Chapter 1104
Two Religions Join Forces to Suppress
Chapter 1104 The Two Religions Join Forces to Suppress
The gilded bronze bells of the Imperial Music Bureau still swayed gently in the evening breeze, the intertwined floral patterns on the pendants reflecting off the carved window lattices on the second floor.
The sudden spray of blood clearly made these beautiful scenes shocking.
In the flower hall on the third floor, some people had already sensed something was wrong and were gathering their guards. Chu Yiyue, the vice leader of the Taiping Sect, sat at the entrance of the corridor and sighed softly.
"It is said that the Taiping Sect acts without regard for consequences. In my opinion, the White Lotus Sect is even more ruthless and unscrupulous, slaughtering people indiscriminately. This congratulatory gift is sent far too early."
Seeing many people in the flower hall secretly drawing their weapons, knowing that if they didn't act now, there wouldn't be time, he raised his hand and gave the order.
"Let's do it,"
"Yes, boss."
Upon receiving the signal, the patrons and guards around suddenly pulled out packages from under the table. Inside were longswords and crossbows. Everyone drew their weapons and began to surround and kill the people on the third floor in waves. However, the third floor was mostly populated by VIPs and guards, who used the narrow corridors and tables and chairs to block their advance.
Inside a private room on the east side,
The newly appointed Prefect of Qingyang, Wang Qinian, sat inside the room, opposite a beautiful woman weeping, her face streaked with tears—the former Prefect's wife, Lady Ding.
“Sister-in-law, I will definitely seek justice for my brother in Qingyang County. The matter of the ancient Han River is extremely strange. I believe it was the work of the Western King’s family, just to test the court.”
Wang Qinian was also filled with resentment. He and Brother Ding were close friends despite their age difference and had both passed the imperial examination in the same year. He never expected that their last parting would end in this situation. The northwestern prefectures were now in a state of panic, and many prefects wanted to return to the capital to try to leave the northwest. On the contrary, he had volunteered to take up a post in the northwest, so the Ministry of Personnel directly agreed to the transfer.
After receiving the transfer order and the official robes and seal, he went to the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) to find Madam Ding to learn the details.
Now, sitting opposite her was Madam Ding, dressed in luxurious silk. Her beautiful face, enhanced by rouge and powder, was even more alluring. Even without expensive jewelry, her air of authority as a wife of an official was undeniable. Paired with a wide, apricot-yellow silk dress, even Wang Qinian would blush upon seeing her.
"It turned out to be you!"
Madam Ding looked surprised, then blushed and quickly said,
"You meant well, but you shouldn't have gotten involved in the mess in the Northwest. My husband wouldn't listen to me and wanted to share the burdens of the court, which is why he ended up like this."
She covered her face and wept, appearing incredibly weak, and then spoke again;
"The counties in the Northwest seem to be a unified whole, but in reality, they have long been divided. The spies of the Western Prince's Mansion are everywhere. With heavy bribes, how many people can resist? The construction of the dikes along the ancient Han River was done by people sent by the Western Prince's Mansion, but the documents and orders came from the Qingyang Prefectural Governor's Office. The internal traitors were not guarded against, and this is how things ended. Those account books are in the west wall of the old mansion's storeroom in the capital, but they are probably useless now."
Now, the mansion has already been ransacked, and the women have been sold into the brothel. Even if their names are cleared, what good will it do? Madam Ding's voice was soft and gentle, with the characteristic softness of the Qingyang accent.
Wang Qinian felt deeply ashamed but was helpless. Even if he submitted the account books to the cabinet, they would only be ignored. After all, the Western Prince's Mansion was powerful, and as long as they didn't enter the Central Plains, the court might not punish them. The Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) could also redeem the people; they just needed to achieve meritorious service or have a civil official petition them, using their political achievements as collateral, to exchange for one or two people.
“Sister-in-law, even if we bring out the account books now, it will probably be useless. Since the Western Prince’s Mansion dared to touch the ancient Han River waterway, and has such intentions, there will definitely be a next time. I will definitely leave some hidden measures for this. At that time, even if it can’t shake the Western Prince’s Mansion in the slightest, it will still make a contribution. Then, we will redeem you and take you back.”
Her face flushed red; these words seemed somewhat opportunistic. Was she about to say anything more?
But then he heard the sounds of fighting outside. Just as he was about to go and ask what was going on, he saw his bodyguard, Ma Zheng, walk in, carrying a sword and looking very serious.
"My lord, there's been a riot inside the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau). Thieves have surrounded the bureau and are indiscriminately slaughtering people. We have no choice but to go down from the side of the window, jump from the second floor to the courtyard wall, and then climb over the wall to get to the street outside!"
