area51novel Page 407
Page 407
Lu Xiaofeng quickly nudged Sikong Zhaixing hard with his elbow and whispered, "Are you crazy? You've committed just as many crimes as Chai Hu. You still don't behave yourself in front of the Chief Constable of the Six Doors. Do you really want to go to the Heavenly Prison?"
Sikong Zhaixing immediately fell silent, a fine layer of cold sweat instantly appearing on his forehead.
He was similar to Bai Zhantang in that although he liked to steal, he never targeted the poor. Most of the time, he would steal things for fun, and after he was done, he would put them back to his owner in order to show off his abilities.
Of course, the money of some corrupt officials is a different story.
These days, there are more than just one or two people who rob the rich to help the poor. As long as it's not too outrageous, Guo Bujing turns a blind eye to it.
"Several years ago, Grand Secretary Yan's house was robbed, and some silver was stolen."
Guo Bujing's casual remark left Sikong Zhaixing's back soaked with sweat.
Rumor has it that 300,000 taels of silver were once stolen from Yan Song's residence. He secretly approached Guo Bujing, hoping that the Six Doors could help him recover the silver, but Guo Bujing has yet to issue any approval or order.
Grand Secretary Yan was so angry that he smashed things at home, but he dared not make a fuss. After all, 300,000 taels was no small amount. Where would a Grand Secretary like him get 300,000 taels? If things got out of hand, how could he face the Emperor and the officials?
The whereabouts of the 300,000 taels of silver were never found, but Guo Bujing knew that it had been used to help disaster victims.
The leader was Sikong Zhaixing and his gang of notorious thieves, and even the legendary Thief Saint, who had not yet retired from the life of thievery, was involved.
As for Chai Hu, his technique was too crude, so he was kicked out of the team by the others and didn't even get the job of keeping watch. This also caused a conflict with Sikong Zhaixing.
"Lord Guo, Grand Secretary Yan is extremely wealthy. He won't care about losing this little bit of money."
"That's what the prince said."
Chu Yang and Guo Bujing toasted each other, signifying that the matter was over.
Sikong Zhaixing, who almost ended up in prison, was so shocked that his legs went weak. He never expected that Guo Bujing knew from the beginning that they were the ones who did it.
Before he could even catch his breath, he heard Lu Xiaofeng's boastful voice in his ear.
"Having many friends makes the road easier; that saying is certainly true."
Sikong Zhaixing could only obediently bow to Chu Yang.
“Lu Xiaofeng, since you claim to be a friend of the prince, why didn’t you stop him from coming back? With your intelligence, you must have thought of the consequences.”
Thinking of this incident, Guo Bujing became furious and glared at Lu Xiaofeng with displeasure.
"Master Guo, this is putting me in a difficult position. The prince has his own feet; how can I stop him?"
Lu Xiaofeng looked completely bewildered.
Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Chu Yang smiled and raised his wine glass, interrupting the two of them, "This return to the capital is my own decision and has nothing to do with anyone else. Lord Guo, you don't need to worry. How about we have a drink together?"
"How can I not worry?" Guo Bujing's tone suddenly became impatient. "Martial arts also have their limits. No matter how strong an individual's martial prowess is, it cannot withstand the charge of tens of thousands of iron cavalry. Even Zhuge Shenhou would not dare to say that he could walk out alive from the encirclement of 800,000 imperial guards."
"Your Highness, please don't be arrogant!"
Chu Yang put down his wine cup, shook his head and said, "There are some things that Zhuge Shenhou dares not say, but I can say."
"Your Highness!" Guo Bujing was extremely anxious, but there were some things he could not say outright, because he was a subject and his words and actions had to be loyal to the emperor.
Even if he was dissatisfied with the emperor's obsession with power and saddened by the suffering of the people, he could not betray the emperor, otherwise it would be a path of disloyalty and injustice, and he would find it difficult to overcome his conscience.
But deep down, Guo Bujing hoped that someone would come forward to change the current situation and save the people from their suffering.
This person is Chu Yang.
The human heart is often caught in a state of conflicting emotions.
Guo Bujing's contradiction lies in the fact that if he is loyal to the emperor, he will lead the people of the world into injustice, while if he is loyal to righteousness, he must make the emperor step down from the dragon throne.
Knowing full well that Chu Yangyang was likely to rebel, he turned a blind eye, neither helping nor reporting him, though he was tormented by the situation.
Loyalty and righteousness are mutually exclusive.
He advised Chu Yang to leave, hoping that the other party could retain his usefulness before making further plans.
Instead of letting a moment of anger cause the whole world to lose hope.
"Lord Guo, I appreciate your kindness, but as I just said, there are some things that only I can do."
"If I take a step back today, and another step back tomorrow, where will I finally retreat to?"
"Even if I retreat to the edge of a cliff, the emperor might not let me go, right?"
"His biggest regret now is probably letting me live for so many years."
After Chu Yang finished speaking, Guo Bujing fell silent, but then he changed the subject.
"While the capital is in a state of peace and prosperity, the entire south is in grave danger. The demon race has swallowed up Japan, and their numbers have multiplied. Once they have completely extricated themselves from the chaos caused by the demons, how will the south defend itself?"
