Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 641 Chaos Begins

The dim palace lanterns swayed in the night breeze, casting long and short shadows of several figures trailing on the ground.

Footsteps approached from afar, heavy and resounding, breaking the silence of the night.

Several officers dressed in the standard armor of the Southern Imperial Guard strode over, the clatter of their armor plates making a rhythmic rustling sound that was particularly clear against the empty palace walls.

The leader was a burly man with a deliberately exaggerated smile on his face.

It was Xu Xu, the bank manager of Xiliu Camp.

Following behind him were several of his familiar brigade commanders, each carrying a wine jar and a package of meat wrapped in oil paper.

"General Liang! Congratulations! Your brothers have come to offer their congratulations!"

Xu Xu shouted loudly from a distance of more than ten steps.

His voice was loud and clear, carrying far through the silent night sky, with a deliberate enthusiasm, trying to dispel the invisible heaviness in the air.

As they approached quickly, the greasy aroma of food mingled with the smell of the clay seal of the wine jars.

Liang Jin stood still, his gaze calmly sweeping over the group, a subtle, enigmatic smile slowly creeping onto his lips, a smile that didn't reach his eyes:

"President Xu, brothers, what's going on here?"

Xu Xu walked closer, glancing around mysteriously as if to make sure no one was watching, before lowering his voice and putting on a sincere expression:

"Brother Liang, we're all on the same side, so let's not hide anything! I've got some reliable inside information..."

He paused deliberately, observing Liang Jin's expression:
"Our First Commander has a very high opinion of you! The paperwork for your promotion to battalion commander is already underway! It's a done deal!"

His voice rose a few decibels, tinged with exaggerated joy:
"So, brothers, we've come to congratulate Commander Liang in advance! From now on, we'll all be under Commander Liang's command. We hope that after Commander Liang is promoted, he will give us more guidance and support!"

As he spoke, he gestured with his eyes to the flag leaders behind him.

The flag leaders immediately understood, their faces plastered with obsequious smiles, and they all echoed:
"Yes, yes, Battalion Commander Liang has a bright future ahead of him!"

"From now on, we brothers will follow Commander Liang!"

"It's just a small token, nothing more than a little something to celebrate Commander Liang!"

……

As they spoke, the group eagerly stuffed heavy silver ingots, each sealed in red paper, into Liang Jin's hands.

The silver ingots were cold to the touch and quite heavy, clearly indicating that a significant investment had been made.

Liang Jin sneered in his heart.

Although he and these people were all members of the Southern Imperial Guard, they were not close friends; at most, they were nodding acquaintances.

However, that's how the officialdom of the Great Qian Dynasty was. Once you showed signs of promotion, complete strangers and people you had no connection with would swarm around you like sharks smelling blood, trying to curry favor and make connections.

The Imperial Guards, known as the emperor's personal troops, should have been strictly disciplined, but they were already corrupt and decadent.

It was common for soldiers to receive salaries without working and for them to embezzle military pay. It was also not uncommon for them to secretly gather for drinks while on duty, and the higher-ups often turned a blind eye.

When Xu Xu and his entourage arrived with wine and meat, it was nothing more than a matter of ordinary social etiquette to outsiders.

But Liang Jin knew perfectly well what was going on.

These people have come to claim lives!
The target was none other than Zhao Yu, the seemingly insane Prince of Huaiyang, who was trapped in the iron cage!
He showed no sign of it on his face, but instead revealed a perfectly measured air of smug satisfaction. He laughed heartily and casually pocketed the silver ingots.
"Brothers, you're too kind! If I am fortunate enough to be promoted, I will never forget your kindness today!"

"Come on! We're all brothers, sit down and let's talk!"

"I'm on duty tonight, so a few drinks won't hurt!"

The atmosphere seemed to instantly become "warm".

The group sat on the ground around the wine and meat they had brought. The mud seal was broken, and the pungent smell of the inferior wine filled the air.

The oil paper package was unfolded, revealing the glistening braised meat and roast chicken inside.

