The prince is more stable

Chapter 383 Dragnet
On the day he decided to take action, Zhao Xiaoqian quietly took the two girls out of the government office and randomly found a house two streets away to live in.

The Zhending government office has been run by Liu Qianliang and others for many years. The servants and runners there are no longer trustworthy. Smart people will not put themselves in danger.

The best strategy is to leave the government office first to protect yourself, and then mobilize the Dragon Guard Camp to eliminate the traitors.

In fact, being careful and cautious in everything will definitely bring good fortune. Zhao Xiaoqian's guess turned out to be correct. A fire broke out in the backyard of the government office where he lived.

The imperial guards under Chen Shou were still guarding the government office. They had clearly surrounded the backyard, but the government office still caught fire.

It doesn't matter who started the fire; everyone in the government office is a suspect.

Liu Qianliang was one step short after all. He only saw Zhao Xiaoqian's age and looked down on him, but he didn't know that Zhao Xiaoqian was also a person who could compete with Prime Minister Zhang Dun in the court of Bianliang.

Liu Qianliang may not be an old fox, but Zhao Xiaoqian must be a young fox. Such a person is not someone that a local official like Liu Qianliang can easily control.

The fire lit up half of the night sky, and the people of the entire Zhending city were alarmed.

Candles were lit in the houses of the city. Curious people opened their doors, walked out into the streets, looked at the fire from the direction of the government office from afar, and asked their neighbors what was going on.

But what is more common are the gloating smiles of the people and businessmen, and the phrases of "it serves you right" hidden in the noisy discussions.

The Zhending government has long been unpopular.

It is easy to lose the support of the people, but it will be a long process to regain their support. The sins committed by Liu Qianliang and others will eventually have to be repaid by Zhao Xiaoqian. Thinking of this, Zhao Xiaoqian gritted his teeth and his murderous intent became even stronger.

At this time, the footsteps of the Dragon Guard Battalion entering the city were getting closer and closer, and the murderous aura from the orderly footsteps could be felt from two streets away.

The two sisters held in Zhao Xiaoqian's arms were terrified and felt complicated.

Japanese women are unrivaled in the world in terms of obedience. Even those of noble birth have long learned to obey their men unconditionally.

In Japan, if a woman questions her man, it is absolutely rebellious and the man would be willing to beat her to death.

But Liu Qianliang is ultimately the sisters' benefactor. Without him, the sisters would not have found such a perfect home for Zhao Xiaoqian.

They couldn't understand why their men were chatting and laughing with Liu Qianliang yesterday, and both of them were having a very happy chat, but suddenly turned against each other tonight, and attacked with deadly moves, without any mercy, as if they were sworn enemies.

The world of men is too complicated.

As if sensing the sisters' uneasiness, Zhao Xiaoqian patted their shoulders and said with a smile, "Can't bear it anymore? Want to plead for Judge Liu?"

The two sisters were shocked and, ignoring the cold white snow on the ground in the yard, they immediately knelt down on their knees and prostrated themselves before Zhao Xiaoqian.

"Your Excellency, we would never dare to have such disrespectful thoughts. We sisters will unconditionally support you in everything you do. We sisters will live our lives only for you."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded happily.

I have to say that Japanese women have really reached the pinnacle in serving men. Whether it is physical or emotional value, they give enough, making men feel extremely comfortable both physically and mentally.

It's a pity that they are both Japanese, and this identity makes Zhao Xiaoqian feel uncomfortable, otherwise he could take them as concubines. Now, they can probably only be maids serving him.

The two major families of Pingyuan are descendants of the Japanese royal family, but the daughters of the two families can only become maids and servants in the Song Dynasty. What a refreshing feeling...tsk!

Reaching out to help the two girls up, Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile, "Relax, there's no need to be so nervous. What happened tonight has nothing to do with you. Let's just hide here and watch the show."

The two girls responded and hugged Zhao Xiaoqian obediently, one on the left and one on the right. The bright firelight was reflected in their beautiful eyes, but their mood was calm at this moment.

That's a man's world and has nothing to do with them.

They only need to serve the men around them well and make them feel satisfied in every aspect. This is their natural mission.

…………

Zhong Jianzhong led his troops into the city. After entering the city, 5,000 soldiers from the Dragon Guard Camp attacked the Zhending government office directly.

The streets in the city, which should have been quiet and deserted, were attracted by a fire in the government office, attracting countless people to go out and watch the excitement.

The orderly footsteps of five thousand soldiers came from afar. The people were shocked and hurried back to their houses to close the doors. Through the cracks in the doors, they watched thousands of soldiers and horses rushing past. The murderous aura was colder than the first snow in winter.

The people were in a panic, and the same thought came to everyone's mind.

Something big is going to happen in Zhending City tonight!

When they were almost at the government office, Zhong Jianzhong, who was walking in front of the team, spotted an acquaintance standing in the middle of the street, blocking the way of the soldiers of the Dragon Guard Camp.

Zhong Jianzhong suddenly raised his hand, and the 5,000-man team stopped and quieted down instantly. The strict military discipline and quality made Zhao Xin, who came from the Imperial City Bureau, secretly admire them.

Blocking Zhong Jianzhong was Zhao Xin.

