Chapter 9, Conflicts at the Inn

Several guards escorted Zheng Shiyuan into the room. He cast a stern glance over the entire assembly, finally fixing his gaze on the fallen Lu Jingwu, and snorted, "Commander Lu, why are you in such a disgraceful state? You fled in fear of battle at Xiaofengkou, disregarding the safety of Her Majesty. Now you come to slander loyal and virtuous men. Zheng Tingshi intends to seek an explanation from you before Her Majesty... Bring Commander Lu to the Duke's residence..." After speaking, he glanced at An Gong in the hall, "An Wengong, you are quite bold..."

If you are dissatisfied, you may draw your sword to confront the royal guards? The Hejian Prefecture has its own regulations, yet you choose to disregard them. Bring him here, and take An Wengong as well, and let us see how the Empress will deal with this matter

At this moment, the common people on the long street outside the inn were panicking and running in all directions, creating chaos. The fall of the group of archers from the wall further exacerbated the disorder, while the Longwu Army in the courtyard merely shouted without daring to charge forward... because Gao Chong had already stepped down from the front steps, holding his golden-tipped spear firmly in his hand

"They have rebelled, they have rebelled... Quickly send someone to mobilize the troops, urgently inform the governor of Hejian, the county magistrate An Zheng and his son of Leshou Inn have rebelled and are plotting to kill the empress..." Lu Jingwu was afraid that the situation was not chaotic enough, and thought to himself, after a while, if heavy troops were dispatched to encircle and suppress these more than ten people, he could then rest easy, ha...

An Jingzi was not worried at all. This was not the first time he had met Zheng Shiyuan during his visit to Hejian. Although they had not spoken much, Zheng Shiyuan had shown admiration for him. It was not difficult to see from his current expression that he also intended to oppose Gao Taiwei. For now, he would not confront him directly but aimed to deal with Gao Qiao's trusted aide, Lu Jingwu, first.

Zheng Shiyuan, styled Ting Shi, was a native of Huainan, not to be confused with the Zheng family of Xingyang. Since the Later Tang and the Five Dynasties, the Zheng family of Xingyang gradually declined, losing its former prominence, and the descendants of the gentry scattered across the land, no longer possessing the fame of the prosperous Tang dynasty. However, Zheng Shiyuan was exceptionally astute. When the Zheng Guifei was conferred the title of Empress at the beginning of the Zhenghe era, he recognized that an opportunity had arisen. He brought with him a fortune of one hundred thousand strings of gold and jewels to the capital to seek out Duke Zheng Shen of Yiguo to 'acknowledge kinship.' In light of the one hundred thousand strings of gold and jewels, 'the father-in-law' Zheng Shen was also willing to accept this marriage alliance. Subsequently, Zheng Shiyuan constructed the Zheng family ancestral hall in Hejian, which took several months to complete. Once the ancestral hall was finished, Duke Zheng Shen of Yiguo abandoned the dilapidated ancestral hall and moved everything to Hejian Prefecture. At the end of the year, Zheng Shen requested to leave Bianjing on the grounds of 'external relatives not interfering in politics' and returned to his 'hometown' in Hejian to enjoy his old age. Emperor Huizong was greatly pleased and praised the virtue of 'the father-in-law,' truly a 'model of relatives.' He immediately conferred upon Zheng Shen the title of 'Prince of Hejian' with a stipend. Thus, Prince Zheng Shen arrived in Hejian Prefecture and became a local sovereign.

Beside him, Gao Yingmei felt a strange sensation in her heart, observing the calm demeanor of the young master, as if he had already anticipated this moment, making her feel as though she had been played by him

"What a cunning little thief with sharp teeth! Archers, obey my orders. First, shoot this scoundrel dead. Whoever beheads him will be rewarded with a thousand coins; those who disobey will be dealt with according to military law..." Lu Jingwu had made up his mind. He was hoping for An Jing to resist like this, as it provided a perfect excuse to kill them and shift the blame for the responsibilities at Xiaofengkou onto them.

The formidable killing god, known as the enemy of ten thousand, left a profound impression at the Wind Howling Pass. At this moment, his face was cold, and a chilling murderous intent radiated from his fierce eyes, instilling fear and dread in the hearts of all.

You... you traitor, if it is not your An family father and son, then who else could it be? The strong bandits gather at the Wind Howling Pass, and An Zheng knows the truth but does not report it; what is his intention? Hmph...

