Chapter 815
Repelling the Assassins
The Earl of Huichang may seem honest, but he is actually quite cunning. Since the emperor ascended the throne, he has only ever listened to the emperor.
When the Empress Dowager was alive, he suppressed the rest of the Sun family to avoid the Zhang family's sharp edge. When asked about politics in court, he knew nothing. At that time, when asked about the Emperor's brother-in-law, people inside and outside the capital only knew about the Zhang brothers and never about the Sun brothers.
As the Empress Dowager grew old and the Emperor grew up, he entered the palace more frequently. When asked about state affairs, he always followed the Emperor's lead and did whatever the Emperor said.
If he hadn't been so cautious, and hadn't been so sternly refused several attempts by officials to curry favor with him and ask for official positions for members of the Sun family, he would have long been considered a treacherous official and a powerful relative of the emperor.
It was precisely because of his caution that Wang Zhen became increasingly arrogant and domineering, so the worse Wang Zhen's reputation became, the better his reputation as a legitimate maternal relative became.
Yun Yan certainly didn't think that the Earl of Huichang was truly honest. After the emperor ascended the throne, he spent a lot of money. It was difficult to obtain money from the national treasury, and there were also many restrictions on private funds. Therefore, the Earl of Huichang would try to make money for the emperor.
The vast majority of the money the Sun family made from smuggling and maritime trade ended up in the emperor's pocket.
Moreover, Yun Yan, who was by the emperor's side, had heard Changbo enter the palace to participate in political discussions several times, and he always agreed to lift the sea ban.
He didn't believe it was fake, because on two separate occasions, he spoke privately with the emperor and strongly supported the matter, urging the emperor to relinquish some of the profits from maritime trade and return them to the people.
After the incident of the interception and killing of the mission at sea, he was ordered to go to the Sun family to arrest people, of course, secretly. Currently, the people are still imprisoned in the imperial prison, and no one knows about it.
He knew at the time that Changbo was unaware of this matter.
But regardless of whether he was aware of it or not, since this matter involved a noble person in the palace, he was guilty.
Now, everything is done in secret. If it were made public, the blame would fall on the Northern Garrison Command.
In fact, everyone who brought this matter to light is guilty, not just the Northern Garrison Commander.
Yun Yan let out a sigh, filled with worry.
He is now in a real dilemma; if he lets Sun Xin enter the city alive, he will be guilty.
He was also guilty of letting Sun Xin die outside the city.
He wanted to choose the lesser of the two crimes, but found it difficult to decide.
While Yun Yan was suffering from a headache, Pan Yun and the others had already been warmly invited into the post station by Lord Zhao and Lord Fang.
Looking up, Pan Yun saw Yun Yan standing by the second-floor railing, looking worried. She smiled brightly and waved to him, "Lord Yun, how have you been?"
Yun Yan gave her a cold look, then turned and left.
Lord Zhao quickly said, "Master Pan, please don't mind. Lord Yun has been unwell lately, so he's been a bit irritable."
Pan Yun: "I understand, being in the Northern Garrison Command is tough, sigh..."
A sigh, yet so poignant.
Lord Zhao's eyelids twitched, and he couldn't help but exchange a glance with Lord Fang.
However, this is not the time to pry into the secrets of one's colleagues; the most urgent task is to ensure the safety of the prisoners tonight.
Lord Zhao hurriedly invited Pan Yun inside and, for the first time, solemnly asked her for help.
Pan Yun readily agreed, smiling and saying, "I will do my best."
Lord Zhao: "Tonight we will divide our men into two teams, one to guard the first half of the night and the other to guard the second half. Master Pan, could you please choose one team to join us on the night watch?"
"I will not choose; I will stay here all night!"
Lord Zhao was very embarrassed and quickly said, "This is too tiring. I see you have been traveling all day. Why don't you rest first and then take the night watch when you wake up?"
“No!” Pan Junyi said righteously, “Who knows if they will come in the middle of the night? This is when everyone is sleepy, so we must be careful. That’s why I must have my people keep watch.”
Lord Zhao sighed, praising Pan Yun's chivalrous heart.
