116: Kill the Jinyiwei! Burn the Zhenfusi! Shen Zhong's tragic death

Chapter 116: Killing the Brocade-Clad Guards! Burning the Bureau of Surveillance! Shen Zhong's Tragic Death! (13)

Each of the seven Imperial Faction families had an informant from the Brocade-Clad Guards.

However, Wang Qinian's notes were all given to the head of each household, and the family heads naturally dared not speak out.

So, by the time of the uprising, the Brocade-Clad Guards' informants no longer had time to send a message.

From the evening when Wang Qinian delivered the notes, Net experts were stationed near each household, ensuring that no one could enter or leave.

At the third quarter of the hour of Chou (1:45 AM), as the corpses of the Brocade-Clad Guards' secret agents were thrown into the courtyards, everyone's fear was ignited.

The Brocade-Clad Guards' secret agents dying in their own homes was like getting mud in one's pants; even if it wasn't excrement, it was taken as such!

When the various family heads thought of the methods of the powerful minister Shen Zhong, they all shivered with fear!

Fear!

When fear reaches its limit, people will seize the last shred of opportunity to resist!

Throughout history, why did most powerful ministers who were too arrogant and overbearing not come to a good end?

Where there are people, there is Jianghu. If you offend too many people, no matter how high your position or how great your power, you might still be brought down by a multitude.

Li Chang'an's Net merely provided these people with an opportunity to vent years of fear and dissatisfaction!

The seven Imperial Faction families poured all their strength into the attack, and the Jianghu experts they harbored in their mansions rushed out from the main gates.

Even many third and fourth-rank guards and house servants were mixed among them.

These people arrived at the designated location on time, as agreed upon in the notes.

A large group of black-clad individuals gathered at the entrance of the Brocade-Clad Guards' yamen, including newly dispatched Net experts.

There were also Li Chang'an's Shadow Guards; they directly killed the Brocade-Clad Guards who were monitoring the inn, then changed into night clothes and came to the Brocade-Clad Guards' yamen.

The Brocade-Clad Guards' yamen was also the Bureau of Surveillance yamen!

Li Chang'an not only wanted to eliminate Shen Zhong but also wanted to crush the Brocade-Clad Guards' headquarters!

Although it was the middle of the night and most Brocade-Clad Guards members were not in the yamen, the case files and intelligence were all inside.

The Brocade-Clad Guards also had elite forces like the Black Knights of the Supervisory Council, but they were not in the yamen in Shangjing City.

The Imperial Faction experts who arrived here immediately felt more confident.

“It seems Your Majesty had arrangements long ago!”

“These people must all be Inner Court experts!”

“There must be seventy or eighty of them!”

As they spoke, seventy or eighty black-clad individuals leaped directly over the wall of the Bureau of Surveillance yamen.

“Who goes there! This is the Bureau of Surveillance yamen!”

“Attacking the Brocade-Clad Guards is considered rebellion!”

“Ah!”

Several screams came from inside, and then the main gate opened.

“Kill! Kill all the Brocade-Clad Guards!”

“For Your Majesty, rebel against Shen Zhong!”

“With the Great General leading tonight’s events, everyone just kill!”

“Killing Shen Zhong, who oppressed Your Majesty, will only bring merit, never guilt!”

“Exterminate the Brocade-Clad Guards, avenge grudges, settle scores!”

Among the Shadow Guards and Northern Qi Net experts, half were Eighth Rank experts, and the Bureau of Surveillance yamen was quickly overrun!

Inside the Bureau of Surveillance yamen, a brutal slaughter began!

The Imperial Faction and Li Chang'an's black-clad individuals killed anyone wearing Brocade-Clad Guards' uniforms, regardless of right or wrong!

There were five thousand Brocade-Clad Guards in Shangjing, but only about a thousand worked at the yamen headquarters.

Now, in the dead of night, there were only over three hundred people in the yamen.

Although many on night duty were Eighth Rank experts, this small force was no match for the Shadow Guards.

Many Eighth Rank Brocade-Clad Guards had barely drawn their swords when they were instantly dismembered by four or five black-clad individuals!

The Imperial Faction Martial Artists following behind the black-clad individuals were even more bloodthirsty, killing everyone they saw!

As the slaughter continued, some Brocade-Clad Guards still managed to fire signal arrows.

