Chapter 1 The Edict

“This edict, this Marquis will not accept.”

For a moment, Zheng Fan subconsciously swallowed his saliva. Was he really going to start a fight?

Zheng Fan glanced at the personal guards beside him, and found that they all had calm expressions. Even though their Marquis had said such disrespectful words, even though this was the capital, they were all unfazed.

Zheng Fan really wanted to say, brothers, this isn't Yinlang County, this is the capital! There are a lot of imperial guards in the capital! Didn't you hear what your Marquis is saying?

Reason told Zheng Fan that holding a knife to Eunuch Wei Zhonghe at this time was very wrong, because Eunuch Wei was old, and doing so was disrespectful to the elderly, which violated traditional virtues.

But Zheng Fan couldn't put down the knife either.

Since he had already boarded the Jingnan Marquis's ship, getting off now would only lead to death.

This edict was issued by the Yan Emperor to the Third Prince, Ji Chengyue, not to the Jingnan Marquis. Now, the Jingnan Marquis said, "This edict, he will not accept," which meant that he did not approve of the Yan Emperor's judgment on this matter.

Of course, it couldn't be that the Jingnan Marquis loved his "nephew" and thought the Yan Emperor's judgment was too harsh. It could only be said that the Jingnan Marquis felt that the punishment was too light.

Wei Zhonghe twitched the corner of his mouth,

And said:

"Marquis, please be careful with your words."

As the Director of the Directorate of Palace Attendants, don't think he's just an eunuch. His status has surpassed 99.9% of the men in Yan.

Now, with the imperial edict in hand, and in the capital, it stands to reason that this is Wei Zhonghe's real home ground. But there's no way around it. Even with the Jingnan Marquis's words and attitude, he still had to be cautious and careful.

"Harming border soldiers is undermining the foundation of my Great Yan. If it weren't for the hundreds of years of sacrifice by my Great Yan's men for the country, my Great Yan would have long been reduced to a pasture for the barbarians and become the northern border of Qian and Jin.

House arrest?"

The last two words carried a clear tone of mockery.

The translated meaning was,

Could it be,

You still want to live?

Wei Zhonghe pressed down with both hands, his horsetail whisk descending, and said sincerely:

"Marquis, this is His Majesty's edict."

Wei Zhonghe had no choice but to use this sentence. In fact, this was a general's way, but it was also a double-edged sword.

Some things, as long as they haven't reached a point of no return, can still be turned around. But once the matter is really out in the open, neither side will have any retreat.

But facing the Jingnan Marquis's step-by-step pressure, Wei Zhonghe knew that he could no longer retreat.

"Wei Zhonghe, how dare you! You actually dare to falsely transmit the imperial edict!"

The Jingnan Marquis stood up, his eyes fixed on Wei Zhonghe.

The Jingnan Marquis did not choose to resist the edict, nor did he question whether the edict was valid for him. Instead, he kicked the ball back to Wei Zhonghe.

This window paper was actually very fragile, and anyone could break it with a light touch, but the key question was, who would take the initiative to break it?

The Jingnan Marquis was arrogant and domineering. He entered the capital today without entering the palace or going home, directly entering the prince's residence to question him!

He wasn't the kind of courtier who would be trembling with fear as soon as he entered the capital, nor was he the kind of general who would be uneasy all day long, fearing that the emperor would become suspicious of him just because he had some military power.

Wei Zhonghe took a deep breath,

Facing the Jingnan Marquis's questioning,

He actually didn't dare to directly confirm that the imperial edict he had just issued was indeed from His Majesty!

It wasn't that he was cowardly, nor that he was afraid,

But he knew that

On this poker table,

The Emperor could sit, the aristocratic families could sit, the Zhenbei Marquis could sit, and the Jingnan Marquis could sit,

But alone,

There was no place for him, Wei Zhonghe. He wasn't qualified to play a card!

The Jingnan Marquis ignored Wei Zhonghe's silence and turned to look at the Third Prince standing behind Wei Zhonghe.

"Ji Chengyue, you pride yourself on being well-read. This Marquis asks you, do you know: 'A plumb line does not bend around curves, and the law does not favor the noble'?"

The Third Prince, Ji Chengyue, bowed,

Even though his close attendants and teachers had just died in front of him, he still maintained his own demeanor. Perhaps, all that was left to him at this time was this bit of demeanor.

"Replying to the Marquis, Chengyue has read it."

"Read it?"

"Yes, Chengyue has also read 'Rituals do not extend to commoners, and punishments do not extend to high officials.'"

