Chapter 523: Caged Beast
Shang Qin never expected that Xiao Yan would actually make a move in front of the palace gate. He also never expected that Di Tao and others were almost surrounded and wiped out without making any movement, but when he led his men there, they were almost blown to pieces.
When the explosion happened, Shang Qin managed to escape, but he was thrown off his horse, and his body was covered with blood from the flying soil and rocks.
He supported himself on the ground and looked up. When he saw the bloody mess on the Jinshui Bridge and the terrified Longting Guards behind him, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Xiao Yan, how dare you plot against me?!"
"Isn't General Shang also plotting against me?"
Xiao Yan stood alone across from the Jinshui Bridge, looking at Shang Qin, whose eyes were bloodshot, and said:
"This Governor never intended to hurt anyone. These were just precautions. But who could have imagined that General Shang was so ambitious that he not only broke his promise to this Governor, but also violated the Dragon Court Guard's purpose and disregarded the seal of the Grand Ancestor."
"you……"
Shang Qin wanted to curse, but his internal organs were damaged. As soon as he opened his mouth, he felt a sweet and fishy taste in his throat and spat out another mouthful of blood.
Xiao Yan said in a deep voice, "The Grand Ancestor established the Dragon Court Guard to protect the royal family and the Xie family's rule. He also wanted the Dragon Court Guard to be the spearhead, working together with the Zhen'an Army to defend against Beiling."
"Shang Zhonglin became the head of the Dragon Court Guards because of Taizu's trust. He performed his duties conscientiously and lived up to Taizu's trust. Who would have thought that decades later, the descendants of the Shang family would seize power and act with arrogance, regardless of the lives of the people living on the border, occupying Linping and allowing the Beiling army to run rampant. Now, they are even harboring ambitions and plotting rebellion."
Xiao Yan glanced at the disheveled Shang Qin and looked behind Long Tingwei.
"General Fu, General Guo, what crime should Shang Qin be punished for?"
Shang Qin's face changed drastically. He turned his head abruptly and looked behind him. He saw that the two deputy generals he had left outside the city had entered the city at some point.
One of the burly middle-aged men said with a cold expression, "The Dragon Court Guards are loyal to the Taizu. Those who betray us will be killed!"
Another old general also had a grim expression on his face: "Shang Qin, when Shang Zhonglin was still alive, we wouldn't dare to disobey Taizu's orders."
"We followed you to the capital to serve the king and to eliminate the rebellion in the court. Now that the tiger talisman and Taizu's seal have been found, and the palace has issued an imperial decree, there is no danger. How dare you deceive us, lead your men to attack the city without your permission, and even dare to trespass into the forbidden palace? You deserve to die!"
“You…you guys…”
Shang Qin's face turned pale, and when he raised his hand to point at the two men, his chest heaved and his blood surged.
He never expected that the two deputy generals of the Longting Guard would suddenly turn against him.
yes.
He had never told them about his ambitions, but they clearly knew the truth about going to Beijing a long time ago, and they were even aware of the things happening in the South. The only surprise was that Xiao Yan suddenly got the Dragon Jade Order.
But now they are biting back and putting all the blame on him.
When Shang Qin was having trouble breathing, blood oozed from the corners of his mouth: "You colluded with Xiao Yan and betrayed the Dragon Court Guards?!"
General Fu said coldly, "Didn't you disobey the Dragon Court Guard first? Now that you have heard the Dragon Jade Order, why don't you stop the battle?"
Shang Qin: "I..."
General Guo's eyes were filled with sorrow. "Shang Qin, you are too ambitious and have betrayed the Dragon Court Guard's military rules. Based on what you have done, you are no longer worthy of being the leader of the Dragon Court Guard."
"Lord Governor Xiao, please hand over the traitor Shang Qin to the Dragon Court Guards for disposal."
Xiao Yan nodded: "Okay."
Shang Qin watched as the two men reached an "agreement" with Xiao Yan in just a few words, deciding his life or death, while the Dragon Court Guards following behind them all had indifferent expressions.
Most of the confidants he had brought into the capital were killed in the explosion, and those who were left were either injured or disabled. The rest of the Dragon Court guards were hesitant because of what Fu and Guo said, and did not dare to approach.
Shang Qin understood everything at that moment. He supported himself on the ground, shaking with anger. As the fishy and sweet taste filled his throat, he couldn't help but laugh while panting.
"Okay, okay... I thought I had everything planned out, but I didn't expect that I'd already become a caged beast."
"Xiao Yan, you're truly capable. You actually bribed Fu Yue and Guo Linyi to set up this scheme with you. I'm afraid you've been wanting to keep me in the capital since you left the northwest."
"I was so clever, trying to buy time and act like the hidden jackal, but I didn't realize I'd already been tricked into your trap..."
Shang Qin raised his head and smiled sadly, blood kept flowing out of his throat. The next moment, he suddenly jumped up and pounced directly at Fu Yue and the other two.
But he was already injured, and Fu Yue and the other two had been on guard against him. When he just approached, before his long sword fell, it was blocked by the double axes in Fu Yue's hands.
His shoulder was dented by the back of the axe, and he was kicked away by Fu Yue.
When he fell to the ground, Shang Qin almost fainted from the pain, spitting blood but still glaring at Fu Yue and the others, cursing loudly.
"You two shameless traitors, what on earth did Xiao Yan give you to make you betray the Dragon Court Guards?"
Fu Yue smashed the long axe in his hand to the ground: "He has never done us any good?"
"Impossible!" Shang Qin glared. "There's no benefit. How dare you betray me?!"
"What are you afraid of?"
Xiao Yan had somehow bypassed the collapsed Jinshui Bridge and reached them. Seeing Shang Qin's ferocious expression, he said calmly, "This Governor really didn't do them any favors. You've forgotten your roots as a military commander of the Great Wei."
"You prioritized power over the safety of the border. You were clearly capable of helping the Zhen'an Army fight the enemy, but you only cared about enjoying yourself. You coerced the Dragon Court Guards into entrenching themselves in Linping, leaving the surrounding people to die under the iron hoofs of Beiling. You've probably forgotten the courage of a general who died on the battlefield, protecting his country and his people."
"Taizu once said that he hoped that one day all the lands flowing through rivers would be Wei territory, and all the lands shining on by the sun and moon would be Wei people. But if everyone is as selfish as you."
"My Great Wei will perish soon!"
When I first met Shang Qin in the northwest, I heard him speak wildly and mocked Di Shuangcheng, saw him humiliate the soldiers of Zhen'an Army, and even treated the Longting Guards as his own private soldiers.
When Di Shuangcheng questioned him about why he refused to send troops to stop the Beiling vanguard and allowed them to massacre the people on the border, he said casually with a nonchalant look on his face that those who died were just "untouchables" and that the Longting Guards could not act without the Longyu Order.
Xiao Yan wanted to kill him.
From the moment he first "conspired" with Shang Qin, saw through his ambition, and lured him to the capital, Xiao Yan never thought of letting Shang Qin leave the capital alive.
Fu Yue and Guo Linyi, on the other hand, only still have the blood of military generals.
Shang Qin was extremely embarrassed by Xiao Yan's words: "You speak so righteously, but didn't you also conspire with others to force the emperor to abdicate? Countless people have died at your hands."
"And Fu Yue and the others, they are just after military power, but they still have to use these ridiculous pretexts. They just want to seize the power of my Shang family..."
Hmm!
With a scream, Fu Yue, full of ferocity, kicked Shang Qin's teeth out of his mouth.
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