Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 42 Imperial Aura

Emperor Qianlong asked, "How's the investigation into the massacre of your entire family going?" Upon hearing this, Bai Shandian's face changed drastically. He knelt down again with a thud, banging three times before bowing his head and saying, "There was a reason for this. I beg Your Excellency to forgive my wife's grave crime of deceiving the Emperor!" Qianlong was also greatly surprised and hurriedly asked, "What exactly happened? Tell me clearly! Don't beat around the bush, just tell me everything!" Bai Shandian then calmed himself and recounted the recent events in detail. Qianlong listened without uttering a word, his face extremely grim, staring intently at Bai Shandian as if trying to see into his heart! He didn't blink for a moment. Bai Shandian felt like he was being watched, not daring to breathe. He knew that his master was inherently suspicious and cunning; some things couldn't be hidden from him. He seemed to have precognitive abilities, divine protection, like a tapeworm in your stomach, knowing everything about you perfectly! Therefore, he didn't dare to lie, and told the whole truth!

The stalemate continued, and the hall was eerily silent; you could probably hear a pin drop! Everyone believed that Bai Shandian had lied, which aroused the Emperor's suspicion, leading to this aggressive and tense atmosphere!

Suddenly, Emperor Qianlong asked, "How do you think I should punish your father-in-law, Grand Secretary Xiang, and your wife, Xiang Quan?" Bai Shandian was stunned. His lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word! Although a ray of sunlight was shining warmly on him through the window, he felt no warmth at all. His whole body trembled uncontrollably, for his heart felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave! Emperor Qianlong, enraged, stood up abruptly, pointing his finger and shouting, "You, Grand Secretary Xiang! The Qing Dynasty has been incredibly kind to you, bestowing upon you generations of favor, high-ranking official positions and generous salaries. You have been promoted and rewarded countless times, receiving the Emperor's grace beyond measure! Yet you, instead of being grateful, have rewritten the second volume of the 'Complete Book of Jianghu,' attempting to suppress the first volume! Furthermore, you have secretly established the Southern Fist Sect, a powerful Jianghu gang! What are you trying to do? Are you plotting a rebellion?!" Upon hearing this, Bai Shandian's face changed drastically, and he prostrated himself. Kneeling on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, he pleaded, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! Please don't misunderstand! The Xiang family of Jiangnan would never rebel! I guarantee it with my life! They established the Southern Fist School simply to follow a local custom, practicing martial arts in the village to strengthen their bodies, just for fun! As for writing the second volume of 'The Complete Book of Jianghu,' it's nothing more than…" Qianlong roared, "What? Speak—" Bai Shandian was speechless for a moment: "This…" He racked his brains, but couldn't find a reason for the Xiang family of Jiangnan! Yes, their writing of this strange book was clearly an attempt to rebel! It was as obvious as a lice on his head! He had been restless and unable to eat or sleep after hearing about this a few days ago, worrying about how to explain it to His Majesty! He never expected Emperor Qianlong to suddenly appear! He was truly like a ghost, incredibly eerie! In his panic, he couldn't think of any words to say. She blurted out the whole story at once! She was even worried that she hadn't explained it in enough detail and that the Emperor would see through her! It was as if the Emperor had some kind of precognitive wisdom, already knowing the whole story! Alas, it's truly bizarre! Why isn't her brain working properly?!

"White Lightning!" Emperor Qianlong issued a command with an air of authority. "You shall immediately summon Zhang Kuang, the Governor-General of Zhejiang, and have him mobilize two thousand Green Standard Army soldiers to surround the Xiang Mansion in Jiangnan. Capture Elder Xiang and all the leaders of the Xiang Fist School, big and small, and bring them to justice. Do not fail!" White Lightning was shocked and knew that things had reached a point of no return! He could only nod and accept the order: "Yes!" He stood up and staggered out.

