It was pitch-black on the other side of the city gate.
It was cold and cheerless on the other side of the city gate.
The city gate had long been cleared out. The people of Jingdou were blocked outside the cordon. With faces full of shock, they looked at the group coming from the south. They looked at the blood on these people, the corpses on the horses, and the young man with his back straight, riding on the largest horse in front.
An uproar!
Sir Fan junior, who had been away from Jingdou for a year, had finally returned to the capital. No one had thought that he would come back with so many corpses and bloodstains, as well as a completely black Overwatch Council carriage that looked like it could fall apart at any moment.
The commoners in the distance whispered and discussed in shock. Looking at the scene in front of them, they all guessed that Sir Fan junior must have encountered something dangerous on his way back to the capital. However, no one thought that this so-called danger had actually happened near the peaceful and bustling Jingdou.
The soldiers of the Jingdou garrison silently led their horses and carried out protection on the two sides of the group.
The commoners watched with faces full of terror. After confirming that it was not the court arresting Sir Fan junior, they began to guess one after another. They thought of Fan Xian's earth-shattering past, the rumors in the past year, and the palace treasury sensitive words. Even the stupid commoners knew that there were certainly people within the court who wanted to harm Sir Fan junior.
Although Fan Xian's matter in Jiangnan had affected his reputation to a certain extent, in Jingdou, he still had a very high reputation. The spring examination case, the Unique Bureau, the poems in front of the palace, and the trip to Northern Qi. In the hearts of the Jingdou people, he was their greatest pride and the court's last conscience.
…
…
"Sir Fan junior!"
"Sir Fan junior!"
The commoners looked at the injured Fan Xian and didn't know how to express their concern and support. They also didn't know how to greet him. They could only yell from a long distance. The yelling rose and fell.
Qin Heng glanced at him from the side. A glimmer of envy appeared in his eyes, but he immediately recovered his calm.
Fan Xian gazed at the dense crowd and nodded slightly. His expression softened slightly. He couldn't help but feel moved. He asked himself if he had done anything for these people from the bottom of his heart in this second life. Even the little bit of good he occasionally brought was remembered by these people for a lifetime.
Although Jingdou was dark, the hearts of these people still leaned toward the light.
Some of the more timid commoners suddenly screamed and pointed at Fan Xian's group of horses.
Fan Xian didn't need to turn his head to know what had shocked the hearts of the people.
The horse behind him dragged a door plank that had been broken off from the carriage. There was a dying bloody man tied to the door. The blood on this bloody man had already stopped bleeding. The blood that had flowed out earlier had already turned black, and his clothes and body were stained together. What was even more terrifying was that both of the man's arms had been severed at the shoulder, leaving only two bloody wounds. One of his eyeballs was also stained with blood and was deflated.
There were also two arms that had been chopped off, tied to the edge of the door with cloth strips.
This was the only survivor of the Xuegu attack. He had been dragged by the Overwatch Council all the way to the Jingdou city gates. Along the way, waves of blood flowed endlessly. The scene was wretched.
Fan Xian did not have a sliver of expression. Waving the whip in his hand, he rode first toward the city gate.
Passing through the dark city gate, he saw the snowy scene of Jingdou's deep winter. Fan Xian took a deep breath. Dozens of Overwatch Council officials wearing black robes came forward to greet him. One person silently held the reins of Fan Xian's horse. The others went to the back to receive their heavily injured colleagues.
The face of the official holding his reins was dark. With deep pain, he said, "I have failed in my duties." He glanced at Qin Heng beside Fan Xian. "After the fireworks, the city gates were temporarily closed, so there was no time to go out to receive them."
Fan Xian nodded and said tiredly, "Mu Tie, don't blame yourself. This has nothing to do with you."
He continued, "Mu Feng 'er!"
Mu Feng quickly ran over from the back and stood obediently by the horse's side. An angry and uneasy expression rose to his face. "Mu Feng 'er is here."
Fan Xian lowered his head slightly and said, "Take some people to take these brothers to recover. We'll talk about the burial tomorrow."
"Yes." Mu Feng 'er accepted the order and left.
