Chapter 269 Huaiqing leaves the palace and Lin'an draws his sword!

Capital city, Zhang Mansion.

Zhang Feng, the Minister of War with a goatee and a righteous face, was pacing back and forth in the lobby anxiously.

"Master Zhang! What should we do?"

Pingyuan Bo, who was a military officer, was at a loss at the moment and ran in in a panic.

Although Zhang Feng appeared calm on the surface, he was actually terrified inside because the matter had become a big deal.

The intention to rape the princess of the royal family and kill the royal family is a serious crime punishable by death for three generations!
"These three guys really don't know the seriousness of the matter. They should just send the person out of the capital, but they are so bold as to have evil intentions towards the princess!"

Zhang Feng almost roared and cursed, and Sun Zhongming, who had just walked to the door, felt a shock in his heart.

The three princes were arrested, but such a matter concerning the reputation of the royal family was spread widely in the capital. It was impossible to reconcile with Prince Yu privately. Who spread the news?

On the way to Zhang's house, Sun Zhongming was terrified. Zhang Yi was a playboy, and this was a disaster.

It is likely that Zhang Yi could not control his lower body, had evil intentions on the road, and was caught in the act.

Damn that Zhang guy, he really killed people!
Even if they failed, it would still be a serious crime to exterminate the three clans, because murdering royal relatives is equivalent to rebellion and treason, which could never be forgiven.

It doesn’t matter whether the three old guys know about it or not. The three families of the three young masters, the three families of their fathers, the three families of their mothers, and the three families of their wives, none of them can escape.

Sun Zhongming thought of countless ways on the road, but he couldn't think of a way to survive.

The most important thing now is to figure out how far things have developed. If the three guys really raped the princess, then it would be all over.

"Master Zhang, you have to make a decision!"

Sun Zhongming walked into the lobby and immediately put on a look of sadness and despair, temporarily suppressing all the thoughts in his mind.

Zhang Feng looked at Pingyuanbo and Sun Zhongming and snorted coldly, "It's ok for a scholar to be cowardly, but Pingyuanbo, you are a warrior and you are so panicked. Were you such a coward when you fought in the war?"

After ten years of hard study and decades of management in the court and the army, Zhang Feng is no pushover, but a ruthless character who has killed people and seen blood.

Pingyuan Bo's face turned pale and he forced himself to calm down. In his heart, he felt the same as Sun Zhongming, having already cursed Zhang Yi a thousand times.

Everyone in the capital knew that Zhang Yi was an impatient man with no self-control and was extremely bold.

"Master Zhang, there is no turning back. This is a dead end! This is even more dangerous than fighting on the battlefield. Now that the news has spread, the Ministry of Justice and the night watchmen may already be on their way!"

Zhang Feng's face was gloomy, and a cold light flashed in his triangular eyes. "I don't know who is so abominable. The news spread like wildfire before the person was brought back..."

At this time, a man dressed as a warrior fell from the roof and knelt on one knee in front of Zhang Feng.

"Sir, the government office has sent out a large number of yamen runners, and one of them is one of ours. Princess Pingyang eloped with a monk from the Qinglong Temple, and the three young masters helped them escape from the capital."

"But after leaving the capital, the three young masters took the princess to a deserted mountain with evil intentions. Before they could succeed, they were stopped by a passing ranger, who captured the three young masters."

"Young Master Sun and Young Master, who were guarding Henghui, had their martial arts skills abolished, and the young master who was trying to commit an illegal act... was castrated."

Zhang Feng's palms on the table gradually clenched into fists.

Not only was he caught in the act, but the princess was still alive. This was truly a dead end.

As long as the princess tells the truth, none of the three families can escape.

Sun Zhongming's eyes rolled rapidly and his face looked gloomy and uncertain.

It was Zhang Yi who wanted to do the evil. If she thought her son was killed because Zhang Yi was attracted by his beauty and she had no ill intentions, she might have a chance of survival.

Pingyuan Bo was a military man, and when he heard the news, he completely collapsed in his chair.

"It's over, it's all over now! How could such a coincidence happen in the world? Was the ranger arranged by the Qi Party or the Wang Party?"

Zhang Feng took the reactions of the two men into consideration. He basically ruled out the possibility that the two men leaked the information, because the three of them were in the same boat. No one could easily escape the connection with such a serious matter as murdering a royal relative.

Now it seems that his Zhang family is completely finished, and all three clans are finished.

"Even rabbits bite when they are cornered. I have lived a life of fear and trembling, and have only achieved a little success. I can't fail miserably and wipe out my entire family."

Pingyuan Bo said anxiously, "Sir, where is there any way to survive now?"

Zhang Feng said coldly, "You have a gang outside the city, don't you have a few experts? I also have a dozen followers. Now the government officials haven't arrived in the capital yet, so we may not be hopeless."

Hearing Zhang Feng's cold words, Sun Zhongming couldn't help but shudder. In this almost fatal situation, Zhang Feng really took the risk.

"Sir... if you want to rob a prisoner, it's even harder to explain."

