Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After the words “imperial prisoner Chen Pingping” fell from Yan Bingyun’s thin lips, all of the people in the secret room went crazy. Although their expressions remained calm, an iciness flashed through their eyes. They stared viciously at Yan Bingyun. It was as if they wanted to use their gazes to tear him into pieces.
The Overwatch Council had eight bureaus. Other than the head of the Sixth Bureau, who was temporary, and the head of the Fifth Bureau, Jing Ge, who was currently by the group of carriages heading slowly toward the east of the Qing Kingdom, all of the high-level officials were gathered here. They were the true power holders in the Overwatch Council. The head of the First Bureau Mu Tie, the head of the Second Bureau was that old man, the head of the Third Bureau was Fan Xian’s brother disciple, and the head of the Seventh and Eighth Bureaus were both members of the Qinian Unit. With the head of the Fourth Bureau Yan Bingyun, all of the people in this secret room were Fan Xian’s direct subordinates.
Of course, Fan Xian’s direct subordinates were Chen Pingping’s direct subordinates. Although they did not communicate much with old Director Chen, just like every other member and secret agent of the Overwatch Council, the old Director was their superior and held a lofty position in their hearts.
Other than Yin Bingyun, all six of the others suddenly stood up and stared at Yan Bingyun’s face. Mu Tie’s was ashen and filled with rage. In a raspy voice, he roared, “Sir Yan, what do you want to do?”
Yan Bingyun returned the gazes of the six people without shrinking back. After he had returned from Northern Qi, Chen Pingping and Fan Xian had both been too lazy to handle the large amount of Council affairs. During these few years, all of the affairs of the Overwatch Council had been managed by this icy young man. He was the son of Yan Ruohai and very experienced in the Council. When he was just a youth, he had been sent to the foreign and dangerous Northern Qi to carry out spy work. Afterward, he had been betrayed and sold out by the Eldest Princess. He had suffered cruel and unknown torments. Thus, his reputation was very good in the Council.
As Fan Xian’s companion and closest subordinate, he conducted himself well regardless of whether he was handling the Ming family’s affair in Jiangnan or the battle in the Royal Palace with the Eldest Princess during the Jingdou rebellion. He demonstrated powerful organization skills, great analysis of intelligence reports, and decisive decision-making ability.
With qualifications, experience, payout, sacrifice, and background, very smoothly, Sir Yan junior reached the third highest position in the Overwatch Council. All of the officials, even the nominal heads of the Bureaus, implicitly accepted his orders. They admired Sir Yan junior from the depths of their hearts.
The corners of Yan Bingyun’s eyes twitched slightly. He looked at the six people in front of him and did not back down in the slightest. “Chen Pingping attempted to assassinate the Emperor and will suffer death by a thousand cuts tomorrow. By imperial order, the Council is to take over this imperial prisoner. Do you… want to rebel?”
The information in the palace concerning the Emperor’s assassination had long gotten out. These high-ranking Overwatch Council officials had gotten ahold of this intelligence instantly. Amidst their shock, it was only now that they knew the old Director had not gone with the 30 black carriages back home to retire. Instead, he had appeared unexpectedly inside the Royal Palace and tried to assassinate the Emperor.
None of the Overwatch Council officials believed this was the entire truth of the matter, let alone these six head of Bureaus. They looked coldly at Yan Bingyun. In the end, it was Mu Tie who angrily said, “The Director has retired home to rest. How could he appear in the Palace? And, assassinate the Emperor? Who made up this rumor? What exactly happened in the Palace?”
The always silent head of the Third Bureau lowered his head and slowly said, “I think what is most important right now is to investigate clearly…”
Yan Bingyun’s rage exploded. He slammed one palm down on the long table. With a buzzing sound, he said sternly, “The Emperor gave the order personally. Commander Ye, Eunuch Yao, Scholar He, and everyone else saw it for themselves. Investigate? Investigate what?”
The head of the Second Bureau, who had the longest experience and was the most senior, suddenly drooped his eyelids and said in a raspy and heavy voice, “So what if they saw personally? I think it is just that the Emperor wants to take action against this Council.” This old man coldly raised his face. “Charges can always be trumped up against someone. If the Emperor wants to kill someone, what excuse can he not use? However, this matter involved the old Director. Other than the crime of treason and assassination of the Emperor, what other crime would be able to stop him?”
The secret room was silent. The glass window usually covered by a black cloth appeared particularly translucent. It made everyone feel a glimmer of unease while the sun gradually moving east spilled light against the red brick of the palace walls and again into the secret room of the Overwatch Council. It enveloped the entire room in a blood-red light.
