Liver into a martial arts legend: starting with Embroidered Spring Blade

Chapter 104: If the eunuch party is not eliminated, how can we take the throne? (Transition chapter)
Half an hour later.

Jiang Xuan and the other two rushed to the funeral palace.

Xu Panxing's rear office was closest to the funeral palace, so he was the first to arrive.

Jiang Xuan and Pei Lun met at the entrance of the funeral palace.

"Brother Jiang Xian!"

Seeing Jiang Xuan, Pei Lun immediately came forward and asked in a low voice, "Do you know why the emperor summoned us?"

Jiang Xuan had some guesses in his mind, but he didn't say much. He simply said, "Brother Pei, although the emperor has successfully ascended the throne, the eunuch party has not yet fallen."

"The current situation is uncertain. The competition among the various factions in the court is fierce. If we are not careful, we will be dragged into it. As Jinyiwei, it is best for us to do our own duties well. We don't seek merit, but we just hope to avoid mistakes."

"I see."

Pei Lun nodded, his expression solemn: "I will do whatever you say. I will listen to you."

After so many things happened, Pei Lun no longer dared to underestimate Jiang Xuan, especially the palace coup, which made him realize the situation clearly.

He knew his own worth, and if he didn't know how to choose, he would just follow Jiang Xuan.

Jiang Xuan nodded without saying anything else, and the two of them walked into the funeral palace together.

But after entering, both of them were stunned.

Because in the mourning hall, in addition to Zhu Youjian, Wang Chengen and Xu Panxing, Cao Zhengchun was also there.

What is this old guy doing here?
Jiang Xuan was puzzled, but he didn't think much about it. He and Pei Lun stepped forward and saluted: "Your humble servant pays respect to the emperor."

"No gift."

Zhu Youjian smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Captain Jiang, Captain Pei, I summoned you here today because I have an errand for you to carry out."

"Your Majesty, please give your orders." The three of them bowed.

Zhu Youjian signaled to Wang Chengen, who hurried forward and handed each of the three people a list.

Jiang Xuan looked down and was startled.

It turns out that they are going to take action against the eunuch party.

On this list were the names of the core members of the eunuch party.

Zhu Youjian said, "My three lords, you should understand what I mean. I will not elaborate further."

"Investigate each person on this list one by one, but do it in secret. Don't let any information leak out and alert the enemy."

"After you have investigated, come back and report to me."

The three of them bowed solemnly: "I accept your command."

Zhu Youjian waved his hand and said, "Go ahead."

The three of them saluted again, then put away the list and turned to leave.

After going out.

Xu Panxing glanced at Jiang Xuan and the other man, and left without even saying goodbye. It seemed that he was still angry about the last time he took the imperial examination book.

Jiang Xuan and the other man ignored him.

Not until they were a little further away did Pei Lun turn to look at Jiang Xuan, his face solemn as he whispered, "Is the Emperor going to take action against the eunuchs?"

Jiang Xuan's expression remained calm. "Isn't it obvious? First, eliminate his followers, then move on to Wei Zhongxian. I wonder who gave him this idea."

"It's a good idea, but it depends on whether he can stabilize the situation."

"If this isn't done right, the entire Ming Dynasty will be in chaos."

Pei Lun nodded. He naturally understood the consequences of removing these people from the list.

"What do you think, brother?" Pei Lun asked in a deep voice.

"Just do it, what else can you do?"

Jiang Xuan said calmly, "Anyway, we are already at loggerheads with the eunuchs. Even if we don't take action, they will eventually cause trouble for us. It's better to strike first."

"Besides...if we don't get rid of the eunuch party, how can we take power?"

Pei Lun was startled, then asked, "What if, as you said, the situation becomes unstable and unrest breaks out?"

Jiang Xuan turned around and looked at him, smiling, "Brother Pei, we, the Jinyiwei, are responsible for investigating cases. Even if there really is chaos, that is the responsibility of the civil officials and military generals. What does it have to do with us?"

Pei Lun frowned: "Aren't you afraid of the Ming Dynasty..."

"Don't worry, it won't get to that point for now."

Jiang Xuan knew what he wanted to say and waved his hand, "Our Ming Dynasty is not as simple as you think. Even Wei Zhongxian's coup failed, let alone others."

"Even if it really comes to that, someone will take action. It's not our turn to fight to the death."

After experiencing the palace coup that night, Jiang Xuan now has a general understanding of the situation in the Ming Dynasty.

Not to mention other places, just in the capital, as long as the person in the palace is still there, nothing will happen.

As for other places, it is hard to say. Otherwise, why have there been so many uprisings and rebellions in various parts of the Ming Dynasty over the years, leading to a gradual decline in national strength?

That person is probably too busy to take care of so many things.

But none of this has anything to do with him.

Even if the Ming Dynasty really reached that point as in previous history, he would be powerless to do anything.

As a Jinyiwei, he only needs to do his job well and know what to touch and what not to touch.

As long as you control the degree well and don't touch the bottom line to attract the attention of the person in the palace.

He doesn't have to worry about his own safety.

Everything you deserve will come to you sooner or later.

soon.

Jiang Xuan returned to the Yousuo Yamen.

But before he even entered the door, Xu Longqing and others came to greet him: "Sir, Sir Xu is here!"

"Xu Xianchun?"

Jiang Xuan was slightly stunned, and then a strange look flashed in his eyes: "You are really well-informed..."

Since the palace coup, the three thousand households in the front, rear and right regions seemed to have separated from the Jinyiwei.

No one greeted them and no one cared what they did.

The eunuch party regarded them as traitors and enemies, and others did not dare to take sides easily.

Jiang Xuan naturally didn't take it seriously.

It was a rare opportunity to have some peace and quiet, and he was happy about it.

Unexpectedly, Xu Xianchun came just after I entered the palace.

Obviously he came to get information.

"How long has he been here?"

"I've been here for a while, waiting for you."

Xu Longqing's face was solemn: "Zongqi Lu and the others are waiting inside now."

"Let's go in and meet him." Jiang Xuan nodded and walked straight into the yamen.

Walking into the lobby, I saw Xu Xianchun drinking tea at the guest seat, while Lu Jianxing and others were standing by and waiting in an orderly manner, no one saying a word.

Seeing Jiang Xuan coming, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and hurried forward to salute: "Sir!"

