Martial Arts Crossover: It All Started with Hijacking Li Canghai

Inside the room, Guo Jing was leaning against the edge of the bed, still reeling from Huang Rong's words, "We watched Fu'er get married and Xiang'er grow up."

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside the mansion.

There were at least several hundred horses trampling on the stone-paved street at the same time, followed by a series of shrill, hoarse voices outside.

"Imperial edict has arrived! Guo Jing, the garrison commander of Xiangyang, come out immediately and kneel to receive the imperial edict!"

Huang Rong was taken aback. Why had the government sent someone at this time?

Guo Jing moved his body slightly.

"Rong'er..."

The man with the hoarse voice outside spoke again, this time with anger.

"Imperial decree has arrived! The Imperial Guards have surrounded the residence. Any further negligence will be considered disobedience!"

Immediately following was the sound of swords being drawn.

Guo Fu rushed in from outside the door, her face full of panic.

"Father! A lot of people have come outside! They've completely surrounded our yard!"

Da Wu and Xiao Wu ran in right after them, each holding a whistle stick in their hand, their knuckles taut from the force.

"Uncle Guo, it's the Imperial Guard, there are at least seven or eight hundred of them, and they've blocked both the front and back gates."

Guo Jing tried to get up by supporting himself on the edge of the bed, but Huang Rong quickly grabbed his arm.

"Brother Jing, your health..."

Guo Jing smiled and patted the back of her hand.

"fine."

He slowly stood up, picked up a robe from the rack, put it on, and walked towards the door.

Huang Rong followed behind him, her hand never letting go of his arm.

Inside the main hall.

A eunuch in a purple robe stood in the middle with his hands behind his back. He was pale and beardless, with drooping flesh on his cheeks.

Behind him stood twenty or thirty Imperial Guard captains, each with a steel sword at their waist and unfriendly eyes.

Guo Jing walked into the main hall, his gaze sweeping over the armor on these people, and spoke in a deep voice.

"May I ask what brings this eunuch to Xiangyang?"

The purple-robed eunuch squinted at him and snorted.

"Are you Guo Jing, the garrison commander of Xiangyang?"

Before Guo Jing could answer, he flicked his right hand, and a token appeared.

"The imperial decree is here! Guo Jing, why don't you kneel down and receive it?"

Guo Jing looked at the gold medal, his body swayed, and his knees instinctively bent to the ground.

Huang Rong quickly grabbed his arm.

"Don't kneel."

When the eunuch saw that Guo Jing did not kneel down immediately, his face fell. Without saying a word, he began to read in his hoarse voice.

"Guo Jing, the garrison commander of Xiangyang, has failed in his duties since taking office, resulting in rampant banditry!"

"Even more tragically, Lu Wende, an official appointed by the imperial court, was murdered within the city, killed by bandits!"

"You hold military power, yet you sit idly by and do nothing; this is blatant dereliction of duty and an unforgivable crime!"

Upon hearing this, Guo Jing's already recovering complexion lost all color.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but the eunuch didn't give him a chance to speak.

"Guo Jing is hereby dismissed from all military posts in Xiangyang! Effective immediately, he is forbidden from inquiring about any matters related to the defense of Xiangyang!"

"Furthermore, all remaining grain, fodder, and supplies in the Xiangyang warehouses shall be sealed, loaded onto wagons, and immediately transported back to Lin'an for national use!"

After reading the last clause, the eunuch closed the imperial edict, lowered his eyelids, and looked at Guo Jing.

"Aren't you going to accept the imperial decree and express your gratitude?"

The main hall was silent for three full breaths, with Guo Jing standing rooted to the spot.

He was dismissed from his military post and his grain and fodder were confiscated.

He guarded Xiangyang for half his life, so many people died, and he poured his heart and soul into it for so many years, only to receive this imperial edict in return.

Huang Rong stood beside him, looking at him with an unfriendly gaze.

"My lord, Lü Wende colluded with the Mongols and was executed in the street by the Prince of Qin. He was not a bandit. The grain and fodder were also allocated by His Highness the Prince of Qin from Shu. It had nothing to do with Lin'an."

The purple-robed eunuch's eyelids twitched; how could he not know the situation here?

It was precisely because he knew this that he dared not involve Qin Han, and he snorted coldly.

"How dare you! We only obey the Emperor's decree! If the Emperor says this grain belongs to the court, then it belongs to the court!"

He then raised his hand and waved it.

"Someone! Go to the warehouse and seal it up!"

Several Imperial Guard captains turned to leave.

"stop."

Guo Jing shouted, causing the captains to stop in their tracks.

His gaze was fixed on the eunuch, his eyes filled with disappointment.

"This grain was transported from Sichuan by the King of Qin to relieve the people of Xiangyang. You are not allowed to touch a single grain of rice."

The eunuch in purple robes put his hands on his hips.

"Provide relief to the people? Guo Jing, have you gone mad from defending the city?"

"What do the lives and deaths of the people of Xiangyang have to do with our family? What do they have to do with the imperial court?"

He took a step forward and pointed at Guo Jing's nose while cursing.

"Listen up, you bastard! The Emperor has decreed that the bandits in Xiangyang have become a force to be reckoned with!"

"If you're so capable, go fight the Mongols yourselves! If you're not, die on the city walls!"

"Anyway, the imperial court won't miss a bunch of you city-guarding soldiers!"

Guo Fu stood by the door, listening to these words, biting her lip tightly, not daring to utter a sound.

Da Wu and Xiao Wu were trembling all over.

Huang Rong was surprised that the eunuch would say such a blunt thing.

But you soon realize that reasoning with this kind of person is useless, but there are some things that must be clarified first.

"Sir, are you leading the Imperial Guards to escort grain supplies?"

"Did you know that a large Mongol army is still surrounding Xiangyang?"

The purple-robed eunuch didn't take it seriously.

"The Mongols? Ha! Lord Cai has already been in contact with the Mongols!"

"As long as the imperial court doesn't send reinforcements, the Mongols won't make things difficult for the imperial grain transport teams!"

"Besides, if a war really breaks out, aren't there still you bunch of cannon fodder defending the city to take the hits?"

When Guo Jing heard the words "the air has been supplied," his ears rang, and he couldn't hear anything after that.

They've got their word out; it's that scoundrel Cai Jing again!

No wonder they never allocate food and weapons, no wonder they never send reinforcements.

No wonder Lü Wende was able to openly give the city defense map to the Mongols.

It turns out that from beginning to end, Lin'an had already betrayed these Han Chinese who were risking their lives to defend Xiangyang.

Seeing his appearance, the purple-robed eunuch's disdain deepened, and he stretched out a hand.

"What are you all standing there for? Hand over the city defense tally! I still need to go back and report to the officials!"

Guo Jing watched the claw remain motionless for a long time. The eunuch's words were too blunt and too chilling.

Huang Rong seemed to be deep in thought... She didn't understand why this eunuch was behaving so strangely and speaking so bluntly.

Meanwhile, Qin Han, who was at the prefect's residence, received the news and led his men toward Guo Jing's residence, intending to see what Guo Jing was thinking.