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Chapter 192 Cao Zhengchun, you dare to lay a hand on me!

Zhenbeihou Mansion.

Marquis Xue Shaowen of Zhenbei sat in the main seat, his face thoughtful.

Standing below was a burly general.

This burly general was the most trusted general of the Marquis of Zhenbei.

Marquis Xue Shaowen of Zhenbei glanced at the burly general and asked, "Is everything arranged? The imperial officials will arrive tomorrow, so let's hope nothing goes wrong."

"Rest assured, my lord, I have made all the arrangements."

"If any official in the court dares to harbor any ill intentions, then I guarantee they will suffer the consequences."

"This is what the burly general said in a low, booming voice."

"That's good."

Marquis Xue Shaowen of Zhenbei nodded.

To guard against the arrival of the imperial envoy, Xue Shaowen was on high alert.

It's not fair to blame Marquis Xue Shaowen for being overly cautious; the actions of the imperial court simply forced him to be prudent.

In particular, Cao Zhengchun, the half-step Celestial Depot supervisor, put considerable pressure on Xue Shaowen.

"Go and inform the generals in the army to come to the Marquis's residence tomorrow to welcome the imperial envoy!"

Marquis Xue Shaowen of Zhenbei spoke to the burly general.

The burly general immediately cupped his hands and said, "Yes, Your Excellency."

After the burly general left, Xue Shaowen, the Marquis of Zhenbei, frowned deeply.

do not know why.

Xue Shaowen always had a feeling that a storm was brewing.

"An Yi, have any unusual movements been made by the various generals in the army?"

Xue Shaowen asked.

"Reporting to the Marquis, there has been no unusual activity among the generals in the army."

A ghostly figure appeared beside Xue Shaowen.

"Keep a close eye on them tomorrow, don't let your guard down for a moment."

Xue Shaowen said earnestly.

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

The ghostly figure vanished instantly.

"I hope everything will be peaceful tomorrow and nothing unexpected will happen!"

Xue Shaowen thought to himself.

……

the next day.

Zhenbeihou Mansion.

Crowded.

More than ten generals of the Zhenbei Army gathered at the Zhenbei Marquis's residence.

These generals were the backbone of the Zhenbei Army.

All the generals who were able to enter the Marquis's residence today to greet the imperial envoys were not ordinary generals in the Zhenbei Army; they were all pillars of the Zhenbei Army.

Of course, these generals were all confidants of Xue Shaowen, the Marquis of Zhenbei, and followed his lead without question.

Xue Shaowen, along with his dozen or so generals, waited quietly at the entrance of the Marquis's residence to welcome the imperial envoy.

At that moment, a soldier rode up from the direction of the city gate.

"My lord, the imperial envoy has entered the city and is heading towards the Marquis's residence."

After the soldier rushed over, he dismounted and reported to Xue Shaowen.

"understood."

Xue Shaowen waved his hand.

The soldier who delivered the message withdrew.

soon.

The imperial envoys' procession came into Xue Shaowen's view.

The leader was dressed in the robes of a chief supervisor, with a white face and no beard, white hair at the temples, and riding a tall horse, making him very conspicuous.

The person in charge, needless to say, should be Cao Zhengchun, the supervisor of the Eastern Depot.

Hundreds of Divine Martial Guards followed behind.

When Xue Shaowen saw that Cao Zhengchun had only brought a few hundred Divine Martial Guards into the city, while the rest of the troops remained outside, he felt a sense of relief.

If these hundreds of Divine Martial Guards enter the city, there shouldn't be too much of a problem.

in a blink.

Cao Zhengchun arrived with several hundred Divine Martial Guards.

Upon seeing this, Xue Shaowen immediately led more than ten generals forward to greet him; "Eunuch Cao, you must be tired from your journey. We, the Marquis and the generals, have been eagerly awaiting your arrival for a long time."

"Welcome, Eunuch Cao, to the northern frontier and to Zhenbei City."

