Chapter 1 Righteous Act

Just as the stone was about to hit Zheng Fan's forehead, a low shout came:

"Mo Wan, do you want to kill us!"

"Buzz!"

The stone began to slow down, finally stopping in front of Zheng Fan's forehead. Perhaps because the deceleration was too rapid, a faint burnt smell lingered in the air, and even the bangs on Zheng Fan's forehead were singed.

Hearing the sound behind him, Zuo Jiqian, lying on the ground, subconsciously wanted to turn his head to look back.

"Bang!"

A'ming kicked him in the head.

Zuo Jiqian, already injured, was knocked unconscious.

"He's your father!"

A'ming shouted, clutching his left hand.

His left hand was already purplish-blue, obviously gathering the poison that had spread from the previous needle to suppress it.

At this moment, a slightly childish voice came from within the stone:

"I am acting under orders."

"Under orders? Whose orders?" A'ming asked.

"My...father's orders."

The word "father" was bitten out, spoken with extreme reluctance.

A'ming looked at Zheng Fan with some confusion, and Zheng Fan also looked at A'ming with some confusion, indicating that he was not so desperate as to issue such an order.

"He said…son, smash!"

"............" Zheng Fan.

...

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

Teams of cavalry rushed to gather under the North Gate tower of Nanwang City.

The soldiers guarding the North Tower immediately closed the city gate, and teams of archers were already in position on the city gate. The North Gate garrison commander even drew his saber and shouted at the army below, which was clearly of the same Yan army standard:

"Who are you? Why are you attacking the city gate!"

At this moment, a middle-aged man in the enemy army, wearing a black cloak and gilded armor, slowly urged his Pixiu mount forward.

The Great Yan tradition is to judge a person by their horse.

Generally, the higher the status of a person, the better the quality of Pixiu they can be equipped with. The Pixiu under this middle-aged man had thick legs, an amazing physique, and three long black horns on its forehead, exuding a fierce aura.

It completely surpassed Xu Wenzu's unicorn in quality by a wide margin.

The middle-aged man did not report his identity, but this armor and mount had already allowed many soldiers on the city gate to recognize his identity.

The garrison commander even opened his mouth,

"Lord…Lord…"

The man raised the purple-golden token in his hand and said loudly:

"There are rebellious traitors causing chaos in Nanwang City. This lord is leading troops into the city to quell the rebellion. Anyone who obstructs will be regarded as accomplices of the rebels and killed without mercy!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

The thousands of cavalry behind him raised their weapons together and shouted in unison.

The four great kingdoms have different peerage systems. In the Great Yan, the Marquis is the highest rank, and no one can be crowned a King unless they are a member of the royal family.

The First Marquis of Great Yan is naturally the Zhenbei Marquis (Marquis Who Pacifies the North), whose Marquisate has 300,000 Zhenbei troops, suppressing the barbarians for a hundred years.

However, in the south of Great Yan, there is also a Jingnan Marquis (Marquis Who Pacifies the South), who commands 50,000 Jingnan troops.

In fact, those who are truly located in the south to defend the frontline of Great Yan against Qian are never the fortress system centered on Nanwang City. The Yan people are good at attacking but not at defending. Even in the most difficult years, when facing the strongest barbarian royal court, the Yan people would also take the initiative to engage the barbarian cavalry in a frontal battle.

What the border towns of Qian truly regard as the greatest threat is these 50,000 Jingnan troops.

With the 50,000 Jingnan troops, even if the Great Yan border defense line is completely abolished, the Qian army would not dare to easily move north.

If too few people were sent on a northern expedition by Qian, they might be directly eaten by these 50,000 Jingnan troops. Once more people were sent on a northern expedition, the Jingnan army could rely on the mobility of its cavalry to retreat, maneuver, or intercept at will, enough to allow Great Yan to mobilize troops from other places to fight.

However, unlike the Zhenbei Marquis line, the Ji family does not want to create another Zhenbei Marquisate. Therefore, each generation of Jingnan Marquis is personally appointed by the emperor.

