Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 340 Regicide
The warriors raised their swords and began to charge.

Although the two men under Duan Shao were unarmed, they were able to rely on their agility to avoid the opponent's attacks and constantly circumvent the crowd.

Duan Shao walked up to Gao Wei step by step.

Gao Wei tried to dodge in panic. Several old scholars around him were kneeling not far away, trembling with fear. He looked around, but could not see any useful weapons, so he could only reach out to grab the inkstone.

As soon as he stretched out his hand, a strong hand grabbed his arm.

Gao Wei raised his head, and Duan Shao lifted him up, grabbing his neck with both hands, as if he was lifting a chicken.

Duan Shao is more of a commander, not a general who relies on personal bravery. However, not being known for his bravery does not mean he is weak.

For Gao Wei and other villains like him, it is not easy to kill the armored Duan Shao.

When Duan Shao started to strangle his neck and lift him into the air, Gao Wei felt fear.

He kicked his legs with great effort and began to cry, "I know I was wrong! I know I was wrong!! Please forgive me, Sima! Forgive me!!"

Duan Shao grabbed him, held him in his arms, and stared at the warriors angrily.

"Put down your weapons and kneel down!"

As his hands continued to exert force, Gao Wei also shouted, "Didn't you hear what Da Sima said?! Let go! Let go!!"

The warriors looked at Gao Wei hesitantly, not daring to move forward.

"Take away their weapons!"

Duan Shao gave the order again, and the two warriors who followed him came forward, snatched their weapons, and forced them to kneel on the ground.

Someone hurried out to call for help.

Lu Lingxuan sat on the ground in a daze. This sudden change frightened her and she didn't know what to do.

Within the scope permitted by the rules, Lu Lingxuan did an excellent job. By relying on the emperor and strengthening her own voice, she gained the support of many people in the court. However, this monster in the court did not follow the rules.

When the rules are no longer valid, the fight becomes nothing more than a pure physical collision and a fight between swords and knives.

But under this new rule, Lu Lingxuan no longer has any advantage.

She looked at Gao Wei, who was held by Duan Shao's neck, and hurriedly got up. She rushed forward and tore Gao Wei apart, trying to pull him out. "Da Sima, let go first, you first..."

Duan Shao raised his fist and hit her in the face. Lu Lingxuan could not withstand such a punch. She staggered and fell to the ground.

Looking at Lu Lingxuan who was lying on the ground, Duan Shao glanced at her and whispered, "Since you are wearing the official uniform of a minister, I will treat you the same way I would treat a minister."

Gao Wei was terrified at this moment.

The development of things was very different from what he expected.

That day, he saw the hesitant eyes of the soldiers, which made him have different thoughts. He did not listen to Lu Lingxuan's words. Liu Taozi was far away in the sky, while Duan Shao was right in front of him.

He immediately summoned his warriors to discuss the matter.

But whether it was Han Changluan, a brave warrior who was deeply favored by him, or Hou Lufen, who was promoted by him to the position of general, they were unwilling to take action against Duan Shao.

These soldiers, whom he trusted deeply, did not dare to attack Duan Shao, and even risked their lives to dissuade the emperor from this crazy idea.

The thought of killing Duan Shao in Jinyang is a bit terrifying.

Duan Shao is not Yuwen Hu. All the soldiers in Jinyang have fought with him and received his kindness. Whether he can kill him is another matter. Even if he kills him, will those people in the city let him go? I am afraid they will directly attack the palace in the name of revenge for the Grand Marshal?

What's more, in this world, except Duan Shao, who can stop Liu Taozi?

How stupid it is to kill Duan Shao!

But Gao Wei never cared about this.

He just resented these people for not wanting to listen to him, so he used those villains who were temporarily promoted to get rid of Duan Shao.

He originally wanted to assassinate Duan Shao, then frame someone else, and then appease the Jinyang army.

However, the development of things suddenly took a turn, and Duan Shao, who was over fifty years old, still maintained a good fighting ability.

He could only keep begging for mercy, "Da Sima, I was told to do this by others. It has nothing to do with me! It has nothing to do with me!"

Duan Shao exerted force with his hand again. Gao Wei was speechless, his face flushed, and he struggled hard.

The soldiers outside rushed into the hall.

The first one to rush in was the commander-in-chief of the imperial guards, Han Changluan.

Han Changluan showed considerable martial arts skills when he was young, and served as Gao Wei's bodyguard before he came to power.

Gao Wei thought highly of him, and when he came to power, he promoted him to be the commander-in-chief of the imperial guards, and then made him a king, and then a general of the army. Of course, everyone is a general of the army now.
He held a knife in his hand, looked at the held emperor, and couldn't help but look at Duan Shao, sweating profusely.

The emperor really did it?

He already knew this would be the result!

Seeing Han Changluan hesitate, Duan Shao frowned and shouted, "Ah Feng, do you dare to point your sword at me?!"

The sword in Han Changluan's hand immediately fell to the ground. Han Changluan's grandfather Han Xian was an old comrade-in-arms of Duan Shao, and his father Han Yi was once a subordinate of Duan Shao.