Xue Shaowen smiled and cupped his hands in greeting to Cao Zhengchun.

"Greetings, Eunuch Cao."

The dozen or so generals following behind Xue Shaowen also bowed to Cao Zhengchun.

This is considered giving Cao Zhengchun a lot of face.

These people were originally the backbone generals of the Zhenbei Army, and there was no need to be so polite to a eunuch.

Even if this eunuch is someone close to the emperor in the palace.

However, Cao Zhengchun was too special; he was not an ordinary eunuch.

Besides being a close confidant of the emperor in the palace, Cao Zhengchun was also the Grand Supervisor of the Eastern Depot and a powerful figure who was half a step into the Celestial Realm.

Regardless of rights.

It all comes down to strength.

Cao Zhengchun, this eunuch, was in no way inferior to these generals, and in fact, he surpassed them all.

Therefore, it is only natural that these generals were so polite to Cao Zhengchun, given that he held all these identities.

"You're too kind, my lord. I was just following orders and it wasn't hard work at all."

Cao Zhengchun dismounted and tossed the reins to a guard standing nearby.

"Generals, please don't be so polite. You are all pillars of our Great Zhou, guarding the northern border and resisting the Northern Di. You have made great contributions."

"I am not worthy of such a courtesy from you generals."

After dismounting, Cao Zhengchun looked at the dozen or so generals and spoke in a high-pitched voice.

The two sides exchanged pleasantries.

Marquis Xue Shaowen, accompanied by more than ten generals, welcomed Cao Zhengchun into the Marquis's residence and into the council hall.

Then, Xue Shaowen introduced the dozen or so generals of the Zhenbei Army to Cao Zhengchun one by one.

After listening to Xue Shaowen's introduction, Cao Zhengchun nodded and said, "All of you generals are the pillars of our Great Zhou. It is because of your guard that the northern border of our Great Zhou has been stable for so many years."

"When I left Luoyang, His Majesty said that the soldiers on the frontier had shed blood for the Great Zhou, and we must never let them shed tears for the Great Zhou again."

"The soldiers' pay at the border must not be shortchanged or withheld."

"Therefore, His Majesty sent me to the northern frontier with the military pay to personally distribute it to every soldier."

"At the same time, His Majesty also sent me to deliver an imperial edict to the Marquis of Zhenbei."

As he spoke, Cao Zhengchun produced a golden imperial edict.

Xue Shaowen's eyes flashed, he hesitated for a moment, then knelt on the ground, ready to listen to the imperial edict.

If it were an ordinary eunuch delivering the imperial edict, Marquis Xue Shaowen of Zhenbei wouldn't need to receive it in such a formal manner.

However, Cao Zhengchun was no ordinary eunuch. Even if Xue Shaowen was unwilling to kneel and receive the imperial decree, he still had to kneel on the ground to listen to the decree in front of Cao Zhengchun.

Who can blame him when Cao Zhengchun possesses the strength of a half-step Celestial?

The dozen or so generals behind him also knelt down, following Xue Shaowen, the Marquis of Zhenbei.

It wasn't that they truly took the imperial edict seriously, but rather that they put on a good show.

Otherwise, it would be bad if the head of the Eastern Depot in front of them caught them red-handed.

"His Majesty has decreed that Marquis Xue Shaowen of Zhenbei is to guard the northern border of the Great Zhou, resist the northern barbarians, and protect the peace of the Great Zhou. His merits are outstanding."

"From the day Marquis Zhenbei receives this imperial decree, he shall immediately return to the capital with Cao Zhengchun, the Director of the Eastern Depot, to receive the court's rewards and to report on the affairs of the northern border..."

Cao Zhengchun loudly read out the imperial edict.

The imperial edict was very long, but it only conveyed one true meaning.

That is to send Marquis Xue Shaowen of Zhenbei back to Luoyang.

And immediately after receiving the imperial decree, he followed Cao Zhengchun back to Luoyang.

