Chapter 36: Kill the Chicken to Warn the Monkey

  "A little soldier, he dares to show off in front of us, okay, you just wait and see! There will be a time when you'll be begging for mercy on your knees!" Wei Chi Bao Yun was scolding with great enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Cheng Huai Bi, who had changed into a camouflage military uniform, swaggered out of the yamen. The eyes of Chang Sun Ruan and Wei Chi Bao Yun were burning with even more anger.

  "Cheng Huaiyi, what is the password?"

  "Go ask General Qin yourself, I didn't get to know this by asking around!" Cheng Huai's loud and clear voice said, "General Qin said that the password can only be obtained from his mouth, no one is allowed to leak it out, otherwise severe punishment will be given. Military orders are not child's play, I don't dare to speak nonsense!"

  Cheng Huaiyi was too lazy to bother with the angry Zhangsun Yan and others, so he quickly ran away.

  "What a thing... It's all because of those petty people!" Wei Chi Bao Yun's lungs were about to burst, his dark face turned into a purple color.

  "What shall we do, Young Master Changsun?" a young general asked, "Are we really going to humble ourselves and ask Qin Mubai for military orders in a low voice?"

  "A joke." Wei Chi Bao Yun heard this and got angry, coldly laughed and rushed forward in big strides, without saying a word, he pushed the soldier with one hand.

  "Get out of my way! I'm going in today no matter what!"

  "Bao Yun, don't be rash!" Chang Sun Ran hurriedly came to dissuade him, but it was already too late. Wei Chi Bao Yun was tall and big in stature, with quick movements, that little soldier was pushed down to the ground by him with a loud thud, instantly jumping up and drawing out his knife.

  "The hundred riders' orders are to behead anyone who dares to charge into the yamen and collide with the soldiers! General Wei Chi, if you insist on charging forward, I may not be your match, but I will fight to the death to defend my post!" With that, the little soldier swung his sword down at Wei Chi Bao Yun.

  The blow was ruthless, without a hint of mercy!

  "You scoundrel, don't you know when to die!" Wei Chi Bao Yun let out a low roar, dodging the knife with a swift movement of his body and striking the back of the little soldier's head with his elbow.

  A loud cry, the little soldier fell heavily to the ground and struggled for a few times but couldn't get up.

  "Bao Yun, stop at once!" Chang Sun Mo was also anxious - if someone really got killed in the army, it would be hard to clean up!

  "What are you doing?!" Just as the scene was in chaos, a loud thunderous shout rang out. Everyone turned their heads to see Li Junxian.

  Chang Sun Gan's eyes rolled around, and he hastily walked over to bow and salute: "General Li, this little soldier is extremely impolite, actually wanting to raise his knife to chop us! Wei Chi Bao Yun was acting in self-defense, and cannot be blamed for knocking this little soldier unconscious."

  "Is that so?" Li Junxian furrowed his thick eyebrows, sizing up Zhang Sunyan, and after a quick glance around, he pulled him aside and whispered, "Young Master Zhangsun, how could you beat up the soldiers and force your way into the yamen? This is a violation of military orders!"

  Chang Sun Yan heard this and instead threw his panic to one side, smiling slightly: "It's just a small matter, General Li, you won't make a big deal out of it, will you?"

  "It's definitely not easy to deal with Young Master Changsun. Li Junxian's expression was solemn, and he said in a low voice, "But the one who is actually in charge of the household is Qin Mubai. To be honest with you, this young man may be young, but he's a seasoned and cunning individual, and the Emperor also trusts and supports him greatly. You'd best be careful."

  Chang Sun wanted to say 'Can the Emperor's trust in him surpass that of my father?' He restrained himself and didn't say it. He just cupped his hands and said: "Thank you, General Li, for reminding me. I will be careful."

  On the large campus, Qin Mubai had his hands clasped in front of his chest, listening to Xiaozu's report on the affairs of the yamen. He raised an eyebrow and smiled coldly: Well, I was worried that I couldn't find a way to deal with him, but this idiot has come knocking on my door himself.