"Hey? Captain Jiang is here?"

Xu Xianchun looked up, put down his teacup, and greeted him with a smile, as if what had happened before had never happened.

Jiang Xuan waved his hand to dismiss everyone, then stepped forward and bowed politely: "Handy Jiang Xuan, your Excellency."

Xu Xianchun said with a smile, "Captain Jiang, why are you suddenly so distant? Now that you've hooked up with a new boss, things are different."

Jiang Xuan's face was calm as he bowed and said, "Your Excellency is joking. I wonder what orders you have for me?"

"I don't dare to obey my orders."

Xu Xianchun smiled and said, "I just had nothing to do, so I came to take a look. After all, I promoted you, so you were once my man."

Playing the emotional card?

It seems that you really have something to ask for!
Jiang Xuan's eyes flickered, confirming his guess.

Since that was the case, Jiang Xuan no longer concealed his feelings and walked straight to the main seat and sat down. He looked at Xu Xianchun and said calmly, "Master Xu, please speak frankly."

"you……"

Seeing that Jiang Xuan actually didn't take him seriously, Xu Xianchun's eyes flashed with anger, but thinking about the current situation, he took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and nodded, "Okay, then I won't keep you in suspense."

"Captain Jiang, you are close to the Emperor. I wonder if there is any news from the Emperor?"

Jiang Xuan said calmly, "Master Xu, I don't quite understand what you mean."

Xu Xianchun said in a deep voice, "Let me ask you, what does the Emperor think of us? How does he plan to deal with us?"

Jiang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly: "Master Xu, are you begging me? Or are you ordering me?"

"you!"

Xu Xianchun slammed the table and stood up: "Jiang Xuan, don't go too far. After all, I have done you a favor!"

"If you want to talk, sit down!"

Jiang Xuan said coldly: "Do you still have the qualifications to overturn the table now?"

"Your so-called favor is nothing more than an exchange of interests. There's no need to make it sound so grand!"

"You gave the order, I did the work, and I accomplished the feat. Didn't you benefit from it? Don't you know how you were promoted to commander?"

"After Black Stone was destroyed, and after I wiped out the Qingcheng Sect, you don't have any idea how much benefit you've gained, do you? Why are you pretending with me?"

"you……"

Xu Xianchun's face looked grim. He wanted to refute but couldn't speak.

He was indeed promoted to the position of commander because of Jiang Xuan's help.

When Heishi was destroyed, it was he who led people to rob his house and obtained more than two million taels of silver.

In the matter of Qingcheng Sect, most of the treasures Jiang Xuan gave him ended up in his pocket.

All in all, he did gain more benefits.

Thinking of this, Xu Xianchun could only suppress his reluctance and sat back down, gritting his teeth and saying, "Okay, I beg you. When you enter the palace today, will you hear what the emperor wants to do with us?"

"do not know."

"you……"

Xu Xianchun said angrily, "What exactly do you want?"

Jiang Xuan looked at him calmly: "Are you here for yourself, or on behalf of Wei Zhongxian?"

"Is there any difference?" Xu Xianchun frowned.

"Of course there is a difference."

Jiang Xuan sneered, "If you're here on behalf of Wei Zhongxian, then I'll leave you alone. If you're here on your own behalf, then for the sake of our previous friendship, I can still show you a way forward!"

Xu Xianchun's body trembled, his face turned pale, and he murmured, "He really wants to attack us..."

"I didn't say anything."

Jiang Xuan's expression returned to calm.

After a moment, Xu Xianchun raised his head and looked at Jiang Xuan again, then asked with a bow, "Captain Jiang, what do you mean by the bright path you just mentioned?"

Jiang Xuan said calmly, "It's very simple. Take the initiative to go to the palace and resign, cooperate with the emperor, confess the crimes of the eunuch party, and then hand over the money you have embezzled over the years. The emperor may be able to spare your life."

Xu Xianchun was stunned for a moment, then his face darkened. He was silent for a long time, without saying a word, and suddenly turned and left.

Jiang Xuan shook his head.

Considering their previous relationship, he said everything he should and shouldn't say.

The specific choice depends on Xu Xianchun himself.

He took out the list from his pocket.

Xu Xianchun's name was on the list.

Except for Tian Ergeng, who was killed by him on the night of the palace coup, the other four of the Five Tigers of the Eunuch Party were among them.

In addition, there are names of some ministers in the court who are deeply involved with the eunuch party.

Jiang Xuan's gaze was fixed on the first name: Guo Yantang.

The chief minister of the cabinet, Guo Yantang.

Jiang Xuan frowned. Chongzhen even wanted to move the Prime Minister?

This Guo Yantang was indeed a member of the eunuch party, and was personally supported by Wei Zhongxian.

It was also because of this person that Wei Zhongxian had a say in the cabinet.

Speaking of which, Pei Xing, one of his men, had previously been a retainer at the Guo residence...

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Xuan found a pen and paper and divided the names on the list into three groups. He then called Xu Longqing, An Jianqing, and Lu Jianxing, handed them the list, and instructed them, "Check each person on the list one by one. Don't alert the enemy."

The three of them looked down and immediately realized something, and their expressions changed.

"Sir, the Emperor wants to..."

Jiang Xuan nodded: "Just understand it, don't spread it outside. Even if you have subordinates, only trustworthy people can handle it."

"Yes!" The three of them bowed solemnly and turned to leave.

……

into the night.

A firework flew into the night sky, stayed there for a few seconds, and then dissipated.

This is Black Stone's Thousand Mile Fire.

Since the destruction of Black Stone, Jiang Xuan still uses this Thousand Mile Fire, lighting it when needed to summon people from the underworld.

When a thousand-mile fire appears, it means something big is going to happen.

After the fireworks dissipated.

Soon, two dark shadows quietly appeared in the courtyard.

Cheng Shifei and Lin Pingzhi, who were practicing martial arts, looked back and saw that it was an acquaintance, so they paid no more attention to him.

They already knew that the master secretly controlled a force.

Xiyu and Qiu Moyan looked at each other without saying much, and walked into the living room at the same time.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw Jiang Xuan sitting on a chair waiting. Just as he was about to ask, Jiang Xuan said, "Wei Zhongxian is dying."

Hearing this, the two women's faces changed slightly, and they quickly realized something.

"Is the emperor going to take action against the eunuch party?" Qiu Moyan asked.

