Chapter 123 What’s the Account Like?

"Wharf, city gate, porters, how did you make this account?"

"Eunuch, this subordinate didn't expect that the Prefect would directly go to these places to check the small accounts as soon as he arrived."

Zhao Wenhua's face was livid.

Kneeling below was the Deputy Commissioner of Transportation for Yingdu.

The Commissioner of Transportation for Yingdu was Sun Liang, and most of the Transportation Department was filled with people from the Sun family's faction. This Deputy Commissioner of Transportation was ostensibly one of the Sun family's people, but in reality, he was from the Prince's Residence.

After the state title was abolished and annexed by Yan, the Prince's Residence outwardly withdrew a lot of its power as a gesture, but in secret, it still retained a great deal.

This Deputy Commissioner of Transportation, after learning that the Prefect had personally sent people to retrieve the account books from the wharf and porters, suddenly realized the key to the problem. To avoid suspicion, he wore a black outfit, greeted people, and entered the Prince's Residence through the back door to report.

This matter couldn't be entrusted to anyone else. First, others couldn't explain it clearly, and second, they didn't have the qualifications.

Because Deputy Commissioner of Transportation Qian Shuxun understood how significant this matter was. This was the Prince's Residence's attempt to regain influence over the military, a truly huge affair!

Zhao Wenhua helplessly reached out and rubbed his forehead.

"Such a big matter, this old one repeatedly warned you, why did you still make a mistake?"

"Eunuch, this subordinate really didn't expect that new Prefect…"

"You didn't expect it? Don't you know that the new Prefect was in charge of logistics in Nanwang City? Doesn't he know how to check accounts?"

"This subordinate deserves to die, this subordinate deserves to die!" Then, Qian Shuxun raised his head and said with a hint of luck, "Eunuch, there are many people in the Transportation Department, with complicated relationships. Even if the Prefect sees something wrong, he won't be able to investigate further. Besides, isn't the biggest parasite the Marquis of Pingxi's Residence?"

"Stupid! Zheng Fan was only Earl of Pingye, stationed at Xuehai Pass, at that time, you could say he colluded with the Sun family in Yingdu to overcharge, which was indeed a crime. But now he's the Marquis of Pingxi. Open your dog eyes and see, the money, grain, and supplies transported from Yingdu to the east will all go to the Marquis of Pingxi's Residence!

"Before, it wasn't all his, and overcharging was a crime. Now, and in the future, it will all be his. Can you still accuse him of overcharging?

"Heh,

"The Marquis of Pingxi staged a show in Shishan first, and then Xu Wenzu added a blade on the first day he entered the city.

"When the Marquis of Pingxi returned to the city quietly, whose face was he giving?

"Xu Wenzu immediately went to visit and seek an audience, and whose face was he returning?

"The new Prefect and the Marquis of Pingxi are obviously so close that they wear the same pair of pants. You still want to use the Marquis of Pingxi to take the blame for you?

"As long as Xu Wenzu isn't an idiot, he can directly flip through the Marquis's Residence's accounts, and the rest will be clear."

"Ah, this subordinate, this subordinate…"

Cold sweat dripped down Qian Shuxun's face.

"Did anyone see you when you came?"

Qian Shuxun pointed to the night clothes he was wearing, and said:

"Eunuch, rest assured, this subordinate has practiced some martial arts and knows the importance of this matter, so even my family members think I'm still working in the study."

"Good, that's good. We have to discuss this matter in the long term. We can't rush, otherwise, there will only be more clues."

"Yes, Eunuch, this subordinate understands, this subordinate knows."

"Well, after you go back, first…"

Zhao Wenhua stood up and walked to Qian Shuxun's side.

"Please instruct me, Eunuch."

"First…"

"Bang!"

Zhao Wenhua struck Qian Shuxun's forehead with a palm, and the latter bled from all seven orifices and died instantly.

"Someone."

"Eunuch."

Two eunuchs walked in, without any panic even after seeing a corpse there.

"First, throw him into the well in the front yard, and find an opportunity to dispose of him in a few days."

"Yes, Eunuch."

The two eunuchs picked up the corpse.

Zhao Wenhua also walked out of the room,

Taking a breath,

Looking at the night sky again,

The weather wasn't good tonight, there were no stars.

Zhao Wenhua couldn't help but sigh,

"Bad luck, everything is going wrong…"

Immediately afterward,

Zhao Wenhua let out a surprised exclamation,

His gaze turned to outside the courtyard wall,

There was movement!

………

Chen Daxia waited for a long time at the alley entrance. Finally, a group of armored soldiers chased out from behind.

