Chương 527: Lord Lu! Injustice!

Injustice!

Lu Bing wore a dark brocade robe with subtle patterns, over which he wore a black cloak that fluttered slightly in the morning breeze.

He toyed with the gilded tiger-head token in his hand. The token gleamed in the morning light, and the tiger's head was carved so lifelike that it seemed ready to bite at any moment.

He stood in front of the gate of the Sima residence without even lifting his eyelids, as if he were there for a casual visit and tea, rather than to ransack the property.

Behind him followed twelve commanders, each a ruthless character who had crawled out of piles of corpses. Their faces were expressionless, exuding a murderous aura, and just their presence alone could make one's legs go weak.

The twelve people stood in a row, like twelve swords drawn from their sheaths; just their presence alone made the air feel colder.

"Lord Lu... Lord Lu," Wang Defu wiped his sweat, leaned forward, and whispered, his voice trembling.

"Sima Fang is already waiting at the residence. Would you like to have some tea before going in? I brought some of this year's new tea..."

Lu Bing finally raised his eyelids and glanced at him.

His gaze was neither fierce nor angry; it was just a simple glance at him.

Wang Defu was so frightened that he immediately shut his mouth, took three steps back, and almost tripped over his own robe, falling flat on his face.

Lu Bing raised his chin.

The captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard stepped forward and kicked the gate of the Sima Mansion.

That kick was delivered with all its might, making the door frame tremble.

Then...

"Clang—!"

The heavy door swung open with a thud, the hinges letting out a piercing scream, as if something were struggling in its death throes.

The impact caused the brass rings on the door to fall to the ground, rolling a long way with a "clink-clink" sound, bouncing a few times on the bluestone slabs and making a crisp sound.

Lu Bing stepped inside, his boots making a crisp sound on the bluestone slabs, each step seeming to pound on the hearts of the Sima family.

"Tap, tap, tap," the sound was neither fast nor slow, but each tap felt like a hammer blow to the chest.

Wang Defu quickly followed behind, not daring to lift his head, shrinking his neck as if he wanted to hide himself.

...

A few days ago, Sima Fang received a secret letter from Luoyang, saying that the imperial court was cracking down on powerful families throughout the country.

The letter was secretly sent by an old friend who was an official in the court. It contained only four words: "A storm is coming."

Yesterday, when Sima Fang learned that Lu Bing had led the Imperial Guards to Wen County, he was so frightened that he collapsed into his chair, and his teacup fell to the ground and shattered.

He quickly called all eight of his sons over, sweating profusely with anxiety.

"Quickly! Throw all the weapons in the house into the well! Burn all the letters! Especially those from other powerful families!"

Sima Fang was so anxious he paced back and forth, his voice trembling and his beard shaking.

"Also, hide the land deeds and field deeds in the deepest part of the cellar! Pack the gold and silver jewelry into smaller portions and have a few trusted men send them away tonight! Quickly! Hurry up!"

Sima Lang quickly led his men to burn the letters. Flames soared into the sky in the courtyard, and ashes filled the yard, like a black snowfall.

Sima Lang personally watched as the letters turned to ashes before he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Sima Yi stood still, frowning as he said:

"Father, it's no use. Lu Bing came in person, he's definitely here for us. Think about it, out of so many prominent families across the country, why would he choose to come to Wen County himself?"

"What should we do then? We can't just sit here and wait to die, can we?" Sima Fu said anxiously.

Sima Yi gritted his teeth, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes:

"We can only feign innocence. When Lu Bing arrives, Father, just keep proclaiming your innocence and be firm in your stance. The firmer you are, the more innocent you'll appear. I refuse to believe he could wipe out our Sima family without cause! No matter how powerful the imperial court is, it can't be unreasonable, can it?"

But they didn't expect Lu Bing to arrive so quickly; the Imperial Guards kicked open the door.

The loud "bang" was like a thunderclap, making the hearts of everyone in the Sima family skip a beat.

Sima Fang quickly straightened his clothes, forced himself to remain calm, sat in the main seat, and picked up a cup of hot tea.

But his hands were shaking so badly that he spilled tea all over himself, and he didn't bother to wipe it off, leaving a large wet patch on his robe.

Eight sons stood behind him. Sima Lang was pale and his lips were trembling; Sima Fu was shaking all over and his teeth were chattering... Only Sima Yi managed to remain calm, with a hint of calculation in his eyes, but the fingers gripping the hem of his clothes were also turning white.

Hearing footsteps, Sima Fang put down his teacup, stood up, his legs trembling, but he forced a smile.

That smile was uglier than a grimace; the corners of his mouth and eyes were trembling, and his whole face looked like it had been pinched together.

"Lord Lu has come from afar; please forgive my failure to greet you properly." He cupped his hands in greeting, his voice trembling.

"May I ask what brings Lord Lu to my humble abode today?"

Lu Bing ignored him, walked straight to the head seat, plopped down, and crossed his legs.

The way they acted was as natural as if they were returning to their own home.

He glanced at the Sima family members and said slowly:

"It's nothing serious. Someone has filed a formal complaint alleging that your Sima family is illegally possessing armor and weapons, colluding with bandits, and plotting a rebellion. I've come here on His Majesty's orders to investigate and verify this. I'd appreciate your cooperation, Mr. Sima."

"What?!" Sima Fang's expression changed drastically, and the teacup in his hand crashed to the ground, shattering into pieces that scattered everywhere.

"Lord Lu! We've been wronged! Our Sima family has been loyal and virtuous for generations, serving the court since the founding of the Han Dynasty. We are loyal to the emperor and love our country. How could we possibly rebel? This is absolutely a false accusation! Someone is framing us! Someone is jealous of our family! Someone doesn't like the Sima family!"

"Yes, Lord Lu!" Sima Lang quickly stepped forward, bowing deeply, his voice trembling.

"Our Sima family has always been law-abiding and has never dared to do anything illegal or disorderly. Last year, when there was a famine, our family even opened our granaries to distribute grain and provide relief to many people! Everyone in Wen County knows this! We implore Lord Lu to investigate this matter thoroughly!"

Lu Bing sneered. The laughter wasn't loud, but it sounded particularly jarring in the quiet hall.

He clapped his hands and said slowly:

"Clear observation? Fine, I'll give you the chance to observe clearly."

He shouted outside, his voice not loud, but extremely penetrating:

"Search inside! Search thoroughly, inside and out! Remove the roof, pry up the floor tiles, empty the well, dig out the cellar! Don't miss a single needle! Bring me anything that can be linked to treason! Don't miss a single corner!"

"promise!"

The fifty Imperial Guards scattered in response, rushing into each room like a pack of hungry wolves.

The boots thumped loudly on the wooden floor, making one's heart race.

Instantly, the entire Sima residence descended into chaos.

The sounds of rummaging through chests and cabinets, the crackling of porcelain, the screams of maids and servants, and the cries of servants mingled together, rising and falling like a grand drama unfolding.