Volume 1: Kyoto Winds and Clouds Chapter 19: Loyal Ministers and Brave Generals Must Lower Their Heads

  "Is this the Zhongzheng Prefecture?!" Da Han followed Huang Zhong and others to the gate of the prefecture, asking with a puzzled face: "Isn't this young man the son of Lord Zhongzheng?"

  "Exactly!" Huang Zhong looked at the young man with some puzzlement and asked: "Does this strongman have any connection with Lord Zong Zheng?"

  "There's no deep reason, it's just that the other day, thanks to Lord Zong Zheng's invitation, I rushed here from Shu! The strong man smiled and said: "After arriving in the capital, I originally wanted to visit Lord Zong Zheng directly, but unexpectedly couldn't find Lord Zong Zheng's mansion. After asking many times without success, I was about to take a rest when I accidentally got involved in a trivial matter, and it turned out to be Lord Zong Zheng's son. It seems that I still have a good fate with Lord Zong Zheng."

  Huang Zhong smiled ambiguously after hearing Da Han's words, after all, Liu Yan recruited generals and didn't listen to him. But if Liu Zhang were still awake, he would have known who the visitor was, unfortunately, he was lying in Huang Zhong's arms, fainting comfortably!

  "What's wrong with my son?" Madam Liu Yan, who was also Liu Zhang's mother, heard that Liu Zhang had been ambushed halfway and rushed out. Seeing Liu Zhang covered in blood lying in Huang Zhong's arms, who was also covered in blood, she couldn't help but feel a little flustered.

  "Don't worry, madam, the young master is fine!" Huang Zhong smiled and said: "I think he just saw bloodshed for the first time and couldn't take it, so he fainted!"

  "Really?" Mrs. Liu looked at Huang Zhong with a suspicious face, Huang Zhong nodded vigorously, and Mrs. Liu clasped her hands together, saying loudly: "Thank heaven thank earth, Xiaojue is fine!"

  "What's wrong with my son!" Mrs. Liu had just put her mind at ease, when Liu Yan rushed back in, shouting loudly: "If I find out who hurt my Jia'nan, I'll take the entire family's life!"

  Liu Yan had just finished handling the affairs of the imperial court when he suddenly heard that someone had been assassinated near the residence of Zong Zheng. At first, he didn't pay much attention to it, but when he heard that among those who were killed was a child and two young men, he became somewhat flustered. Recently, because of Liu Hong's new favorite concubine, Liu Zhang had been returning home at this time, and the child in the report sounded just like Liu Zhang! Liu Yan wasn't a kind person; otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed Liu Zhang to be so arrogant when entering the capital, as long as he didn't suffer any losses. Now that Liu Zhang had been assassinated, it was as if someone had stabbed a knife into Liu Yan's heart. According to the ancient custom of protecting one's family, even if Liu Yan didn't like Liu Zhang, he couldn't tolerate others bullying him, let alone the fact that Liu Zhang was his most beloved son?

  Facing the furious Liu Yan, Huang Zhong and Shi Alang had to explain the situation of Liu Zhang again. When Liu Yan heard that his son was safe, he immediately put down the big stone in his heart, but he was still very angry! In fact, Liu Yan had a plan in mind, this thing was mostly done by the Yuan family. But Liu Zhang only made the Yuan family lose some face, and the Yuan family wanted Liu Zhang's life, which was something Liu Yan could not tolerate. Not to mention that Liu Zhang did not kill Yuan Shu, even if he really killed him, with Liu Zhang's identity as a member of the Han royal family, unless he killed a member of the imperial family or perhaps needed to pay with his life, killing others would be like killing a household slave. The master who kills a household slave needs to be punished, but does not need to pay with his life. The Yuan family did this, in Liu Yan's eyes, it was no longer just Liu Zhang's matter, but the Yuan family didn't put the Liu family in their eyes at all, which in Liu Yan's eyes was a rebellion!

