"The imperial edict has arrived!"
The young eunuch's shrill, long voice echoed in the square at the city gate.
The city defense troops, the security troops, and the imperial guards surrounded the square in three layers, all making way for the eunuch who was delivering the imperial edict.
The young eunuch walked tremblingly through the solemn crowd, and then his scalp went numb.
The huge square was filled with people lying down. Judging from their mixed clothes, they were obviously the family soldiers and guards of the powerful and wealthy.
More than a hundred people rolled on the ground and screamed in pain. It was a spectacular scene.
And among them, a carriage was parked quietly, with ten bloody human-shaped objects being dragged behind the carriage.
Only Duke Chen stood steadily with his hands tied in front of him, chuckling foolishly from time to time.
It's over, the old man seems to be stupid.
The young eunuch looked at Duke Chen with a strange look, and then looked at Chen Ke.
Chen Ke stood quietly in front of the carriage, holding a blood-stained bone sword in his hand. His body and face were covered with blood spots. He looked not only weird, but also terrifying!
The young eunuch turned pale and shouted boldly, "The imperial edict has arrived!"
Chen Ke put away his sword, and the ten human-shaped objects lying behind the carriage suddenly let out a cry.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty has finally come to save us, woooo!"
"Hurry up and put us down. Kill that bastard Chen Ke!"
"Your Majesty, please make the decision for us. We are so miserable!"
"Haha, haha!" Duke Chen stood out from the crowd and suddenly started laughing foolishly.
The young eunuch shuddered, looked timidly at Chen Ke, and shouted, "Chen Ke, accept the order!"
Chen Ke didn't know how to respond, so he took a step forward and bowed slightly.
The young eunuch didn't care about this at all. He just wanted to read the decree quickly and leave this strange place quickly.
The young eunuch unfolded the imperial edict and announced loudly, "Third-class Viscount Chen Ke has behaved frivolously and absurdly. He will be fined six months' salary and his rank will be reduced by one rank."
There was dead silence all around. Everyone knelt on one knee, looking at the young eunuch, waiting for the next order.
Chen Ke caused a big disturbance in the capital today and offended countless powerful people. Your Majesty cannot give him such a light punishment. There must be more to come.
The ten blood gourds lying on the ground stretched their necks hard, glared at Chen Ke fiercely, and then looked at the little eunuch expectantly.
You bastard, hurry up and read it, what's next?
The little eunuch pouted and was about to cry out loud. There was no bottom!
Oh, and there's another message!
The young eunuch slapped his head, coughed, looked at Chen Ke, and said in the tone of His Majesty: "Chen Ke, if you dare to kill someone, I will not forgive you!"
Chen Ke looked up in astonishment, he was also a little confused.
When he took out the Hidden Dragon Pavilion token to gain leverage, he actually knew that he would be discovered sooner or later.
And those people in the court will definitely not let him go and will definitely punish him severely.
Even if the Hidden Dragon Pavilion knew that he was the one who intercepted the note to assassinate the Princess of Qin, they could only say a few good words for him.
But he didn't expect that the punishment would be so light.
The Chen family was fined for half a year. Is it short of money?
If the title is lowered by one level, then there is no difference between that and not lowering it, right?
Also, what did the little eunuch mean by the last words he said, "Don't kill the person?"
Does it mean literally that as long as I don't kill them, it's okay to hang the remaining few people on the iron rings?
Chen Ke was confused, and the people around him were even more confused.
The imperial guards were ready to capture Chen Ke, but who knew that they would receive such an order.
There is no intention to restrict Chen Ke in His Majesty's decree at all, as long as he doesn't kill anyone?
Ding ding dang dang!
The young eunuch who delivered the imperial eunuch kicked away the sticks scattered on the ground and ran faster than a rabbit.
If there had not been the imperial carriage parked outside the crowd and the imperial edict in Chen Ke's hand, they would have thought it was a fake imperial edict.
The ten blood gourds hanging on the back of the carriage watched the little eunuch disappear and burst into tears.
They are no longer disappointed, but terrified!
Although His Majesty's decree saved his life, it did not mean that Chen Ke would stop.
This means that Chen Ke can use thousands of methods to torment them.
Haha, haha.
Duke Chen, with his white hair loose, squinted at the big sun in the sky and began to smile foolishly again.
The Marquis of Yan, who was hanging in the middle, wailed for a while before suddenly coming to his senses. He looked at Chen Ke pleadingly and said, "Chen Ke, I don't want this house anymore. I'll pay you back, and I'll also make up for the rent I've paid over the years!"
After he shouted, the others came to their senses and pleaded loudly to Chen Ke.
Not only did he pay compensation, but he also gave all the furniture in the house, his new concubine, his singing girls and his opera troupe to Chen Ke.
Chen Hanlin, who could no longer bear the torture, suddenly thought of something and shouted, "Chen Ke, I will atone for my sins, I will atone for my sins. I know who is trying to harm the Princess of Qin!"
Um?!
Chen Ke looked at Chen Hanlin in surprise. He was busy keeping accounts and didn't expect Chen Hanlin to do this.
Just as Chen Ke was surprised, a spy from the Hidden Dragon Pavilion came forward, first looking at Chen Hanlin with a cold gaze, and then looking at Chen Ke with admiration.
The spy secretly showed the token and gave Chen Ke a thumbs-up: "Chen Ke, well done!"
Chen Ke was still confused until the two spies came forward, untied the overjoyed Chen Hanlin and took him away.
Forget it, let's not think about this for now. Anyway, the decree didn't tell me to stop, and there are still five manors outside the city that have not been taken back.
Ignoring the smirking old man Chen and the nine blood gourds begging for mercy, Chen Ke got back on the carriage.
"Tie Niu, let's leave the city."
Tie Niu woke up as if from a dream, looked at the young master in amazement, and nodded vigorously.
He was almost scared to death just now, but he didn't expect that it was just a false alarm.
No matter what, we'll go wherever the young master says, there's no doubt about it!
"drive!"
Tie Niu pulled himself together, cracked the whip, and the hellish carriage began to move again, dragging behind it a trail of blood, tears, and cries.
The city defense troops, the security troops, and the imperial guards all made way and looked at Chen Ke in the carriage in confusion and awe.
After today's battle, Chen Ke became famous in Beijing!
…
At the Chen Mansion in the capital, Chen Baiwang's face was pale. After listening to the imperial edict repeated by his subordinates, he sat down on the chair exhausted.
After a while, he stood up, lowered his head, ran out of the hall and went into the study, locked himself in, and lay on the table, crying loudly.
Chen Baiwang cried his heart out, as if he wanted to vent all the grievances and humiliations he had suffered over the years.
So what if he is a royal merchant? Has his life been easy these years?
Son, my good son, you have really helped your father vent his anger and brought honor to my Chen family.
From today on, who dares to say that my Chen family has no one?
Whoever dares to bully me again, I will beat him to death!
Outside the study, the housekeeper, Chen Laofu, who had already arrived, stood by the door and whispered,
"Master, the Emperor Retired sent someone with a message. He said, 'It's a good thing. Dayou has given birth to a good grandson, and you have given birth to a good son!'"
Chen Baiwang raised his tearful eyes and chuckled twice, but his tears still couldn't stop flowing.
He knew in his heart that the retired emperor had always looked down on his cowardly nature, and that the last sentence must have been added by Chen Laofu himself, but he was still very happy.
Anyway, Chen Ke is my son, my biological son, he can't run away!