"This is what this Marquis despises about you and the people around you. Do you think that just by relying on your mouths, you can prevent the barbarians from coming south and prevent Jin and Qian from invading the north?"

"Chengyue isn't that naive."

"Naive?"

"Chengyue has lost, and Father Emperor has punished me. This is Chengyue's deserved end. In Chengyue's view, it is precisely because there are people like you, Jingnan Marquis, Zhenbei Marquis, the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion, the Zhenbei Army, and the aristocratic families of the world, who do not respect etiquette, do not uphold morality, have no regard for the ruler, and disregard the virtues of a subject, that my Great Yan is in its current state!

It is because the aristocratic families coerced Father Emperor into making concessions,

It is because the Zhenbei Army has 200,000 troops pressing the border,

It is because of you, Jingnan Marquis, dare to not kneel before the imperial edict!"

Ji Chengyue became more and more excited as he spoke,

He shouted:

"Without rules, there can be no standards. Without principles, there can be no stability in people's hearts. Everyone pursues personal gain and forgets the greater good. Everyone looks at the boots under their feet and abandons the divine light above their heads.

This is the current state of my Great Yan, this is the century-old problem of my Great Yan!

The teachers are willing to help Chengyue because they believe that Chengyue can usher in an era of peace for Great Yan. Chengyue is shallow and ultimately failed to succeed. You, Jingnan Marquis, can humiliate me as you wish, and Chengyue will accept it!

It's good to let the people of the world see what kind of lawless and reckless person my Great Yan's Jingnan Marquis really is!"

Ji Chengyue's cheeks were flushed, and beads of sweat oozed from his pores.

Zheng Fan narrowed his eyes. This Third Prince seemed to have a graceful demeanor, but his physique was so weak.

Damn,

Was he taking drugs?

To be honest, what this prince said earlier seemed righteous, but in Zheng Fan's opinion, it was really childishly ridiculous.

Not only was he not moved at all, but Zheng Fan felt that this guy might have been brainwashed by Qian's "cultural output" and become a Qian supporter?

Honestly, in this era, in this current context, it was really hard to understand.

It's like in later generations, supporting Germany was understandable, but supporting France was not.

You've seen people support "England," but have you ever seen people support "Portugal"?

Just as Zheng Fan's thoughts began to wander, he suddenly realized that the Jingnan Marquis's gaze had fallen on him.

Was he,

Going to let himself speak?

Zheng Fan didn't dare to ask the Jingnan Marquis if that was the case, because it would make the boss look very weak.

Zheng Fan himself wasn't really clear that in his interactions with the Sixth Prince and the Jingnan Marquis, the cheap, mass-produced later generation jokes had made the Sixth Prince and the Jingnan Marquis think of him as someone who was good at thinking.

In other words, a verbal powerhouse.

In ancient times, if you could talk and you spoke nicely, if you were a verbal powerhouse, that in itself was a skill, and superiors valued this skill.

Zheng Fan took a step forward,

Recalling the etiquette of Yan in his mind,

But in order to avoid making mistakes,

He first knelt on one knee and saluted the Jingnan Marquis.

The Jingnan Marquis didn't say anything.

Zheng Fan turned around,

And saluted Wei Zhonghe:

"This subordinate greets Eunuch Wei."

Honestly, seeing the old eunuch's emotional reaction when Wei Zhen died earlier, Zheng Fan suddenly felt that if he didn't have to get his little ding ding cut off, it might be nice to recognize this Eunuch Wei as his godfather.

But he already had Si Niang, and although he hadn't scored yet, the feeling of gradual progress was still very good, and he really didn't want to purify himself.

Wei Zhonghe looked at Zheng Fan, but didn't say anything.

Then, Zheng Fan stood up and looked directly at the Third Prince.

This guy was already a commoner, so he didn't need to salute him. Anyway, his boss, the Jingnan Marquis, was already so arrogant, so Zheng Fan felt that it wouldn't hurt to be a little arrogant with him.

"What the Third Prince said earlier really made this humble one feel enlightened and awakened."

Ji Chengyue looked at Zheng Fan and asked in confusion:

"Who are you?"

Hiss…

That question hurt Zheng Fan a lot.

But Zheng Fan still replied:

"Replying to Your Highness, this humble one is Zheng Fan, a garrison commander of Cuiliu Fort in Yinlang County. I am the one Your Highness wanted to kill."

"It's you?"