Upon hearing the contents of the imperial decree, Xue Shaowen, the Marquis of Zhenbei, maintained a calm expression, but his heart was filled with extreme gloom.

He had previously guessed that Cao Zhengchun, the head of the Eastern Depot, came to the northern frontier for a purpose that was not simply to escort military funds.

Sure enough.

The meaning of this imperial edict was that he was to return to Luoyang to receive his reward; it was clearly intended to escort this Marquis of Zhenbei back to Luoyang.

The person who took him into custody was Cao Zhengchun, the supervisor of the Eastern Depot.

So this was the real reason why the palace sent Cao Zhengchun, the head of the Eastern Depot, to the northern frontier.

Xue Shaowen's mind was racing.

The other dozen or so Zhenbei Army generals who were kneeling all changed their expressions after hearing the contents of the imperial edict.

The meaning of the imperial edict is quite obvious.

Anyone can see it.

He was to return to Luoyang to receive his reward and to report on matters concerning the border.

These are all just excuses and pretexts.

It seems that once Xue Shaowen, the Marquis of Zhenbei, returns to Luoyang, he will never be able to come out again.

After reading the imperial edict, Cao Zhengchun closed it and looked at Xue Shaowen, who was kneeling on the ground; "Marquis of Zhenbei, receive the edict!"

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

More than a dozen generals of the Zhenbei Army were watching the Marquis of Zhenbei, secretly gathering their strength, ready to make a move at any moment.

Even the surrounding area of ​​the council hall exuded a faint aura, which could not be hidden from Cao Zhengchun, a half-step Celestial.

Cao Zhengchun paid no attention to it, only staring straight at Xue Shaowen, the Marquis of Zhenbei, who was kneeling on the ground.

Whether to accept or not was entirely up to Xue Shaowen.

"The minister accepts the order."

Xue Shaowen reached out and took the imperial edict, his face calm, revealing no trace of his true thoughts.

After receiving the imperial edict, Xue Shaowen stood up.

The dozen or so generals of the Zhenbei Army behind him were visibly stunned when they saw Xue Shaowen receive the imperial edict.

However, the dozen or so generals of the Zhenbei Army did not say much. They stood up with the Marquis of Zhenbei, and their secret preparations never stopped.

Because they all knew that Xue Shaowen, the Marquis of Zhenbei, would never actually accept such an imperial decree that would lead him to certain death.

Cao Zhengchun narrowed his eyes and looked at Xue Shaowen, who had stood up, and said, "Since Your Excellency has accepted the imperial decree, then Your Excellency and I should set off for Luoyang immediately!"

"His Majesty is still in the palace waiting for the Marquis to return to court! As for the distribution of military pay, I have already made all the arrangements and can leave it to the people below."

Cao Zhengchun looked at Xue Shaowen and said in a feminine tone.

“Eunuch Cao, there’s no rush to return to Luoyang. Since you’ve come from afar, I must give you a proper welcome.”

"Furthermore, I must arrange border defenses to prevent any mishaps while I am away."

"Once I have finished making these arrangements, I will return to Luoyang with Eunuch Cao."

Xue Shaowen said with a smile.

Is it possible to send someone back to Luoyang to die with just an imperial decree?
Even if the one delivering the imperial decree is Cao Zhengchun, the Grand Supervisor of the Eastern Depot, he can forget about bringing this Marquis of Zhenbei back to Luoyang.

"My lord, His Majesty is waiting for your return to court."

"We shouldn't keep His Majesty waiting too long. We can leave these matters to the people below."

As Cao Zhengchun spoke, he reached out and grabbed Xue Shaowen's shoulder.

Who was Cao Zhengchun?

Xue Shaowen's attempt to fool Cao Zhengchun with this stalling tactic was far too simplistic.

"presumptuous."

"Cao Zhengchun, how dare you, a mere eunuch, lay a hand on me?"

Seeing Cao Zhengchun grab his shoulder, Xue Shaowen stopped pretending.

