Another blunder. I actually made the link to the fist aura into Evil Ming. Of course, both books were written by the same person. The book number has been corrected. It should be 1040013. I also don't understand why I would bring up Evil Ming's link. What a head-scratcher.
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…
Commander of the 13 city gate guards, Zhang Deqing, third-level. His personnel files were in the Bureau of Military Affairs. His manor was in the south of the city. His servants were chosen by the Overwatch Council. His salary was taken from the internal court. He had never gone to the Bureau of Military Affairs for a meeting. He hadn't even taken a step into the old military yamen. Nominally, he was a soldier. His relationship with the Qing military was like that of a widow and a father-in-law. Even if you beat him to death, he wouldn't dare get too close.
His family, colleagues, and the people he socialized with were all people the Emperor allowed him to socialize with. The reason for this was because the Emperor always kept the keys to the nine city gates on his belt. Thus, the Qing Emperor had to keep his head on his belt.
If Zhang Deqing dared to rebel, the Emperor had many ways to make him die a tragic death. However, no one thought that Zhang Deqing would rebel. It wasn't just because his family had been loyal for generations. It wasn't just because even his wife was the descendant of generations of loyal officials. Over the years, people had become used to Zhang Deqing's way of doing things.
He ate the Emperor's food and listened to the Emperor's words.
Sir Zhang would not wish the Emperor wisdom when he ate. He would also not occasionally find an excuse to enter the Palace to flatter the Emperor. However, he carried out any of the Emperor's edicts with unusual firmness, including that night many years ago when Jingdou bled with blood.
Counting on one's fingers, Sir Zhang Deqing was like Dingzhou's Ye Zhong. They were both elders who had managed Jingdou for nearly 20 years.
For such a person who was as clean as tofu and the sensitive position he managed, no power dared to come into contact with him. Even the Second Prince, who had once fought with the Crown Prince for power, did not dare. Coming into contact with Zhang Deqing was the same as touching his father's crotch.
Thus, Zhang Deqing was like an invisible person in officialdom. Unless it was a critical moment like this, no one would think of him. After the Qing Emperor had died heroically on Dong Mountain, Sir Zhang Deqing's loyalty had quickly and accurately shifted to the empress dowager. His figure was revealed in an instant, and it was especially dazzling.
He was loyal to the empress dowager not because she was the Emperor's birth mother but because the Emperor had announced to the world that the present Qing Kingdom was being ruled by the empress dowager.
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…
These two young officials of the Overwatch Council could guess that the Emperor must have other ways to control Zhang Deqing. However, the Emperor had already passed, so they had no way to start. They could only proceed from the word of loyalty.
Zhang, "Fan" Zhang, Yan said., "Yan" Zhang, "Zhang", "Yan", "Yan"
Zhang Deqing was already old, and the bags under his eyes were a little thick. Perhaps it was because he had been worried these days and hadn't had a good rest. At this moment, the pupils above the eye bags were shining with sadness, anger, and many other emotions.
In the yamen of the 13 city gate guards, Yan Bingyun arrived alone. After handing over the copy of the posthumous edict, he quietly waited for Zhang Deqing's choice.
To be able to copy the Qing Emperor's posthumous edict in such a short amount of time proved that the Overwatch Council's skill level had taken a qualitative leap after successfully forging the old Ming master's will. It also proved that Fan, at this moment, was a revolutionary rebellious spirit that was not afraid of boiling water. It also proved that although Sir Yan junior was loyal to the Monarch and loved his country, he was not mechanically bureaucratic in the details.
The so-called posthumous edict was actually a letter the Emperor had written to the empress dowager in an indifferent tone that seemed to have seen through the affairs of the world the night Dong Mountain was surrounded. In the letter, he mentioned the matter of dethroning the Crown Prince, as well as the sinister roles the Crown Prince and Eldest Princess played in the siege of Dong Mountain. At the same time, he clearly stated that after Fan Xian returned to Jingdou, the power of regent would be given to him. Furthermore, to everyone's disbelief, he would be given the power to choose the next monarch of the Qing Kingdom.
Two lines of tears flowed down from Zhang Deqing's eyes. Although he had long known that the Emperor had died on Dong Mountain, seeing the Emperor's handwriting, this third-level Commander of the city gate guards still couldn't stop the emotions in his heart from surging.
"Has the empress dowager seen this posthumous edict?" Zhang Deqing suddenly raised his head and stared into Yan Bingyun's eyes.
