Ming Dynasty: Is a mere unruly commoner rebelling against heaven?

Chapter 8: Could He Possibly Kill Us?

Everyone trembled in fear as Mu Bin stepped into the gates of the Northern Garrison Division.

"Lord!"

"Lord!"

The crowd hurriedly stood up to greet him, only to be met with a scolding from Mu Bin.

"Are you tired of living?!"

"The Emperor's decision is something you can gossip about behind his back?!"

"All of you, slap yourselves!"

At Mu Bin's command, no one dared to disobey, and several people immediately slapped their own mouths twice.

Even Qinglong readily delivered two slaps to his own face.

After a slight reprimand, Mu Bin's tone softened.

"I'm telling you, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is a blade in the Emperor's hand, a blade that slays all who endanger the imperial power."

"A blade cannot have its own thoughts. The Emperor's orders are our mission!"

"Whoever the Emperor wants to kill, we will kill!"

"All our power comes from the Emperor. We don't need to consider who we might offend or whether we might face retaliation."

"As long as the Emperor still trusts us, as long as the Emperor is willing to use us, we will always be a blade that the officials of the court fear!"

"This world will always be the Emperor's world!"

"Only the Emperor alone can decide life and death!"

"Do you all understand?!"

Qinglong and the others looked solemn and shouted, "Understood!"

"Good. Embroidered Uniform Guard, listen to the order!"

"Embroidered Uniform Guard Vice Commanders Qinglong, Baihu, Zhuque, and Xuanwu, prepare your troops and follow me to confiscate the Qingyun Earl's estate!"

Upon hearing the order, the crowd exchanged glances, each reading shock in the other's eyes.

Without room for hesitation, they quickly bowed and accepted the order: "Yes, Commander!"

After a moment of preparation, the gates of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Northern Garrison Division opened, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard poured out, heading straight for the outskirts of the city.

Under the torrential rain of the capital, only the sound of horses' hooves splashing water could be heard.

Amidst flashes of lightning and thunder, the embroidered spring blade at the waists of the Embroidered Uniform Guards glinted with a cold light!

Such a large commotion stirred the capital, which had only been quiet for less than an hour, back to life.

"What is the Embroidered Uniform Guard doing? Can't they let people have a moment of peace?"

"Why are there so many Embroidered Uniform Guards? What exactly does Mu Bin want to do?"

"Look, they're heading out of the city!"

Mu Bin took the lead, being the first to pass through the West City Gate.

Still on horseback, Mu Bin shouted, "By order of the Emperor, open the city gate immediately!"

The gatekeepers did not dare to delay and quickly opened the city gate.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard swaggered through the city, and after leaving the city gate, headed straight for the Tongzhou Imperial Estate, ten miles away.

That was where the Qingyun Earl's estate was located.

......

The Qingyun Earl, Zhou Shou, was the younger brother of the Grand Empress Dowager Zhou, and Zhu Youtang's maternal uncle.

Because of the Grand Empress Dowager Zhou's influence, Zhou Shou was granted a thousand-household position in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, an important informant planted by the Zhou family within the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

After Emperor Xianzong ascended the throne, he was appointed as the Co-Commander of the Left Army, in charge of the Emperor's Jing Camp.

His position as a thousand-household officer in the Embroidered Uniform Guard was then passed on to one of his sons, Zhou Yi, who was the one Mu Bin had just killed.

This man, relying on the fact that he was a relative of the imperial family, acted very arrogantly, illegally occupying sixty-two qing of land in Tongzhou.

This land was the property of the imperial estate, occupying the Emperor's land, and Emperor Xianzong actually acquiesced to his uncle's actions.

Furthermore, he had repeatedly robbed merchant caravans, obstructed the implementation of salt laws, and infringed upon the interests of the court.

As for acts of corruption and lawlessness, they were too numerous to count.

Most of the Zhou family members were appointed to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Five Armies Governor's Office.

