He was terrified and tried to cover his mouth, but he was tied up tightly and could only let his mouth do as it pleased.
"Who ordered you to do this?"
"The Third Prince."
What are your specific plans?
"The Third Prince reached an agreement with the Japanese pirates. They sent assassins disguised as ordinary soldiers to plunder villages, and I was responsible for helping them infiltrate."
Then, at a time when all the other generals were busy, they would report to General Huo, who would then personally go to rescue the people, while his assassins would seize the opportunity to kill him.
The soldiers already knew that Huo Yu had almost been assassinated by a dwarf.
But when they suddenly heard Kang Hai admit that it was related to the Third Prince, their eyes widened like copper bells.
However, it's not over yet.
A hot-tempered general couldn't hold back any longer, stepped forward, grabbed Kang Hai by the collar, and roared:
"What did he promise the Japanese pirates in return for helping him assassinate the general?"
Kang Hai heard himself say in despair, "After it's done, we'll hand over the four border cities to the Japanese pirates."
"absurd!"
"Shameless!"
Upon hearing this, all the generals stood up in disbelief, hardly able to believe what they had just heard.
Over the years, they have defended the border to the death, sacrificing their lives, all for the hope that one day they could completely wipe out the Japanese pirates and allow the border people, who have suffered from war for many years, to live a peaceful and stable life.
Meanwhile, the prince of the Great Sheng Dynasty, living a life of luxury in the capital city, handed over border lands and people to the enemy, all in an effort to eliminate the war god of the Great Sheng Dynasty.
How absurd!
Qi An thought to himself, "The most absurd things are yet to come."
Seeing that Kang Hai was about to be killed by several soldiers, Qi An quickly gave his father a look, and Huo Yu then told them to sit down.
Everyone's faces were ashen, their chests heaving, while Kang Hai was bruised and swollen, his face turned into a pig's head.
Qi An said, "Uncles, please calm down. Why don't you think about this? The Third Prince had no grudge against my father, so why would he want to kill him?"
Most of these generals, who had led troops through sandstorms for years, were simple-minded, but definitely not stupid.
After Qi An reminded them, they all thought of another possibility.
Huo Yu is dead. Who benefits the most?
Naturally, it's the one sitting on the dragon throne.
The crowd exchanged glances, their faces growing even uglier. If it really was the Emperor who did it, then he was utterly unworthy of being a ruler.
In order to eliminate the general and regain military power, they did not hesitate to cede territory and hand over their own people to the Japanese pirates for slaughter.
Qi An spoke again, asking, "Kang Hai, why did the Third Prince kill my father?"
Kang Hai wished he were mute; he tried his best to keep his mouth shut, but to no avail.
"Because...because the Emperor said that whoever can get rid of the Grand General and regain military power will be the next Crown Prince."
As soon as Kang Hai finished speaking, the entire tent was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The generals felt a chill rise from their feet, and their chests felt as if a cold wind from the dead of winter had swept over them. It was utterly chilling.
Even Huo Yu, who had anticipated this outcome, felt heartbroken.
The pure and passionate young man once told him that he wanted to be a good emperor who loved his people like his own children, so that they would have enough to eat and wear and no longer have to live in fear because of war.
Because of this sentence, he has willingly guarded the country for him for the past twenty years, finding joy in all the hardships and exhaustion.
But what did we get in return?
Can power really completely change a person?
The generals' eyes reddened; these burly men, eight feet tall, had tears in their eyes. One of them suddenly knelt down, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and gritted his teeth, saying:
"General, that monarch who colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, disregarding the people, is not worth our lives, and the Zhao royal family is not worthy of our loyalty."
"This humble general seconded it."
"I second that."
...
All the generals knelt down in unison, with Qi An being the last to step forward. She stood with her hands clasped in a fist and said, "This humble general seconds the motion."
Finally, she said, word by word, "The Zhao family is so incompetent, why don't we rebel against them?"
The crowd paused, then shouted in unison, "They've rebelled!"
Kang Hai was so shocked by this bold statement that his eyes rolled back and he fainted.
A few days later, the imperial court received two urgent reports from the border.
One account states that General Huo Yu was ambushed by Japanese pirates, poisoned, and fell into a coma.
Another account states that the Japanese pirates, upon learning of the God of War's misfortune, have begun to amass a large army, preparing to seize the opportunity to attack the border.
The emperor was still uneasy about Huo Yu's report until Kang Hai's secret letter also appeared on his desk, which confirmed the information was reliable.
As for the second portion, he wasn't worried, as it was arranged in advance with the Japanese pirates.
With Kang Hai as an inside man, the Japanese pirates could easily capture the four border cities.
Then they began a feigned attack, and once the Third Prince arrived, they pretended to be outmatched and retreated.
In this way, the agreement to send out the four cities was completed discreetly, and the third prince could be rightfully appointed as the crown prince based on this military achievement.
Otherwise, if he were to openly hand over the four border cities to the Japanese pirates, he would likely be drowned in the spittle of the people of Dasheng.
The emperor was secretly pleased, but in court he feigned shock and anger and immediately dispatched his personal physician to the border.
He took out thousand-year-old ginseng and hundred-year-old snow lotus as if they were free, and ordered that his sworn brother must be cured.
Then a minister seized the opportunity to point out that the Japanese pirates were eyeing the border with hostility and the situation at the border was urgent, requesting the emperor to send someone to the border to take charge.
Several princes wanted to go, and they argued about it at several court assemblies. Finally, the emperor decided to let them all go, but the third prince would be in charge.
The Third Prince understood that the Emperor was paving the way for his future.
If he can gain experience at the border, the position of crown prince will be his upon his return.
As for why the other princes went as well, the Third Prince sneered, "It's just imperial tactics."
The Emperor will not allow any one prince to have absolute power.
The emperor dispatched 50,000 Imperial Guards and several military officers to accompany and protect the princes.
Five days have passed since the series of procedures, including troop mobilization, oath-taking, preparation of provisions, and farewell at the city gate, were completed.
The princes, accustomed to a life of luxury, could not withstand the bumps and jolts of the march and needed to rest frequently, which made the generals frown.
Every military general in the Great Sheng Dynasty worshipped the God of War.
Several military officers thought in despair, "The emperor is dreaming if he expects these incompetent princes to replace the God of War and guard the border."
They were worried about the safety of Huo Yu and the people on the border, and they were extremely anxious as they watched the leisurely marching troops, who seemed to be on an autumn outing.
He wished he could abandon these good-for-nothings and rush to the border himself, but he could not disobey the emperor's orders.
They traveled along this shaky, stop-and-go route until they reached the border, and another half month passed.
Before entering the city, Zhao Zhen thought he would see a devastated border town with rivers of blood flowing everywhere.
After all, the Japanese pirates were known for their habit of massacring the inhabitants of every city they conquered.
Despite his delaying tactics and Kang Hai's assistance, the Japanese pirates still haven't captured the four cities.
The princes exchanged glances, all feeling bewildered.
Once the group entered the city, they discovered that the people were singing and dancing, slaughtering pigs and sheep—it was even more lively than the Lunar New Year.
The smiles on their faces were unbelievably bright, as if the gloom that had been hanging over them for years had finally dissipated.
Everyone was even more confused.
This doesn't look like it was attacked by Japanese pirates at all.
Could it be that they learned the prince was coming and prepared a welcoming ceremony for them?
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