"It is indeed this humble one. This humble one has always had a question in his heart, that is, why did Your Highness want to kill this humble one?"

"You insulted the academy and sullied the cultural land of my Great Yan. You deserve to die!"

This was a legitimate reason that could be given on the surface, because the internal reasons were well known to everyone. Others could say it, but he, the Third Prince, couldn't say it.

"This humble one was following the order of the Secret Service. Huaiya Academy was hiding spies from Qian and hindering the Secret Service from arresting them. That's why this humble one led troops to the academy to assist.

The Secret Service is under the control of the palace and is under Eunuch Wei's command."

Wei Zhonghe narrowed his eyes. The Yinlang County Secret Service had long been separated, and the head of the Yinlang County Secret Service was already sleeping with the Jingnan Marquis.

But he couldn't say these words, and he couldn't refute them. The Secret Service of Great Yan still had to maintain its reputation.

"And Eunuch Wei is under the orders of His Majesty. In that case, this humble one was following His Majesty's orders to arrest people at the academy.

So, in Your Highness's eyes, His Majesty is also someone who insulted culture and deserves to die."

"Impudent!" The Third Prince scolded angrily.

Wei Zhonghe didn't speak.

The Jingnan Marquis didn't speak either.

"Please remember, Your Highness, you are already a commoner. This humble one is only calling you Your Highness out of politeness. According to etiquette, ordinary people of Great Yan must kneel and salute a garrison commander and call him 'Lord.'"

"Heh heh."

"What Your Highness said earlier, that everything you did was for the sake of Great Yan's country, to establish a life for the people of Great Yan, and to usher in an era of peace for Great Yan.

Hearing these words, this humble one was also filled with enthusiasm and excitement. This humble one even felt that if this humble one wasn't the person Your Highness wanted to kill, this humble one would have supported Your Highness in my heart, cheered for Your Highness, and cheered for Your Highness in my heart!

But Your Highness constantly said that the Zhenbei Marquis had no respect for the ruler, and the Jingnan Marquis had no regard for the law. But does Your Highness know who has prevented the barbarians from coming south for a hundred years, and who has prevented Qian from invading the north?

You recite moral etiquette and hold the words of the sages in your hands, decorating yourself with elegance and holiness. This is Your Highness.

But behind the scenes, you engage in shady methods, harm loyal and good people, and frame your brothers. This is also Your Highness.

This humble one is a crude person,

But in this humble one's opinion,

No matter how great the reason, how great the slogan, or how great the goal,

If it needs to be achieved by dark means,

Then,

What's the need to achieve it?"

"You…"

The Third Prince pointed at Zheng Fan, unable to speak.

Zheng Fan remained calm.

Wei Zhonghe smiled and said:

"Today, I realize the eloquence of Garrison Commander Zheng. This old one has remembered it."

"Your Grace is too kind."

Zheng Fan had finished his output. Although he didn't understand why the Jingnan Marquis wanted to let him go out and rant, since the boss had spoken, he could only come out. Now, it was time to retreat back to his position as a lackey.

However,

Zheng Fan had thought about this too simply.

Before he could take a step back,

The Jingnan Marquis's voice came:

"Zheng Fan."

"This subordinate is here."

"Are you willing to avenge yourself?"

The enemy is right in front of you. Are you willing to avenge yourself?

This seemed to be giving you a chance to answer, but one of the answers had already been erased early on.

Since finishing the roast duck,

The Jingnan Marquis had been loudly leading troops here in the name of avenging himself.

You let the Marquis beat the gongs and drums,

But then you say:

Ah, I'm generous and forgive him.

Where would you put the Jingnan Marquis?

"Avenge."

Zheng Fan gave the answer.

The Jingnan Marquis continued calmly:

"The enemy is in front of you, and you are still here. What are you waiting for?"

"…" Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan believed that if he had previously been a background character in this era, then now, the spotlight must have been on him.

Although he wasn't the male lead, or even a supporting male character, he had finally briefly gained an opportunity to step from behind the scenes to the front.

However, this opportunity was a little too hot to handle.

But Zheng Fan had one advantage, and that was that as a person who had already died once, he could let go more easily when there was no room for maneuver.

What status,

What future influence,

What animosity,

To hell with it all,

The current matter was very simple,

This little bastard wanted to kill me, and almost sent me, Xue San, and Blindman back to be re-forged.

Now this bastard was right in front of him,

So he really had to give him a lesson!

Zheng Fan walked towards the Third Prince,

Wei Zhonghe's gaze narrowed and looked at Zheng Fan.

