Chapter Thirty-Six: Wind and Clouds Surging, Silver Gun Cold

  The snow was light, the cold was deep, and the entire palace was quiet to the point of being unsettling. The inner attendants and palace maids walked quickly with their heads down and eyes cast downward, as if they were afraid of getting into trouble, and spoke very little.

  The Crown Prince and Luan's flying incident spread like wildfire, and overnight it was transmitted throughout the capital, with no one in the official or civilian world unaware of it.

  The Heavenly Emperor was greatly shocked and angry, and the next day he issued an edict in the imperial court. The Crown Prince was moved to be confined in Songyu Hall, closed doors for reflection, Fengluan Fei was removed from his position as a ritual official, expelled from the imperial clan register, and temporarily detained in Yanxi Palace awaiting punishment.

  Feng Yan was dismissed from his post as envoy to a foreign country. Feng Jing, the eldest son of Feng Yan, wrote a letter on behalf of his father to plead for forgiveness. The Heavenly Emperor pardoned Feng Yan and removed him from his position as Taizi Taibao, but penalized him by deducting one year's salary. Zhang Guan, the original commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guard, was demoted to Cangzhou. Ling Wang temporarily took over the command of the Imperial Guard. The Ministry of Officials was ordered to quickly draft and submit a list of candidates for the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard for imperial review.

  You dust sat on the jade steps of the distant spring pavilion, eleven came to find her, wearing a court dress that had not been removed, but it was early morning at this time.

  "Although something has happened in the Feng family, you shouldn't be too anxious. Father Emperor won't overreact." Eleventh sat down beside her, comforting her as she stood there lost in thought.

  But then you see that the dust is raised, and with a smile, his eyes are clear and bright: "The Phoenix family has a deep foundation in the court, it's not that one swallow can shake it, I'm not in a hurry."

  Eleven looked at her usual face, without a hint of worry, and said strangely: "Whether it's kin or not, there must be three points of kinship. Moreover, no matter how you look, you have eight points of Feng Xiang's daughter, but why don't you care about your father, brother, sister? Is it really mistaken?"

  You wouldn't tell him that this "daughter" of yours is a ghost, but instead say: "Relationships aren't always about blood ties, and as for me, I'm sometimes cold-blooded. What does someone else's life or death have to do with me?"

  Eleventh turned and smiled, saying "You don't go ask the Empress Dowager, how could Ruan Fei be so lucky to stay in Yanxi Palace? Probably by now she's already in a big prison."

  "You were said to be in the middle of it, and you glanced at him with a pout: 'Who said I asked the empress dowager?'"

  "Who else could it be if not you?" He casually picked up a piece of broken stone, weighed it in his hand and threw it far away: "What a pity that the Crown Prince and Swan flew together. If they could have endured for just this moment, how would things have ended up like this?"

  You dust looked at the palace of heavy Forbidden City, the emotions that confuse people and delude people, can not hide, can not escape, once trapped in it, water can be fire, fire can become ice, everyone is hard to pass a emotional barrier.

  I recalled the Crown Prince's usual gentle and magnanimous nature, and couldn't help but feel a deep sense of regret. Why did someone like him encounter not others, but rather Luan Fei? She pressed her face against her knee, turned her head to look at Eleven and said: "Enduring for a moment may bring eternal prosperity, but it's not something everyone can endure. Only when you've lost something during the times of endurance will Heaven grant you other things."

  Eleven reached out and rubbed her hair: "Why did you suddenly become so sentimental?"

  You smiled slightly and were about to say something when you saw the eleventh imperial guard searching for you from afar, saying: "I've found you, I'm afraid there's something going on."

  The eleventh one saw the guard running in a hurry and asked: "What's the big rush?"

  The guard bowed and said: "Ling Wang is in charge of the Imperial Guard, the inner court's drill ground is very lively now, Your Highness won't go take a look?"

  Eleven of them knew that these eunuchs outside the palace had always looked down on the Imperial Guards, who were arrogant and domineering. In private, they would often mock and curse them, saying "Good riddance!"