The group began to toast and laugh loudly, but their laughter always sounded somewhat hollow and deliberate, and their eyes darted around, occasionally glancing towards the iron cage.

Liang Jin sat calmly in the center, chatting and laughing, seemingly truly immersed in the joy of his impending promotion.

After several rounds of drinks, Xu Xu's face flushed with the effects of alcohol, but his eyes became increasingly clear and sharp.

He casually glanced at Zhao Yu in the iron cage beside him.

Zhao Yu huddled in the corner, his hair disheveled, muttering to himself and occasionally letting out a few silly laughs, perfectly portraying the role of a down-on-his-luck mad king.

"Ugh……"

Xu Xu sighed heavily, his tone filled with sorrow:

"Speaking of which, this prince is really... pitiful."

“A prince of noble birth, reduced to such a state, is worse than a pig or a dog.”

He shook his head, seemingly filled with regret, then turned to a tall, thin captain beside him and said:

"Old Ma, go and send some wine and meat to our prince as well."

"He is a son of the dragon and a grandson of the phoenix, we can't let him suffer too much."

A barely perceptible hint of tension flashed in the eyes of the flag bearer, known as "Old Ma," but his actions were swift and decisive; he immediately responded:

"Yes, sir!"

He grabbed a bag of sliced ​​cooked meat and a freshly opened jar of wine, stood up, and was about to walk toward the iron cage.

His steps appeared steady, but the knuckles of his fingers gripping the wine jar turned white from the force, and his heart pounded like a drum.

Just as Old Ma took a step—

"Wait!"

A steady and powerful hand, like an iron clamp, suddenly gripped Old Ma's wrist!
"Uh!"

Caught off guard, Lao Ma felt a sharp pain in his wrist, as if his bones were about to be crushed, and the wine jar in his hand almost slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground!

He turned around in shock, meeting Liang Jin's calm yet unfathomable eyes.

Who knows if the Maqi family might poison the food and drink?
Although Liang Jin has a strong sense of perception, the methods he uses to poison people are always bizarre and unpredictable.

Especially Li Xueqing, whose poison skills were truly superb.

Every time Liang Jin fought with her, he would be poisoned by her, but Liang Jin still couldn't understand how Li Xueqing managed to poison him without him even noticing.

If it weren't for Liang Jin's immunity to all poisons, he would have died countless times at Li Xueqing's hands long ago.

This also left Liang Jin with a psychological trauma caused by Li Xueqing, making him constantly wary and vigilant about poisoning.

Although he believed that the group of people in front of him did not have the same abilities as Li Xueqing, he could not let them get close to Zhao Yu, nor could he let Zhao Yu eat the food they brought.

Liang Jin's grab instantly made the atmosphere somewhat quiet and tense.

In an instant, the once "lively" scene became as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over it, and it fell into a deathly silence!

The laughter and chatter of everyone abruptly ceased, the wine glasses raised to their lips froze in mid-air, the smiles on their faces solidified, leaving only the crackling of the campfire and the faint sound of the wind in the distance.

The air seemed to solidify into lead, pressing heavily on everyone's hearts.

An invisible chill crept up everyone's spine and up their back.

Xu Xu was already feeling guilty.

At that moment, the "compassion" on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an undisguised panic. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, almost bursting out of his chest!

He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, and asked in a dry voice:
"Liang...Liang Qizong? Is...is there something wrong with this?"

His gaze was fixed on Liang Jin's hand that was holding Lao Ma, as if it were a chain that was choking all of them.

Old Ma was terrified, his face turned ashen, large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, his body trembled slightly, and he looked at Xu Xu with pleading eyes filled with despair.

Liang Jin's gaze slowly swept over everyone present.

Xu Xu's forced composure, Lao Ma's utter terror, and the guilty conscience and evasiveness in the eyes of the other flag leaders... all were clearly visible.

His heart was filled with murderous intent.

Dealing with these people in front of him was a piece of cake for him.

