Chapter 451
Chapter 451
At the command of Mobile Force General Wang Dong, a thousand elite soldiers, their spirits ablaze, drew their swords in unison. Wang Dong continued his countdown.
"Three, two, one! Time's up! Lord Shen Lang, I have given you a chance, but since you insist on your course, do not blame military law for its harshness! All the citizens of this city will bear witness that I acted for the safety of the people and the capital. Move out!"
Instantly, the elite soldiers of the Capital Commandery advanced step by step, swords raised. Hidden among his men, Mobile Force General Wang Dong revealed a faintly sinister smile.
"City Lord Shen Lang, you brought this all upon yourself. We are a thousand strong, while you have but two hundred. If you dare to strike, it will be nothing short of treason. City Lord Shen Lang, if you attack, it is treason."
*This is the capital, not Xuanwu City or White Night Prefecture. Even a dragon must lie low here.*
Shen Lang glanced at Wang Dong and said calmly.
"Tsk, tsk. You pathetic fool. Big Dummy, close your eyes and kill them!"
At Shen Lang's command, Big Dummy closed his eyes and swung the darksteel staff in his hands fiercely. A startled Mobile Force General Wang Dong cried out.
"Shen Lang, you dare! Are you committing treason?! Kill them without mercy!"
*CRACK!*
The instant Big Dummy's darksteel staff descended, Wang Dong hastily raised his sword to block, but it shattered on impact. The staff struck his head and body.
*SPLAT!*
Mobile Force General Wang Dong’s head and body exploded, a gruesome death. The scene was too horrific to behold. Shen Lang commented dispassionately, as if it were nothing.
"Fool."
All who witnessed the scene were stunned.
Shen Lang issued another command.
"I am here on urgent military business. Anyone who blocks my entry into the city will be killed without mercy!"
In an instant, Big Dummy, eyes still closed, began a great slaughter, swinging his darksteel staff and sending the bodies of warriors flying in all directions. Shen Lang's men fired their powerful crossbows relentlessly, and the elite soldiers guarding Xuanwu Gate fell one after another. They had intended to fight back, but with Mobile Force General Wang Dong dead, they were without a commander and fell into chaos, unsure of what to do. Besides, the orders Wang Dong had received were only to disarm Shen Lang's troops, escort them away, and place them in isolation. Shen Lang had recently achieved a monumental victory; could they truly bring themselves to kill him and his men? They couldn't, but unexpectedly, Shen Lang had no such compunctions about killing them. Shen Lang glanced at Wang Dong's body on the ground and said calmly.
"The person behind you wanted to provoke me into losing my composure and killing you. Now, you have your wish. Let's go!"
At Shen Lang's command, his two hundred warriors spurred their horses, broke through the defenders' encirclement, and rode into the city, leaving behind dozens of corpses and a crowd of terrified citizens. Only after a long moment did the people gathered before the gate erupt into shouts.
"Shen Lang has committed treason! Shen Lang is a traitor!"
* * *
Shen Lang laughed dismissively.
*Is this paltry trap all they could muster? Did they think that I, who slaughtered tens of thousands in White Night Prefecture, would hesitate to do so in the capital?*
Shen Lang rode down Xuanwu Avenue toward the residence of the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng. He knew the attacks against him were far from over. The incident at Xuanwu Gate was merely an appetizer. Furthermore, despite the fact that he had killed people, no army pursued him. His opponent's objective was simple: to make Shen Lang openly commit murder at Xuanwu Gate, thus manufacturing the "fact" of his treason.
* * *
Upon arriving at the residence of the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng, his wife, Lady Zhuo, and an old eunuch who had raised him since childhood hurried out to greet them.
"Young Master Shen, you've finally come."
Seeing their expressions, a mixture of joy and distress, Shen Lang guessed that something was indeed wrong and asked.
"What happened?"
The old eunuch said.
"His Highness, the Fifth Prince, has been taken by the Imperial Clan Court."
Shen Lang frowned.
"The Imperial Clan Court? Is he under house arrest?"
The Imperial Clan Court was the department responsible for all matters concerning the royal family, and occasionally, the nobility. The old eunuch replied.
"No, he has been incarcerated! He is locked in the prison of the Imperial Clan Court."
Hearing this, Shen Lang raised an eyebrow. Princess Ning Yan was also confined within a building of the Imperial Clan Court, but that was merely a performance for others to see. To be locked in the Court's prison, however, was a deeply troubling matter. Princess Ning Yan would likely be released after two months of confinement, but once thrown into the Imperial Clan Court's prison—much like a common criminal held by the Grand Court of Revision—one could be incarcerated for years. Imprisonment in the Imperial Clan Court was far more severe than simple detention; it was common for one to be locked away for life.
"Why? What crime could His Highness possibly have committed?"
"Murder."
Shen Lang was stunned by the old eunuch's words. Prince Ning Zheng, a murderer? The man was introverted, but he was kind-hearted and exceptionally level-headed. How could he possibly kill someone?
"Who is he said to have killed?"
"The Chief Minister of the Grand Court of Revision, an assistant minister, a registrar, and two guards!"
As soon as he heard the eunuch, Shen Lang's head began to throb.