These signal arrows, like those in Southern Qing's capital, could be seen by the City Gate Bureau, the Imperial Army, and Shangjing's Garrison Army!

“The Garrison Army will arrive at the Bureau of Surveillance yamen half an hour after hearing the signal arrow!”

“Everyone, there’s still time, kill!”

“Kill! Kill the bastard Brocade-Clad Guards!”

The Brocade-Clad Guards were usually ruthless in their methods and held too much power, offending many people.

Now, all the hatred and suppression erupted, and Brocade-Clad Guards' heads were chopped off one by one!

At this moment, a signal arrow was also fired from the Nanshi direction.

“The Great General has already retrieved Mr. Xiao’s remains, and the Brocade-Clad Guards in Nanshi have also been wiped out!”

“The Brocade-Clad Guards’ storerooms and archives must contain the secrets of many officials. Why not burn them all down with a single fire!”

“Good idea, burn them all!”

Over two hundred people caused heads to roll in the Bureau of Surveillance yamen, and fires had already started in many rooms!

The Brocade-Clad Guards' prison was completely opened, and all prisoners, regardless of their background, were released!

Most of those imprisoned here were officials or enemy spies.

The most vicious Jianghu bandits were mostly in the Ministry of Justice’s imperial prison.

Before long, the Bureau of Surveillance yamen was engulfed in a towering blaze!

Garrison Army' Commander's Tent.

The Garrison Army were equivalent to Southern Qing's Capital Garrison Division, and their leader was the Garrison Army Commander.

The Deputy Commander on duty for the Garrison Army heard the signal arrow and immediately assembled his men.

“Report to the Commander! A signal arrow has been fired from the direction of the Bureau of Surveillance, with faint fire visible!”

The Deputy Commander’s face was anxious, and he angrily roared, “A yamen in Shangjing City has sent out a distress call, immediately dispatch troops…”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he confirmed again, “Which yamen?”

The night watch soldier answered firmly, “The Bureau of Surveillance yamen, the Brocade-Clad Guards’ yamen!”

The Deputy Commander immediately cursed, “Nonsense!”

“Lord Shen’s Bureau of Surveillance is impregnable, how could there be a mishap? Investigate again!”

After the soldier left, the Deputy Commander stroked his beard, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“What a joke, who would dare to attack the Brocade-Clad Guards, do they want to live or not!”

“Lord Shen has such great authority, the only high-ranking official in the entire court wearing python robes!”

“Who is so reckless as to dare provoke him!”

“Which of you here has such courage!”

The generals and officers in the tent shook their heads repeatedly; who would dare to attack the Brocade-Clad Guards’ yamen!

Shen Zhong was usually arrogant and held excessive power, so these commanders and generals did not have a good relationship with him.

In the Imperial Palace.

Someone immediately reported the Brocade-Clad Guards’ yamen’s distress signal to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

Empress Dowager Wei and the young Emperor came to the Imperial Study together, listening to the Imperial Army Commander’s report.

The Imperial Army Commander also came from the Heaven One Path and was an absolute confidant of the Zhan family.

“Reporting to Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, the Brocade-Clad Guards’ yamen and the Brocade-Clad Guards’ outpost in Nanshi have sent out distress signal arrows!”

“Faint fire is visible at these two locations, seemingly under attack!”

Upon hearing this news, the usually composed Empress Dowager Wei instantly became restless.

“The Bureau of Surveillance yamen is under attack! Is this a rebellion?!”

“You didn’t receive any news beforehand?!”

The Imperial Army Commander replied, “After seeing the distress signal, this subordinate has already placed the Imperial Palace under martial law and sent people to investigate the situation!”

The young Emperor frowned, “The Bureau of Surveillance yamen contains many crucial confidential documents of Great Qi; it is of utmost importance!”

“Mother, your son implores you to allocate two thousand Imperial Army soldiers to support them!”

As soon as Zhan Doudou finished speaking, Empress Dowager Wei immediately scolded her angrily!

“My Imperial Son is muddle-headed!”

“The most important thing for Great Qi is you, the Emperor of Great Qi!”

“Who knows if the forces attacking the Bureau of Surveillance are merely creating a diversion!”

“If the Imperial Army is rashly transferred away, what if rebels attack the Imperial Palace?!”

