In the autumn of the fifth year of Tianbao, the young Emperor promised Shang Shanhu in a secret letter, "I will bring Xiao En back to the Empire." So Shang Shanhu abandoned the northern stronghold he had run for decades, and returned to Shangjing with only Tan Wu and his bodyguards. He believed that the Emperor never went back on his word.
Xiao En returned to the Empire, but the Emperor refused to release him, because he wanted to know Xiao En's secret.
At the same time, the Empress Dowager wanted Xiao En dead, because Ku He did not want Xiao En's secret to be known by anyone.
Because the Brocade Guard kept a close eye on him, Shang Shanhu did not have any powerful allies in the capital. But because of his reputation in the army, both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor had to give him face, and did not dare to push him too far. This was a situation that the Northern Qi Royal Palace did not want to see. So if they could find an opportunity to weaken Shang Shanhu's power or reputation, they had to seize it.
Like today.
Shen Zhong looked at Tan Wu beside the carriage. He knew that after this incident, even if he could not convict Shang Shanhu, as long as he captured Shang Shanhu, his former personal guard, he believed that Shang Shanhu's reputation in the military would suffer a fatal blow. Colluding with the Qing Kingdom was a crime that no soldier could bear.
At that moment, Tan Wu tilted his head and opened his mouth to curse. "Damn the Qing Kingdom."
Shen Zhong smiled. "I heard that loud noise earlier. Aside from the Third Bureau of the Qing Kingdom's Overwatch Council, who else could come up with something like this? The Qing Kingdom helped General Tan break out of prison. This matter is settled. "
Unexpectedly, Tan Wu completely ignored him. He only turned his head to look at the nine subordinates behind him. He had personally trained the Commander's personal guards, and many of them had already died tonight. If it weren't for the Qing people's treachery, he would certainly have been able to lead them out of here alive.
He turned his head to look at Shen Zhong, and suddenly bowed. "Master Shen Zhong, please pass on a message."
"What message?" Shen Zhong did not press the issue, because he still held the hope that he could capture him alive.
"The one who killed me... is Fan Xian!"
Tan Wu was the commander's confidant, so he naturally knew who was involved in the plan. Fan Xian was the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council and happened to be in Shangjing, so his role in it was obvious. The name "Fan Xian" came out of his mouth, filled with resentment and hatred. It was clearly transmitted into the ears of the hundreds of people present!
Up in the tree, Fan Xian's face was calm, as if he hadn't heard anything. He knew that Shang Shanhu would eventually realize that he had played a dishonorable role in all of this. What's more, Tan Wu had roared before he died.
As soon as he finished speaking, Tan Wu flipped his wrist and a snow-white saber light slashed upwards, slicing off his own cheek! The saber light turned again and slashed across his neck. His head fell to the ground!
Immediately after, nine swishing sounds rang out at the same time. Nine heads were washed away from the black-robed man's body by the blood, rolling onto the ground. They rolled together with Tan Wu's glaring, bloodied, and incomparably miserable faceless head.
Strangely, Shen Zhong did not stop them from committing suicide. He only watched coldly. After a while, he said softly, "These were all brave warriors of the nation. It is a pity that they were killed by the Qing people. Everyone, give them a proper burial."
As Tan Wu killed himself, Fan Xian's heart trembled slightly. With his exceptional hearing, he heard Shen Zhong's words. Only then did he realize that Shen Zhong was not a simple man.
...
...
All of the people who had tried to break out of the prison were dead. Only the lonely carriage remained, surrounded by the Brocade Guard. Everyone knew that the ancestor of the Brocade Guard, Xiao En, was in the carriage. He was no longer as brave as he was in the past.
Without any warning, the carriage suddenly burst into flames. It was unknown what was attached to it.
The fire was so strong that it enveloped the entire carriage in a moment. The horses in front were startled, but they could not make a sound. They continued to charge forward with the carriage in their mouths. There was a flash of saber light, and two horses fell to the ground with a thud. Their heads were bleeding profusely.
Shen Zhong looked coldly at the burning carriage. No one knew what he was thinking. Deputy Commander Xiao looked at Fan Xian and said anxiously, "Sir, quickly put out the fire. His Majesty wants Xiao En alive."
Shen Zhong smiled and waved his hand, stopping his subordinates from putting out the fire. He motioned for Deputy Commander Xiao to come in front of him. "But the Empress Dowager wants Xiao En dead," he said quietly. Deputy Commander Xiao's expression froze. He knew that what he had said earlier was a bit impulsive. He then noticed that a strange feeling had appeared in the corners of Shen Zhong's eyes. He heard Fan Xian quietly say to himself, "After being locked up for so many years, since I can't escape, death … may not be a bad choice."