This was an important force for the Zhou family to undermine Zhu Youtang and control power.

With the intelligence agency and military power in the hands of the Zhou family, how could Zhu Youtang feel at ease?

The Zhou family deserved to die!

At this moment, within the Qingyun Earl's estate, all the members of the Zhou family were gathered in the mansion, each one filled with indignation.

"What does Mu Bin want to do? He not only arrested Wan Tong, but also captured Ping'er and Yi'er. Is he trying to rebel?"

"I have already sent someone to the palace to deliver a message. My sister will definitely not let that Mu Bin off!"

"Not only Mu Bin, but I think our nephew-grandson also needs to be taught a good lesson by my sister!"

Earl Channing Zhou Yu slammed the table angrily as he spoke to Zhou Shou, who was sitting in the main seat.

He was Zhou Shou's younger brother and Zhou Ping's father, and was currently serving in the Left Army Governor's Office.

An hour ago, they had received news from the steward that Mu Bin had openly taken Wan Tong, Zhou Ping, and Zhou Yi away from their property.

This immediately aroused the anger of the Zhou family.

They were used to being arrogant and domineering, and upon hearing that their sons had been arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they immediately wanted to rush to the Northern Garrison Division and tear down the roof.

But for some reason, the people they sent to the Embroidered Uniform Guard had all disappeared without a trace, as if stones thrown into the sea.

Although the two of them used to be thousand-household officers in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they had been away from the Embroidered Uniform Guard for too long, and at this moment, they did not know what had happened in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so they could only patiently wait for news in the mansion.

At this time, they did not know that their sons had already been separated from their heads.

Zhou Shou was a bit older than Zhou Yu, and his personality was more calm and collected.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea: "What's the rush? With my sister sitting in the palace, would Mu Bin dare to kill Yi'er and Ping'er?"

"I think it's mostly just a show. They wouldn't dare to touch Yi'er and Ping'er."

"Let's wait for news. Maybe it's just a false alarm."

"Brother! We can't wait any longer!"

Zhou Yu stood up anxiously: "Every hour that Ping'er and Yi'er spend in the imperial prison is an hour more of danger!"

"What if? What if something unexpected happens to Ping'er? He's my only son!"

Zhou Shou was silent, his brow furrowed in thought.

Zhou Yu paced back and forth in the mansion with his hands behind his back, then suddenly stopped, a fierce look on his face.

"Brother, why don't we take the troops from the Jing Camp, kill our way into the imperial prison, and rescue Ping'er and Yi'er!"

"What?!"

Zhou Shou was so frightened that he knocked over the teacup in his hand, looking at Zhou Yu in shock.

"Privately mobilizing troops, do you want to die?"

"What's there to be afraid of?"

Zhou Yu stepped forward quickly and grabbed Zhou Shou's wrist.

"Brother, think about it yourself. Didn't my sister initially let us control the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Left Army Governor's Office in order to deal with the current situation?"

"Besides, we are going to the Embroidered Uniform Guard's imperial prison to demand people, and we are not getting close to the imperial palace. What could possibly happen?"

"Even if something goes wrong, we still have my sister sitting in the palace."

"As long as my sister is here, who can do anything to us?"

"Even our nephew-grandson can't!"

"Could it be that our nephew-grandson could possibly kill us?!"

Zhou Yu's words gradually shook Zhou Shou's thoughts.

Zhou Yu was right. As long as his sister was still there, who in the entire Ming Dynasty could do anything to them?

Back then, even Emperor Xianzong was polite to them, let alone the current little emperor.

Besides, his son was still in the imperial prison.

That place was extremely dangerous. Every second spent there was a second more of danger.

Finally, Zhou Shou hardened his heart: "Alright, you and I will go to the Jing Camp to mobilize troops immediately..."

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Before Zhou Shou could finish speaking, the gates of the Qingyun Mansion were smashed open!