When Pan Jun and the others returned to their guest room, she said directly, "Xiao Hong, Hong Yan, and Pan Xiao Hei, you guys go keep watch. We're going to sleep."
None of the three non-human beings had any objections.
After all, all three of them were night owls, and recently they had been sleeping during the day, so nighttime was when they were most energetic. One of them floated out invisibly, while the other, without being invisible, leaned against the second-floor railing, munching on a roast chicken brought from the kitchen while watching the prisoners locked up on the first floor.
Pan Xiaohei, without making a sound, jumped onto the roof beam, walked to the beam in the room where Lord Zhao and Lord Fang were guarding the evidence, sat down, and immediately squatted down without moving.
Pan Jun and the others were fast asleep in bed until they were awakened by Xiao Hong's shrill scream.
Pan Jun opened her eyes with a snap, showing no trace of sleepiness.
Before her roommates Miaozhen and Miaohe could react, she had already flown out the door, just in time to pass a government official flying towards her.
Xiao Hong appeared and stood in front of the prisoners, saying in a deep voice, "He brought them poisoned water!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the doors and windows burst open with a bang, and more than a dozen men in black, wielding swords and knives, rushed in and began slashing at anyone they saw.
Xiao Hong was standing at the very front when a knife cleaved down from above her head...
The blade pierced through the void, striking the ground with a clang. Stones shattered, and the assassin wielding the long blade stared at Xiao Hong in disbelief, his pupils constricting.
Xiao Hong curled the corners of her lips into a slight smile, then kicked him in the chest, sending him flying through the open window...
Pan Yun ducked to dodge the flying projectiles, his figure flashing across the hall like a phantom. By the time Yun Yan arrived with the Imperial Guards, they only had time to see a dozen or so figures flying towards them, while the sounds of banging weapons echoed incessantly.
Looking at the assassin who had been smashed to the ground and couldn't get up for a long time, Yun Yan remained silent for a long while.
He opened his mouth to say something when the doors and windows upstairs were smashed open, and seven or eight figures fell from the second floor, crashing to the ground with a thud.
Yun Yan looked up and saw Miao Zhen and Miao He peek downstairs before calling into the house, "It's over downstairs too."
Yun Yan then heard Xue Shao's calm voice: "Don't worry, my lords, everything is alright."
Yun Yan: ...
He took a deep breath and looked at Pan Yun: "Pan Yun, you're making our Embroidered Uniform Guard seem useless."
Pan Yun pointed to the kettle on the ground and said, "They were almost poisoned to death. They were even accompanying personnel. Your Embroidered Uniform Guard didn't even check their backgrounds before using them."
Yun Yan's face was grim. The Imperial Guard behind him whispered, "Sir, this man has a clean background and there is nothing wrong with him."
Yun Yan said in a deep voice, "Investigate again!"
The Imperial Guard bowed his head and replied, "Yes."
Pan Yun crossed his arms and said arrogantly, "Lord Yun, you should thank me for what happened tonight!"
Yun Yan then looked at Xiao Hong, his eyes narrowing slightly: "Who is this person? I've never seen her around you before. How did she suddenly appear at the post station?"
Pan Yun gritted her teeth.
Xiao Hong cannot enter the palace, therefore she cannot appear under the emperor's authority.
Pan Yun said expressionlessly, "You're mistaken. There's no one there. What you're seeing is my good friend, Hongyan."
Xiao Hong disappeared without a sound, and Hong Yan appeared, coldly looking at Yun Yan.
Yun Yan turned and left with the Imperial Guards.
Everyone spent the night peacefully, and after that, the assassins did not appear again. At daybreak, everyone set off together to return to the capital.
Pan Yun pulled out a horse from somewhere and rode it beside Yun Yan, saying, "Lord Yun, it's only been a little over a year since we last met, but I feel you've changed a lot."
Yun Yan said expressionlessly, "Everyone changes."
Pan Yun shook his head: "But I believe that a person's nature is hard to change. I used to think that Lord Yun was a loyal and righteous person, and I still think so now."
Yun Yan lowered his eyes and remained silent. (End of Chapter)