Fan Xian said to Mu Tie, "Take some people and come with me."
Mu Tie was confused. He thought to himself, Sir was heavily injured. Presumably, the Palace would not be in a rush to summon him. Where was he going in such a rush? He knew he could not ask at such a time. He lowered his head and accepted the order. At the same time, he made a hand gesture toward the communication official on the side of the street.
Fan Xian glanced at Qin Heng and asked, "After entering the capital, does anyone still dare to kill me?"
Qin Heng thought about it and said, "No."
Fan Xian said, "Then why are you still following me?"
Qin Heng thought about it again and said awkwardly, "I'm afraid you're going to kill someone."
Fan Xian was silent for a moment and then said, "I won't kill anyone today because I still don't know who I should kill."
…
…
The Overwatch Council officials who had followed Fan Xian back to the capital were taken away to be treated. Behind him were the officials and secret agents of the First Bureau. They walked quietly and solemnly into the depths of Jingdou. In a moment, they had arrived on Tianhe Avenue.
At the back of the group was still the carriage that was about to fall apart, the door, and the bloody man who was too horrible to look at.
Along the way, everything fell into the eyes of the people of Jingdou. The crowd of onlookers on both sides of the road grew larger and larger. They couldn't help but let out a few gasps. At this time, the news had long spread in the marketplace that Sir Fan junior had received an edict to return to the capital to report on his work. Unexpectedly, he had been ambushed outside the capital. The Overwatch Council had suffered heavy casualties, and Sir Fan junior had almost died.
Ever since that night 14 years ago when Jingdou bled with blood, Jingdou had been immersed in peace. It had been many years since something so shocking had happened.
Fan Xian sat ramrod straight on his horse and walked forward. Behind him, people from the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council continuously gathered into the group. The group grew longer and longer, but it was still silent and somber.
Seeing this scene, everyone in Jingdou felt a chill in their hearts. They didn't know if Jingdou would immediately flow with rivers of blood. No one dared to underestimate Fan Xian's boldness and ruthlessness.
Most of the Overwatch Council officials in the capital belonged to the First Bureau. Fan Xian was the ancestor of the First Bureau. For an ancestor to be ambushed was a big deal. There was no need to mobilize much. The secret agents of the First Bureau in Jingdou all began to move. Those who followed Fan Xian joined the group and began to secretly investigate the spies hidden in the various manors.
Fan Xian suddenly pulled on the reins and stopped the horse. He turned his head to glance at his subordinates, who wore determined expressions, and furrowed his brows slightly. Slowly, he said, "There are nearly 200 people here. The First Bureau only has 310 in total. Are you not going to do anything?"
Mu Tie thought to himself that it looked like they were going to kill people for revenge. How could they bring fewer people? To openly kill people in Jingdou, no matter how much reason there was, they would probably be brutally suppressed in the end. Today, the First Bureau had bet all of their lives on Fan Xian. He gritted his teeth and replied, "We will all listen to your arrangements."
Fan Xian closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "Don't let any more people come. I'm not going to kill people."
Qin Heng, who had been following close to him, heard these words and his heart trembled.
Then, the group of people continued to move. Under the shocked gazes of the Jingdou people, they followed the normally quiet Tianhe Avenue and the flowing water on both sides of the road slowly toward the Royal Palace in the distance.
…
…
Yan Bingyun stood at the window and looked through the glass at the road below. He looked at the murderous but silent group on the road. The crowd of spectators had already been dispersed by the bailiffs of the Jingdou government. Tianhe Avenue became more and more lonely.
He looked at the person riding at the very front and sighed slightly.
A subordinate knocked on the door and entered. He knelt on the ground and reported, "I've already sent someone to notify Chen Garden. The security has been raised to the highest level. The Sixth Bureau has been fully activated and is already controlling the streets near the Bureau of Military Affairs."
"Have the Second Bureau put aside the unimportant work at hand and put all their efforts into investigating the ambush in the valley." Yan Bingyun didn't turn his head. He only looked at Fan Xian on the road.
