flstandardbreds Chapter 160 Command
Chapter 160 Command
Upon hearing Chu Lan's question, Fang Mingzhe broke out in a cold sweat and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I swear to Heaven that I have no ulterior motives whatsoever. I was simply unaware of the assassin's origins and rushed here in haste, which caused this chaos."
Fang Mingli kowtowed repeatedly, but dared not speak, his body trembling.
Despite the excruciating pain from his wounds, Liu Shanqiang stepped forward and reported, "Your Majesty, during my investigation, I discovered irrefutable evidence of collusion between Fang Mingli, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and the Shadow Gate. At this very moment, Han Chengjia is bringing the evidence and humbly requests Your Majesty's permission to enter the palace to present the irrefutable evidence. Everything will then become clear."
Chu Lan nodded in agreement, "Summon Han Chengjia to the palace. I will personally summon him after the ceremony."
……
After the ceremony, Chu Lan took the evidence and carefully examined it. His face grew increasingly gloomy, and his eyes burned with anger: "What a loyal and patriotic Minister Fang!"
Chu Lan slammed his hand on the table, causing the vermilion ink from the inkstone to splatter onto the memorial. "Smuggling weapons, colluding with the underworld, and framing loyal officials—how does Minister Fang intend to explain these three major crimes?"
Fang Mingli knelt down with a thud, his official hat askew, revealing the graying temples: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty is innocent! This must be a frame-up! I have always been loyal and devoted, how could I dare to do such a rebellious thing? I beg Your Majesty to investigate and clear my name!"
"Injustice? Framing?" Liu Shan suddenly tore open his shoulder armor, revealing three deep, bone-revealing knife wounds. "The spirits of the thirty-seven Imperial Guard brothers from Gray Mist Mountain are watching from heaven!"
He pulled out half of a bloodstained jade pendant from his pocket. "Does Lord Fang recognize this? Would you dare to combine it with the half of the jade pendant at your waist?"
Fang Mingli's face turned ashen. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he braced himself and, with trembling hands, took out the jade pendant from his waist. The two halves of the jade pendant fit together perfectly. He was speechless and collapsed to the ground.
The court officials were in an uproar.
Fang Mingzhe suddenly stepped forward, slamming his ivory tablet heavily onto the blue bricks: "Your Majesty, I implore you to severely punish this traitor!"
His voice was filled with grief, as if he had lost his parents, but his eyes were fixed on the vital point on the back of his brother's neck. "The Fang family is full of loyal and righteous men, and we cannot tolerate this scoundrel!"
Other ministers echoed this sentiment, demanding that the Fang brothers be severely punished.
Chu Lan's phoenix eyes flashed with murderous intent. With a flick of her vermilion brush, she decreed: "Issue the imperial decree—Fang Mingli is to be dismissed from his post and exiled to the northern frontier, with no possibility of pardon. His family property shall be confiscated and deposited into the national treasury!"
Fang Mingzhe secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but on the surface he still pretended to be indignant.
Fang Mingli collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.
Just as the Imperial Guards removed Fang Mingli's hat, a ray of morning light pierced through the clouds.
The morning light shone on his face, making him appear particularly desolate.
Chu Lan observed coldly, sighing inwardly: The imperial court is rife with intrigue and treachery, making it difficult to distinguish between loyalty and treachery. This purge, though eliminating one threat, has not eradicated the underlying dangers; vigilance is still necessary.
Suddenly, Liu Shan staggered half a step, and fresh blood seeped from the bandage on his shoulder.
Chu Lan abruptly stood up, the twelve-tasseled beaded curtain jingling crisply: "Guards! Send Commander Liu to the Imperial Hospital and use my purple ginseng to prolong his life!"
……
Liu Shan was seriously injured while protecting the emperor, and Chu Lan immediately ordered the imperial physician to take good care of him.
Under the careful treatment of the imperial physicians, Liu Shan's injuries gradually improved.
A few days later, Liu Shan was able to get out of bed and walk around. Lü Ding hurriedly came to report: "Brother, I heard that Fang Mingzhe has secretly mobilized assassins to try to rescue Fang Mingli from the prison cart tomorrow."
Liu Shan's eyes narrowed, and he sneered, "He's still got his hands on that wicked scheme. I'll make sure he doesn't succeed."
He immediately summoned his confidants to devise a countermeasure.
The next day, the valley was silent except for the rustling of leaves in the breeze and the occasional crunch of the prison cart over dry branches.