Lord Lu, your words are incorrect. The matter of the bandits gathering at the Wind Howling Pass was reported to the court by Lord Zheng of the Jiajian Prefecture long ago. Did the three yamen generals not inform you, Lord Lu? You claim that my father and I are colluding with the enemy; do you have any evidence to support this? How can mere words convince the public? My father and I have been branded as bandits, yet we risked our lives to protect Her Majesty the Empress, fighting our way through perilous situations. Where were you, Lord Lu, loyal and steadfast to the Empress, when she was in danger? Were you not the one who fled first out of fear for your life? At this moment, what face do you have to accuse us of being bandits?

Wang Luo, styled Fu Chu, was a retainer in the household of Gao Qiu, known for his exceptional cunning and greatly favored by Gao Qiu. He furrowed his brow and said: "My lord, Lu Jingwu is a coarse and brutish man, willing to take the blame. You need only shift all responsibility onto him. In this incident, Master Cai has indeed been ruthless, but he has also plotted against you. He has a grudge against Zheng Juzhong and is using this opportunity to attempt to eliminate the 'Zheng faction' in one fell swoop. However, unexpectedly, the An family father and son emerged, causing his plans to fall short. My lord, it would be better to proceed in this manner..."

Thus, a tumult was resolved by Zheng Shiyuan with just a few words, and he even took all the troublemaking 'protagonists' to the Prince's residence.

To know that Zheng Shiyuan's identity is that of the current 'National Uncle', he simply has not yet entered the court to hold an official position. From the perspective of others, is it not just a matter of time? Who would dare to offend him? A few personal guards from Hejian Prefecture came forward and lifted Lu Jingwu, who had fallen under Gao Chong's spear. Lu Jingwu, still in shock, shouted: 'Lord Zheng...'

Ah..." Lu Jingwu exclaimed, and before he could draw the sword at his side to defend himself, the tip of the tiger-headed gilded spear had already knocked off his helmet. Gao Chong followed closely, and with a powerful kick, he struck Lu Jingwu in the lower abdomen. The rather stout Lord Lu was sent flying by the kick, and in the next moment, the glaring spear tip was already pointed at his throat, the icy killing intent penetrating his body. Lu Jingwu's legs trembled, and he immediately wet himself, closing his eyes and screaming: "My life is over..."

"You... you are being outrageous..." Lu Jingwu's old face flushed red, his anger causing his hair to bristle. He glanced left and right and shouted, "Why aren't you capturing the traitor for me yet?"

However, in Hejian Prefecture, it is not solely Zheng Shiyuan who holds absolute power. The Song Dynasty is inherently bureaucratic, and although Zheng Shishi serves as the governor of Hejian, he does not have unilateral authority in the prefecture. The central court has dispatched a 'Tongpan' to supervise him, which means that while he can make decisions on minor matters, significant issues must be discussed with the 'Tongpan'. Orders lacking the 'Tongpan's' signature are essentially rendered void. The 'Tongpan of a certain state or prefecture' is appointed by the emperor to oversee and balance local officials, effectively resulting in the presence of two leaders within the same state or prefecture. If the governor has strong backing in the court, he can naturally suppress the 'Tongpan', but otherwise, he must heed the 'Tongpan's' authority. Zheng Shiyuan indeed has a solid backing, yet Cai Hong, the 'Tongpan of Hejian Prefecture', is not an ordinary figure; he is a nephew of the esteemed Minister Cai. If it were not for the presence of the Hejian Prince Zheng Shen in the prefecture, which instills a sense of caution in Cai Hong, Zheng Shiyuan would find it impossible to dominate him. Previously, Zheng Shiyuan was adept at navigating relationships and maintaining a harmonious environment, which allowed for a relatively peaceful coexistence. Cai Hong, enjoying a leisurely life, spent his days indulging in the company of beautiful concubines and playful servants, largely ignoring governmental affairs. Thus, Zheng Shiyuan was able to wield more power.

