Qin Dynasty: Ying Zheng is my brother, I am the Bad Commander

"Boom!"

With a tooth-grinding, loud scraping sound, the four tall and heavy city gates of Xinzheng City, in all directions, were slowly but resolutely closed by the combined efforts of hundreds of city defense soldiers.

The thick bolt slammed down with a deafening thud, like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of every resident of Xinzheng.

"By order of the General! Effective immediately, martial law is to be declared throughout Xinzheng! All four gates are sealed off; entry is permitted, but exit is not! Furthermore, the unauthorized entry of any grain carts or merchant caravans into the city is strictly prohibited! Anyone who disobeys will be punished for treason and executed without mercy!"

On the city wall, the hoarse roar of the city defense general echoed in the morning breeze, carrying a sense of grimness and bloodshed.

Immediately afterwards, a large number of elite South Korean soldiers who had been stationed in the military camps poured into the streets and alleys of Xinzheng City like a black torrent bursting its banks. Armed with long spears and swords at their waists, their faces were cold and ruthless. They divided into dozens of small teams and began a frenzied, carpet-like search of the city.

"Bang!"

At a market in the south of the city, a simple stall originally used to sell cheap grain was brutally kicked over by several fierce soldiers. The coarse cloth shed used to block out the sun was torn apart by long spears, and several bags of millet that had not yet been sold rolled into the muddy water nearby, scattered all over the ground.

"Search! Search thoroughly! The General has ordered that all merchants wearing straw hats, acting suspiciously, and illegally selling cheap grain be arrested! Anyone who resists will be executed on the spot!" An officer drew his bronze sword, pointing it menacingly at the trembling crowd around him. "If any of you dare harbor these treacherous merchants spreading their lies, you will be punished the same as them!"

The people retreated in terror, their eyes filled with fear and bewilderment. They couldn't understand how a place where they could buy life-saving food yesterday had become an execution ground today.

"Sir, sir, we're innocent! We're just here to buy grain. Our families are starving, how could we dare harbor any unscrupulous merchants!" A bold old man knelt on the ground, trembling, and begged.

"Get out of here! You old fool, if you dare to say another word, I'll arrest you too!" The officer kicked the old man to the ground, his eyes showing no pity.

The entire city of Xinzheng was instantly plunged into chaos, with everyone on edge and everything in disarray. Ji Wuye's army, like a pack of vicious dogs that had smelled blood, frantically pounced on every corner they deemed suspicious. Inns, taverns, residences, and even abandoned temples were all subjected to brutal searches.

However, what infuriated and bewildered these soldiers was that the "mysterious grain merchants" who were active in the streets and alleys of Xinzheng yesterday, seemingly omnipresent, had vanished without a trace today, as if they had evaporated into thin air.

No matter how they searched or interrogated, those wearing straw hats disappeared without a trace, like a drop of water merging into the ocean. Occasionally, a few soldiers would catch a glimpse of a figure resembling someone wearing a straw hat in the dark alleyways, but when they shouted and chased after them, they found nothing but a draft and a ground covered with mocking fallen leaves.

……

Zilan Pavilion.

Unlike the chaos and wailing outside, the Purple Orchid Pavilion maintained a serene and elegant atmosphere.

A faint scent of sandalwood wafted in the air. Although the sound of the guqin had ceased, the languid atmosphere unique to brothels still lingered among the carved beams and painted rafters.

Inside the most luxurious and secluded private room on the top floor of Zilan Pavilion.

Ying Chen, dressed in a black brocade robe, reclined relaxed on a soft fox fur couch. (The latest updated chapter of "The Great Qin: Ying Zheng is My Brother, I am the Bad Commander" can be read on the "Renren Bookstore" APP without any issues. Over one million books are available for free reading.)

He held a crystal-clear luminous cup in his hand, filled with fine grape wine from the Western Regions. The scarlet liquid swirled gently in the cup, reflecting a mesmerizing glow.

His gaze pierced through the half-open carved window, looking down at the South Korean soldiers scurrying about like headless flies on the street below, a mocking and amusement playing on his lips.

The door to the private room was gently pushed open, and a man dressed in coarse linen, like an ordinary commoner, but with eyes as sharp as a hawk, strode in. He walked up to Ying Chen, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and reported in a low voice:

"Reporting to the Lord, Ji Wuye has ordered the four gates of Xinzheng to be sealed off, and the city's garrison and the general's personal guards are conducting a city-wide search for our people. As instructed by the Lord last night, our brothers have dispersed into smaller groups and are all in hiding, and not a single one has fallen into enemy hands. The grain carts from Zilan Pavilion have also all been withdrawn to the underground vault."

Ying Chen took a small sip of the red wine in his glass, savoring the rich aroma unfolding on his tongue, and said calmly, "Understood, you may leave. Send the order to Tian Anxing, instructing all the Bad Guys to remain in the shadows for the next few days and enjoy this desperate act. Without my order, no one is to act rashly, and even less to engage in direct conflict with the South Korean army."

"Yes, sir!" the man replied respectfully, rose and left the private room like a gentle breeze, closing the door behind him.

Silence returned to the room.

Ying Chen placed the luminous cup in his hand on the rosewood table beside him, and gently tapped the table with his slender fingers, making a crisp "tap, tap, tap" sound.

"Seal off the city gates, launch a military manhunt..." Ying Chen muttered to himself, his deep eyes flashing with an all-knowing wisdom. "Ji Wuye, Ji Wuye, you really did make the worst move."

"Jade Tiger has completely collapsed. All the assets under his name that could be mortgaged have already gone into the pockets of the Gold-Gathering Pavilion. Now, besides the constantly depreciating grain, all he has left is an empty shell of Jade Mountain Villa." Ying Chen analyzed the situation with a cold smile. "Ji Wuye is afraid that if I continue to release grain, he will completely turn the grain in Jade Tiger's hands into a pile of mud. That's why he didn't hesitate to defy the world and forcibly cut off the grain supply from Xinzheng."

"However, it's time to wrap things up."

Just as Ying Chen was deep in thought, a light, almost imperceptible sound of footsteps rang out in the private room.

With the sound of footsteps, a faint, cool, and mysterious fragrance quietly filled the air, diluting the original sandalwood scent.

Ying Chen didn't turn around, but he knew who had come.

Today, Consort Yan did not wear that gorgeous and flamboyant dark gold dress, but instead wore a relatively low-key dark blue fitted brocade robe.

Even so, the form-fitting cut still perfectly accentuated her stunning and flawless curves.

The collar and cuffs are embroidered with mysterious star maps representing the Yin-Yang School in silver thread, adding a touch of noble and unapproachable aloofness.

Her stunningly beautiful face still carried that calm and serene air that seemed to see through everything in the world, but deep within her beautiful eyes, which were as deep as autumn water, a complex emotion that was hard to detect was now faintly flashing.

Yan Fei walked to Ying Chen's side and stopped. Looking at Ying Chen's tall, straight back, she parted her lips slightly, her voice soft and ethereal, like celestial music descending from the heavens:

"Ying Chen".

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