Chapter 403: Assassination
Chapter 403: Assassination
September 25, 2017
Luoyang, outside Zhang Ran's residence.
Zhang Ran's carriage slowly approached.
As the leader of the Ten Eunuchs, Zhang Ran's procession was surprisingly modest. With just one carriage and a guard of less than fifty men, it was a rather low-key affair.
Of course, it was the middle of the night, and such a display would go unnoticed. There was no point in putting on a grand show at this hour.
Inside the carriage, Zhang Ran contemplated a problem.
Unfortunately, this problem concerned Lu HaiKong.
He was considering whether to abandon Lu HaiKong, as Ding Yuan in Bingzhou had clearly become the dominant force. Lu HaiKong was currently being completely suppressed and could no longer provide any benefits. So, Zhang Ran was thinking about giving up on Lu HaiKong altogether.
Initially, he didn't think it was a headache-inducing matter, but when he really thought about it, he found the situation more challenging than he had imagined.
"Lu HaiKong was originally a mountain bandit. Even an army of ten thousand couldn't wipe him out. If I abandon him now and push him to the point of rebellion, it won't end well. After all, he's just a small-time bandit. Let's keep him around for now."
As Zhang Ran was thinking, he suddenly felt his carriage come to a halt, and his eyebrows furrowed, "What's going on?"
"Sir, someone is blocking the road, and they seem to be looking for you," the guard outside replied.
"Blocking the road in the middle of the night? Capture them first, then we'll question them later," Zhang Ran ordered. "Find out what this is about."
Just as he finished speaking, an unfamiliar voice rang out.
"I am Zhang Daosheng, and I have a matter concerning He Jin that must be reported to Zhang Ran!"
Hearing this, Zhang Ran frowned and lifted the curtain of the carriage. He saw a young man, dressed like a scholar, standing there.
"Come over here," Zhang Ran said.
Logically, given Zhang Ran's vigilance, he shouldn't have done this, but he did anyway.
Zhang Daosheng lifted the corner of his mouth in a slight smile and slowly approached Zhang Ran. As Zhang Daosheng took each step, Zhang Ran felt an inexplicable sense of crisis arise within him.
He couldn't quite explain it, but it made him break out in a cold sweat, "Stop! Stay where you are!"
Zhang Daosheng acted as if he hadn't heard and continued walking towards Zhang Ran. At this moment, Zhang Ran's guards also sensed something amiss and quickly surrounded them.
Just as the guards closed in, a plaque in Zhang Daosheng's hand shattered, and immediately, ten Yellow Turban warriors, each over five meters tall, appeared on the scene.
"What sorcery is this? Guards, protect me!"
Upon seeing the Yellow Turban warriors, Zhang Ran's soldiers rushed forward, leaving only a dozen or so guards to protect the carriage.
Almost simultaneously, a nimble figure darted out, charging straight towards Zhang Ran. Wielding a long spear, he killed two of Zhang Ran's guards with two swift strikes. Before the remaining guards could react, he closed in on Zhang Ran's carriage.
When the Taishi Ling rushed into Zhang Ran's carriage, he discovered that Zhang Ran had two young eunuchs by his side. At this moment, the two young eunuchs were holding long swords and looking at him warily.
"Brave warrior, I don't know why you wish to assassinate me, but that's not important. If you spare me, I will reward you with a million taels of gold!" Zhang Ran said to the Taishi Ling, maintaining a relatively calm demeanor.
"A million taels of gold? What I want is your head!"
The Taishi Ling coldly snorted, and with a flick of his long spear, he easily killed the two young eunuchs. Just as he was about to kill Zhang Ran, a cold shout rang out.
"Who dares to commit such a heinous act within the Imperial City?"
As soon as the Grand Historian heard these words, he felt a chill down his spine and instinctively halted his attack on Zhang Ran, turning to retreat.
Almost simultaneously, a gleaming longsword pierced the air where the Grand Historian had just been standing.
At that moment, a young man rushed forward, and the Grand Historian, using some form of reconnaissance, recognized the newcomer's name.
"Shi A? The disciple of Wang Yue?"
The Grand Historian's eyes flashed with determination, and the longspear in his hand trembled as he assumed a combat stance.
If his opponent had been Wang Yue, the Grand Historian would have certainly backed down, but against Shi A, he was eager to test the young man's skills.
"Let's go, it's about time. If we don't leave now, the Imperial Guards will be here soon."
At that moment, Zhang Daoyi, not sure when he had arrived, was already by the Grand Historian's side. Zhang Ran's guards were engaged in battle with the Yellow Turban Warriors, seemingly oblivious to Zhang Daoyi's presence.
Although Zhang Ran's guards were skilled, the Grand Historian easily dispatched them as if cutting through vegetables, but they held an absolute advantage over the Yellow Turban Warriors, swiftly eliminating them with a few strikes. Then, they surrounded Zhang Daoyi and the Grand Historian.
At the same time, Shi A also arrived at the scene.
Suddenly, Zhang Daoyi and the Grand Historian found themselves surrounded, but Zhang Daoyi remained calm. He threw out an item, and a thick cloud of smoke erupted from the ground beneath him. When the smoke cleared, both Zhang Daoyi and the Grand Historian had disappeared from the scene.
Witnessing this, Zhang Ran felt relieved that his life had been spared, but he was also furious that the assassin had escaped.
"What are you standing there for? Go and capture them!"
After calming down, Zhang Ran angrily ordered his men to pursue the assassin. Only then did he notice that Shi A had saved him in a critical moment. At this time, Zhang Ran was not in the mood to say anything, and after hastily rewarding Shi A with a thousand gold, he rushed back to the Imperial Palace without even returning home.
The next day, news of Zhang Ran's assassination spread throughout Luoyang, causing a stir. Initially, rumors circulated in the streets, some claiming it was the work of a chivalrous hero, others attributing it to political rivals, and some even suggesting it was ordered by He Jin.
In the imperial court, the Emperor was furious. The current Chief Justice was immediately dismissed, and the new Chief Justice's first task was to thoroughly investigate Zhang Ran's assassination.
Although the Han Dynasty was in decline, the power of the government agencies should not be underestimated. Once they set their minds to investigating a matter, the resources they could mobilize were formidable.
On the third day, the Chief Justice's men located Zhang Daoyi's residence.
When they arrived, Zhang Daoyi and his companions had already left Luoyang, but in Zhang Daoyi's courtyard, the Chief Justice's men discovered something extraordinary.
A partially burned letter, almost completely destroyed, with only a few remaining characters. Coincidentally, these remaining characters could be pieced together to form the name Ma Yuan Yi, along with a few scattered place names.
With these clues, the Chief Justice immediately launched a thorough investigation.
Initially, everyone believed this was just an assassination incident, and no one thought to complicate the matter further. However, the in-depth investigation revealed a shocking truth...
(End of Chapter)
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