Chapter 270: Chapter 270

"Oh, thank you. Just help me pile these up neatly."

The other armored soldier dragged the guard’s body away.

After rearranging the barbecue grill, Zheng Fan accelerated his pace to catch up with the Earl of North Border.

As Zheng Fan ran, he saw a group of armored soldiers also sprinting.

Several guards, who had saluted him earlier, were swiftly killed a moment later by the armored soldiers running alongside him.

Not all were killed. For instance, if one guard was killed within a patrolling group, an armored soldier would instantly replace him. Patrolling continued; posts remained manned.

It was like a gust of wind that made you squint, but when you rubbed your eyes for a better look, it seemed as if nothing had changed.

"How are you holding up? Can you still carry that?" asked the Earl of North Border.

"Good. Young people should be able to handle heavy work."

The Earl of North Border didn’t explain the ongoing events within the palace, and Zheng Fan didn’t ask. In fact, he had likely already guessed the reason.

The great clans held immense sway throughout Yan, their influence deeply entrenched, especially among the palace guards. While not all were aristocrats, unlike those serving in the later Qing Dynasty, commoners rarely obtained such positions. After all, proximity to influential figures meant greater opportunities.

Previously, they had endured in silence. Now, however, starting from the moment Lord Jingnan slaughtered the Tian Family, things had been set in motion.

Likely, it wasn’t just this Imperial Palace that would undergo a major purge. The Imperial Guards were probably already in a state of bloody upheaval, and the Tiancheng Prefecture troops under the Eldest Prince’s command were undoubtedly doing something similar.

This was the power of the great clans. They were ubiquitous, their influence touching nearly every facet of a nation. To move against the great clans was like scraping bone to remove poison—a painful but necessary cure.

Ahead, several groups of eunuchs and palace maids hurried towards the inner palace, each led by a chief eunuch in red robes.

They were going to ’invite’ some of the palace’s imperial concubines and consorts to ’ascend to heaven.’

A monarch has no private family matters. This wasn’t just reflected in how the women of the imperial family often became tools for political alliance; in fact, the emperor himself was a sacrifice to this principle.

In the early days, to curry favor with the great clans, you had to marry this family’s daughter, right? And once you married her, you couldn’t neglect that other family, could you? This one, that one, and those over there—all had to be married.

Many women in the harem had an entire family backing them. Moreover, for deeper political alliances, the emperor sometimes had to diligently ’cultivate’ them, ensuring they conceived and bore imperial princes or princesses who carried the bloodline of their matriarchal clans.

Recalling what Ji Chengjue had said yesterday, his father had recently been ’diligently cultivating’ those few ’beauties’ from Xiahang in Qian State. He was likely thinking of producing one or two descendants with Qian blood to facilitate rule over Qian State after a military campaign.

No matter how interesting or delightful something might be, once it was saddled with a political objective, all that remained was tedium and boredom. Read complete versıon only at 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖•𝗇𝗲𝘁

ignited at the Tian Residence,

engulf the entire Yan State.

Walking through the Imperial Palace at this moment, Zheng Fan felt a genuine sense of excitement. This excitement probably stemmed from the realization that he was witnessing a ’historic moment.’

Ahead, a man in black armor appeared. His armor was in the style of the Earl of North Border’s army. Beside the man rested a wooden box.

"My Lord, please put on your armor."

"Such heavy armor. I really don’t want to wear it."

The Earl of North Border shook his head, yet seemed resigned.

The man opened the box, revealing a set of ancient armor, simple yet imposing.

It was certainly ancient; as for how a suit of armor could be ’imposing,’ that was a product of Zheng Fan’s own embellishing imagination.

After all, it was the Earl of North Border’s armor. Much like a leg of lamb personally roasted by the Earl of North Border, it invariably gave one a special feeling.

The Earl of North Border didn’t draw a curtain. In fact, his entry into the palace from the West Garden today was top secret, and this man was his only escort.

Zheng Fan stepped forward to help. The armor was very heavy; Zheng Fan struggled even to lift it. This showed why the Earl of North Border disliked wearing it—it felt like carrying several sacks of rice on one’s body.

Inside the box was also a python-head great ring-pommeled saber. Good heavens, it was incredibly heavy! Zheng Fan couldn’t even lift it on his first try.

The man, however, reached out and lifted the great saber with a light tug. The Earl of North Border took it but didn’t foolishly hold it aloft. Instead, he drove the blade tip down, piercing the flagstones of the Imperial Palace.

Leaning on the saber,

the Earl of North Border spoke,

This man is called Qingshuang? Sounds a bit like a woman’s name.

The Earl of North Border had seven Chief Commanders under him. Six were granted the surname Li; only one was not. Zheng Fan recalled the Sixth Prince’s earlier introduction: this sole individual not surnamed Li wasn’t disregarded. On the contrary, his identity was highly sensitive. Rumor had it he possessed the bloodline of the Golden Family of the Barbarian Royal Court, or was a descendant of a certain prince who had vied with the late Emperor for the throne. Some even claimed he carried the blood of a royal family from Jin State or Chu State.

At least, to Zheng Fan’s eyes, he didn’t seem to have the bloodline of the Golden Family. The physical characteristics of Barbarians were still quite distinct from those of Yan people.

"Free up a lieutenant post in your command for this lad."

"You are originally from the Northern Frontier region and were part of my, the Earl of North Border’s, army. Now, you are simply returning home."

"Don’t be in a hurry to thank me. Our Earl of North Border’s household doesn’t go in for such things. If you want to thank this Lord, use your achievements to speak for themselves. This Lord has never been wrong about people. You absolutely must not let this Lord make an exception."

"It’s settled then. From now on, you’ll follow Qingshuang. Don’t worry about Tian Wujing taking offense; he’s still half a generation behind this Lord."

This time, it was Qingshuang who spoke up, prompting him.

The Earl of North Border finally stopped his soliloquy and looked in the direction Qingshuang indicated. Abruptly, the Earl of North Border’s face flushed slightly red.

stood a majestic figure, appearing slightly younger than the Earl of North Border.

His gilded armor gleamed brilliantly in the light of the morning sun.