Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 246 A Difficult Future, A Long Night

"The matters of paying salaries and hoarding land must be kept secret during this period."

“I always felt that Prince Su’s appetite was probably bigger than we imagined. He might be after the military power of the Ming Dynasty, but he might also have the idea of ​​taking the opportunity to clean up the local areas.”

Li Wenzhong looked at Li Chuan, Xue Xiaojie, and the others.

In the past, the Li family was used to acting recklessly. Now that Cangyun has taken over Taiyuan, if they continue to act recklessly and disregard the laws of the Ming Dynasty, Changsun Wangqing, the Cangyun commander who has just taken over Taiyuan, would not mind using the Li family as a warning to others.

Li Wenzhong didn't want them to become the unlucky chicken.

"No way? He's still in the Jingnan Campaign, the capital hasn't fallen yet, does he really want to be distracted by other matters?"

“Prince Su is not Emperor Taizong. You have all seen how powerful his Cangyun Army is today. The light and heavy cavalry composed of 100,000 Vajra Realm experts are enough to turn the entire Ming Dynasty upside down and crush it several times over.”

"Distracted? He was just doing it on the side." Li Wenzhong shook his head. Having witnessed the terrifying power of the Cangyun Army today, he had come to understand the current situation and knew that even if His Highness Prince Su had reservations, it would never be the Li family.

It is even less likely to be confined to one place.

Upon hearing this, Li Chuan's expression darkened: "Then, our days ahead are going to be tough!"

"No matter how difficult it is, we can get through it eventually. I just hope that the news of the cabinet's compromise coming from the capital won't come true, otherwise... even bigger trouble is yet to come."

"You mean..."

Everyone present was deeply shaken.

Li Wenzhong said in a deep voice with a solemn expression: "It is said that a large part of the reason why the cabinet wants to ignore Zhu Wushi is because the actions of Prince Su in Shaanxi have aroused their vigilance and hostility."

"They believed that Prince Su was likely to become the second Emperor Gaozu."

"Even... if Prince Su were to sit on that throne, he would be a ruthless and cold-blooded emperor who is ten or a hundred times more ruthless than Emperor Taizu and Crown Prince Yiwen combined."

Hearing about what Prince Su had done in Shaanxi.

The Li family and all their in-laws and collateral relatives fell silent.

Shanxi and Shaanxi are adjacent, so they naturally know about the deeds of this Prince Su in recent years in vigorously reforming Shaanxi and killing countless people, including members of their own Li family.

If the rumors circulating in the capital are true...

Therefore, the most difficult days are probably not now, but in the future.

The thought of the rumors that during the reign of Emperor Taizu Gao, the entire court was killed so many officials that they had to write their wills in advance before attending the morning court session, coupled with Zhu Jinzhen's decisive and ruthless crackdown on the entire Shaanxi province, made everyone's hearts sink.

The conversation within the Li family of Taiyuan was simultaneously taking place tonight in the residences of various powerful factions in Taiyuan.

Without him.

Changsun Wangqing and the Cangyun Army are too powerful.

Upon entering the city, he forcefully took over all military and political affairs, leaving no room for argument. There was no room for nonsense like "even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake." When someone tried to resist or make excuses, Changsun Wangqing didn't even bother to listen and simply raised his sword.

Either relinquish all rights and sincerely submit.

Either go die.

Changsun Wangqing gave them absolutely no time to refuse or resist.

Some people are self-righteous and still dream that without them, Changsun Wangqing would be unable to take over certain aspects of Taiyuan's government affairs.

Little did they know, the secret guards accompanying the Cangyun Army had already begun their operation.

The night tonight is exceptionally dark and eerie.

The Cui family of Taiyuan.

A gloom seemed to have settled over Cui Gui's heart, and he couldn't shake it off.

"Dad, you haven't rested yet?"

"I can't sleep!"

Cui Gui felt a vague unease, but he didn't know the source of this unease, and he became quite agitated.

"Is Father worried about the Cangyun Army entering the city today?" "Yes!"