Jiang Xuan nodded: "Don't you and your junior sister want to take revenge with your own hands? You can notify your junior sister now."

"it is good!"

Qiu Moyan nodded without saying a word, then turned and left.

Jiang Xuan looked at Xiyu and said, "Send someone to keep a close eye on Wei Zhongxian's residence, especially his property. Don't let him transfer it secretly."

"Also, send someone to keep an eye on the people on this list. If there's anything unusual, keep a close eye on them. Don't alert them."

Jiang Xuan handed a list to Xiyu.

On the list were the members of the eunuch party.

If you don't move, then don't move at all. If you move, you must be absolutely safe.

Although Xu Longqing and others have been asked to investigate, multiple layers of insurance are also good.

Xiyu didn't say much. She took the list, took a look at it, and turned and left.

Everything that needs to be done is done.

Next, just wait until the situation is clarified before taking action.

Jiang Xuan got up, returned to his bedroom, and continued practicing.

……

Investigation and evidence collection is a long process.

This includes searching and tracking. Sometimes there are no clues, and it may even be necessary to wait for days or even months until the target reveals a flaw before we can follow the clues and unravel the mystery.

Although the Jinyiwei were good at this, there were too many things to investigate, and they also had to avoid the eyes and ears of the eunuch party to prevent alerting the enemy, so progress was extremely slow.

It took more than half a month before information was gradually delivered to Jiang Xuan.

Zhu Youjian's goal was to have enough evidence to kill all the eunuch party members at once.

Sometimes, when the evidence found is insufficient, Jiang Xuan will personally investigate with Xu Longqing and others.

Among them, the Guo Mansion was the first to be hit.

The more powerful an official is, the harder it is to investigate him.

As the chief minister of the cabinet, Guo Yantang is ranked as the leader of the eunuch party together with Cui Chengxiu, the leader of the Five Tigers. Over the years, he has made countless fortunes by relying on his power, but he has never revealed any flaws on the surface.

Fortunately, Pei Xing had worked in the Guo Mansion before and had participated in many dirty things in the Guo Mansion. He has recently found many clues.

But in order to avoid alerting the enemy, Pei Xing, Ding Xiu and others had been waiting in Guo's mansion for several days.

That night, Guo Yantang, who was over sixty years old, had a son in his old age. Although he was born to a dancer in the mansion, Guo Yantang loved him very much because he was his only son. He held a grand banquet in the mansion and countless people came to give gifts.

There was singing and dancing in the Guo Mansion, with many dignitaries drinking and chatting, and it was extremely lively.

However, no one noticed that in the night, dark shadows had already recorded this luxurious scene in a book, including what gifts the people who came to congratulate brought, how much gold, silver and treasures they gave, and every detail was recorded one by one.

Pei Xing and Ding Xiu took advantage of the fact that Guo Yantang was drinking and having fun with several court ministers, and quietly sneaked into Guo Yantang's secret room to search for the core evidence of Guo Yantang's crimes.

soon.

Pei Xing opened a box and took out a stack of booklets. He flipped through them and took a look. His face immediately lit up with joy.

"found it!"

These booklets contain not only various correspondences between Guo Yantang and other people over the years, but also some important plans with members of the eunuch party. No matter how big or small, everything is recorded in detail.

Ding Xiu leaned over to take a look and chuckled, "I wonder what these high-ranking officials have these quirks. They'd actually keep these petty affairs in letters. This really saves a lot of effort."

Pei Xing shook his head.

He was very clear about this.

These people colluded with each other privately, but they were also on guard.

Leaving these letters as evidence is also to protect their own people. In case the relationship breaks down one day, they will have the other party's handle.

"Let's go."

Pei Xing stuffed all the books into the bag and carefully restored everything in the house to its original state.

Then, the two of them lowered their voices, quietly walked out of the room, and prepared to return the same way.

But at this moment, there was suddenly a noise coming from a distance.

Several dark shadows walked slowly in the night, speaking in low voices, as if they were plotting something.

Pei Xing and the other man exchanged glances, then quietly hid in the room, ready to wait until these people left before leaving.

After a while, a group of people walked to the door of the room.

The leader was a young man dressed in fancy clothes with a sinister look on his face, followed by several figures dressed as guards.

"That bitch actually gave birth to a child. I can't let her ruin my plans!"

The young man's eyes were cold, and he gritted his teeth and said, "I don't care what method you use, you must get rid of that bitch and that evil child for me. Didn't the fortune teller say that he was a lucky star sent from heaven?"

"Find me someone to refine him into a human pill. I'm going to eat him and transfer all his luck to me!"

The young man had a ferocious face and murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

Pei Xing and the other man looked at each other, frowned slightly, and vaguely understood what was going on.

It is said that Guo Yantang had an illegitimate son named Guo Zhongxiang, but there were rumors outside that he was the son of Guo Yantang and a prostitute. Therefore, Guo Yantang did not like him, so he announced him to the outside world as an illegitimate son and ordered him to take charge of the affairs of the prime minister's residence.

If nothing unexpected happens, the person outside the door is Guo Zhongxiang.

Unexpectedly, he was so vicious. While Guo Yantang was celebrating his son's birthday outside, he was secretly plotting how to kill people and seize power. He also wanted to refine his own brother into a human pill and eat it?

What a devil!

At this time, a calm voice sounded outside the door: "Don't worry, sir, we know what to do."

"Is it Han Lu?!"

Hearing this familiar voice, Pei Xing's face changed slightly and he forgot to hold his breath for a moment.

Outside the door, Han Lu's ears moved slightly, and he suddenly turned around and looked into the room.

"What..." Guo Zhongxiang frowned and was about to ask, but was stopped by Han Lu's eyes.

Guo Zhongxiang's eyes flashed, he glanced in the direction of the room, and then quietly stepped back.

Han Lu made a few gestures, and the people behind him stepped forward, slowly drew their swords, and approached the room cautiously.

"No, I was discovered!"

When they heard the noise outside suddenly disappear, Pei Xing and the others' faces changed slightly, and they immediately realized that something was wrong.

"rush out!"

The two looked at each other and made a decision immediately.

If we get stuck inside and attract other people from the Guo Mansion, we won’t be able to leave even if we want to.

Bang!
Having made up their minds, the two men immediately set off and broke out of the door.

"Caught alive!"

Han Lu shouted.

