Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 216: Qingluan Shocks Jinling (2)

The Qingluan Guard's office was set up at the former Jinyi Guard station. On the high steps, dozens of guards stood upright with sharp eyes, guarding the place strictly.

The hall was simply decorated. In the center was a huge desk with all kinds of documents and files on it. On the walls were several landscape paintings, adding a touch of elegance to this confidential space. Two people stood in front of the desk.

Zhou Zhuo whispered to Meng Bian, "Meng Zhong has reported that these thieves are so bold that they intend to assassinate us. Since there are witnesses, can you arrest them directly? If you alarm the king, it will be bad."

Meng Bian stood with his hands behind his back. He narrowed his eyes when he heard the words, revealing a hint of gloom. Then he slowly said, "Is there any news from Xu Yunjue's mansion?"

"My Lord, Xiaowu has just entered the Wei Mansion and is still just a servant. There has been no news in recent days."

Meng Bian was a little hesitant. If he arrested him directly, he didn't know whether it would ruin the king's plan and damage his reputation. Seeing his expression, Zhou Zhuo roughly guessed Meng Bian's concerns and advised: "Sir, since Meng Zhong has found out about Xu Zeng's conspiracy, he should be arrested immediately. Under the three trees, how could Xu Yunjue, a rich kid, not confess?"

Meng Bian shook his head and said, "I'm afraid it will hurt the king's reputation."

"With a sword in hand, it is like a tiger's courage in the heart. Moreover, there is already a witness. If we search, we will definitely get something."

Meng Bian thought silently for a while, then waved Zhou Zhuo away and asked him to keep a close watch on the Wei Mansion. Then he turned back to the desk, quickly wrote a secret letter, and sent a fast horse to deliver it to Meng Jun.

The spies who were closely monitoring Xu Yunjue discovered that Xu Yunjue was accompanied by his butler. The two of them disguised themselves and left Jinling City for the suburbs.

Meng Bian received the news and frowned. He realized that this was an important clue. Xu Yunjue's abnormal behavior undoubtedly showed that he would have some plans. Meng Bian immediately ordered Zhou Zhuo to bring a few capable men and ordered them to follow Xu Yunjue and make sure to find out his true purpose.

"You must be careful and don't alert the enemy." Meng Bian ordered in a low voice.

Several spies took the order and left. Their figures quickly disappeared into the night. Meng Bian was anxiously waiting for news in Qingluan Guard.

Soon after, Meng Jun's reply letter was delivered to Meng Bian, which contained only one word: "Catch". This simple but resolute word made him determined to take action.

Time passed slowly, the night grew darker, and Zhou Zhuo brought back news. They found Xu Yunjue's hiding place, which was a remote manor outside Jinling City.

Meng Bian immediately mobilized a group of elite Qingluan Guard members to prepare for a raid on the villa.

As the night fell and the stars disappeared, a flickering candlelight illuminated a group of figures jumping on the wall in a manor outside Jinling. Xu Yunjue looked stern, and after checking that they were all loyal and reliable confidants, he slowly opened his mouth and explained one by one.

"This operation must be kept secret. Everyone must conceal their whereabouts and make sure to kill the enemy with one strike." Xu Yunjue's voice was very low.

The ten carefully selected assassins were all the Xu family's trusted aides. They were agile and ruthless. Under Xu Yunjue's instructions, they nodded silently to indicate that they had received the order. The crossbows in their hands were specially made weapons with great power, enough to penetrate any armor.

At this moment, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the door, followed by a knock on the door. Xu Yunjue's face changed, and he signaled everyone to stay alert.

"Who?" Xu Yunjue asked sternly.

"It's me, sir. There's an emergency!" The anxious voice of Xu's housekeeper came from outside the door.

Xu Yunjue signaled a confidant to open the door. The butler hurried in, his face pale, obviously having encountered something big.

"Sir, it's bad. There is a large group of soldiers heading towards the manor outside!" The butler gasped and said this shocking news in an almost trembling voice.

Xu Yunjue's heart was shocked, a trace of panic flashed in his eyes, and he asked, "What's going on?"

The butler shook his head, indicating that he didn't know the details.

Xu Yunjue's face turned extremely ugly. Could it be that the assassination was leaked before it even started? Thinking of this, he immediately ordered the assassins to evacuate from the back door.

Following Meng Bian's order, the Qingluan Guards quickly rushed into the manor. No one dared to resist. After a while, Xu Yunjue was escorted out.

When Xu Yunjue saw Meng Bian, he looked a little flustered, but he still pretended to be calm and shouted loudly: "I am the Duke of Wei, why are you arresting me, what crime have I committed!"

Meng Bian sneered: "Duke Wei, why are you here so late at night? What's your plan?"

"Trick? No, this manor belongs to the Xu family. It's not strange for me to come here." Xu Yunjue replied loudly with his head held high.

"Where are the ten assassins? I guess they are no longer in the manor, right?" Meng Bian said, patting Xu Yunjue's face.

Meng Bian looked at Xu Yunjue's extremely horrified expression and was too lazy to talk to him anymore. He just ordered his men to arrest everyone in the mansion.

The ten assassins were like trapped beasts, trapped in a desperate situation. They quietly slipped out of the back door of the villa, trying to escape under the cover of night, but the Qingluan Guards had already laid a net.

The assassins' steps were light and swift. Just as they were about to step into the forest, suddenly, a large number of torches lit up, and the soldiers of the Qingluan Guard appeared around them as if they had come from nowhere.

Zhou Zhuo rode on his horse, looking down at the assassins with a cold look in his eyes. He waved his hand and ordered, "Capture them alive if possible."

The soldiers of Qingluan Guard immediately tightened the encirclement, with the spears and swords in their hands flashing cold light.

Seeing this, the ten assassins knew they had no way to escape, but they did not give up resistance. They picked up their crossbows and shot forward, with a "swish" sound, ten crossbow arrows shot down four Qingluan Guards.

Then they drew the daggers hidden at their waists and tried desperately to escape the encirclement. However, the Qingluan Guards were outnumbered, and their spears and swords were far superior to the assassins' daggers.

The battle was short and fierce. Although the assassins were skilled, they were at an absolute disadvantage in terms of numbers and weapons. In the end, four of them were killed on the spot, three were seriously injured, two were slightly injured, and one had his weapon knocked off by a spear. They were captured alive and none of them escaped.

Zhou Zhuo looked at the bound assassin on the ground and couldn't help but reveal a look of joy on his face. He knew that this time the Qingluan Guards would be in the limelight.

"Take them all back and find some doctors. Don't let these people die." Zhou Zhuo raised his chin and said proudly.

With the arrest of the assassin, Xu Yunjue's plot failed. Meng Bian ordered them all to be brought back to Qingluan Guard for further interrogation. The night gradually faded away, the sky was white, and a new day was about to come.