Chapter 1091: The Tang Manor Exposed

Prince Yu's rise to power had been far too fast.

No one had expected him to march north so swiftly, a move that prompted much speculation.

Those with a keen interest began digging into the matter, tracking down every possible clue.

Meanwhile, at the Tang Manor in Shangjing City.

They had already begun secretly sending people out of the Capital City.

The assistance the Tang Manor had provided to Prince Yu over the years could no longer be hidden. Although they had executed many of their plans flawlessly, leaving no apparent weaknesses, some traces were bound to slip through and draw attention.

With Prince Yu's rapid ascent, suspicions had only multiplied.

Tang Yuerong knew all too well that they could no longer stay in Shangjing City!

Furthermore, the trading firm's personnel operating in Jindi and the territories under the Imperial Court's jurisdiction all needed to be fully evacuated.

Prince Yu had also covertly dispatched men to assist them, hoping to withdraw everyone before the Imperial Court and Prince Jin discovered the truth.

But as always, reality outpaced their plans.

The original plan called for a full evacuation within three days. On the very second day, however, the Imperial Court uncovered evidence of the Tang Family Trading Firm's secret support for Prince Yu.

The Jinwu Guard and the Court of Judicial Review mobilized their forces. Under the cover of night, they completely surrounded the Tang Manor.

"Miss!"

"The streets outside are swarming with soldiers! It looks like they're heading straight for our manor!"

Tang Yuerong's heart skipped a beat; she knew immediately that things had gone wrong.

Her gaze sharpened, and she ordered, "Gather everyone! Evacuate through the secret passage at once! Hurry!"

Tang Yuerong had long anticipated this scenario. Months ago, she had contacted a manager from White Night to secretly dig a tunnel beneath the Tang Manor, connecting it to Shangjing City's underground network.

It played out as though carefully rehearsed. Because they had been warned well in advance, the servants, the manor's stewards, and the managers acted in an orderly fashion, slipping into the hidden tunnel one after another.

"Hurry, faster!"

The soldiers arrived far faster than they had imagined.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Open the door! Open up!"

A massive contingent of troops had already gathered outside the manor.

Yet many had still not evacuated. If everyone simply fled now, the secret passage would inevitably be discovered. Someone had to stay behind to cover their retreat.

"Go, Miss! We'll hold them off."

Several of the Tang Manor's retainers stepped forward.

Tang Yuerong paled slightly. "There are too many soldiers outside. If you stay here, I fear..."

"Do not worry, Miss Tang. Our martial arts are formidable. Even if we cannot defeat them, we can easily escape. There is no need to worry about us."

"You have treated us generously over the years, Miss. In this moment of peril, it is only right that we stand by you."

Tang Yuerong parted her lips to speak, but fell silent for a moment. Then, she offered them a deep, respectful bow.

"Thank you all!"

With that, Tang Yuerong retreated into the tunnel under the stewards' protection.

Seven of the manor's retainers stood before the main gates.

Then came a deafening crash.

The heavy wooden doors were violently kicked down, sending up a thick cloud of dust as they slammed against the ground.

Outside stood countless soldiers.

Within the manor, only seven or eight people remained.

As the last of the evacuees entered the secret passage, the ones acting as the rearguard began filling in the entrance with dirt. Not daring to delay for a single moment, they leveled the soil, stamped it down firmly, and continued piling on more earth.

Meanwhile, the ringing clash of saber and sword erupted in the front courtyard.

"Seize the traitors!"

"Kill them!"

Six men fiercely defended the main entrance.

Relying on the narrow bottleneck of the gateway, they managed to hold their ground for the time being.

But when the forces outside began scaling the outer walls, six men could no longer fend them off alone. Martial arts were not Immortal Arts; they could not withstand the combined assault of a relentless siege.

In truth, they had prepared themselves to die from the very beginning.

Escape?

Where could they escape to?

Shangjing City was only so large. No matter how high their martial skills, it would be nearly impossible to slip out of the city unnoticed.

All seven of them had long since resolved to die.

If one were to ask why they would go to such lengths...

It was largely due to the profound sense of loyalty and righteousness etched into the hearts of men in the jianghu.

These men had drifted for half their lives, forging names for themselves within the jianghu, but their reputations had also invited countless deadly feuds and endless infamy. Had Master Tang not taken them in back then, they would have become nothing more than handfuls of yellow earth long ago.

Repaying kindness with gratitude was a fundamental principle of heaven and earth. Only with loyalty in their hearts could they say they had walked the jianghu without regret.

"Hold them back!"

The six men formed a human wall, desperately defending the front hall.

They fought until sabers and swords relentlessly struck them down. With the ground littered with corpses, they collapsed one by one alongside the bodies of their fallen foes.

Without exception, their bodies were covered in countless blade wounds. Some were entirely drained of color, fighting until their gashes no longer bled, and falling only when their strength was completely exhausted.

"Faster, just a little faster!"

In the rear courtyard, the final man was meticulously placing pieces of turf over the sealed opening.

The sound of footsteps outside drew ever closer.

He finally laid the last patch of grass, stamped on it twice, and then scattered various random items across the courtyard to mask the disturbed earth.

Having finished the task, he let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Standing up, he slowly drew the Sword from his waist. He turned around and walked resolutely toward the corridor.

Spotting him, the Jinwu Guard tightened their grips on their sabers and swords.

"Take him down!"

"We need him alive!"

But the man simply raised his Sword and charged straight at them.

In this moment, his Sword strikes abandoned all form and discipline. Like a madman, he hacked wildly into the countless ranks of soldiers.

Within mere moments, he had suffered several blade wounds.

The Jinwu Guard standing before him instinctively took a couple of steps back, taken aback by the man's sheer madness.

"Attack together! Take him down!"

The Jinwu Guard advanced on him in unison.

The swordsman swung his long Sword like a lunatic, hacking and slashing as if wielding a heavy saber.

He saw that he was about to be captured, and he could feel his strength rapidly slipping away.

"You'll never take me alive! Hahaha..."

Laughing heartily, he lunged forward, throwing himself onto the Sword held by a Jinwu Guard.

The long blade pierced straight through his heart. In the blink of an eye, he breathed his last.

And with that, all seven retainers had perished on these grounds.

.

.

Deep within the secret passage.

Tang Yuerong and the people of the manor had already reached the outskirts of the city.

"Senior," Tang Yuerong called out.

The old man with cloudy eyes simply looked at her and said, "Leave quickly. A youngster is coming to receive you."

Tang Yuerong paused in surprise. When she turned around...

...she saw a group of men and horses standing not far away. The man leading them wore a solemn expression as he sat astride a black horse. His eyes held a flash of pleasant surprise, coupled with profound relief.

"Brother!" Tang Yuerong cried out.

Tang Zheng nodded and urged, "Quick, get on! Otherwise, we won't make it in time!"

Under Tang Zheng's direction, everyone from the Tang Manor boarded the horse carriages prepared in advance, and the group immediately set off toward the Southern Region.

But this was merely passing the first hurdle.

Shangjing City reacted with extreme speed. Personnel had already been stationed at every pass and checkpoint; anyone acting suspiciously was to be apprehended on sight.

At the same time, a pursuit force charged out of Shangjing City, biting tightly at their heels.