stonecrandall Chapter 193 Mid-Autumn Festival is here!
Chapter 193 Mid-Autumn Festival is here!
late at night.
Two guests arrived at the Prince Xian's residence, along with Lu Xiaofeng and Sikong Zhaixing, bringing a touch of liveliness to the usually quiet mansion.
Although it wasn't Mid-Autumn Festival yet, Chu Yang still set up a table of food and wine in the courtyard. Over the years, he would drink until he was drunk, but this was the first time he had ever drunk at the Prince Xian's residence.
"You shouldn't have come back."
Guo Bujing, dressed in casual clothes, sat directly opposite Chu Yang, looking at him with a worried expression.
"I will punish myself by drinking a cup for causing Lord Guo to lose his position as head instructor of the Imperial Guards."
Chu Yang raised his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.
"It doesn't really matter who becomes the head instructor of the Imperial Guards. I never care about these things. Without these trivial matters to worry about, the Six Doors will at least not be as neglected as before."
Guo Bujing remained calm, showing no trace of regret on his face; he genuinely disliked the position of Imperial Guard Instructor.
Guo Bujing's lack of skill in vying for power and profit does not mean he was unaware of the emperor's intentions. The Six Doors alone could hardly keep the two Divine Marquises in check, which is why the emperor gave him the title of Imperial Guard Instructor.
"Indeed, without the burden of trivial matters, Lord Guo even had time to capture the notorious river bandit."
Chu Yang smiled and looked at Chai Hu, who was drinking alone.
"Hahaha, you surnamed Chai, you've finally met your match."
Sikong Zhaixing and Chaihu were old acquaintances. When he learned that Chaihu had been recruited by the legendary hero Guo Juxia, he burst into laughter.
Chai Hu felt embarrassed, so he turned his head to the side, where he met Lu Xiaofeng's sly smile.
He was an old acquaintance of Sikong Zhaixing, so he naturally recognized Lu Xiaofeng as well.
"Big guy, I told you long ago that you would be caught sooner or later. To be honest, your methods of robbing the rich to help the poor are really crude. A little investigation would reveal your background."
Lu Xiaofeng shook his head helplessly.
"Is this the legendary Lu Xiaofeng? My disciples say that Master Lu is very skilled at solving cases."
Guo Bujing greatly admired Lu Xiaofeng, and rarely showed a smile.
Chu Yang knew that he wanted to get Lu Xiaofeng into the Six Doors.
"What kind of great hero is there in front of Master Guo? Please stop teasing me."
Lu Xiaofeng waved his hands repeatedly, showing rare humility. Like most martial arts figures, he greatly admired Guo Bujing.
"You two stop flattering each other; it's ruining my enjoyment of drinking."
Chu Yang looked at Guo Bujing and asked, "Lord Guo, what brings you here so late at night with Chaihu?"
Guo Bujing sighed and said, "Chai Hu told me everything that happened during the day. Fortunately, he's not too stupid and didn't do anything reckless. But besides that, he also brought me some news."
"Chai Hu, you tell me yourself." Chai Hu, who had been drinking in silence, was startled by Guo Bujing's voice. He put down his wine cup, turned around slowly, and said, "After the prince left the palace during the day, the newly arrived Instructor Li suddenly summoned most of the imperial guards into the palace and secretly practiced battle formations inside."
"It's a special formation designed to deal with martial arts masters. I'm a lay disciple of Buddhism, and I've seen similar formations before."
Guo Bujing continued, "My old subordinates in the Imperial Guard were either dismissed and investigated, or transferred to other places."
"Because Chai Hu had just joined the Imperial Guard and had no connection with me, and his background was relatively clean, he was allowed to stay there, where he heard some rumors."
Sikong Zhaixing chuckled to himself; he was truly amazed that the notorious thief who had turned the river upside down could be described as having a clean record.
Guo Bujing glanced at him.
