Chapter 497 A Family of纨绔 (Wán kù, a spoiled and dissolute family) Causes the Death of the Entire Court (50)
The next morning, as the sunlight streamed onto the city walls of He'an County, countless surviving soldiers knelt dejectedly at the city gate, their faces ashen as they awaited their judgment.
What was thought to be a war that would last for many days ended last night.
Zhang Shixu was very skilled at leading troops in battle, but he himself did not expect that everything would go so smoothly.
So when Jin Shu appeared, he walked over and whispered.
"How did you know that Li Yong's army was out of food?"
“Uncle Zhang, you may not believe it, but the wolves on the western hill and I are on good terms. They told me that.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shixu actually thought about it quite seriously for a while, and then smiled.
"Indeed, to achieve great things, one must have the right timing, the right place, and the right people. It seems that not only is God helping us, but even the wolves in the forest are helping us."
This is why Jin Shu doesn't mind spending time with Zhang Shixu.
He has a strong sense of boundaries, a valuable quality even in modern times, which this ancient man has mastered to perfection.
He wouldn't ask a single question that he shouldn't ask.
In addition, he won't make you feel awkward or nervous. As the one who is rejected from being bothered, he can even provide you with emotional value in return.
Indeed, in ancient times, men who could pass the imperial examinations and rise smoothly through the ranks were not lacking in either intelligence or emotional intelligence; they were all top-notch individuals.
After the first victory, Zhang Shixu did not choose to press his advantage. Instead, he sent all the captured soldiers into the city, not only arranging for them to receive medical treatment but also preparing a hot meal for them.
Zhang Shixu was a natural orator. In front of these hungry soldiers, he promised them houses, land, and food, tax reductions, and improved treatment.
In just one day, all 30,000 captured soldiers surrendered.
This time, Li Yong suffered a crushing defeat. He had come with great momentum to suppress the rebels and enhance his prestige, but before his army even reached the city gates, their morale plummeted due to hunger.
Before the relief supplies could even arrive, He'an County unexpectedly sent troops to attack, seemingly unafraid of death.
And so, a battle that was originally a sure victory ended up forever branding Li Yong with shame.
Not only that, the emperor of a nation was chased by enemy soldiers and lost his armor and weapons, in a sorry state. His carriage and imperial palanquin were abandoned halfway. Li Yong got off the ground and fled with a few soldiers along a side road.
Because he was missing an arm, Li Yong was unable to maintain his balance. In his panic, he fell countless times along the way, and his once magnificent and luxurious dragon robe was now covered in mud.
His jade crown was nowhere to be found, and his hair was disheveled. He had arrived as a king, enjoying the adoration of thousands of people, but now he was a beggar fleeing in disarray.
As if things weren't going to go wrong, Li Yong unexpectedly encountered the forest wolf, a creature etched into his very bones, on his journey.
A dozen or so wolves were chasing them, forcing them to run around like headless flies, not caring about any direction, their eyes only able to see the path ahead.
Finally, they stopped abruptly in front of a wall. At this moment, Li Yong looked no different from a madman or a refugee.
The yellow robe was torn to shreds by the sand and branches along the way, and his disheveled face was black and dirty. When sweat rolled down, it left white streaks, which at first glance looked like tears left by excessive panic.
Li Yong raised his head in despair, looking at the wall in front of him. The heat wave coming from the mouth of the wild wolf behind him made him involuntarily recall the fear of that day.
He trembled uncontrollably, his lips were pale and his legs were shaking. The soldiers beside him had already stood in front of him, but they still could not dispel the panic deep in his heart.
"Protect me! Protect me! Protect me!"
He pulled a younger soldier directly in front of him, his tall, muscular body hiding in front of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy. The other soldiers saw this, and each of them wore a complex expression that was hard to describe.
At that moment, the emperor's majesty and sacred image completely crumbled in their hearts.
Faced with this situation, the only thought a monarch could think of was to retreat and use others as a scapegoat. The soldiers who had been holding swords silently threw them away.
"Your Majesty, let us surrender."
"Retreat?! You bastards! Who gave you permission to surrender?!"
At this moment, the young soldier he was holding in front of shouted with red eyes.
"I don't want to protect a monarch like you! I'd rather be eaten by wolves than follow you!"
Li Yong was furious, but even his anger was carefully contained in the face of the wolf pack.
Suddenly, the wolf pack slowly approached, and the black wolf king that had bitten off one of his arms approached Li Yong again.
This time, Li Yong didn't even have the courage to draw his sword.
He clearly remembered the excruciating pain of those sharp fangs piercing his body; the pain seemed to be etched into his heart, and he couldn't control the fear within him, which lingered there.
"Don't come any closer!! Don't come any closer!!"
In extreme fear, Li Yong clung to the wall and kept backing away until he had nowhere left to retreat. He sat down heavily against the wall, his face ashen and lifeless, muttering to himself.
"Please, please, don't eat me, don't eat me..."
Such a monarch completely chilled the hearts of the soldiers standing by.
The soldiers who had been struggling just threw away their weapons.
At that moment, the wolf pack, which had been pressing forward, slowly retreated to both sides.
Curled up and trembling, Li Yong looked up in terror and, against the light, saw a figure slowly walking towards him.
He seemed somewhat familiar, yet his aloof demeanor made him feel like a stranger.
As Jin Shu's face slowly appeared, Li Yong stared at her, his expression somewhat blank and comical.
He never imagined that he would meet Jin Shu again in this way.
He thought that when they met again, it would be when the entire Jin family would be sent to the guillotine.
But at this moment, he is the loser, and Jin Shu has become the winner.
The immense psychological gap and the hatred of losing his kingdom gave Li Yong a surge of strength from the bottom of his heart, causing him to suddenly stand up and rush directly towards Jin Shu.
Black Wolf blocked Jin Shu's path, baring his teeth and threatening her.
Li Yong's legs trembled, but he felt a strange sense of confidence deep down.
The person standing opposite him is Jin Shu, the one who loves him but cannot have him, and is willing to give her all for him.
He endured so much to ascend the throne, what's wrong with enduring a little longer now?
"Jin Shu...haven't you tormented me enough?"
Jin Shu looked down at him, and Li Yong couldn't see her expression at all.
"You're probably the last monarch of the Li family. The country fell in your hands, so it's not a complete loss."
After saying that, Jin Shu chuckled and then waved her hand.
"Guards, take him away and hand him over to Lord Zhang for processing."
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