The flames soared into the sky. In a short while, the carriage had been burnt to a crisp and fell into the street. Black ash rose, and the heat was suffocating.
As soon as the fire stopped, a Brocade Guard coroner stepped forward and began to carefully examine the corpse in the carriage. Not long after, he reported, "It is indeed Xiao En."
Shen Zhong nodded. "The leg injury is new?"
"Yes. The injury was not more than two months old."
"Tooth?"
"It is the same as what was recorded at Wuduhe. There are three missing teeth."
Shen Zhong's expression was a bit strange, as if he could not believe that Xiao En had died. It was as if he did not know how to express his feelings. In short, his smile was a bit strange, and a bit indifferent.
— — —
In the southern part of the city, in the residence of General Shang Shanhu, a famous general, was talking to his wife. There was a list of gifts on the tea table next to them. Sounds of conversation could be faintly heard in the courtyard. His wife looked worried. "Master, it is the Empress Dowager's birthday. You cannot leave the capital for a few days. What should we do?" In the past, the general's residence would have been quiet at this time, but for some reason, even his wife was not asleep.
Shang Shanhu's expression did not change. "Of course I cannot leave," he said in a low voice.
"Then the birthday gift …" The wife lowered her head and asked for instructions.
"Of course I cannot prepare it. Madam, you should prepare your luggage."
As they spoke, a stocky and stocky man suddenly strode into the back hall. The wife recognized this man as the Marshal's personal attendant. But it was already early in the morning, and he had entered without an invitation. She thought that her inauspicious guess had come true. She looked at Shang Shanhu in a panic and said in a trembling voice, "You really did it?"
Shang Shanhu was not angry, but his black silkworm eyebrows gradually became sharp as swords. In a low voice, he said, "I am loyal to the court, but if there is something I cannot do, you must allow me to be impudent."
The wife did not say anything more. She only silently retreated to the back room, no longer in the mood to take care of the Empress Dowager's birthday gift.
"Marshal, there are more spies outside the residence."
Only those who were closest to Shang Shanhu would stubbornly address him as "Commander" instead of "Great General". The personal attendant who spoke had no surname. He was an orphan who had been picked up by Shang Shanhu from the snowy forest and raised to this age. He was given the surname Shang Shanhu, and his name was a single character, Po. His relationship with Shang Shanhu was similar to the relationship between Shang Shanhu and Xiao En, except that he respected Shang Shanhu more than he respected him.
"Wait for the news." Shang Shanhu sat calmly in his chair. His face was calm, and not a trace of nervousness could be seen.
Shang Shanpo accepted the order and left to monitor the movements outside the courtyard. At the same time, he prepared the follow-up measures.
…
…
After a long time, Shang Shanpo once again returned to the back room. He half-knelt on the ground and said in a low voice, "It has failed." His voice did not tremble in the slightest, but for some reason, it was impossible to conceal the sorrow that seeped through.
Shang Shanhu's right hand, which was resting on the armrest of the chair, paused. He closed his eyes with great force, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes bloomed like chrysanthemums. It was only now that the true age of this famous general was revealed.
He walked back to the back room and looked at his wife, who was sitting uneasily by the bed. He smiled and said, "It's already very late. Why aren't you asleep?"
The general's wife smiled uneasily. "I can't sleep."
Shang Shanhu smiled and said, "We won't leave the capital. Let's discuss the gift list for the Empress Dowager when we enter the palace in a few days."
— — —
At this time, the sky was at its darkest before dawn. The messy courtyard below began to be cleaned up, and the four hundred Brocade Guards who had surrounded the area also began to silently disperse according to their duties. The charred carriage and the corpses on the ground had also been taken over by the professionals of the Discipline Commission. In a short while, the area below had returned to peace. In the face of the powerful machinery of the Empire, it was not impossible to cover up such an earth-shattering event.
The injured Brocade Guards were still lying on the ground by the back wall. Occasionally, they would let out a few muffled cries of pain. The damage caused by the explosion had been severe. Most of them had died. Even those who had escaped were covered in dust and blood.
At this moment, there were people carrying the injured Brocade Guards towards the yamen in the direction of the northern part of the city. The physicians were also nervously following behind them. The long line of stretchers looked like a thin centipede, twisting their waists as they moved forward.
Fan Xian carefully crouched on a tree branch. He tightened his muscles, then relaxed them again. He repeated this process over and over again, so that his reflexes would not slow down if he stood still for too long. He looked at the injured people on the stretchers in the alley under the tree. He thought to himself, If it weren't for the fact that I loved watching The Silence of the Lambs and Leon the Assassin, I'm afraid I would have let that old man escape.
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