Chapter 180 [VIP]

Jiang Wu never expected that after so many years, in the vast capital city where he had lived like a rat in a gutter, he would still run into the Gu family.

"No... it wasn't me," Jiang Wu stammered.

The little beggar looked left and right, and seeing Jiang Wu's fearful and trembling face, he felt extremely pleased and couldn't wait to say, "That's right! He's a deserter."

"You brat!"

Jiang Wu roared at him.

The little beggar wasn't afraid of him and said defiantly, "Little aunt, I'll tell you everything. He went to the Western Frontier with the Duke. Later, the Northern Frontier army sent someone to deliver compensation money, saying he died in battle. I even cried for him, kept vigil for him, and burned paper money for him."

"I'm not lying to you. Not long after, they snatched his compensation money from our hometown, kicked my mother and me out, saying my mother was a jinx and took our land. We begged our way south, and my mother wanted to take me to my uncle's place. But then..."

The little beggar pointed at Jiang Wu and said bitterly, "We met him on the road, and he's alive!"

"He is not dead."

The little beggar's resentment towards Jiang Wu had been brewing for a long time, and he desperately tried to kick him while he was down: "He tried to run away as soon as he saw us. Later, my mother pulled him back, wanting him to come back to our hometown with us and take back the fields and houses. Since he wasn't dead, he shouldn't have taken the Northern Frontier Army's pension. He refused to go back; he was afraid to go back. When they were arguing, I heard him say that the Duke died in the swamp, and he escaped."

"He's a deserter!"

Jiang Wu was both panicked and terrified: "I'll kill you, you little brat!"

He tried to lunge forward, but Gu Zhizhuo pressed down with the short knife in his hand, leaving a wound on his neck. Now he dared not move again.

The little beggar hid behind Gu Zhizhuo and spat at him with a "pui" sound.

"Go on," Gu Zhizhuo said.

The little beggar said through gritted teeth, "He won't go back. My mother said she wanted a divorce, but he refused and wouldn't let us leave. He punched and kicked my mother and even dragged us to the capital."

“He was poor and a gambler. He would go gambling as soon as it was light, and when he lost all his money, he would go drinking. After drinking, he would beat people. My mother and I ran away three times, but he caught us each time. He broke my mother’s leg, so we couldn’t run away anymore.”

The little beggar bared his teeth, wishing he could bite him to death.

"I'm her man, I can hit her if I want, you brat talking nonsense, I'll..."

Wow.

"I told you to shut up."

Gu Zhizhuo raised his hand, and the sharp blade sliced ​​across his cheek. Immediately afterward, an ear fell off.

Wow! The little beggar's eyes lit up with excitement.

Jiang Wu was stunned with fright.

If he had a knife to his neck, his only fear was that the other party's surname was Gu.

Now, what he fears is that the other party will actually kill him.

The little beggar ran over and stomped hard on his ear twice, angrily saying, "...He forced my mother to do embroidery to support him, and my mother's eyes were almost blind. Then one time, he gambled heavily and threatened to cut off his hand if he couldn't pay up, so he sold my mother. He also forced me to go out and steal silver. He said that if I didn't bring back silver, he would sell me into the palace to be a eunuch."

The little beggar's face was filled with hatred.

“I gave him all the silver I stole, and he gambled it all away.”

If he hadn't known his mother's whereabouts and refused to tell him where he had sold her, he would have stabbed him to death long ago.

"Oh."

Gu Zhizhu snorted coldly. With a flick of her wrist, she slammed the hilt of her knife into Jiang Wu's temple, knocking him to the ground. Gu Zhizhu then stepped on him, leaving mud on the sole of her shoe.

"In the Northern Frontier Army, it takes at least ten battles and killing a thousand enemies to rise from a soldier to a centurion."

She looked him up and down with disdain.

"With your character, you wouldn't have stolen it from your comrades, would you?"

"Do you dare to kill the enemy and earn merit?"

"You survived on the battlefield by hiding among piles of corpses, didn't you?"

These words, spoken with sarcasm, were like sharp blades piercing Jiang Wu's heart, tearing him apart and leaving him bleeding profusely.

Gu Zhizhuo took out the small round card and faced it towards him.

"Your comrades are all dead, and you, a deserter, are still alive? Do you even deserve to be called one?"

"Stop talking!" Jiang Wu screamed, clutching her head.

His greatest honor in life was to fight his way up from a common soldier to a centurion.

Even now, he instinctively cannot tolerate anyone slandering him.

"explain!"

Gu Zhizhuo pressed his foot down harder and demanded, "Did you betray the Northern Frontier Army and cause the death of the Duke of Zhenguo, which is why you pretended to be dead and fled?"

"No, it wasn't me..."

Jiang Wu craned his neck and shrieked, "I did not betray the Northern Frontier Army, and I was not the one who betrayed the Duke."

Who is that?

“Yes…” His throat bobbed, and his voice became hoarse.