The head of the Second Bureau looked at Yan Bingyun with narrowed eyes and slowly said, “Sir Yan, the final confirmation for Commissioner has not gone through. You don’t have any right to order us to do anything. And, you also have no right to pull down this piece of black cloth.”
The silence in the secret room added to everyone’s fear. All of the high-level Overwatch Council officials were looking at Yan Bingyun. They wanted to see just how he would handle this shocking matter. After Mu Tie and the others heard the words of the Second Bureau senior, the suspicion in their eyes gradually thickened. They looked at Yan Bingyun with coldness.
“All of the Council intelligence reports go through me. A few days ago, the Jingdou Garrison mysteriously disappeared while the Imperial Army and palace defenses suddenly increased. The Bureau of Military Affairs secret mobilized troops… I sent all of these reports to your desk,” the head of the Second Bureau said as he looked at Yan Bingyun coldly. “Looking at it now, these were the Emperor’s moves in dealing with the old Director. But, why didn’t you have any reaction?”
Yan Bingyun’s earlier anger disappeared in the blink of an eye. His face was cold, and his entire body emanated a sense of chill. It was as if he was a block of ice.
“During this past fortnight, you moved more than half of the people in my bureau to Xiliang and Dongyi. Most of them are probably still on the road,” the head of the Second Bureau said. “Presently, the strength of the Council is only a third of what is usually is. What exactly is it that you want to do? Did you know about what would happen today earlier and have been making preparations for the palace ahead of time?”
“A large portion of the Sixth Bureau’s swordsmen and assassins were also transferred out of Jingdou a few days ago.” The temporary head of the Sixth Bureau looked coldly at Yan Bingyun. After the Shadow, he was the Overwatch Council’s best assassin. His gaze was like a sword holding Yan Bingyun in place. It was as if he wanted to pin this block of ice under the dusky light to make him gradually melt. “You have to give us an explanation.”
The three most martially powerful bureaus of the Overwatch Council were the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth bureaus. The Black Knights of the Fifth Bureau were never allowed to stay around Jingdou. Furthermore, one part of the Black Knights was gone with the black carriages while another part was near Yanjing, waiting to welcome Fan Xian’s return. The Fourth Bureau was under Yan Bingyun’s control. They were scattered in various provinces and foreign countries. They also could not be gathered in Jingdou to lend their strength.
When Yan Bingyun gave the order to hollow out the swordsmen assassins of the Sixth Bureau, the strongest martial force of the entire Overwatch Council had already been weakened to its limit.
Mu Tie’s heart shook. He dealt with the affairs of the First Bureau in Jingdou, so the mobilization orders in the Overwatch Council had not involved him. It was only now that he realized Yan Bingyun had already taken out so much of the Council’s power. Connecting it to the shocking development in the Royal Palace and old Director, his heart chilled.
“I am a subject of the Qing Kingdom and of the Emperor, and an official of the Overwatch Council.” Yan Bingyun’s preparations had been straightforwardly exposed by these officials. But, there was not a glimmer of guilt on his face. Coldly, he looked at the people standing on either side of the long table and said, “Don’t forget the first sentence you learned when you first entered the Council!”
“Everything for the Qing Kingdom!” Yan Bingyun waved his hand coldly. “Being loyal to the Emperor is the only thing we have to consider. Your words earlier were already somewhat treasonous. I don’t want to hear them a second time.”
The high-level officials of the Overwatch Council had sufficiently demonstrated their resentment toward the Royal Palace. If this was known by people outside of the Council, it would be no different to the crime of deceiving the Emperor.
Yan Bingyun walked slowly to the window and narrowed his eyes against the blood-red light reflecting in from the outside. A cold voice seeped out between his teeth as he said, “Chen Pingping assassinating the Emperor and committing rebellion is a clear-cut matter. If you insist on being willful and want to collude with this treasonous renegade to do something, don’t blame me for being heartless…”
The secret room once again fell silent.
The temporary head of the Sixth Bureau slowly gripped the hilt of the metal rod at his side. Looking coldly at Yan Bingyun by the window, he said, “Although you’ve mobilized away a large number of my subordinates, I don’t think it will be a very difficult matter if the Sixth Bureau wanted to kill you.”
“So what if you kill me?” Yan Bingyun’s voice was cold and disdainful. “Do you want to rebel? Where can your family, the families of the swordsmen below you, escape to? There are 10,000 soldiers outside. Even if you could rescue the old Director, can you kill your way out?”
