Persimmons should be chosen by pinching them softly, unlike the peaches that are protected by someone. Now a couple can easily pinch each other to death with just one finger.

  Zong Chuke drew out the long knife from beside the black-clothed man and walked directly towards Zilian'er and the other two. Pei Tan saw it, but was unable to react in time.

  Zi Yan'er exerted herself to climb onto Wen Lang's body, using her own body to block him. "You stop..."

  Zong Chuke snorted coldly and swung his long knife, which landed on Ziyuan's neck.

  "Pei Tan, if you're willing to drag this out, I'll accompany you in slowly dragging it out. However, as for the lives of these husband and wife, I want you to watch them ascend to the Western Heaven." Zhong Chuke's knife tightened, and a faint blood mark appeared on Zilian'er's slender neck.

  Ke Zi'an's mouth was tightly closed, and she refused to make a sound.

  Pei Tan gazed coldly at Zong Chuke, no matter how highly he had estimated the father and son of the Zong family, he still found that it was an underestimation.

  Zong Huo can gallop and trample people to death on Chang'an Street as if no one was there, Zong Chuke can kill ordinary civilians without even blinking.

  "This is a matter between Pei and the Prime Minister, why involve others?" He said slowly.

  Zong Chuke let out a cold hum, this foolish couple was able to bring Pei Tan over, it's really making the most of things. Now, they would naturally be used to the end.

  "I'll give you a minute to get that dog of yours to back off, or I'll kill the woman first and then the man. Once you and your guards are exhausted, I'll send you and that dog to meet Yama together!" Zhong Chuke gritted his teeth in anger.

  Pei Tan stared at him, and at this time, Zi Yan'er said with tears in her eyes: "Sir, I only ask you to protect Wen Lang, I am not afraid of death, but I don't want Wen Lang to suffer with me."

  She was indeed pleading with Pei Tan, but she couldn't see that Pei Tan was now surrounded by a circle of more than ten black-clothed men, and it was only thanks to the divine sword of Bi Luo that he had managed to stay safe until now.

  Zong Chuke glanced at Zilian'er and thought she was a cooperative woman. With such pleading, it's hard to say how much longer that upright son can hold on.

  "Have you thought it through, or do you need to see this woman dead before you change your mind?" He said, his face sinking.

  Zi'an'er simply closed her eyes tightly, stretched out her neck and waited for the execution without resisting.

  "Bei Tan said in a low and mournful tone: 'Bì Luò, come back.'"

  Almost at that moment, the top swordsman who was like a nobody among those dozen or so people suddenly, as if he were strolling through a field of flowers, easily shook off the entanglement of dozens of knives and instantly appeared beside Pei Tan.

  What a terrifying master, the black-clad man who had been trapped in a fierce battle for almost an hour suddenly felt a chill.

  With Pei Tan by his side, it's no wonder he can be so carefree now.

  Zong Chuke also clenched his fists, since the Zong Huo case, he had been sending people to keep an eye on Pei Tan, but when did such a master come to his side, and the Shangshu Mansion didn't even receive a single message. This kid... was more difficult to deal with than he thought.

  A dozen or so men in black retreated back to Zong Chuke's side, surrounding both Zi Cang'er and Wen Lang together in the middle.

  Zong Chuke said, "You're just a Da Li Temple Qing, yet you dare to be arrogant and look down on others. You've repeatedly overstepped your bounds with me, thinking that being from the He Dong Pei clan makes you invincible? Unfortunately, no matter how great the Pei clan is, it's still not greater than Empress Wei."

  "Did you think that no one on the streets outside would notice your earlier scuffle?"

  Just now in the wine building, Zong Chuke thought that one hand could cover the sky. Unless all those passing pedestrians were deaf?

  Zong Chuke's eyes were cold and gloomy, with a hint of a sneer: "Pei Tan, you really think that I came here today just to make things difficult for these two wine shop owners? Let me tell you, as long as it is within the city of Chang'an, even if a fly wants to fly out, it will need my approval."

  This sentence is saying Chang'an City has fallen into the hands of Zhuque.

  Pei Tan stared at him, although Zong Chuke was the Minister of War of the Six Ministries, but if he wanted to control Chang'an with one hand, he was still far from qualified. The city of Chang'an was under the control of the Qian Niu Guard, and to control Chang'an, one had to control the entire Qian Niu Guard camp. Such power, I'm afraid that except for Zhong Zong, no one else would have it.

  But Zong Chuke is now staring at Pei Tan's eyes, as if looking at a dead man. If he didn't have the confidence to control Chang'an City, how could he be so sure that Pei Tan would definitely not return today?

  Pei Tan's expression finally changed: "Zong Chuke, you are manipulating power under the emperor's feet, completely disregarding His Majesty!"

  Zong Chuke sneered coldly: "Saying that I'm abusing my power? You, this little brat, sneak into the palace at midnight to secretly meet with His Majesty, disregarding the five major families. Today's events are a perfect opportunity for you to know that Chang'an City... is not a place where the He Dong Pei family can act recklessly!"

  He mentioned the He Dong Pei family in his speech, and Pei Tan's fists slowly clenched.