Zhong Jianzhong and Zhao Xin had known each other since their departure from Bianjing, a close friendship that lasted as long as they'd exchanged blows at the mahjong table. "Old Zhao, what's wrong?" Zhong Jianzhong asked, approaching.

Zhao Xin said in a deep voice, "According to the orders of the Duke of Zhao, the Dragon Guard Battalion will divide its forces after entering the city. Two thousand men will enter the government office to put out the fire. All officials, captains, servants, and runners within the office will be apprehended and await interrogation by the Imperial City Administration before their final sentencing."

"Another three thousand men stormed Liu Qianliang's residence. The Imperial City Division's investigation revealed that five hundred criminals, along with all officials from Zhending Prefecture involved in the incident, had gathered inside. Duke Zhao ordered the Dragon Guards to capture them all. Any resistance was to be killed on the spot."

Zhong Jianzhong was startled and clasped his fists to accept the order.

Then he turned and shouted, "Send two thousand men into the government office to put out the fire and question all officials, servants, and runners. The other three thousand will follow me to Liu Qianliang's residence. Now, muster the troops and march!"

A moment later, the five thousand troops split into two groups. One group rushed straight to the government office, while the other group turned around, turned at the corner of the street, and rushed to Liu Qianliang's mansion.

The soldiers of the Dragon Guard Camp left, and Zhao Xin's figure quickly disappeared into the darkness.

In a dark alley off the street, dozens of Imperial City Division subordinates stood densely packed. Zhao Xin walked into the alley and said in a deep voice, "By order of Duke Zhao, you are to immediately proceed to the residences of the officials implicated in the incident in Zhending Prefecture and closely monitor their families. If you see any unusual activity, report it immediately to General Zhong Jianzhong."

After saying this, Zhao Xin waved his hand and said, "Disperse!"

Dozens of Imperial City Division subordinates disappeared in an instant.

Then, there was a sudden cry of killing coming from the direction of the government office. After just a moment, the cry stopped, and even the fire became much smaller.

Zhao Xin glanced at the gradually dwindling fire, sneered, and muttered, "You ignorant bastards, you dare to challenge the Duke of Zhao? Are you worthy?"

Zhao Xin then murmured, "I wonder if tonight's hard work counts as meritorious service. Will the Duke of Zhao recognize my contribution and perhaps even offer me a promotion?"

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Xin's figure disappeared into the alley.

…………

Liu Qianliang's residence.

The fire in the government office burned for a long time, and the door of Liu Qianliang's mansion was finally opened.

The chaos in the city has reached this point, the situation is tense enough, and now it's time to take Zhao Xiaoqian's life.

If Zhao Xiaoqian was lucky enough and was not burned to death in the fire in the government office, it would not matter, because there were others to help Zhao Xiaoqian on his journey.

The door opened and five hundred criminals walked out. Each of them had an excited and cruel expression on his face, and the knife in his hand was unsheathed.

Liu Qianliang was the magistrate of Zhending Prefecture. In order to make it easier for him to report for duty, his house was very close to the Zhending Prefecture government office, only a few hundred steps away, so he could reach the office in a short stroll.

Five hundred strong men opened the door and rushed towards the government office excitedly.

Liu Qianliang had promised them that whoever could kill Zhao Xiaoqian tonight would be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold, and Liu Qianliang would personally recommend him to be an official in the Liao Kingdom.

With such a huge reward on their hands, how could these five hundred people not fight to the death?

However, the five hundred people had just run a short distance when they suddenly discovered that thousands of soldiers had already formed up on the street outside the mansion, standing quietly in the snow waiting for them.

In the hands of these thousands of soldiers, there was a strangely shaped object, and the black muzzle at the front was aimed at them.

The five hundred people were stunned and shocked.

No one knew where these thousands of soldiers came from, but judging from their posture, they were obviously enemies, not friends.

What’s even more desperate is that there are thousands of people on the opposite side, and their numbers absolutely crush them.

When they met on the street, both sides stopped moving and faced each other from a distance of about a hundred steps.

At this time, Zhong Jianzhong, wearing fish-scale armor, slowly walked out from the back of the team. Looking around at the team of 500 people opposite, he couldn't help but smile contemptuously, and then shouted loudly.

"Investigation reveals that Judge Liu Qianliang of Zhending Prefecture, Procurator Wang Shenxian, and Supervisor Zhou Shen have committed numerous illegal acts while in office. Tonight, they have gathered a rebellious army with the intention of committing treason. Their crimes are unforgivable!"

"By order of the Governor of the Western Hebei Route, the Prefect of Zhending, Lord Zhao, anyone who participated in the rebellion tonight will be killed!"

After saying this, Zhong Jianzhong waved his hand and shouted, "They are all traitors. Don't let any of them go. Kill them!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud bang.

White smoke emerged from the muzzles of the guns of the first row of Dragon Guard Battalion soldiers, and the five hundred strong men who had just walked out of Liu Qianliang's mansion fell to the ground one after another.

Immediately afterwards, the second and third rows, the soldiers of the Dragon Guard Battalion followed the military orders according to the drill manual and executed them without emotion. Five hundred strong men fell down one after another like retail investors who were severely cut by market makers in the stock market.

(End of this chapter)