The dusky light struck Yan Bingyun’s austere face, creating a complicated blood color. He slowly turned his head and he looked at the head of the Sixth Bureau. “The Emperor’s orders arrived this morning. I have the Director’s token in my hands. From this moment, I am the third Commissioner of the Overwatch Council! You must follow my orders or you will be punished according to Council regulations.”
“Sir Yan, I understand what you are thinking.” Mu Tie, who had appeared rather gloomy and confused these few years suddenly said sincerely, “Yes, with the remaining swordsmen assassins of the Sixth Bureau, we can, at most, rescue the old Director from within the Council and would have no way to send him out of Jingdou.”
“But,” Mu Tie’s eyes lit up, appearing particularly bright in his dark face, “the First Bureau is still here! With the eight bureaus combined, it is possible to rescue anyone we want in Jingdou!”
“The First Bureau has people hidden in all important yamens. The Fourth Bureau must also have backup personnel. If you can’t, Sir Yan senior must have this capability,” the head of the Second Bureau said coldly. “The Eighth Bureau will immediately provoke the Imperial College into making a fuss, no what for what reason, as long as Jingdou descends into chaos. The Third Bureau will immediately take action to poison the water source within Jingdou, forcing Jingdou to open its gates tomorrow. With fires everywhere and our combined efforts, it will be simple to rescue the Director alone.”
No wonder he was of the oldest Overwatch Council people. Speaking casually, he had laid out clearly the few actions needed to rescue Chen Pingping and easily spoke of such an evil and ruthless plan.
“Poisoning the Jingdou water supply?” Yan Bingyun’s pupils shrank. “You want all of the officials of the Overwatch Council, their family members, and all the common people of Jingdou to die on his behalf?”
“The Overwatch Council has the power to turn Jingdou into a wasteland if we really wanted to.” The head of the Second Bureau’s face was cold. It was as if he was speaking of a normal thing. “As long as the old Director can live, what does it matter if a few hundred thousand people die?”
Yan Bingyun’s heart trembled. It was not until today that he realized the Overwatch Council he had given his entire life to had long forgotten the existence of the Emperor at its core. All of the officials were crazy. For Chen Pingping, they would actually pay any price and could do countless crazy things.
“I won’t give you this chance.” Yan Bingyun’s eyes narrowed. He gently rang a small bell on the table.
The sound of hurried footsteps rang out from outside the secret room. The faces of the eight heads suddenly changed. They knew something was wrong. Mu Tie’s fingers trembled as he looked at Yan Bingyun’s face with increasing agitation. In a loud voice, he said, “Do you want to watch as the old Director suffers the humiliation of death by a thousand cuts?”
Yan Bingyun’s face was cold. He didn’t say anything. The door to the secret room was pushed open as his trusted aides filed in. In a short amount of time, they controlled each corner of the room.
The temporary head of the Sixth Bureau’s hand remained tightly wrapped around the metal rod. He didn’t pay any attention to the people coming in behind him. He only looked coldly at Yan Bingyun.
The power of the Jingdou Overwatch Council was immense, but this square and sinister building only had one brain. The true strength lay hidden in each separate yamen and dark place. The heads in this secret room were essentially the brain of the Overwatch Council. As long as this brain was made obsolete, the officials of the Overwatch Council would be like a group of headless dragons. It would be difficult for them to form into a powerful force no matter how angry they were because of Chen Pingping’s matter.
It was clear Yan Bingyun had prepared for this situation a long time. After the situation in the secret room was minimally controlled, the elite Qing troops that had been standing guard outside broke off a 1,000-person branch and moved toward the Overwatch Council.
All around the square and sinister building, a series of dense footsteps and the metallic sound of light armor clinking together rang out. It made one feel oppressed and angry. A few shouts came faintly from the large hall below. Then, there seemed to be someone proclaiming an edict.
No one in the secret room cared about these noises. The head of the Sixth Bureau only stared at Yan Bingyun’s face with anger and hatred.
Yan Bingyun looked at Mu Tie, who wore an expression of disbelief, and calmly said, “In Jingdou, the First Bureau can get hold of the most people, so I cannot let you go. I’ll have to trouble you to stay in the prison for a while.”
It seemed that fire was about to spray out of Mu Tie’s eyes. He and Yan Bingyun were both Fan Xian’s trusted aides. They always got along well. Usually, he would not believe Yan Bingyun would choose to stab the old Director ruthlessly in the back for the sake of glory and wealth.