But what if we kill them?

If the mastermind behind this isn't eliminated, they'll just send out a second and third wave of assassins, one after another!

If Liang Jin was able to evade capture once based on intelligence, could he possibly be able to predict the future every time?

There are always oversights!

Zhao Yu, this crucial piece, must not be lost!

To break this deadlock, we must strike at the root of the problem and find and eliminate the real mastermind behind it all!

As for who is behind it all, it's not hard to guess.

Intelligence reports indicate that Xu Xu's mastermind is Xu Long, a first-class imperial guard, who in turn received a secret order from the Empress.

The real empress is still in Liang Jin's residence, so it's impossible for her to issue a secret order to Xu Long.

Therefore, the person who issued the secret order must be the fake empress in the harem.

With the monk Beihuan and numerous imperial guards protecting the fake empress, it was unrealistic for Liang Jin to directly attack her.

We must find a way to keep her busy or prevent her from having any further designs on Zhao Yu in the short term...

In a flash, Liang Jin had an idea.

His face revealed an undisguised disgust and contempt, as if he had seen something extremely filthy, and his voice was cold and sarcastic:
"Give him food? This pig king is about to die, what's the point of him eating!"

He yanked the stiff old man back to his side, snatched the wine jar and meat bun from his hands, and slammed them heavily to the ground.
"It's a waste to eat a dying person!"

"Sit down! Let's eat and drink ourselves! Don't waste this food and wine."

He grabbed a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, then gulped down a mouthful of wine, his movements rough, as if his earlier obstruction was merely out of disgust for "waste."

These words stunned everyone. They looked at each other, their eyes quickly exchanging surprised and uncertain glances.

In the end, everyone's eyes were focused on Xu Xu, waiting for his reaction.

Xu Xu was also caught off guard by Liang Jin's sudden turn of events. His mind raced as he tried to understand the meaning behind Liang Jin's words.

He suppressed his racing heart, forced a puzzled expression onto his face, and tentatively asked:

"General Liang... what makes you say that?"

"I see that... the Prince of Huaiyang is in very good spirits! He can eat and sleep well. Our General Liu has repeatedly instructed us to take good care of him."

"Look at his rosy complexion, he could easily live another ten or eight years! Mr. Liang, you're saying he's about to die? That's absurd! That's going too far!"

As he spoke, he stared intently at Liang Jin's face, eagerly hoping that Liang Jin would follow up with an explanation of the reason for the "dying man".

Liang Jin sneered inwardly, but on his face he wore a mysterious expression that said, "What do you know?"

He glanced around warily again, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice, creating an atmosphere as if sharing a top-secret information:

"Brothers..."

His voice was as low as a whisper:

"These words, once spoken by me, will enter your ears. If even a single word of them gets out... you know the consequences."

Xu Xu immediately patted his chest, swore an oath, and spoke with an almost exaggerated urgency:
"Brother Liang! What are you saying!"

"Although I, Xu Xu, am not exactly a gentleman, I still understand the meaning of loyalty! You're willing to open your heart to me and tell me such secrets, which means you think highly of me, Old Xu!"

"If I let this slip out, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death! After death, may I be sent to the eighteenth level of hell, never to be reincarnated!"

He pointed to the sky and gestured wildly, spitting as he spoke, as if afraid Liang Jin wouldn't believe him.

Other banner leaders also swore to the heavens and the sun that they would never reveal the secret.

Liang Jin nodded in satisfaction, lowering his voice even further, with a nervous air about sharing palace secrets:
"Last night... you all know about the meeting at the new house, right?"

Everyone immediately held their breath and nodded repeatedly.

The news that Liang Jin had met with the emperor and read out the imperial edict had already spread among the Imperial Guards, and hearing him mention it in person now was even more shocking.

"I was fortunate enough to hear what the Emperor said to the Grand Eunuch himself..."

Liang Jin paused deliberately, whetting everyone's appetite.

Seeing everyone craning their necks, staring at him expectantly, holding their breath, he slowly continued:

"His Majesty said..."