Cui Gui, naturally, had no reservations about his biological son, Cui Luo, and nodded, saying, "I didn't expect Prince Su to act so quickly, and Cang Yun to be so terrifying. I somewhat regret cooperating with those people."

A month ago, someone approached the Cui family, wanting to reach a cooperation agreement with them.

Furthermore, he had promised many benefits beforehand, such as recommending Cui Gui to become the Provincial Governor of Taiyuan after the matter was accomplished, helping with the marriage that his son Cui Luo wanted, and even arranging a way out for the Cui family in advance.

All they wanted to do was use the Cui family's salt and iron transshipment channels to accomplish one thing.

But after witnessing the terrifying power of the Cangyun Army today, Cui Gui regretted his past actions. He regretted that if he had known it was a path to certain doom, even if those people had promised him great benefits, he would still have cooperated with them.

After all, a provincial governor is a powerful official who governs a region.

The other party even subtly hinted that they would help him get into the cabinet.

No one can resist such temptation.

Even knowing that there is an abyss ahead, countless people will still be like moths to a flame.

"Father, are you worried that if things are exposed, Prince Su will find out about us?" Cui Luo was startled, his heart almost in his throat. If what they did wasn't exposed, it would be fine, but once it was exposed, Prince Su's mansion would never let them go.

"I hope I'm just overthinking it?"

Before Cui Gui could finish speaking, his heart skipped a beat. Without hesitation, he slapped out the candlelight in the bedroom, grabbed his son Cui Luo, and jumped onto the bed. They were about to turn the mechanism in the dark and escape using the mechanism under the bed.

boom! !

In the darkness, Cui Gui sensed danger and exchanged blows with an unknown intruder.

"Where would you two like to go?"

"The Cui family has been rooted in Taiyuan for many years. The head of the Cui family has always been active in the eyes of the world as a scholar. Who would have thought that you would be a Grandmaster of the Finger Profound Realm? This is truly a surprise to me!"

As the candlelight flickered on, a young man dressed as a secret guard appeared before Cui Gui and his son, accompanied by several black-armored guards whose blades were still dripping with blood.

"hiss!!!"

Cui Gui's pupils suddenly contracted. In the candlelight, he glanced at the other thirteen people and saw that, apart from the young man in front of him whose strength was unclear, they were all Masters of the Zhi Xuan Sect.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
A series of whooshing sounds rang out, and they appeared in front of Cui Gui and Cui Luo almost instantly.

"You are... Secret Guards?" Cui Gui's heart sank, and a hint of despair appeared in his eyes.

In the darkness, a sharp, lightning-fast blade flashed past.

To completely extinguish all of Choi Gyu's ideas.

Looking at the collapsed bed and the looming responsibilities around him, Choi Gyu's eyes were bloodshot with rage.

"Colluding with a foreign demonic sect to murder His Highness!" The calm on the face of the head guard was shattered. He grabbed a long sword dripping blood from one of the guards behind him and slashed it at Cui Luo's left leg, who was being protected by Cui Gui.

*Sizzle!*

The sharp knife sliced ​​along the base of Cui Luo's left leg.

Cui Luo let out a miserable scream and collapsed to the side, powerless.

"You beasts, you lowly commoners, how dare you treat me like this!" Cui Luo glared at the guards before him, his eyes bloodshot, and roared hoarsely, "I am the heir of the Cui family, an official appointed by the imperial court. You dare to insult me ​​like this, aren't you afraid..."

The threatening words were on the tip of Cui Luo's tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to say them.

He had intended to say that he was not afraid of the court's wrath and that he would turn them all to dust, a threatening tactic that had always worked in the past. However, he realized with despair that the secret guards were under the command of the Prince Su's mansion, and the so-called wrath of the court was not a threat to them at all.

Upon hearing this, the crowd laughed dismissively, but their expressions gradually turned cold.

"Tonight will be a long night!"

"We'll play with you slowly until you throw up everything."

"The heir of the Cui family!"

(End of this chapter)