Without question, Chen Pingping was an ace. More accurately, he had once been an ace. To be more precise, it should be said that Chen Wuchang, one of the eunuchs who guarded the palace back then, although he was not as talented as Eunuch Hong Siyang, he was still a person ranked in the ranks. His martial arts cultivation was not to be underestimated.
If he had not been an ace, how could he have stood against the powerful Xiao En in the North during the turbulent times? How could he have built the sinister Overwatch Council under the hostile gazes of the entire court? If Chen Pingping had not been an ace, how could he have led the Black Knights to carry out those shocking thousand-li surprise attacks on the land like a black storm?
However, time and experience were the most effective weapons in the world at torturing people. Too much time had passed. Chen Pingping was already old. It was a pity that during the surprise attack to capture Xiao En and bring him back to the capital, Chen Pingping had been heavily injured. Half his body was paralyzed, and he could no longer feel anything below his waist. His cultivation had also been battered away by the wind and rain, leaving nothing behind.
This was a history that all the officials and people of the Qing Kingdom knew. It was a fact that they either regretted or rejoiced in. When the Royal Palace sent out the order to capture Chen Pingping and bring him back to the capital, regardless of whether it was Ye Zhong, Gong Dian, Eunuch Yao, or General Shi Fei, who was personally in charge of this matter, or He Zongwei, who finally knew this secret, none of them turned their wary gazes toward Director Chen's body or the black wheelchair he sat in.
They knew that Chen Pingping himself was a cripple. It was impossible for him to have any personal power. Their hearts shivered with fear. It was not because of the power of Chen Pingping's physical body. Rather, it was because of the schemes and schemes in this old cripple's head and the powerful Overwatch Council power he could control. An irresistible thought arose in them.
Chen Pingping had returned to the capital alone. The Overwatch Council was under close surveillance and the powerful cooperation of a certain important figure within. These important officials by the Emperor's side all let out a breath at the same time. As long as Chen Pingping could not use the dark power his withered finger pulled, then the Royal Palace was safe.
Because of this judgment, they were not worried that Chen Pingping would be of any advantage to His Majesty in the imperial study. Even if Chen Pingping was still that powerful warrior on the black warhorse, he would not have any power to fight back in front of His Majesty, the number one expert in the world. As for the black wheelchair? The old dean had been sitting in this wheelchair for many years. Everyone was used to the wheelchair's existence. They even saw the wheelchair as a part of Chen Pingping.
The power of habit is very strong, so strong that people can completely ignore it. Therefore, when Chen Pingping entered the royal study in a black wheelchair, no one, including Eunuch Yao, felt any sense of vigilance. These important figures had made a big mistake.
Similarly, the Emperor had made a mistake the moment his state of mind recovered its indifference and calmness after the long conversation under the dark autumn rain in the morning. When the pale-faced Chen Pingping looked at the snow-white wall of the royal study behind him and quietly called out the woman's name, his state of mind relaxed slightly. Following Chen Pingping's gaze, he looked back and ignored the movement of Chen Pingping's arms on the black armrests of his wheelchair.
When everyone was young, perhaps they had played this kind of childish and cute little game. A little friend pretended to see a stern elder or a powerful teacher walking behind him and exclaimed. He was shocked and turned his head to look, only to find that he had been punched. Then, the two of them laughed and scolded each other as they chased each other in the yard.
Such childish methods were used on the Qing Emperor, the most powerful person in the world. It had to be said that Chen Pingping's thoughts were strange, ingenious, and very effective. Perhaps it was because the Emperor's state of mind had been shaken in this instant, or perhaps it was because the Emperor had sunk into a state of absolute confidence after Ku He and Sigu Jian had died and Ye Liuyun had gone out to sea. He did not care about anything. Because he did not care, he turned his head.
In the present world, there should not be anyone who could harm this powerful Emperor. Even if Fan Xian, Haitang, Thirteenth Wang, Yun Zhilan, Lang Tiao, and the Shadow, these six upper-ninth-level aces appeared at the same time in the royal study and delivered a fatal blow to the Emperor, the Emperor probably would not be moved in the slightest.
When he turned his head back, all he saw was a patch of white and empty air. His pupils constricted slightly. When he turned his head back to look at Chen Pingping in the wheelchair, he saw Chen Pingping's hands that had been on the armrests of the wheelchair the entire time. He gripped the inside of the armrests tightly as his forearm abruptly pulled back.