"on!"

Several retainers of the Guo residence immediately rushed forward and attacked Pei Xing and the other man.

Ding-ding-ding-ding——

In an instant, swords and sabers flashed, and the two sides engaged in a fierce battle.

Each of the Guo family's retainers had extraordinary skills, and the weakest among them was actually at the second-rate level.

Although Pei Xing and the other two were able to resist temporarily, the other party cooperated with them tacitly and was determined to entangle them and not let them escape.

The two men were anxious and their moves were a bit chaotic. They were soon surrounded and lost their chance to escape.

"Damn it, kill them first!"

Ding Xiu spat, and the Imperial Guards swept out with their sword, instantly repelling several people. Then he turned from passive to active, and met the enemy with his sword. With each heavy blow, he made the opponent retreat again and again. No one dared to withstand his heavy sword.

"Miao Dao? Border Army's Kung Fu?"

Han Lu frowned and secretly wondered about this person's origins.

Suddenly, his gaze turned to another person, and his expression changed: "It's you! Pei Xing?!"

Hearing the familiar name, the expressions of several retainers who were besieging Pei Xing changed slightly, and they slowed down their actions.

Pei Xing pulled down his mask, looked at Han Lu, and sneered, "Sergeant Han, long time no see!"

"Pei Xing, is it really you?!"

One of the retainers frowned and asked, "What are you doing back here?"

Han Lu narrowed his eyes and said, "Do you even need to ask? He came back sneakily, so he must have become someone else's dog. No matter how noble his words were before leaving, how different is he from us in the end?"

"Kill this traitor and don't let him ruin our future!"

Several retainers looked at each other, gritted their teeth, and attacked again with their weapons.

Guo Zhongxiang frowned and asked, "Han Lu, do you know him?"

Han Lu bowed and said, "Sir Guo, he is my colleague in the army. He worked with me in the mansion before, but later he left on his own and lost contact with us."

"You don't want to be a dog for my Guo family, but want to be someone else's dog?"

Guo Zhongxiang snorted coldly and said, "These are your own people, you should deal with them yourself!"

"Yes!"

A murderous look flashed in Han Lu's eyes, and the long sword in his hand suddenly came out of its sheath. With a flash of his body, he joined the battle and slashed at Pei Xing with a sword.

Pei Xing's face changed slightly. He raised his sword to block, but was directly chopped away. The sword in his hand was also cut off, and sparks flew everywhere.

Steadying himself, Pei Xing looked at the broadsword in Han Lu's hand with a serious expression: "Yuzhou Feng!"

"With your ability, if you hadn't left, this sword would most likely be yours."

Han Lu said coldly: "What a pity, you chose to betray!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Han Lu rushed out again with a sword in his hand.

Pei Xing's face was gloomy. His martial arts skills were comparable to Han Lu's.

But at this moment, Han Lu had a sword in his hand, while he had lost his sword. He didn't even have the chance to fight back. He could only keep dodging and was soon forced into a dead end, with no way to retreat.

Ding Xiu noticed the situation here and wanted to come over to help, but he was held back by several retainers and couldn't get away. In his anxiety, he soon revealed his flaws and fell into a disadvantage again.

"Die!"

Han Lu had a cold expression on his face as he kept approaching Pei Xing. He swept his sword across, making a sharp whistling sound, trying to cut Pei Xing in the corner into two.

However, the imagined scene did not occur.

Han Lu's eyes flashed, and a figure appeared in front of Pei Xing at some point. He raised two fingers and clamped the unparalleled sharp Universe Sword.

Faintly, there seemed to be a dull sound coming from the fingertips, as if hitting steel.

hum~
Han Lu took a closer look and his face changed drastically.

"Ding!"

The figure snapped his fingers, the sword trembled, and he retreated with Han Lu.

"grown ups!"

Pei Xing looked at the figure that appeared in front of him, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly bowed.

The person who came was Jiang Xuan.

"Who are you?!"

Han Lu's face was solemn as he stared at the figure in the darkness, his heart trembling.

With just two fingers, he blocked his sword move?
Such skill was far beyond his imagination!
Jiang Xuan's face was calm as he walked out from the shadows, stared at Han Lu, and hooked his finger: "Come here."

Han Lu gritted his teeth and rushed forward with the sword again. During the charge, the tip of the sword scratched the ground, splashing countless sparks, which actually ignited the sword body. With a blazing flame, he slashed towards Jiang Xuan.

But just as he arrived within three feet of Jiang Xuan, Han Lu's body shook, and he felt as if he was suddenly stuck in a quagmire. His speed slowed down inexplicably, and there seemed to be a sharp aura around him that was constantly eroding his body.

"This is……"

Han Lu's pupils shrank, and faced with this scene beyond his cognition, endless panic suddenly arose in his heart.

laugh!
Before he could come to his senses, an invisible blade flashed through the air.

Han Lu's body shook, his eyes widened, and his whole body suddenly split in half. He fell to the ground with convulsions, blood and internal organs scattered all over the ground, and soon he was no longer moving.

There was a moment of dead silence in the field.

Several retainers looked horrified and stared blankly at Han Lu's body.

"I still can't completely suppress it... Does the stronger the strength, the greater the immunity to the realm of mind?"

"As expected, artistic conception isn't invincible. Without a high enough realm, I can't fully unleash this power. However, it's enough for now..."

Jiang Xuan murmured, as if thinking about something.

Then, he glanced at the divine sword Universe Edge that fell to the ground.

Jiang Xuan stepped forward, tapped his toes lightly, and hooked it in his hand. His internal force surged, extinguishing the flames burning on the sword.

He took a closer look at the sword and shook his head, saying, "It's all fancy stuff, a fake!"

The sword should be made of a special flammable material, and the quality is pretty good. It should be on the same level as Xiyu's Water-Bi Sword and Cao Feng's Wheel Sword.

But it is far from the legendary sword of the real God of Death, Yuzhoufeng, and there is not a trace of murderous aura at all.

It must be an imitation.

"Here you go." Jiang Xuan casually threw it to Pei Xing.

"You...who are you?!"

At this time, the remaining group of guests in Guo's mansion came to their senses, and there was horror in their eyes.

"Someone come! There's an assassin..."

Guo Zhongxiang immediately turned around and ran, shouting as he ran, trying to attract the attention of the people in the Guo residence.

