Chapter 311: Mr. Lu’s Wounds Are to Be Taken Home for His Cousin to Fret Over
Chapter 311: Chapter 311: Mr. Lu’s Wounds Are to Be Taken Home for His Cousin to Fret Over
"You’re right," Lu Zhan said indifferently. "My cousin is still waiting for me to come home, so I can’t die."
Shen Congrong thought his words had moved Lu Zhan. He relaxed and continued his persuasion, "So, why bother throwing your life away for the Dog Emperor? Just let me go. Once this is over, I’ll make you an Alien King and grant you supreme glory. Even if you wanted to split the world with me, it wouldn’t be out of the... AHH!"
Before he could finish, he let out a sudden, bloodcurdling scream. He looked down to see a dagger plunged into his side. Bright red blood trickled down the hem of his robe and dripped onto the ground.
His face drained of color from the pain, and he glared furiously at Lu Zhan.
Lu Zhan pulled out the dagger and said unhurriedly, "I have to get back to my cousin, so don’t waste my time. Have your men withdraw from the hunting ground immediately. Otherwise, next time, this dagger might find its way into Commander Shen’s head."
Shen Congrong was furious. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Lu Zhan throw the dagger to the side.
A muffled grunt sounded, followed by the THUD of a heavy body hitting the ground.
Lu Zhan glanced at the dead archer on the ground, his voice icy. "If any of you dare to make a move, your master will immediately die by my sword!"
The rebels were stunned by this display of skill. Seeing that their master was still in his hands, none of them dared to make a move.
"Still hesitating, Commander Shen?" Lu Zhan said, moving the longsword in his hand half an inch closer to Shen Congrong’s neck. "My patience is limited. If you’re not willing to order a retreat, then I’ll just have to kill you and leave your men without a leader."
The sharp sting on his neck made beads of sweat break out on Shen Congrong’s forehead.
He had no doubt that Lu Zhan would actually kill him.
But he had been plotting for so many years. He was on the verge of finally realizing his lifelong ambition. To retreat now... he couldn’t accept it.
His eyes swept over his soldiers.
’An army is trained for years, all for a single moment of use.’
If they retreated today, regrouping would be nearly impossible.
With that thought, he suddenly roared, "Don’t worry about me! Charge in and seize the Dog Emperor!"
The moment he finished speaking, the soldiers, who had been waiting at the ready, swarmed forward and charged the Dragon Tent.
Lu Zhan’s expression changed, and he pressed his sword directly against Shen Congrong’s throat.
But Shen Congrong grabbed the blade with his bare hand.
"Lu Zhan, taking my life won’t be that easy! Today is the day you and that Dog Emperor will die!"
WHOOSH!
Just then, a sharp arrow came whistling through the air.
Shen Congrong instinctively turned his head, just in time to see an arrow speeding toward him.
He was shocked. Just as he was about to pull back, Lu Zhan grabbed his shoulder, holding him in place.
The next moment, the arrow struck him squarely between the eyes.
THUNK!
Shen Congrong forced his eyes wide, trying to see who had shot the arrow.
In the dim light of the night, a young man was galloping toward them on horseback, his bow in hand, relentlessly firing arrows at the soldiers charging the Dragon Tent.
"Who... is he?" Shen Congrong managed to force out the words before a gush of fresh blood erupted from his mouth.
Lu Zhan said faintly, "His surname is also Shen. To die at the hands of your own kin... Commander Shen, you can’t say your death was unjust."
Hearing this, Shen Congrong’s head slumped to the side. He was dead.
His eyes remained wide open, as if he could not rest in peace. He probably never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would die at the hands of a nobody.
"Your commander is dead!" Lu Zhan shouted, dragging Shen Congrong’s body to a high vantage point. "Lay down your weapons and you will be treated with leniency! Otherwise, you will be punished for treason!"
Seeing this, the soldiers began to lower their weapons one by one.
