My father Zhao Kuangyin

After the people on the Imperial Street dispersed, the Crane Control Army, which was on duty at the northwest corner tower of the palace, arrived upon hearing of the commotion.

The clanging sound of the armor plates vibrating was exceptionally loud, and it only subsided slightly when Mi Xin, the commander of the palace guards, rushed to the side of the carriage to protect it.

"How is Erlang?" Mi Xin dismounted and came to the carriage, asking with concern.

"Ah Lang is fine... it's just that Ma Shiyi has fallen into the hands of thieves."

Upon hearing what the officials and soldiers said, Mi Xin did not think much of it and immediately dispatched two hundred imperial guards from the two capitals to patrol and search the nearby wine shops and red towers.

Perhaps because there was no movement inside the carriage for a long time, he became a little uneasy and wanted to lift the curtain to peek inside.

At this moment, Zhao Dezhao, though sitting on pins and needles, had regained his composure, though he was still somewhat apprehensive, fearing that he would be shot if he stepped forward.

Even if the assassin was after Ma Shi, the act of assassinating him in the street was far more serious than Li Shouxin's death in the inn. It had a very negative impact and offended the authorities.

"Which general is it?"

"Your subject is Mi Xin, Commander of the Palace Guard..." Upon hearing this, Mi Xin did not lift the curtain, but instead introduced himself: "Mi as in grain, Xin as in Han Xin."

The surname Mi is rare, but Zhao Dezhao still had some recollection of Mi Xin, though he couldn't remember it at the moment, so he could only offer some kind words.

"When thieves attempt to assassinate the emperor, the general is always the swiftest. With the general by my side, I can rest easy."

"This is my duty, my lord. Please wait here."

After speaking, Mi Xin left the carriage without even glancing at the lifeless Ma Shiyi, and led more than ten warriors, his hands on the hilts of his swords, into the red building.

After a moment, Zhao Dezhao took a deep breath and, with trepidation, lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage.

"Ah Lang..."

"It's alright."

Zhao Dezhao looked at the disheveled man and shouted first to the officials and soldiers blocking the carriage.

"What is your name?"

The officials and soldiers were flattered and hurriedly bowed.

"My surname is Wei, and my given name is Liang."

"From now on, work beside me and don't go back to the Dali Temple for your shifts."

"Here... this is."

Zhao Dezhao glanced at him, then looked back at the group of Crane Controlling Soldiers to his left and right. They were all burly and valiant soldiers who had rushed here from the corner tower wearing mountain-patterned armor without even panting.

This is the mighty army that founded the nation; a profound sense of security washes over you.

With this stone to settle the matter, Zhao Dezhao looked back at the present moment and finally looked at Ma Shi lying in a pool of blood.

After a moment, he spoke seriously to Wei Liang.

"Take the knife off."

"what?"

After hesitating for a moment, Wei Liang still needed to unfasten the sword from his waist and present it with both hands.

Zhao Dezhao drew the knife directly from its sheath.

Because it was his first time handling a sword, he didn't draw it smoothly and it almost got stuck in the scabbard.

But none of these twists and turns mattered anymore. With Ma Shi dead, the mouth of this Right Remonstrance Official was firmly sealed, and he could no longer speak.

"Wei Liang, go to that shop in the red building and ask for a food box."

"Here you are."

Wei Liang, having already settled the matter, didn't ask any questions and hurried off.

Soon, several soldiers saw Zhao Dezhao striding towards them with a knife in his hand. They were stunned for a moment, and then, seeing his cold and dark expression, they involuntarily took two steps back.

"Jiro?"

Of course, Zhao Dezhao did not intend to use the knife. Instead, he walked step by step to the pool of blood, bent down, and slashed the head that was stuck in the wooden shackles and pierced by an arrow.

"puff!"

Logically, the blood should have cooled down by now, but the sun was shining brightly overhead, and the blood still felt hot as it splashed onto my face...

With a clang, the knife fell to the ground, while Zhao Dezhao picked up the severed head with his right hand.

He suppressed his trembling body, stared at it for a moment, and whether out of reluctance or something else, he held it under his arm at his chest.

"I need to go to the palace to see my father."

The school officer, perplexed, said, "The thief has not yet been captured... Sir, please wait a little longer."