Lu Xiaofeng quickly nudged Sikong Zhaixing hard with his elbow and whispered, "Are you crazy? You've committed just as many crimes as Chai Hu. You still don't behave yourself in front of the Chief Constable of the Six Doors? Do you really want to see what the Heavenly Prison is like?"
Sikong Zhaixing immediately fell silent, a fine layer of cold sweat instantly appearing on his forehead.
He was similar to Bai Zhantang in that although he liked to steal, he never targeted the poor. Most of the time, he would steal things for fun, and after he was done, he would put them back to his owner in order to show off his abilities.
Of course, the money of some corrupt officials is a different story.
These days, there are more than just one or two people who rob the rich to help the poor. As long as it's not too outrageous, Guo Bujing turns a blind eye to it.
"Several years ago, Grand Secretary Yan's house was robbed, and some silver was stolen."
Guo Bujing's casual remark left Sikong Zhaixing's back soaked with sweat.
Rumor has it that 300,000 taels of silver were once stolen from Yan Song's residence. He secretly approached Guo Bujing, hoping that the Six Doors could help him recover the silver, but Guo Bujing has yet to issue any approval or order.
Grand Secretary Yan was so angry that he smashed things at home, but he dared not make a fuss. After all, 300,000 taels was no small amount. Where would a Grand Secretary like him get 300,000 taels? If things got out of hand, how could he face the Emperor and the officials?
The whereabouts of the 300,000 taels of silver were never found, but Guo Bujing knew that it had been used to help disaster victims.
The leader was Sikong Zhaixing and his gang of notorious thieves, and even the legendary Thief Saint, who had not yet retired from the life of thievery, was involved.
As for Chai Hu, his technique was too crude, so he was kicked out of the team by the others and didn't even get the job of keeping watch. This also caused a conflict with Sikong Zhaixing.
"Lord Guo, Grand Secretary Yan is extremely wealthy. He won't care about losing this little bit of money."
"Your Highness is right."
Chu Yang and Guo Bujing toasted each other, signifying that the matter was over.
Sikong Zhaixing, who almost ended up in prison, was so shocked that his legs went weak. He never expected that Guo Bujing knew from the beginning that they were the ones who did it.
Before he could even catch his breath, he heard Lu Xiaofeng's boastful voice in his ear.
"Having many friends makes the road easier to travel; that saying is certainly true."
Sikong Zhaixing could only obediently bow to Chu Yang.
"Lu Xiaofeng, since you claim to be a friend of the prince, why didn't you stop him from coming back? With your intelligence, you couldn't have been unaware of the consequences."
Thinking of this incident, Guo Bujing became furious and glared at Lu Xiaofeng with displeasure.
"That's putting you in a difficult position, Master Guo. The prince has the right to be independent; how can I stop him?"
Lu Xiaofeng looked completely bewildered.
Seeing that the atmosphere was tense, Chu Yang smiled and raised his wine glass, interrupting the two men's conversation, "This return to the capital is my own decision, and has nothing to do with anyone else. Lord Guo, there is no need to worry. How about we have a drink together?"
"How can I not worry?" Guo Bujing's tone suddenly became impatient. "Martial arts also have their limits. No matter how strong an individual's martial prowess is, it cannot withstand the charge of tens of thousands of iron cavalry. Even Zhuge Shenhou dared not say that he could survive the encirclement of 800,000 imperial guards."
"Your Highness, please don't be arrogant!"
Chu Yang put down his wine cup, shook his head and said, "There are some things that Zhuge Shenhou dares not say, but I can."
"Your Highness!" Guo Bujing was extremely anxious, but there were some things he could not say outright, because he was a subject and his words and actions had to be loyal to the emperor.
Even if he was dissatisfied with the emperor's obsession with power and saddened by the suffering of the people, he could not betray the emperor, otherwise it would be a path of disloyalty and injustice, and he would find it difficult to overcome his conscience.
But deep down, Guo Bujing hoped that someone would come forward to change the current situation and save the people from their suffering.
