Zhu Dongshan calmed down and looked at the unconscious guard. He gritted his teeth and reached out to hold the guard's mouth. With his other hand, he stabbed the dagger out fiercely and plunged it into the guard's throat.
Although the guard was asleep, he could still feel the dagger entering his throat. When he struggled, Zhu Dongshan used all his strength and covered his mouth tightly to prevent him from making any sound.
From the moment he took the drug, Zhu Dongshan knew he had no choice.
Before these guards fell into coma, they must have realized that they were drugged, but they fell asleep without a chance to warn. Once these people wake up, the truth about the drug in the food will be exposed immediately. The palace really needs to send someone
For investigation, people from Ziyi Prison can easily find out the truth about tonight.
So these guards must die.
He ignored the situation at Qin Xiao's side and made sure that the guard was no longer moving. After a moment, he let go of his hand. Only then did he realize that his palms were all sweaty and cold sweat was forming on his forehead.
Although he had interrogated countless prisoners and even used many tortures himself, this was the first time he had killed someone with his own hands.
The hand holding the dagger was trembling, and his face was pale.
Taking a deep breath, Zhu Dongshan calmed himself down before getting up.
He knew the hiding places of the six guards, and without thinking too much at the moment, he found the second guard and did the same thing. This second blow was more experienced and more skillful than the first, and his heartbeat was not as fast as before.
There was just an extremely strange feeling in his heart.
After Lu Junzhong promoted him to the Ministry of Punishment, he indeed entrusted him with important responsibilities, and he was considered to be extremely high. Over the years, Zhu Dongshan has been in awe of Lu Junzhong. Although in the dead of night, he occasionally fantasizes about becoming a member of the Ministry of Punishment one day.
Master, but this thought was immediately dismissed when Lu Junzhong's face emerged.
Zhu Dongshan knew all about Lu Junzhong's insidiousness and ruthlessness.
He was willing to be an enemy of any official in the court, but he never thought of being an enemy of Lu Junzhong, because he knew that as long as Lu Junzhong saw the slightest sign, not only would his official career come to an end, but the entire family would also be wiped out, so until
Before meeting the assassin in Tutu Temple this time, Zhu Dongshan only wanted to follow Lu Junzhong to the end.
But now he was directly involved in the plan to assassinate Lu Junzhong.
Now that the assassin has entered the Palace of Hell, he has to help him clear the obstacles outside, and even kills the six guards one by one. Thinking of what he is doing now, Zhu Dongshan only feels incredible, but deep down he is nervous
Panic.
The door of the Palace of Hell was not locked. Qin Xiao pushed it open gently, as if returning to his own house, turned around and locked the door again.
He looked left and right. There were rooms on both sides, and both were lit. Qin Xiao closed his eyes, and then turned to the left. With his sixth-level cultivation, it was easy to feel Lu Junzhong's body at such a short distance.
Where is the breath?
As if he were at home, he walked into the room on the left. The lights were bright and he could see Lu Junzhong sitting behind the desk at a glance.
Lu Junzhong was currently immersed in his desk. There was an oil lamp on the desk and drawings scattered around.
Qin Xiao walked lightly to the wooden chair next to him and looked at Lu Junzhong who was obsessed with it without saying anything. Lu Junzhong didn't feel that anyone came into the room at all. After a while, he reached out to pick up the wooden chair on the side.
The brush seemed to be trying to add something to the drawing. At this time, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of an extra person in the room. His face changed slightly, his outstretched hand stopped moving, and his eyes stared at Qin Xiao, who was sitting on the chair, and his pupils shrank.
.
Under the light, of course he could see the other party's face, and the other party did not hide it, showing his face directly under Lu Junzhong's eyes.
The night clothes were very eye-catching. Lu Junzhong was certainly not a fool. The stranger in front of him was definitely not from the Ministry of Justice, but he appeared quietly in his room in the middle of the night. And with this outfit, he was definitely an assassin.
Moreover, the other party directly revealed his face, which only proved one thing, that the other party had no intention of letting him live.
He was shocked.
Six criminal masters were ambushed in the backyard, and the hiding places were carefully selected. Even if the assassins were very skilled, as long as they entered the backyard, no matter which direction they approached their house, they would fall under the surveillance of the guards.
How could the other party come in silently?
But he knew that there was no need to think about how this person got in now.
"There are many things I don't want to do." Lu Junzhong's hand that originally went to pick up the brush took the teacup on the table and said calmly: "Everything I do is just the intention of the saint."
Qin Xiao nodded and said nothing.
"If the Prime Minister sends you here, I hope you can go back and tell him that I have no intention of being an enemy of the Xiahou family." Lu Junzhong took a sip of tea and said slowly: "Although the Xiahou people were arrested, the Ministry of Punishment
They were not tortured, and they were well cared for with food and drink. I hope it can be delayed, and I am already preparing to plead for the Xiahou family. If the Prime Minister can trust Xiaguan, Xiaguan will do his best even if he risks his life.
Reduce the Xiahou family’s guilt.”