With a crisp click, the two sleek and black armrests of the wheelchair suddenly spread to the sides and made a beautiful series of metal springs. Following two loud sounds that rang out at almost the same time, two powerful currents of air suddenly shot out from the two holes that had suddenly appeared at the front of the armrests.
Bang!
Crisp and efficient, without the slightest hesitation. Cold and callous, Chen Pingping gripped the armrests of the wheelchair, the two armrests he had touched for countless years, and pulled the trigger.
Countless metal shavings and steel balls, supported by the powerful spray of gunpowder, crashed toward the Qing Emperor's body with incomparable power.
The black wheelchair emitted two dazzling, soul-stealing sparks!
…
…
There was no one in this world who could harm the Emperor, but that did not mean there was nothing that could harm him. At least, the Emperor and Chen Pingping both knew that the mysterious black chest could certainly pose a threat to the Emperor. Now, the wheelchair Chen Pingping had sat in for decades seemed to have a similar effect.
This black wheelchair was a wheelchair the palace treasury and Third Bureau of the Overwatch Council had meticulously built decades ago. The pair of firearms that contained the fury of countless years were personally made for Chen Pingping by the woman who had died a long time ago.
At that time, Chen Pingping had been crippled. She had been worried about his safety, so she had mobilized all of her abilities and secretly arranged such a life-saving treasure for him. During these years, the black wheelchair's seat rims and backrest had been changed countless times, but the armrests had never been changed.
Many people knew that Chen Pingping had a habitual action. He liked to gently stroke the pair of smooth armrests. People close to him like Fan Xian knew that whenever he was alone and quiet, the Director liked to use his knuckles to gently tap the armrests. Each time, the armrests would make a buzzing sound like hollow bamboo.
Bamboo had joints, strength, and bones. Chen Pingping also had them.
…
…
Two sparks exploded in front of the wheelchair's armrests.
After two loud muffled bangs rang out at almost the same time, the sound of countless steel balls, iron scraps, and gunpowder hitting the body of the Supreme Being of the Nine-Five rang out. It was like rain hitting the beach, like hail falling onto the ground, and thousands of holes were formed and countless banana leaves were broken.
Smoke filled the royal study but quickly dispersed. Gradually, it revealed the figure of the Emperor sitting on the soft couch.
The Qing Emperor was a Great Grandmaster. In the end, a Great Grandmaster was not a god. Their corporeal bodies were still mortal bodies. Their thoughts were incomparably powerful, but they could not make god-like reactions.
When Chen Pingping pulled the trigger on the wheelchair, he was very close to the Qing Emperor. The bullets that shot out from the front of the armrests covered half the space with unusual power. Even though the Qing Emperor had swept aside in an instant like an immortal, he could not escape the killing range of these soul-devouring weapons that shot out quickly.
Thus, the Qing Emperor did not dodge. He continued to sit on the soft couch. The walls around him had been beaten into a rotten ulcer. Gray stone and broken bricks rustled down. A few broken pieces of wall skin hung in midair. Half of the low couch beneath him had been shattered. The table in front of him had been smashed into splinters of wood.
Many holes appeared on the dragon robe on the Emperor's body. They were tiny, torn, and of different shapes and trajectories. The openings of the holes gave off a slightly charred feeling.
A pair of hands covered his face. The index finger of his left hand was slightly bent, and the thumb was slightly raised. The bright green porcelain teacup was in the mouth of his thumb and index finger, not moving at all.
Even the teacup had not shattered, so the Emperor's appearance was unharmed.
In reality, all of this happened in a very short instant. The power around the Emperor's body was almost tangible, howling like the wind. The celadon teacup between his fingers flew through the air with a whoosh.
…
…
Two gunshots rang out. The black wheelchair was sent flying by a powerful force and slid backward at an astonishing speed. The wheelchair squeaked as it rubbed against the ground of the royal study like it was about to create sparks. In the end, it crashed ruthlessly into the wall of the royal study with a muffled thud.
Chen Pingping's expression was indifferent. His pupils constricted slightly. Before he could do anything, he saw a smear of jade green reflected in his eyes.
With a crisp crack, the teacup that had flown in from beyond the sky nailed ruthlessly into Chen Pingping's thin and weak chest. Who knew how many of his ribs were broken?
Countless powder-like porcelain shards pierced into Chen Pingping's body like countless needles. The pain and itch were not something a normal person could endure.
A mouthful of black blood sprayed out from Chen Pingping's lips and wet the front of his shirt. Immediately after, an invisible and boundless true energy surged out from the air, instantly controlling the remaining three meridians and six meridians in his body, controlling the movement of every muscle in his body, causing him to be unable to speak, unable to move, and unable to understand his own life.
