Chapter 704 - 705: Sudden Attack
Chapter 704: Chapter 705: Sudden Attack
’A careless mistake born from haste!’
’How could I have forgotten this crucial detail!’
Xie Anjun’s expression flickered as a thousand excuses raced through his mind. Yet, when they reached his lips, he couldn’t utter a single one—in this situation, any words would be nothing but a feeble defense!
He swallowed hard and, driven by his last shred of survival instinct, managed to stammer, "Th-this... Mercy, Your Majesty!"
Xie Anjun slammed his forehead against the floor with a dull thud, the very picture of utter remorse.
"I did indeed write a recommendation letter for Zheng Baosu, b-but it was at someone else’s request, not of my own volition! I must have been out of my mind at the time, th-that’s why—"
"Oh?" Emperor Muwu finally spoke. His tone betrayed no emotion, and his voice was low and steady, yet it carried an immense pressure. "At someone else’s request? And who might that person be?"
"I—"
Xie Anjun was struck dumb.
The name hovered on the tip of his tongue, ready to burst forth.
But what little sense he had left made him hesitate, conflicted.
’Should I say it... or not?’
’If I confess everything, His Majesty will surely launch a thorough investigation!’
’And when that happens, some things will be impossible to hide!’
’But if I don’t speak, this situation... how can I possibly resolve it?’
The entire hall was deathly silent, as if the very air had frozen solid.
Xie Anbai watched with cold detachment, a mocking glint in his eyes.
’Of course I know who An Jun is talking about. In fact... even His Majesty is perfectly aware.’
’Asking the question now is just a formality.’
’An Jun thought his arrangements were flawless, but he never stopped to consider: this Imperial Palace, this Capital City—whose domain is it really?’
’To think he could actually pull off such a grand deception... How laughable!’
However, at that very moment, Zheng Baosu, who was kneeling to the side, suddenly realized what was happening. He stared at Xie Anjun, his eyes wide with a mixture of horror and fury, as if a fire had just shot straight to the crown of his head.
The next second, despite his weakened state, he lunged directly at Xie Anjun!
"So it was you!"
Caught completely off guard, Xie Anjun was just turning to see what the commotion was when he came face-to-face with the other man’s murderous expression. He recoiled in terror!
He instinctively tried to back away, but his legs, stiff from kneeling for so long, were not nimble enough. He was a step too slow.
And as it happened, Zheng Baosu was a military general. While he had little real skill on the battlefield and was known for his cunning and trickery, his build was still far sturdier than that of Xie Anjun, who had been pampered his entire life.
His lunge was perfectly aimed, sending Xie Anjun sprawling to the floor!
"You were the one who wanted to kill me! Fine! I’ve got nothing left to live for anyway, so I might as well kill you and drag you to hell with me!"
Zheng Baosu roared, his voice hoarse. His eyes were bloodshot, brimming with accumulated resentment and hatred.
He had been bewildered at first, but after Zhao Zhe came in, he had directly named Xie Anjun!
He didn’t connect the dots at first, but hearing Xie Anjun’s excuses, he suddenly remembered that he had indeed relied on the Xie Family’s connections in the military to obtain his position.
No one else held a grudge against him; there was no reason for them to try and take him out!
But Xie Anjun was different—the two of them were entangled in extremely secretive dealings!
At a time like this, Xie Anjun was absolutely one of the people who most wanted him dead!
Once he understood this, how could Zheng Baosu possibly hold back!
Even if it cost him his life, he would never let Xie Anjun continue to live!
Seeing this, Eunuch Li reacted in a flash. His brows knitted as he bellowed, "Insolence! Seize him at once!"
The guards, not expecting the half-dead Zheng Baosu to suddenly erupt with such violence, were stunned for a second before they, too, rushed forward!