Film and Television: The Collector Who Rampages Across the Heavens

Chapter 76 The Hidden Dangers of Summer and Winter on a Snowy Night

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty—"

"Alright, alright, get up. It's New Year's Day, no need for formalities."

With a smile, Emperor Liang ascended the throne with the help of Consort Yue and announced the start of the New Year's Eve banquet.

After the princes took their seats, one after another, graceful palace maids with slender figures and elegant postures entered the hall and began their beautiful dance.

With musicians playing on one side, the melodious sounds filled the air, showcasing the beauty of classical music.

Su Li sat upright to one side, occasionally taking a sip of wine and chatting with his brothers, his eyes never leaving the dancing palace maids.

For him, attending this New Year's Eve banquet was just a formality, because according to Ding Peng's secret intelligence, the Crown Prince and Xie Yu had once again plotted to interfere with the Imperial Guards.

Just like in the original story, they will launch an attack while the Imperial Guards are escorting the New Year's dishes, thereby causing the Imperial Guards to be inadequately protected and undermining the prestige of Meng Zhi, the commander of the Imperial Guards.

With Ding Peng, who had once shone brightly in the martial arts contest to choose a son-in-law, serving in the Imperial Guard, there was even more reason to keep this force under their control.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was midnight. The Grand Eunuch Gao Zhan, holding a red New Year's Eve gift list, came before Emperor Liang and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, it's almost time. Look at the New Year's dishes for each household—"

Upon hearing this, the slightly tipsy Emperor Liang quickly glanced at the gift list, then said, "Let's begin. Oh, and the pigeon eggs from Ye Qin will be given to Mu Qing. Mu Wangfu will also add an extra dish."

"Yes—" Gao Zhan replied, and leisurely relayed the order to the eunuchs below.

Soon, groups of people, escorted by the Imperial Guards and protected by eunuchs, left the palace to carry New Year's dishes out of the city.

And the fate of one of the Imperial Guard units will plummet directly into the abyss—

Su Li watched the singing and dancing with boredom, sipping her wine. As midnight passed, the New Year's Eve banquet began to come to an end.

After the princes paid their respects to Emperor Liang once again, they each left the palace.

The first carriage of Prince Yu to leave was less than a hundred paces from the palace when the guards responsible for its protection gasped in surprise.

"Something's up, be on alert!"

"Help! Help! Help!"

Upon hearing the shouts, Prince Jing immediately led his personal guards on horseback to the scene.

Su Li's eyes flashed, realizing that the dead Imperial Guards had been discovered, and he led his men to follow closely behind.

Six imperial guards' corpses and one eunuch's corpse were exposed on the ground.

Prince Jing reached out and touched the corpse's neck, his face grim: "The body is still warm; the perpetrator must have left not long ago."

Prince Yu's hand, hidden in his sleeve, clenched tightly as he glanced at the dead imperial guards, his gaze shifting uncertainly, as if trying to guess who had done it.

"These people should be the Imperial Guards who escorted Father Emperor as he distributed New Year's dishes. Why would anyone attack them?"

Su Li also pretended to examine the bodies of the Imperial Guards and offered her own opinions.

"The one who made the move was a master swordsman with extremely powerful martial arts skills. These imperial guards were killed almost without resistance. There are no more than two people in the entire Great Liang who have such strength."

As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at Prince Yu's face.

Prince Yu felt the scrutinizing gaze and had to keep a straight face, but he also wondered to himself, "Could this be another one of Mei Changsu's people?"

The last incident involving the hijacking of the prison van already happened once. If this is the same person's doing again, he won't be able to protect himself if it gets found out.

"But what is the purpose? Could it be the Imperial Guards—"

Prince Yu's eyes were deep and thoughtful, as if he had realized what he meant.

Prince Jing said in a deep voice, "We should report this matter to Father Emperor. He was killed just a hundred paces from the palace; you can imagine how angry Father Emperor must be!"

Prince Yu coughed lightly twice and advised, "Jing Dan, Father should be resting now. It's not too late to report tomorrow. Besides, today is New Year's Eve. Don't let this matter spoil Father's good mood."

His idea was good, but Prince Jing disagreed and directly retorted: "Brother Prince Yu, you are mistaken. There are no trivial matters in the country, let alone such a serious case as the killing of the Imperial Guards. If I did not know, then so be it, but if I did know, I would naturally report it in time."

Prince Yu cursed the stubborn mule in his heart, gave a soft hum, and said nothing more.

He must contact Mei Changsu immediately to discuss the consequences of the Imperial Guards' killing.

If Meng Zhi of the Imperial Guard is transferred because of this case, then there will be a big problem!

Su Li remained unnoticed, opening his palm and letting a wisp of snowflake fall into it, his gaze fixed on the vast night sky.

"It's snowing!"

As snowflakes drifted down from the deep night, a chill followed.