The head of the Second Bureau closed his eyes and listened carefully to the sounds around him. His mind spun quickly as he endlessly analyzed the comparative strengths of the two sides. After a long time, he opened his eyes and sighed sorrowfully. He knew there was no point in calculating. With the powerful support of the army, Yan Bingyun had successfully separated the Overwatch Council’s brain from its hands and feet. As long as Yan Bingyun controlled this square and sinister building, the Overwatch Council was, in effect, half useless.
“Don’t move.” He gently patted the shoulder of the temporary head of the Sixth Bureau and made him release the hand gripping the metal rod. The head of the Sixth Bureau wore a fierce expression but knew the situation was set in stone. Involuntarily, he huffed and relaxed his hand.
The head of the Second Bureau looked at Yan Bingyun coldly and said, “We are probably all going to die.”
Yan Bingyun’s eyelids drooped slightly and he slowly said, “You know nothing of Chen Pingping’s assassination of the Emperor. As long as you don’t step wrong, I can save your life.”
The head of the Second Bureau sighed and touched his already white hair. Suddenly remembering something, he smiled self-mockingly and said, “I wonder what Ruohai would think after today’s events? Sir Yan, I suggest that you best kill us old folk. Otherwise, as long as we are alive, you won’t be able to sleep easily.”
This was not a threat. It was a sincere and naked announcement. The details of what happened within the Overwatch Council would eventually leak out. If these heads of the eight bureaus were not silenced, Yan Bingyun would certainly be faced with the anger of Overwatch Council officials loyal to Chen Pingping and angry at his death.
How many of those officials were there? No one knew. How many times would Yan Bingyun have to die for their anger? No one knew that either.
After the head of the Second Bureau finished speaking, he was escorted outside by a few officials. His retreating figure appeared bent and dim. However, this was not because he was about to be put in prison. Rather, it was because he was thinking about Director Chen, who would die tomorrow.
The metal rod, crossbow, dagger, internal armor, poison, and everything that could be used to kill people were removed from the body of the temporary head of the Sixth Bureau. He wore a cold expression and did not offer any resistance. As he was escorted passed Yan Bingyun’s figure, he spat onto his face.
Yan Bingyun gently wiped the spit off his face with a snow-white sleeve. Looking at him, he said, “Since you want to provoke me into killing you, why did you not resist earlier?”
“I don’t want to die yet.” This temporary head of the Sixth Bureau looked at him and laughed strangely. “I want to see how a traitor like you dies in the end.”
Mu Tie was also escorted out. He turned to glance at Yan Bingyun and helped the temporary head of the Sixth Bureau to explain, “We are very interested to know the manner of your death after Sir Fan junior gets back.”
Yan Bingyun’s expression shifted slightly but remained steady.
…
…
The vanguard troops comprised of a mix of Dingzhou troops, imperial soldiers, and Jingdou Garrison soldiers were already stationed in the Overwatch Council’s square building under the leadership of a few eunuchs and important court officials. All of the officials of the Overwatch Council were gathered on the flat ground behind the building. It was not that no one wanted to resist. Rather, it was because many people did not know what had happened. With the Emperor’s edict before them and no orders from their superiors, these loyal and responsible Overwatch Council officials did not retaliate on their own accord.
This was the first time the Overwatch Council building that been taken over and done so with humiliation. Before now, neither the Bureau of Military Affairs nor the officials of the Hall of Governmental Affairs had any influence here, so no army had been able to enter.
Since this Council had an old cripple in a black wheelchair, as long as he was alive, no one dared to enter.
Dense footsteps rang out upstairs. A group of people came down. Walking through the doorway, they came to the silent courtyard behind the Overwatch Council. All of the Overwatch Council officials discovered that the heads of the eight bureaus had become prisoners. Even the strongest spirit could not help but be swayed at this moment. There was an unconscious surge forward.
Like what was said earlier, the Fifth Bureau was not in the capital and much of the Sixth Bureau had been moved far away by Yan Bingyun. The current martial power of the Overwatch Council had been hollowed out. Most of the officials in this square building were civil officials, such as the officials of the Second Bureau who spent long years leaning over tables and conducting intelligence work. Perhaps, all of their spines had some problems. There were also the skilled officials of the Third Bureau whose area of expertise was creating medicines and poisons. They had not seen the sunlight in a long time. With the dusky light on them now, they seemed somewhat dazed. The officials of the Seventh and Eighth Bureaus had even fewer claims to martial skill.
