Chapter 151

  In Fengguo, each person has a small table and sits on the floor. The tables are set with several dishes of food, and waiters will occasionally replace them with new ones. If there is a large dish like roasted whole lamb or roasted suckling pig, it will be placed in the middle, and the waiter will carve the meat and distribute it to everyone. Of course, you can also help yourself.

  Tang Yin's seat was arranged below Yu He's, sitting next to him.

  Without looking at the people around him, Tang Yin walked directly to his own table and picked up the wine cup on it. He downed the wine in one gulp, then licked his lips and turned to look at Yu He.

  He stood upright in the banquet, which was a very impolite thing. Yu He felt somewhat displeased and hesitated for a moment, lifted his head, just about to speak, but happened to meet Tang Yin's bright and frightening eyes. He inexplicably shivered with fear, his mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.

  Tang Yin suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope, slapping it in front of Yu He's face. "Yu sir," he said coldly, "tell me what this thing is."

  Yu He's face was filled with inexplicable confusion, he had no idea what was going on. He picked up the envelope, pulled out the letter inside, and took a closer look, suddenly startling him. The content of the letter was addressed to the commander of the barbarian army, with humble language, detailing the situation in Pingyuan County, and also promised the commander of the barbarian army that he would not send any reinforcements to Pingyuan County, and the signature at the end of the letter was Yu He's own name.

  This letter was written in his name, and the handwriting in the letter is indeed very similar to his handwriting. However, upon closer inspection, one can still discern the subtle differences between the two. Holding this letter, Yu He's hands were shaking violently. After reading it, he hastily put down the letter paper and said in a trembling voice: "General Tang...this...is a misunderstanding, someone is framing me..."

  "Bang!"

  Before he could finish speaking, Tang Yin kicked over the square table in front of Yu He with one foot, then reached out and grabbed Yu He's collar, humming a sound, saying: "Good dog official who eats inside and crawls outside, dare to privately collude with the barbarian country, accept bribes from the barbarian country, now the evidence is conclusive, do you still dare to deny it?"

  "Unjust, unjust!" Yu He's big fat face turned almost purple with fright, and he stuttered: "This is someone framing... this is absolutely someone framing me, I wouldn't dare collude with the barbarian tribes even if I had the guts of a giant, and besides, I never received any benefits from them..."

  At this time, the other officials in the hall were also stunned and couldn't understand what was going on. How could Tang Yin come and fiercely question Yu He for secretly communicating with the barbarian state? This is really an unthinkable thing, and there has been no rumor about it!

  "Tang sir, there might be some misunderstanding, let... let County Head explain clearly..." Beside him, Vice County Head Zhang Zhicheng plucked up the courage to advise in a low voice.

  "Overwhelming evidence, what more can be said? If I don't kill this traitor today, how can I comfort the spirits of tens of thousands of soldiers?" As he spoke, his sword-like eyebrows stood upright, his tiger eyes rounded open, staring straight at Yu He, gnashing his teeth: "Colluding with external enemies, deceiving the emperor, your crime deserves death!" In the midst of speaking, his arm swung, and the curved knife was already grasped in his palm. Following a flash of the knife's light, blood sprayed out, and Yu He's large head rolled from his shoulders to the ground.

  Tang Yin struck with one sword and directly cut off Yu He's head.

  At this moment, time seemed to have stopped. The grand banquet hall was quiet as a mouse, with not a sound to be heard, and people's eyes were wide with shock, hardly daring to believe that what had just happened before their eyes was real - Tang Yin had actually killed Yu He in public?

  "Ah——" Someone shouted, scrambling to their feet from the ground, pale-faced, with an expression of shock and horror, pointing at Tang Yin and screaming incoherently.

  His cry awakened the others, and in an instant, the banquet hall was filled with screams, servants scattered and fled, officials covered their heads and escaped, and the tables inside the venue were overturned, plates, dishes, cups, and wine bottles scattered all over the floor.

  People wanted to run out, but the two brothers Shangguan Yuanwu and Shangguan Yuanbiao were like two door gods, their bodies unknowingly already wearing spiritual armor, holding guns to block the doors of the main hall.

  Tang Yin wiped the bloodstains on his face, slowly turned around, looked at the panicked crowd, and sneered: "No one can leave without my order!"

  The hall was in chaos, and the guards outside also heard it, knowing that something unexpected had happened inside. They rushed over in a swarm. Before they could get close, they suddenly felt as if the air around them had turned into a solid object, tightly squeezing their bodies. Not to mention taking another step forward, even moving a finger was difficult. In an instant, hundreds of guards were frozen in place, unable to move, with only their eyes revealing intense shock and fear.

  Shangguan Yuande stood in front of the guards, releasing his spiritual pressure while smiling and saying, "I'm doing this for your own good. Now go, you'll only die quickly!"

  Tang Yin was so crazy that he didn't even give Yu He a chance to explain, and directly killed him with one knife. To others, his madness was terrifying, but Shangguan Yuanrang liked it very much, and it was only then that he truly appreciated Tang Yin as a person.

  Yu He wiped the bloodstains of the curved knife on his clothes, and Tang Yin, ignoring the dismembered corpse, walked slowly to his desk and began to drink by himself.