He imitated a deep and authoritative tone:

“This pig king, Zhao Yu, has been raised for so long, and he’s fat enough. If he continues to raise him, it will only waste grain and be of no use…” He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping over the tense faces of the crowd, and then he made a slow and clear cutting motion on his own neck.

"The Emperor instructed the Grand Eunuch... to find a pretext in a few days to... get rid of him cleanly and efficiently."

hiss! ! !
A collective gasp of cold air rang out!
The expressions on everyone's faces instantly became incredibly interesting!
Shock, astonishment, disbelief, sudden realization, and a hint of... relief?
They exchanged glances again, their expressions complex and difficult to decipher, but ultimately all their gazes converged on Xu Xu's face.

Xu Xu's heart felt as if it had been squeezed tightly by an invisible hand, and then suddenly released!

The immense shock left him speechless for a moment.

The Emperor... is actually going to personally order Zhao Yu's execution?!

If this is true...

Wouldn't it be pointless for him to risk his life to do this tonight?
It might even be superfluous and cause unnecessary trouble!

The thought of achieving his goal without lifting a finger filled Xu Xu with a surge of intense relief and elation!
He was unwilling to take this risk, but his uncle Xu Long pressured him with the power of the family, leaving him no choice.

Now things have taken a turn for the better...

But he couldn't show too much on his face, suppressing his excitement, and shook his head with a forced smile, feigning doubt:

"Brother Liang, this...this can't be right, can it?"

"His Majesty's word is law. How could he... how could he mention such a serious matter as executing a prince in front of a mere banner commander like you? The Grand Eunuch would never allow an outsider to hear this!"

"Brother, are you kidding us or are you just bluffing?"

He stared intently into Liang Jin's eyes, trying to find a trace of a joke in them.

Liang Jin's face suddenly darkened, and he slammed the wine bowl in his hand heavily on the ground, splashing wine everywhere.

He feigned annoyance at being questioned, his voice carrying an unwavering certainty:
"President Xu! Although I, Liang Jin, am just a minor branch manager, I always speak my mind and never engage in empty boasting!"

"I heard this with my own ears, it's absolutely true!"

He emphasized his words, as if to stress the weight of each one:
"The eunuch also assured the emperor that he would definitely get the matter done in three to five days, or at most seven or eight days, so that the emperor could rest assured!"

He surveyed the crowd, his gaze sharp as a knife:

"I, Liang Xing, am an upright and honest person. If you don't believe me..."

A defiant smile curled at the corner of his lips:

"Dare you bet me five hundred taels of silver? I bet Zhao Yu won't live more than seven days! What do you say?"

Five hundred taels of silver!
This is almost several years' salary for a flag commander!

Liang Jin's willingness to wager such a huge sum of money, coupled with his resolute and unquestionable attitude, instantly shattered the last trace of doubt in Xu Xu and the others' hearts!
Xu Xu's last bit of hesitation vanished, leaving only a heart full of relief and the ease that the "mission" might be canceled.

He had to go find his uncle Xu Long immediately and report this "great news" to him!
"Brother Liang, I just remembered I have something urgent to attend to, how about..."

Xu Xu put on a smile, preparing to find an excuse to slip away.

suddenly!

His words came to an abrupt halt!

The smile on his face froze instantly!
His eyes widened suddenly, staring intently at the distant night sky, as if he had seen something extremely terrifying!

He raised his hand, his fingers trembling as he pointed towards the direction beyond the palace walls, his voice sharp and distorted with extreme shock:
"What...what is that?! Is there a...a fire?!"

Everyone was taken aback by his sudden shock and looked in the direction he was pointing—

Outside the high walls of the palace, the night sky to the southeast was now swallowed by an eerie crimson!

The towering flames resembled the gaping maw of hell, illuminating half the sky as if it were a purgatory!

Thick smoke billowed upwards like a ferocious black dragon, obscuring the starlight.

