Chapter 310: A Beautiful, Flower-like Cousin Is Still Waiting for You
Chapter 310: Chapter 310: A Beautiful, Flower-like Cousin Is Still Waiting for You
The Emperor stared coldly at the son before him.
He had never imagined that one day, his own son would force him to abdicate.
He said flatly, "Shen Congrong, I am still the Emperor. Take your sword away!"
Though his situation was dire, the Emperor’s authority remained.
Shen Congrong paused, but ultimately lowered his sword.
’Besides, all the men outside are mine. The Emperor can’t pull any tricks.’
’So what if he was once a decisive and ruthless ruler? Isn’t he now just fish on my chopping block?’
Just as Shen Congrong was thinking this, a sharp pain shot through his leg.
He looked down to see a short arrow embedded in his leg.
His expression changed. He moved to seize the Emperor again, but just then, a black shadow shot out from under the Emperor’s desk like a bolt of lightning, knocking the sword from his hand.
The next moment, a dagger was already pressed against his neck.
Shen Congrong froze and turned his head to look.
He saw a young man standing behind him, holding the dagger.
Seeing this, Shen Congrong’s face darkened. "You’re... Lu Zhan’s guard?"
Chen Jiu smiled. "Commander Shen has a good memory, to remember a minor figure like myself."
This sudden turn of events stunned Prince Gao Yang. He quickly scanned the tent, terrified that someone else might be hiding, ready to jump out.
But an even greater shock was yet to come.
The tent flap was thrown open, and two generals in armor walked in.
He initially thought they were Shen Congrong’s men and was about to call out, but when he saw their faces, he choked, unable to make a sound.
"Lu Zhan! Duan Ling!" Shen Congrong also saw who they were, nearly grinding his teeth to dust. "You didn’t drink the wine?"
The two who had entered were none other than Lu Zhan and Duan Ling.
"That’s right. Otherwise, how could we have seen Commander Shen’s true colors?" Lu Zhan said coolly.
"It seems the two of us have disappointed Commander Shen," Duan Ling said with a half-smile.
Shen Congrong was furious.
Lu Zhan and Duan Ling ignored him and walked straight to the Emperor. "Emperor, we, your subjects, have been slow to come to your aid. We beg your forgiveness!"
The Emperor personally helped them up. "What crime have you committed? If you hadn’t turned their plot against them, how would I have known that someone so close to me harbored such treacherous ambitions?
What is the situation outside now?"
"The area is surrounded by Shen Congrong’s troops. We two subjects knocked out two of his commanders and disguised ourselves in their armor to get in here.
But you need not worry, Emperor. My subordinate has already informed Princess Chang Le and my father. They will surely lead men to rescue us. They should be arriving soon," Lu Zhan reported.
Hearing this, the Emperor breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he saw Prince Gao Yang trying to sneak away, rushed forward, and kicked him to the ground.
"You dog! You dare conspire with an outsider to coerce me! I’ll beat you to death!"
Prince Gao Yang fell disgracefully to the ground. He was kicked several more times by the Emperor but didn’t dare to resist.
Seeing his cowardly display, the Emperor’s fury surged anew. He was about to kick him again but was stopped by Lu Zhan. "Emperor, please calm your anger. Prince Gao Yang has committed a grave error. He can be severely punished in due time."
Only then did the Emperor relent.
Lu Zhan glanced at Zhi Ye on the ground, then at Shen Congrong, a half-smile on his face. "Commander Shen, you certainly hide your true self well!"
Shen Congrong sneered, "Lu Zhan, you came from outside, so you should know the entire hunting ground is crawling with my men. I advise you to stop this pointless struggle. If you know what’s good for you, tie up the Emperor now. When the new emperor ascends the throne, I’ll ensure he rewards you and the Lu Family handsomely."
"The entire hunting ground may be filled with your men, but don’t forget, you are now in our hands. Those men listen only to you. If we kill you, they’ll be a leaderless mob, no different than a pile of loose sand!" Lu Zhan said calmly.
Shen Congrong’s pupils contracted, his eyes filled with killing intent.