The subordinate accepted the order and raised his head to ask, "The Commissioner is heading that way. Do you want to come to his aid?"
Yan Bingyun thought for a moment and then said, "Make preparations. If he actually makes a move …" His expression changed slightly. Shortly after, he smiled bitterly and said, "Don't worry, he won't make a move. He can endure it better than us."
The subordinate raised his head in shock and looked at Yan Bingyun. He wondered how Sir Yan junior could be so calm when the Commissioner was attacked. How could he not rush out of the hospital to welcome the Commissioner or stop the Commissioner?
…
…
Between the Royal Palace and the gray-black Overwatch Council, there was another building. There was a dragon coiling above and a stone lion guarding the door below. The yamen was wide open with stone steps at the bottom. It appeared indescribably mighty.
Fan Xian silently rode his horse toward that building.
The door he was dragging behind him bumped against the stone ridge at the end of Tianhe Avenue and finally broke apart. The bloody man's feet were still tied to the ponytail. He bounced on the ground and was dragged again. However, the pair of broken arms fell to the ground.
An Overwatch Council official had long picked up the pair of broken arms.
The bloody man was jolted awake and made a painful moan. However, half of his chin was already broken. He was also in a half-unconscious state and could not speak.
This person was dragged along the ground by Fan Xian's horse. Blood once again spurted out and dragged out a long line on the snowy ground.
A line of blood.
At the end of the line of blood was that building.
Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and looked at the yamen on the stone steps. He looked at the indescribably mighty stone lions on either side of the stone steps and sighed in his heart. In the past, when he was in Jingdou, he had purposely put some distance between himself and this place because of the Emperor's pressure and his own self-reflection. Counting up until now, this was actually his first time here.
This was the center of the Qing military. Back then, it was the Ministry of War. Later, under the new policy, it was renamed the Ministry of Military Affairs. Now, it had long returned to its ancient name of the Bureau of Military Affairs.
Under the Emperor's orders, the Bureau of Military Affairs controlled all of the Qing Kingdom's military movements and was responsible for all matters related to external battles. During these decades of war, countless generals and commanders had emerged and obtained a great deal of land and wealth for the Qing Kingdom.
The Qing Kingdom's military was the most powerful in the world. The Bureau of Military Affairs was the brain of this most powerful army.
…
…
The people in the Bureau of Military Affairs had long learned of this shocking Jingdou news when Fan Xian entered the city. By the time Fan Xian and his group headed toward the Bureau of Military Affairs, all of the generals felt a glimmer of surprise and unease. A number of military officials had already run out of the Bureau of Military Affairs and were standing on the steps, watching Fan Xian and his group.
Fan Xian sat quietly on his horse and did not dismount. He only looked at the tightly closed door on the stone steps.
The door slowly opened. Five or six officials of the Bureau of Military Affairs walked down with hurried steps. Behind them, the soldiers of the Bureau of Military Affairs gripped their weapons tightly and stared warily at the group of black-clothed Overwatch Council people at the entrance of the yamen.
The scene seemed tense, but Fan Xian was not nervous.
He recognized that the people who had come out to greet him were the two Deputies of the Bureau of Military Affairs and the Third Deputy Chengzhi. Presently, the old Qin master had always been sick at home. The people in charge of the Bureau of Military Affairs were these high-ranking officials.
He waved his whip and stopped the Right Deputy of the Bureau of Military Affairs from opening his mouth. He did not give the other party a chance to express concern, anger, nervousness, pity, or any other emotion.
Fan Xian slowly opened his mouth.
"I know that many of you do not want me to return to Jingdou, at least, you do not want me to return to Jingdou alive," Fan Xian said coldly. "But … I still came back."
The Right Deputy of the Bureau of Military Affairs wanted to say something but stopped. His eyes looked at the bloody person Fan Xian was dragging behind him. Looking at this unbearable sight, this high-ranking official, who had climbed out of blood and fire, only furrowed his brows slightly.
Fan Xian lowered his head slightly and said, "I was attacked on the outskirts of Jingdou. Presumably, everyone knows of this matter."