"Huff…"

Taking a deep breath,

Chen Daxia put his mask back on and used his sword scabbard to scratch the branches of a tree a few times to remind the pursuing soldiers behind him. Then, he kicked off the ground and jumped onto the courtyard wall, quickly moving along the edge of the wall.

The reason for walking on the courtyard wall was to keep the pursuing soldiers from getting lost.

Soon,

Chen Daxia jumped off the courtyard wall again,

Because he heard the sound of the pursuing soldiers drawing their crossbows.

Once upon a time, Marquis Zheng had seriously studied the methods of dealing with experts, in order to gain enough security.

Later,

He summarized two methods:

One was to have enough or high enough experts around you.

Marquis Zheng had already done this.

The other was to have a sufficient number of elite guards around you.

Why are experts often just a slightly larger splash when two armies clash? Because the real battlefield fighting environment is not a one-on-one fight. That kind of mode, where only two or three people are fighting you, and the people outside are holding weapons or flagpoles, circling around, waiting for the ones inside to fall before taking over, doesn't exist. Everyone will instinctively use every gap, from near to far, to pounce on you.

This is also why high-level martial artists can survive slightly longer on the battlefield. It's nothing more than being able to withstand a few more cuts and arrows.

"Swish!"

"Swish!"

Chen Daxia dodged an arrow and blocked another with his sword scabbard. Gradually, the pressure on him began to increase, because more and more patrol soldiers from the City Patrol Department came to join the encirclement.

The main thing was that dragging people along, deliberately leading the way, was like carrying a huge burden on his back, making it difficult to move freely.

Opposite the Prince's Residence was a restaurant. Originally, this was the residence of a general from Si Tu Lei's time. Unfortunately, this general turned traitor when the barbarians entered the pass, and the residence in Yingdu was naturally confiscated.

The residence changed hands several times and was bought by the Sun family, who opened a restaurant.

But almost no one knew that the real owner behind this restaurant was actually the Marquis of Pingxi's Residence.

Even if the Marquis's Residence had no plans to extend its influence to Yingdu in recent years, and this plan was further postponed after Xu Wenzu took over as Prefect of Yingdu, you still had to leave some arrangements in Yingdu, no matter what.

This restaurant, in later generations,

Was equivalent to the Marquis of Pingxi's Residence's office in the capital.

At this time,

Marquis Zheng was standing at the window on the third floor, holding a glass of fruit juice, looking at the Prince's Residence under the night. Standing beside the Marquis was the Sword Saint.

"Do you think there might be other experts in the Prince's Residence?" Zheng Fan asked.

The Sword Saint smiled, "It would be strange if there weren't."

Zheng Fan nodded, "Yes, a centipede dies but never falls down."

Then, Zheng Fan asked again, "Will Daxia be in danger?"

"That depends on whether you have made arrangements."

"Arrangements?" Zheng Fan was a little puzzled, "What arrangements are needed?"

"You didn't make any arrangements?"

"No."

…

Chen Daxia's figure flew onto the wall of the Prince's Residence. After grabbing hold with one hand, his body turned upside down and he landed in a flying motion.

But at this moment,

Two green glimmers flickered in the darkness,

"Even if the Prince's Residence has fallen, it's not a place that small thieves like you can insult!"

The next moment,

The Prince's Residence's Head Eunuch, Zhao Wenhua, pounced directly over. His fingers were equipped with refined iron hoops, and under the blessing of his blood energy, they danced like silver snakes in the night.

Chen Daxia drew his sword. Facing this sudden situation, the safest way was to use the most powerful and direct sword move to force the opponent back.

Unless the opponent was determined to suffer mutual injuries from the start, it would be impossible not to retreat.

Zhao Wenhua still retreated, but halfway through the retreat, just as he dodged the sword light, his hands suddenly grabbed at the empty space in front of him, actually forcibly pulling his entire body back, killing Chen Daxia again like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey.

"Clang!"

A series of weapon clashes rang out.

Chen Daxia had consumed a lot of energy when he came over earlier. When he landed in the Prince's Residence, he thought he could catch his breath and rest, so he was in the moment when the old breath had just left and the new breath hadn't yet arrived. Who would have thought he would run into Zhao Wenhua, and that this eunuch Zhao Wenhua was actually walking the path of a martial artist? Although it carried an evil air, unlike ordinary martial artists who were upright, his body and blood energy were still very real.

Moreover,

Zhao Wenhua understood that Chen Daxia was a swordsman, so from the beginning of the confrontation, he planned to rely on the martial artist's advantage, using his endless blood energy to forcibly dull Chen Daxia's sword!

