"Xiao Yun, you now control the Northern Camp and the Imperial Guard in the capital. You hold more than half of the capital's military power in your hands. If you rebel, wouldn't the throne be yours?"
The Prince of Zhao stared intently at Xiao Yun. In truth, he was deeply resentful. This adopted son of the royal family held considerable military power, while he, as the most qualified prince to inherit the throne in the entire Daqian, had been forbidden by the late emperor from ever entering the capital again…
The King of Zhao's eyes held resentment. He spoke to Xiao Yun in this way in order to deceive him. If the rebellion were to succeed, the throne would never be given to Xiao Yun, an adopted son of the royal family.
At this moment, Xiao Yun, his face cold, sat on the rosewood chair and slowly spoke: "Prince Zhao, twenty years ago, you were the first to find me in the hunting forest and save me. I am grateful for your kindness. Now that you have returned to your fiefdom, I will pretend that nothing happened and will plead for you with the Prince of Yan and His Majesty..."
"You, you..."
Upon hearing Xiao Yun's words, King Zhao was first startled, then pointed at Xiao Yun with disbelief in his eyes, and roared, "You've simply rebelled!"
After saying this, King Zhao strode up to Xiao Yun and said sternly, "Xiao Yun, since you remember what happened back then, you should understand that you are also Xiao Jinglong's son. An adopted son is still a son, and he is better than a daughter. You are also qualified to sit on this throne. You hold a large army in your hands, so why are you unwilling to rebel?"
"Prince Zhao! How dare you!"
Xiao Yun's sudden cold shout caused King Zhao to take a step back.
He stared at Xiao Yun in astonishment, while Xiao Yun stared back at him coldly.
“Prince Zhao, only now do I understand why the late emperor would rather give the throne to Your Majesty than to you.”
"Why?"
King Zhao suddenly asked.
Xiao Yun glared at him with a deep look, then slowly said, "Because... you're too stupid."
"The late emperor clearly left a will forbidding you from entering the capital, yet you insisted on coming. Not only did you come, but you also tried to trick me into rebelling. Do you take me for a three-year-old? I was raised by the late emperor and cultivated by His Majesty. Let alone the fact that I am an adopted son and cannot inherit the throne, even if I could, would I, Xiao Yun, be such a heartless person?"
King Zhao took another step back, as if he didn't recognize Xiao Yun, then angrily plopped down in a chair, gritting his teeth and saying, "Fine! Very well! You, Xiao Yun, are indeed worthy of being Xiao Jinglong's adopted son, you have his style after all, actually lecturing me!"
At this point, he suddenly stood up and roared, "Xiao Yun! Don't forget, it was I who saved your life!"
To everyone's surprise, Xiao Yun was not frightened. Instead, he looked at him and said, word by word, "Call him...the...former...emperor!"
The implication is that you are not allowed to call Xiao Jinglong by his name; how dare you not refer to him as the late emperor?
Startled by Xiao Yun's sudden push, King Zhao's momentum immediately weakened, and he slowly sat back down in his chair.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
A moment later, Xiao Yun stepped out of the inner hall and said, "Prince Zhao, you should return to your fiefdom. I can escort you out of the city as a way of repaying the kindness you showed me back then..."
King Zhao reluctantly rose, saying with a hint of resentment, "Then let me speak from the heart. You cannot sit on this throne, but if you allow me to, I will not only grant you control over the armies of the realm, but also..."
Seeing Xiao Yun pause, King Zhao's face lit up with delight, and he continued, "Also, haven't you always coveted Xiao Li's beauty? I promise you, as long as I become emperor, I will bestow that girl upon you as well. You are not related by blood, so it is possible..."
As he finished speaking, King Zhao suddenly felt a chill on his neck and was startled. Looking closely, he saw a sword pressed against his neck.
Xiao Yun stared at him with a cold gaze and said fiercely, "If you dare to speak disrespectfully to His Majesty and the Prince of Yan again, don't blame me for turning my back on you!"
King Zhao slowly removed his neck from under the sword and nodded in submission.
"Get out of the capital and never come back!"
Xiao Yun seemed to have lost all patience and gratitude, and coldly shouted at King Zhao.
King Zhao slunk out of the north gate of the camp like a lapdog...
However, he did not rush to leave the capital. Instead, he took two black-clad servants and went to a secluded mansion.
As soon as the courtyard gate opened, dozens of burly men came out to greet them, along with a middle-aged scholar waving a folding fan.
"Your Highness, who do you want to deal with? We'll all listen to you!" said the burly man at the head of the group.
King Zhao did not speak immediately, but went into the inner room, opened the door, and saw dozens of suits of armor and some weapons such as swords, spears, and halberds hidden inside.
According to the laws of the Great Gan Dynasty, possessing armor privately is considered treason.
These burly men were clearly Zhao Wang's private soldiers. However, these soldiers were all former bandits who had long been risking their lives and living a life of constant danger. When Dali Guard cooperated with the government to suppress bandits, these bandits had nowhere to go, and it was Zhao Wang who secretly took them in.
Prince Zhao was very generous and even took them to brothels. This kind of carefree life was much more comfortable than being a bandit in the mountains...
They were all loyal and chivalrous, and determined to repay Lord Zhao.
Hearing that Prince Zhao had enemies in the capital, they immediately offered to go to great lengths to avenge him.
"Brothers, there's no need to rush. Just wait for my instructions."
King Zhao feigned benevolence and righteousness, cupped his hands in greeting to his private soldiers, and then summoned the middle-aged scholar.
Most of these private soldiers were illiterate and almost none of them knew that "hiding armor is treason."
The middle-aged scholar knew this, but his beloved wife had been seized by an official and severely beaten. He had no way to appeal to the authorities and harbored resentment. He only wanted to take revenge on the government and the court, and wished for chaos to break out in the world.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
