720 Shangguan Yangyu (1/2)
It was deep in the night. Many shadows flew, jumped, and climbed over the wall, sneaking into the garden.
He Mingchi had met plenty of loyal subordinates in the South School of Haotian and the Imperial Center Administration in these years. These cultivators, who hated to be neglected or overlooked, were small in number but fearsome in power.
Li Huiyuan became so angry after the assassination that he gave his ID token of the Imperial Center Administration to He Mingchi, and told him to do it boldly. Ten more officials fell over a pool of their own blood that night, and even more innocent common people died from the rioting.
Those officials and soldiers sent to watch the Qing He County Guild by the government also were confounded by the riot. They didn't even notice that some of the Qinghe County warlords' children had taken the advantage of this and sneaked out of the Guild.
After leaving the Guild, they quickly met up with the officials supported by Qinghe County. According to the investigation done later, these people were partly the cause of the riot in Chang'an on that night.
The Zeng's were brought to the Chao Mansion on the Spring Breeze Pavilion Street No. 2. The servants were well arranged. The injured were treated by the doctor of the Fish-dragon Gang. Zeng Jing and his wife left to visit the Old Master Chao.
The central hall of the house was ablaze with lights.
The Old Lord Chao waved his hand to stop Zeng Jing before he could express his sincere appreciation.
The Old Lord's only two hobbies were enjoying opera and playing with his grandchild. He looked at Linzi, who seemed worried, and he said impatiently, ”My daughter-in-law, you don't need to worry too much. Nobody would dare to mess with us as long as your man is living. Those who have the guts to break into our house must have broken into the palace by now.”
Zeng Jing felt awe-inspired after he heard what the Old Lord said. He was sure that the Old Lord was a veteran. And it was not until someone else saluted that Zeng Jing realized there were other people in the room.
The Old Lord Chao looked at Chang Siwei and denounced, ”The sister and brother in the imperial palace are idiots. Are you an idiot, too? You didn't follow the Yulin Royal Guards to the north to resist the barbarians, now you have to keep Chang'an City in peace! What are you waiting for! Just kill all the wanderers on the streets now! And converge your arrows to kill all cultivators that show up!”
Chang Siwei accepted the order and left in a hurry.
Mr. Qi was in the hall, too.
The Fish-dragon Gang was the dominant local villain. And they could deal with all messed-up situations. They did not suffer many losses except for a few members killed by cultivators at the Zeng's gates.
Mr. Qi was irritated, but he wouldn't dare to show it to Old Lord Qi. He asked, ”Uncle, what should our brothers in the Gang do? They should at least do something.”
The Old Lord Chao stroke his beard and before he could give his opinion, he heard the steward coming in to report. His eyes lit up upon hearing that the prefectural magistrate Shangguan was coming to visit.
”Here's your job.”
Shangguan Yangyu entered the hall in a hurry, and he kowtowed to the Old Lord Chao because he was a nephew of his. When he found that Zeng Jing was also in the hall, he turned serious.
”You're much foxier than me, and I suppose you have nothing special to ask. You can go and talk to Mr. Qi if you want. I'll leave with Lord Zeng and show him the garden in the back.”
The Old Lord Chao left the central hall with Zengjing after finishing the talk.
Shangguan Yangyu stared at the back of the Old Lord Chao, and a foxy light flashed in his narrow eyes. He saluted respectfully and said, ”You're too kind, Your Excellency.”
The Old Lord Chao didn't turn back, and he said, ”You're the kind one.”
...
...
When the Old Lord Chao and Zeng Jing were totally out of the hall, Shangguan Yangyu stood straight and looked to Mr. Qi. After a short silent moment, he asked, ”I guess you're going to stand on the Empress' side, aren't you?”
Mr. Qi smiled and said, ”Where did that come from, Your Excellency? We're no more than mobsters struggling to live in the Jianghu World. We don't have the right to make a choice on such a big event. We do what the royal court wants us to do.”
Shangguan Qingyu sneered. He thought it to himself that these people were far better than mobsters, but he didn't say it out. He knew the time was limited, so he said, ”Mr. Qi, I'm here to ask you for more people.”
Mr. Qi paused because he wasn't sure what Shangguan Yangyu meant. He asked with uneasiness, ”You're joking, Your Excellency. You're the magistrate of Chang'an...”
”I'm not going to beat around the bush for this very situation.”
Shangguan Yangyu looked serious and said, ”The Yulin Royal Guards are suppressing the riot, and the bodyguards are securing the palace. My government runners are dealing with the follow-up work of the homicide cases and keeping the peace. My hands are tied now, so I am asking you for reinforcement, are you going to help me or not?”
Mr. Qi had made contact with Shangguan Yangyu several times but never had he saw him being so serious. His foxy face now turned somehow righteous, which made Mr. Qi feel serious, too.
”To serve the royal court is my duty, but firstly I have to know what are you going to do with my reinforcement.”
”Many people have escaped from the Qinghe County Guild.”
Two cold rays flashed in the narrow eyes of Shangguan Yangyu, and he said, ”Those monks with hair, their temples are in the south. We'll lose everything if they go back to the south. Now that the city gate of Chang'an is closed because of the enemy, they are temporarily trapped in the city. We have three hours before the city gate opens.”
Mr. Qi understood what Shangguan Yangyu was saying. He thought it for a moment and said, ”No problem, the Gang will provide you as many people as you want. And we'll send our servants if necessary.”
”It's better if they're all living, and the dead will be okay if it doesn't work.”