He dared neither to move forward nor to retreat.

But the number of soldiers behind him was increasing.

Duan Shao looked at them, "Ah Feng, go tell the generals in the country to come to the palace to discuss important matters!!"

Han Changluan hesitated, Duan Shao glanced at him again, and Han Changluan turned and left.

Gao Wei wanted to speak but his neck was pinched so tightly that it was difficult for him to breathe. He was about to die. Seeing that Gao Wei was about to die, Duan Shao loosened his grip slightly, allowing Gao Wei to gasp for breath. Once the tension had subsided, he tried again.

Her skirt was completely wet, and her whole body was constantly changing in the cycle of life and death.

When the noise outside became louder and louder, Duan Shao finally let him go, grabbed his shoulders, and dragged him out of the hall.

Outside the hall, two groups of soldiers were confronting each other.

The Imperial Guards and Duan Shao's personal soldiers were confronting each other. They had already drawn their weapons and were about to charge into battle.

After Duan Shao appeared, the leader of Duan Shao's personal soldiers breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly shouted: "Master! We have sent people to inform the generals! The palace has been surrounded!!"

After hearing these words, the imperial guards were obviously frightened and at a loss as to what to do.

Duan Shao didn't say anything either. He just stood at the highest point and looked coldly into the distance.

Soon, generals in armor rushed in from a distance, and more and more soldiers followed suit.

Their purpose was very clear, and they were running all the way towards where Duan Shao was.

Gao Wei was now in Duan Shao's hands. After going through the cycle just now, he no longer had any strength left. He was almost dragged by Duan Shao and couldn't even stand up.

The generals who came were all the brave generals of Jinyang. At a glance, they were all princes, the lowest of which were generals in command, and there were several generals alone.
She Diluo looked at Duan Shao who had captured the emperor excitedly, with a different kind of light flashing in his eyes.

He looked at the generals around him, and there was joy in their eyes.

They have been looking forward to this day for a long time, and it would be best if Duan Shao could take the lead for them.

Duan Shao grabbed Gao Wei's hand harder and harder, and Gao Wei cried out in pain.

Duan Shao then let him go and let him fall to the ground.

"Your Majesty is not virtuous enough to inherit the throne, and you are even less capable of fighting against the bandits. Today, I want to inform the Queen Mother and ask her to depose this ruler and establish a new one. What do you think, my officers and men?"

Everyone's eyes lit up, and they hurriedly shouted, "We are willing to obey the order of the Grand Marshal!!"

These warriors were very direct in their rebellion, without any need for any fancy tricks. Duan Shao did the same. He simply grabbed Gao Wei and, surrounded by many soldiers, walked towards the Queen Mother's bedroom.

The generals didn't care at all whether they were in the palace or not. They all wore armor and carried weapons, and all etiquette and laws were trampled underfoot.

When the Queen Mother, who was secretly debating Buddhism with the monks, learned that there was a "large army approaching", she was terrified.

She thought the plan had been exposed, so she hurriedly asked the monks to escape through the newly dug cave. She put on her clothes and led many female officials out to confront them.

When she hurried to the door, she saw Duan Shao holding the little emperor, followed by a large group of generals. Empress Dowager Hu was even more frightened, and trembled at the scene in front of her.

Duan Shao bowed gently to the Queen Mother.

"Queen Mother, I and the other generals have come here today for an important matter."

Empress Dowager Hu looked at the arrogant faces behind him and swallowed her saliva. "What important matter is the Grand Marshal here for?"

"The matter of dethroning and enthroning."

"Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, your words and deeds are not worthy of being called a monarch. Today, in the bedroom, you even tried to assassinate me. I don't know what crime I have committed to deserve being killed by Your Majesty. May I ask the Queen Mother whether I have committed any crime?"

Empress Dowager Hu hurriedly shook her head, "The Grand Marshal is innocent."

Duan Shao looked at Gao Wei who was standing beside him, "May I ask the Queen Mother, can Your Majesty succeed to the throne?!"

Empress Dowager Hu looked at her biological son. After the younger son was born, Empress Dowager Hu and Gao Zhan both favored their younger son, but this did not mean that Empress Dowager Hu did not like the eldest son.

However, during these days, the eldest son's attitude towards her became worse and worse, and her status in the harem was even worse than Lu Lingxuan's.

In order to please the emperor and consolidate her own position, Empress Dowager Hu even wanted to let her brother's daughter marry the emperor. As a result, the emperor favored the woman that Lu Lingxuan found for him, and Empress Dowager Hu's plan was once again dashed.

Looking once again at the son in front of her who had embarrassed her many times and forcibly taken power away from her, Empress Dowager Hu found that she didn't care much about his fate.

Between abolition and establishment, the only thing she cares about seems to be establishment.

“It cannot be inherited.”

"But he is the descendant of the late emperor after all."

Empress Dowager Hu gave her answer, and then added: "Langya Prince Gao Yan can do it."

Duan Shao nodded. He had no intention of supporting anyone else. Compared with Gao Wei, any other member of the royal family would be more suitable, and his younger brother, Prince of Langya Gao Yan, was also a good choice.