Sir Yan junior was increasingly certain that the plan he and Fan Xian had come up with would succeed. No matter how one looked at it, this Commander famed for his loyalty in court would stand on his side.
He quietly said, "The Empress has already seen it."
"Then what about the fireworks and arrows in the Palace earlier?" Zhang Deqing stared at Yan Bingyun.
"The posthumous edict orders Sir Fan junior to assist the empress dowager in getting rid of the rebels." Yan Bingyun was not flustered. As long as Fan Xian's mission to break into the Palace was successful and the Crown Prince and Eldest Princess were captured, there was no reason for the city gate guards to have any problems. "The fireworks have already begun."
"I cannot rely on a posthumous edict to believe you," Zhang Deqing said. "I want to see the empress dowager."
"Of course." Yan Bingyun's face was icy as he answered cleanly. He actually didn't know the situation in the Palace. He didn't know whether the empress dowager was dead or alive. But, he had to answer confidently.
"You have been loyal for generations. In this time of danger for the Qing Kingdom, you must act according to the previous Emperor's posthumous edict."
Yan Bingyun did not forget to attach each word to the Emperor's posthumous edict. Back in the day, he had traveled around Northern Qi under an alias. He was skilled in using money and power. He was also a powerful figure who could deceive people without paying with his life. However, these years, he had only done some desk work in the Council and had been away from such dangerous work for too long. Tonight, he had single-handedly convinced the Jingdou magistrate. Now, he had convinced the Commanders of the 13 city gate guards amidst a forest of guns. It could only be considered that he had returned to his old profession.
"There is chaos in the Palace," Zhang Deqing said after a moment of silence. "I need to enter the Palace immediately."
Yan Bingyun furrowed his brows. Zhang Deqing's gaze focused as if he had sensed something. Yan Bingyun coldly reprimanded, "Sir Zhang, don't forget that the Emperor has entrusted these nine city gates to you. It is your duty to firmly guard the gates for Jingdou!"
After these words were said, Zhang Deqing fell silent again. It was as if he was considering something. A moment later, he said, "Sir Yan, give me some time."
Delay? Yan Bingyun faintly sensed something strange. Had Zhang Deqing not been convinced by this posthumous edict and still wanted to see the situation in Jingdou? He didn't know that the Eldest Princess and Crown Prince had already escaped the Palace. If the 13 city gate guards temporarily remained neutral, it was not a result he could not accept. In fact, it was even better than what he had anticipated.
Since he had to delay, then he would delay. Yan Bingyun calmly sat down in the city gate yamen. He sat calmly with a calm expression.
Seeing his expression, Zhang Deqing couldn't help but be startled. It was as if he had not expected him to be so confident.
…
…
However, no one expected that it would drag on for such a long time. Yan Bingyun was under house arrest in the city gate yamen. There was no hot tea to drink or music to listen to. It was indeed difficult to endure. Of course, the most difficult thing was the omnipresent pressure.
He drank the northwest wind and heard the occasional sound of killing in Jingdou. Sometimes, he could even smell a faint burning smell. Someone had probably set something on fire.
Zhang Deqing didn't have much time to sit with him. As the Commander of the city gate guards, he had too many important things to take care of. He gripped the sword at his waist and walked in the darkness on the city walls. The blisters under his eyes had miraculously disappeared. A light like that of a hawk's flashed through his eyes as he stared at every movement in Jingdou. At the same time, he occasionally sent out orders to suppress his subordinates and strictly forbid them from participating in the coup in Jingdou. He only had 3,000 soldiers watch the nine Jingdou city gates tightly.
In his eyes, the so-called righteous power led by Fan Xian was actually a coup. Although, after reading the posthumous edict, he had to admit that Fan Xian had a righteous reputation, he still unconsciously thought that everyone who attacked the Royal Palace was a bad person.
Compared to Shangjing in Northern Qi, Qing Kingdom's Jingdou did not have as much history. However, it had more traces of the military. Although the city walls were not mottled, they were very thick. Although they were not as tall as the Royal Palace, if they were truly used for defense, the various configurations were much more powerful.
Zhang Deqing stood on the city walls. It was as if he was drawing endless power from the thick stone and brick walls, giving him the courage to make certain choices.