  "This isn't over!" Liu Yan's icy expression sent a chill down everyone's spine. No one had expected that the normally gentle and calm Zong Zheng would be so terrifying when enraged. Enraged, Liu Yan scanned the crowd and suddenly spotted a burly stranger standing off to the side, asking: "Who is this strong man..."

  "Report to the lord, this strong man is the one who helped us!" Huang Zhong laughed and said: "If it weren't for his timely rescue, I'm afraid the young master would be in danger!"

  "Ah!" Liu Yan heard that it was his son's lifesaver and immediately paid respects saying: "Thank you, brave warrior..."

  "Unacceptable!" The big Han hastily supported Liu Yan and said: "Why must the Lord of the Imperial Clan be so polite? I came at the invitation of the Lord of the Imperial Clan, and saving the young master was just a matter of lifting my hand. How dare I receive such courtesy from the Lord?"

  "Has the brave warrior come at my invitation?" Liu Yan had sent letters to Shu and Jingzhou for several months, and Huang Zhong had also arrived a long time ago. He didn't take him seriously because he hadn't seen Yan Yan, plus he was busy with official duties all day, how could he remember such trivial matters? In Liu Yan's view, the bodyguard invited by Liu Zhang, a young child, was limited in power, no matter how powerful he was. After all, they were only military officials and captains. As the saying goes: "The seventh-grade official in front of the prime minister's gate." Although there was no distinction between grades during the Han Dynasty, judging from their salaries, the positions of military officials and captains were not even worth mentioning in Liu Yan's eyes, and it was normal that he couldn't remember them.

  "I have seen the great man in Xianning County of Jiangxi Province!"

  "Are you Yan Yan?" Liu Yan suddenly remembered that among the guards invited by Liu Zhang some time ago, there was one named Yan Yan. It's just that there has been no news for so long, and Liu Yan thought he wasn't coming!

  Yan Yan thought Liu Yan was displeased with him for being late, so he hastily explained: "Sir, after receiving your summons, I should have come early, but a sudden major event occurred at home, which is why I'm late! Please forgive me, sir!"

  "It's all right! You're here, that's good enough! Today my son had an accident, and I'm not in the mood to entertain you. First, let's get you settled in, we can talk about business after my son recovers!" Liu Yan waved his hand and dismissed Yan Yan, then took Liu Zhang from Huang Zhong's arms and said: "Han Sheng, Shi Ah, take Yan Yan to wash up first, then arrange a room for him!"

  "Yes, sir!" Huang Zhong and Shi Al led the order with Yan Yan, who didn't dare to object. Not to mention that Liu Yan was a Zongzheng, one of the nine high-ranking officials, even if Yan Yan was just a Xiaowei, he still relied on connections to get in through the back door. Although Yan Yan had real skills, Huang Zhong and Shi Al's abilities were not to be underestimated, so he didn't dare say much. Most of the young masters from noble families knew how to behave!

  Liu Zhang's treatment was much better than that of Huang Zhong and others. As he was unconscious, Lady Zong took it upon herself to put Liu Zhang into hot water and scrubbed him clean from head to toe, not only washing away the fresh blood on his body but also scrubbing him hard, as if afraid of not being able to get him clean.

  Actually, Liu Zhang fainted, not because he was scared or couldn't stand the sight of blood, but because he vomited. In his past life, Liu Zhang had also fought with others, only it wasn't as brutal as this time. At that time, he discovered that when he smelled the smell of blood, he would become excited and even get a nosebleed. However, Liu Zhang had a bad habit, which was that he had a weak stomach. For example, some people have a strong stomach and can eat without changing their expression even when facing feces, but some people have a weak stomach and will vomit at the slightest whiff of something foul-smelling. In the battle just now, Liu Zhang was fine while killing people, but afterwards, seeing such a disgusting scene, plus some people being beaten until they were covered in shit and piss, he couldn't take it anymore! Of course, he would still encounter this kind of situation in the future, and could only slowly overcome it.

