Chapter 101 – Kill
How could it have been Zhao Duo?
Zhao Duo’s bravery, courage, and numerous merits in these two years were all due to Long Yu’s mentorship.
Two years ago, Zhao Duo was just a small city guard. It was Long Yu who promoted him, brought him into the army, and allowed him to build up his military merits step by step, making him the famous vanguard general he became.
Xiao Cheng was Empress Dowager Wei’s man. Yet, Xiao Cheng openly recommended Zhao Duo to succeed as the commander of the army, which showed that Zhao Duo had been bought by Empress Dowager Wei.
The master valued him so much, he really was an ungrateful wretch.
Long Yi cursed in his heart.
At this moment, Zhao Duo was leading an army of thirty thousand, stationed at the border between the Great Chu Dynasty and the Rongdi. He was unaware of what was happening within the ranks.
Seeing the faint anger emerging on the faces of the Five Dragon Guards, the corner of Xiao Cheng’s mouth subtly lifted in a smile.
The Five Dragon Guards didn’t notice the faint smile at the corner of his mouth, but it caught the eye of Murong Qinjian.
Murong Qinjian swept a glance over him, lowered his eyelids, and began to ponder.
Long Yu was not really dead, he could confirm that now. Could it be that this old fox Xiao Cheng had also seen through Long Yu’s death and wanted to use the strategy of sowing discord to eliminate Zhao Duo?
Zhao Duo was just a small city guard before. Yet, he was noticed by Long Yu and promoted step by step, surely he wasn’t a traitorous, ungrateful person…
He still believed in Long Yu’s ability to judge people.
The more he thought about it, the more Murong Qinjian felt that Xiao Cheng, this old fox, had seen through Long Yu’s death and wanted to use the strategy of sowing discord to eliminate Zhao Duo.
Eliminating Zhao Duo would be equivalent to cutting off one of Long Yu’s arms, which would greatly benefit Empress Dowager Wei, who had always wanted to seize military power.
A short while later, the Five Dragon Guards placed the coffin of War King Long Yu in the camp. Xiao Cheng quickly wrote a report of the death and a recommendation for Zhao Duo, instructing the messenger to deliver the two messages to Xijing City of the Great Chu Dynasty at the fastest speed.
The messenger had just left the camp when he was kidnapped by a man in black with a covered face.
The news of the messages being intercepted halfway quickly reached Xiao Cheng’s ears.
Xiao Cheng’s confidant secretly entered Xiao Cheng’s tent to report: “Reporting to Inspector Xiao, the messenger you sent out was kidnapped just after leaving the camp, and the two letters for Xijing have been lost.”
“Lost, it’s good that they’re lost.”
Xiao Cheng wore a pleased smile, as if he had anticipated the loss of the two letters. In fact, he had been hoping for the two letters to be hijacked.
His confidant was stunned.
He didn’t understand why the Inspector was so happy when both letters for Xijing were lost.
“Sir, should we send someone to investigate?”
Xiao Cheng gave his confidant a glance and waved his hand, “No need to investigate, the ones who kidnapped the messenger must be the War King’s people.”
The confidant was even more puzzled, looking at Xiao Cheng in bewilderment, “The War King? Isn’t the War King already dead? Logically, the War King’s confidants should be grieving right now, how could they possibly kidnap a messenger?”
Xiao Cheng frowned, feeling that his confidant was too stupid.
“Do you think that the God of War of the Great Chu is easy to kill?”
If War King Long Yu was so easy to kill, the Empress Dowager wouldn’t have plotted for so long to seize military power.
Xiao Cheng’s words helped his confidant suddenly realize the truth.
“Sir, do you mean, the War King’s death was faked? But the person lying in the coffin…”
“The person in the coffin is naturally a fake.”
The disguise was so realistic that it almost fooled him. If it weren’t for the thought that War King Long Yu wouldn’t die so easily, he would have been deceived.
“Now that the War King’s people have kidnapped the messenger, there must be some action next. You go and keep an eye on Zhao Duo. If anything happens, report to me immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
The confidant took his orders and left.