At a lookout, he stopped and gazed into the distance in the direction of the Royal Palace. The chaos in Jingdou gradually calmed. It seemed that the Jingdou government had already been subdued by Fan Xian. Bailiffs began to go out into the streets and sound gongs to calm the people.
He did not know that the two masterminds of the Jingdou Palace rebellion, the Great Prince and Fan Xian, were also standing on the city walls and gazing into the distance in the direction of the city gates. A faint worry flashed through his eyes. If things continued to develop like this, he could only accept the posthumous edict.
Perhaps this was not a bad choice. However, Zhang Deqing heard the sound of carriage wheels grinding against the stone road. The sound rang out clearly in his ears.
"It's the triangular stone road. It's near the city gates."
Zhang Deqing was unusually familiar with the area around the city gates he had managed for nearly 20 years. He was so familiar that he could even tell whether the carriage wheels were grinding over the stone road or the triangular stone road. He was silent for a moment. He then walked down the tall city walls and into the yamen of the city gate department.
When the sound of the carriage rang out outside the city gates, Yan Bingyun had already stood up with a heavy expression. The soldiers around him responsible for guarding him became nervous. Pulling out their weapons, they surrounded him in the middle.
Yan Bingyun's heart sank, not because he was surrounded by soldiers, but because of the sound of the carriage. In the middle of the night in Jingdou, who would ride a carriage near the city gates? The people of Jingdou had long experienced the court's overthrow. A commotion like the one tonight would not scare them enough to flee. Furthermore, the people were not stupid enough to sit in a carriage and wait to be tortured by the red-eyed soldiers.
There was only one kind of person who wanted to leave the capital in a carriage.
Zhang Deqing walked in. Looking at Yan Bingyun with a heavy expression, he said, "Excuse me, Sir Yan."
He then shouted, "Take down this court criminal!"
Yan Bingyun's pupils constricted slightly. He didn't know why Zhang Deqing's attitude had changed so drastically. Had Zhang Deqing's mission to break into the Palace failed?
The soldiers surrounded him. Yan Bingyun did not resist. Everyone knew that the biggest difference between Sir Yan junior and Sir Fan junior was that his martial prowess was on the lower side. When he attacked, he did not have much killing power.
Yan Bingyun would not risk his life. Zhang Deqing only wanted to take him down. If he resisted and these dozen long spears pierced into his body, it would not feel good.
The city gate department did not have the Overwatch Council's steel finger gloves. Instead, they had a small shackle. After it locked onto a person's wrist, it was impossible to struggle free. After Yan Bingyun was tightly bound, Zhang Deqing let out a breath and looked with confusion at the dark night outside.
"Who would have thought that you would actually come alone." Zhang Deqing's brows were furrowed tightly. "I don't know whether to say that Sir Fan junior is stupid or that you are too daring."
Yan Bingyun was kicked to the ground and made a rare joke. "Actually, this is just a problem of manpower." He paused and then said, "I cannot imagine that I would misjudge a person."
Zhang Deqing was silent for a moment and then said, "The reason is simple. If you win, I will follow the edict. If you lose, what benefit is there for me to follow the edict?"
Yan Bingyun furrowed his brows and sighed a moment later. "A loyal official, loyal official. How loyal."
"I am loyal to the Emperor, but I will not be loyal to this posthumous edict whose authenticity is unknown." Zhang Deqing's expression was slightly ugly. It was as if he felt a glimmer of fear that he had disobeyed the Emperor's posthumous edict.
The Commander of the city gate department thought to himself that if the Emperor was still here, he would be a loyal official for a lifetime. However, the Emperor was no longer here. Who would want to guard these nine broken city gates for a lifetime?
Yan Bingyun was silent. He had come to the city gate department to take a risk, but it was also based on his judgment of Zhang Deqing. He still could not convince himself why such a Commander would so cleanly choose to stand against the posthumous edict.
Had Fan Xian lost? Yan Bingyun's brows were still furrowed as if he was thinking of a difficult problem.
At this moment, Zhang Deqing was only three steps away from him.
Yan Bingyun's brows suddenly relaxed. A drop of cold sweat slid down from the corner of his brows.
However, Zhang Deqing clearly heard a cracking sound, as if a table leg had been forcibly broken by someone.
Yan Bingyun suddenly raised his head and said each word clearly, "Commander of the 13 city gate guards, Zhang Deqing, has disobeyed the edict and aided in the chaos. All Qing citizens should be punished according to the Emperor's posthumous edict."