But before he could run far, a figure flashed by as if by teleportation, and a huge head shot up into the sky.

The remaining retainers were horrified and turned to leave, but Pei Xing and Ding Xiu also joined the battle at the same time.

Soon, all the retainers were killed and their bodies were scattered all over the ground.

Just at this moment, another figure came running from the distance, obviously attracted by the movement here.

"Did you get the stuff?"

Jiang Xuan looked at Pei Xing and the other man.

"got it."

Pei Xing patted the package on his body.

"go!"

The three of them immediately jumped over the wall and disappeared into the darkness.

After a while, Guo Yantang arrived with a large group of people.

Seeing the bloody scene in the yard, everyone's face changed drastically.

"Master, Deacon Guo is dead!" A servant said in a trembling voice as he looked at Guo Zhongxiang's bloody corpse.

"Not good!" Guo Yantang's face looked grim, and then he suddenly thought of something. He hurried into the house and looked through the boxes.

When he saw the empty box, Guo Yantang's face changed drastically. He staggered backward and almost fell.

"You are really coming for me..." Guo Yantang said dejectedly with a pale face.

……

Leave Guo Mansion.

The three of them walked down the street in a somewhat silent atmosphere.

After a moment, Pei Xing's face darkened as he took the initiative to apologize: "I'm sorry, sir. I was careless tonight and alerted the enemy."

Jiang Xuan didn't say much, but stretched out his hand and said, "Give me the thing."

Pei Xing quickly untied the package and handed it to Jiang Xuan.

Jiang Xuan took it, opened the package in the moonlight, and casually looked through it before putting it back and returning it to Pei Xing, saying, "It's okay. It's exposed, but having these things is enough."

Guo Yantang is the most difficult one to investigate.

Now that he has obtained the evidence of Guo Yantang's guilt, the investigation of the few people he is responsible for has basically been completed.

You can go to the palace to report tomorrow.

Pei Xing breathed a sigh of relief, took the package, and nodded, "Yes."

"Keep the things safe. Recruit the others tomorrow and gather all the evidence and hand it over to me."

After giving some instructions casually, Jiang Xuan used his skills and quickly disappeared from the street.

……

The next day.

Funeral palace, mourning hall.

Zhu Youjian flipped through the evidence in his hand, his face becoming increasingly grim. Finally, he slammed the pile of evidence onto the table with a bang and said through gritted teeth, "I knew it before. These eunuchs are the parasites that have caused the Ming Dynasty to decline year after year!"

"The entire Ming Dynasty collects less than five million taels of tax in a year, yet these traitors have embezzled tens of millions of taels! They truly deserve to die!"

"All deserve to die!"

Zhu Youjian gritted his teeth and was filled with resentment.

After ascending the throne, he went to check the national treasury.

The treasury of such a huge dynasty had less than two million taels of silver, and the finances in recent years were not in balance. The income was insufficient to cover the expenditure every year, and the expenditure was seriously inconsistent with the income.

He originally thought that it was just due to the natural disasters and wars in recent days.

He had never expected that these eunuchs who had been responsible for distributing disaster relief funds would have a net worth exceeding one million yuan. How could he not be furious?!

The most important thing is that these are only the core members of the eunuch party.

How many eunuchs are there in the entire Ming Dynasty and across the country?

How much money did those people embezzle in total?

He couldn't imagine it at all.

But thinking of the current situation in the Ming Dynasty, he took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, looked at Jiang Xuan and said, "Master Jiang, you did a good job on this matter."

"Let's keep these evidences for now. Wait until Captain Xu and Captain Pei finish their investigations before we take action together."

"As for the matter of the Guo Mansion, it has been exposed. As for Wei Zhongxian, I will find a way to stabilize him."

"I obey your command." Jiang Xuan saluted.

Zhu Youjian nodded, then suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, I heard that Xu Xianchun came to see you the last time you entered the palace?"

Jiang Xuan's eyes paused, then he calmly bowed, "Your Majesty, that's right. He came to ask me if I had any intention of taking action against the eunuchs. I ignored him."

Zhu Youjian nodded and said, "Sir Jiang, I know that you were promoted by Xu Xianchun. I understand that you are grateful to him."

"But I hope you understand that I must eliminate the eunuch party. I may be able to let others off the hook, but the core of the eunuch party, these people, must all be eliminated, otherwise I will not be able to sleep peacefully for a day!"

Jiang Xuan bowed, "Yes, I understand."

"Well, let's go."

Zhu Youjian waved his hand.

At this time, Wang Chengen stepped forward, looked at Jiang Xuan's departing back, and whispered: "Your Majesty, he was promoted by the eunuch party after all. Do you think he will..."

Zhu Youjian waved his hand: "He is a smart man and would not do such a stupid thing. He knows the current situation better than anyone else."

"Moreover, since the palace coup, he has had no way out."

"He now has no other choice but to rely on me."

Wang Chengen frowned slightly and said, "But I always feel that this person has a sinister mind and is not as simple as he appears to be."

"Furthermore, he was able to climb from a lowly lieutenant to this position in less than two years. This shows that he is quite capable. Your Majesty must be careful, as raising a tiger can only bring disaster..."

"I know it well."

Zhu Youjian said calmly, "And when it comes to ambition, everyone in the world has it."

"Not just him, but you, me, and even those who first joined me, like Xu Panxing and Hong Chengchou. Who among us doesn't have ambition?"

"But as long as they can work for me, I don't care about their ambitions, and I can even satisfy them."

"Since I dare to use them, I am naturally confident in controlling them!"

Hearing this, Wang Chengen said no more and said respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty is wise."

Zhu Youjian nodded, then took a deep breath and said, "There are still too few people I can trust now, and I don't have enough spies. I know nothing about the situation outside."

"After dealing with Wei Zhongxian, we must take control of the East Factory as soon as possible, only then will I feel at ease."

Wang Chengen's eyes flickered as he said, "After dealing with Wei Zhongxian, who will the Emperor want to take control of the East Factory?"

Zhu Youjian raised his eyebrows and turned to look at him: "What's the matter? Wang Chengen, are you also ambitious?"

Wang Chengen's face changed slightly, and he lowered his head quickly: "I dare not."

Zhu Youjian didn't care, he smiled and said, "Don't worry, you have followed me all the way to where I am today. I will never mistreat anyone but you."