Not long after Prince Jing entered the palace, Su Li returned to the Prince's residence and enjoyed the moon and snow with the sisters Gong Yu and Xin Yang and Xin Liu, indulging in romance.

Warning bells rang directly from within the palace, and troop after troop marched out of the palace to search for bandits.

At this moment, the well-informed princes and nobles of Jinling all learned of the killing of the Imperial Guards. This case was tantamount to slapping Emperor Liang in the face. If the latter did not make a move, the undercurrents would become even more turbulent.

Gong Yu, dressed in a pure white dress, stopped playing the zither with her delicate hands as she heard the bell tolling. Her brows furrowed as she looked towards the outside of the palace.

"What's going on here?" Xin Yang and Xin Liu whispered among themselves.

Su Li took a sip of strong liquor, put his arm around Xin Liu's slender waist, inhaled her fragrance, and said, "Don't worry about them, these Imperial Guards are just here to clean up the mess."

"Cleaning?" The women clearly didn't understand the joke, their beautiful eyes showing confusion.

Su Li didn't explain. The murderer had already escaped. The Imperial Guards that came out would only patrol for one night at most. There was no point in doing anything else.

"Alright, let's continue—"

The Ningguo Marquis's Residence.

In the dark room, Xie Yu and Zhuo Dingfeng sat facing each other. They put down their teacups, and the former showed a satisfied expression.

"Brother Zhuo truly lives up to his reputation as a renowned master in the martial arts world. He managed to kill six valiant Imperial Guards in the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea. I admire him."

Xie Yu was very satisfied with his decision to marry into the Zhuo family. Since gaining the support of Tianquan Manor, his actions in the shadows had become much more convenient and efficient.

"Brother Xie, what are your plans for the future?"

If not for a specific reason, Zhuo Dingfeng would not want to provoke these officials, especially those who challenged imperial authority, but he was now caught up in the situation.

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"Brother Zhuo, you only need to make this start. I will arrange for others to handle the rest. After all, the relationship between our two families is too close, and outsiders will find clues as soon as they investigate."

"Others?"

"That's right, assassins from the Green Robe Pavilion. I specially spent a lot of money to hire six top-notch assassins to carry out this mission. These people will definitely be able to disrupt the Imperial Guards and create an opportunity for His Highness the Crown Prince."

Zhuo Dingfeng's expression changed in surprise: "Qingyi Tower, I didn't expect Brother Xie to have connections with this force?"

The Green Robe Tower, which emerged more than a decade ago, has grown rapidly, spreading to various countries almost overnight, with a constant stream of experts.

Although they are both martial arts forces, they are much more low-key than the Jiangzuo Alliance and Tianquan Manor. If it weren't for their repeated actions that caused changes and shocks in the martial arts world, almost no one would pay attention to them.

Moreover, the Qingyi Tower has a very tight organizational structure, and no one knows the detailed information about it. It has always been very mysterious in the eyes of outsiders.

Xie Yu smiled and said, "Since it exists, there must be a connection. It's just that asking these people to take action will cost a little more."

Zhuo Dingfeng nodded: "Brother Xie has already made a plan, then I'll watch the performance to come."

"Don't worry, I won't let the fire in my stove get cold."

As expected, the snowstorm brought on New Year's Eve was even more rampant, and the Imperial Guards were attacked for the second time. This time, the attack was even closer to the palace, and it was a group of Imperial Guards on patrol nearby.

The consequences of this enraged Emperor Liang, the ruler of the country. In his fury, he had five or six eunuchs and palace maids beaten to death, and the entire palace was frozen solid.

Everyone became extremely cautious, fearing that they might be robbed if they weren't careful.

Meng Zhi was given thirty strokes of the cane and ordered to solve the case within twenty days.

Xia Chun and Xia Dong of the Suspended Mirror Bureau were secretly summoned to the palace and ordered by Emperor Liang to conduct a covert investigation. As the ruler of the country, the latter was naturally not stupid and understood that someone was causing trouble.

What he needs to do is not only retaliate, but also catch the troublemakers, find out their purpose, and investigate who is involved.

It was under such an order that Xia Dong first stepped into the gates of the Ling Prince's Mansion.

The soldiers in white robes and black armor on either side had expressions as cold as iron, their bodies as still as statues, their hands on their swords, only their eyes darting left and right, wary of their surroundings.

"Lord Xia!"

Zuli took the initiative to appear at the mansion to greet this beauty.

The other party was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit made by the Suspended Mirror Bureau. The black and red tight-fitting style outlined her slender waist. Her dark, ink-like hair was tied up with a ribbon, and her bright and pretty face had a touch of heroic spirit.

"Your Highness should know why I've come. I'm here on His Majesty's orders to investigate the murder of the Imperial Guards. I know you were at the scene last night, and I wanted to ask what you discovered, so I've come here—"

Xia Dong withdrew her gaze from the guards of the Ling Prince's mansion and secretly clicked her tongue in amazement. In her eyes, these people were all elites.