  At this time, Cheng Jin and others who were left outside heard the great chaos in the government office, thinking that Tang Yin had already made his move. Cheng Jin did not dare to delay for a moment, immediately ordering the cavalry to surround the government office, not allowing anyone to escape, while he himself led the members of the assassination squad to quickly rush into the government office.

  Led by Cheng Jin, the assassins rushed into the hall, controlling all the officials and servants inside, then dispatched a group of people to subdue others in the prefectural capital.

  Looking around at the black-clad, red-cloaked Black Arrow guards, Zhang Zhicheng's body trembled with fear as he stared at Tang Yin and stammered: "Lord Tang, wh-what are you doing?"

  "Haha!" Tang Yin laughed, raised his head, looked around at everyone, waved his hand and said: "Why are you all standing? Come on, sit down and continue eating!" As he spoke, he picked up a large piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

  Yu He's corpse was right next to them, the severed head at Tang Yin's feet. The crowd couldn't even bear to vomit, let alone eat. Yet, looking at Tang Yin, he was devouring his meat and drinking wine with gusto, savoring every bite.

  Gululu! Zhang Zhicheng swallowed a mouthful of air, forcing the vomit that was about to come back up to go back down. He gritted his teeth and said: "Tang sir..."

  As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Yin's eyes flashed with a sharp light, shooting straight at his face, and asked in a soft and slow tone: "What? Yu He is dead, you can't even eat your rice, and you're so sympathetic to him. Are you Yu He's accomplices?"

  One sentence scared all these officials in the scene almost to pee their pants.

  Whoosh! With Táng Yín's words, Chéng Jǐn and the others simultaneously drew out their swords.

  The steel knife was snow-white, with a cold light radiating in all directions. Without needing to say another word, the officials were like ghosts fleeing, hastily retreating back to their seats, righting the wine table that had been knocked over, and picking up the scattered plates from the ground. Their hands holding chopsticks trembled violently, unable to pick up any food.

  "Hmph!" Tang Yin sneered, taking down the 'General of the North' token hanging from his waist and slapping it heavily on the table. He spoke slowly and deliberately: "Yu He colluded with external enemies, I will have him beheaded. This matter I will naturally report to Your Majesty, however, a country cannot be without its ruler, a prefecture cannot be without its head. Currently, in Tianyuan Prefecture my official rank is the highest, so the position of Prefect will temporarily be taken over by me. Gentlemen, are you for or against?"

  "Oh..." Everyone looked at each other and hung their heads in silence. At this moment, the knife was pressed against their necks, who dared to object?

  Since no one spoke up, Tang Yin nodded and smiled: "So you all agree." He looked at Zhang Zhicheng and asked: "Lord Zhang, is that right?"

  Unexpectedly, Tang Yin would call out to his own head, Zhang Zhicheng's body shook, and the chopsticks in his hand also fell. He nodded repeatedly and said: "Right, right, right, Mr. Tang's words are extremely important, and this...this official has no objection!"

  "Very well!" Tang Yin put down his chopsticks, stood up straight and said in a deep voice: "Before the imperial edict is transmitted back to you, none of you should go anywhere, stay temporarily in the prefectural capital for now!"

  Among these officials were Li Zhong, the county magistrate of Sanshui County, and Du Juyi, the county magistrate of Chifeng County. If they can be controlled, there will be no chaos in these two counties. Controlling Zhang Zhicheng, the vice prefect, means that there will be no chaos in Shunzhou.

  Tang Yin does things decisively and is also thoughtful.

  He first said to Zhang Zhicheng: "You give orders to the commander of the troops in the county, and let him come to the county capital immediately for discussion!"

  Zhang Zhicheng nodded and replied in a low voice: "Yes!"

  Tang Yin immediately said to Li Zhong and Du Juyi, "You two also order your respective commanders to lead their troops into the city immediately and discuss military affairs at the prefectural government!"

  "It is... it is!"

  One after another, the county governor is even more incompetent than the provincial capital, including the original Pingyuan County Governor who was replaced by Tang Yin.

  When all three of them finished writing their articles, Tang Yin picked up one by one to review, and only after confirming that there was no problem did he let his subordinates distribute the documents.

  At this time, Qiu Zhen and others who stayed outside the city had already received the news, did not bring infantry, and directly led thousands of cavalry into Shunzhou to join forces with Tang Yan.

  The arrival of thousands of cavalrymen allowed the county seat to be thoroughly controlled by Tang Yin, and Yu He's family members were rounded up and detained together. As for Yu He's door guests and guards, those who had spiritual martial arts cultivation swallowed the scattered spirit pills, while those without spiritual martial arts cultivation were tied up on the spot.

  They acted swiftly, soon stabilizing the situation and sealing off all news, so that not only did the soldiers in the other two counties remain unaware, but even within Shunzhou City itself everything was calm and peaceful, without a single rumor leaking out.

  Before long, the commander-in-chief of the county and the commanders-in-chief of Sanshui County and Chifeng County arrived one after another. As soon as they entered the county seat, they were captured by the hidden archers before they could figure out what was happening.