What was even more terrifying was that the Royal Way Genuine Qi actually penetrated through the air and clothes, quickly seeping into his body, following his meridians to travel in all directions, and in the blink of an eye, it slowly forced out the poison that the old Dean had already consumed.
It was like there was a giant invisible hand in the air tightly gripping Chen Pingping's withered body. It lifted him up from the black wheelchair and suspended him in the air. This scene appeared particularly strange.
Chen Pingping's grizzled hair had long been messed up. It scattered messily across his forehead and gently covered the deep wrinkles on his face. His clothes were covered in tears. In an instant, his entire aura of life was suppressed to the edge of death.
However, this old man's eyes were cold and callous. There was not a trace of fear. There was only a glimmer of regret and disdain. Gradually, even these emotions disappeared from his eyes. There was only calmness.
The sound of heavy footsteps rang out in the royal study. The Emperor slowly and heavily stepped on the rubble on the ground and walked toward him.
The Emperor's right hand opened slightly. A number of powerful zhenqi broke through the air and held Chen Pingping's small body firmly in midair.
Other than the coldness in the Emperor's eyes, there was a glimmer of a furious blood-red color.
The Emperor's hands trembled slightly. They were covered in fresh blood and terrifying wounds.
The small holes in the Emperor's dragon robe began to bleed out and seep endlessly out of his body. It washed away the metal shards and burnt remnants of the gunpowder on the wounds. The dragon robe had already been smoked into a black paste.
The Emperor was heavily injured. The steel balls that could pierce through stone should still be in his body. In the end, he did not die.
…
…
The shards of the porcelain cup were in Chen Pingping's body. He also began to bleed. Perhaps there was not much blood in his body to begin with, so the speed at which it flowed was not fast. In an instant, it soaked his tattered black Overwatch Council official robes.
The Emperor walked to Chen Pingping's side. His chest rose and fell slightly. Ruler and official's bodies were both covered in small wounds that went deep into their flesh. The pain was at its deepest. Blood flowed endlessly. They looked very similar.
He lowered his head and glanced at the ghastly wound on his chest. The corners of his brows trembled slightly. It was as if he had not thought that there would still be someone in this world who could bring him so close to death. An uncontrollable resentment and anger began to ferment and rise within the monarch's body.
The Emperor's hand gripped Chen Pingping's throat. He stared into his eyes. A bone-chilling hatred flashed through his eyes. Enunciating each word, he said, "If I don't let you die, you cannot die."
A number of grey shadows flashed past outside the glass window of the royal study. A few people abruptly smashed open the wooden door and charged in. At the gate of the garden, Ye Zhong, Eunuch Yao, and a few other important figures stayed far away from the Imperial Study, but they heard the two loud bangs clearly. They knew that something was wrong, and rushed over to protect the Emperor as fast as they could, but they were still too late.
Ye Zhong arrived the fastest, followed by Eunuch Yao. However, when they entered the royal study and saw the bloody scene in front of them, they remained silent at the same time. This was because the scene was too painful for their eyes to bear.
They saw the blood-covered Emperor choking the blood-covered Director Chen. Their hearts were shocked and they didn't know what to say.
…
…
The Emperor let go and allowed Chen Pingping's body to fall from his hands. It landed on the floor with a muffled thud. He used a strange gaze to look at his old comrade, old companion, and old servant at his feet. In a cold and resentful voice, he said, "Escort him to the Overwatch Council's prison. Tomorrow, execute this traitor by a thousand cuts. If this old dog dies before 36,000 cuts, you and the useless Imperial Academy of Medicine will accompany him in death. "
Ye Zhong and Eunuch Yao felt as if they had fallen into an icehouse. He Zongwei, who had just run out of the royal study with a face full of panic, heard these words and trembled in fear. It was not only because of the shocking scene in front of him, Chen Pingping's crime, or the Emperor's bone-chilling and bone-deep angry edict.
In the 30 years of the court, there had never been a high-ranking official who had been executed by a thousand cuts. This was the most humiliating and cruel way to die. Furthermore, this edict was directed at Chen Pingping.
The three of them did not dare to say anything. They only immediately knelt down at the Emperor's feet and did not dare to remonstrate.
The Emperor glanced one last time at Chen Pingping, who was looking at him with a mocking gaze. He suddenly felt a burning pain in his chest.
How many years has it been since I've been injured? The Emperor thought to himself. Then, his body swayed.