Hearing Empress Dowager Wei’s reprimand, Zhan Doudou also felt a chill in her heart and remained silent.

When Zhan Doudou first ascended the throne, rebellions in Shangjing City were common, and Empress Dowager Wei was very experienced.

“Imperial Army Commander, the twenty thousand Imperial Army soldiers are to guard the Imperial Palace to the death! Not a single soldier or horse can be moved without an imperial decree from this Palace!”

“Quickly issue orders to the Garrison Army and the City Gate Bureau to swiftly rescue the Bureau of Surveillance!”

“Order the Capital Garrison Camp to dispatch fifty thousand elite soldiers into Shangjing City for alert!”

“Saintess Haitang, stay by His Majesty’s side at all times. Anyone approaching His Majesty, and any food or drink His Majesty consumes, must be strictly inspected!”

“Order Mr. Lang Tao, trouble him to go and check the situation! Do not get too entangled, just ascertain the situation!”

...Nanshi Outpost.

Shang Shanhu’s personal guards and Panlong Mountain’s experts quickly breached the Brocade-Clad Guards’ outpost and successfully found Xiao En’s remains.

Over a hundred people knelt down in unison, kowtowing three times to Xiao En.

The Panlong Mountain bandits shouted in unison, “Great Wei’s Brocade-Clad Cavalry Iron Guards have come to rescue Commander Xiao!”

Shang Shanhu was in tears, sobbing uncontrollably, “Your unfilial son has allowed my adoptive father to be exposed for days, unable to be buried!”

“Your son swears to heaven that I will personally kill the true culprit, personally chop off Shen Zhong’s head, and avenge my adoptive father!”

Afterward, Shang Shanhu wrapped Xiao En’s body and tied it to Tan Wu’s back.

“Tan Wu, though you and I are not blood brothers, we are as close as kin!”

“Today, Shang Shanhu entrusts my father’s remains to you. Please take them out of Shangjing City and bury them properly!”

Upon hearing Shang Shanhu’s words, Tan Wu’s heart immediately chilled.

“Great General!”

“What are you saying?”

“Now that we have the elder’s remains, we only need to fight our way out of the city and go to the border to raise an army against Qi!”

Shang Shanhu drew his long spear and said, “The one who killed my father is that vile woman surnamed Wei, and also Lang Tao, the Great Grandmaster’s senior disciple!”

“I know that without rebelling, I cannot kill these two!”

“But tonight, I must personally kill Shen Zhong!”

Shang Shanhu was full of pride; his reputation on the northern battlefield shook the Northern Barbarians, yet upon returning to Shangjing City, he was constantly targeted by Shen Zhong.

He indeed harbored disloyal intentions towards Qi Country, which destined him and Shen Zhong to be mortal enemies.

Shen Zhong using Xiao En’s remains as a pretext in recent days made Shang Shanhu even more unbearable.

Tan Wu knelt and pleaded, “Great General, Shen Zhong will surely die tonight!”

“We are no longer tolerated by the Empress Dowager and His Majesty. It is only right that we quickly leave Shangjing to find a way to survive!”

The remnants of the Brocade-Clad Cavalry from Panlong Mountain also tried to persuade him, saying there was truly no need to take any more risks.

“Great General, you are not under His Majesty’s command. This time, someone will have to take responsibility for killing Shen Zhong!”

“The seven Imperial Faction families, protected by His Majesty, will of course be fine, but Great General, you will be in danger!”

“If you go back now, you will surely be attacked by the other families!”

“Great General, lead us in rebelling against Qi Country and avenge Commander Xiao!”

Shang Shanhu set fire to the Brocade-Clad Guards’ outpost, his eyes burning with flames.

“Everyone, I, Shang Shanhu, will not be able to swallow this Qi if I don’t kill Shen Zhong!”

“You all stop bothering me with words; everything will proceed according to plan!”

“I am a Ninth Rank Upper Level cultivator; there are few in the world who can stop me!”

“My solo action is more convenient!”

As his voice fell, Shang Shanhu was already dozens of feet away.

Tan Wu stood up and said, “The Great General’s word is as solid as a mountain. Let us quickly leave the city; he will surely catch up!”

In Shen Zhong's mansion.

Li Chang'an did not send too many people here, because the defenses here were the weakest.