This person is Chu Yang.
The human heart is often caught in a state of conflicting emotions.
Guo Bujing's contradiction lies in the fact that if he is loyal to the emperor, he will lead the people of the world into injustice, while if he is loyal to righteousness, he must make the emperor step down from the dragon throne.
Knowing full well that Chu Yangyang was likely to rebel, he turned a blind eye, neither helping nor reporting him, though he was tormented by the situation.
Loyalty and righteousness are mutually exclusive.
He advised Chu Yang to leave, hoping that the other party could retain his usefulness before making further plans.
Instead of letting a moment of anger cause the whole world to lose hope.
"Lord Guo, I appreciate your kindness, but as I just said, there are some things that only I can do."
"If I take a step back today, and another step back tomorrow, where will I finally retreat to?"
"Even if I retreat to the edge of a cliff, the emperor might not let me go, would he?"
"His biggest regret now is probably letting me live for so many years."
After Chu Yang finished speaking, Guo Bujing fell silent, but then he changed the subject.
"While the capital enjoys peace and prosperity, the entire south is in grave danger. The demon race has swallowed up Japan, and their numbers have multiplied. Once they have completely extricated themselves from the demon chaos, how will the south defend itself?"
"I can back down again and again, but can the rest of the world do the same?"
"Those generals who guarded the gates have all declared themselves kings. Even if some commoners are lucky enough to survive from the demons, they may still die at their hands."
"Lord Guo, when will this chaos finally end?"
Guo Bujing's face flushed red, a sense of guilt welled up in his heart, his fists clenched, his whole body trembled, and after a long while he sighed, "So be it, Your Highness is determined to do so, I should not stop you, but next time Your Highness enters the palace, I will certainly accompany you."
Guo Bujing believed that the probability of Chu Yang never returning was extremely high, and making this promise proved that he intended to die with Chu Yang.
Chu Yang naturally understood his thoughts and shook his head, saying, "Lord Guo, there's no need for that."
Guo Bujing said firmly, "Since Your Highness refuses to listen to advice, then I, Guo, will naturally not listen to Your Highness's advice either. Your Highness need not say more."
Then, he smiled with relief and said, "Guo Bujing has been the chief constable of the Six Doors for so many years, but he has failed to make the world a better place or allow the people to live a good life. He should give them an explanation."
Even someone as simple-minded as Chai Hu could sense the death intent in Guo Bujing's words, let alone the exceptionally intelligent Lu Xiaofeng and Sikong Zhaixing.
The three of them immediately became solemn and respectful.
After demonstrating his understanding, Guo Bujing drank the wine in his cup in one gulp, bid farewell to Chu Yang, and left without giving anyone else a chance to persuade him.
"Hey big oaf, aren't you coming with Master Guo?"
"I have two days off tomorrow and the day after. Lord Guo told me not to go back and to wait until things are over."
"What do you mean?"
"How would I know what it means? I'll just do as Lord Guo says."
"Tsk tsk, I've never seen you so obedient before."
"Who the hell wants to listen to a thief?"
"Watch your mouth, I'm the king of thieves!"
Before they could exchange more than a few words, Sikong Zhaixing and Chai Hu started arguing. Lu Xiaofeng ignored them and silently walked to Chu Yang's side.
The two watched as the moon in the sky grew rounder and brighter, like a piece of pure white porcelain.
It's not even Mid-Autumn Festival yet, and the moon is already so beautiful. I can't imagine how beautiful it will be on Mid-Autumn Festival.
"I took a walk around the city during the day, and some things happened that made me feel that this duel was a bit off. I'm going to investigate."
"Can you tell me?"
"Someone started a betting pool using the Mid-Autumn Festival duel, and ended up dying inexplicably. I also ran into Ye Gucheng, and he gave me a strange feeling..."
"Since you're curious, go look it up."
"What did you mean when you told me that Ye Gucheng's sword heart was no longer pure?"
