At this moment, what Xiong Chun saw in Zhao was a face full of righteous indignation, without a trace of the petty person he had been before.
Jin Huan, whose neck was held to a knife by Zhao Zheng, no longer had a smug smile on his face.
His face was deathly pale, filled with disbelief.
Things happened so fast, Zhao Zheng's sudden change left Jin Huan momentarily stunned.
Only when he felt the chill of the dagger on his neck did Jin Huan speak in a trembling voice:
"You... Zhao Zheng, what are you doing?!"
"You didn't want to..."
Zhao Zheng roared, "Fool! You're usually as stupid as a pig, but today you've taken full precautions. I really underestimated you!"
"If it weren't for General Lü's extraordinary courage in risking his life to follow me into the pass, capturing you wouldn't have been so easy!"
Jin Huan felt dizzy after hearing those words.
But it also made him finally realize that what Zhao Zheng had said earlier was a trap within a trap!
The so-called coercion, the feigned surrender, the plan to capture Lü Bu, and the use of prisoners to control the rebel army—all of this was actually a lie!
There is really only one thing: he has truly betrayed us and has joined forces with the rebels, using every trick in the book to try and enter the pass!
A surge of intense anger rose in Jin Huan's chest, his pale face gradually turning red with suppressed rage. He gritted his teeth and said:
"You bastard! You treacherous dog! I valued you so much, and you betrayed me!"
Zhao Zheng sneered repeatedly:
"Really? You value me?"
"You're talking nonsense!"
"Who helped you get to where you are today? It was me who fought tooth and nail for you!"
"And you? You just happen to have the word 'gold' in your name, yet you expect to reap the rewards without so much!"
"You want me to lead tens of thousands of men to fight the prince? Are you stupid or wicked? You're forcing me to my death!"
Jin Huan blushed deeply at these words, and he retorted:
"Nonsense! I was telling you to go and make a name for yourself!"
"I'm doing this for your future!"
Jin Huan was subdued, and none of the soldiers on the city wall dared to make a move, while Lü Bu, holding his sword, watched the two men with a leisurely air.
Upon hearing Jin Huan's words, Zhao Zheng spat at him fiercely:
"You're such a hypocrite! You want to make a name for yourself, but you're too afraid to take risks. Instead, you make me lead the men. You've got a good plan."
"No wonder the prince swept through the Northern Liang and no one in the court could stop him. I think that besides the prince's large and brave troops, it is also related to people like you!"
"With a tyrannical ruler in power, nepotism prevails, and many of the once-mighty and brave soldiers are now cowards who fear death!"
"Over the years, those generals with names and titles have either been demoted or killed. Today, how many of them are willing to stand up and serve the court?"
"There's no one left! Only a bunch of good-for-nothings surnamed Jin are left!"
These words were truly piercing, and the soldiers on the city wall changed their expressions upon hearing them, while Lü Bu gave a cold smile.
Jin Huan, his face turning a deep purplish-red from the words, continued to retaliate:
"Zhao Zheng, stop talking nonsense. If I hadn't helped you, would you have reached this position today?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Zheng became even more enraged, and the dagger slashed Jin Huan's neck, drawing blood. Jin Huan hurriedly said:
"No, no, no, don't do it!"
Looking at his blustering yet cowardly demeanor, Zhao Zheng shook his head and sneered:
"I, Zhao Zheng, am named Zhao, not Jin. Therefore, no matter how talented I am, I can only be your dog, hahaha."
The cold laughter even carried a hint of sorrow towards the end.
"I also want to carve out a path on the battlefield with my own sword and spear. Dying on the battlefield is the fate of people like us, but I don't want to die an inexplicable death because of someone like you!"
"General Lü just said, 'How can a true man remain subservient to others for long?' I wholeheartedly agree!"
"Tell me, who doesn't want to achieve great things? But people like you are blocking the path for those of us who don't share the surname Jin!"
"Your Highness is the son of General Huwei. General Huwei rose from humble beginnings. I think that in Your Highness's creation of a new dynasty, we should still have some use to you."
"After all, it's still better than you!"
Zhao Zheng whispered the last words into Jin Huan's ear, and the dagger continued to cut deeper and deeper.
Blood flowed down Jin Huan's neck. Jin Huan was thrown into disarray and dared not argue with Zhao Zheng any longer. He hurriedly begged for mercy:
"Alright, alright, let's talk this out. Take the dagger away from me."
"Considering that I also did something back then..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Zheng roared:
"Give the order! Open the city gates! Let them in!"
Jin Huan was shaking violently, but he hesitated to speak.
If we let people in, then everything will be over.
If the city gates weren't opened, they could use the city walls to launch a counterattack, but once the gates were opened...
Seeing that Jin Huan remained silent, Lü Bu walked forward as if no one else was there. He carried a single-edged sword, the hilt of which was still stained with blood.
Although his handsome face was expressionless, it possessed an imposing aura that commanded respect without anger.
None of the surrounding soldiers dared to rush forward.
Previously, Lü Bu was being held captive by several people, but he broke free in an instant and even killed two of them. With such skill, anyone who went to him would surely die.
What's more, their commander is still in Zhao Zheng's hands!
Seeing Lü Bu approach, Jin Huan turned ashen-faced and hurriedly said:
"No, no, no, don't do it!"
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