This was actually no longer a competition of realms, just like when Xue San killed the high-ranking Prince Fu.

Under the night, in a hastily opened battle, life and death often happened in an instant.

If it were the Chen Daxia of the past, he might have ended up here.

Because Chen Daxia was strong, and his talent was high, but after all, he had always taken a wild path. Back then, at the post station outside Yincheng, what strength did Blindman and Xue San have? Yet they could still cripple Chen Daxia's leg.

Moreover, sometimes, it wasn't just that he couldn't stand on the stage of the martial world, but even martial world fighting couldn't stand on the stage, because throughout history, the most outstanding generations in the martial world would inevitably move towards the imperial court.

Zhao Wenhua was Si Tu Lei's attendant eunuch, following the late emperor in the Southern and Northern Wars. He didn't know how many battles he had seen and personally experienced. The Great Cheng Kingdom's treasury in the past didn't know how many martial arts secrets, techniques, and insights had been accumulated.

Whether in practical experience or theoretical research, Zhao Wenhua could be called a master.

Fortunately,

The Sword Servant called Chen Daxia "Junior Brother."

Chen Daxia really didn't lose out.

The Sword Saint wasn't the kind of person who hoarded his treasures. He didn't have many disciples because there weren't many people who could catch his eye.

You also have to say that there really are geniuses in this world. Their occasional flashes are enough to make experience, theory, and hundreds of years of accumulation lose their color.

The Sword Saint was this kind of person.

And Chen Daxia, who had received guidance from the Sword Saint, naturally had the reliance to break the situation.

One sword, Level Sand Wild Geese Landing,

One sword, Flying Sand and Rocks,

And one sword, Long River Sunset;

The names were given by the Sword Servant. Actually, they had nothing to do with the moves, but they were all relatively upright sword moves, changing the image of swordsmen giving people an extremely sharp, reckless impression.

Chen Daxia relied on these three sword moves to not only withstand Zhao Wenhua's initial aggressiveness, but even create a small distance.

The cost was,

His chest was stuffy, his blood energy surged, and his throat was sweet.

Using a swordsman's body to forcibly unleash powerful sword moves similar to those of martial artists, the burden was naturally not small, and the backlash could not be ignored.

This wasn't a formal duel,

Because Chen Daxia didn't expect that he would be ambushed as soon as he painstakingly led people into the Prince's Residence.

But fortunately, this wasn't a real duel either.

He didn't think about killing Zhao Wenhua. His mission had actually been completed, so now, he could slip away.

Whether he could win or not was another matter. In any case, this wasn't a fair duel, and most importantly, there was no need to fight at all.

Before leaving,

Marquis Zheng had said two things to him:

The first sentence: Daxia, rest assured and go. This Marquis has his own arrangements.

The second sentence: Daxia, prioritize self-preservation. When it's time to run, just run. It doesn't matter whether the matter succeeds or not, you must come back safely.

Chen Daxia now realized that,

The first sentence Marquis Zheng said was nonsense!

The second sentence was the real master plan.

So,

He unleashed another powerful sword move forcibly driven by blood energy,

Forcing Zhao Wenhua, who was unwilling to suffer serious injuries, to retreat two steps again.

Immediately afterward,

Chen Daxia turned around without hesitation, soared into the air, and fled!

And at this moment,

The servants in the Prince's Residence rushed over.

This was actually also Chen Daxia's luck, because the Prince's Residence's registered guards had all been dealt with by Ran Min a few days ago.

The Prince's Residence's power was definitely not as simple as just those registered guards. After all, it was once a country. A rotten ship still has three thousand nails, right?

The Helian and Wenren families had been almost exterminated by the Yan army, but there were still remnants causing trouble, creating a large number of organizations similar to the "Heaven and Earth Society," not to mention the Si Tu family, which had handed over power in an almost peaceful manner.

But the problem was,

Yingdu was big, but the Prince's Residence was only so big, and it was very conspicuous.

So, the only things that could be properly placed on the surface were the guards.

The absence of guards didn't mean that there was no one in the Prince's Residence. There were still many servants and retainers, but they couldn't compare to the well-trained and coordinated guards of the Prince's Residence in the past. Therefore, Chen Daxia happened to step into a window of opportunity. Otherwise, as long as four or five guards came, with Zhao Wenhua holding Chen Daxia for so long, the other guards would come up, and Chen Daxia would probably not be able to escape.

Of course, taking a step back,

The reason why Marquis Zheng dared to play this game was because he had spotted this opportunity, right?