  "Come in!"

  "Present!" Ten horsemen responded in unison. These were the ten specially selected by Qin Mubai, the most inclined and loyal to him, as his personal bodyguards.

  "Follow me and bring the whole group, let's go enforce the law!"

  "Now—" The small soldiers suddenly came to their senses, formed a line and followed Qin Mu Bai, marching towards the government office in big strides.

  A hundred riders were in front of the government office, and it was already a bit chaotic. Some officials, lower-ranking officers, and eunuchs from the government office rushed out upon hearing the commotion. The little soldier who had been knocked to the ground by Wei Baoyun still hadn't gotten up, clutching his head and shrinking into a ball on the ground, trembling with fear.

  Wei Chi Baoyun's heart also had some apprehension, and seeing so many people gathering around made him anxious and annoyed. He shouted loudly: "What are you looking at? Do what you need to do and get lost!"

  Wei Chi Bao Yun was tall and sturdy like a rhinoceros, with an extremely loud voice. The crowd let out a collective gasp of surprise, and the circle around them dispersed by a layer.

  "Am I also going to roll?" Following Wei Chi Bao Yun's words, a voice rang out. The crowd turned around in surprise and saw that the crowd had automatically dispersed a path, and Qin Mu Bai led a team of nearly 100 imperial guards into the scene.

  The atmosphere on the scene suddenly became somewhat tense and stifling, like a drawn sword.

  Li Junxian saw the situation and knew that things had become serious, so he hastily stepped forward and whispered to Qin Mubai: "Mubai, this matter should not be made public, it's best to handle it discreetly."

  "Thank General Li for his reminder. I will definitely handle it according to the law." Qin Mubai smiled and bowed, then walked into the crowd, ignoring Long Sunyan and Wei Baoyun, and instead squatted down beside the young soldier, bending down to listen to his chest and opening his eyelids to take a look, determining that he was actually fine.

  At this moment, one of the little soldier's eyes inexplicably twitched, as if giving Qin Mu Bai a signal.

  "Good boy, it was just an act, clever enough..." Qin Mu Bai's heart was delighted, carefully sizing up the little soldier and committing him to memory. Then his expression suddenly changed, he stood up abruptly and sternly ordered: "Someone, take him away for medical treatment first!"

  "Alright!" Several orderlies rushed in and carried away the wounded soldier.

  At this moment, the focus and core of the crowd naturally shifted to Qin Mubai and Wei Chi Bao Yun.

  Wei Chi Bao Yun felt uncomfortable all over his body and let out a loud roar: "What are you looking at?"

  "Was it you who knocked him out?" Qin Mu Bai asked calmly.

  "What's it to you?" Wei Chi Baoyun sneered, saying indifferently.

  "Why must you hit him?" Qin Mu Bai asked calmly.

  "He allowed him to draw his sword and chop me, but I'm not even allowed to defend myself?!" Wei Chi Bao Yun's nostrils were about to face the sky, and he burst out laughing, "This place is really strange, I don't know if it's the Great Tang Imperial Palace or someone's private mansion, but the rules are really weird."

  Qin Mubai didn't pay any attention to Wei Chibao Yun, but instead called over the little soldier who had been on guard earlier and asked him about the situation in front of everyone.

  Seeing this scene, Li Junxian knew in his heart that Qin Mubai was also using the excuse to make a move. Today, he had to give Wei Baoyun and others a warning shot. Although he wanted to stop it, the situation had already developed to this point, and he was powerless to do anything, so he could only secretly sigh - within the Hundred Riders, today they would have an internal conflict!

  "Enough of your questions!" Qin Mu Bai's sword-like eyebrows stood upright, his face filled with anger as he thundered in a deep voice: "Wei Chi Bao Yun, how dare you be so presumptuous!"