  The guard smiled and said, "Your Highness usually says that they are not doing their job properly and owe a debt of discipline. Now that the Ling King has gone to the inner court's training grounds, some of them have received their due. Just now I heard that they wanted to give the Ling King a show of strength, but when the training grounds assembled, only less than 30% showed up, and they were all hiding in their barracks taking a nap. But then the Xuan Jia guard poured cold water on the Imperial Forest Army's camp, and they all rushed out. Now the Ling King is competing with Fang Zhuo at archery on the training grounds."

  The Imperial Forest Army was responsible for guarding the Forbidden City and protecting the royal family, but had no other responsibilities. However, as a member of the Imperial Guard, not only were their salaries generous, but their status and official positions were also higher than those of other generals, so many aristocratic families sent their sons and nephews to join the Imperial Forest Army.

  For a long time, many sons of noble families in the Imperial Guard have been causing trouble, often sneaking into the heavenly capital to fight chickens and dogs, getting into fights and stirring up trouble. The Heavenly Emperor has tried to discipline them several times, but with little effect. This time, the Heavenly Emperor handed over the Imperial Guard to Ye Tianling, knowing that he is strict and impartial in his governance of the army, taking the opportunity to reform these spoiled young masters. As soon as he took charge, he let the Imperial Guard suffer a great defeat.

  "Let's go and take a look." He then asked Qing Chen: "Are you going or not?"

  "You have nothing else to do, so just go take a look then."

  The inner court martial grounds are outside the Forbidden City, and as soon as you pass through the Fengtian Gate, you will arrive. When the Eleventh Prince and his entourage arrived there, apart from those who were on duty at the time, several thousand Imperial Guards had already gathered, almost surrounding the martial grounds in a circle. In the distance, far and near, many court ladies and palace maids stood on tiptoe, gathering together to watch.

  Qingchen and Shiyi looked at the scene inside, where ten red targets were standing far away at the end of the large school field. On the empty land about two hundred steps away from the red target, the two people rode side by side, holding strong bows in their hands, with arrow shadows flying rapidly, engaged in a fierce battle.

  When the dust settled, it was clear that the one wearing a black dragon robe with a golden trim was Ye Tian Ling. The other, with a sturdy build and broad shoulders, was identified by Eleven as Fang Zhuan, the eldest grandson of General Dingguo, who currently held the position of Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard. Although he came from a wealthy family and had an arrogant attitude, thinking himself above others, he was indeed a skilled martial artist, one of the top fighters in the Imperial Guard.

  Ye Tianling and Fang Zhuo galloped their horses in the arena, kicking up clouds of dust that swirled in the wind. Fang Zhuo shot arrow after arrow at a distant red target, but Ye Tianling always managed to shoot one down with deadly precision - not at the target, but at Fang Zhuo's arrows. The two men exchanged arrow for arrow, their surroundings erupting into a cacophony of gasps and cheers as dozens of long arrows fell to the ground amidst the swirling dust.

  Eleven asked the attendants beside him, "What kind of comparison is this?"

  The guard bowed and said: "His Highness the Fourth Prince allows Fang Zhuo to shoot at will within the shooting range, as long as one arrow hits the target within a hundred arrows, he will immediately ask His Majesty to withdraw the order to take over the Imperial Forest Army."

  You dust condensed god looked towards the school field, saw Ye Tian Ling for Fang Zhuo's sharp arrow spirit, not only made him unable to hit the target, but also every arrow that came out would inevitably make Fang Zhuo's long arrow break into two segments. No matter how Fang Zhuo dodged, he could always catch up and never miss.

  At this moment, another dozen or so arrows were shot out by the two men. Fang Zhuo killed with a sudden rise, completely disregarding who was in front of him. With a loud shout, he shot two arrows together at Ling Tian, who was standing in front of him.

  Your heart tightened in an instant, and the surrounding ladies had already started screaming and shouting, their voices adding to the chaos.

  But under the night sky, Ling Ma's speed did not decrease but increased instead. Without dodging or evading, he raised his hand and shot out arrows as fast as lightning. In an instant, four arrows clashed in mid-air, emitting several rays of white light.

