109: Chapter 109 Living Better Than You: The General Male Supporting Character 27

The early winter snow fell and stopped, then stopped and fell again.

The city was blanketed in white, yet it could not cover the scarlet hue of blood.

For the past half month, it seemed everyone in the capital could smell the lingering scent of blood.

At first, it was a seventh-rank censor in the west of the city who was found dead in his home study.

There was only a faint line of blood on his throat, and beneath him lay half a petition inscribed with the words "Corruption and Malpractice."

Soon after, a director from the Ministry of Revenue was pinned to death inside his carriage by a feathered arrow while on his way to a restaurant.

Then it happened more and more, and the ranks of the victims grew higher and higher.

A director from the Ministry of Works, a Vice Minister of the Grand Court of Justice, and even a Reader of the Hanlin Academy…

Precise, efficient, and highly ritualistic assassinations.

They descended upon the heads of the capital's officials like the King of Hell calling roll.

Some of the deceased officials had petitions beside them.

Others had only the label "Corrupt Official and Treacherous Minister."

Rumors spread like wildfire, causing an uproar throughout the city.

A jianghu assassin organization called "Yanyu Pavilion" became famous throughout the capital overnight.

They took people's money to resolve their troubles, yet they insisted on hiding behind the guise of "acting on behalf of Heaven" and claiming their victims "deserved to die."

But you have to admit, this guise was actually effective.

At the very least, Prince Liang did not immediately associate it with factional strife or Prince Yu.

And the subsequent investigation dispelled the doubts in his heart even further.

Among the recent victims, there were men of Prince Liang, neutral officials, and even figures believed to be courted by Prince Yu.

Thus, Prince Liang could only vent his fury upon this mysterious jianghu force, gnashing his teeth in hatred.

For a time, the entire officialdom of the capital was on edge, with everyone fearing for their own safety.

The government patrols worked day and night, too worried to sleep.

Beneath these murky waters, some finally saw clearly and acknowledged the decline of the Great Wu Dynasty.

It was not just the twilight years of The Old Emperor; if a mere jianghu force could throw the imperial court into such chaos, it was the twilight of the entire empire.

One morning, when the heavy snow had just cleared, in the Golden Throne Hall.

The atmosphere of the morning court was so heavy it could drip water.

Prince Liang was the first to step out and submit a memorial; his eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was full of grief and indignation.

"Your Majesty! These jianghu ruffians dare to act so recklessly within the capital, killing imperial officials one after another! This act is tantamount to holding the law in contempt and trampling upon the imperial order! If they are not severely punished, where will the dignity of our Great Wu Dynasty remain? Your son implores Your Majesty to investigate this thoroughly at once!"

The Old Emperor sat on the dragon throne, his face gloomy.

Xuanyuan Zhan stood to the side, hands hanging down.

As the commander of the Patrol Battalion, he was to blame for such chaos in the capital, so naturally, he did not dare to say much at this moment.

Just then, a gray-haired and bearded imperial censor walked out with trembling steps.

"Your Majesty, Prince Liang says is very true. However, the Yanyu Pavilion is elusive and highly skilled in martial arts; they are all jianghu desperadoes, not people our government yamen guards can easily deal with."

"In this humble official's opinion, our dynasty could emulate the previous dynasty and establish a specialized agency. We should select those who are highly skilled in martial arts and proficient in all walks of life to specifically monitor and apprehend jianghu forces. This agency would be independent of the Three Judicial Offices and report directly to Your Majesty!"

Once these words were spoken, the court hall immediately began to buzz.

However, before the crowd could discuss it further, the Minister of War immediately stepped out to second the motion: "This official seconds the motion!"

The Vice Minister of Justice followed closely: "This official also seconds the motion!"

The scene that followed made Xuanyuan Zhan, standing in the hall, feel a bone-chilling cold.

He watched helplessly as the ministers, who usually belonged to different factions and would argue until their faces were red over the slightest political disagreement, now reached a consensus with unprecedented tacit understanding and efficiency.

From the censor's proposal to the seconding by several high-ranking officials, and then to The Old Emperor's consent, the structure was finalized, and the Commander was appointed. The whole process was smooth and seamless, without a single hitch.