I haven't finished speaking yet,
A cacophony of footsteps and rough shouts could be heard outside.
"Kill them all, kill all the corrupt officials."
"They are rebels."
Wang Qinian's heart sank, and he pushed Madam Ding into the inner room.
"Sister-in-law, let's go inside and hide for a while."
But Lady Ding gripped his sleeve tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
"What should we do, sir? This traitor cannot be trusted."
"I'm dressed like this, you wouldn't recognize me,"
Before the words were finished, a banging sound came from what seemed to be the next private room, followed by the sound of someone breaking down the door.
"Kill them all, leave no one alive,"
Without asking any questions, they came solely to kill. The two people inside the house heard everything clearly; Madam Ding's face turned deathly pale.
"Lord Wang,"
His voice trembled violently, but he suddenly straightened his back and pulled a worn-out silver hairpin from his hair.
"This is a token of love given to me by my husband. Please, Lord Wang, take it. If my husband is ever exonerated, a cenotaph will suffice for me."
"Sister-in-law, why are you saying such discouraging things? I've brought a few guards with me, and they're standing guard outside the door."
Just then, three men dressed in black suddenly appeared in the corridor. Seeing the thieves still packing up some valuables, they attacked from behind, brandishing sharp blades. With a swift slash, several thieves fell to the ground. Then, Ma Zheng led his men into the house.
Once inside, Ma Zheng closed the door. The three men then moved a table and chairs to block the back of the room. Looking down from the window, they saw the courtyard littered with the corpses of the shop assistants and the madam, blood staining the ground. Fortunately, the thieves had rushed into the attic.
"My lord, the thieves have all entered the attic. We must hurry and leave. We dare not delay. Let my brother stay here to cover our retreat."
Having said that, he grabbed a brocade curtain, tied it into a long strip, then pierced the window frame with a knife to expose a pillar, tied the curtain to it, tightened it, and threw the curtain down.
"My lord, I will go down first and then provide backup,"
"Okay, Ma Zheng, be careful."
Wang Qinian looked worried. The shouts of battle outside were getting closer and closer. He was about to say something more when he saw Guard Ma leap out, knife in his right hand and curtain in his left. When he landed on the second floor, he pushed off the wall with his foot and jumped over it, landing on the top of the wall without letting go of the curtain.
"Sir, jump down quickly!"
Standing atop the wall, Ma Zheng had already witnessed the horrific scene inside the Jiaofangsi pavilion—corpses strewn everywhere. Even if the Jiaofangsi guards reacted quickly enough, the damage was done and there was no going back.
upstairs,
Still somewhat apprehensive, Wang Qinian, the prefect of Qingyang, glanced out the window, then looked at his sister-in-law inside. A surge of courage welled up within him, and he embraced Madam Ding tightly.
"Hurry up, sister-in-law!"
Wang Qinian shielded Madam Ding in front of him, then stepped out of the window. The brocade cloth slid down the wall, and when they reached the second floor, Ma Zheng gave a strong pull, and the two landed on the top of the wall.
Immediately afterward, as the other two guards of the tavern were preparing to jump out of the window, they spotted the thieves who had come after hearing the noise. They appeared inside the room, and then there was a burst of fighting. Ma Zheng watched in disbelief, but was unable to help. Just then, one of his subordinates suddenly stretched out half of his body, cut the brocade cloth in half, and shouted.
"Brother, run! It's people from the White Lotus Sect and the Taiping Sect! Run!"
Is there anything else you want to say?
A black-clad thief pierced their chest with a long knife from behind, blood flowing freely. Only the black-clad thief's cold eyes remained fixed on the three of them. Finally, he reached for a throwing knife and launched it, but Ma Zheng, with lightning-fast reflexes, cleaved it away with a single strike before disappearing from sight.
"Sir, let's go quickly,"
Ma Zheng's tiger's mouth split slightly; he knew this person was a master of internal energy. If he were to get entangled with this person, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Immediately afterwards, the three jumped down from the wall, and after regaining their footing, looked around blankly.
"Go east,"
Wang Qinian saw the alleyway ahead, which faced east. Supporting Madam Ding, he rushed out. Just then, three figures emerged from the shadows at the alleyway entrance. All were masked and dressed in black, wielding sharp blades that gleamed coldly in the moonlight. No wonder the man in black hadn't pursued them earlier; an ambush had been laid here.
"Wait a minute, you run straight to the east side of the street. Ma Zheng and I will hold them off here."