Emperor Qianlong, still furious, sat back down. The plump, middle-aged clerk standing beside him leaned close and whispered, "Master Ai, this Bai Shandian looks angry; he probably has some grievances in his heart! I'm afraid he'll use the pretext of catching a thief to release him secretly, and then come back and say he escaped—what can you do about it then?" Qianlong slammed his fist on the table and roared, "He wouldn't dare!" The clerk, with his long, beardless face, looked like a eunuch, always up to no good, digging up people's ancestral graves and digging up the foundations of walls. His small eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled obsequiously, saying, "Better safe than sorry, Master Ai! How about this: you send two top imperial guards, capable of defeating him, to monitor Bai Shandian's actions at all times. If anything goes wrong, arrest him immediately! Then you won't have to worry about him causing any trouble!" Qianlong laughed, "Heshen, you and I are on the same page. Yes, yes! Let's do it that way!" It turned out that this Heshen was the biggest corrupt official in the Qing Dynasty at the time, and also Qianlong's most favored man. He held the official position of Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Department, a first-rank official, in charge of the imperial treasury. Qianlong doted on him immensely and liked to take him everywhere he went. Qianlong thought to himself, "I really have to admit, since Bai Shandian married Xiangquan, the two of them have actually developed feelings for each other—this is something I never expected!" He immediately shouted, "Where are the four top guards of the Second Rank Hall of the Imperial Palace?" Four men stepped forward from the crowd on both sides of the hall and knelt down to receive the order. These four men were all oddly shaped; some were short and stocky, others had long legs and broad arms, with deformed appearances! Though dressed as servants, each possessed a sharp, piercing gaze, and prominent temples, making it clear at a glance that they were all extraordinary martial arts masters! They were, in fact, strange martial arts practitioners whom Emperor Qianlong had recruited from beyond the Great Wall, known as the Four Fiends of the North. The Qing imperial palace had numerous guards, divided into three ranks based on their martial arts skills. The most prestigious and powerful were the four masters of the First Rank Hall, each holding a waist badge bearing the symbols of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. They were stationed around the emperor day and night, protecting his life without performing any other duties—a rather leisurely yet strenuous job. Of course, these guards were selected from the imperial family and were required to be utterly loyal! These four are the masters of the Second Rank Hall of the Imperial Palace—the Four Fiends of the Pass. Their waist badges are engraved with images of the four ancient ferocious beasts: Taotie, Hundun, Qiongqi, and Bangwu. They are in charge of the four main gates of the Forbidden City. Without their approval, even the Emperor himself cannot enter the palace! The final rank, the Third Rank Hall of the Imperial Palace, consists of ten masters selected from among the guards, known as the Ten Great Demon Gods of the Imperial Palace. Their martial arts skills are top-notch, and they are renowned throughout the martial world, their power and prestige shaking the four seas. Their waist badges are engraved with images of the ten ancient demon gods in order: Demon God Chilong, War God Xingtian, Star God Kuafu, Water God Gonggong, Wind God Feilian, Rain Master Pingyi, the Twin Gods of the Underworld, Demon God Houqing, Drought God Nümei, and Escape God Yinlingzi, among others. These ten men were specifically responsible for leading troops to patrol the palace day and night, apprehending anyone who showed the slightest sign of trouble. Their work required utmost diligence and could not be neglected in the slightest. They were the leaders of the Imperial Guards within the palace. And Bai Shandian? He was the Grand Eunuch of the entire palace. His official rank was Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, a first-rank official. All those in positions of authority, regardless of rank, were under his command! But one thing he knew better than anyone was that his position was obtained through connections, not through martial arts. It turned out that he and Emperor Qianlong were childhood friends, having studied together in the Imperial Study since childhood. Unlike ordinary princes and grandsons, they shared similar temperaments and tastes, getting along very well and gradually becoming close friends… thus leading to his current astonishing achievements and his exalted position second only to the emperor. In truth, Qianlong felt somewhat remorseful about how things had come to this. Seeing Bai Shandian leave in a huff after receiving his orders, he understood Bai Shandian's predicament! Humans are emotional beings; who doesn't have feelings and desires? To be ordered to personally lead troops to capture his entire family—it was heartbreaking to hear! But feelings are feelings, and business is business. What the final outcome would be, Qianlong waited to see! He also wanted to understand this clearly: Was his family more important? Or was the strict law of the Qing Dynasty more important? To put it bluntly, was he, Qianlong, more important?!

"You four, immediately proceed to the Xiang Clan's Southern Fist School in Jiangnan to assist Bai Shandian in apprehending the suspect! If any member of the Southern Fist School resists arrest, kill them without mercy!" After issuing the order, Qianlong saw the four villains from beyond the pass stand up and leave, so he hurriedly called out, "Come back!" The four villains from beyond the pass looked surprised and quickly turned back, cautiously asking, "Does Master Ai have anything else to instruct us on?" Qianlong had their leader lean closer and whispered instructions, "If you discover that Bai Shandian is suspected of having an affair, immediately arrest him and bring him back to me! Remember, do not harm him! Remember, remember! Alright, go!" The leader of the four villains from beyond the pass clasped his hands in a fist salute and bowed, saying, "Your subordinate obeys!" He then led his three brothers out the door.