Zhang Feng replied, "You are a scholar, why don't you use your brain? The only way out now is that bald donkey!"

"In this case, it is clear that the bald donkey seduced and kidnapped the princess. Now that the matter has been exposed, the bald donkey's accomplices want to rescue the bald donkey and kidnap the princess."

When Zhang Feng said this, Pingyuan Bo also reacted, "Although there are many people in the government office, the strongest one is only an eighth-rank warrior. As long as the night watchman does not take action, we may have a chance."

"I have dozens of warriors under my command, including one fifth-rank warrior and two sixth-rank warriors. I wonder if Lord Zhang has any..."

Zhang Feng glanced at Sun Zhongming, who lowered his head in fear. It was obvious that he was just a civil servant and did not have many people under his command.

"Master Zhang, Lord Pingyuan, have you ever thought about this? The news has already spread before we even reach the capital. Is it just to throw us into disarray?"

He then said that it would be better to go to His Majesty and beg for mercy, maybe there would still be a chance.

"boom!"

Zhang Feng slapped the table, "Waste!"

Of course Zhang Feng knew what Sun Zhongming was thinking, and he was even more angry. At this time, even if the young master of the Sun family had no ill intentions, how could he escape punishment? He was really short-sighted.

Emperor Yuan Jing attached the greatest importance to the royal family's reputation and would never forgive anything that challenged the royal dignity. Prince Yu was extremely fond of his only daughter. It was useless to ask the emperor for help or try to reconcile with Prince Yu on this matter.

"Even if that's what you said, are we just going to sit there and wait for our clan to be exterminated? We have to take a risk even if there's no chance of survival!"

"I also have two sixth-rank warriors under my command. Lord Pingyuan, have your men and mine shave their hair and eyebrows, and don't leave anything that reveals your identity on your body. Pretend to be monks and kidnap the bald donkey and the princess."

"If it's hard to rob her, just kill Princess Pingyang!"

After saying this, Pingyuanbo and Sun Zhongming both felt a chill on their backs, their heartbeats accelerated rapidly, and beads of sweat the size of beans appeared on their foreheads.

The princess was so noble that she probably had not yet told the detectives in detail how she was almost raped.

If the princess died, the water would be completely muddied. Few people would believe what a martial artist said, after all, the princess was not raped.

If it were to be put into practice at that time, maybe the three young masters would capture the evil monk and rescue the princess.

At this time, Pingyuan Bo asked the retainers of Zhang Mansion again, "What is the cultivation level of that ranger?"

The retainer replied, "It is said that he is unfathomable and mysterious, and it is unclear what his cultivation level is."

Zhang Feng waved his hand and said, "Stop talking nonsense, there is no better way, let's go!"

Pingyuan Bo bowed, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and then hurried out with his guests.

Zhang Feng glared at Sun Zhongming and said, "Lord Sun, you should leave too. We don't know if the night watchmen have noticed this matter. You and I should not meet again recently."

Sun Zhongming stood up, but his legs went weak and he stumbled and almost fell, causing Zhang Feng to roll his eyes. "Luckily, Lord Zhang is here, otherwise I would have to wait for my three clans to be executed..."

After Sun Zhongming left, Zhang Feng's legs and feet became weak and he slumped in his chair. Not long after, he stood up, walked to the weapon rack, and picked up an exquisite sword.

"Zhang Yi, ah Zhang Yi, you are such a troublemaker!"

Inside the imperial palace, a luxurious golden nanmu carriage was galloping, and a knight rode up to catch up.

"Princess, Princess Lin'an has gone to the government office. She looks very angry and has smashed several things. She also took the sword bestowed by His Majesty."

"The princess's story has spread throughout the capital. The Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple have also sent capable experts to the outside of the city for support. The matter has not been investigated yet, and His Majesty is not aware of it yet."

Princess Huaiqing's anger had not yet dissipated, and she said calmly, "I understand."

She took out a small jade mirror, which was equally lively.

[No. 5: Why is the capital so chaotic? The chief constable of the Six Gates was killed only a few days ago, and even the princess was almost raped! What kind of world is this! ]

[No. 6: No. 7, No. 7! Which temple is the monk who eloped with the princess from? ]

[No. 2: With that dog-brained emperor around, even the emperor can't live in peace. How sad! Murdering the princess is a serious crime punishable by the extermination of three clans. The minister is really brainless.]

[No. 2: No. 6, you are so anxious, you don't know the monk who eloped, do you? ]

[No. 7: No. 6, the monk seems to be from Qinglong Temple.]

【No. 6: Thank you, Brother Ling.】

The conversation came to a temporary end. Huaiqing had long known that No. 6 was an honest monk, but he didn't know where he was exactly.

But this number seven seems to know a lot.

[Number One: Number Seven, you are well-informed. You know it faster than I do.]

Huaiqing stared at the small jade mirror, trying to find some clues from No. 7's answer.

Li Changan was riding on a horse, looking at the message in the small mirror, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

Huaiqing, you little brat, just want to trick people into giving you questions. Even though I have the script in my hand, I'm still afraid that you're going to trick me.

