The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

When Zhou Chu killed Liao Feng in front of all the officials during the day, they talked about how some people might resort to desperate measures.

Or rather, it's not fair to call it a desperate act; it's just routine for them, and it's not the first time.

For example, the Chu family, which was almost wiped out before, serves as a cautionary tale.

Zhou Chu arrested more than a dozen people, and they all confessed and signed confessions. Although it was unlikely that more people would be implicated, Zhou Chu knew very well that this was a very bad omen for some people.

They finally managed to get rid of Jiang Bin, and now Zhou Chu, who is even more troublesome than Jiang Bin, has appeared.

If Zhou Chu is not eliminated while his power is still weak and the emperor's power base is not yet secure, the price to pay for any future attempts will only increase.

Zhou Chu had long ago instructed Jin Youcai to arrange many Rongmen disciples around his home.

At the same time, he also arranged for twenty or thirty elite Imperial Guards to hide around his home and keep watch.

Zhou Chu arranged all of this simultaneously while arresting those civil officials.

No one could have imagined that Zhou Chu would plan ahead in such a way.

At this moment, the battle between the Imperial Guards and the assassins in Zhou Chu's courtyard seemed to have ended, and the noise gradually subsided.

Zhou Chu opened the door to his room and saw Chunlan trembling with fear. Even so, she insisted on standing at her door, seemingly ready to block any assassins who tried to rush in.

"Go back inside quickly."

Zhou Chu was so angry he laughed, and said irritably.

Chunlan only realized Zhou Chu had come out when she heard this.

"Young master, you'd better hide quickly."

The courtyard was pitch black at this time, and Chunlan dared not light a lamp, so she was unaware of the specific situation. She was only afraid that the assassin would harm Zhou Chu.

"It's alright, it's over. I had everything planned out. Go back to your room and get some sleep."

Zhou Chu patted Chunlan on the back, trying to soothe her tense nerves.

"Your subordinate pays his respects to Your Excellency."

At this moment, a voice rang out, and then torches were lit one after another, making the scene in the courtyard clear.

There were six corpses lying in the courtyard, none of them belonging to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. In addition to these six, in the corridor not far away, Yun Jin held a sword in her hand, her skirt was stained red with blood, her temples were stuck together with splattered blood, and her face was pale.

There was also a corpse lying in front of her.

"What are you doing out here? Are you alright?"

Zhou Chu was immediately angered when he saw this.

This girl is truly fearless, daring to come out in the dark and even kill someone.

As Zhou Chu spoke, he came to Yun Jin and looked at her with concern to see if she was injured.

Yun Jin couldn't hold it in any longer and turned her head to vomit.

Zhou Chu finally breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that she was unharmed.

"Who is in charge of Yun Jin's courtyard?"

Zhou Chu turned to look at the group of Imperial Guards, his face as cold as frost.

"My lord, it is we."

Several Imperial Guards dared not refuse in the slightest and hurriedly stepped forward.

"Brother, don't blame them. They tried to stop me, but I was worried about your safety, so I forced my way out. They've been protecting me the whole time, so I'll be fine."

Yun Jin, having recovered, explained.

"What do you mean there will be no danger? Fighting for your life is a life-or-death struggle, and things can change in an instant. Never do that again."

After Zhou Chu finished speaking, he looked at the few Imperial Guards.

"You lot, each of you go and collect twenty strokes of the military rod first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes."

These were the Imperial Guards, who said respectfully.

They had no complaints whatsoever, and even felt that the commander had shown leniency. In the Embroidered Uniform Guard, failing to obey orders was a crime.

Moreover, twenty strokes of the military rod are not a severe punishment for them. Ordinary people might not be able to withstand it, but they are all skilled in martial arts, so it's just a matter of lying at home for a few days.

"Sir, these men were all suicide soldiers; none of them survived."

Fang Hong, the centurion in charge, approached Zhou Chu and bowed.

"It doesn't matter, capturing them alive won't do any good."