  "What are you yelling about, think you can outdo me?" Yu Chi Bao Yun's temper flared up too, he puffed out his chest like a fighting cock and strode towards Qin Mu Bai.

  "Hmph!" Qin Mu Bai sneered, "Wei Chi Bao Yun, as a hundred riders military officer, you used your body to test the law and broke military rules, forcibly breaking into the yamen and injuring the on-duty guard - Li Chang Shi. According to the hundred riders' military rules, how should this be punished?"

  "This... " Li Junxian's heart sank, secretly cursing, You can't even recite the military rules yourself, why are you dragging me down with you?

  "All you gentlemen are present here, why doesn't Director Li speak openly and honestly? Upholding the law is indeed your duty as a director." Qin Mubai said.

  "According to the Hundred Riders Army rules, forcibly breaking into the yamen is a crime of offending one's superior. Depending on the severity of the circumstances, it can be punished with 30 to 50 military lashes, or expulsion from the army, or... immediate execution!"

  "Ah......" Chang Sun Gan, Wei Chi Bao Yun and others let out a burst of cries of surprise.

  "Wei Chi Bao Yun, did you hear that?" Qin Mu Bai said calmly and expressionlessly. "You forcibly broke into the barracks, violating military rules, and then ignored warnings and severely injured the sentry. The circumstances are extremely severe, and you have committed the crime of 'offending a superior'. Offending a superior is one of the ten most heinous crimes in the military, punishable by beheading at worst. However, I will take into account that you are new here and do not know the rules, and it is your first offense, so I will impose a lighter punishment - 50 military lashes. Li Chang Shi, do you agree with my point of view?"

  "This... I have no objection." Li Junxian gritted his teeth, stiffened his neck and nodded, thinking to himself: You little brat, you want to capture Wei Wudi and others, but you have to use my words, isn't this creating trouble?! I don't want to offend Zhangsun Wuji and Wei Shande!

  "Qin Mubai, who gave you the guts to hit me?!" Wei Chi Baoyun suddenly became furious and started scolding loudly.

  "Listen up, Wei Tai Baoyun." Qin Mubai said calmly and clearly, "The one who will be punished is not me. It's the military law. The hundred cavalry laws personally bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor. If you don't obey, you can appeal to the Emperor after the fact and ask him to revise the military law. If you dare to yell at me again, it will be a crime on top of a crime - offending a superior officer is also a crime of rebellion against one's superiors. Think carefully."

  "You... you! You've succeeded in your petty schemes! Now that you've succeeded, you're becoming arrogant!" Wei Chi Bao Yun was so angry that he lost control of his words and hastily jumped to the side of Chang Sun Mian and others, urgently shouting, "Young Master Chang Sun, why don't you say something?"

  Qin Mubai quickly took over: "Is it possible that Young Master Changsun is also related to the chaos in the city?"

  "No. I have nothing to do with this." Chang Sun Ran's face turned pale, his teeth clenched so hard that his facial skin trembled, and he took a stiff step to the side, adopting an expression of being uninvolved and watching the commotion with cold eyes.

  "You... you all!" Wei Chi Bao Yun clenched her fists, her whole body trembling with rage, her big copper bell-like eyes staring back and forth at Qin Mu Bai and Chang Sun Ruan, her teeth chattering with a cracking sound.

  "Bring in Wei Chi Bao Yun and take him down - execute military law." Qin Mu Bai raised his hand and shouted loudly.

  "Ah—" Ten Imperial Guardsmen burst in, surrounding Wei Bo Yun, ready to seize him.

  "Scram! I have legs, I can walk myself!" Wei Chi Bao Yun knew he was in for a tough time today. He swung his arm and took large strides towards the outside of the crowd, shouting: "Where's the execution ground? Lead the way!"

  Qin Mubai gave a signal, and the guards understood tacitly, not giving Yuchi Bao Yun the opportunity to put on airs. They rushed forward, tied him up, and dragged him away with loud shouts.

  .??，！