[No. 7: I was listening to music in a brothel today, and people were talking about it everywhere.]

Huaiqing frowned slightly. As expected, the man was very tight-lipped. He had no idea who leaked the news.

"Princess, we have arrived at Haoqi Tower."

The eldest princess got off the carriage and, accompanied by two welcoming figures of Jinluo, took two steps at a time and climbed up to the Haoqi Pavilion, the headquarters of the night watchmen.

"Meet the princess."

The leader of the night watchmen, Wei Yuan, bowed respectfully. The princess said, "Lord Wei, there is no need to be polite. Sit down and talk."

Wei Yuan sat respectfully at the bottom and sighed slightly, "The princess didn't even go to the government office."

Huaiqing said calmly, "Lin'an has already gone. The pressure from the royal family on the government office should be great enough. I just think this matter is not simple."

Wei Yuan said bluntly, "The princess is missing, the night watchmen and the Imperial Observatory are all trying to help Prince Yu find her, but the government office suddenly received a report, and Prince Yu is rushing back to the capital from the Qinglong Temple."

"I have already sent people to meet the constables from the government office, fearing that something unexpected might happen."

Huaiqing asked worriedly, "What did Zhang Feng do?"

Wei Yuan replied, "After we heard the news, we also sent people to keep an eye on Zhang's house. Zhang Feng did not take any action and just stayed indoors."

"It is also possible that he acted quickly and had already taken action when the night watchman arrived. However, Earl Pingyuan and Sun Zhongming were not in the mansion, and we don't know where they are."

After hearing Wei Yuan's words, Princess Huaiqing's eyes became even more worried. "The incident just happened and the news spread to the capital. It's obvious that someone did it on purpose. Who went to the government office to report the case?"

"He is a fifth-rank martial artist from the Sifang Escort Agency, and a member of the Wulin Alliance."

Huai Qing asked again, "So, the ranger who captured Master Zhang should also be a member of the Wulin Alliance, and the news was also released by the Wulin Alliance. Why?"

Wei Yuan smiled faintly and said, "If you think about it simply, the other party just wants to punish the villains. They released the news because they are afraid that Zhang Feng and Prince Yu will reconcile privately."

"If you think about it in a complicated way, the other party may have deliberately released the news to make the Liang Party and the noble group lose both sides. It may be someone from the Qi Party, the Wang Party... or even the Eunuch Party."

Zhang Feng, Sun Zhongming and his party are from the Liang Party, while the eunuch party is Wei Yuan himself, and their main force is the night watchmen.

Huai Qing said quietly, "Uncle Yu loves Pingyang very much. Even if the news is not released, there is no way he can reconcile with Zhang Feng. So it seems that we need to investigate the identity and background of the ranger."

At this time, a silver robe came hurriedly to report, "Princess, Duke Wei, Sun Zhongming, the Minister of Revenue, has come forward to surrender!"

"Go and see!"

Huaiqing stood up first, followed by Wei Yuan. After arriving at the night watchmen's hall, Huaiqing sat in the back hall, while Wei Yuan went to see Sun Zhongming in person.

As soon as Wei Yuan walked into the hall, he heard the sound of kowtows.

"Duke Wei, save me!"

"Zhang Feng's son is extremely daring and intends to rape the princess. My son only helps the princess obtain her identity and helps her elope with the monk. He has no bad intentions!"

"After Zhang Feng got the news, he took a desperate move and sent people to disguise as monks to kill the princess and silence her!"

"Sun is deeply indebted to the Emperor and regards him as his father. How dare he kill a member of the royal family? Zhang Feng and his son and Earl Pingyuan are so audacious and have no regard for the law of the country. This has nothing to do with me!"

Huaiqing in the back hall couldn't help but tremble, and was also frightened by Zhang Feng's madness. This was really a desperate situation, with no way out.

Wei Yuan asked anxiously, "How many people did Zhang Feng send? What are their skills?"

Sun Zhongming replied, "There are probably dozens of them. The strongest one is a fifth-grade one, and there are several sixth-grade ones!"

Wei Yuan hurriedly said to Jin Luo behind him, "Nangong, you have to go there in person, and be quick."

Although he has already sent Yinluo, whose cultivation strength should be pretty good, he is afraid that he may not be able to make it in time, so letting Jinluo go is safer.

"Okay, Lord Sun, please explain your affairs in detail."

Wei Yuan sat in the armchair and began to listen to Sun Zhongming's confession.

Jingzhao Mansion.

"Where's Chen Hanguang? Get out here!"

Jingzhao Prefecture Governor Chen Hanguang trotted to the door to greet them. He saw Princess Lin'an in a red dress with raised eyebrows and her petite face was so cold that frost could be seen on it.

Holding the sharp imperial sword in her hand, she walked into the government gate with murderous intent under the protection of several guards.

Princes and princesses cannot interfere in government affairs, but if it is Princess Lin'an, the most beloved by His Majesty, then it may be a different matter.

"Quickly capture that bastard Zhang Yi. I will kill him myself!"

(End of this chapter)