Although there were several Eighth Rank experts, they couldn't withstand the large number of Imperial Faction experts.

When the other two signal arrows went off, Shen Zhong was already fighting alone.

Zong Zhui, who was responsible for watching the Shen residence, rescued Young Miss Shen when the Imperial Faction experts stormed in.

He was watching Young Miss Shen, of course, to investigate Yan Bingyun’s whereabouts.

Unexpectedly, he encountered an internal rebellion in Northern Qi. The Shen residence was quickly turned into a river of blood, with heads rolling everywhere.

Now, Shen Zhong, wielding an Embroidered Spring Blade, faced dozens of Seventh and Eighth Rank experts alone.

Several Net experts had already secretly retreated.

Because Shen Zhong didn't need to be watched here; these Imperial Faction members would tear him to pieces.

Indeed, several key figures from the seven Imperial Faction families had come in person.

“Shen Zhong, you have your day too!”

“Shen Zhong, thirty years to the east of the river, thirty years to the west!”

“You jackal and beast, today we will surely tear you to shreds!”

“Shen Zhong, you abused your power, corrupted the court, acted like a jackal, deceived the Sacred Heart, and usurped authority to harm the country! Today, by imperial decree, we execute you!”

Shen Zhong, disheveled and covered in blood, showed no sign of weakness.

“What a vicious decree!”

“I, Shen Zhong, have lived my life for Great Qi, with no shame before heaven above or my heart below!”

“My death is not to be regretted, but it is a pity that the heroic ruler of Great Qi is gone, and alas, the orphaned mother and son are short-sighted!”

“Today, I, Shen Zhong, die, and Great Qi… is in peril!”

Just then, a figure descended from the sky, letting out a furious roar.

“Does Great Qi fall without you, Shen Zhong?!”

Shang Shanhu was also covered in blood, holding his long spear, glaring at Shen Zhong with rage!

Upon seeing Shang Shanhu, Shen Zhong’s eyes showed a hint of mockery.

“You brave but witless Martial Artist, you are being used as a pawn tonight. What is there to be proud of?!”

Shang Shanhu snorted coldly, “If being used as a pawn means I can kill the one who insulted my adoptive father, then I, Shang Shanhu, will be that pawn!”

Immediately after, Shang Shanhu’s long spear moved like a Dragon, with a single sweep across a thousand armies, Shen Zhong’s head flew high into the air!

Shen Zhong’s body slumped softly to the ground, and the frenzied crowd behind Shang Shanhu surged forward, hacking Shen Zhong to pieces with their blades!

Before long, Lang Tao’s figure appeared on the roof of the Shen residence.

He watched the gruesome sight of everyone dismembering Shen Zhong, and couldn't help but frown.

When he went to the Bureau of Surveillance yamen, the fire had already begun to be extinguished, and the perpetrators had long since scattered.

Lang Tao said to Shang Shanhu from a distance, “So it was the Great General’s doing. You’ve done quite a deed tonight!”

Upon hearing Lang Tao’s voice, the Imperial Faction members who had just dismembered Shen Zhong froze in place, one by one.

Shang Shanhu gritted his teeth and said, “Lang Tao, you killed my adoptive father!”

Lang Tao nodded, “Indeed, it was my doing. I killed him because he deserved to die!”

The Imperial Faction members on the ground all exchanged glances, calculating the current situation.

Lang Tao, an expert from the Empress Dowager’s faction, had arrived. Of course, they couldn’t say that tonight’s events were orchestrated by His Majesty, as there was no explicit imperial decree after all.

They had killed someone from the Empress Dowager’s faction; even with an explicit decree, they couldn’t shift the blame to the Emperor.

“Mr. Lang Tao, we were instigated and coerced by Shang Shanhu, and in a moment of confusion, we committed this act!”

“Lord Shen was also killed by Shang Shanhu just now; we merely chopped up the corpse!”

“Yes, yes, yes! We can testify for each other!”

“The perpetrators tonight were the Great General’s personal guards, very skilled!”

The Shadow Guards and Net’s black-clad individuals were naturally taken for Shang Shanhu’s personal guards.

Lang Tao and Shang Shanhu simultaneously looked at these cowering Imperial Faction members with disdain.

“Great General, since you have committed such a grave offense, please come with me!”

As Lang Tao spoke, two flying daggers already flew towards him!