I became the God Brother of the Regent King after Transmigration!

Chapter 417 - 316: Drawn Swords and Taut Crossbows

A moment later, a team of imposing imperial guards brazenly stormed into the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion.

Today was Old Madam Gu’s birthday banquet, and all the dignitaries of the Capital City had come to offer their congratulations. Therefore, the Marquis Mansion did not arrange for ferocious household soldiers to be on duty, relying only on some household staff to maintain order.

Thus, when the imperial guard appeared, the people of the Marquis Mansion were almost completely incapable of resistance and were quickly surrounded.

Although the Marquis Mansion had several hundred household soldiers, all of them seasoned veterans from the military, only Gu Lan, Gu Chengye, and Old Madam Gu could command them. Without their orders, they usually lived in their respective homes near the mansion, and would not be able to arrive in time.

No one anticipated that the imperial guard would suddenly besiege the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion.

The guests, still drinking at the banquet, were in a panic. Before their anxiety could subside, they were placed under control.

"Pardon me, my lords, as the imperial guard is conducting its duties, please refrain from leaving the Marquis Mansion for the time being."

Commander Song’s clear voice resounded, and upon seeing him, the people at the banquet calmed down considerably, not daring to demand their release.

"Young Master, a large group of imperial guards has arrived outside—"

Zipei rushed into Step Lotus Hall, shocked, only to find his young master leisurely sitting in a rocking chair, gazing at the sunset, watching the clouds roll by, with a cup of hot tea in hand, like an old grandfather, in an utterly relaxed pose.

Beside him, Zijin looked exasperated but had no choice but to let Gu Lan lie there.

Seeing Zipei, she casually asked, "How many imperial guards are there? Young Master, aren’t you at least a bit anxious?"

Gu Lan took a sip of tea and gently reassured Zijin, "Hmm, don’t worry, I’m very anxious."

Zipei twitched his mouth, shook his head, and replied:

"Uh... anyway, they outnumber our mansion’s soldiers. The streets outside are packed; at least two or three thousand of them."

Gu Lan raised his head, lazily muttering to himself, "A few thousand? The imperial guard numbers twenty thousand. If they haven’t all come, do they look down on me?"

Zipei: "...You should go take on three thousand of them. I’ll cheer you on."

"No need for that," Gu Lan responded. "It’s just a siege. No one got hurt, right?"

Zipei scratched his head, saying:

"The old gatekeeper got knocked down by an imperial guard when he asked who they were. He fainted, and his previously broken leg acted up again..."

"I understand." Gu Lan’s eyes narrowed, his grip on the teacup tightening slightly.

"Young Master, should we...?"

Gu Lan glanced behind Zipei, waving his hand, "Long time no see, Commander Song, still blind I see."

Clad in black armor, the cold and indifferent Song Zhi stepped forward from behind Zipei. Ignoring Gu Lan’s taunts, his gaze swept the room, devoid of any extraneous expression.

Gu Lan knew Song Zhi disliked him, but he didn’t expect such intense dislike.

"Looks like I arrived a step too late. Has Prince Xiang already fled?"

As Song Zhi spoke, his eyes locked onto Gu Lan, not missing any subtle changes in her expression.

Gu Lan pondered the reason for Rong Jing’s sudden move, with the most likely being: the relationship between Su Yi and Rong Heng at the Southern Border had been discovered or Rong Jing had found evidence of her and Rong Heng’s "intimacy."

Second, would be Rong Jing suddenly going mad, taking advantage of Old Madam Gu’s birthday banquet to target the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion.

After all, recently, the Gu Family and the Imperial Family have been in a "honeymoon period," and Rong Jing had no reason to target the mansion.

Now that Song Zhi mentioned "Prince Xiang has fled," it seems the matter of Su Yi can no longer be concealed... But the problem is, how did Rong Jing know Rong Heng had returned to the Capital, and how did he know Rong Heng was by her side?

Gu Lan’s mind raced, analyzing the situation at hand.

Was it that she wasn’t careful enough recently, exposing Rong Heng’s identity? Or is Rong Jing just guessing and bluffing her?

She curled her lips into a smile and said:

"What Commander Song said, I don’t understand. I heard there were changes at the Southern Border, and the Prince is surely in Yinzhou quelling the rebellion. How could he appear in the Capital? Let alone in my house?"

Song Zhi’s icy demeanor didn’t change, but his eyes were filled with surprise.

Gu Lan’s expression didn’t seem as if she was lying. Her words clearly indicated to him that he was indeed a step too late.

Song Zhi suddenly recalled encountering three men who claimed to be messengers under Prince Xiang at an inn near Lu State...

One of them wore a black iron mask and never spoke. At the time, he felt they were familiar, but he couldn’t immediately recall where he had seen them before.

Could it be, that person was Rong Heng?

Song Zhi’s expression remained unchanged, a trace of regret flashed in his eyes.

If that person was indeed Rong Heng, didn’t he personally let him slip away?