Countless burning sparks, carried by the heatwave, surged toward the dark sky like a golden rainstorm, before fluttering down again.

The fire was so fierce and widespread that even through the high palace walls, one could feel a scorching heat wave rushing towards them!

It was as if a corner of the capital city was engulfed in flames!

"My God! Such a huge fire!"

"Where is it? Judging from the direction... it seems to be in the East Market area?!"

"It's over! Such a huge fire, how many houses will it burn down, how many people will die!"

……

Everyone was horrified and stood up, their drunkenness instantly sobering them up.

Autumn is a dry season, and the capital city has repeatedly issued strict fire prevention orders.

But this large-scale fire started so suddenly and so fiercely, which seems abnormal.

A fire, especially in a city, is no small matter!
After all, most buildings nowadays are made of wood and earth, so a fire can spread extremely quickly.

A massive fire once broke out in a large city in the south, burning for three days and three nights before being extinguished. More than 30,000 houses were destroyed, and more than 100,000 people were left homeless.

Therefore, everyone fears fire.

An ominous premonition gripped everyone's heart!
at this time.

“Woo-woo-woo!!!”

A sharp, urgent, and extremely piercing horn blast suddenly rang out from the palace's watchtower!

The sound, like the howl of a wounded beast, instantly shattered the tranquility of the night sky and gripped the hearts of all the Imperial Guards!

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to the watchtower.

One sentry was blowing a huge bull horn with all his might, while another sentry was waving a red flag and signaling an emergency downwards!
The flag signal was urgent and heavy, conveying a chilling message:

Riots erupt in multiple locations in Beijing! Protesters storm the Forbidden City!

[All palace gates are to be closed immediately! All personnel on high alert! Maximum alert!!!]

"Boom—! Boom—!"

Almost at the same time the flag signal was given, a series of muffled, thunderous explosions rang out!

That was the sound of heavy palace gates being urgently closed and massive bolts being dropped!

Immediately afterwards, a dense, rain-like sound of running and the clanging of armor rang out from the palace walls!

Countless Imperial Guard soldiers, armed with bows, crossbows, swords, and spears, surged up the ramparts like a black tide, their cold arrowheads gleaming with a deathly light in the firelight!
however.

Even more terrifying sounds, like a surging tide, crashed violently in from outside the palace walls!

"Kill--!"

"Rob money and grain! Kill the corrupt officials!"

"Help me—!"

"My child! My child! Ah—!"

"Fire! Run!"

……

Countless sounds mingled together.

There were frantic shouts of killing, desperate cries, piercing screams, the rumble of collapsing buildings, and the crackling of burning flames...

The various sounds combined to form a destructive wave of sound, crashing against the thick palace walls like a tidal wave!
The sound was no longer a blurry background noise, but so clear it seemed to be right at the foot of the palace walls!
It was as if countless thugs were rampaging wildly outside the palace walls, and countless people were fleeing and crying out in blood and fire!
The entire capital city seemed to plunge into boundless chaos and slaughter in an instant!
"Something's happened! Something terrible has happened!"

Xu Xu's face turned deathly pale, and his voice trembled:
"The capital...the capital is in chaos!"

The other banner leaders were also terrified and turned pale.

"Quickly! Return to your respective defense zones! Quickly!"

Xu Xu was the first to react and roared.

At this moment, all thoughts of assassinating Zhao Yu and the emperor's secret orders were thrown to the winds!

Preserving the palace, and protecting one's own position and life, is the most urgent task!
Everyone was so engrossed in their own world that they no longer cared about the wine, meat, or Liang Jin.

They scrambled to grab their helmets and weapons and scrambled toward their respective sentry posts!

Chaos and fear gave them the best, and only, reasonable excuse to leave.

In the event of any unrest in the capital, the imperial city will be sealed off immediately, and all members of the Southern Imperial Guard will perform their duties to safeguard the palace until the turmoil subsides.

Liang Jin remained standing in the same spot, like a reef in a stormy sea.