A burst of momentum rushed towards Zheng Fan.

In the past, the eunuchs in martial arts films basically knew martial arts, and Zheng Fan knew that the eunuch in front of him was likely to have divine skills.

The methods of a Qi Refiner were comparable to immortal magic in the eyes of ordinary people.

But Zheng Fan wasn't someone who was easily frightened. Choosing to ignore Wei Zhonghe's warning, he still walked to the Third Prince's front.

The Third Prince looked at Zheng Fan very calmly,

In his eyes, Zheng Fan captured the feeling he had when he was a child when he squatted on the ground and watched ants.

In short, this feeling was very infuriating.

"Your Highness, you should say, 'Try to touch me.'"

"Why should I say that?"

"Because it will make me feel better when I hit you."

"This Prince wants to see if you really dare…"

"Slap!"

With a slap,

The Third Prince was slapped halfway around,

His left cheek was red and there was blood at the corner of his mouth.

Wei Zhonghe's eyes widened, as if even the Great Yan's number one eunuch, who was used to seeing big storms, felt incredible at the scene before him.

A wave of shame and anger surged into the Third Prince's heart,

The Third Prince immediately shouted:

"Even if I have been demoted to a commoner, I still have royal blood flowing through my veins! How dare you…"

"Slap!"

Zheng Fan slapped him again.

Zheng Fan knew that he was likely being used as a gun by the Jingnan Marquis today, but it didn't matter, his gun felt pretty good right now.

The next moment,

Zheng Fan reached out and grabbed the Third Prince's hair, punched him in the abdomen, and then pressed down on his hair.

The Third Prince didn't know martial arts, and his body had long been weakened by secretly taking drugs, so he was now curled up on the ground like a tender shrimp.

Zheng Fan originally planned to stop there. He turned his head and looked at the Jingnan Marquis, but found that the Jingnan Marquis had turned to the side, as if admiring the scenery.

Not enough?

"How dare you… How dare you…"

In fact, princes are also people. Once you strip away the veil of mystery from them and break through their so-called conspiracies, you will find that they are really no different from ordinary people.

What people admire is never the person himself, but the power they represent.

Since it wasn't enough, then he would add more.

Zheng Fan picked up his knife,

Wei Zhonghe immediately looked at the Jingnan Marquis,

And said:

"He is, after all, a prince!"

The Jingnan Marquis continued to look at the scenery.

Zheng Fan silently threw the knife on the ground, leaving only the scabbard.

Wei Zhonghe then closed his eyes.

The maximum bottom line he could accept was that people could not die.

Zheng Fan took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.

"Bang!"

He kicked the Third Prince.

The Third Prince was kicked over.

Zheng Fan sat directly on the Third Prince's legs, using the scabbard to jam the Third Prince's knee, and then, exerted force!

"Crack!!!"

"Ahhhhh!!!!!"

The Third Prince let out a shrill scream.

Damn it,

Why was he still a little excited?

Zheng Fan looked up at the Jingnan Marquis again, but the Jingnan Marquis seemed to be particularly fond of the scenery of this prince's residence, and was deeply attracted.

Okay, continue!

Zheng Fan grabbed the Third Prince's left arm, continued to jam it with the scabbard, and then,

"Crack!!"

"Ahhhhh!!!!!!!"

Huff, comfortable!

To be honest, Zheng Fan didn't like torturing people, but if it was a prince, then…

People, after breaking away from the basic material needs of food, clothing, housing, and transportation, all had to start pursuing a spiritual life, right?

Next was the right arm.

"Ahhhhh!!!!!!!"

All four limbs were crippled.

Zheng Fan stood up, the intense mental stimulation making him a little dizzy.

He believed that it wouldn't be long before what the Jingnan Marquis had done today would spread throughout the capital, and even throughout the entire Yan Kingdom.

And his name, the "executioner," the one who had personally crippled the prince's four limbs, would definitely be extremely loud.

The Third Prince on the ground could no longer scream, but his eyes were almost paralyzed and lifeless.

Wei Zhonghe's flesh had been tense for a long, long time.

Zheng Fan picked up the scabbard, stood up, and looked at the Jingnan Marquis again.

The Jingnan Marquis was still facing away from this side,

Still admiring the scenery.

Zheng Fan bit his lip,

Raised the scabbard in his hand,

And in Wei Zhonghe's stunned gaze,

Zheng Fan's scabbard smashed down on the Third Prince's crotch!

"Pa!!!"