The Right Deputy of the Bureau of Military Affairs had just opened his mouth and said, "It is truly shocking …"
Without waiting for him to finish, Fan Xian cut him off and said, "I don't want to know who the person who wants to kill me is. I only know that it is one of you."
One of you.
This set the tone for the conversation.
The Right Deputy of the Bureau of Military Affairs was shocked. He furrowed his brows and retorted, "Commissioner Fan was attacked. My colleagues and I all feel the same. However, the matter is not clear, please don't be too …"
Fan Xian ignored him. He only gently stroked the smooth whip and lowered his head on the horse. "What need is there to explain?"
"Do you recognize the person I'm dragging?" Fan Xian glanced at the bloody man behind the horse and smiled slightly. "Of course, you certainly don't recognize him. Even if he is the personal general of some major figure in the military, you still wouldn't recognize him."
"This person is the only survivor of the attack on me today." He sighed. "A very good soldier. What a pity."
Fan Xian flipped his hand and lashed out with the whip. The tip of the whip was very long. With a slap, it landed on the face of the bloody man on the snowy ground behind him. However, the man was already on his last breath and had no reaction at all.
Soldiers had their own aura. The people of the Bureau of Military Affairs had long learned from the Jingdou garrison that the small group that attacked Fan Xian this time had used city-guarding crossbows. Thus, the military would certainly not be able to escape responsibility.
At this moment, the people of the Bureau of Military Affairs were all thinking about how to face the Overwatch Council's anger, Chen Pingping's counterattack, and the Emperor's anger. Thus, toward Fan Xian's clearly humiliating whip toward the military, their expressions only changed slightly. They were angry in their hearts, but they didn't show anything on their faces.
From the front door of the Bureau of Military Affairs, another person slowly walked out. His figure was not very tall, but he appeared particularly valiant. His eyes, in particular, were reserved and aggressive. His face was stern, and he carried a longbow on his back.
Looking at the purple clothing on his body, it was clear he was a high-ranking official.
Dressed like this, if it was not Yan Xiaoyi, the Governor of the North who had returned to the capital to report on his duties, who else could it be?
…
…
Fan Xian didn't even glance at Yan Xiaoyi. He only flipped his hand and lashed out with the whip again on the face of the bloody man behind him, leaving another terrifying wound on his already unbearable face.
Immediately after, the tip of the whip flew out and swept up this person. A knife light flashed, and the rope tied to the ponytail immediately snapped.
The bloody man flew straight up, passing over the soldiers below the stone steps and landing heavily on the snowy ground in front of the Bureau of Military Affairs yamen. He smashed into the air, sending up a flurry of snowflakes and blood.
He landed perfectly in front of Yan Xiaoyi.
Yan Xiaoyi lowered his head to glance. No one knew if there was a glimmer of change in his gaze.
…
…
Fan Xian raised his right hand.
Mu Tie pulled out the knife at his side and walked to the side of the only remaining carriage. Holding the hilt with both hands, he chopped down forcefully.
The knife light fell. The last of the ropes in the carriage could no longer withstand the force. Half of the carriage wall collapsed with a loud bang.
Countless round objects rolled out of the carriage. They rolled past the messy wooden boards and the pure white snow. They rolled under the stone lions of the Bureau of Military Affairs and could not be stopped. They gradually piled up higher and covered half the height of the stone lions against the road.
They were human heads.
Countless human heads piled up between the carriage and the stone lions.
Specks of dirty blood, countless open and closed bloodstained eyes, and threads of flesh tied to the heads drowned the chest of the mighty stone lions in front of the Bureau of Military Affairs.
"The 200 soldiers who ambushed me are all here," Fan Xian said lightly. He waved his horsewhip and pointed it at the Qing military elders on the stone steps. "I have given you the living. I have also given you the dead. I hope you can also give me something."
He then said to the indifferent Yan Xiaoyi, "Is your son well?"
Finally, Fan Xian lowered his head and faced the 200 human heads by the stone lions. Pulling back his lips, he mockingly said, "What good heads …"
Yan Xiaoyi raised his head. A bright light flashed through his eyes.
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