"The mystery will be solved when we get to the end."
"Can't Your Highness tell me now?"
"cannot."
"I'll be going now, see you on Mid-Autumn Festival night."
Lu Xiaofeng sighed helplessly, then called Sikong Zhaixing and left the Prince Xian's mansion together. Chu Yang did not interfere in order not to change the plot. He also wanted to see why Ye Gucheng dared to touch the emperor.
Li Xunhuan once revealed to Chu Yang that since the great changes in the world, the royal family no longer relied on the 800,000 Imperial Guards, but on something else that could render assassinations by martial arts experts futile.
Chu Yang trusted Li Xunhuan's character; if he said that, it must be true.
Whether this conspiracy will succeed depends on how strong Ye Gucheng and the Prince of Pingnan's trump cards are. In any case, even if Lu Xiaofeng finds out the truth in the end, he will definitely stand by and do nothing.
Without Lu Xiaofeng and Ximen Chuixue's intervention, the emperor has no one to save him but himself.
Because those who could save him were busy participating in the encirclement and killing of Chu Yang.
For example, Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian, as well as other experts in the palace...
After seeing Lu Xiaofeng off, Chu Yang noticed that Chai Hu was still sitting in the same spot, eating and drinking heartily, showing no intention of leaving. You could call him slow-witted, or you could call him shameless.
"I have a friend who'll probably be back in Beijing in a couple of days. I'll introduce you to him then."
Chu Yang was somewhat looking forward to the scene of Li Gexiao and Chai Hu meeting again, wondering if they would still have a chance to form that team that punishes evil and promotes good.
"The prince's friend must be a first-rate hero! I'd love to be his friend!"
Chai Hu chuckled, then smacked his lips and said, "Even a monkey dared to send men to steal from the home of the treacherous minister Yan Song back then. Although I didn't get along with him, I admit he was a hero."
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Chu Yang saw that he wanted to continue eating, so he left the table first and instructed the old steward to find him a room to stay overnight after he finished eating.
Guo Bujing brought him here, clearly intending for him to stay in the Prince's residence to avoid being implicated.
Mid-Autumn Festival has arrived in the blink of an eye.
Before nightfall, the capital was already filled with bright red lanterns, creating a festive atmosphere like the Lunar New Year, even in the slums next to the Prince Xian's Mansion.
The bright moon in the sky is shared by the rich and the poor alike; it's rare to find true equality.
The old steward got up very early and led the servants to busy themselves with various tasks. The palace was too big and it was very troublesome to set up. In addition, there were not many people, so it was even more difficult.
Fortunately, we have Bupleurum, a hard worker who not only loves to bury himself in his work but is also as strong as an ox.
Chu Yang also wanted to follow the servants in making the arrangements, but as soon as he started, he frightened the old steward. The old steward had to kowtow to Chu Yang and kept saying, "Your Highness, you mustn't do this," and refused to let Chu Yang touch him.
In his view, although the previous princes were unreliable, they still understood the difference between superiors and inferiors and would not make things difficult for them, the servants.
it's good now.
After going out, he came back even more absurd, and who knows how many more jokes he will make in the future.
Thinking of this, the old butler looked at Chu Yang with a lifeless expression until he put down what he was holding and left the servants' "work site".
"I can't stay in this palace for even a day longer!"
Chu Yang stepped out of the palace gates, cursing and swearing. As soon as he looked up, he saw Cao Zhengchun walking towards him with an imperial edict in his hand.
"Your Highness, what a coincidence! I was just looking for you. His Majesty has issued a decree."
"Give it to me."
Chu Yang reached out and took the imperial edict from Cao Zhengchun, who was stunned. According to normal procedure, Chu Yang should have knelt down to receive the edict.
"I haven't been feeling well lately, especially my knees."
"Your Highness, please take care of your health."
Upon hearing Chu Yang's words, Cao Zhengchun's lips twitched involuntarily. (End of Chapter)