When it comes to the age of retirement or when the new emperor ascends the throne and needs to install his own confidants, the position of Jingnan Marquis, like the position of Chief Eunuch of the Directorate of Palace Attendants, will be replaced.

The original Jingnan Marquis will retain the Marquis title, but will no longer be called Jingnan Marquis. A new Jingnan Marquis will appear and take that position.

Therefore, the 50,000 Jingnan troops are actually more like a forbidden army not in the capital. The Jingnan Marquis is more like an official position than a peerage.

This generation of Jingnan Marquis is the Queen's younger brother, that is, the current Emperor's maternal uncle. Not long after this generation of Yan Emperor ascended the throne, he was granted the title of Jingnan Marquis and commanded the Jingnan army.

"Sir, do we…do we open the city gate?"

A centurion asked the garrison commander standing beside him.

This garrison commander looked back at the city gate with some worry. The disturbance at the General Military Affairs Office had also been sensed here, and the city defense army had also been transferred there.

But at this time, the Jingnan Marquis wanted to lead troops into Nanwang City...

The Yan Kingdom separates military and political affairs, nominally without interference. This is basically a formality in Beifeng County, where the Zhenbei Marquisate is actually the local emperor, but it is well implemented in other places.

The Jingnan Marquis can only station his troops in the Jingnan army camp on weekdays. Because it is not hereditary, he does not have a Marquisate.

Faced with the pressure from the Jingnan army under the city gate, the garrison commander gritted his teeth and said:

"Pass the order, open the city gate and let the Jingnan army in. I don't believe that the Emperor's uncle will rebel!"

The city gate was slowly opened.

The Jingnan Marquis took the lead and rushed into the city gate. Behind him, the rolling iron cavalry of the Jingnan army followed in.

As soon as he entered the city, the Jingnan Marquis ordered his generals:

"Immediately take control of the four city gates of Nanwang City, seal off the treasury, and implement a curfew!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Yes, sir!"

Under the leadership of their respective generals, the Jingnan army began to disarm the Nanwang City garrison in an all-round way, and all the key points and treasury were also taken over by the Jingnan army.

While these things were being carried out in an orderly manner, the Jingnan Marquis himself did not delay at all, and led his personal guards directly to the General Military Affairs Office.

The General Military Affairs Office had already been surrounded and controlled by the city defense army. The leading city defense general immediately knelt down and saluted the newcomer after seeing the gilded armor and the Pixiu mount.

"Greetings, Lord Marquis!"

"Greetings, Lord Marquis!"

"You will immediately lead your troops back to camp. Without my order, you are not allowed to leave the camp without authorization. Those who disobey will be executed!"

Although the city defense soldiers did not know why the Jingnan army would suddenly enter the city, nor did they know why the Jingnan Marquis would disarm everyone as soon as he came, because the Nanwang City General Commander Xiao Dahai had just passed away, and the Nanwang City Governor had also been killed by assassins in the previous chaos, so at this time, looking at the entire Nanwang City, there was simply no one qualified to have a dialogue with the Jingnan Marquis in terms of official status.

Therefore, the city defense army did not resist. Under the restraint of its generals, it surrendered its weapons to the Jingnan army and began to return to camp.

The Jingnan Marquis himself dismounted from the Pixiu and entered the General Military Affairs Office surrounded by a group of personal guards.

The General Military Affairs Office had been completely taken over by the Jingnan army. Rows of Jingnan armored soldiers had been completely deployed around the area, and city doctors had been called in to treat the injured in the mansion.

"Are there many injured?" The Jingnan Marquis asked his confidant adjutant, who had entered earlier.

"Reporting to the Marquis, the assassins were hiding in the coffin, and they shot hidden weapons when everyone was offering condolences. The needles were poisoned."

"Can they be saved?"

"Reporting to the Marquis, some people can be saved, but some people who were not in good health or had other illnesses may..."

"Heh..."