Wang Qinian was no coward either. He took out a sharp blade from behind his back and held it horizontally in front of his chest.
"No, you are an official appointed by the court, with great potential. I was merely sold into prostitution at the brothel; how can I live such a wretched life? If you do..."
Hearing the bitter smile on the lady's face, which seemed to contain a certain resolve,
“If we dawdle any longer, we'll all die here. Find a chance to escape and shout at the east end of the street,” Wang Qinian said with an undeniable resolve. Madam Ding bit her lower lip, her heart trembling. The fear of death was immense; perhaps this was her fate.
"Listen to my brother, let's fight our way out!"
Inside the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau),
Inside on the second floor, many high-ranking officials and dignitaries had already noticed something amiss, especially Lu Tangfeng, the prefect of Anyang. He had sensed something was wrong; as the prefect of Anyang, how could he not be familiar with the shouts of battle and the clash of weapons outside? His expression naturally turned cold.
"Guards, escort me out!"
He called out three times, but no one came into the house. By this time, Prefect Lü already understood the situation. He glanced at Shen San Niang beside him and suddenly smiled.
"It seems Third Sister was prepared in advance. May I ask if Third Sister has any conditions to offer?"
Since none of his trusted guards showed up, they must have been poisoned. He spent his days hunting geese, only to have his eyes pecked out by one of them.
"Oh dear, what are you saying, sir? How could a lowly courtesan like me have such great abilities? Besides, what conditions could be worse than the tragic deaths of my parents? I remember that back then, Shen San Niang's family was ordered to be slaughtered by you, sir. Do you still remember that, sir?"
Her smile was captivating, exuding charm, but in Lü Tangfeng's eyes, it was like a ghostly figure seeking death, filling him with dread. The surname Shen—wasn't that the Shen family that sold grain? They still had remnants?
"Third Sister is joking. Since you or your master and subordinates have laid a trap for money, why don't you state your terms?"
His main concern was to save his life, but his eyes were fixed on the beauty in front of him, and he was still clutching the wine bowl in his hand, making a last-ditch effort. Suddenly, Lü Tangfeng's expression changed, and a sharp pain shot through his stomach, piercing his heart. He raised his head abruptly and screamed in agony.
"You poisoned me."
"Hehe, my dear sir, how does this Western Region Golden Poison Powder taste? I went to great lengths to find it, haha,"
Seemingly in a frenzied state of laughter and tears, Shen Sanniang raised her hand. The gold foil flower tucked behind her ear was now clutched in her palm, its edges sharpened. Her red skirt billowed as she slashed across the man's throat, blood raining down.
They almost wiped out the entire building.
Neither the guards from the Imperial Household Department's Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) came out. In the backyard, the eunuch Li, on duty, was deathly pale. The courtyard gate was blocked by debris, and a whole group of soldiers and guards were on alert inside. Many of the Jiaofangsi's women who were supposed to be resting were also huddled in various places in the backyard.
"Report, Eunuch Li, the bandits are numerous and highly skilled in martial arts. All the guards inside the building have been killed in battle, and moreover, moreover,"
He swallowed.
The guard who came to report looked terrified.
"Moreover, it seems that everyone in the entire Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment district) has been killed,"
"What,"
A loud, hoarse voice rang out, and Li Jin, the eunuch, suddenly went limp and collapsed to the ground, thinking to himself that this time it was all over.
"There was a sudden silence in the front yard. Shall we go and check it out?"
There were also soldiers and guards from the Imperial Household Department, who seemed to be asking a question, but their feet remained completely still.
"Let's hold this position and wait for reinforcements. We only have this many men, so guarding the front yard is enough."
Li Yong, the godson of Eunuch Li, glared at the soldier who had spoken before going over to help his godfather. Being trapped here was truly frustrating.
North of the stone bridge, the residential area in front of Yongding Gate lay across the road. To reach Chongwen Gate of the palace, one would need to turn back, but with over ten thousand cavalrymen, the column would be too long and narrow.
Zhang Jinyu, riding his black horse and holding the reins, had been dozing off the whole time. He'd been busy for a day and a night and simply couldn't muster any energy.
The sound of ten thousand iron cavalrymen marching was extremely jarring in the night. Perhaps because they were moving a little slowly, a clanging sound of armor clashing came from not far behind.
"Report, my lord, there's a strange noise coming from the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau). Also, the soldiers from the Beijing Garrison have arrived at the South Street intersection and are crossing the stone bridge, heading northwest."
The personal guards rode up from the rear of the column and reported.
