sbdcsierra Chapter 484 Lin 3's Achilles' heel
Chapter 484 Lin 3's Achilles' heel
Seeing that Eunuch Cao was being chased by a thug, the guards tacitly made way for him. Cao Huachun mustered his last bit of strength, pushed through the large group of guards, and then leaned against a pillar, gasping for breath. He had never run like this in his life; his chest felt like it was on fire, and he was about to suffocate. But at least he had escaped the clutches of the thug. Now all he had to do was wait for this madman to be caught and properly tortured—the Eastern Depot had plenty of ways to make him suffer to the point of near death, and then send him to see the emperor without any visible injuries.
He slowly turned his head, panting. But the scene that came into view made him gasp and forget to breathe.
They were in a long corridor that could only accommodate four or five people walking side by side. Lin San held his spear horizontally, roared, and pushed the guards in front of him forward. The guards were pushed backward one after another. The guards in the back row were unsteady and staggered backward as they were swept away by the crowd. Twenty or thirty people were no match for one person!
Cao Huachun forgot the discomfort from the strenuous run and shouted, "Kill him! Regardless of whether he's dead or wounded, I'll explain to His Majesty!"
Actually, the guards who arrived later weren't afraid to act. They didn't know that the assailant was someone the emperor had specifically requested. However, since a person suspected of being an "assassin" had appeared in the palace and posed no threat to the emperor or his concubines, and was alone, the usual practice was to capture him alive and interrogate him for his "accomplices" to prevent future troubles. Therefore, the guards didn't draw their knives immediately. Besides, they hadn't expected this "assassin" to be so powerful and strong.
Upon hearing Eunuch Cao's "instructions," the retreating guards tried to draw their swords from their waists, only to find that the spear shafts were pressed against their chests, pinning their arms down, making it impossible to draw their swords. The more nimble guards behind them dodged and jumped onto the nearby railing, avoiding the retreating crowd, and then leaped high into the air, slashing down at Huang Mengjia.
Lin San pushed hard, knocking all the guards in the front row to the ground. Then, he swung his spear to block the blade aimed at his head. Before the guard hit the ground, he grabbed his collar and flung him away. The guard screamed as he flew out of the corridor, crashing into a stone lion. His scream stopped abruptly, and he fell heavily to the ground, his fate unknown.
The guards on the ground scrambled to their feet, drew their weapons, and charged forward shouting. Lin San remained calm and unhurried, swinging his spear like a club. With each inch longer, he was more powerful. The guards' sabers couldn't reach him at all. With a sweep of his club, several sabers flew from their hands and clattered to the ground. The guards were bruised and battered, screaming as they fell to the ground.
Cao Huachun stared in disbelief as dozens of guards were unable to subdue this one man. Under the relentless pressure of the whistling spears, the guards fought and retreated. Seeing that the spears were about to reach him, he cursed angrily and dragged his weak legs backward.
Just when the guards were cornered by Lin San, Wang Chengen appeared.
He had already turned back, but then he remembered Cao Huachun's arrogance and his high-ranking position as the Grand Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Director of the Imperial Household Department. Meanwhile, Lin San, the person he was trying to persuade, was a clueless young man who didn't understand palace etiquette. He worried that if these two clashed, things might go wrong. He hesitated, feeling uneasy, and turned back to chase after Cao Huachun. But he hadn't gone far when he heard shouts of someone catching an assassin coming from the direction of Xuanwu Gate. Sensing something was wrong, he quickly ran over. When he arrived, he found the situation was worse than he had imagined: a large group of guards, under Cao Huachun's command, were attacking Lin San and were being routed.
His heart tightened. If this matter was botched, Cao Huachun would certainly not fare well, and he himself would also suffer the consequences. After all, he had given the task to Cao Huachun. He immediately shouted, "All guards, listen up! Surround him! Do not harm him!"
Hearing this, Cao Huachun came over and complained, "Eunuch Wang is being too cautious. This fellow is extremely arrogant and doesn't know the rules. He almost killed me. If His Majesty were to hand over such a person, he would be a menace. In my opinion, as long as we don't take his life, letting him get a few bruises would be a lesson!"
Wang Chengen stamped his foot in frustration: "Eunuch, you've really put me in a difficult position this time!" Without waiting to speak with him, he took a few steps closer to the crowd and said loudly, "Commander Lin, there are rules in the palace. You may have had your fun now, but have you thought about the consequences?"
Lin San had a better impression of the amiable eunuch Wang. Upon hearing this, he pushed aside the several knives in front of him and loudly replied, "I am a rough man. Without the general's promotion, I could not have become a military officer in the court. I only know how to fight and do not know any rules. Today I have been humiliated and they still want to arrest me. If I do not resist, I will not be able to swallow this insult. I am willing to pay with my life!"
Cao Huachun gritted his teeth and said, "Listen to this, such a madman, still so stubborn even now!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Chengen's eyes lit up. He felt he had found Lin San's Achilles' heel and hurriedly shouted, "Commander Lin, even if you don't think about yourself, you should at least think about your general. You caused a ruckus in the palace, and His Majesty is taking his anger out on him. Isn't that your fault?"
Lin San's mind went blank for a moment, and he froze, then broke out in a cold sweat: "That's right, I'm the general's man sent to the capital. It's one thing to risk my life, but it would be terrible to cause trouble for the general." Lin San had always valued loyalty and righteousness, unlike some Han Chinese who were fickle. Since submitting to Liu Ye, Lin San had always regarded him as his master, and his loyalty was no less than that of Shi Ying, Xu Yifan, and others.
Taking advantage of his momentary daze, the guards, who were suffering terribly from the beating, seized the opportunity and swarmed forward, placing several steel knives against his neck. If he wasn't careful, he would be beheaded.
Wang Chengen quickly said, "Just subdue him, don't kill him!"
Lin San sighed and threw the spear in his hand to the ground.
Royal Garden.
Emperor Chongzhen pointed to the memorial sent from Nanjing and asked, "What are your thoughts on Wang Lin's secret report?"
Wen Tiren had already read the memorial, but Zhang Fengyi hadn't, so Chongzhen handed it to him and asked him to read it carefully.
Wen Tiren carefully chose his words, saying, "What Wang Lin said may be biased, but it cannot be completely disregarded. If Liu Ye is truly as the secret report states, then whether he becomes a Buddha or a demon depends entirely on Your Majesty's decision."
Emperor Chongzhen found this explanation novel and became interested: "Why does it depend on my decision? Tell me in detail."
“Your Majesty, Liu Ye may not be a loyal and upright minister, and in extreme circumstances he may even become an enemy of the court. However, considering that he was appeased halfway through the war and that the troops under his command were trained by him, it is understandable that he might have some selfish desires to hold power.”
Emperor Chongzhen frowned and said, "You're making excuses for him. Now that he's been granted amnesty and become a military general in the court, shouldn't he be loyal to me?"
Zhang Fengyi put down the memorial and echoed, "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king. Those who serve the Ming Dynasty and receive the Ming Dynasty's provisions should be loyal to His Majesty. How can we allow such a wolf in sheep's clothing to exist?"