At this moment, Ma Tai did not dare to be negligent. Although he knew that Gao Chong and others were exceptionally brave, he was intimidated by Lu Jingwu's ferocity and could only draw his sword in response. "All soldiers, heed Lord Lu's command and first capture the traitors..." He was also shrewd, merely waving his waist knife to direct the soldiers forward, yet he did not take a single step forward, fearing for his own life

"You speak too much..." Zheng Shiyuan, supported by the empress, naturally did not regard the commander of the cavalry guards as significant. Even if Gao Qiu were present, he would not be afraid, for it was well known that the empress had long harbored a deep hatred for that incompetent and filthy Grand Commandant. He had to make his stance clear. "The An father and son have not been rewarded, yet you slander them. What is your true intention? You will have your chance to speak before the empress, take them away..." Finally, he pointed at Gao Chong, "You, reckless man, are also bold; take him away as well."

Hearing the news, Gao Qiu could not help but darken his expression. However, to speak honestly, he truly did not dare to offend Empress Zheng. After sending away Ma Tai, he summoned his trusted advisor Wang Luo, saying, "... At first, it seems that Lu Jingwu is going to take the blame this time. Your scheme to shift the disaster has failed, and I did not expect that this Zheng Ting Shi would be so difficult to deal with..."

Today, Zheng Shiyuan could not help but feel concerned about the matters at the inn. Upon entering, he saw Lu Jingwu in a state of utter disarray, holding Gao Chong at gunpoint on the ground, which he could not help but look down upon. In recent days, he had met with Empress Zheng multiple times and was fully aware of the internal affairs at Xiaofengkou. He felt a sense of pride for the remarkable achievements of his 'brother-in-law' An Zheng and his son. However, the way his 'nephew' An Jing recklessly handled this situation was bound to lead to a poor resolution. Yet, with matters having reached this point, there was no choice but to endure.

An Jing, at this moment, shouted loudly: "Lord Lu, do not mislead yourself. To indiscriminately take people like this, we cannot accept... Lord Zheng from Hejian Prefecture will arrive shortly. An Wengong will go with Lord Lu to the Empress to argue the rights and wrongs of this matter. If the Empress punishes my father and me, I will have nothing to say... All soldiers, hold your actions for a moment, do not harm each other. You must know that if the Empress investigates the facts and places blame, can you bear the consequences? Lord Lu, think carefully; you should know the repercussions..." All soldiers, hold your actions for a moment, do not harm each other. You must know that if the Empress investigates the facts and places blame, can you bear the consequences? Lord Lu, think carefully; you should know the repercussions...

An Jing stepped forward a few paces, clasped his hands in salute, and said, "I, An Wengong, a humble official with no position, pay my respects to the Prefect Zheng. The personal guards have taken someone without any proof or documentation, and Wengong feels deeply aggrieved..."

As Gao Chong made his move, he stunned everyone present, leaving the more than ten individuals who had been knocked to the ground in a daze, their faces covered in dust, forgetting to get back up, each one astonished in place

Deng Huai and the other soldiers also drew their knives, loyal to Lord An and his companions, yet at this moment, they felt uneasy about opposing the court. Fortunately, the young master spoke with a firm tone, acting as their backbone, but no one moved, seemingly waiting for the final command from the young master. Gao Chong clenched his fists, his large iron spear planted at the foot of the front hall's stone steps, its tip swaying in the wind like a drifting line of blood, and many eyes from the Dragon Martial Army were also focused on him. It seemed they were still waiting for the young master's final command, and Gao Chong's fists were clenched, his large iron spear planted at the foot of the front hall's stone steps, its tip swaying in the wind like a drifting line of blood, with many eyes from the Dragon Martial Army gathered on him.

At this moment, An Jing raised his eyebrows slightly, and began to calculate the next move in the game. Zheng Shiyuan could be considered a family member, and there was no reason to favor Gao Qiu. Moreover, Zheng Juzhong also had conflicts with Cai Jing and Gao Qiu, so taking this opportunity to deal with Gao Qiu was something Old Zheng would not mind at all. This performance was certainly worth watching

His sinister gaze fixed on An Jing, revealing a hint of a sly smile, while An Jing clenched his teeth and shouted sternly: "Gao Chong, capture the thief and the king, but do not harm the innocent..."

The incident at the inn has temporarily settled, but the withdrawn Longwu Army's envoy, Ma Tai, hurriedly ran to report to the commander Gao Qiu that Lu Jingwu's departure with Zheng Shiyuan is no trivial matter

Of course, this is also to give An Jing a way out. Upon hearing the last sentence, 'Let the Empress decide,' everyone felt relieved. The An family had saved the Empress, and she would certainly not hold them accountable. On the side of the Imperial Guard Longwu Army, no one spoke. The highest commander, Lu Jingwu, was even being taken away, and that Ma Yuhou naturally did not dare to utter a word.