"I can back down again and again, but can the rest of the world do the same?"
“Those generals who guarded the gates have all declared themselves kings. Even if some commoners are lucky enough to survive from the demons, they may still die at their hands.”
"Lord Guo, when will this chaos finally end?"
Guo Bujing's face flushed red, a sense of guilt welled up in his heart, his fists clenched, his whole body trembled, and after a long while he sighed, "So be it, Your Highness is determined to do so, I should not stop you, but next time Your Highness enters the palace, I will certainly accompany you."
Guo Bujing believed that the probability of Chu Yang never returning was extremely high, and making this promise proved that he intended to die with Chu Yang.
Chu Yang naturally understood his thoughts and shook his head, saying, "Lord Guo, there's no need for that."
Guo Bujing said firmly, "Since Your Highness will not listen to advice, then I, Guo, will naturally not listen to Your Highness's advice either. Your Highness need not say more."
Then, he smiled with relief and said, "Guo Bujing has been the chief constable of the Six Doors for so many years, but he has not made the world a better place, nor has he made the people live a good life. He should give them an explanation."
Even someone as simple-minded as Chai Hu could sense the death intent in Guo Bujing's words, let alone the exceptionally intelligent Lu Xiaofeng and Sikong Zhaixing.
The three of them immediately became solemn and respectful.
After demonstrating his understanding, Guo Bujing drank the wine in his cup in one gulp, bid farewell to Chu Yang, and left without giving anyone else a chance to persuade him.
"Hey big oaf, aren't you coming with Master Guo?"
"I have two days off tomorrow and the day after. Lord Guo told me not to go back and to wait until things are over."
"What do you mean?"
"How would I know what it means? I'll just do as Lord Guo says."
"Tsk tsk, I've never seen you so obedient before."
"Who the hell wants to listen to a thief?"
"Speak with respect, I am the king of thieves!"
Before they could exchange more than a few words, Sikong Zhaixing and Chai Hu started arguing. Lu Xiaofeng ignored them and silently walked to Chu Yang's side.
The two watched as the moon in the sky grew rounder and brighter, like a piece of pure white porcelain.
It's not even Mid-Autumn Festival yet, and the moon is already so beautiful. I can't imagine how beautiful it will be on Mid-Autumn Festival.
“I took a walk around the city during the day and some things happened that made me feel that something was off about this duel. I’m going to investigate.”
Can you tell me?
"Someone started a betting pool using the Mid-Autumn Festival duel, and ended up dying inexplicably. I also ran into Ye Gucheng, and he gave me a strange feeling..."
"Since you're curious, then go and look it up."
"What did you mean when you told me that Ye Gucheng's sword heart was no longer pure?"
"The mystery will be solved when we find the final answer."
"Can't Your Highness tell me now?"
"No."
"I'll be going now, see you on Mid-Autumn Festival night."
Lu Xiaofeng sighed helplessly, then called Sikong Zhaixing and left the Prince Xian's mansion together. Chu Yang did not interfere in order not to change the plot. He also wanted to see what gave Ye Gucheng the right to touch the emperor.
Li Xunhuan once revealed to Chu Yang that since the great changes in the world, the royal family no longer relied on the 800,000 Imperial Guards, but on something else that could render assassinations by martial arts experts futile.
Chu Yang trusted Li Xunhuan's character; if he said that, it must be true.
Whether this conspiracy will succeed depends on how strong Ye Gucheng and the Prince of Pingnan's trump cards are. In any case, even if Lu Xiaofeng finds out the truth in the end, he will definitely stand by and do nothing.
Without Lu Xiaofeng and Ximen Chuixue's intervention, the emperor has no one to save him but himself.
Because those who could save him were busy participating in the encirclement and killing of Chu Yang.
For example, Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian, as well as other experts in the palace...
After seeing Lu Xiaofeng off, Chu Yang noticed that Chai Hu was still sitting in the same spot, eating and drinking heartily, showing no intention of leaving. You could call him slow-witted, or you could call him shameless.
“I have a friend who is expected to return to Beijing in a couple of days. I’ll introduce you to him then.”
Chu Yang was somewhat looking forward to the scene of Li Gexiao and Chai Hu meeting again, wondering if they would still have a chance to form that team that punishes evil and promotes good.
"The prince's friend must be a first-rate hero! I'd like to be his friend!"
Chai Hu chuckled, then smacked his lips and said, "Even a monkey dared to send men to steal from the home of the treacherous minister Yan Song back then. Although I didn't get along with him, I admit he was a hero."
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Chu Yang saw that he wanted to continue eating, so he left the table first and instructed the old steward to find him a room to stay overnight after he finished eating.
Guo Bujing brought him here, clearly intending for him to stay in the Prince's residence to avoid being implicated.
Mid-Autumn Festival has arrived in the blink of an eye.
Before nightfall, the capital was already filled with bright red lanterns, creating a festive atmosphere like the Lunar New Year, even in the slums next to the Prince Xian's Mansion.
The bright moon in the sky is shared by the rich and the poor alike; it's rare to find true equality.