Chapter 63
"I didn't expect... you are actually theirs! What did they promise you?!" Lord Fan stared at Song Liang.
Song Liang looked up at Emperor Zhaoming and replied calmly, "You won't understand."
In the eyes of Lord Fan, he was a ruthless and lonely "General Yama", a man who held the military power of the Iron Eagle Guard and an accomplice who could be used. But Lord Fan had no idea that many years ago, when Song Liang was still unknown, he had served under the command of Emperor Zhaoming, who had been trained at the border. In battles with foreign tribes, they had already been comrades-in-arms who shared life and death!
Friendship in the army is different from that in the court. It is purer, simpler, but extremely strong.
Later, when Emperor Zhaoming ascended the throne, Song Liang continued to serve at the frontier. Relying on his own abilities, he rose through the ranks to the rank of general. While Emperor Zhaoming outwardly praised him as he would anyone else, he secretly helped establish the Iron Eagle Guard, hoping he would become a hidden pawn within the court, potentially turning him into a key to a comeback should he find himself in dire straits.
This was a trust that required one to entrust one's life and property to someone else. Even Zhao Congyun didn't know about it until Lord Fan rebelled. This shows how deeply Song Liang hid it!
Now this hidden chess piece finally comes in handy. In this battle to force the emperor to abdicate, it instantly reverses the situation and kills the enemy with one blow!
The man in danger became Mr. Fan in the blink of an eye!
At this moment, a thought came to Mr. Fan’s mind: Did I lose like this?
Behind him were the eager Qilin Guards, in front of him were Song Liang's Iron Eagle Guards and the Lingzhou Light Cavalry brought by Zhao Congyun... He didn't know how the 10,000 troops outside were doing in strangling the patrol camp, but judging from the calm attitudes of Zhao Congyun and Song Liang, the situation didn't seem to be very good.
He was sure that he couldn't win.
You may not win, but you may not lose either!
Even a trapped beast will fight, not to mention he has 20,000 elite soldiers at his disposal! Even if he dies today, he will drag others down with him. Emperor Zhaoming, Zhao Congyun, Song Liang... He will not let those who stand in his way have an easy life!
Thinking of this, Lord Fan suddenly moved. He retreated sharply. Song Liang and Zhao Congyun, one holding a knife and the other holding a sword, immediately stabbed forward, wanting to kill the man on the spot!
But they underestimated Lord Fan's ruthlessness. Though a civil official, his decisiveness at a crucial moment rivaled that of any warrior! He had been prepared, reaching out and pulling a stunned soldier aside, using him as a shield to block the attack from Song Liang and Zhao Congyun!
The sword pierced the soldier's chest, and the poor man died before he could react.
With just this one gap, Lord Fan had a chance to escape. He turned around and rushed into the rebel formation, and was firmly protected behind him by the soldiers holding huge shields!
Emperor Zhaoming's face was as cold as ice, and he issued a stern order: "Kill them all! Leave no one alive!"
Qilin Guard and Iron Eagle Guard pressed forward together!
"Let's fight!" A shout broke out among the rebels.
These rebels who had no way to retreat suddenly found the courage to fight to the death. At this moment, they thought of the uprisings throughout the dynasties and the King of Western Chu who fought a desperate battle. They swore that even if they died, they would make the other side pay a huge price!
A melee is about to break out!
Shields clashed, arrows whistled, swords clanged, blades clashed, and hand-to-hand combat roared... The long street was filled with all kinds of deafening sounds. One soldier after another fell to the ground, and others continued to fight by stepping on the corpses of their comrades.
Everyone was blood-thirsty!
Zhao Congyun held An Nian's hand and looked at the battlefield where blood and flesh were flying everywhere, frowning.
This is not the situation he wants to see.
If the 20,000 rebels were forced into a desperate situation, the unleashed fighting power would inevitably result in mutual destruction.
But he was unable to persuade Emperor Zhaoming to stop. That was not just his brother, but also a king - he was almost killed by someone with a knife in the inner palace. Such a great humiliation was something that no emperor could tolerate.
Lord Fan spared no expense, regardless of life or death...and so did Emperor Zhaoming!
Ah Nian stood behind him, his face turning pale. Zhao Congyun said, "I'll ask Uncle Dong to escort you away first."
Ah Nian shook his head: "His Majesty...didn't let me go."
Zhao Congyun was stunned. This child was silent, but he could see things so clearly!