"But the most urgent task is to find a way to get rid of these traitors who are causing harm to the country and the people!"

There was murderous intent in Zhu Youjian's eyes!
……

East Factory.

Compared to the past, the East Factory is now much quieter.

Although Wei Zhongxian was still in control, many officials were worried about being implicated after the palace coup. Although they were still respectful to Wei Zhongxian on the surface, they were privately distancing themselves from the eunuch party, intentionally or unintentionally.

These days, the only ones who dare to go to the East Factory openly are the core members of the eunuch party.

And at this time.

In the lobby of the East Factory, a group of core members of the eunuch party gathered together.

Among them was the chief minister of the cabinet, Guo Yantang.

The atmosphere in the lobby was very solemn.

Wei Zhongxian was still wearing the bright yellow dragon robe, looking majestic and elegant, but his face had aged a lot, and he no longer had the calmness and confidence he once had.

He sat high up in the first seat, his face icy as he stared intently at Guo Yantang below him, saying, "Are you sure the things in your house were stolen? And not hidden by you?"

Guo Yantang looked anxious and said, "How dare I lie to you, Master? The bodies of my nephew Guo Zhongxiang and the guards are still in the mansion. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to check."

In fact, after the palace coup, Guo Yantang rarely came to the East Factory. He originally wanted to take this opportunity to distance himself from the eunuch party.

After all, he is now the chief minister of the cabinet and the top civil servant.

There was no need to rely on Wei Zhongxian for survival anymore.

But Wei Zhongxian had something on him, so this matter was ultimately a hidden danger.

But as long as the emperor is determined to get rid of the eunuch party, he can also take this opportunity to break free from Wei Zhongxian's control.

But he didn't expect that the evidence of his collusion with the eunuch party was lost, and he immediately realized that the emperor might be preparing to take action against him.

If this is true, he will definitely not be able to escape on his own. Only by joining forces with the eunuch party to resist can he have a chance of survival.

Therefore, no matter how unwilling he was, he had no choice but to come to Wei Zhongxian.

Looking at Guo Yantang's anxious face, everyone was suddenly in an uproar.

"Master Guo, you are really confused!"

"What do you keep all that correspondence for?"

"That's right. It would have been fine if you had kept it, but you didn't take good care of it. Now it's been stolen. Aren't you digging your own grave?"

Everyone was talking at once, blaming Guo Yantang and was also very anxious.

Because they all had correspondence with Guo Yantang to a greater or lesser extent.

In other words, he has something on everyone.

Now that Guo Yantang's secret letter has been stolen, if this matter is exposed, it will definitely implicate them. How can they not be anxious?
"enough!"

Wei Zhongxian suddenly shouted loudly, suppressing everyone.

His face was also very gloomy at this time.

However, he did not blame Guo Yantang for keeping the correspondence privately.

This is an old tradition among officials.

Not to mention Guo Yantang, everyone else in the hall, including himself, has more or less some leverage over others.

In order to keep a team together, in addition to having a common reason, you also need a common handle.

Only in this way can we all prosper together and suffer together.

This is also the main reason why he remained firmly in power after seizing power in a palace coup.

As long as he had the leverage over these high-ranking ministers, he was not worried that Zhu Youjian would dare to touch him.

But now, something has happened to Guo Yantang.

Then he couldn't help but take it seriously.

Taking a deep breath, Wei Zhongxian looked at the others and said, "Go back immediately and check if anything in your house is missing. If not, find a way to destroy it as soon as possible."

"You all know exactly what the situation is now."

"If something goes wrong, none of you will be left out!"

"Don't think you can get away with it just because you have leverage over me and go to serve the emperor!"

"You know best how many dirty deeds you have done over the years. If the emperor were to take action, if not for anything else, then for all the money you have embezzled over the years, he would not let you go!"

Hearing this, everyone's expression became somewhat awkward, but they didn't dare to object. They all bowed and said in unison, "We dare not."

"Do you dare to say that you know what's going on?" Wei Zhongxian snorted coldly.

"Sir, I think the most urgent thing is to find out what the emperor is thinking. If he really intends to take action against us, we must prepare early."

"After all, ever since the Emperor ascended the throne, officials from other factions have been eager to distance themselves from us, and our influence in the court has greatly declined."

"If the Emperor takes action at this time, the situation will be very unfavorable to us!"

At this time, Cui Chengxiu, the leader of the Five Tigers, spoke in a deep voice with a very serious expression.

He was self-aware and knew that if anything happened to Wei Zhongxian, he would definitely be in trouble, so he did not think of drawing a clear line with Wei Zhongxian.

"Don't worry, I know what's going on."

Wei Zhongxian said coldly: "As long as I am still here, there will be no chaos in the court!"

"Those Qi, Chu, and Zhejiang Party officials were previously suppressed by the Donglin Party. If it weren't for my intervention, they would have been driven out of the court long ago."

"Over the years, they've benefited greatly from my protection, and have done countless filthy things in my name. Do you really think I don't know?"

"Now that I'm weak, you're so eager to draw a line in the sand and protect yourself?"

"There is no such a cheap thing in the world!"

"I will punish these people myself. Just do your own job."

"As for the Emperor..."

Wei Zhongxian narrowed his eyes and said, "After the late emperor's funeral in two days, he will take over the government. Then I will go to the palace to test it myself."

"If he truly intends to disobey the late emperor's order and destroy the bridge after crossing it, I will not allow him to trample on me!"

"In this court, apart from Hong Chengchou and his gang of fence-sitters, and the traitors in the Imperial Guard, how many of them are his people?"

"What can he use to fight me?!"

Hearing this, everyone felt much more relaxed and said, "Yes, Mr. Factory is wise."

"Foster father, Jiang Xuan, Xu Panxing, and Pei Lun, those three traitors, shouldn't we teach them a lesson and let them know the consequences of betraying us!"

Cui Yingyuan asked with a murderous look on his face.

Wei Zhongxian waved his hand, unconcerned. "These are just minor figures. They just assisted the emperor in ascending the throne and have earned the title of "follower dragon." Let them roam around for a while. Don't alert the enemy for now. Just send someone to keep an eye on them."

"Our real opponents are the Emperor and those fence-sitters and the Donglin Party in the court."

"Once I've dealt with them and stabilized the situation in the court, crushing these little thieves will be as easy as crushing an ant!"