Chen Daxia crossed the outer wall of the Prince's Residence.

The people in the Prince's Residence wanted to chase out,

But they were blocked by the City Patrol Department soldiers who were chasing after them.

The two sides already had bad blood.

One came with a vengeful will, and the other had just had a thief enter their home.

For a time, they actually started fighting.

Fortunately, Zhao Wenhua appeared in time and smashed the head of a stone lion at the entrance of the Prince's Residence with a palm, shouting angrily:

"Stop!"

Only then did both sides restrain themselves.

It wasn't that the City Patrol Department soldiers were admitting defeat. In fact, precisely because they were mainly Yan people, they didn't fear this so-called Prince's Residence in their bones.

What they were waiting for now

Was for the adults behind them to come up,

Waiting to seek justice!

They had this confidence and this confidence, so they were willing to slow down a little and wait.

If they were Jin people, they might have rushed in headlong to get revenge for their captain.

People only go all out when they are completely desperate.

A captain from the City Patrol Department, who was from Yan,

Stuck his saber into the ground,

And snorted coldly at Zhao Wenhua, who was standing on the steps in front.

Said;

"Hey, you son of a bitch, I don't believe it. Isn't this Yingdu the land that us Yan people conquered!"

…

On the other side, Chen Daxia entered the restaurant and went upstairs, taking off his night clothes.

The Sword Saint walked up to Chen Daxia and said, "Are you injured?"

Chen Daxia shook his head and said; "I'll be fine after a little rest."

Just then,

On the street below, a group of soldiers came over carrying a stretcher.

On the stretcher, Ran Min, covered in blood, was sitting, with Liu Niangzi, who was already dead, lying in his arms.

Zheng Fan couldn't help but look at Chen Daxia and asked:

"You killed his wife too?"

Chen Daxia blinked and said, "How is that possible?"

Zheng Fan nodded, also, Chen Daxia's character wouldn't do such a thing as killing women and children.

The Sword Saint looked at Zheng Fan and said, "What's going on?"

Zheng Fan reached out and touched his chin,

Looking at Ran Min sitting on the stretcher below,

Slowly said:

"He took the initiative to add more to this show."

"So ruthless, does Xu Wenzu dare to use him?"

The latter sentence, the Sword Saint didn't say, was that Xu Wenzu wasn't you Zheng Fan after all.

Zheng Fan let out a breath,

Said:

"Old Yu, do you know what subordinates fear most, is not being feared or remembered by their superiors, but…"

"But what?"

"But being ignored."

…

The stretcher was carried over;

More and more City Patrol Department soldiers, both on and off duty, patrolling in other districts, all rushed here.

Everyone,

Looking at the captain covered in blood and the little lady's body held in the captain's arms, their eyes seemed to be spitting fire.

There was a rule,

Fighting is fighting,

But it doesn't extend to family members.

Just like the Prince's Residence guards were killed, but their families were not affected.

Is this kindness?

No.

It's just a tacit understanding.

If you lose, it's because you're not capable, but if you really want to harm my family, don't blame me for doing the same to you.

The breathing of the City Patrol Department soldiers began to become heavy, and a strong sense of grief and anger was already brewing.

They weren't yamen runners,

They weren't government officials either,

In essence, they were all transferred from the army, hanging a City Patrol Department sign, but in reality, they were soldiers of the inner city, and they had all been on the battlefield.

The Yan people were the people on top in the Jin people's Yingdu.

To be bullied like this?

To be humiliated like this?

Damn it,

Do you believe that we will directly massacre your dog Prince's Residence today!

The stretcher

Was placed at the main entrance of the Prince's Residence, and the soldiers silently retreated to both sides.

Ran Min, holding Liu Niangzi in his arms,

Slowly raised his head in a daze at this moment,

His gaze first fell on the steps, then on Zhao Wenhua, and finally, on the plaque of the "Prince Cheng Residence."

"Ah!!!!!!!"

Ran Min opened his mouth wide,

Letting out a shrill cry,

Because he was seriously injured, his voice wasn't high-pitched, but it was very long, carrying a deep sadness and despair.

For a time,

Blood mixed with tears and snot began to drip down, falling on Liu Niangzi's body in his arms.

Ran Min lowered his head,

Letting his face,

Touch Liu Niangzi's face,

A man doesn't shed tears lightly, but only when he is heartbroken;

This man who had been on the battlefield, made contributions, and killed a barbarian chieftain,

Was helpless at this time, like a child.

"Why, why, why!"

Ran Min cried out,

"You can come at me, you can come at me, you can come at me…

She,

How innocent, how innocent!"