gnovel Chapter 8: Lost Everything
Chapter 8: Lost Everything
Looking at the corpses floating on the lake, Cheng Zhijie said quietly, "Boy, you're not satisfied with just killing the Crown Prince, you want to kill the Emperor too?"
Shen Ce hurriedly stretched out his hand, pointing at the flying arrows bobbing up and down on the lake: "That imperial guard was the Crown Prince's man. He was about to fire a whistling arrow, and I had no choice but to shoot him dead."
This must be made clear: how the King of Qin deals with the Crown Prince and the King of Qi is their family matter. I have no legitimate reason to fire arrows at the dragon boat without authorization, as this would affect the King of Qin's subsequent plans.
"So you're saying I should give you credit for this?"
Shen Ce nodded repeatedly.
Cheng Zhijie ignored Shen Ce, who wanted to claim credit. The merit of killing the crown prince was enough for him. He then summoned his personal guards and sent them on horseback to inform the Prince of Qin of what had happened on the dragon boat, in order to deal with the emperor's inquiry.
"Go and gather your men, and immediately go to the Wude Hall. Do not harm Princess Qi."
Shen Ce was filled with doubt. At this moment, it was more important to control the palace. Women could wait. But he changed his mind and said in a deep voice, "I obey your command."
As Cheng Zhijie rode away, the two figures met, and five portrait scrolls were thrown into Shen Ce's arms.
"Arrest all the people in the portrait. If you let one escape, I'll kill your whole family," Cheng Yaojin said casually.
Hearing the seemingly casual words, Shen Ce's heart tightened. He knew he had better believe Shangguan's threats, because he truly had the power to make them a reality. So Shen Ce gathered the guards who had entered the palace with him and rode off towards Xuanwu Gate.
The group returned to Xuanwu Gate, the stench of blood assaulting their senses and causing them to grip their swords tightly.
Looking up, the area within thirty feet in front of the gate was littered with corpses. Some were two people who had stabbed each other with spears, while others had half their heads drooping, still oozing white liquid... There was almost no place to put your feet in the entire square.
Shen Ce stepped forward through the bloodstains, roaring, "Qin Chuan, come here and die!"
Qin Chuan was no longer the heroic man he had been the day before. He tied his left arm with his belt and slowly approached Shen Ce, planting his sword in the ground to support his swaying body.
Shen Ce took a deep breath and asked in a trembling voice, "What about the casualties?"
"Fourteen dead, six seriously wounded."
The high number of casualties was because the seriously wounded soldiers were immediately killed by Ze Pao. He had just witnessed a soldier clutching his own intestines and shouting at him, "Kill me! Kill me!"
Shen Ce closed his eyes and clenched his fists: "Hand over the bodies to the two county yamen runners. Those who can stand up now, come with me into the imperial city and to the Wude Hall."
The Wude Hall is not a single palace, but a complex of palaces. Prince Qi, Li Yuanji, is about to embark on a military campaign and will be staying here to facilitate communication with the Emperor and the Crown Prince. This is something Shen Ce only learned when he stood in front of the Wude Hall.
Shen Ce stood before more than thirty guards and shouted sternly, "Seventeen prohibitions, fifty-four executions, I don't want to repeat them. Everyone, keep a close eye on your hands. Don't touch what you shouldn't touch, don't take what you shouldn't take. I don't want my brothers to lose their lives when they should be enjoying wealth and honor."
Two people guard each door, and no one is allowed to leave. The rest of the staff are to apprehend people according to the map.
After tossing the scrolls to the five fire chiefs at the head of the team, Shen Ce walked into the Wude Hall on his own.
Although the bloodthirsty crowd harbored resentment, they thought of the glory and wealth that awaited them after their victory, and so they all replied in unison.
Standing at the head of the group, Qin Chuan glanced at the decorations inside the hall and quickly stepped forward to probe, "Squad Leader, are you sure you haven't committed any offenses?"
Shen Ce rolled his eyes and said irritably, "I gave you the portrait, just look for it."
"I'm talking about yellow and white things," Qin Chuan said, scratching his head.
"The Princess Consort of Qi has not yet been deposed by imperial decree. Do you want to openly rob her?" Shen Ce shouted.