The Jingnan Marquis turned and asked:

"Have all the assassins been caught?"

"Twenty-six assassins were killed, none survived."

"None survived?"

"Yes, none survived. Several assassins disguised as Taoists committed suicide by poisoning themselves after being seriously injured."

"Heh, twenty-six assassins, twenty-six death warriors. When did the Nanwang City General Military Affairs Office of Great Yan become a den of thieves, hiding so many of them.

Adjutant Chu."

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Pass down my order, search the entire city. This Marquis does not believe that such a big incident could be stirred up, that an ambush could be laid in the General Military Affairs Office, and that there would be no accomplices of the assassins in this city!

No matter who it is, no matter which family, as long as it is found to be involved, they will be immediately imprisoned. Anyone who dares to resist will have their family property confiscated and their clan exterminated!"

"Your subordinate obeys!"

After instructing, the Jingnan Marquis walked to the mourning hall.

In the mourning hall, the Governor's head was placed on the offering table, surrounded by blood.

Fortunately, the dead and injured had been transferred to other places in the mansion for resettlement and rescue, so the mourning hall seemed much quieter. It really had the atmosphere of a mourning hall.

The Jingnan Marquis reached out and took three incense sticks, lit them, bowed, and inserted them into the incense burner.

At this time, an adjutant came forward and reported:

"Lord Marquis, the soldiers found the body of Nanwang City General Commander Xiao Dahai in the mansion's latrine."

"Hmm."

The Jingnan Marquis closed his eyes, responded, and slowly said:

"General Commander Xiao must have been killed by the assassins. There is no need to let the coroner go through the trouble again. Let's leave some face for the General Commander of our Great Yan. First, properly collect his body.

By the way..."

The Jingnan Marquis reached out and picked up the Governor's head and threw it to the adjutant, and continued:

"Send the Governor's head back to his family first, and then find a few good tailors in the city to sew it back on."

"Yes, sir."

The adjutant left. Not long after, another adjutant came forward and reported:

"Lord Marquis, the assassin's corpses have been verified."

"Verified? Who verified them?"

"Reporting to the Marquis, two garrison commanders were present in the mourning hall when the assassins attacked. They subsequently led the General Military Affairs Office guards to kill the assassins."

"Oh?"

The Jingnan Marquis seemed a little surprised, turned around, walked a few steps forward, and sat down on the steps at the main entrance of the mourning hall, which were covered in blood.

"Bring them both to see me."

"Yes, sir!"

Soon, Zheng Fan, led by a group of Jingnan armored soldiers, saw the Jingnan Marquis sitting on the steps of the mourning hall's main entrance.

Zheng Fan's white scholar's robe had been stained red with blood, but this blood-stained elegance was actually a good match.

Zuo Jiqian looked a bit disheveled. His left arm had been bandaged, and his head had also been bandaged. Although a real handsome guy is handsome even with a shaved head, if even the handsomest guy loses too much blood and then has bandages on, it would be a miracle if he could still be considered handsome.

The two stood together, and the difference was very obvious.

After all, no one would tell the Jingnan Marquis the details of the two previously killing the assassins in advance. The one who had been picking up the rear will definitely have very impressive achievements.

"Your subordinate, garrison commander of Cuiliu Fort, Zheng Fan, greets Lord Marquis!"

"Your subordinate, garrison commander of Jitui Fort, Zuo Jiqian, greets Lord Marquis!"

The two knelt down on one knee and saluted the Jingnan Marquis.

The Jingnan Marquis played with the jade thumb ring in his hand and asked:

"Zuo Jiqian? A member of the Tiger Might Zuo family?"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Jiqian immediately kowtowed again and said:

"Indeed, I am from the Tiger Might Zuo family."

The characteristic of aristocratic politics is that family background is discussed first. Equal family background, or a prominent family background, is the biggest stepping stone and the qualification to get to the table.

"Is Old Man Zuo still in good health?" The Jingnan Marquis asked.

Old Man Zuo must be the current patriarch of the Zuo family.