"Yes!" Everyone bowed solemnly.

……

Time flies, and several days pass in the blink of an eye.

At this time, a full month had passed since Zhu Youjian ascended the throne. Zhu Youjian had finished his wake, held the funeral of the late emperor Zhu Youxiao, and was ready to begin ruling the country himself.

But the situation after he took power remained the same.

When asked whether all officials had anything to report, except for a few loyal ministers like Hong Chengchou who assisted him in ascending the throne, most of them would take the initiative to report trivial matters.

The others acted as if nothing happened of their own, all looking at each other's noses and hearts, keeping silent.

Among them, officials from various factions such as the Qi, Chu and Zhejiang parties did not dare to openly oppose Wei Zhongxian because they did not know the situation at the moment.

As for the Donglin Party, they wanted to please Zhu Youjian.

But since the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, the Donglin Party was purged, and core officials such as the "Six Gentlemen of Donglin" were all killed. Now, most of those who remain in the court are idle deputy positions, and have no chance to get involved in core government affairs. Therefore, even if they want to make a report, they have nothing to report.

This led to such an embarrassing situation.

The emperor sat on it like a mascot, and could not touch any core political affairs.

For three consecutive days, he suffered setbacks in the court.

Zhu Youjian was extremely angry and flew into a rage as soon as he returned to his bedroom.

Almost all the porcelain and antiques in the bedroom were smashed to pieces.

"Wei Zhongxian, the old villain, has bullied me too much! He has bullied me too much!"

"I must kill him, I must kill him!"

Zhu Youjian's eyes were bloodshot and he roared angrily.

Fortunately, the eunuchs and palace maids guarding the palace gate were all sent by Cao Zhengchun and Wang Chengen, and they dared not go out and gossip. Otherwise, Zhu Youjian would not dare to vent his anger like this.

Wang Chengen stood aside, looking very angry.

But thinking of the ongoing plan, he could only suppress his anger and stepped forward to persuade: "Your Majesty, let that old thief run rampant for a while. After Captain Xu and Captain Pei finish their investigation, we can find a way to get rid of this old thief and take back the power."

Hearing this, Zhu Youjian took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. He asked, "Send someone to ask how their investigation is going. Why is it that Jiang Xuan has been investigating for so many days, and they still have no news?"

"Yes."

Wang Chengen nodded and was about to go out to give instructions.

But at this moment, a young eunuch hurried in, his face full of panic, and said, "Your Majesty, Eunuch Wei requests an audience!"

Wei Zhongxian?
Both of them were shocked.

"Your Majesty, remember to act according to the plan. Now is not the time to turn against him." Wang Chengen looked at Zhu Youjian and reminded him in a low voice.

Zhu Youjian nodded, then took a long breath and ordered, "Please ask him to come in."

"Yes!"

The young eunuch hurried out to invite him.

Soon, Wei Zhongxian walked in, with a respectful expression, and saluted, saying: "Your humble servant Wei Zhongxian pays his respects to the emperor. I wish the emperor a long life and a long life."

"No gift."

Zhu Youjian smiled and hurried forward to help Wei Zhongxian up. He said, "Mr. Wei, you are already so old. You don't need to be so polite when you see me in the future."

"By the way, Wei Qing, what's the important matter that brought you here?"

This……

Wei Zhongxian was slightly stunned, as if he didn't expect Zhu Youjian's attitude to change so quickly?

In the past few days in the court, Zhu Youjian did not give him any good face.

But thinking of the purpose of this trip, he temporarily suppressed his doubts, pretended to be panicked, and said with a bow: "Your Majesty, I am here to take my leave."

"I have committed a grave offense. Although the late Emperor and Your Majesty have granted me amnesty, I am ashamed and terrified, and I am also unwell. I no longer dare to shoulder this heavy responsibility. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to retire and return home."

After hearing this, Zhu Youjian was stunned for a moment, feeling that this surprise came too suddenly.

But he quickly came to his senses and pretended to be angry, saying, "I won't allow it!"

"My Royal Brother entrusted me with this before his death. He said that Wei Qing was a loyal and good man of the Ming Dynasty and asked me to give him important positions. How could I possibly fail my Royal Brother's trust?"

"Also, I've figured it out these past few days. I still have to rely on Wei Qing for help with this important matter at court!"

"Starting tomorrow, Wei Qing will come to my side and assist me in government affairs."

Wei Zhongxian had been carefully observing Zhu Youjian's expression. Seeing that he had no strange expression, and considering what he said at this moment, he suddenly felt a lot more relaxed.

It seems that after these few days, the little emperor has indeed seen the situation clearly.

Without me, Wei Zhongxian, he would never be able to get involved in any court affairs!

Although he sneered in his heart, Wei Zhongxian still pretended to be frightened and repeatedly refused.

Zhu Youjian always maintained a firm attitude.

In the end, Wei Zhongxian had to agree reluctantly. After the two sides exchanged some pleasantries, they respectfully took their leave.

But as soon as he walked out of the hall, Wei Zhongxian couldn't help but laugh wildly towards the sky, his laughter was extremely hearty.

Even if I have lost my martial arts skills, I, Wei Zhongxian, will still be the Ninth Prince of the Ming Dynasty!

In the bedroom, Zhu Youjian had a ferocious look on his face, his fists clenched, and his teeth were about to be broken.

……

Right Office.

Jiang Xuan sat in the government office, listening to Xu Longqing's report on the situation in the court in the past few days.

Officials of the Embroidered Uniform Guard generally do not need to attend court. They only need to enter the palace for an audience when the emperor summons them. Therefore, they do not know much about the situation in the court.

But there were also Jinyiwei on duty in the palace, so it was not difficult for him to understand the situation in the court.

After listening to Xu Longqing’s story.

Jiang Xuan's eyes flickered slightly. This little emperor was really patient.

However, when he thought about how he had been able to hide in Prince Xin's mansion without leaving the house during Wei Zhongxian's reign, and how he had been hiding there for several years before waiting for the opportunity to ascend to the throne, Jiang Xuan felt relieved.

You can say he is bad or useless, but anyone who can become an emperor always has some strengths worth learning from.

"But I'm afraid this situation won't last long..."

Thinking of Zhu Youjian's plan against the eunuch party, Jiang Xuan couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

This method is a bit risky though.

But if we want to eliminate the eunuch party, this is the only way at the moment.