Lu Zhan ignored him and continued, "Speaking of which, Commander Shen, you are truly capable. On the surface, you’re the head of the Imperial Guards, utterly loyal to the Emperor. But in private, you’ve been amassing troops under the guise of supporting the heir of King Jin. Your forces arrived so quickly... I’d guess your secret barracks are located near this hunting ground, aren’t they?"
"Lu Siqing is truly brilliant; nothing escapes you. But what does it matter if you know now? All my men are outside. The idea that you can escape unscathed is nothing but a fool’s dream!" Shen Congrong sneered, then suddenly raised his voice to shout, "Men—URGH!"
He was cut off before the word could even leave his mouth.
Chen Jiu’s dagger had slit the skin on his neck.
"This humble one gets scared easily. If my hand were to slip and this dagger were to cut Commander Shen’s throat, then the Commander would have to achieve his grand ambitions in the Underworld!" Chen Jiu said this with a grin still plastered on his face.
A chill went through Shen Congrong’s heart. Suppressing his rage, he shut his mouth.
Just then, one of Shen Congrong’s men, seeing that he and Prince Gao Yang had not emerged from the Dragon Tent for some time, approached the entrance and called out, "Master, is everything settled?"
Hearing this, Lu Zhan looked at Chen Jiu.
Chen Jiu understood immediately and pressed the dagger tighter against his throat.
Lu Zhan moved closer to Shen Congrong and whispered, "Tell them cleaning up in here will take some time. The brothers have worked hard tonight; tell them to rest where they are for now!"
Shen Congrong shot him a vicious glare but had no choice but to repeat Lu Zhan’s words to the men outside.
The commander outside the tent heard his voice and, reassured, immediately relayed the message to the soldiers under him.
Hearing the sounds of armor being unfastened outside, Lu Zhan relaxed.
After tying up Prince Gao Yang and tossing him aside, Duan Ling walked over to Lu Zhan and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Will Princess Chang Le really come with troops?"
"She will!" Lu Zhan said with certainty. When he had received the news that morning, he had taken the precaution of sending a messenger on the fastest horse to inform his father. Even if Princess Chang Le didn’t come, his father would.
"And what if she doesn’t?" Duan Ling frowned.
"We wait for another half-hour. If they still haven’t arrived by then, we’ll have to risk it all," Lu Zhan’s voice grew heavy.
"Mm."
Time ticked by, and everyone in the tent grew anxious.
Shen Congrong glanced at them and suddenly sneered, "Holding me hostage is useless. I’ve already won this game!"
"Is that so?" Lu Zhan suddenly drew his longsword and pressed it to Shen Congrong’s neck. "Then let’s see if Commander Shen is afraid to die."
Shen Congrong’s pupils shrank. "What do you think you’re doing?"
Lu Zhan didn’t speak. He took Chen Jiu’s place and ordered, "Chen Jiu, protect the Emperor!"
"Yes, sir!" Chen Jiu immediately moved to the Emperor’s side.
"Lu Zhan, what are you doing?" the Emperor asked, surprised.
"I’m helping Commander Shen test whether his troops will actually listen to him," Lu Zhan said. With that, he dragged Shen Congrong out of the Dragon Tent.
Outside the tent, the moment they saw Shen Congrong being pushed out, his commanders drew their blades and rushed forward in alarm. "Master?"
"If you want your master to live, all of you, withdraw from the hunting ground!" Lu Zhan shouted.
Hearing this, the soldiers looked to Shen Congrong, at a loss.
Shen Congrong’s face was ashen.
The sword in Lu Zhan’s hand pressed tightly against Shen Congrong’s throat. "Tell them to lay down their weapons and retreat one mile from the hunting ground!"
Shen Congrong’s voice was grim. "Lu Zhan, you don’t dare kill me. If you do, you’ll all die!"
"Then we’ll die together!" Lu Zhan sneered. "Unlike Commander Shen, I don’t have any grand ambitions left unfulfilled!"
Shen Congrong was so angry he clenched his fists, but after a moment, he relaxed them. He began to coax him, "Lu Zhan, you’re still young. You have a beautiful cousin at home waiting to marry you. Why throw your life away here? If you and I work together, the future of the Great Chen Kingdom will be ours to decide. With your talent, why resign yourself to serving under others?"