Moreover, the aura of some of them was no weaker than hers, clearly indicating that they were experts.

Such a master is rare in the martial arts world, yet he was able to guard the royal palace as a personal guard, which shows how strict Prince Ling's military discipline is and how deeply his power is hidden.

"Understood, Lord Xia, please come this way. Whatever you need to know, I will answer it to the best of my knowledge."

Su Li gestured for them to proceed, and they walked side by side through the palace.

"Your Highness, who do you believe attacked and killed the Imperial Guards?"

"I have seen the wounds on those Imperial Guards; they were inflicted by a master swordsman."

"A master swordsman? There aren't many swordsmen in the Great Liang, let alone masters. If we investigate, we can find out." Xia Dong looked over with a questioning gaze, then asked with a smile, "Who does Your Highness think it is?"

"How would I know that? But I do know that the most martial arts masters in the Jianghu are nothing more than forces like the Jiangzuo Alliance and Tianquan Manor —" Su Li said with a light laugh.

Xia Dong added, "There's also Qingyi Tower and Jinxiu Chamber of Commerce."

"Oh?"

"Your Highness may not be familiar with these two forces. They are full of experts. Three years ago, I fought against a top assassin from the Green Robe Tower. His strength was no less than mine. As for the Brocade Merchant Guild, it is able to travel all over the world with its goods. In addition to its own background, it also has many skilled guards."

"Is that so? It seems I am indeed ignorant."

As Xia Dong spoke, a smile suddenly appeared on his handsome face: "However, now we can add another force—the Ling Prince's Mansion."

Su Li frowned, deliberately feigning anger: "What does Lord Xia mean? Does he think I did it?"

"Your Highness, please don't misunderstand. Your personal guards are very strong, no less so than mine. They are also capable of assassinating the Imperial Guards." Xia Dong smiled mischievously on her bright face: "Of course, I said it's possible."

Su Li snorted and retorted, "If that's the case, then you should investigate the other princely mansions. Their guards are no weaker than those of the Ling Prince's mansion. And the personal guards of that Mr. Su Zhe are said to have been defeated by Meng Zhi, the number one expert in our Great Liang, after dozens of exchanges."

With his strength, wouldn't killing a few Imperial Guards be even easier?

Xia Dong's beautiful eyes swept over the Eighth Prince's expression, and seeing no sign of pretense, she quickly cupped her hands in a salute: "It was my mistake!"

Su Li said calmly, "Lord Xia, there's no need for this. The truth will come out eventually. Once we find out who killed him, that will be enough."

Xia Dong maintained his bowing posture and said gently, "What I said just now was all for the sake of the case. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Speaking of which, Your Highness saved me in the west of the city before, and I have never had the chance to repay you.

"No need. You are a member of the imperial court. To attack you would be to provoke my Great Liang. Even if I had only encountered a commoner on the road, I would have helped him."

Su Li's expression was cold, and with a wave of her hand, her personal guards immediately came over.

"If Lord Xia has finished asking his questions, then please return to your case. I have other matters to attend to."

Xia Dong's thin lips moved slightly, and he said, "This humble servant takes his leave," before leaving the palace under the guidance of his personal guards.

The head of the personal guards approached, his face stern: "Your Highness—"

"Summon the people from the Jinling branch of Qingyi Tower to see me tonight. I'm going to put on a good show." Su Li looked at the jade pendant in her hand, gently playing with it, and whispered the instructions.

After the head of the guards responded, he slowly retreated and disappeared.

The New Year in Nanjing was far from peaceful. After the Imperial Guards were killed a second time, a third attack occurred, and two Imperial Guards were found dead in the latrine.

Meanwhile, an arson attack occurred in the palace. The enraged Emperor Liang severely reprimanded the Empress, saying that if she could not be the head of the harem, then someone else should be appointed.

The news spread throughout Jinling, making Prince Yu restless. The Crown Prince and Xie Yu showed expressions of satisfaction; this was exactly what they wanted.

The Suspended Mirror Bureau also felt the pressure. With several Imperial Guards killed without being solved and the murderer's behavior becoming increasingly bizarre, they had no choice but to devise a plan to wait for the killer to come to them.

Since the Imperial Guards have been killed repeatedly, let's use them as bait to carry out a plan.

Snow fell heavily and the wind howled. The city of Jinling was peaceful at night. Xia Dong, who had just come out of the Xuanjing Division, took the black robe handed to him by his subordinate, put it on, and mounted his horse.

Looking at the heavy snowfall, the guard beside him said worriedly, "My lord, the snow is falling quite heavily. Perhaps we should go to the Imperial Guards later!"

Xia Dong shook his head slightly: "I made an agreement with my senior brother that we would each be responsible for one day. He has been guarding the Imperial Guard for many days in this cold weather, so I have to go and relieve him no matter what."

You should go back————

The guards said yes and watched her ride away with two bodyguards, disappearing into the vast snowy night.

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