  Bi Luo stood beside him, like an ancient pine tree unmoving.

  It was only then that I suddenly realized that the streets outside were desolate and quiet. From start to finish, there wasn't a single sound of people talking or even footsteps, it was as if everything had disappeared without a trace.

  The streets outside this tavern seem to have become a deserted city.

  But this is Chang'an, even in the dead of night it's still a bustling market, how could it be so quiet at this moment?

  Zong Chuke glanced at the purple-clothed young man under his feet and said, "You little thief, go to hell with these two wine shop rascals."

  A dozen black-clad experts drew their blades once more, ready for action.

  Now, both sides' trump cards have all been revealed. Even if Pei Tan continues to let Bi Luo and the black-clothed man entangle, after learning about the current situation in Chang'an City, this kind of entanglement has lost its meaning.

  "After I've taken care of the bodies for you, I'll bring that palace maid who committed the crime to the Emperor's presence. Her father, Jing Zhe, is still in exile at the Cold Tower, and those rebels in exile are all stubborn and unrepentant, harboring resentment towards the Great Tang. The Jing family can't escape this fate either." said Zong Chuke coldly.

  Pei Tan suddenly became aware of something and immediately looked at Zong Chuke with a few points of sternness.

  "...by then, your crime of colluding with the rebels and plotting a coup will not be escapable..."

  Zi Yan has already forgotten the trembling, and people's hearts can be so sinister to this extent, calculating every detail with precision.

  Originally her Wangyuelou, her husband, even the noble Dalisi Temple, and the Jing Wanyu he had helped, had all been put into his calculations by this Zong Chuke long ago, not one of them could escape.

  Zong Chuke's face was expressionless as he ordered the man in black: "Do it." He didn't need to wait any longer.

  Pei Tan stared at him and slowly said: "You've been saying you want to find Jing Wanyu, have you found her in this tavern?"

  In Zong Chuke's plan, the last and most crucial part was Jing Yu'er.

  Zong Chuke gazed at him coldly, and after a long while, he said: "I know you won't hide the person here. I've already said... In this Chang'an City today, not even a fly can escape my encirclement."

  No wonder he never looked for Jing Yuanyuan, came to Wangyuelou and searched around without finding her, then didn't bother anymore. It turned out that Zong Chuke had known all along that Jing Yuanyuan was hiding in Wangyuelou, or any corner of Chang'an, it was all the same to him.

  It's just a matter of time before you're caught.

  Pei Tan finally slowly closed his eyes.

  Zi'an'er also looked at Pei Tan, perhaps knowing that death was approaching, she had to shed tears. "Pei... sir..." she murmured.

  Pei Tan's lips curled up into a faint smile, "What if, Jing Wanyu is not in Chang'an City?"

  ——

  There are some people in this world who are born with a male appearance but have a female heart, and there are also those who are born with a female appearance but have a male heart. Clearly having a daughter's body, yet due to certain misunderstandings, they are forced to survive with the identity of a "son".

  Actually, when checking the sixteen young servants in the evening, one of them was shaking extremely hard. Unfortunately, no one, including the leader of the dead soldiers, noticed this point. It can only be said that Zong Huo is too evil, and everyone's fear emotions are so true when facing him, naturally unable to discover.

  After the inventory was over, all the young servants dispersed. The "young servant" hid in the alley, trembling all over and covering his face which was about to cry. At this moment, a figure walked towards him, a beautiful maid who looked at him with a smile: "Are you very scared?"

  That "young man" violently trembled once and immediately looked up at her.

  Although she was dressed in maid attire, he couldn't recognize that face as "Little Servant".

  The maid smiled: "So you're a woman."

  The "little servant" suddenly shook even harder, staring at the maid's face as if in despair.

  If discovered, there is only death in this house.

  The maid looked at her, seemingly thinking about something too. Suddenly the maid smiled: "Actually you're a woman, it's a good thing. Do you believe me?"

  "Xiao Shu" looked at the face in front of him that was always kind and gentle, and finally mustered up the courage to ask: "What do you really want?"

  The maid servant looked at her with a tilted head. Just as she could see, from the afternoon when he finished drinking that bowl of "ginseng soup", Zong Huo had become a fish about to drown in water, only needing a slight push.

  The maid smiled softly: "Because what the young master needs most right now happens to be a woman."

  If he could still maintain the appearance of a "young servant" and use this identity to enter and exit that courtyard at any time, it would be even better.

  The "young man" looked at this unfamiliar maid with some trepidation, unsure of what she intended to do.

  The maid also quickly expressed her own thoughts: "That young master is the real master of this mansion, as long as he's still here for a day, we'll always be worried and fearful."

  Not just this fake identity of a young servant, other real young servants, maids, and dead soldiers are nothing but ants that can be pinched to death by the young master at any time.

  "So you understand now, he's critically ill, if he can't recover, the only thing waiting for him is death..."

  The "young servant"'s face was even more horrified, and had already turned into a stiff numbness.

  "Now the stage is slowly set up, everything has been prepared, and all that's missing is a gentle breeze. And this gentle breeze is you." The maid's face was smiling, softly looking at this female-like male "young servant".