Once you enter this palace, you can't leave. After the imperial edict was read out in public, there was no more Anian in the world, only the prince Zhao Huan who was about to inherit the throne.
Zhao Congyun was speechless for a moment, but then he heard Ah Nian ask, "Do we have to kill them all? Can't we just let them surrender?"
Zhao Congyun looked into the boy's clear eyes, wanting to say something, but swallowed it in the end. He only said four words lightly: "Don't joke."
Ah Nian's eyes dimmed: "I understand."
*
In later historical books, this brutal massacre in January of the 18th year of Zhaoming was recorded as the "Tianjie Incident". It not only proved the wisdom and bravery of Emperor Zhaoming and his strategic planning, but also represented the official beginning of the road to becoming an emperor for a wise ruler, Emperor Yongxi Zhao Huan.
But at that time, Anian was filled with boundless fear in his heart - fear of the battlefield, fear of death, and fear of the imperial power and throne.
He watched helplessly as more and more people died, and this scene became a nightmare that he would never be able to let go of for the rest of his life.
The Qilin Guards were almost wiped out, but more people immediately rushed forward, including many eunuchs who were powerless. They had no combat experience and pounced on the rebels without any strategy, punching, biting, and trying every possible way to block their opponents from rushing towards Emperor Zhaoming.
The situation on the rebel side was even more tragic. The giant shields had been torn apart by waves of soldiers, scattered across the ground. The bodies piled higher and higher, forming several "corpse mountains." Many people used these as cover as they stubbornly put up a final resistance.
Only Song Liang remained calm and composed.
His Iron Eagle Guards had the advantage in numbers, but they did not rush to attack. Instead, they kept using arrows, crossbows and spears to distract the enemy and lure them into losing their composure. The Iron Eagle Guards could then take advantage of the opportunity to reap the rewards and kill the lone rebels one by one.
This is the hunting habit of wolves on the grassland. Song Liang learned it and put it into practice to form a unique wolf pack combat method.
As the number of people gradually decreased, faint voices of begging for mercy could be heard from the rebels, but Song Liang turned a deaf ear and resolutely carried out the orders of Emperor Zhaoming.
Kill them all! Leave no one alive!
Hidden deep within the rebel army, Fan Gong snatched a long sword from somewhere and held it in his hand, but his hands were shaking: not because of fear, but because he was unwilling to give up. Even though the enemy had paid a heavy price, they had not yet harmed Emperor Zhaoming and Zhao Congyun...
He closed his eyes, ignored the chaotic shouting and trying to think of a countermeasure, a foolproof countermeasure!
Soon, a figure emerged in his mind. Lord Fan suddenly opened his eyes, a sneer on his lips, and ordered his men, "I want the best archers! Also... send someone to tell Emperor Zhaoming and Zhao Congyun that I have something important to tell them! If you don't listen, you will bear the consequences!"
His palms were sweating, and he had only one worry in his mind: what if the other party didn't accept the challenge or fall for it?
Song Liang's temperament meant he wouldn't give his opponent a chance to negotiate, but Zhao Congyun hesitated. He recalled the many actions Lord Fan had taken in Lingzhou, and with a flicker of thought, he came up with the idea of turning the tables.
As the two men were discussing, a familiar voice suddenly rang out: "The outcome is already decided, why should I be afraid of him? If he has any last words, let him speak them clearly!"
Emperor Zhaoming had unexpectedly come around to their side without them noticing.
With Emperor Zhaoming in charge, Song Liang immediately issued an order: "Stop! Tell the traitor to come out and answer!"
The Iron Eagle Guards had strict military discipline and sheathed their swords and retreated. The rebels finally took a breath and slowly gathered together. The two sides were separated by a distance and re-established a standoff.
Mr. Fan walked out slowly.
Under his feet was a sea of blood and corpses created by him, but he didn't even look at it. He stepped on the corpses of the rebels who followed him and walked step by step to the front of the battle.
"Traitor, what do you want to say?" Song Liang asked.
Lord Fan said calmly, "Your Majesty is a man of great talent and vision, and Prince Jia is a man of great insight. Why don't you two take a guess?"
Emperor Zhaoming's pupils suddenly shrank. "I am giving you this opportunity to speak out of consideration for the past relationship between the monarch and his subjects. Don't be so ungrateful and try to be mysterious. I don't have the patience to listen!"
Lord Fan paused and said, "On the Lingzhou border, the Red Armor Army... I have their detailed plan for the siege!"