Yan Bingyun walked at the very back and looked around with narrowed eyes. Standing in front of his trusted aids, he headed toward the eunuchs and officials in front of the imperial soldiers.
It was He Zongwei who led the army into the Overwatch Council. He looked at the frosty faced Yan Bingyun and inclined his head slightly in greeting. A eunuch at his side bent his body and asked Yan Bingyun, “The edict can be announced?”
Yan Bingyun furrowed his brows and said, “Have these soldiers put down the weapons in their hands. Otherwise, I cannot promise they won’t all die of poison in a bit.”
The old eunuch used his eyes to ask for He Zongwei’s permission. He then made a signal to the commander of the squad. The commander’s heart chilled slightly, but he followed the order and had his mixed troops put down the weapons in their hands.
Immediately, the atmosphere present relaxed a little. However, Yan Bingyun did not give the subordinates of the Overwatch Council any opportunity to react. The group escorting the heads of the eight bureaus had already left the courtyard and were headed in the direction of the prison. Clamoring suddenly broke out.
Yan Bingyun nodded his greeting to the bent over eunuch. Shaking, the old eunuch stood in front of the 200 officials of the Overwatch Council. He cleared his throat and began to slowly announce the crimes of the previous Director of the Overwatch Council, which were treason and assassination attempt of the Emperor.
The atmosphere became increasingly oppressive. The faces of all of the Overwatch Council officials grew more and more shocked. Their gazes grew more and more complicated. The suspicion and anger that came from the depths of their hearts grew stronger and stronger. The old eunuch’s voice grew lower and more panicked until he almost could not go on. The heart of the commander of the mixed troop of elite soldiers also grew more tense.
Although none of the 200 Overwatch Council officials were skilled in martial arts, no one knew what incredible role they played before they became civil officials. One of the wings of the Overwatch Council, Wang Qinian, had hidden in this building and been a scribe for many years. If these people resisted in anger, what would be the conclusion?
Although the officials of the Third Bureau did not carry weapons, no one knew how the poison on their bodies would spread.
The atmosphere in the courtyard grew more tense and tightly wound. It was as if it could snap at any time. The old eunuch finally finished announcing the edict. He wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead and cheered his good fortune loudly in his heart.
Although deep suspicion, shock, and anger showed in the eyes of the Overwatch Council officials, no one made a move because this was a true iron army, a unified group. As long as their superiors did not give an order, they would wait until waiting was no longer possible.
Countless eyes watched Yan Bingyun standing at the front since he was presently the highest-ranking official in the Overwatch Council. Although these eyes were suspicious, they still waited for him to speak.
Yan Bingyun was silent for a moment but did not open his mouth to explain anything to these Overwatch Council officials. Instead, he looked directly at the passage by the courtyard.
A few imperial doctors, eunuchs, and a number of palace guards carrying a stretcher entered from the passageway. A withered old man with wild white hair was on the stretched. The bleeding on his body had stopped. It seemed that he had sunk into a deep coma.
The ancestor of the Overwatch Council, the Emperor of this patch of darkness, Chen Pingping once again returned to the Overwatch Council he single-handed created and courtyard that he liked the best. However, none of this was accompanied by the familiar squeaking of the wheelchair. He only laid alone on the stretcher.
In the courtyard at the beginning of spring, fish still swam in the white sand pond. However, Chen Pingping could not open his eyes and glance in that direction.
Yan Bingyun stood as straight as a javelin and looked at the approaching stretcher. His hands held behind his back trembled slightly and immediately recovered their calm. He knew that this moment was crucial. He knew why the Emperor was sending Chen Pingping back to the Overwatch Council to be watched. He wanted to use the Director that was going to die by a thousand cuts to provoke the hearts of all of the people of the Overwatch Council.
The Emperor wanted to know whether, in the end, this Overwatch Council was Chen Pingping’s or his own. If he confirmed that the Council was no longer his, the cold-blooded, heartless, and powerful Emperor would probably not mind using countless soldiers to charge into this dark courtyard and completely wipe this Council from the world without leaving behind a single trace.
He coldly observed the reactions of all the Council officials within the courtyard. He watched as the powerful and deep-reaching imperial power clash with Chen Pingping’s loft status and reputation in the Overwatch Council.
The stretcher moved slowly. Under the ministrations of the imperial doctors, Chen Pingping survived despite his massive loss of blood. Since the Emperor did not want him to die so easily, he would not be able to die. Following the movement of the stretcher, the eyes of the Overwatch Council officials in the courtyard moved as well. Their gazes were complicated, sorrowful, agitated, hopeless, angry…
The old man lying on the stretcher was one they all loved. Yet, he could only lie silently on the stretcher and wait to welcome his wretched end.