  After washing up, Liu Zhang slowly woke up and looked at his mother who was standing beside him. He felt moved in his heart, but also a little ashamed. Thinking that as a traverser, from birth to now, he had not given his parents any worries, but instead made them worry, Liu Zhang got out of bed and said: "I've worried my mother, from now on, this kind of thing will never happen again!"

  "My son is awake, and this group of people has gone too far! In the imperial capital, such a heinous event occurred, I must let your father report to His Majesty, please let His Majesty take charge!" Madam Liu's face was full of indignation, which moved Liu Zhang even more.

  "Mother, His Majesty must have known about this matter already!" Liu Zhang smiled and said: "However, I don't expect His Majesty to avenge me. This revenge can only be meaningful if I take it myself. Moreover, this matter is not over yet. Sooner or later, I will make the Yuan family pay back with interest!"

  "Good job!" After Liu Yan sent Liu Zhang back, he went to arrange the aftermath. After all, nearly a hundred people died at the gate of the Imperial Clan's mansion, which was a big event in peacetime, let alone in the capital of the Great Han Empire. Although Liu Yan knew that the mastermind behind the scenes was mostly from the Yuan family, his innate sense of superiority made him unable to bear it. Not to mention that Liu Yan is now the Imperial Clan's head, even if he had no official position, he is still a marquis and a member of the Han imperial clan, with the Great Han royal family as his backing!

  "Father!" Liu Zhang was spoiled by his mother, but he was very afraid of his father. Even though Liu Zhang and Liu Yan had a close relationship, they still had to show respect on the surface, which was a strange kind of parent-child relationship that sometimes created distance between them. However, everyone did it this way, and Liu Zhang was no exception.

  "Alright!" Liu Yan waved his hand somewhat impatiently and said, "Normally you're not so polite, today someone ambushed you and now you're scared silly?"

  "Father, what are you saying! Am I not showing respect to you!" Liu Zhang smiled with a flushed face: "Right, Father! The strong warrior who saved me today has quite good martial arts skills. Have you inquired about his background? I'm currently lacking this kind of expert by my side!"

  "I left him behind and he's now living in the wing room!" Liu Yan smiled: "What a coincidence, he's from Shu, his name is Yan Yan, seems like he's the bodyguard you were looking for."

  "Is he Yan Yan?!" Liu Zhang exclaimed with great joy: "Father, Yan Yan is a young master of a noble family, how can he be summoned here so easily?"

  Liu Yan sneered, "Apart from the Yuan family being so arrogant, which of the great Han families dares not to look up to my Liu family? Moreover, I am one of the nine ministers, the true imperial relative of the Han dynasty. Although the power is not great, it is a crucial position that connects with heaven! Let alone the Yan family being just an unremarkable aristocratic family, even if they were like the Qinghe Cui family or the Yingchuan Chen family, as long as I don't want their eldest sons, they wouldn't dare say a word..."

  "It's just unknown whether he is willing to be the guardian of the child!" In Liu Zhang's view, the ancient strategists and generals were all very proud, and the matter of protecting the family was estimated to be something Yan Yan would not do!

  "Zhang Er is worrying too much!" Liu Yan coldly hummed: "Since he has come, it means he wants to find a way out. I'll let him be your guard, if he dares not to agree, then trouble him to go back where he came from! From now on, unless the Great Han falls, the Shen family will never again stick their head out!"

  "Father! This man is a great general, isn't this a bit..."

  Liu Yan sneered, "In recent years, the Han Dynasty has been somewhat unstable, and many generals have emerged! However, the Han Dynasty lacks everything except talent! Many young nobles want to make a name for themselves by suppressing bandits, but since he won't listen to me, why should I promote him? That Huang Zhong beside you is quite good, not only is his martial arts skills high, but he's also very loyal, and can be greatly used in the future!"