  The two men simultaneously reached back for an arrow, but both drew a blank, as it turned out that they were the last two arrows.

  Fang Zhuohu's eyes widened in shock, he turned his horse around and bent down to pick up the two arrows that had fallen to the ground, but just as he did, a commotion erupted all around him.

  He looked up and saw that Ling Tian had already placed several long arrows on his bow, aiming at him with the intention of harming him.

  His movements were swift, but Ye Tianling was even faster. Moreover, the red horse under him couldn't keep up with the wind, and naturally fell behind. Angrily, he said: "Your Highness is relying solely on your fast horse."

  Yè Tiān Líng coldly smiled: "If you can tame the wind, this king will yield to you without issue."

  The storm was so fierce that everyone in the world knew, and Fang Zhuo would not find this person to lose himself. He was actually already exhausted, but still stubbornly confronted Ye Tianling.

  Yè Tiān Líng Miàn wú biǎo qíng, wèn dào: "Fù shì bù fù?"

  Translation:

  Ye Tian's face was expressionless as he asked, "Do you admit defeat or not?"

  Fang Zhuo refused to make a sound, his face stiff with anger.

  The night sky was shrouded in darkness, and the pupils of his eyes contracted slightly as he slowly drew back his arm and pulled the bowstring. Along with the creaking sound of the longbow being drawn, the originally excited atmosphere gradually subsided, replaced by a suffocating killing intent.

  Eleven Sword's eyebrows furrowed deeply: "Although Fang Zhuo is guilty of insubordination and deserves to die, killing him would be troublesome."

  The surroundings fell into a deathly silence, as if even the wind was frozen in mid-air. Just when everyone was being tortured by this intense killing aura to the point of almost unbearable, Qing Chen saw Ye Tian's mouth slightly curve upwards, and several arrows shot out from his hand. A row of dazzling cold lights flashed past Fang Zhuo's face, and with a burst of thunder and lightning, they hit multiple targets hundreds of feet away, amidst the crowd's gasps of shock.

  In the distance, the palace ladies and maids burst into applause, filled with admiration. Looking back at the scene, Fang Zhuo was unscathed but stunned on the spot. Ye Tianling stood tall in the wind, his horse rearing up, as he grasped the silver spear from behind and pointed it at the Imperial Guards: "Whoever doesn't submit can come forward on horseback; being a soldier is like being a man - where's your usual arrogance and swagger?"

  Men deal with men, soldiers speak to soldiers, and fists are often the most direct and effective way.

  Someone in the Imperial Forest Army shouted: "Your Highness's body is worth a thousand pieces of gold. If anything goes wrong, who dares to take responsibility?"

  Yè Tiān Líng said proudly: "Qín Zhǎn, you've been wounded by me, now speak your big words." The one speaking was another deputy commander, the son of the Minister of Works, Qín Jìngtiān - Qín Zhǎn.

  The imperial guards were already stirred up with blood boiling. Qin Zhan and Fang Zhuo exchanged a glance, waved their hands, and it was unclear who made the first move, but more than ten imperial guards rushed out with guns and swords, instantly gathering a cluster of knife shadows and sword nets in the field, recklessly charging towards the night sky.

  Ye Tianling didn't wait for them to approach, urging his horse forward, and with a reverse stroke of his spear, he sent Fang Zhuo retreating several steps. The silver spear in his hand was like an angry dragon, sweeping horizontally through the air, and the two Imperial Guards who had encountered him were already shaken off, with spears flying everywhere, and someone would inevitably fall back in disarray.

  In the midst of the imperial forest army, a white horse soared with spear shadows crossing the sky, silver light flashing and blocking all who dared to confront it. Wherever it went, people and horses were overturned, chaos reigned supreme.

  Your eyes followed the tall and steadfast figure among thousands, only to feel an aura of majesty, the ruthless and merciless killing intent that filled the air almost suffocating.

  But in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Ye Tianling arrived with his spear, and the Imperial Guards fell down, tumbling and stumbling, just like Ye Tianling had drawn a perfect circle with his silver spear, within which no one could stand up and speak.

