him to the capital!"

Xu Shaoqing didn't say anything, but his eyes gave the answer.

Just as the two were discussing countermeasures, as night had just fallen on Yunding Mountain, a fast horse entered the mountain!

At this time, the banquet had just ended, the cups and plates were in a mess, and the Xuntian Hall, which had not yet been lit, looked gloomy and dim.

Finally, several Lieutenants helped the drunk Pei Yanhu out of the hall.

This old man drank a lot of wine today and got himself drunk.

In the hall, only the slightly drunk Chen Yuan was sitting in the center. In the gloomy night, he looked like a coiled dragon or crouching tiger.

Soon, there were rapid footsteps outside the hall as loud as drumbeats.

A figure walked quickly into the dark hall!

The man was wearing green armor, wrapped in a cloak, and looked dusty.

When he took off his helmet, he revealed a slightly old, weathered face and messy hair.

Then, he stepped forward quickly.

"I received an order from the general. In order to avoid attracting attention, I did not activate the transmission channel and rushed back day and night."

The man spoke, then knelt on one knee, his eyes becoming deep and heavy.

"I, Gongsun Yang, pay my respects to the general!"

The person who came was Gongsun Yang, who had always been a hidden chess piece, staying at the front line to observe the movements of the demons.

Since leaving Qingshan County with Chen Yuan, he has been following all the way and has now become Chen Yuan's backup plan!
And now, he has unknowingly broken through the Heavenly Gate Dao Soldiers and achieved Dao Fruit, and his progress is rapid!
"Thank you for your hard work, sir!" Chen Yuan looked at Gongsun Yang who appeared, his eyes flashing with blazing golden light in the darkness.

"General, are you going to the capital?" Gongsun Yang looked up.

"I'm just waiting for you!"

Chen Yuan opened his mouth and grinned.

A few days later, news came from Jinguan City that the Ninth Mountain General was on his way to the Capital of Gods!

…………(End of chapter)