He knew the inside story: Princess Qi was from the Yang family of Hongnong, and she would become Li Er's favorite concubine. Moreover, after the death of Empress Zhangsun, Li Er had wanted to make her empress, but Wei Zheng stopped him, not wanting to bring trouble to his brothers over some money.
Qin Chuan hesitated to speak, then turned to find the other fire chiefs to verify the person in the portrait.
Just as Shen Ce's eyes were wandering around, the fire chiefs behind him all came forward.
He blocked Shen Ce's path, unfurled the scroll, and stammered, "Captain, these... these five are all children, they should be... the five sons of the King of Qi."
These words struck Shen Ce like a thunderbolt. He hurriedly looked at the five scrolls. He had just seen the head of the Prince of Qi and recognized Li Yuanji's appearance.
Yes, yes.
Shen Ce now understood why Cheng Zhijie had said he would kill his entire family if he let one go. It was an attempt to eliminate any potential threat and ensure the family line would end!
Prince Qi, Li Yuanji, is only twenty-three years old this year. All five of his sons are born out of wedlock, the oldest being no more than eight years old, and the youngest...
Everyone remained silent.
After a long silence, Shen Ce closed his eyes, clenched his fists so tightly that they were almost bloodless, and his lips moved slightly: "Execute it. Wrap it in a blanket, keep it from the light, and keep it a secret from heaven."
"Why do this?" The crowd looked at each other in bewilderment. They had no hesitation in killing on the battlefield, but they simply couldn't bring themselves to do it to the descendants of the Jurchens.
At this moment, they no longer harbored any of their previous filthy thoughts; they simply wanted to get rid of the hot potato in their hands.
"How can royalty be compared to commoners?"
After Shen Ce finished speaking, he suddenly swung his knife and held it to Qin Chuan's neck: "No matter who comes, they will all die. What's wrong with you giving them some dignity? If you don't carry out the military order, we will be the ones who die."
Everyone gritted their teeth and sighed.
Since ancient times, the imperial family has been the most ruthless. Mutiny is inherently bloody, and the blood in their veins cannot prevent them from being involved. It is already considered benevolent that their entire family was spared; how could they dare to ask for more?
Cheng Zhijie entrusted me with this matter of the underworld. I wonder what his intentions are. Shen Ce sat on the threshold, looking at the chaotic scene inside the hall, his thoughts wandering.
Soon, sobs and cries of women echoed from inside the Wude Hall. The mournful sounds could not travel far under the sky before fading away with the wind. Defeat was defeat. The moment the head of the Prince of Qi appeared before the Xuanwu Gate, all wealth and status vanished into thin air.
Before long, five fire chiefs hurriedly came out, each carrying something wrapped in their arms, and placed it on a carriage that was already waiting outside the Wude Hall.
Without exchanging words or eye contact, the guards on the carriage checked the number of carriages, then raised their whips and rode out of the palace to find someone to verify the information.
Just as everyone was losing interest, Princess Yang of Qi came out, stood at the door, and stared blankly southward.
Seeing this, Shen Ce dared not be negligent and quickly bowed, saying, "Please accept my condolences, Your Highness. We were merely following orders."
Yang turned around and bowed to Shen Ce, who quickly dodged to the side.
"Thank you, General, for not implicating anyone, allowing the five girls to survive." She knew that those who didn't die today would live well in the future, including the King of Qi's concubines and daughters.
Seeing this, Shen Ce sighed inwardly, "As expected of the princess, she can remain so composed even when her husband and son have died."
Shen Ce lowered his head and sighed, "We were merely following orders and do not deserve the Princess's gratitude."
"May I ask where the body of the King of Qi is now?" Madam Yang looked at Shen Ce calmly, her face revealing neither sorrow nor joy.
"I truly do not know. Once I have ascertained the news, I will have someone convey it to the Princess."
Facing the current Princess Qi, who would later become Li Er's favored concubine, Shen Ce dared not engage in much conversation. After cleaning up the bloodstains in the hall, he closed the heavy palace gates and strictly ordered the soldiers of each prefecture not to enter without permission. He did not want any bad rumors to spread, tarnishing the achievements his brothers had fought so hard for.