Chapter 275 Admitting Defeat

The King of Qin simply did not believe that the man leading the Imperial Guard into the capital was the Marquis of Changsheng.

Isn't Marquis Changsheng far away in the north? How could he possibly appear in the capital at this time?

He even brought along the Imperial Guard? Absolutely impossible!

At that moment, his first thought was, "If Marquis Changsheng goes to the capital, what will happen to the Weiyuan Army?"

Who will take command? What if the Northern Hu invade? Has the Northern Commander returned to the capital without authorization?

Marquis Changsheng is an old general; he should be able to distinguish between what's important and what's not...

"How is that possible? Marquis Changsheng is stationed in the north, how could he possibly appear in the capital?" the King of Qin asked sternly.

"Your Majesty... no, Your Highness, it is indeed the Marquis of Ever Victory!"

I have seen Marquis Changsheng dozens of times in the palace; we all recognize that old general.

Also accompanying him was his third son, General Huangfu.

The young eunuch quickly knelt down and said.

The King of Qin was startled; he could no longer sit still.

The arrival of the Marquis of Changsheng with the Imperial Guard in the capital was a devastating blow to him.

He quickly got up and led the remaining soldiers to the entrance of the Hall of Diligent Governance.

From afar, he saw large groups of heavily armored soldiers approaching.

Military officers were not allowed to ride horses inside the palace, but Marquis Changsheng still adhered to this rule, leaving all his horses at the palace gate and leading the Imperial Guards on foot toward the Hall of Diligent Governance.

"The Marquis of Everlasting Victory!" Prime Minister Xu murmured, his voice trembling.

If Marquis Changsheng had arrived an hour earlier, things might not be like this now.

Xu Chengxian looked at his daughter lying motionless on the steps, then at the Crown Prince whose eyes had suddenly lit up...

He suddenly felt that perhaps the Marquis of Ever-Victorious shouldn't have come at this time...

"General Huangfu has arrived!"

"General Huangfu has arrived with the Imperial Guard!"

"We're saved!"

"General Huangfu, you must bring all the traitors and rebels to justice!"

......

When Marquis Changsheng and his men surrounded the Hall of Diligent Governance, these high-ranking officials and their families suddenly burst into tears.

When they saw Changsheng Hou, they knew that they were finally saved.

They shouldn't be purged or sold to the brothel...

The problem now is...

When the King of Qin's men and the Marquis of Changsheng's men start fighting, how can they avoid being caught in the crossfire...?

Almost simultaneously, these high-ranking officials all hid in the pillars and behind the doors of the Hall of Diligent Governance.

Survival is the most important thing right now...

As long as the green hills remain, there's no worry about running out of firewood...

The King of Qin's men had no time to pay attention to these important ministers. They all raised their weapons in front of them and surrounded the King of Qin in the center.

"Your Highness! We'll fight to the death!"

"Your Highness, we will protect you. Please go first!"

"Your Highness, it's alright. We'll give it our all again. At worst, we'll be heroes again in eighteen years..."

The King of Qin said nothing, just stared at Marquis Changsheng.

Marquis Changsheng also stopped and looked at King Qin.

Looking at the Marquis of Changsheng and his third son standing at the front, the King of Qin suddenly sighed.

He suddenly realized that he was truly not destined for that position.

To secure that position, one must control the Weiyuan Army.

However, the Weiyuan Army is extremely difficult to control.

Just look at Marquis Changsheng and you'll know.

In other armies, the commander-in-chief would be in the very center of the army, protected by the main force.

But the commander of the Weiyuan Army always stood at the forefront...

The former Duke of Dingguo was like this, and the current Marquis of Changsheng is the same...

"General Huangfu!" King Qin suddenly spoke.

Marquis Changsheng looked at King Qin calmly.

"King of Qin!" Marquis Changsheng spoke.

He didn't even utter the words "Your Highness".

The King of Qin smiled faintly and then looked at Marquis Changsheng.

"General Huangfu is here to protect the Crown Prince? Then I am truly disappointed."

"General, if you support me, the Weiyuan Army will not only be yours, but I promise to reward you with the rank of one of the Three Dukes."

The King of Qin's words made Marquis Changsheng smile.

"King Qin, I do not believe in any promises."

Even I cannot allow you to ascend to the throne; this is His Majesty's decree.

After all, once you rise to power, not only the Changsheng Marquis's Mansion and the Dingguo Duke's Mansion, but many other families in the capital will be purged.

"Therefore, I cannot allow you to ascend to the position," said Marquis Changsheng solemnly.

The King of Qin's expression froze.

He turned around and looked at the Pingnan Army soldiers protecting him, then glanced at Changsheng Hou.

A direct confrontation? His men are definitely no match for the Imperial Guard.

These are all things he personally nurtured; they cannot be lost again.

"It seems... I have no way out today."

General, you needn't bother with this. I can end it all myself.

But after I take my own life, I beg the old general to release the soldiers who followed me...

They are all warriors on the battlefield, and only because they followed me did they get caught up in this conflict.

As he spoke, the King of Qin raised his knife, ready to slit his own throat.

The victor is king, the loser is villain; he can afford to lose...

The men around the King of Qin reacted quickly and grabbed the blade.

Fresh blood dripped straight down.

"Your Highness! We'll protect you and rush out!"

"Your Highness, you mustn't! Let's take a gamble!"

"Protect His Highness and rush outside!"

......

The soldiers of Pingnan were all red-eyed, and they were about to charge forward with their scimitars in hand.

"Wait! I have something else to say!" Marquis Changsheng suddenly waved his hand.

The King of Qin was taken aback, and the Ping An Army soldiers also looked at Chang Sheng Hou's back with astonishment.

Changsheng Hou stepped aside, revealing the person behind him.

The Queen Consort of Qin, dressed in simple clothes, appeared before everyone with a maid.

The maid was also holding the Prince of Qin in her arms.

"On my way to the capital, I saw Princess Qin leading the Crown Prince out of the city."

"Things are not peaceful outside, there's chaos and war, so I brought the Princess and the Crown Prince back with me," Marquis Changsheng said calmly.

“Your Highness…” King Qin stared blankly at his Princess Qin, whose face was covered in tears.

"Your Highness... I would rather die with Your Highness," Princess Qin cried out.

The King of Qin closed his eyes, and he felt the anger in his heart suddenly dissipate.

"I... surrender!"

Everyone...

Marquis Changsheng nodded and signaled the guards behind him to take the Prince of Qin away.

"These soldiers will be detained for now. As for their subsequent punishment, that depends on the decision of the imperial family in the future!"

After saying this, Marquis Changsheng led his generals and soldiers into the Hall of Diligent Governance.

"The Marquis of Everlasting Victory!" Prime Minister Xu greeted him first.

"General Huangfu!"

"General Huangfu has finally arrived!"

......

Following these words, Marquis Changsheng approached the Crown Prince.

The prince had already straightened his clothes, stood up straight, and held his head high.

"The Marquis of Changsheng has rendered meritorious service in protecting me, and I will certainly repay him..."

"How did the Empress die?" Marquis Changsheng suddenly asked.

Everyone in the Hall of Diligent Governance...