Qin Xiao smiled slightly and said, "The Xiahou family has nothing to do with me."
Lu Junzhong was startled.
"What happened in the palace?" Qin Xiao stared at Lu Junzhong and asked: "Lu Butang set off a huge case in Kyoto. Of course, it is impossible to know anything about it."
Lu Junzhong shook his head and said: "I was just carrying out an errand according to the order. After the prime minister mobilized troops to cause chaos, the saint did not summon his officials to the palace. He sent people directly from the palace to issue orders." As soon as he finished speaking, he heard only
With a sound of "duh", a dagger flew straight over and sank into the table at his hand.
Lu Junzhong's face changed slightly and his pupils shrank.
"Lu Butang should understand that you are in danger tonight." Qin Xiao said with a smile: "If you can't find the value to keep yourself alive, I don't know why I let you live?"
"There is a problem with the imperial decree." Lu Junzhong said immediately.
"oh?"
Cold sweat broke out on Lu Junzhong's forehead, but he still tried his best to stay calm and said softly: "The imperial edicts issued by the saints to me over the years have been very casual, as if I were chatting with the lower official. The lower official
Understand, this is also a way for the saint to show his trust in his subordinates. Using very casual words to give orders to me will make me feel very friendly." After a pause, he looked at Qin Xiao and said: "But the rebellion happened.
Afterwards, there was something... wrong with the decree issued by the saint...!"
Qin Xiao still sat back on the chair and did not speak, but the meaning in his eyes was very clear, obviously asking Lu Junzhong to continue talking.
"Too formal." Lu Junzhong said bravely: "The decrees issued these days are completely different from the casual tone before." After a pause, he said: "If I am not wrong, the decrees issued these days are very different.
Maybe it didn’t come from the mouth of a saint.”
Qin Xiao sat upright, leaned forward slightly, and said coldly: "Are you sure?"
"I'm not entirely sure." Lu Junzhong said, "There is another possibility."
"What?"
"The saint deliberately issued the decree in an extremely formal tone, hoping to use this method to convey a message." Lu Junzhong said in a low voice: "The saint may not be able to help himself now, and the decree he issued was coerced by others."
Qin Xiao frowned.
"Actually, this possibility exists." Seeing that Qin Xiao seemed to be more concerned about the affairs in the palace, Lu Junzhong said to please Ban: "The prime minister mobilized troops to attack the imperial city, claiming that there was a rebel in the palace. Although this reason was a bit unbelievable, but afterwards
There are various signs that what the Prime Minister said is probably true."
Qin Xiao smiled lightly and said: "So Lu Butang thinks that the saint can't help himself?"
"This is my guess." Lu Junzhong sighed: "Otherwise, I really can't figure out why the saint would be so cruel to the Xiahou family."
"The saint used the imperial edict to deliver news to you." Qin Xiao said: "But you seem to be unmoved and still act according to the false edict, and even do it worse. How to explain this? Didn't you think about it when you received the grace of the saint?
Save the saint?”
"You think too highly of me." Lu Junzhong said with emotion, "I am in charge of the Punishment Department, and all the officials in the Punishment Department add up to only a few hundred people. Even if I know that the saint is suffering, how can I save him with my strength?
The civil and military officials of the entire dynasty had deep misunderstandings about me. I couldn't secretly communicate with each other at all. I could only be over-motivated but unable to do anything. What's more, these are just guesses by lower-level officials and may not be accurate. People like the Prime Minister have influence in both the government and the public.
, even he couldn't save the saint from danger. If I act rashly, I can only hit the stone with an egg."
Qin Xiao smiled and said: "What you said seems to make sense. Lu Butang, what else do you know about the palace?"
"Other than that, I know nothing." Lu Junzhong said: "Not only me, but also the civil and military officials of the entire dynasty have no idea what is going on in the palace."
Qin Xiao smiled and said: "So what if they know it clearly? As far as I know, all the civil and military officials in the entire dynasty were almost killed by Lu Butang."
"I...I don't want to do this, but if the will is true, if I resist it, it would be disloyal to the saint!"
"Then have you ever thought about it, if the decree was issued by the rebels who kidnapped the saints, and they wanted to use the hands of the Ministry of Punishment to kill the courtiers, then everything you are doing now is exactly what the rebels want." Qin Xiao sighed: "The courtiers
After being framed and slandered by you, you killed one wave after another. As a result, the officials loyal to the Tang Dynasty became weaker and weaker, while the rebels could take this opportunity to take control of Kyoto and then bring trouble to the world." Staring at Lu Junzhong.
, calmly said: "As far as the country is concerned, do you think you can survive?"
Lu Junzhong saw the other person's eyes were cold and stern, and he did not look away, but he was also staring at Qin Xiao's eyes. After a moment, he saw his body trembled, his face turned pale, and he lost his voice: "You...you...
.It’s you, your eyes...I know...!”
"What does Lu Butang know?"
"Qin Xiao!" Lu Junzhong's face muscles twisted, his mouth twitched, and he said in horror: "You are Qin Xiao!"