This is hardly a child.
He raised his face, revealing it to be that of an adult man, with several deep wrinkles.
He was a dwarf!
The dwarf gave a sinister smile, flicked out a sharp blade with a greenish tinge, and stabbed at Huo Yu with lightning speed.
Huo Yu's pupils contracted sharply, but the dwarf was right in his arms, and it was too late to dodge.
"General, be careful..."
His men looked panicked, and in that critical moment, they all held their breath.
Just as the poisoned blade was about to touch Huo Yu's armor, the dwarf's sinister smile suddenly froze, and his movements stopped.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Huo Yu pushed the dwarf away with one palm, and he fell to the ground without making a sound.
Only then did everyone notice that a dart was stuck in the back of his head, deeply embedded with only a tiny bit of the tip sticking out.
The sound of hooves rang out, and the newcomer leaped down from his horse.
His subordinates bowed to the newcomer, their voices filled with relief.
"It's Miss..."
"Miss is here..."
Huo Yu suddenly looked up and saw a woman in red holding a silver spear upside down, her long black hair neatly tied up, and a cold expression on her delicate face.
He stepped forward and exclaimed in surprise, "Daughter, what brings you here?"
Qi An looked at the tall, dark-skinned, and resolute general in front of him. His serious face broke into a wide smile as soon as he saw his daughter, revealing a set of bright white teeth.
A total doting father to his daughter.
Qi An sighed inwardly. He was a tough guy with a tender heart, a truly upright and good man. It was a pity he had such a waste in his past life.
Fortunately, she arrived, and Huo Yu will not repeat the same mistake.
Recalling Huo Wushuang's usual personality, Qi An rolled his eyes and said irritably:
"They even asked me why I came. If I hadn't come, I'd probably be a fatherless kid by now."
Seeing that his precious daughter was angry, Huo Yu scratched his head and chuckled, "Dad's fine, I'll be more careful in the future, I'll be more careful, okay?"
This scene was frequently played out in the military camp before. The subordinates were used to their dignified general being scolded by the young lady while they were smiling obsequiously.
Huo Yu circled around her, becoming happier the more he looked at his daughter.
"Wushuang, you still haven't told your father why you're not in the capital? Where's your mother? Did something happen to her?"
Qi An replied, "My mother is here too, she's in the tent. I'll explain when I get back."
Huo Yu is straightforward, but he is never ambiguous when it comes to serious matters.
Judging from her daughter's expression, she knew that something serious must have happened that she couldn't say in front of others.
Although these are all his subordinates, people's hearts are unpredictable, and it's hard to guarantee that nothing unexpected won't happen.
Qi An used his silver spear to poke at the dwarf's corpse, then looked at the other Japanese pirate corpses on the ground.
"Father, are you sure these are all Japanese pirates?"
Qi An had previously guessed that these Japanese pirates might be people sent by the emperor or Zhao Zhen in disguise.
Reminded by his daughter, Huo Yu immediately recalled his previous suspicions.
He personally examined all the Japanese pirates' corpses, and his expression quickly became solemn.
Something's not right.
These were indeed Japanese pirates, but not ordinary Japanese pirate soldiers; they were Japanese pirate suicide squads!
Others may not know, but he once captured a Japanese pirate assassin and knew that they had a small scorpion mark on their waist.
The scorpion mark was on all the bodies of these people, including the dwarf.
But assassins are supposed to carry out assassination missions, why would they come to plunder a poor village? And what about that dwarf?
These people are probably all here for him.
The assassins were used to distract him, but the dwarf who resembled a child was the real killing move he was meant to make.
If Wushuang hadn't arrived in time, he would have already been stabbed by the dwarf and poisoned.
After he dies from the poison, everyone will assume that he was successfully assassinated by Japanese pirates.
The fact that this group of people could appear here so quietly, despite the tight border security, can only mean one thing.
There were spies in the army, and they were given preferential treatment.
The first person who came to his mind was Kang Hai, the military supervisor, who was sent by the emperor.
Ostensibly, they were assisting him in managing military affairs, but anyone with eyes could see that it was actually surveillance.
Qi An squatted down and placed his hand on the dwarf's head. The man had just died and his memories had not yet completely faded.
Qi An closed his eyes and searched for a moment, then opened them again, a cold glint in his eyes.
So that's how it is!
It really was the emperor and Zhao Zhen who did it.
In his previous life, Huo Yu was stabbed and poisoned. His subordinates panicked and rushed him back to camp for treatment.
After Huo Yu's death, his trusted soldiers came to the village to investigate, only to find that the village had already been burned to the ground by a huge fire.
The bodies of those Japanese pirates were all charred, and Huo Wushuang found nothing after arriving.
It was a clumsy scheme, simple and crude, but it worked.
After instructing his men to take care of the injured villagers, Qi An and Huo Yu returned to the military camp.
Upon learning that the general had just been on the verge of death and that his daughter had arrived in time to save him, Madam Shen turned deathly pale.
Could it be... could it be that everything Wushuang dreamed about was real?
The emperor really intends to exterminate the entire Huo family!
Seeing that Shen was in a panic and completely at a loss, Qi An left the tent, giving the couple some private space so that Huo Yu could comfort his wife.
Where can you find such a thoughtful child?
Qi An thought to herself that they had been away from the capital for almost three days, and the people watching the General's Mansion must have already informed the Emperor.
The emperor kept Huo Yu's wife and daughters in the capital as hostages to prevent Huo Yu from rebelling, and also to create momentum so that the court and the public could see how he treated his sworn brother's family well.
In this way, Huo Yu's death would not only sever ties with the family but also allow for better control over the Huo family army.
In fact, the emperor originally had no intention of harming Huo Yu's wife and daughters, and did not take these two women seriously.
She only planned to wait until Huo Yu died, then ensure the mother and daughter lived a life of wealth and comfort, and occasionally reminisce about her deceased sworn brother, thus establishing herself as a kind and loyal person.
To put it bluntly, they wanted both military power and fame, wanting to have it all.
Qi An was also fed up with these emperors. What good was reputation? The power in one's hands was what truly mattered.
If you have the biggest fist, you're the boss. Who dares to utter a sound?
As for posthumous fame, what use is it now that you're dead? Can praising you bring you back to life?
In short, after Huo Yu died in his previous life, Huo Wushuang fled to the border overnight, led troops to repel the enemy, and showed his true talent.
This aroused the emperor's suspicion, as she feared that Huo Wushuang would find out what he had done to Huo Yu and lead the Huo family army in rebellion.
This led to the later extermination of the Huo family.
Qi An thought that with her sudden disappearance with Shen Shi, that old bastard must be feeling uneasy right now, suspecting that Huo Yu is about to rebel.
When they receive the news that Huo Yu has escaped death, they will probably be terrified.
Qi An's guess was correct.
In the magnificent imperial bedchamber, the emperor roared, "Still haven't found Shen Shi and Huo Wushuang?"
The commander of the Imperial Guards said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, we have searched all over Shengjing, but we still can't find him. We have also shown the portrait to the soldiers at the city gate, and they all say they have never seen him."
The emperor slammed down his teacup: "A bunch of useless trash! You can't even find two weak women. What use are you to me?"
The commander knelt down with a thud, drenched in cold sweat: "Your subordinate deserves to die."
"Why aren't you getting out there and going to find them? Are you just kneeling here waiting for them to show up on their own?"
"Yes, yes, I'll go right away."
After everyone had left, the emperor slumped onto his couch, his chest heaving, his heart filled with unease.
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