Before the servants could answer, he spoke again.
"Whoever it is, bury them. Make sure the Yongwang Mansion has absolutely no connection with that Feng Dalun."
"yes......"
Similar scenes unfolded repeatedly throughout Chang'an. All officials who had been bribed by Feng Dalun quickly severed all ties with the Xiong Huo Gang. Overnight, the once-powerful Xiong Huo Gang became history.
This proves one thing: organized crime is something that can never be openly acknowledged. No matter when, a single crackdown will wipe it out immediately...
............
As the sun rose in the east, the sunlight gently diluted the stench of blood on the streets of Chang'an.
Last night, besides the hundreds of Xiong Huo Gang members who were hacked to death in the streets of the East Market, at least five hundred Xiong Huo Gang members were captured throughout Chang'an City under the combined forces of the Right Valiant Guard, the Dragon Martial Army, and the Golden Guard. More than three hundred were killed on the spot. The entire city of Chang'an was shrouded in slaughter and bloodshed.
Inside the main hall, Chen Yunqiao, Lu Xuan, and Zhao, the Right Valiant Guard Commander, were all present. They were to be questioned in court. After all, the mass rebellion last night was a very serious matter. None of the ministers qualified to stand in court had slept well last night.
Those in the know understood that last night was just a farce. Those who weren't in the know thought there was a real rebellion and were so scared they didn't sleep a wink all night.
Lu Xuan was naturally fine; he had come prepared. He had slept well beforehand before leaving. As for Chen Yunqiao and the others, they had been busy all night and were now so tired that their eyelids were drooping. However, they still had to keep up appearances in court.
"Lu Xuan, do you remember what I said before? Do your job as a county lieutenant well. If you fail to do so, I will punish you."
“I remember.”
"Since you remember, then tell me everything that happened last night in detail. Tell the truth, without omitting a single detail."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Lu Xuan replied respectfully. Then he paused for a moment before continuing.
"This matter dates back to a few days ago. Since I took office as the county magistrate of Wannian County, I have always had a thorn in my side. That is the gang that is entrenched in Wannian County, the Xiong Huo Gang."
"The Bearfire Gang? That's a group of street thugs? You, as a county magistrate with the support of the imperial court, can't even handle a bunch of scoundrels?"
"Your Majesty, the Xiong Huo Gang is no ordinary street thug. They are well-informed and wealthy. I have tried to take them down several times, but they have evaded me each time. Until two days ago, I received a tip that the Xiong Huo Gang was planning to take action last night, apparently preparing to burn down the East Market."
"The East Market is on fire?" Li Longji's voice suddenly rose; this was news he himself was unaware of. At this moment, Chen Yunqiao, who was beside Lu Xuan, stepped forward.
“I can testify to this. We did indeed find a large amount of kerosene and other substances on the bodies of those Xiong Huo Gang members who were wiped out. Their intention to burn down the East Market is not a lie.”
"Burning down the East Market! What audacity! Lu Xuan, since you were able to obtain such detailed information, why didn't you report it to the Prefect of the Capital and the Imperial Guard?"
"Your Majesty, as the county magistrate of Wannian County, it is my duty to take on this responsibility. Moreover, the information provided by the informant was already very detailed. I felt that victory was assured. Therefore, I brought along the undercover agents, preparing to catch them red-handed."
I originally thought that thirty skilled members of the Bad Guys would be enough to handle this. But I never expected the Xiong Huo Gang to be so powerful. They managed to gather over a hundred thugs armed with swords overnight. Moreover, they showed no respect for the imperial court or for me, a county magistrate. They even tried to kill us all to silence us.
In desperation, we had no choice but to hastily engage in battle, fighting and retreating. However, the Imperial City lay just north of the East Market. We soon found ourselves with nowhere to retreat. The enemy outnumbered us and showed no regard for the Imperial City. I could only lead my men to hold them off while simultaneously sending messengers for help. At that moment, General Chen Yunqiao, a member of the Imperial Guard on night patrol, happened to be nearby. Upon receiving my distress call, he immediately came to our aid.