Zhang Jinyu subconsciously turned around to look, following his words. There was indeed a large patch of firelight illuminating the riverbank near the stone bridge, but at the brothel, only flickering lights could be seen, with no unusual sounds. Usually, it was filled with a group of women adorned with rouge and powder, and their patrons, indulging in utterly absurd behavior.
Even if there are unusual noises, perhaps the string and wind instruments have been changed.
"Strange noise? What strange noise? Is it the wrong tune being played, or the wrong person shouting? Damn it, in the middle of the night, what nonsense!"
"Reporting to the Marquis, there are shouts of killing coming from the Jiaofangsi area. There are quite a few people involved. I am absolutely certain that I heard it correctly."
The guards paused for a moment, then gave another report, at which point Marquis Luo Yun seemed to snap out of his drowsiness.
"There were shouts of battle; quite a few people were involved."
He frowned, sensing something was amiss. Those who frequented the brothels were all high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants, and powerful families; spending lavishly was no exaggeration. But it was late at night, and going there alone would only invite trouble. Even if he were to intervene, he would need someone's cooperation.
"Go to the back and invite Prince Teng, the military governor of the capital garrison, to come and investigate."
"Yes, my lord,"
The guard acknowledged and rode away, but Ning reminded him from the side;
"My lord, the time for entering the palace cannot be delayed,"
It was all planned out in advance; let's not let anything go wrong.
"Alright, Duan Hong, you will lead five thousand troops, carrying my token, to garrison at Hanyuan Hall. The rest of you, leave one thousand troops behind, and the rest will all return to the Marquis's residence to rest."
"Yes, my lord,"
Seeing the Marquis give the order, Duan Hong and his companion clasped their hands in obeisance and accepted the command. Thus, south of Yongding Gate residential area, the group split into three groups and departed.
Without delay, Zhang Jinyu pulled on the reins, turned around, and headed towards the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) via a roundabout route.
Not far away, by the stone bridge, Wang Ziteng led Jia Lian and Wang Ren to a stop. Looking at the elite soldiers before them, he couldn't hide his pride.
"Uncle, we entered the city tonight and are still safe. It seems that Marquis Luoyun's troops are already ahead."
The palace had secretly summoned two armies to the capital; how could the two men not know? Wang Ren watched as the rear guard, having almost crossed the stone bridge, would soon head straight for the Northwest Imperial Guard camp.
"It's almost time. Marquis Luoyun's army consists entirely of cavalry, so their marching speed is faster."
Wang Ziteng was slightly pleased; a few days of reorganization had been enough to achieve such discipline. It truly was a case of experienced soldiers mentoring new recruits. Just then…
suddenly,
A captain of the personal guards arrived from the vanguard.
"Reporting, Commander, Marquis Luoyun has sent word that something has happened at the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau). The Marquis requests that you, Commander, must gather a thousand troops and go to investigate immediately."
The words were spoken hastily, surprising even those listening. What could be unusual at the brothel so late? Even Jia Lian was puzzled. Brothels were places for pleasure-seeking; even if someone caused trouble, resorting to violence, how could it have alarmed Marquis Luo Yun?
"Wang Ren, you continue to lead the troops to the Imperial Guard camp for rest and reorganization. Jia Lian, gather a thousand soldiers and come with me to inspect the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau)."
"Yes, Commander,"
The two men were initially dismissive, but seeing the serious expression on their uncle's face, they knew there was a reason. Unfortunately, the army had just entered the city and could not be delayed. Thus, Wang Ren continued to organize his troops and advance, while Jia Lian mustered a thousand soldiers and followed.
The surroundings were quiet and still, with only a few lanterns hanging under the eaves of some shops illuminating the bluestone path.
Perhaps it was because of the bad news, but after entering the market, I always had a chilling feeling.
"Uncle, the place feels a bit strange, there's a chilly feeling about it,"
Prince Teng rode at the forefront, hesitated slightly, then raised his hand and waved forward. After this gesture, a group of personal guards behind him drew their weapons and marched forward.
"Follow them, and detain anyone you encounter. Anyone who dares to resist, kill them."
"Yes, uncle."
Jia Lian's expression hardened. He instinctively drew his long sword from his waist and gripped it tightly. The brothel was just a short distance away at the street corner ahead. At that moment...
Over at the East Bridge
Zhang Jinyu had already led his troops back to this place and had ordered Ningbian to send someone to scout ahead. Just as the cavalrymen crossed the stone bridge, a woman suddenly rushed out from the alley. Her clothes were disheveled and large areas of her fair skin were exposed. Perhaps in her panic, upon seeing them, she let out a shrill scream.
"General, help! Help! The Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) has rebelled!"
(End of this chapter)