[Meng Zhu's connections have penetrated to this extent?]

[What is this, sitting at home and ruling by remote control?]

[Hahaha, I feel bad for Prince Yu, he must be terrified.]

Prince Yu could not see the comments, but he clearly felt a suffocating power.

The assassinations were the lure, the chaos was the momentum, and the officials were the threads. The ultimate goal was to birth this brand-new department, with immense power, that was about to be created before his eyes.

The Old Emperor spoke his golden words.

This new agency was named the Six Fan School.

Prince Yu was to temporarily serve as the Commander, overseeing its affairs and atoning for his crimes through service.

Prince Liang inserted two Deputy Commanders.

Marquis Pingan, Meng Zhu, was to concurrently serve as the Vice Commander.

As the series of power structures and appointments concluded, Xuanyuan Zhan felt his hands and feet turn cold.

Someone had not attended the morning court, yet the entire court was under his will.

...

Returning to the Prince's residence, the more Xuanyuan Zhan thought, the more terrified he became.

Was this empire really still in the hands of the Xuanyuan clan?

He dismissed the servants and paced back and forth in his study alone.

The feeling of being pricked in the back in the Golden Throne Hall not only failed to dissipate but became even clearer, like a maggot in the bone, gnawing at his mind.

Marquis Pingan… Meng Zhu…

Did he really have no ambition?

Was his deal with him truly about wanting to split the land and be crowned a king?

Or was it using the name of a vassal king to actually usurp the throne?

Once this thought took root, it grew wildly.

The reason Xuanyuan Zhan could make a deal with Meng Zhu so readily was, in no small part, due to Nan Li.

In the overheard content, the reason for helping him seize the throne was also because of a favor owed to Nan Li.

What exactly was that so-called "favor from childhood"?

Perhaps he should go and have a good talk with Nan Li.

With this thought in mind, Xuanyuan Zhan could no longer sit still and hurried toward the backyard.

In the winter backyard, plum blossoms were in full bloom, and their subtle fragrance permeated the residence.

From afar, Xuanyuan Zhan saw Nan Li sitting alone by a railing, seemingly admiring the snow or perhaps lost in thought.

He softened his footsteps and was about to step forward to call out, when his gaze was suddenly seized by something in Nan Li's hand.

It was a jade pendant.

Xuanyuan Zhan's heart sank abruptly.

He quietly moved a few steps closer; from this angle, he could clearly see the jade pendant.

On the back of the jade pendant, only one character was engraved.

"Zhu"

Boom!

In an instant, Xuanyuan Zhan felt a loud noise in his brain, and something collapsed with a crash.

The fear of being controlled by an invisible force in the court.

The humiliation of being handed the throne as charity during the deal.

And the silent mockery represented by the jade pendant before his eyes.

Countless emotions intertwined, eventually turning into scorching lava, surging and colliding madly within his chest, almost burning his reason to ashes.

Sadness? Shock? Humiliation? Resentment?

He felt all of these, but none could compare to the jealousy that rushed straight to his brain.

Enough to twist everything.

So… that was it.

No wonder on their wedding night, she wanted to draw a line between them.

No wonder no matter how he tried to show his affection, she remained as cold as frost.

All the "whys" had an answer at this moment—an answer he had never dared to imagine, yet one that was incredibly logical.

Ridiculous, it was truly so ridiculous!

He, Xuanyuan Zhan, in his own residence, was watching his own Princess consort looking at the jade pendant of another man, reminiscing about him!

[Oh, caught red-handed.]

[Ex-wife sister, you're confused! What man could endure this?]

[It's over, it's over, it's over. The misunderstanding is huge now.]

[There's no explaining this. A light green hat, Xuanyuan Zhan is going to go dark! He's definitely going to turn dark!]

[Serves the simp right!]

The comments were still chattering away, predicting how it would end.

But no one noticed that Xuanyuan Zhan, instead of walking up, had quietly retreated.

Under this overwhelming jealousy and rage, the fear of Meng Zhu in Xuanyuan Zhan's heart miraculously dissipated.

Coming back to his senses and leaving, Xuanyuan Zhan clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, and he didn't even notice the blood seeping out.

In his eyes, a terrifying cold light flashed.