vstars Chapter 201 The Struggling Leader of the Golden Guard!
Chapter 201 The Struggling Leader of the Golden Guard!
The Crown Prince's order left Zhu Zhen speechless with shock.
He thought that the Crown Prince would just let A Bao demolish the houses, but he didn't expect that he would also massacre the village.
"Your Highness, this..."
As soon as Zhu Zhen opened his mouth, the Crown Prince looked at him with icy eyes.
"What? You intend to disobey my orders?"
Zhu Zhen immediately cupped his hands in respect: "Your subject dares not... Your subject only..."
"No need for 'just,' do as I say," the Crown Prince said, patting Zhu Zhen on the shoulder. "You've followed me for so many years and are my confidant. When I ascend the throne, you will be a close minister to the emperor. Do I need to say more?"
Zhu Zhen stiffened and lowered his head: "Your subject will go immediately."
Led by the Imperial Guards, Zhu Zhen followed behind A Bao as they swept through the entire village.
However, he was uneasy the whole way, and felt more and more that the Crown Prince had changed.
Since Mei Xingyue appeared, the Crown Prince has gradually lost his image as a wise ruler, and now he has become so cruel as to massacre a village.
Zhu Zhen had no idea how these villages had offended the Crown Prince, who wanted him to exterminate them all.
But the outskirts of the capital are also under the emperor's nose, so doing so would be too risky.
Is the Crown Prince really not afraid of the news leaking out?
Or……
After they finish this task, none of them will survive?
Zhu Zhen became increasingly worried as he thought about it, and followed behind A Bao somewhat absentmindedly.
It wasn't until Ah Bao cried out and urged him on that he snapped out of his daze and rushed back to report to the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness, there is no one in this village."
The prince nodded, not particularly surprised. After all, this village was directly hit by the beast tide, so it was normal that no one survived.
"Mount up and head elsewhere!"
They went to several more villages, but still didn't see a single living person. Even the prince gradually relaxed.
Zhu Zhen felt increasingly uneasy about it!
Following behind Abao, he suddenly remembered something his men had mentioned to him.
It is said that villagers from the outskirts of Beijing went to the Jingzhao Yin (the prefect of the capital) to file a complaint, creating a great commotion that attracted people who were hiding at home to keep warm.
Before the excitement was even over, Wang Shu, the Prefect of Jingzhao, ordered his men to drive the people away.
They also made arrangements for the people who filed the complaint, and the matter was dropped!
The villagers who filed a complaint... the village was massacred... in the southern suburbs of Beijing...
Connecting these pieces of information, Zhu Zhen suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
He knew what kind of person Wang Shu, the Prefect of Jingzhao, was. He could call him a villain, but he still had some scholarly integrity.
You could say he has integrity, but he can also be flexible when necessary!
Being an official in the capital is not easy, especially being the local official in charge of the capital.
Wang Shu, however, thrived in this position, satisfying everyone in the court, which shows that he was a shrewd and tactful person.
Hundreds of villagers filed a collective appeal, creating a huge uproar, but he managed to suppress it.
Zhu Zhen felt there was more to this than met the eye!
"Your Highness, these villages seem to be abandoned, as if they have suffered some kind of impact."
The prince stared at the bloodstains on the house without uttering a word.
They were about to arrive at Wangjia Village, and he was deeply impressed by the village.
When he and Yuanxing stole the horses and opened the gate of Wang the Rich Man's house, the curses of Wang the Rich Man and others were still ringing in his ears.
"You...you are utterly heartless! The villagers of Wangjia Village saved you, and you repay kindness with enmity?"
The Crown Prince simply didn't have time to pay attention to Wang the Rich Man's curses.
With Yuanxing and Jiang Nianxing in tow, they rode away from Wangjia Village at high speed!
"That rich man Wang also keeps some guards at home. They seem to be quite skilled. If we fight to the death, we might be able to leave a few alive."
The crown prince thought to himself, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"You lowly wretch, how dare you curse me? Even if you didn't die in the beast tide, I'll still send you on your way."
The group rushed to Wangjia Village without stopping.
Sure enough, they saw that one house in the village still had a lamp lit.
The prince squinted and looked, and realized it was Wang the rich man's house!
Zhu Zhen's heart was in his throat. As a member of the Imperial Guard, he was tasked with protecting his country and eliminating treacherous officials, and he did so without hesitation.
Zhu Zhen always felt uneasy about turning the butcher's knife against ordinary people.
"Your Highness, there are people in this village."
The Crown Prince, expressionless, ordered, "Follow Xuan Su and leave no survivors."
Ah Bao slowly ran towards Wang the rich man's house, making a "thump thump thump" sound all the way.
The prince was not angry when he heard this. So what if the villagers were disturbed?
Who can escape from the beast that is Xuan Su?
Moreover, Zhu Zhen is a cultivator!
The man had been gone for a long time and had not returned. Just when the prince's patience was about to run out, he suddenly saw a raging fire breaking out in Wang the rich man's house!
In the firelight, A Bao walked towards the Crown Prince, followed by Zhu Zhen and others.
"Your Highness, I found two people in that house and killed them. To avoid leaving any traces, I set the house on fire."
The crown prince nodded, a smile spreading across his face.
“Well done! These villages are truly pitiful. The people are already struggling with this snow disaster, and now they've been robbed by bandits from the mountains.”
"These bandits were not only numerous and powerful, but also ruthless. They robbed the village and killed the villagers!"
"I never expected that such a band of bandits would be entrenched near the capital. They are swift as the wind and extremely difficult to capture alive."
"However, I have compassion for the people. Once I have finished dealing with matters of the court, I will personally lead troops to suppress the bandits."
Zhu Zhen was terrified by the Crown Prince's words, but dared not show it.
The dozen or so Imperial Guards behind him also kept their heads down and didn't utter a word!
The prince, having resolved his greatest worry, was in high spirits and straddled Abao.
"Let's go back to the capital!"
The group returned the way they came. Zhu Zhen, on horseback, looked back at the still-burning Wang family mansion, his emotions still unsettled.
The Crown Prince was unaware of what Zhu Zhen had just encountered at the Wang family mansion.
In this short period of time, this third-rank martial artist, the commander of the Golden Guard, made the most important decision of his life!
Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince summoned Zhu Zhen for a private audience.
Looking at the extremely nervous Zhu Zhen, the Crown Prince smiled and said, "You did very well tonight, but you could have done even better."
Zhu Zhen's heart skipped a beat, and he cupped his hands in a gesture of feigned ignorance: "Your subject requests instructions from the Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince said coldly, "Those Imperial Guards who followed me tonight need not be kept alive any longer. Do you understand what I mean?"
Zhu Zhen couldn't help but tremble, suppressing the shock in his heart.
He replied respectfully, "Your Highness understands. I will go and do it immediately."
The Crown Prince nodded in satisfaction. "You were bestowed upon me by my father, and you were also a capable assistant personally selected by me. You must always remember who your master is."
"If you follow me, I will never treat you unfairly."
Zhu Zhen was moved to tears and knelt down to kowtow to the Crown Prince, who then helped him up, creating a scene of mutual respect between the emperor and his subject.
After Zhu Zhen left the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince's gaze gradually turned cold.
Zhu Zhen is a good knife; he has been using it very well all these years.
But if the knife is stained with blood that shouldn't be seen by others, then it needs to be dealt with!
"I'll deal with you after I've dealt with the Grand Court Assembly and secured my position."