As Lu Xuan finished speaking, he slowly pushed his body to the side, making way for Chen Yunqiao. Now it was his turn.
"Chen Yunqiao, you tell us. Does what Lu Xuan said differ from your experience?"
"Your Majesty, I did not witness the events that occurred earlier, so I cannot speak definitively. However, when I arrived after receiving the news, I did indeed see County Magistrate Lu and his men being besieged by nearly a hundred thugs. They were less than a mile from the imperial city at that time."
The entire court was in an uproar. The distance, the maneuver—it sealed his fate: an attack on the capital with treacherous intent.
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Chapter Forty-Four: Aftermath
"As far as I know, the leader of the Bearfire Gang is a Yu Department official named Feng Dalun. My esteemed ministers, can any of you tell me how a lowly ninth-rank official could gather over a hundred thugs in the capital of my Great Tang Dynasty and even dare to ambush and kill a court official in the street? Li Linfu, you speak!"
Li Longji suddenly roared. Even the usually composed Li Linfu was startled. Although he could now be considered to have absolute power, the power ultimately came from Li Longji.
With a thud, Li Linfu immediately knelt down on the ground.
"Your subject deserves ten thousand deaths..."
"I don't want you to die ten thousand times. I want to know why this is happening. Why is it that my Great Tang Dynasty is peaceful and prosperous, yet such an absurd thing has happened in my Chang'an city?"
"Your Majesty, I will investigate this matter thoroughly and find out all the backers of the Bearfire Gang."
"Is that so? Then you'd better be careful. I don't want to wake up one day to find those traitors already inside the capital." Li Longji's words were harsh. But Lu Xuan knew that Li Linfu would never lose the emperor's favor over this matter. Just look at how the purge task fell to him. Li Longji still trusted Li Linfu; these words were merely a momentary outburst of anger.
"As for Lu Xuan, your reaction in this matter was acceptable. Although you fell into the trap, I don't blame you. Even now, I can't believe that such a vicious person could exist right under my nose. You haven't been in office long, so I can understand. Besides, you uncovered this matter, which is a small but significant achievement. Tell me, what do you want? Let me make it clear first, this time I won't be rewarding you with a house."
"Hahahaha..." The Tang Dynasty elites burst into laughter again. Clearly, it was time for their much-anticipated teasing of the Western Region barbarians.
Lu Xuan felt a headache coming on as he listened to the laughter around him. What had gotten into Li Longji? Why was he always teasing him...?
"Your Majesty, I have failed in my duty and dare not presume to be rewarded."
"Look, look... this barbarian has improved so much. He knows how to retreat in order to advance." Li Longji's mood improved again.
"I am the Son of Heaven. If I say there will be a reward, then there must be a reward. I command you, tell me, what do you want?"
“…” Lu Xuan hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.
"Your Majesty, I do have a request. In this incident, my subordinates, the Bad People, were unable to stop those thugs. Besides the lack of manpower, the Bad People's equipment was also inadequate."
Currently, the Bad People in Chang'an City only possess cloth clothing and standard-issue swords. They have no other equipment. This humble servant humbly requests Your Majesty's permission to equip the Bad People with some gear.”
Lu Xuan's words startled Li Longji. But before he could speak, an unknown minister jumped out from the side.
"I believe this is unacceptable. As everyone knows, the Bad People are a group of street thugs, no different from the Bearfire Gang. How can we allow these street scoundrels to possess military weapons?"
"Who the hell are you...?" Lu Xuan thought to himself. But of course, he couldn't say it out loud.
"Your Majesty, I dare not ask for armor and weapons from the army. I only request that some light armor and shields be provided to the Bad People."
"You barbarian! You've improved quite a bit lately. I'll grant your request. Later, I'll transfer a batch of military equipment from the Prefect of the Capital to the Bad People. That way, they won't be chased by a bunch of street thugs like they did last night. As for Chen Yunqiao, as a member of the Imperial Guard, patrolling the capital is your duty. You handled things properly last night. Therefore, I will neither reward nor punish you. Do you understand?"