Fang Mingli huddled in the corner of the iron cage, watching the smoke rising from the distant mountain valley. His Adam's apple suddenly bobbed violently—it was the coded signal for Fang's assassins to respond.
"Stop the sedan chair!" The escorting officer suddenly reined in his horse. "The prisoner needs to relieve himself."
The twenty imperial guards spread out in unison, their scabbards intentionally or unintentionally bumping against the saddles.
The moment Fang Mingli shakily stood up, seven whistling arrows suddenly shot out from the dense forest.
As the arrows whistled through the air, the Imperial Guards swiftly formed ranks. Amidst the flashing blades, thirty black-clad assassins pounced on the prison cart like ghosts, led by none other than the Fang family steward.
The butler's face was grim as he ordered in a low voice, "Speed up, you must rescue the master."
Before the steward could finish speaking, a command was given, and rockets were launched from all sides. Nearly a hundred imperial guards descended like divine soldiers, charging towards the suicide squad.
Rockets rained down like a storm, and the black-clad assassins fell to the ground, struck by arrows.
Fang Mingli closed his eyes in despair, his ears filled with screams.
Upon seeing this, the steward was terrified and shouted, "We've fallen for a trap! Kill them!"
The assassins were bloodthirsty and fought desperately, but they were gradually overwhelmed by the fierce attacks of the Imperial Guards.
Liu Shan led the charge, wielding his long sword as if he were in an empty field.
Lü Ding was even more valiant, his bronze cauldron flying and smashing the assassins until they cried out in agony.
After a fierce battle, most of the assassins were killed or wounded. Seeing that the situation was not good, the steward tried to escape on horseback.
How could Liu Shan let him escape? He used his lightness skill to block the steward's path in a few leaps.
"Steward Fang, you have no way to escape today!" Liu Shan roared.
Butler Fang's face twisted in a grimace: "Liu Shan, don't be so smug, the master won't let you get away with this!"
Having said that, he swung his sword and thrust it forward.
Liu Shan easily blocked the attack, then slashed Fang Butler's arm with a backhand strike.
The butler staggered backward, his clothes stained with blood.
After only a few rounds of fighting, Butler Fang screamed and dropped his weapon.
Liu Shan glanced coldly at him, the tip of his knife pointing directly at the butler's throat: "Accept your fate."
He was about to capture Steward Fang alive when Steward Fang suddenly bit into the poison sac in his mouth, his face turning purple-gold instantly, and he died from the poison.
Liu Shan was taken aback. He quickly looked around and saw that the remaining assassins, seeing this, also bit into their poison sacs and fell to the ground one after another.
Liu Shan snorted coldly, flicked the blood off his sword, and narrowed his eyes as he gazed toward the capital.
As the rising sun pierced through the morning mist, the prison cart slowly drove out of the valley, its chains clanging.
……
After this battle, Liu Shan's merit in protecting the emperor and suppressing the rebellion spread throughout the capital.
Chu Lan was overjoyed and announced in the court: "Liu Shan is commendable for his loyalty and bravery and has made great contributions to protecting the country. Effective immediately, he is promoted to Commander of the Imperial Guards, in charge of the defense of the capital, and is granted a sword to wear before the emperor, which allows him to execute without prior approval."
Liu Shan knelt down to express his gratitude: "Your Majesty's great kindness will surely earn me your loyalty and serve the court to the death."
As he knelt to receive the sword, the dragon pattern on the scabbard was biting the first rays of dawn.
Chu Lan's fingertips brushed against the jeweled tassel of the sword, and suddenly leaned down to whisper in his ear: "This sword has slain three vassal kings."
As she stepped back, the tassels of her crown swayed slightly, casting dappled light on Liu Shan's armor. "From this day forward, you will be my shadow."
Three sharp cracks of a whip came from outside the hall. The moment Liu Shan turned around with his sword in hand, twelve jade algae formed a golden net behind him.
Fang Mingzhe stood at the very front of the civil officials' line, the newly carved cracks on his official tablet winding like venomous snakes.
After Liu Shan took office as the commander of the Imperial Guards, he vigorously reorganized the Imperial Guards, strengthened training, and enforced strict discipline.
He personally supervised training every day, and under his encouragement, the soldiers were in high spirits and their martial arts skills improved.
The defenses of the capital were becoming increasingly secure, and the situation in the imperial court was gradually stabilizing.