"Reporting to the Marquis, my grandfather is still quite healthy. When your subordinate was at home, I often heard my grandfather mention the Marquis."

Zheng Fan, a mere commoner who wasn't even from a poor family, silently knelt to one side.

His face, however, did not show any envy for the family background or jealousy for Zuo Jiqian receiving more attention.

Finally, after chatting with Zuo Jiqian, the Jingnan Marquis finally placed a little of his attention on Zheng Fan and said:

"Your surname is Zheng?"

"Your subordinate's surname is Zheng."

"What is your relationship with the Three Stone Zheng family?"

"Reporting to the Marquis, there is no relationship whatsoever."

"No relationship whatsoever?" The Jingnan Marquis looked at Zheng Fan with some surprise.

In the Great Yan political game, the probability of aristocratic children rising to prominence is much greater because they control enormous resources, but it is not entirely impossible for commoners to rise to prominence.

In fact, the most inspiring commoner in Great Yan was the founding Zhenbei Marquis. The founding Zhenbei Marquis also did not have a family background early on and could not even be called a poor family, but he rose through military exploits, and his Li family became the number one aristocratic family in Great Yan.

But under the current rules, once someone without a family background rises to prominence, one, they themselves will be inferior and will actively look for someone to pull their family tree; two, other aristocratic families will not give up the opportunity to absorb elites.

Therefore, some people will change their surnames and join aristocratic families.

The Jingnan Marquis did not believe that the Three Stone Zheng family would let go of such a general of the same surname who had already become a garrison commander, after all, the influence of the Three Stone Zheng family was completely incomparable to that of the Zuo family.

It's nothing more than holding a ceremony and making up a story, such as many generations ago, your family went to such and such a place and became separated from the main line, and now you are recognizing your ancestors and returning to the clan, which is just a matter of changing a few words on the family tree.

This kind of atmosphere is very common in Great Yan.

Even in later generations, after the Great Qing Dynasty had fallen, princesses were still highly sought after for marriage.

"Where do you come from?"

"Reporting to the Marquis, your subordinate comes from Beifeng County."

"Beifeng County?" The Jingnan Marquis pondered these words and continued to ask: "What is your relationship with the Li family?"

This is a genuine Marquis, although not hereditary, and although he only has 50,000 Jingnan troops, he is the most frontline noble in Great Yan.

Zheng Fan did not dare to use the way he fooled Xu Wenzu and imitate Zuo Jiqian just now to tell the Jingnan Marquis casually:

Ah, our Marquis often mentioned you, Jingnan Marquis, when he was at home.

This one in front of him can sit on equal footing with the Zhenbei Marquis and can see the Zhenbei Marquis himself. What if you run your mouth off the rails?

Therefore, Zheng Fan appeared very modest this time and said:

"Fortunately, the Marquisate did not despise me for being humble, and your subordinate was able to be a running dog under the Marquisate."

Sometimes, the more low-key you are, the less others dare to underestimate you.

Even Zuo Jiqian, kneeling next to Zheng Fan, did not have any contempt for Zheng Fan's humble origins.

The Zhenbei Marquisate does not have a large population, but the influence of the Marquisate is not bad at all. The Marquisate has seven major generals, six of whom were granted the Li surname!

The Jingnan Marquis stroked his thumb ring for a while and said:

"You have all examined the corpses. Are there any omissions among the assassins?"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Jiqian immediately raised his head and said with a serious expression:

"Reporting to the Marquis, there is one assassin not among the corpses. She is a female assassin who was hiding in the coffin from the beginning, and she was the one who released the poison needles in the mourning hall.

Your subordinate has checked twice and found that there is no female corpse among the assassins!"

"Oh?"

The Jingnan Marquis said "Oh" and looked at Zheng Fan again, and said:

"You speak."

Zheng Fan immediately raised his head and said with a serious expression:

"Your subordinate has never seen any woman. According to your subordinate's examination, all the assassins have been executed, and none have escaped!"

"............" Zuo Jiqian.