"You think you can live by not telling me?" Gu Zhizhuo laughed sarcastically, staring at his particularly conspicuous belly. "Your liver is distended and there is blood in your abdomen. You won't live more than three months with this illness."

"Huh?" The little beggar was both surprised and delighted. "Great!"

He said excitedly, "I've kept vigil for you and burned paper money for you. Now that you're dead, I won't do it all over again."

Jiang Wu looked at his stomach. Putting everything else aside, he was indeed experiencing severe liver pain, and he couldn't breathe properly when he slept at night. He had initially thought it was due to drinking too much alcohol.

Gu Zhizhuo looked at him coldly.

"You escaped. How have you been these past three years?"

Have you ever dreamed of your comrades?

The little beggar stood by and made sarcastic remarks: "Even in his dreams, he's gambling. He's a gambling addict and a drunkard!"

Gu Zhizhuo chuckled: "What have you accomplished in these past three years? You're a deserter who abandoned your comrades. From now on, you're no longer a member of the Northern Frontier Army."

She tossed the round plaque into the air and swung her short knife down.

The short knife cut through iron like mud, and the round plaque responded with a sound, breaking in two.

Thump! Thump!

The two consecutive thuds struck Jiang Wu's heart.

He stared at the round plaque lying on the ground and crawled over to it step by step.

"There's nothing more to ask." Gu Zhizhuo sheathed his short sword and walked towards Xie Yingchen. "It's just that the one on the dragon throne who wants to use the name of Xiliang to get rid of the Northern Frontier Army."

There was absolutely no suspense.

Three years later, when she saw the people who had fought alongside her father in the Western Frontier, she wanted to know more about what had happened back then.

I wonder how my battle-hardened father could have died so easily in the swamp...

It was like a thorn stuck in Gu Zhizhuo's heart, pricking her and drawing blood every time she thought about it.

Jiang Wu gripped the broken round plaque tightly in his hand.

The round plaque is rusted.

He hasn't dared to face it for a very long time.

He thought he wouldn't care even if he lost it, but as it turns out, he couldn't possibly not care.

"yes!"

“It is the Emperor,” Jiang Wu said, summoning all his courage and strength.

Gu Zhizhuo stopped in her tracks without turning around; she felt no ripple of emotion at this answer.

Xie Yingchen took her hand and clenched it in his fist.

The hardest part has been said, so it will be easier to start the rest.

Jiang Wu's smell of alcohol had mostly dissipated, leaving him with an indescribable sense of dejection.

He hasn't forgotten a single moment of what happened back then in the past three years.

His last line of defense collapsed at that moment.

"The Emperor has issued a secret decree ordering the Duke to force Xiliang back to the west of the Jialan River and capture seven border cities of Xiliang."

"This secret edict was personally delivered to the Western Frontier by the Emperor's brother-in-law."

Gu Zhizhuo slowly turned around.

"Upon receiving the secret decree, the Duke decided to pursue them immediately, not giving Liang a chance to regroup its troops."

"At that time, I was under the Duke's command, and I was a scout."

Scout... Gu Zhizhuo closed his eyes and slowly turned around.

Scouts determine the marching route.

Scouts scout ahead, followed by the main army. If the scouts deliberately conceal the swamp...

"You deliberately led a large army to the swamp?"

No! I didn't.

Jiang Wu shook his head vigorously, "After I discovered the swamp on the marching route, we were ambushed."

“I am different from ordinary people. My heart is on the right side, and I was lucky to survive. I can understand the language of Liang. I heard them saying that the eldest prince of Liang, Duo Leng, took the initiative to write a letter to the emperor and persuaded the emperor to eliminate the Duke of Zhenguo. In exchange, Liang is willing to submit a letter of surrender and promise not to invade the border for ten years.”

"After Liang left, I crawled out from the pile of corpses. I originally intended to report to the Duke, but..."

Having nearly died once, Jiang Wu is extremely afraid of death.

"The one who wants the Duke dead is the Emperor. Even if the Duke can escape this time, what can he do? Can he escape next time, and the time after that?"

Going back now would only mean dying alongside the Duke.

Jiang Wu hesitated.

"So, I ran away secretly."

Jiang Wu covered his face, the cold round plaque pressed against his forehead, its rusty surface stinging his skin slightly.

“I escaped from the western frontier and came back.”

"I did not betray you; I had no choice."

After finishing speaking in one breath, Jiang Wu collapsed on the ground like a lump of mud, except for his unusually large belly.

The little beggar looked at him disdainfully.

He usually beats and scolds his mother and him, but now he doesn't even dare to raise his voice. Bah, he's just a good-for-nothing who's only good at bullying his own family.

"Yaoyao".

Xie Yingchen called out to her, and their eyes met. Gu Zhizhu immediately understood his meaning and took a half step back.

The young master never interferes with her affairs, so there must be a reason.

"Jiang Wu?"

Jiang Wu cautiously looked up.

Jiang Wu didn't recognize Xie Yingchen, but he could easily notice his noble air and imposing presence that made people afraid to look him in the eye.

You have two choices.