"The Emperor has been assassinated. Summon the imperial doctors!"
Grand Scholar He's panicked and anxious voice rang out in the Royal Study. Ye Chong was currently supporting the Emperor's slumping body in fear. He subconsciously tilted his head slightly and glanced at the vicious Grand Scholar from the corner of his eye.
— — —
The Royal Palace was in a state of panic. The imperial doctors filed in and out of the palace. Occasionally, pale-faced palace maids and eunuchs carried golden basins in and out. The water in the basins had already been dyed red with blood.
Eunuch Yao was attending to the injured Emperor inside the hall. Gong Dian led the Imperial Army and internal court aces to surround the entire Royal Palace. Ye Zhong, after sending out a few orders to the Bureau of Military Affairs, stood guard outside the hall.
The head doctor of the Imperial Academy of Medicine walked out of the hall, sweating profusely. Ye Zhong looked at him coldly and asked, "How is the Emperor?"
The doctor of the Imperial Academy of Medicine saw him and replied in a trembling voice, "Teacher Ye, although the Emperor is injured, his pulse is strong. He should be fine, but …"
Ye Zhong furrowed his brows and shouted in a stern voice, "But what?"
"But … the metal shards stuck in the Emperor's skin and flesh have been removed, but looking at the wounds on the Emperor's body, there should still be sharp objects left in the Emperor's body and injured his internal organs. If these sharp objects are not taken out, I'm afraid …"
"Afraid of what? Will the Emperor be in danger? "
"The Emperor's good fortune fills the heavens. He has never been a mortal." The doctor of the Imperial Academy of Medicine spoke in a trembling voice. He changed his method of describing the Emperor's Great Grandmaster realm and said, "Presumably, there won't be any major problems, but no one knows if there will be any effects in the future."
"Then think of a way to take them out!" Ye Zhong's body was short and stout. He had always given people a gentle feeling. At this moment, the murderous aura on his face was incomparably terrifying.
"I … really don't have such a good method." The doctor saw Ye Zhong's expression grow uglier and uglier. He quickly swallowed and said, "However, Sir Fan junior once presided over a similar medical case in the Palace. Please quickly summon Sir Fan junior back to the capital. With him presiding over this matter, presumably, there won't be any hidden dangers."
"The Duke of Danbo?" After Ye Zhong heard this name, his heart skipped a beat. His heart chilled. From morning until now, inside and outside Jingdou, in the royal study in the Royal Palace, too many things had happened. He had not completely digested it all. Only now, hearing Fan Xian's name, did he think of the great impact Chen Pingping's attempt to assassinate the Emperor could have on the Qing Kingdom.
Ye Zhong's lips were a bit dry. A moment later, he slowly said, "Sir Fan junior won't be back for a while. Is there any other way?"
"The young lady of the Fan family is currently practicing medicine in the Danbo Medical Shop. Her teacher is Qing Shan, and Sir Fan junior has personally …"
A cold light flashed through Ye Zhong's eyes. He straightforwardly said, "Quickly summon her into the Palace!"
…
…
After the doctor led the guards away, Ye Zhong suddenly felt that his back was covered in cold sweat. A large patch had become damp. Only now did he have time to analyze the situation at hand. The doctor had mentioned Fan Xian's name. He couldn't help but think that, not long after, this young powerful official would use the credit of swallowing Dongyi to return to the capital.
At that time, if Fan Xian discovered that Chen Pingping had already been executed by the Emperor, what kind of reaction would he make?
Ye Zhong felt a chill envelop his body. The Emperor was heavily injured, and Director Chen's life was hanging by a thread. Another group of imperial doctors were treating him. He would then be sent to the Overwatch Council's prison overnight.
He knew why the Emperor had ordered Chen Pingping to be sent to the Overwatch Council in the end. The mind of an Emperor still did not forget to display its coldness at such a time.
Presently, all of Jingdou's defenses were in Ye Zhong's hands. He had no intention of rebelling against the Emperor's edict. However, he felt a weight that was difficult to bear. If the Overwatch Council truly rebelled, what should he do? Fortunately, the Emperor was only injured and not truly unconscious.
There was no need to worry about what had happened between the Emperor and Director Chen. In the royal study, everyone had seen Director Chen assassinate the Emperor. No one could and no one dared to intercede on his behalf. Assassinating His Majesty was a crime punishable by death by a thousand cuts.
A chill rose in Ye Zhong's heart. He understood the relationship and friendship the Emperor and Chen Pingping once had. The Emperor was probably angry and disappointed to give Director Chen such a wretched end.
Ever since the founding of the Qing Kingdom, the imperial power had been as difficult to shake as it had been in the thousands of years of history on this land. The successive Emperors of the Qing Kingdom had always maintained a warm attitude toward their officials. Particularly during these decades, the Qing laws had been revised a few times and had abolished countless cruel punishments. Even for those who rebelled, it was often beheading and exterminating their families.
The Emperor had always been gentle toward scholars and officials in court. Even during the Jingdou rebellion three years ago, he had only executed the Commander of the 13 city gate guards, Zhang Deqing.
Compared to Director Chen of the Overwatch Council, what was Zhang Deqing?
Ye Zhong slowly closed his eyes and couldn't help but think of the words Scholar He had cried out in a shrill voice when the Emperor had fallen into his arms earlier. Involuntarily, a chill flashed across the corners of his lips.
The news of Chen Pingping assassinating the Emperor immediately spread through the entire Royal Palace through He Zongwei's cry and startled everyone in the Palace. Then, it became news that everyone in Jingdou knew.
The Emperor might have thought about the stability of the Qing court, the attitude of Fan Xian and all of the Overwatch Council officials, or perhaps, all of the contributions Director Chen had made to the Qing Kingdom these years.
No, Ye Zhong understood the Emperor's personality. Even if he wanted to bestow Director Chen a glorious death, it would not be because of the friendship between the Emperor and this old Director. After the strange sound of the weapon in the royal study, the Emperor only felt anger and hatred toward Chen Pingping. There was nothing else.
The only thing that could make the Emperor retract the death by a thousand cuts was for the future of the Qing Kingdom, for the moods of Fan Xian, the Great Prince, who was currently stationed in Dongyi, and for the sake of the kingdom.
There were many ways to die. Comparing the incomparably humiliating and cruel death by a thousand cuts to a piece of white silk and a cup of poisoned wine, the former would certainly make the Overwatch Council, Fan Xian, and the Great Prince feel more resentment.
Yet, all of this, because of Scholar He's "perfectly timed" cry of surprise, became something impossible because the Son of Heaven had his dignity and anger.
Ye Zhong sighed and looked in a daze at the Royal Palace under the autumn rain. All sorts of emotions filled his heart. He didn't know how much would happen in the Overwatch Council's square building tonight. Would the tens of thousands of elite soldiers he and Shi Fei had been ordered to guard outside the Overwatch Council really need to fight?
The autumn rain slowly fell. He gently coughed a few times. He knew that the Emperor's angry order could not be changed. He could only hope that when Fan Xian returned, the matter would be settled. Otherwise, no one knew how chaotic the Qing Kingdom would become.
…
…
The autumn rain was also falling outside the Overwatch Council's square building. It grew colder and colder. Yan Bingyun stood coldly by the window. The black cloth that had been covering the window the entire time had been torn off by him and thrown to the ground.
He looked calmly in the direction of the Royal Palace and calmly and forcefully gave out a series of orders. Relying on Chen Pingping and Fan Xian's trust, he had already grasped a great deal of power in the Overwatch Council. However, with just this power, he was still unable to suppress the ghostly fire burning faintly inside the Overwatch Council.
The black ghostly fire that grew from the hearts of these black-robed officials was a good thing.
Fortunately, Yan Bingyun had made sufficient preparations beforehand. The senior officials who were incomparably loyal to old Director Chen had already been sent to Xiliang, Jiangnan, and Dongyi by him. They had already left Jingdou. Otherwise, the situation would be even more difficult to control.
The news from the Palace had already reached the Council. The news of old Director Chen assassinating the Emperor had already become reality. The Emperor was heavily injured? Yan Bingyun didn't know if this was the Emperor's excuse or if Director Chen, whom he had always admired, had truly done what many people could not.
However, none of this was important. He coldly turned his gaze and looked at the streets and alleys outside the Overwatch Council and the Qing Kingdom's elite soldiers who were not hiding their tracks. He shook his head. He had to protect this Council, particularly when Chen Pingping was certain to die and Fan Xian had yet to return.
No one could oppose the Emperor and the powerful state apparatus of the Qing Kingdom, even if the Overwatch Council was the most powerful part of this apparatus.
Yan Bingyun turned his head and looked at the seven leaders in the room. Faintly, he said, "Prepare to take over …" He furrowed his brows. After a slight pause, he finished this sentence with great difficulty.
"Imperial criminal Chen Pingping."
…
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