Only a few of the head generals, filled with grief and indignation at Shen Congrong’s death, led a group of men in a last, desperate struggle.
But as Princess Chang Le and the troops brought by Lu Zhenbei charged into the hunting ground, the entire situation was brought under control in an instant.
"Jinzhi, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Lu Zhenbei saw the blood on his son’s face and thought he was injured. He grabbed him, intending to check for wounds, but Lu Zhan pushed him away.
"Father, I’m fine."
Lu Zhenbei frowned. "Don’t be stubborn! If you’re not hurt, why is there blood on you?"
Lu Zhan gave him a look that was hard to put into words. "It’s not mine!"
Princess Chang Le, who was standing nearby, chimed in teasingly, "Duke Dingguo, you should stop asking. Any injuries Mr. Lu has are for his cousin to fuss over when he gets back."
Hearing this, Lu Zhenbei burst out laughing. "HA HA!" He clapped his son on the shoulder. "You rascal, you really know what you’re doing!"
The blow made Lu Zhan stagger. He gritted his teeth and said, "Father, don’t listen to Her Highness’s nonsense. I’m not hurt." He then shot Princess Chang Le a meaningful look. "It’s a good thing Prince Consort Shen arrived in time to kill the traitor. Speaking of which, I have Her Highness and the Prince Consort to thank for getting us out of that bind."
Lu Zhenbei was surprised. "When did Her Highness get married? How have I not heard of this? When will Her Highness introduce me to this Prince Consort?"
Princess Chang Le’s expression stiffened. She had wanted to poke fun at Lu Zhan, but he had turned the tables on her.
She said sullenly, "What Prince Consort? Don’t listen to your son’s nonsense." With that, she turned to go to the Dragon Tent to see her imperial father, but she saw Shen Longjin standing behind her. She hadn’t noticed him there.
’He didn’t hear what I just said, did he?’
Shen Longjin gave her a faint glance but said nothing. He walked straight past her to greet Lu Zhenbei and Lu Zhan. "This humble officer greets the Duke and the Princely Heir."
Lu Zhenbei clapped him on the shoulder. "You performed a great service by killing the rebel leader. I will certainly petition the Emperor for a reward on your behalf..." As he spoke, something dawned on him. He looked at Lu Zhan. "This ’Prince Consort Shen’ you mentioned... it couldn’t be..."
Lu Zhan ignored him and simply nodded to Shen Longjin. "Mr. Shen, your archery is superb. I’m truly impressed."
"You flatter me, Mr. Lu," Shen Longjin said humbly.
"What are you all still doing out here? The Emperor has summoned you inside," Duan Ling said, walking over to hurry them along.
At his words, the group straightened their clothing and entered the Dragon Tent.
...
「Capital City, Zhi Mansion.」
"AHHH—"
Zhi Wan cried out, jolting awake from a dream.
Shuang’er, who was sleeping in the outer room, heard the cry and rushed in.
"My Lady, what’s wrong?"
Zhi Wan was gasping for breath, unable to speak.
She had just dreamed that her cousin was surrounded by rebels, the situation perilous.
Shuang’er comforted her. "Did you have a nightmare, My Lady? Don’t worry, they say dreams are the opposite of reality. It’s still early. Why don’t you try to sleep a little longer? I’ll stay here with you."
Zhi Wan remained silent, clutching her chest as she lay back down.
She knew that dreams were often the opposite of reality, but when she thought about what Chen Jiu had said about the trouble at the hunting ground, she couldn’t help but feel on edge.
To distract herself, she started a conversation with Shuang’er.
"By the way, how is Jiang Shi doing?"
"Brother Jiang’s condition has stabilized. As long as he gets enough rest, he’ll make a full recovery," Shuang’er said.
Seeing the big smile on Shuang’er’s face at the mention of Jiang Shi, Zhi Wan couldn’t help but tease, "Shuang’er, be honest with me. Do you have a crush on Jiang Shi?"