The security of the capital region has been compromised. Whether the perpetrators are caught or not, the responsibility of the Imperial Guards is undeniable. Yet, only Shi Yi died, while Erlang was unharmed. This is undoubtedly a stroke of good luck in an unfortunate situation.

But Zhao Dezhao himself did not think so.

"Since he has the audacity to shoot and kill a government official, he might as well try shooting and killing me, the son of an official."

Having said that, Zhao Dezhao was burning with anger. Ignoring the food box that was handed to him, he carried the horse Shiyi, who was pierced by an arrow, and walked step by step toward the palace.

Mi Xin couldn't stand the sight of thieves and was already depressed. When he heard the officer's report, he burst into laughter in anger.

"Foolish! Why aren't you all stopping them?!"

"Commander, Erlang seems... seems to be... we really can't stop him!"

"You stay here and wait for me; I will go after them myself."

After giving his instructions, Mi Xin rushed out and galloped away on horseback, finally catching up with Zhao Dezhao, who was standing among the two rows of soldiers, in front of the right side gate.

"My lord! My lord, wait a moment!"

Zhao Dezhao ignored it.

Seeing this, Mi Xin steeled his resolve, spurred his horse forward, and stopped in his tracks.

"Let Ah Lang know that the thief has not been captured, and it is still more than a hundred paces to the right flank..."

"General, have you ever heard the story of Yu Gong?"

Mi Xin was taken aback, not understanding what was going on.

"If the thieves dare to shoot at the lost item today, who knows if they'll dare to shoot at me tomorrow? Even if I die, what does it matter? The Great Song still has my fourth brother, my third uncle... my fourth uncle."

These words were somewhat cryptic, but the third uncle's emphasis on each word immediately sparked the imagination.

Knowing he couldn't persuade him otherwise, Mi Xin sighed deeply and then rode his horse to the right to block the way.

At the city gate, the soldiers stared at Zhao Dezhao, who was covered in blood, and then at the strange object in his arms, and fell silent.

"Ah Lang is going to see the Emperor."

"So, we go...to see the Emperor?"

"Stop your damn nonsense! Pass on my order: go and request another army to search the streets and make sure the thieves don't escape."

"promise!"

After informing Mi Xin, he dismounted and personally led the way.

When he glanced at Zhao Erlang out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Zhao Erlang's figure was trembling, especially his hand holding the crematorium, which was shaking violently.

Despite the massive landslide, his complexion remained unchanged, which was truly strange.

The officials walking along the palace road were of all kinds. Those who worked in the Secretariat and the Chancellery were now living in constant fear, facing countless investigations and confiscations, living in a daze and filled with anxiety.

When everyone noticed Zhao Dezhao's unusual expression and recognized his former colleague with the arrow through his eye, they all stopped in astonishment.

"That is..."

"I recognize him, it's Ma Shi, the Right Remonstrator, it must be..."

"Erlang shot and killed Ma Shi?!"

"Your Majesty...Quickly, report this to His Majesty!"

With a cry of alarm, rumors spread like wildfire, and soon the central government was in chaos. Many officials who were already on duty in the two offices rushed out to watch from both sides.

At this moment, when Ma Shi regained fame, it was not only after more than a decade, but also after death.

Coincidentally, Jia Huangzhong, the Left Remonstrator who was in the middle of the hall, was writing a remonstrance when he heard the commotion, and his beard trembled.

With a "crack," the pen snapped in two.

Just as Zhao Dezhao was about to enter the inner court, the person who stopped him was not a veteran general of the palace, nor any civil or military duke, but Jia Huangzhong.

The person stood upright in front of him, his legs still firmly planted on the ground, not moving an inch.

"Second Prince, could you please tell me what heinous crime I committed that led to this brutal murder?"

Zhao Dezhao pursed his lips and said, "Picking up lost items is not a crime."

"Innocent?"

Jia Huangzhong felt a chill run down his spine, but before he could recover, Zhao Dezhao had already turned and left.

Soon, news of the assassination attempt in the street reached the palace. Jia Huangzhong was initially stunned, then somewhat embarrassed. In the end, he couldn't help but smile bitterly and say something rather carefree.

"In this way, you may be able to preserve your reputation, which can be considered...a good thing."