The smile on his face vanished instantly.

His aura erupted, and he retreated.

At the same time, he fired several hidden weapons at Cao Zhengchun with his right hand.

Xue Shaowen knew that Cao Zhengchun was a half-step Celestial Realm expert. At such close range, the only way to escape Cao Zhengchun's grasp was to launch a sneak attack.

This way, Cao Zhengchun can be delayed for a moment.

Retreat to a safe distance.

Cao Zhengchun was already on guard against the hidden weapon shot by Xue Shaowen.

With a casual wave of his hand, the hidden weapon that Xue Shaowen had shot was knocked to the ground, while Cao Zhengchun's right hand still reached for Xue Shaowen's shoulder.

"Click."

Cao Zhengchun removed one of the arms of Xue Shaowen, the Marquis of Zhenbei, with a single move, ultimately forcing Xue Shaowen to retreat to the back.

Meanwhile, the dozen or so generals of the Zhenbei Army who had been secretly gathering their strength all attacked Cao Zhengchun at the same time, blocking Cao Zhengchun's progress in capturing Xue Shaowen, the Marquis of Zhenbei.

At the same time, powerful auras surged from all around the council hall, heading straight for Cao Zhengchun.

It could be said that this council hall was a trap from all sides.

This was prepared by Xue Shaowen, the Marquis of Zhenbei, to guard against Cao Zhengchun, a man who was only half a step into the Celestial Realm.

"Humph."

“You traitors and rebels, how dare you defy the imperial decree and attack me!”

They all deserve to die.

Cao Zhengchun's imposing aura erupted, and his gray hair fluttered in the wind.

The combined strength of the half-step Celestial Being was unleashed with a wave of their hand.

Powerful shockwaves spread out in all directions.

"puff."

The figures attacking Cao Zhengchun were sent flying one by one, crashing into the surrounding area of ​​the council hall and falling to the ground.

"Is this the power of a half-step Celestial Being?"

Upon seeing this, Xue Shaowen's expression changed drastically.

Xue Shaowen had not expected that Cao Zhengchun's strength was so formidable.

It should be noted that this ambush was orchestrated by Marquis Xue Shaowen of Zhenbei, who mobilized all the experts and resources of his mansion, and even had two Grandmasters from beyond the Great Wall sent to the frontier.

Unexpectedly, these experts did not last long against Cao Zhengchun before being blasted away by him.

Despite the pain of his severed arm, Xue Shaowen rushed to the door and pressed a button.

"Boom."

A cage fell from above and directly imprisoned Cao Zhengchun.

Furthermore, the floor where Cao Zhengchun was standing opened directly downwards.

Cao Zhengchun had just blasted away those who were lying in ambush when he was caught in a cage and fell down.

The floor then closes up.

This is a mechanism set up by Xue Shaowen in the council hall; both the cage and the secret room are made of black iron.

Even a half-step Celestial wouldn't be able to break free easily if trapped.

Moreover, Xue Shaowen had also set up hidden weapons and poisonous smoke in the secret room.

For most people, falling down there would be certain death.

Seeing Cao Zhengchun fall into the prison he had set up, Xue Shaowen showed no sign of relief.

Xue Shaowen didn't know if the prison cell could do anything to Cao Zhengchun.

After all, a half-step Celestial Realm expert has a very strong vitality and is not so easily killed or eliminated.

Xue Shaowen knew that the council hall had become a dangerous place, and he took a step to leave it.

Regardless of whether the prison cell could subdue Cao Zhengchun, Xue Shaowen had to leave immediately and summon the Zhenbei Army to enter the city.

Even if the prison cell couldn't harm Cao Zhengchun, a half-step Celestial, once the Zhenbei Army entered the city, Xue Shaowen would no longer need to fear Cao Zhengchun, this half-step Celestial.

A half-step Celestial being is very strong.

But if they were caught in the midst of the 300,000-strong Zhenbei Army, they would only face certain death.

(End of this chapter)