Zhang Deqing's gaze moved slightly. He didn't know who Yan Bingyun's words were meant for. At this moment, the people in the hall were all his trusted aides. No one would be stupid enough to attack. However, he felt a glimmer of strangeness in his heart. Unconsciously, he retreated, wanting to put some distance between him and the tightly bound Yan Bingyun.
Someone moved. The person who moved was not Yan Bingyun. Rather, it was one of Zhang Deqing's trusted soldiers. After that person heard Yan Bingyun's words, his face darkened. Gritting his teeth, he raised the knife in his hand and brought it down toward the back of Zhang Deqing's head.
Just as was said earlier, no matter how much the Qing Emperor trusted Zhang Deqing's loyalty, he would always have spies in the city gate department. Most of these spies were sent out by the Overwatch Council. Fan Xian and Yan Bingyun could not come into contact with these spies, but Yan Bingyun was using the posthumous edict to gamble on the hot blood of these spies. Even if it was one in 10, it would still be very effective.
The wind of the knife came down.
Zhang Deqing's face darkened. Without turning his head, he raised his sword and swung it. With a crisp sound, he was forced to take a step forward. The knife of the Overwatch Council secret agent behind him was also blocked.
The long spear stabbed forward. In an instant, the secret agent's body was covered in fresh blood and died.
Yan Bingyun also moved at this moment.
When the drop of cold sweat dripped from his forehead, he had already moved. He gritted his teeth and forcefully snapped his left wrist in the middle. He was not a normal official or general. He was the successor Commissioner of the Overwatch Council. Since he dared to come personally to the city gate department, he had confidence.
The Overwatch Council had studied the tools of the city gate guards very thoroughly. In the end, they had finally discovered the problem with this flail. As long as someone was able to separate the entire wrist joint in a short amount of time and endure the splitting pain, they could pull the wrist out.
Yan Bingyun was able to endure the pain and was willing to be ruthless to himself. When Zhang Deqing took a step closer to him, he had already charged up like a cheetah. With the flail in one hand, he viciously smashed it toward Zhang Deqing's head.
A glimmer of fear flashed through Zhang Deqing's eyes. Perhaps betraying the Emperor had made his state of mind unsteady. He did not dare to take this blow head-on and retreated in a panic.
At this moment, the soldiers behind him had stabbed the Overwatch Council secret agent to death and just happened to block his path of retreat. He could only rush wretchedly toward the door of the hall in an attempt to temporarily avoid this attack.
Yan Bingyun floated up and gave chase like a cloud. Along the way, he flipped his wrist and snatched the sword from Zhang Deqing's hand. With a flash of green light, he chopped off the arm of an officer who had come to help.
Like a maggot on a bone and a greedy cloud, Yan Bingyun did not fall a single step. He stuck close to Zhang Deqing's body and arrived at the door of the hall.
Feeling the dense sword qi behind him, Zhang Deqing was frightened. He had not expected Yan Bingyun to have such delicate and ruthless sword skills.
Yan Bingyun was not good at martial arts, but that was when compared to the freak Fan Xian. Once he exploded to kill, how could the most famous spy in the history of the Overwatch Council, Zhang Deqing, who had guarded the city gate for 20 years, stand up to him?
The lightning-fast pursuit did not give the soldiers of the city gate guards any chance to react. The two of them had already reached the door of the hall. Bloody wounds appeared on Yan Bingyun's body. If Yan Bingyun had not tried to restrain him to control the city gate guards, he would probably have long lost his life.
Suddenly, two rays of sharp qi shot toward Yan Bingyun's body. They were extremely powerful and abrupt.
Yan Bingyun gave a muffled grunt and pulled back his sword to protect his chest. Blood seeped out of his nose and mouth. However, the sharp attack finally stopped. Zhang Deqing wretchedly rolled to a stop at someone's feet. It was possible to see the light-colored palace dress hidden under ordinary clothing.
The calm Eldest Princess, Li Yunrui, smiled slightly at Yan Bingyun and said, under the protection of two aces of the Junshang Conference, "Let me tell Sir Yan junior that the reason Deqing betrayed us is because … he was originally one of us."
A glimmer of disbelief and shock flashed through Yan Bingyun's eyes. Shortly after, it turned to dejection. His left hand had been crippled. Standing in the hall of the city gate guards in front of the pool of blood of that brave secret agent, he appeared very lonely.
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