*Such a grand scheme? They framed him for such a grave crime? Even the Chief Minister of the Grand Court of Revision is dead?*
The Chief Minister of the Grand Court of Revision was a high-ranking official of the fourth rank, making his death incomparable to that of a mere Mobile Force General. And on top of that, a sixth-rank assistant minister and a seventh-rank registrar were also dead. This was a monumental case. No wonder Prince Ning Zheng had been thrown into the prison of the Imperial Clan Court. Even a prince favored by the King could not withstand such an accusation, let alone the stuttering Prince Ning Zheng, who was treated like air and ignored even by the Magistrate of Wannian County. His opponents had used an exceptionally vicious tactic.
Shen Lang took a deep breath and said.
"His Highness would never kill anyone. What really happened?"
Just then, Bing'er ran out and threw herself into Shen Lang's arms. The child in her womb was nearly six months along, and her belly was quite large. Her lovely face was now haggard, her expression filled with fear and anxiety, making her look like a small, trembling animal. Xiao Bing burst into tears and said.
"Master, I killed them! His Highness took the blame for me."
Shen Lang looked at Bing'er; the girl's eyes were so bloodshot he could tell she hadn't slept in days. In her womb was his child. He held her tightly, stroking her back, and spoke in a gentle voice.
"There's no rush. Tell me slowly. Why did you kill them?"
Bing'er said.
"I used the Stormy Pear Blossom hidden weapon you gave me, Master. I just pressed a button, and all five of those wicked men died. His Highness confessed to the murders to protect me and was arrested. Master, please, you must save him!"
For a moment, Shen Lang's head swam.
*Bing'er, were you always so fierce? You used the Stormy Pear Blossom to kill someone at the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, and now you've done it again in the capital? No. She would never have done it unless she was forced. This girl is quite clever; she knows what she should and should not do. For her to kill someone, they must have threatened her safety, or the safety of the child in her womb.*
"Bing'er, I trust you would not kill without reason. What exactly happened?"
Nestled in Shen Lang's arms, Xiao Bing finally felt a sense of security now that the one person she could truly rely on had appeared. She vividly recounted the entire sequence of events. The incident stemmed from the two daughters of Gang Leader Lü of the Skywind West Gang. When the gang leader and his wife had tried to frame Jin Mucong, Shen Lang had ensured their demise, and their two young daughters were taken in by the Fifth Prince and his wife. After the upcoming Spring Festival, one would turn three and the other four. Having been in their care for nearly half a year, the children had grown very close to Shen Lang, and even more so to Xiao Bing. However, according to the laws of the State of Yue, since the Lü family had been executed, the two children were to be sent to the Grand Pardon Institute.
The Grand Pardon Institute was where the children of convicted officials were sent. If a child was too young to be executed, they were raised within its walls as the offspring of criminals. It was a living hell. Any boy raised there was castrated upon reaching a certain age to become a eunuch or was sent to be a slave in the army. The girls suffered an even more miserable fate, being sold off as the lowest of female servants. Furthermore, thirty percent of the children there did not survive to adulthood. Given its vile reputation, neither Shen Lang nor the Fifth Prince could bear the thought of sending the two girls to such a place.
Moreover, the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng, had come to love the two girls as if they were his own. They were truly adorable; the older one was exceptionally bright, while the younger was innocent and pure. Not only Ning Zheng, but Shen Lang himself was also extremely fond of them, often holding and playing with them. While Shen Lang was away on his diplomatic mission to the State of Qiang, officials from the Grand Court of Revision had come to the prince's residence several times to demand he hand over the children, but Ning Zheng refused them each time. He suffered great humiliation with every visit, lamenting his powerlessness to protect even two small children. After Shen Lang's return from the State of Qiang, the Grand Court of Revision had temporarily ceased its efforts. But unexpectedly, they had regrouped and returned with a vengeance.
Three days ago, the newly appointed Chief Minister of the Grand Court of Revision had led his men to the prince's residence and, taking advantage of Ning Zheng's absence, tried to forcibly take the two children away. Naturally, Bing'er and Lady Zhuo refused to allow such tyranny and stood protectively in front of the girls. During the standoff, one of the guards from the Grand Court of Revision made a surreptitious move to strike Bing'er's pregnant belly. The child within her was her everything, her very life; how could she possibly stand by and let any harm come to it? In that instant, Bing'er instinctively fired the Stormy Pear Blossom, killing all five men from the Grand Court of Revision.
After killing them, Bing'er was overcome with fear, believing she had brought a great disaster upon her master and the Jin Clan. Still, she did not regret her actions, for someone had tried to harm her child. When the Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng, returned to his residence and learned what had happened, he was filled with rage. He slammed his fist against a wall, once again lamenting how his lack of power allowed them to be so cruelly bullied.
He lacked the power to protect even two small children, which was why the Grand Court of Revision had dared to storm his home in his absence. Since Bing'er was a guest in his home, he also had a responsibility to protect her, especially since she was a pregnant woman, more than five months along.
In the end, out of a sense of duty, Ning Zheng took responsibility for the murders. He allowed himself to be arrested by the men from the Grand Court of Revision and the Imperial Clan Court and was subsequently incarcerated in the Court's prison. And despite his sacrifice, the two little girls were ultimately dragged away by the officials and sent to the hellish Grand Pardon Institute.