  In the midst of groans and painful cries, the Imperial Guards behind looked at this terrifying scene, and no one dared to come forward again.

  Fortunately, Ling did not want to hurt people at night, and his hands were extremely measured. Most of them just used force to counterattack their opponents or cut off their swords. Even if they saw blood, it was not considered serious. The Imperial Guards who fell to the ground struggled to get up, everyone's heart was shocked, and the previous arrogance was crushed by Ling.

  Only after experiencing it can one understand what it means to be like a thousand troops and horses entering an uninhabited land, why Ling Tian's battles are always victorious, not just empty boasts. Compared to the flower-fisted and embroidered-leg Imperial Guards and the iron-blooded veterans who returned from a hundred battles on the sandy fields, they instantly became embroidered pillows, unable to withstand even one blow.

  Everyone looked at Ye Tian Ling from a distance, still with that calm and composed expression, still with that outstanding elegance. In the midst of such intense fighting, his dark blue dragon-embroidered imperial robe hung quietly and calmly, not even stained with half a drop of blood, his starry eyes gleaming, gazing proudly at those on horseback, his heroic spirit soaring wildly.

  The surroundings seemed to transform into a battlefield of Asura, where evil spirits wailed and struggled under his cold gaze, yet he remained unmoved.

  Fang Zhuo Qin Zhan abandoned his armor and knelt down: "I surrender, I am willing to follow the orders of the Fourth Prince!" They all knelt down, and the Imperial Guards could no longer hold on. Thousands of people bowed their heads in military salute, saying in unison: "We are willing to follow the orders of the Fourth Prince!"

  Ye Tianling coldly gazed at the kneeling Imperial Forest Army, then turned his horse around: "Fang Zhuo and Qin Zhan, tidy up the troops. Those who can still stand, gather in front of the drill ground platform." Having said that, he shook the reins and galloped away to the high platform.

  The Imperial Forest Army moved swiftly, and except for a small number of wounded soldiers who were sent to receive medical treatment, the rest all gathered together.

  The night sky swept a glance at this frowning military appearance, and solemnly said: "The Imperial Forest Army will follow the king for one day, and there will be fewer people who lose face outside. From now on, those who are on duty and leave their posts without permission, absent from training sessions, arrive late or disobey orders, take unauthorized actions, and cause trouble in the capital during their free time, regardless of who they are, will be dealt with by expelling them from the army. If anyone wants to test the law with their body, go ahead and try."

  His words were loud and clear, even the soldiers standing at the back could hear them clearly. The old habits of the Imperial Guards couldn't help but make everyone sigh in dismay. Ling Tian seemed to ignore it and continued: "Today you all disregarded military discipline and committed crimes against your superiors. Fang Zuo and Qin Xuan, lead the entire Imperial Guard to run around the training grounds 50 laps immediately."

  The soldiers were suddenly in an uproar, crying out in unison. Ling Tian's eyes turned cold: "One hundred laps." The crowd was shocked and cried out.

  "One hundred and fifty." The tone was firm, loud and clear, without any hesitation.

  The scene quieted down for a while, but there were still people grumbling. Fang Zhuo and Qin Zhan were quick-witted and didn't wait for Ye Tianling to finish saying "two hundred" before hastily bowing their heads: "Your subordinate obeys, willing to accept punishment."

  "150 laps, if you can't run it down, take off this military uniform and go home early. This king's army doesn't need waste. Wei Changzheng!"

  Wei Wenzheng immediately stepped forward: "I am the last general!"

  Ling Dao said, "Everyone watch closely, if one person runs short of a circle, everyone will add fifty more."

  "Obey orders!"

  You can't help but slightly raise the corner of your mouth, but suddenly you see a familiar figure leaving with someone else on the opposite side of the school field. It's actually Sun Shi, the supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat. Then the person in front of him is naturally the Emperor. For some reason, he just looks from afar and doesn't come over. After Ye Tian Ling's ruthless move to rectify the Imperial Guard, who knows what the Emperor will think this time.