Emperor Zhaoming and Zhao Congyun exchanged a glance, and Zhao Congyun calmly asked, "What are your conditions?"
"Survive."
"Your life, or the lives of these soldiers behind you?"
"Of course it's everyone's life." Mr. Fan is not stupid. He has to put on a good show in front of the soldiers.
"You want too much." Zhao Congyun refused coldly.
"Doesn't Prince Jia care about the safety of the people in Lingzhou?"
Zhao Congyun said coldly, "What qualifications do you have to talk to me about the safety of the people? Let me ask you, where did you hide that batch of weapons?"
"As long as Your Majesty pardons our death penalty, I will tell you everything I know. How about that?" Lord Fan laughed.
He wanted to provoke them and create an opportunity!
Zhao Congyun's eyes were indeed filled with anger. "Do you think I don't know? You participated in the formulation of the Red Armor Army's attack on Lingzhou, so you knew everything! And you also gave them that batch of weapons as a gift of alliance! You have been in high office for so many years, but you actually sold out your country for personal gain, disregarding the country and the people!"
Lord Fan still had a smile on his face: "That is your Zhao family's kingdom. Since I haven't succeeded in getting it, what does it have to do with me?"
"How dare you, traitor!" Song Liang shouted angrily and stepped forward with his knife raised.
Mr. Fan tried his best to remain calm, but his heart was pounding: Is this Song Liang?
No, he's not qualified!
But the people he was looking for, Emperor Zhaoming and Zhao Congyun, didn't move. They still stood cautiously among the soldiers, a little short of the archers' desired sight!
While he was pondering this, he heard Zhao Congyun say, "If you can honestly tell me the code you used to contact the Red Armor Army, I can plead with His Majesty to spare your life!"
"Prince Jia seems so confident. I think Lingzhou has already made arrangements. Are you planning to contact them in my name, use their tactics, and annihilate the Red Armor Army in one fell swoop?"
"That's right. This is your last and only chance. Do you want it or not?"
Lord Fan blinked. "Since the Lingzhou plan can't save my life, I've thought of something else. Perhaps Prince Jia would be more concerned!"
Zhao Congyun's heart skipped a beat for unknown reason.
Lord Fan's smile deepened. "I wonder if the princess was okay when the prince left Lingzhou?"
Zhao Congyun's expression changed drastically in an instant: "What do you mean?!"
"I know that the prince and princess are deeply in love, so I specially asked someone to 'look after' them."
After hearing this, Zhao Congyun could no longer remain calm. His hands holding the sword were shaking. He wanted to rush over immediately to find out what was going on, but his body was pressed down heavily by someone.
Emperor Zhaoming said in a deep voice: "Be careful, there may be a trap."
However, the look in Zhao Congyun's eyes when he turned to him clearly showed: he didn't care!
Mr. Fan successfully hit his soft spot!
Emperor Zhaoming secretly exerted force with his hands: "Your intentions are known to everyone in the court, and it is hard to believe that he is threatening you with this!"
Mr. Fan was well prepared and simply said, "My friend in Lingzhou is called Huo Lianying. Does Your Highness recognize him?"
There was a loud bang in Zhao Congyun’s head!
Oh no! He had heard that name before!
That means... Yue Mingming also knows this person!
But he just can't remember it now!
"He... he was a soldier we met when we were hunting in the mountains years ago!" The person who spoke was actually Anian.
Uncle Dong also remembered: "They came to the palace together! The prince even gave that person silver!"
Zhao Congyun's long sword fell to the ground with a clang.
Worst case scenario!
That person was a friend! And Yue Mingming had never been on guard when it came to his friends!
"The fastest carrier pigeon takes three days to travel from Lingzhou to the capital. Your Highness, please write to me immediately. In three days, you will know whether what I said is true or not!"
Lord Fan added, "Of course we will also know... whether the princess is alive or dead."
Zhao Congyun's mind was in a mess. He could no longer decide whether to write a letter to Lingzhou or capture Mr. Fan and interrogate him. He only knew that he had to do something now, so... he broke free from Emperor Zhaoming's hand.
The accident happened at this moment!
A brief moment of opportunity was enough for a skilled archer to strike the target dead! The sharpshooter, who had been lying in wait for a long time, did not disappoint Lord Fan and fired a decisive arrow!
The arrow broke through the air, unstoppable.
Roaring and heading straight for the target: Zhao Congyun!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