Finally, someone could not resist anymore and gave a wretched cry as they knelt to the ground facing the stretcher.
“Director!”
“Old Director!”
All of the officials of the Overwatch Council knelt down. Although the edict had clearly stated that Director Chen was an unforgivable imperial criminal who had committed the evil crime of assassinating the Emperor, they still could not resist falling to their knees.
Finally, some people could endure it no longer. With a cry, a number of shadows swept through the crowd of Overwatch Council officials and headed straight for the stretcher.
A few streaks of icy light swiped through the air as a series of dull thuds rang out. Even the air seemed to warp because of these tremors. The autumn wind picked up and whistled loudly.
When the dust cleared, four officials of the Overwatch Council had fallen to the ground.
The military aces who had struck out at the same time and the internal court aces by Chen Pingping’s side drew back.
Yan Bingyun watched this scene coldly. The corners of his eyes twitched slightly. He said, “Take them away. If there are any other treasonous actions, punish them according to Council regulations.”
Countless hateful and angry gazes turned at the same time toward Yan Bingyun. If looks could kill, Yan Bingyun’s body would already be riddled with holes. However, his face only paled slightly. The embroidery on his sleeves did not tremble at all. Looking at his subordinates in the courtyard, he coldly said, “Remember your mission. You are subjects of the Qing Kingdom. Do you want to rebel?”
He Zongwei, standing at his side, suddenly said quietly, “Best to kill them now to intimidate people’s hearts.”
“When did I ask for your input in my decisions?” Yan Bingyun tossed these words out coldly.
While his words could make He Zongwei silent, he could not make these Overwatch Council officials fall silent. They slowly stood up and looked at Yan Bingyun with cold eyes like they were looking at a dead person. Perhaps in the next moment, they would move together and charge toward the stretcher.
The situation in the Overwatch Council had reached a dangerous juncture. Yan Bingyun narrowed his eyes and looked around. He knew clearly that he was not enough to suppress these officials love for Chen Pingping.
An old finger suddenly extended outward.
Everyone was silent. All of the eyes of the Overwatch Council officials were turned toward the old finger sticking out of the side of the stretched. The finger changed slightly and made a gesture that all officials of the Overwatch Council knew by heart.
“Ho!” A Second Bureau officer suddenly roared with sorrow in his heart and a wetness in his eyes. Then, he fell heavily to his knees on the ground.
“Ho!”
“Ho!”
The old finger seemed to have some kind of magic. It only extended out gently and shook from side to side. Yet, immediately, countless cries of “Ho!” rang out in the courtyard. “Ho!” was silence. “Ho!” was waiting. “Ho!” was bitter endurance. “Ho!” was an unwilling surrender. “Ho!” was to stay where they were.
All of the Overwatch Council officials stayed where they were. With a cry of “Ho!” two rows of tears fell. Although there was no heavy gold beneath their knees, they were as heavy as mountains as they fell to the ground. With their eyes, they followed the stretcher as it slowly passed in front of everyone.
All of the internal court aces, eunuchs, and military elites looked at this scene with emotion. He Zongwei’s face became pale. Yan Bingyun’s body swayed slightly.
The dark fire in the Overwatch Council officials that had been impossible to suppress was temporarily extinguished without any objection by that single old finger. What prestige, or rather, what belief this was.
Yan Bingyun’s face was frosty. He knew that although the battle between imperial power and the old Director had ended with the Overwatch Council’s forced subjugation, in reality, it was Director Chen who had won.
The stretcher passed slowly in front of everyone as it headed in the direction of the Overwatch Council’s prison.
He Zongwei watched this scene with a pale face. Suddenly, he saw the four captured Overwatch Council officials. For some reason, perhaps to relax his state of mind and convince himself that the Overwatch Council was not actually that terrifying, he unconsciously said quietly, “In the Overwatch Council an order is everything. However, these people were weaker than I had imagined.”
Yan Bingyun turned and glanced at him coldly. He paused for a moment and then said, “If it were not for the fact that I have become so shameless and that the old Director could still move a finger, I really cannot imagine that the two of us would be able to leave this courtyard alive today.”
Having said this, he paid no more attention to He Zongwei, who had his head bowed in thought. Following the stretcher and the guards sent by the Palace, he headed desolately toward the prison of the Overwatch Council.