An hour later, at the border between the Great Chu Dynasty and the Rongdi.
After reading the two letters written by Xiao Cheng, Zhao Duo’s face changed and he felt very relieved at the same time.
“General Zhao Duo thanks the lord for his trust.”
Kneeling on one knee, Zhao Duo clutched the letters in his hand as he gazed at the masked man before him. The figure stood tall, emanating an air of nobility.
Fortunately, the lord trusts him, otherwise…
Long Yu put down the tea cup, raised his hand, and said, “Get up.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
Zhao Duo got up, hesitated for a moment, and asked, “Lord, Xiao Cheng has already taken action. How should we respond next?”
The corner of Long Yu’s mouth raised, a cold smile appearing on his face.
Since Xiao Cheng wanted to play the game of sowing discord, he would play along. In this game, it’s not certain who would lose and who would win.
“Empress Dowager Wei and Xiao Cheng must have had their eyes on the command of the thirty thousand man army in your hands for a long time. Xiao Cheng’s recommendation of you as the commander is just to use my hand to get rid of you, let’s play along with his plan…”
Zhao Duo was a smart man and immediately understood Long Yu’s plan.
“I understand. I’m at your command.”
Half an hour later, the border camp was in chaos. A group of highly skilled men in black masks broke into the camp and assassinated vanguard general Zhao Duo. Zhao Duo was shot in the chest with an arrow, medical treatment was ineffective, and he died.
With his own eyes, Xiao Cheng’s planted man stationed at the border camp witnessed Zhao Duo being shot in the chest. Moments later, he observed the wounded Zhao Duo being carried into a tent, where the military doctor rushed in to administer treatment. Emerging from the tent, the doctor’s hands were stained crimson, and his somber expression revealed the news of the vanguard general’s demise.
Upon learning the news, he immediately reported it to Luo City.
Xiao Cheng’s confidant received the news and hurried into Xiao Cheng’s camp, “Sir, news from the border has arrived. A group of highly skilled men in black masks broke into the camp and Zhao Duo was assassinated. The border camp is now in chaos.”
A group of highly skilled men in black masks! They must be the War King’s people.
Hearing this, Xiao Cheng was overjoyed and quickly picked up a pen to write a letter.
With Zhao Duo assassinated and the border camp in chaos, it was the perfect opportunity to suggest to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager that someone should take over the thirty thousand troops at the border. Thinking that the thirty thousand troops in Zhao Duo’s hand were about to fall into the hands of Empress Dowager Wei, and that he had accomplished such a great feat, he would certainly be heavily used by the Empress Dowager; promotion and nobility were within reach. Xiao Cheng’s heart was pounding with excitement. He wrote quickly, finishing a letter recommending Zhang Ziwu, the Court Guard, to replace Zhao Duo’s position as the vanguard general.
Once the letter was written, he gave it to his confidant and instructed, “Take this letter to Xijing at an urgent speed of eight hundred li, and have the Emperor approve it.”
If he were late, War King Long Yu would definitely arrange his own confidant to replace Zhao Duo’s position as the vanguard general. If that happened, wouldn’t he have been busy for nothing?
“Yes, I’ll do it right away.”
……
However, this letter unknowingly fell into Long Yu’s hands.
Long Yu sat in Zhao Duo’s tent, looking at the letter in his hand, his mouth curled up with a satisfied smile.
“So it’s Court Guard Zhang Ziwu.”
Even though Empress Dowager Wei’s people were hidden deeply, they were still unearthed by him.
After Long Yu finished reading Xiao Cheng’s letter, Zhao Duo stood quietly for a moment, then asked, “Lord, how should we deal with Zhang Ziwu?”
“Kill.”
Holding the letter, a cold word came out of Long Yu’s mouth.
That old woman, Empress Dowager Wei, wants to seize military power, it won’t be that easy.
As soon as the secret guards stationed outside caught wind of the command to “kill,” they discreetly withdrew from their positions.