Jiang Wu saw him gently part his lips.

"First, deserters in the face of battle shall be executed."

Jiang Wu shuddered, his lips trembling violently, and he didn't even dare to beg for mercy.

"Secondly..."

Xie Yingchen paused deliberately for a moment.

"I will escort you to the Duke of Cheng'en's residence."

solitary?

Upon hearing this one word, Jiang Wu immediately understood his identity, and his whole body trembled even more violently.

“Tell him that you know about the agreement between the Emperor and Duoleng.”

Jiang Wu slowly raised his head.

He didn't understand his intentions; he only knew that if he did that, he would be walking into a trap.

"Choose."

Xie Yingchen made a gesture, and Chongjiu's longsword was pressed against the back of his neck. If he made a choice, his head would immediately fall to the ground.

"Count to ten."

After saying that, Xie Yingchen took Gu Zhizhuo's hand, turned around and walked out, seemingly unconcerned about his reply.

As soon as the curtain was lifted, Chongjiu had only counted to three when Jiang Wu cried out in fright, "Two, two! I choose two, I choose two!"

"Chongjiu, go and do it."

Chongjiu kept his promise.

"Since you're about to die anyway, hurry up and tell me where you sold my mother! If you tell me now, I might even burn some paper money for you later, otherwise you won't have money to pay your way to the afterlife and will be tortured by the underworld officials..."

The little beggar's voice was shut out behind the curtain. Although the smell in the alley was also unpleasant, it was at least not as stuffy and hot as inside.

Gu Zhizhuo said, "Young Master, he will definitely tell Duke Cheng'en that you instigated it."

This person is cowardly and dishonest.

He deserted his post at the last minute, constantly making excuses for himself, as if he had no other choice. But in reality, if he can treat his own wife and children like this, what kind of person can he be?

Xie Yingchen said gently, "He will definitely tell you."

Gu Zhizhuo: "..."

Oh, right! Her emotions were somewhat out of control, which caused her to react a little slow.

The young master deliberately used his self-reference to reveal his identity. In order to save his life, he would surely tell the Duke Cheng'en everything, saying that the young master had threatened him to go.

"The Duke of Cheng'en is a cowardly and timid man, unfit for important positions," Xie Yingchen said slowly as they walked. "He acts in a chaotic and disorganized manner, making him easy to manipulate."

Gu Zhizhuo chuckled as he recalled the fight he had with the Prince of Jin at Sanliting.

She rested her head on his arm and listened as he said, "He's worried that he'll be the next person the Gu family wants to deal with. He'll advise the Emperor to use Xiliang to regain power."

“Master is right. Great fortune is on our side. This is an excellent opportunity.”

“Now, Duke Chengen has taken on the task of arranging Xie Jing’s marriage. I have read all the documents. The princess of Liang will set off soon, but the choice of her bride has not yet been decided.” Xie Yingchen led her carefully, avoiding the mud on the ground. “Originally, I preferred the Fourth Prince, but now it seems that Duoleng is more suitable.”

"Um?"

Gu Zhizhuo raised an eyebrow.

"Your coming-of-age ceremony is next month. I'll bring Duofeng to the capital to give to you, okay?"

"good!"

Gu Zhizhuo lowered his gaze slightly and nodded in agreement.

"Young master, tell me about Xiliang, and about Duofeng."

Xie Yingchen knew far more about Xiliang than Gu Zhizhuo did.

"The Liang Kingdom has a tradition of succession by sons after fathers die and brothers after brothers die. The current King of Liang is the younger brother of the former king, while the eldest prince, Doreng, is the legitimate son of the old king, Moza."

"The princess Xie Jing is to marry is the daughter of the current King of Liang, born to a dancer, and raised by Duo Leng's mother. This queen, in the words of the Great Qi, is already a queen of three reigns. When the late king's father, Mo Zha, was old, he married Duo Leng's mother as his third queen. Mo Zha died while Duo Leng was still in his womb. His son succeeded to the throne, inheriting not only the throne but also the queen and Duo Leng. After the late king's death, the queen and Duo Leng were inherited by the current King of Liang."

Hmm.

Although Gu Zhizhuo was aware of the Liang people's tradition of fathers succeeding sons, she still found the relationships between these people somewhat confusing.

Gu Zhizhuo counted on his fingers for a long time before finally figuring it out.

Seeing that she had finished counting on her fingers, Xie Yingchen chuckled and said, "According to the tradition of Liang Kingdom, this eldest prince, Duoleng, is the first heir."

"However, the King of Liang is not willing to let Duo Leng succeed to the throne, and Duo Leng is well aware of this. The two are currently on the surface but not on the inside."

Gu Zhizhuo seemed to be deep in thought.

The young master didn't want to wait any longer; he wanted to use the internal strife in Liang to tie Duoleng and the emperor together.

They forced the emperor to take action against the young master.

Xie Yingchen smiled slightly, and the two met eyes.

He absolutely did not want to see Yao Yao on the verge of death again.

He wants to rule the world!

A note from the author: