Chapter 250.1: Hello Chang'an
Chapter 250.1: Is There Still a Hongmen Banquet?
As the cup of wine fell and Wei Jun’s voice echoed through the hall, the attendants and guards waiting outside swiftly rushed in with blades drawn, murderous intent filling the air.
Chu Xinglao, Old Kang, and the dozen men behind them had already been on alert for some time; now all of them drew their swords.
“Do not act rashly,” Chang Suining also stood with her sword drawn, looking toward Wei Jun—who had already been surrounded and protected by his close guards—and asked,
“How much benefit did Xu Zhengye promise you? My father can offer you double.”
Although Chang Kuo knew he could not produce such generous rewards, he did not falter in the slightest. After all, Her Highness was merely boasting.
As the two sides confronted one another, Wei Jun sneered coldly,
“Benefits? Unfortunately, that is not what I seek! My Wei family has been loyal to the Da Sheng Dynasty and to the Li clan for generations. Now the Empress and her ministers bring chaos to the court—such defilement of Heaven’s order cannot be tolerated! All that we do is to aid His Highness the Crown Prince to ascend the throne and restore clarity to Da Sheng’s realm!”
“Jiangnan is in this state thanks to Xu Zhengye,” Chang Suining looked at him.
“And you call that the restoration of clarity to the realm? Do you truly believe Xu Zhengye is acting for the Li clan—for the Crown Prince?”
“I do not know for whom he acts…” Wei Jun’s gaze grew cold again.
“But you—those who willingly serve as the claws and dogs of the female Emperor—cannot be allowed to live!”
Chang Suining understood at once.
“I thought you were truly foolish, but you’re not. Merely a wolf in scholar’s robes—using loyalty to the Li clan as a banner while seeking chaos to seize your own share of the meat.”
Anyone who stood in his way was, in his eyes, a ‘claw of the female Emperor’ that must be eliminated.
Chang Kuo drew his blade.
“In that case, there’s nothing more to say to the likes of you!”
“I had meant to grant you a swift death,” Wei Jun raised his hand, his voice cruel,
“But if you insist on suffering before you die, you have only yourselves to blame! Kill them all!”
Moments ago, the hall had been filled with harmony—fragrant wine and cheerful music—but now it had turned into a cage of death.
More assassins poured in; blood filled the air.
Seeing the ferocity and skill of Chang Kuo and his men, Wei Jun, though holding the advantage in numbers, could not suppress the unease rising within him.
He had heard of Chang Kuo’s ruthless reputation and knew these were the same warriors who had recently repelled Xu Zhengye’s army at Hezhou—no easy opponents.
Wei Jun knew full well that meeting them head-on was reckless.
Thus, he had chosen to lure Chang Kuo into the city first, planning to poison him when unguarded.
But these people were too cautious—even that seemingly naïve young lady was filled with shrewdness.
He still could not figure out how his plot with the poisoned wine had been discovered!
Or perhaps… they had suspected him all along and never trusted him in the first place!
But now, things had gone too far—there was no turning back. They could only fight!
Of course, Chang Kuo and his men had not come unprepared for the banquet.
Though their army could not all enter the inner city, they had brought several hundred personal guards.
Before entering the Prefect’s residence, Chang Suining and Chang Kuo had already made secret arrangements for any potential betrayal.
So the moment Wei Jun’s men drew their blades, Chu Xing and his subordinates relayed the alarm through signal whistles.
Outside the Prefect’s mansion, soldiers who had been stationed in advance were already storming into the front courtyard, heading their way.
As the fight dragged on with no success, Wei Jun grew frantic, wishing he could personally hack Chang Kuo and his meddlesome daughter to pieces—but he dared not.
He was a civil official, not incapable of using force but far from able to match trained generals.
Hearing the clashes outside, one of his aides panicked and said,
“Prefect, perhaps you should withdraw to the rear hall for now!”
Lowering his voice, the man added,
“Do not worry, my lord. Even if they fight their way out of the mansion, they cannot leave Chuzhou City!”
After all, when entertaining military men, it was never the custom to allow entire armies into the city.
Chang Kuo’s group, however vigilant, had brought only a few hundred men.
So what if they discovered the poisoned wine? Tonight, none of them would escape alive!
Wei Jun, protected by several close guards, retreated with his aides toward the back through a screen.
But he had gone only a short distance when the sound of fighting broke out behind him.
Turning back, he saw someone chasing after him—a tall figure, unarmed, charging bare-handed—yet even so, none of his guards could stop him!
With each punch and kick, that man sent his protectors flying.
Wei Jun’s face turned pale. Gathering up his official robes, he ran.
“Don’t run!”
The voice that shouted after him carried an almost childlike tone—unnaturally innocent.
The aide suddenly realized—this must be a fool.
And then he remembered: when the late Crown Prince still lived, he had commanded under him a fierce general, one whose mind was not sound but whose strength was unmatched—none could come near him, even among a hundred men.
Could it be that same man?!
The aide panicked. In his haste to flee, he tripped over the threshold and fell flat on his face with a scream.
A second, even louder cry followed—because Ah Dian had stepped right on his back as he lunged past, grabbing Wei Jun by the collar of his official robes.
Wei Jun felt himself yanked backward with tremendous force—then lifted bodily into the air!
Startled, he tried to fight back, but his struggling arm was instantly caught and twisted; when he raised his other hand to strike, that too was restrained.
Then, with a sudden wrench, came a crack—the excruciating pain of his arm breaking made his pupils shrink and a scream burst from his throat.
“You really don’t listen!”
Ah Dian sighed as though scolding a child—it wasn’t easy catching people.
The aide beneath him howled pitifully, on the verge of tears.
Ah Dian glanced down, realizing he was still standing on the man, and jumped aside in fright.
“I didn’t mean it!”
The aide groaned, bones likely broken no less than his lord’s—but at least Ah Dian did not intend to kill him. Instead, he dragged the Prefect straight back toward the hall.
“My lord!” the aide cried, trying to crawl after them.
One of the Prefect’s guards charged with a blade, only to be kicked flying by Ah Dian.
Seeing the guard spit blood and collapse, the aide froze, the pain in his body intensifying until he could no longer move. He could only lie there, whimpering for help:
“Someone—save the Prefect!”
Ah Dian dragged Wei Jun into the main hall and shouted,
“Xiao Ah Li! I caught him!”
Those who had accompanied them to the banquet were all prepared for such an outcome.
Chang Suining had warned Ah Dian in advance:
“Today’s banquet may be a Hongmen trap. If a fight breaks out, keep your eyes on the man wearing the highest hat—don’t let him run.”
Fearing he might forget, Ah Dian had repeated this command over a dozen times until he had memorized it by heart.
The moment the men in the hall saw their Prefect captured, they were all shocked.
“Stop!” Chang Suining pointed the tip of her sword at Wei Jun.
The fighting ceased at once.
The young woman’s face was spattered with blood; her sword tip rose and pressed to Wei Jun’s throat.
His face turned deathly pale. He tried to lean back, but Ah Dian’s iron grip held him still.
Under the suffocating pressure of death, Wei Jun trembled, his voice shaking,
“Y-you can’t kill me!”
Chang Suining looked at him calmly.
“Oh? And why not?”
At her tone, Chu Xing’s brows twitched faintly.
“The city gates are shut—you cannot escape!” Wei Jun grit his teeth, voice trembling.
“If you kill me, you’ll die as well!”
But the girl only said slowly,
“The gates are closed, yes—but gates are made to be opened, aren’t they?”
She continued serenely,
“The control of the city defense lies in the hands of Deputy Commander Li. I spoke with him earlier today, and we got along quite well. I think he’d be willing to open the gate for us.”
Her words were so innocent that Wei Jun almost laughed.
“Miss Chang, you take me for too much a fool. A subordinate willing to aid my enemies—do you think I would keep such a man alive at such a time?”
Because he trusted Li Xun too much, he had never trusted him at all.
Li Xun knew nothing of his secret dealings with Xu Zhengye.
He had kept the man alive only because the time was not yet ripe—now that he intended to slay Chang Kuo, he was ready to sever ties with the court entirely. Such a liability could no longer be tolerated!
“So—you had him killed?” Chang Suining asked.
“He is already dead,” Wei Jun declared, meeting Chang Kuo’s gaze.
“If you still wish to leave Chuzhou alive, you cannot kill me!”
Though his plan had failed, so long as he lived, he still held leverage. Thus, his confidence slowly returned.
But that confidence was soon shattered.
“Unfortunately, your subordinate is not dead—so it seems the Prefect will be disappointed.”
As that voice sounded, a blood-stained man stepped across the threshold—Deputy Commander Li, his expression cold and grim.
Behind him stood his soldiers—and Chang Ren.
Wei Jun’s face went white as chalk.
Li Xun—alive?!
With Deputy Commander Li’s arrival, Chang Suining lost interest in further conversation.
She sheathed her sword.
Though the blade was no longer at his throat, Wei Jun’s cold sweat only grew thicker.
“I have taken control of the entire city,” Deputy Commander Li saluted.
“Please be at ease, Great General.”
Chang Kuo returned the salute.
“Thank you for your aid, Deputy Commander Li.”
Sporadic fighting still echoed through the Prefect’s residence—Wei Jun’s remaining men resisting stubbornly—but the outcome was already decided