I don't know who gave him the idea.

Shaking his head, Jiang Xuan looked at Xu Longqing and ordered, "Go down. We have nothing to do here for now. Just do our part."

Since the events of the Guo Mansion were exposed, the eunuch party has been on high alert in recent days, so the progress of Pei Lun and Xu Panxing has been relatively slow.

However, these two people are not useless. With their abilities, as long as they investigate carefully, they will be able to find evidence of the eunuch party's crimes sooner or later.

Then will be the time to take action.

"Yes, I'll take my leave." Xu Longqing left.

Jiang Xuan returned to the dormitory and continued practicing.

[Martial Arts: Rama Internal Power (Great Mastery)]

【Progress: 6128/10000】

“Huh… almost there!”

Looking at the progress of Rama's internal strength, Jiang Xuan let out a long sigh.

At this moment, he had opened up another of the twelve main meridians, and only the last three foot yin meridians were left. Then he would be able to open up all the meridians and reach the innate perfection realm.

At this rate, it will only take two or three months at most!
continue!

Jiang Xuan cleared his mind, immersed in it, and continued to practice, nourishing his meridians and tendons over and over again. The system's progress steadily increased...

……

The next day.

The situation in the court began to change.

At Wei Zhongxian's suggestion, the eunuch party began to report some less important government affairs.

Zhu Youjian also changed his previous attitude. He spoke in a gentle tone and asked Wei Zhongxian about everything. He made decisions based on what Wei Zhongxian said, and at most he would occasionally interject one or two reasonable suggestions.

All the officials were shocked when they saw this.

The Donglin Party, in particular, was extremely anxious and wrote a letter to dissuade Zhu Youjian that day, but they were all rejected by Zhu Youjian. Zhu Youjian even scolded Wei Zhongxian harshly in front of him, claiming that Wei Zhongxian was the pillar of the Ming Dynasty and that he should assist in state affairs in the future.

The Donglin Party was greatly disappointed, but there was nothing they could do. They could only curse the emperor in private, saying things like "the emperor is incompetent" and "the Ming Dynasty is about to perish."

This continued for several days.

Now, those Qi, Chu, and Zhejiang parties and neutral officials also saw the situation in the court clearly and dared not make any more tricks.

The eunuch party still controls the Ming Dynasty.

It seems that nothing has changed.

This went on for more than a month until Xu Panxing and Pei Lun entered the palace, and the Ming Dynasty finally began a major reform.

The first day of March, the first year of Chongzhen.

Yu Hua, a doctor in the Ministry of Revenue, suddenly wrote a letter to impeach the Minister of War Cui Chengxiu, the Chief Minister of the Cabinet Guo Yantang and other members of the eunuch party for corruption and exploiting the people.

In an instant, the court was shaken and all officials were in an uproar.

You know, Yu Hua is also a member of the eunuch party!
However, unexpectedly, Zhu Youjian not only did not believe it, but also blamed him for slandering him and ignored it.

But a few days later, several members of the eunuch party impeached Cui Chengxiu and others for various crimes. They even took out the correspondence with Cui Chengxiu and others on the spot, counting the amount of money they had embezzled, and claimed that if the emperor did not believe it, they could send people to search.

Now, Zhu Youjian was in a difficult situation, and the Donglin Party took the opportunity to add insult to injury.

Finally, at Wei Zhongxian's suggestion, Guo Yantang, Cui Chengxiu and others took the initiative to request to go home to observe the mourning period.

Zhu Youjian reluctantly approved it.

The other members of the eunuch party were shocked and angry, and did not understand why Yu Hua and others would betray them.

But before they could react.

The next day, dozens of ministers from the Donglin Party, Qi, Chu and Zhejiang Party, as well as non-partisan figures such as Hong Chengchou, simultaneously wrote a letter to impeach Wei Zhongxian, listing ten heinous crimes including usurping the emperor, insulting the empress, and playing with soldiers.

Now Wei Zhongxian was completely panicked.

He argued on the spot and cried out that he was innocent.

Zhu Youjian also pretended to be unconvinced and asked the eunuch to read out the evidence in the memorial on the spot, which included the fact that the eunuch party members in Hangzhou Prefecture, under the banner of building a shrine for Wei Zhongxian, levied heavy taxes and brought disaster to the people.

All kinds of evidence were complete, and the imperial register even had the signature of Xu Yuan, a deceased member of the eunuch party, and the seal of the Ministry of Revenue.

Seeing this scene, Wei Zhongxian was shocked and terrified. He finally figured everything out and completely saw through Zhu Youjian's conspiracy.

Sure enough, when he looked up, he saw Zhu Youjian's cold eyes.

"Wei Qing, didn't you say a few days ago that you were not feeling well and wanted to resign and retire?"

"I'm sure!"

After hearing this, Wei Zhongxian looked ashen and completely lost hope.

The next day.

Zhu Youjian announced Wei Zhongxian's crimes to the world and sent him to Fengyang to guard the tomb.

at the same time.

A secret letter was also delivered to Jiang Xuan.

……

"Kill Wei Zhongxian and take back his property."

At the Yousuo Yamen, Jiang Xuan received the secret letter and couldn't help but shake his head with emotion.

It's really like thunder when it moves!

This little emperor does have some abilities.

Of course, without their help, Zhu Youjian would not have been able to do this.

Those eunuch party "traitors" who took the initiative to write letters of impeachment were the ones they personally went to their homes to "persuade".

Today, most of the core officials of the eunuch party have been dismissed from their posts.

Wei Zhongxian was also removed from all his posts, but the young emperor's murderous intent could no longer be stopped.

However, this imperial edict was delivered in secret, which also proved that the young emperor did not want to bear the stigma of "disobeying the dying entrustment of the late emperor", but wanted Wei Zhongxian to die in an "accident".

In addition, what the young emperor really cared about was the property that Wei Zhongxian had embezzled over the years.

This task is not easy to accomplish.

"Besides, let Xu Panxing go with you? Are you trying to protect me?"

Jiang Xuan chuckled lightly, not caring at all. He threw the secret letter into the brazier and burned it. Then he stood up and walked outside. He looked at Xu Longqing and others and ordered, "Get ready. Follow me out of the capital in three days."

"Yes!"

Xu Longqing and others looked excited.

They knew that the time had come to make a contribution!
(End of this chapter)