His brow furrowed as he listened intently to the unsettling cacophony of sounds emanating from outside the palace walls.

The sound not only did not weaken, but intensified, like a pot of boiling oil!
Furthermore, judging from the direction from which the sounds came, the riots were not limited to one place!
Chaotic noise and flames came from multiple directions, including the east, south, and west!
"Heaven and Earth Hall?"

Liang Jin felt a chill run down his spine, but immediately dismissed the idea:
"No! There's absolutely no way those rabble from the Heaven and Earth Hall could possibly stir up such a massive wave!"

The Heaven and Earth Hall was only a third-rate force. It might be able to cause trouble in a local area, but in the capital city, a place full of talented people, they certainly did not have enough strength to make such a big commotion.

Even without their leaders, the Six Doors and the Northern Imperial Guard, with their massive organizations and elite forces, are more than capable of suppressing any conventional riots.

Unless... they are severely constrained.

Or... there's more than just the Heaven and Earth Hall behind this riot; there's an even more powerful force at play, far beyond our wildest imagination!

What is the purpose of all this?
Creating panic? Covering an assassination? Or... paving the way for an impending power transition by purging and clearing out weak hands?!

The fear of Wen Sanzhu, the swordsman at the bottom of the Heaven and Earth Hall as described in the intelligence, seemed so insignificant at this moment.

This is by no means a simple "riot in the capital"!
This is clearly a meticulously planned, multi-pronged, and monstrous upheaval aimed at dragging the entire capital into a bloodbath!

Its scale, intensity, and underlying energy far exceeded Liang Jin's previous estimates!
Tonight, countless innocent people will perish in the flames, and countless families will be destroyed!
A chilling anger quietly grew in Liang Jin's heart.

"Liang Jin! Liang Jin!"

A deliberately lowered but terrified voice came from the direction of the iron cage.

Liang Jin turned his head.

Just moments ago, Zhao Yu was curled up and pretending to be crazy, but now he was tightly gripping the cold iron bars, and there was no trace of his madness on his face.
There was only endless fear and anxiety.

"What you just told them... was it a lie? You were just kidding them, weren't you?!"

Zhao Yu's voice trembled, his eyes fixed on Liang Jin as if grasping at the last straw:
"Your Majesty... How could Your Majesty possibly want to kill me? Tell me quickly, you're lying to them! Aren't you?!"

Liang Jin's gaze passed over Zhao Yu and fell once more upon the night sky ablaze with flames, his ears filled with the hellish clamor emanating from outside the palace walls.

"Your Highness, listen outside, something has happened in the capital."

He spoke.

Zhao Yu, however, still looked anxious:
"Liang Jin, tell me quickly, does the Emperor intend to kill me?"

"Was what you just told them true or false?"

"Stop keeping me in suspense! You're driving me crazy!"

The towering flames outside the palace walls reflected on his pale, anxious face, flickering between light and shadow, making him appear even more ferocious.

Liang Jin remained silent for a moment before slowly shifting his gaze back to Zhao Yu's face, which was filled with fear and hope.

"Your Highness, you guessed right."

His voice was calm and even, yet it carried a knowing wisdom that seemed to understand everything:

"That was made up to fool them."

He paused, watching the ecstatic joy that instantly bloomed on Zhao Yu's face, and continued:

"Because, there really is someone... who wants your life. And they can't wait, tonight."

"By spreading the news that the Emperor wants to kill you, I can at least buy you... a few days to catch your breath."

Zhao Yu's face froze instantly, as if he had been doused with ice water, the color draining away and turning deathly pale.

A tremendous fear, like a cold, venomous snake, coiled around his heart again, and tightened even more than before!

He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to ask something.

But Liang Jin no longer looked at him.

He turned around, facing the direction of the towering flames, and listened intently, his deep eyes reflecting the ominous crimson light emanating from the capital.

Outside the palace walls, the tragedy—a mixture of chaos, slaughter, flames, and bloodshed—is escalating ever more violently.

(End of this chapter)