Although this child is still very young, he is very smart, loves reading, is polite to others, confident and cheerful, completely different from his brother.

Moreover, he is also the son of the late emperor and born to the empress dowager.

Duan Shao immediately asked the queen mother to issue an imperial decree.

Empress Dowager Hu was stunned.

She had participated in political changes in the past, but this was the first time she experienced such a brutal coup.

Logically speaking, shouldn't a few members of the royal family take the lead, first write to the empress dowager to tell her about the emperor's evil deeds, and then after enough letters have been received, summon the emperor to an audience, reprimand him for his mistakes, and then order the selection of a wise king, following the same process?

How could someone just rush in and depose an emperor and then install another one right after that? ?
However, the old Xianbei have always been impatient and don't like to make trouble. As long as it is done, it's fine.

The empress dowager didn't have time to react before she quickly issued two imperial edicts one after another.

Gao Wei was deposed just like that.

It happened so fast that even he himself couldn't react. None of the people he had randomly rewarded were able to stand up at this time.

Duan Shao looked into the distance and saw a man who looked very similar to him walking towards him quickly.

"Xiao Yan, take the deposed emperor to another palace first and keep him under strict guard."

Duan Xiaoyan is Duan Shao's younger brother. When he heard his brother's words, he immediately took the order and left with Gao Wei, followed by a group of people.

Duan Shao was not alone. His family was quite powerful. He had several strong younger brothers and many adult sons.

In addition to his marriage relations with the nobles, Duan Shao had some influence in Jinyang.

Afterwards, Duan Shao asked the empress dowager to issue an edict, asking all officials to come to the palace and inform them of this important event.

"Uh."

Gao Wei let out a muffled groan and was thrown to the ground.

He slowly raised his head, breathing heavily, and looked at Duan Xiaoyan who was standing in front of him.

Duan Xiaoyan is completely different from his brother.

Although they look similar, they are completely opposite both on the outside and on the inside.

Duan Xiaoyan used to be a good friend of Zu Ting.
He looks very dashing, and even when he is wearing armor, one can still see his frivolous nature. In terms of his behavior, he is a typical old Chinese, flattering, corrupt, accepting bribes, amassing wealth and occupying land.

He looked at Gao Wei sarcastically, waved his hand, and asked the soldiers to go out.

There were only two of them left in the room.

He opened his mouth and asked, "Your Majesty, ten days ago, I came to see you, and you pointed at me and cursed me, saying that the jade I presented was flawed, and you threw it on my head. I didn't expect that it would fall into my hands so soon."

Gao Wei recovered his breath and looked at Duan Xiaoyan angrily, "You are all traitors!"

"Rebellion!"

“Traitor!!”

Duan Xiaoyan listened to his abuse with a smile, nodding from time to time, "Your Majesty, you cursed well, very well."

"At the beginning, I persuaded my brother that the Jinyang army was in his hands, so why not depose the emperor and accomplish great things? But my brother refused and scolded me. Fortunately, you came to help and made my brother change his mind."

"so good."

Duan Xiaoyan slowly drew out his sword.

Seeing the other party draw his sword, Gao Wei's face showed fear again, "What do you want to do?! What do you want to do? Do you want to kill the king?!"

Duan Xiaoyan hesitated at this moment.

Gao Wei hurriedly said: "The Grand Marshal only asked you to watch me! He never asked you to kill me! If you commit regicide, the Grand Marshal will never forgive you!!"

Hearing this, Duan Xiaoyan took a deep breath and slowly walked in front of Gao Wei.

Gao Wei was so scared that he kept dodging backwards. His hands and feet were weak and he had no strength, so he could only crawl awkwardly. Duan Xiaoyan reached out and grabbed him, hesitated for a moment, and then stabbed the sword into Gao Wei's body with a trembling hand.

The sword was quite sharp and pierced Gao Wei's body from behind very smoothly.

Gao Wei felt a sharp pain and screamed.

Because of fear or excitement, Duan Xiaoyan's sword was not accurate and he didn't hit any vital parts at all.

Duan Xiaoyan pinned Gao Wei down with his knee and stabbed him again.

The little emperor screamed even louder and started crying.

“Mercy!! Mercy!!”

Duan Xiaoyan stabbed Gao Wei several times, and Gao Wei's back was almost broken. The sword in his hand fell twice.

After an unknown amount of time, Gao Wei's screams like a pig being slaughtered finally weakened and gradually disappeared.

Duan Xiaoyan stood up trembling and sniffed.

Gao Wei was lying on the ground, dead, with blood all around him like a river.

Duan Xiaoyan took a deep breath and walked to the door carefully.

"Bring me new clothes, water, and cloth."

After wiping his own body and the emperor's body, Duan Xiaoyan placed Gao Wei on the bed and walked out quickly.

The soldier at the door stared at Duan Xiaoyan with a complicated expression, seeming to want to say something but stopping himself.

Duan Xiaoyan waved his hand, "He's asleep! Don't bother him these days! Let him sleep peacefully!!"

"only!!!"

The strong smell of blood gathered at the door and would not dissipate.

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(End of this chapter)