At this point, Prince Zheng Shen of Hejian regarded Zheng Shiyuan as a 'dear nephew', and even the Empress Dowager viewed Zheng Shiyuan as a 'cousin'. Before the Empress Zheng left the capital, the court issued an edict, appointing Zheng Shiyuan, the governor of Hejian, as the Deputy Envoy for Military Affairs and Pacification of Hebei East Road, as well as the Deputy Commander of the Cavalry and Infantry. (In reality, this was a nominal position with little actual power; if the 'Deputy' title were removed from the official title, he would rightfully be the Grand Governor of Hebei East Road, wielding significant military and political authority.)

The unoccupied minor official An Wengong met with Commander Lu... not knowing what business brought Lord Lu to such a confrontation with weapons. An Jing truly maintained his composure, standing elegantly at the entrance of the hall, one hand behind his back, chest out, showing no sign of fear. The head constable Deng Huai and more than a dozen black-clad officials from the Leshou Prefecture, each with their hands resting on their sword hilts, glared angrily at the approaching Dragon Martial Guards, yet deep down, they felt quite uneasy.

The magistrate Zheng from Hejian Prefecture arrived... Outside the inn, a voice called out, causing a commotion. However, both sides inside the confrontation breathed a sigh of relief. The officer Ma Tai immediately shouted, "The soldiers of the Longwu Army should retreat; do not harm Lord Lu's life..." He feared provoking Gao Chong, as... a spear pierced through Lu Jingwu's throat

Lu Jingwu scrutinized the few individuals before him, ultimately fixing his gaze on An Jing, and could not help but let out a cold laugh. After a long while, he stopped laughing and changed his expression, pointing at An Jing and saying: "What a traitor and colluder! What qualifications do you have to speak before this official? The guards capture thieves, yet you dare to draw your sword in resistance? Have you grown several heads? How audacious you are..."

It is said that "the Zheng family of the world originates from Xingyang." The branch of Zheng Shen from Hejian Commandery is evidently unrelated to the "Zheng of Xingyang." However, at that time, Zheng's daughter was honored as the mother of the nation, and the Zheng of Zheng Shen's branch was thus immensely distinguished. This undoubtedly represented an unparalleled glory in honoring one's ancestors. Yet, the family, being of noble lineage, was not flourishing in terms of descendants. Just as Zheng Shen was troubled by the matter of revitalizing the family, Zheng Shiyuan from Hejian came to acknowledge kinship and even proposed the brilliant idea of establishing a grand ancestral hall to gather relatives. This created a significant impact, and the "Zheng family" scattered across various states and prefectures would surely come in droves, regardless of whether they were truly related or not. One could not write out two characters of 'Zheng' without attracting attention. Who would fear that no one would come to support the 'national father-in-law'?

Having already taken their positions behind the walls of the pavilion, the soldiers, upon receiving the order, no longer hesitated. They drew their bows and released their arrows... whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, dozens of arrows flew straight towards the officials standing in front of the hall, and at this point, the conflict was irretrievable. Deng Huai leaned to the side and shouted loudly, "Zhou Quan, the official..." He was the first to swing his sword, dancing like a wheel, deflecting the arrows that scattered in all directions. An Jing, standing behind him, swayed slightly and positioned herself in front of him. The long sword had somehow appeared in her hand, and in a moment of trembling, a silver chain suddenly spread out within a radius of several zhang. The arrows that were deflected by her did not fly chaotically; instead, they turned back and shot towards the archers crouching behind the wall. Before they could nock a second arrow, they all fell to the ground with a series of tragic cries, having been struck by their own arrows. This scene left everyone utterly dumbfounded, and Lu Jingwu could not help but be greatly alarmed.

At that moment, Gao Chong was hesitating on how to make his move. Upon hearing the command from the officer, he suddenly gained clarity. With a shake of his gun barrel, he swiftly positioned himself in front of the crowd of Dragon Martial soldiers standing between him and Lu Jingwu. They scattered like withered branches and fallen leaves in a fierce wind, tumbling about in disarray, utterly disoriented.

An Jing slightly raised her head and disdainfully said to the dark-faced Lu Jingwu: "What do you mean by traitors and collaborators? Wen Gong is unaware, so I would appreciate it if Lord Lu could clarify..."