The Demon Lords

(In the previous Chapter, there was a mistake in the character, the governor of Ying Capital City should be Mao Mingcai. This was an oversight by Long, and it has been corrected. I apologize to everyone. —Xiaolong)

The wind in Ying Capital City today is destined to carry a sweet bloody smell.

The door of the Academic Affairs Office is simply closed with a wooden latch, not barricaded like a city gate, nor is there a line of long spears behind it, but rather a group of trembling and anxious officials from the Academic Affairs Office.

After Gao Yi’s orders were issued, over ten armored soldiers on each flank flipped over and jumped onto the walls, while others followed with crossbows, maintaining vigilance from the walls targeting the interior.

It is true that slaughtering a chicken doesn’t require an ox-cleaver, but the usual training had already etched certain things into their bones.

The first wave of armored soldiers met no resistance upon entering; the Academic Affairs Office was crowded, but everyone just kept retreating, and the door was simply opened from inside.

The soldiers outside rushed in directly.

The officials inside might have thought that this was just Lord Pingye coming to arrest people for questioning because most people’s world is perceived as per their habits.

They believed at worst, some would be detained, interrogated, and punished, but the majority would remain unharmed.

Even among those being accused, only the unluckiest two or three might face harsh punishment, as the law does not typically tackle a crowd.

However, their world is completely different from Lord Zheng’s world.

Especially after the delivery of military orders and the slaughter of forty thousand Blue Luan soldiers at Jade Plate City,

the scene before them,

to Lord Zheng,

really was just a minor spectacle.

The blades of the personal guards, having been sharpened for a night, were now advancing into the Academic Affairs Office, forming groups of three. The first wave of soldiers did not engage directly but started flanking from the sides while the subsequent soldiers raised their blades against the officials.

This immediate slashing without a word caught them off guard. When blood splattered onto their faces, and they sensed the warm stickiness and wished to flee, they were stunned to find more soldiers behind them.

This wasn’t a slaughter without a single escape, as Zheng Fan hadn’t brought many personal guards this time. Nonetheless, even if some did escape, very few would.

Listening to the continuous screams from inside,

Mao Mingcai’s expression was frozen there,

at this moment,

he felt as if he had returned to a year ago at Jade Plate City.

Back then,

he had also stood in front of Zheng Fan,

yet Zheng Fan still forcefully delivered Lord Jingnan’s order to execute the captives.

Today, it is the same.

He arrived in a rush and tried to stop it, but he still couldn’t succeed.

At that time, he was the Minister of War and a special envoy for negotiations with Chu, but now, he is the governor of Ying Capital City. After Lord Jingnan’s command entered Fengxin through Ying Capital City, it was Mao Mingcai who truly held the speaking rights for civil and political affairs in Ying Capital City.

In the current Yan, holding a provincial position undoubtedly ranks higher than being a minister because of the Yan Emperor’s strength, the Six Ministries and the cabinet nearly becoming merely the voice of the Emperor’s will.

However,

the young man before him,

once newly appointed as Lord Pingye, had just reclaimed the princess, receiving an imperial gift of golden armor, summoned back to the capital for accolades.

The promotion wasn’t only Mao Mingcai’s.

Mao Mingcai slowly closed his eyes, his lips slightly trembling, choosing not to rush in and shout for the guards to cease the slaughter, but instead said,

"Lord Zheng, you must remember that the tree that stands taller than the forest will be ruined by the wind."

Zheng Fan took a breath,

as if savoring the faint scent of blood now permeating the air,

and responded,

"Let the east, west, south, and north winds blow."

...

Inside the post station,

the blind man and the wild people king, who hadn’t gone out, sat facing each other with a game board placed between them.

Black and white pieces,

playing Gobang.

"Not enough." The wild people king spoke, "Just the Academic Affairs Office is not enough."

The blind man nodded.

The wild people king continued,

"Ying Capital City is a good place. Firstly, what happens here can effectively spread out; secondly, it isn’t too sensitive."

Ying Capital City, a major city, everything that happens here will inevitably spread to Yanjing.

No matter what you perform here, the nobles of Yanjing will surely know it.

But Ying Capital City is far from Yanjing, and in terms of political position, it stands lacking compared to the cities within the original territory of Yan State.

This is a big pie, not too hot to handle, and being arrogant here won’t truly prick the reverse scales of the Yan State’s court.

Opportunities like this, once missed, are missed. Moving further west, reaching Li Tian City, and then crossing the Horse Hoof Mountain range, once entering Yan State, Lord Zheng will need to switch to another façade.

To be gentle,

to be obedient,

to listen,

to be,

kind.

The military review at Snow Sea Pass and actions in Ying Capital City are a stance; once within the inherent territory of Yan State, the position to display should be a standpoint.

The blind man placed a stone,

and remarked,

"With a firm standpoint, posture becomes simple to discuss."

The wild people king laughed, "That’s the art of emperors."

The blind man shook his head, "Emperors are ever-changing, without fixed art; young emperors, middle-aged emperors, old emperors are completely different;"

"An emperor maintaining the status quo, an empire-expanding emperor, an emperor obscured by powerful ministers, an emperor restrained from below, are also diverse."