Chapter 2364: Knocking on the Door at Night (Patreon)

Chapter 2364: Knocking on the Door at Night

By the time peace had been restored within the Cheng mansion, it was already two hours later. Zhao Xi led the injured Cheng family members inside, with Prefect Magistrate Cheng having only suffered a minor injury from the arrow he was shot with. It wasn't deep.

Prefect Magistrate Cheng's eldest son had sustained two serious cuts and was in the worst condition, causing Madam Cheng to shed tears as she looked at him.

Zhao Xi had taken care of their wounds, so Shu Yu didn't approach them, but instead, she flipped over the bodies of the guards who had entered the room, extracting the crossbow bolts that had struck them for later recovery.

She then stood up and looked at Meng Yunzheng, who had entered the room covered in blood. "Is everything settled?"

"Almost, but we need to confirm that everyone is accounted for. You should know how many people are in this mansion," Meng Yunzheng said as he carried his bloodied sword over to Rong Hou. "You're aware of everyone in this mansion, right?"

Rong Hou nodded. "Yes, I know everyone."

"Count the number of people and see if anyone is hiding."

"Alright."

Rong Hou pushed himself up from the table and took a deep breath before following Meng Yunzheng outside.

Once they stepped out of the current courtyard and saw unfamiliar faces moving the corpses around, Rong Hou abruptly stopped in his tracks. "They are..."

"They are my people."

Meng Yunzheng's arrival in the southwest had been orchestrated by the Emperor himself. Naturally, the Emperor couldn't send him alone and had provided him with additional manpower. Furthermore, Meng Yunzheng already had his own subordinates.

In recent years, he had been trying to topple Gong Qiu and had been cultivating his own influence, which included individuals like Yun Zhang Gui from the capital. A few years ago, when Meng Yun Zheng accompanied Shu Yu to the southwest, these subordinates had come along to search for the Dongqing Temple master.

After Gong Qiu's downfall and the imprisonment of the Second Prince, Meng Yunzheng's life had settled down, and he had begun preparing for the imperial examinations. So, he had disbanded these people since he intended to lead a leisurely life as a school headmaster. These individuals, with their abilities, shouldn't be buried with him.

Most of them had been recommended by Meng Yunzheng to the Emperor, and a few had returned to get married and start families, leading ordinary lives.

This time, with Meng Yunzheng coming to the southwest, those who had families stayed behind, but the rest accompanied him.

These were individuals who had worked together for a long time and had a strong understanding of each other. They were also highly skilled and were easy to work with.

These people had remained hidden in the shadows, not showing themselves unless it was absolutely necessary.

Today was the opportunity for them to act.

As Rong Hou looked at these individuals, he couldn't help but swallow hard and belatedly feel relieved that he had made the right choice.

Otherwise, he would have been completely fooled if he had been ensnared by both sides.

Meng Yunzheng led Rong Hou in counting the number of people, and indeed, there were a few individuals who had hidden themselves away. Fortunately, they had all been drugged by Rong Hou, so even if they were hiding, they were unconscious and easily found.

Shu Yu didn't participate in the aftermath; instead, she went to find the Dongqing Temple Master.

The Dongqing Temple master appeared to be in good spirits, and Shu Yu poured a glass of water for her. "Master, all of the Cheng mansion's guards have been taken care of. What are your plans from here?"

"What about all of you?"

"We'll wait for news here in the mansion."

"In that case, I'll stay with you."

In the days that followed, the Cheng mansion was cleaned inside and out.

The Cheng family members had all suffered injuries to varying degrees and needed time to recover.

It took three to four days before Prefect Magistrate Cheng could get out of bed and move around. He was particularly concerned about General Shen and was thinking of asking Meng Yunzheng about the situation with the garrison.

Then, on this particular night, there was a sudden and urgent knocking at the Cheng mansion's gates.