My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 115: Impressive Effects
"Huang Jizhong is so bold that he turns a deaf ear to the king's words. He deserves to die." Chu Licuo, who had seen many pigs running and knew their own business, watched Xiang Chang with awe in his eyes. He approached carefully and said with great resentment.

Xiang Chang's nose twitched, his brows furrowed, he stepped sideways away from him and ignored him.

It must be said that Xiang Chang's series of slaps just now were very effective. They really opened the eyes of the Grand Marshal Chu Licuo. He shamelessly took another step closer, tilted his increasingly swollen lips, and whispered:

"Don't worry, my lord. When I get back, I will report Huang Jizhong's crimes to the king and make sure he is severely punished."

Faced with Chu Licuo's deliberate show of goodwill, Xiang Chang's expression finally softened. He patted him on the shoulder and said a few words of thanks in a neutral tone. For a moment, Chu Licuo, the Grand Marshal, felt as if all his bones had become lighter and he felt very honored.

Chu Licuo immediately felt something was wrong, and a strange feeling arose in his heart: This guy is so weird, I was obviously the one who took the initiative to lick him, and I received a few words of praise from him, why am I still so excited?
"Where is the Grand Sima? I want to see the Grand Sima? I am a servant of the Grand Sima family..." Several servants dressed as guards, covered in blood and wounds, rushed in in panic like frightened children, shouting around like headless flies.

The guards behind Chu Li Cuo were shocked when they saw what had happened. These slaves were all servants in Chu Li Cuo's mansion. They didn't know what had happened, so they hurried forward to pick them up and led them to Chu Li Cuo.

"Grand Marshal, it's over, it's all over. Last night, thousands of thugs broke into the mansion and killed everyone in the family. The brothers fought desperately, but they were outnumbered and most of them were killed. Only a few of us escaped. Hurry and report to you."

"Sir, the guys died tragically. You must avenge them."

"That's right, sir. Your mother, wives, concubines, children, not a single one is left alive. They are all killed."

……

When Grand Marshal Chu Licuo heard this, it was as if a thunder exploded above his head. His eyes turned black, his body swayed, and he fell limply to the ground.

Zhuang Rong hurriedly ordered servants to rub his chest, wipe his face, and give him wine. After working for quite some time, they finally made the unconscious Sima Chu Chongcuo wake up again.

"My dear mother, my children, and my concubines... wuwuwu..." It can be seen here that Chu Licuo was a civil official rather than a military general after all. When he woke up, he did not immediately ask who did it and rush to take revenge. Instead, he collapsed on the ground, kicking his legs and rolling around, crying with tears streaming down his face and snot bubbles coming out.

Xiang Chang frowned. It was not a good idea to see him continue crying like this. He could not stop doing serious things because of being too sad. He coughed, stepped forward and said solemnly: "Grand Sima, please accept my condolences. Now is not the time to cry bitterly. The most urgent task is to find out who is the culprit and capture him as quickly as possible. Then, cut him into pieces to comfort the souls of your family in heaven."

When Chu Licuo heard this, he felt it made a lot of sense. However, he suddenly thought of something and his body shuddered. He looked up abruptly and stared at Xiang Chang with fierce and frightened eyes.

Xiang Chang sneered, "You doubt me? You are really obsessed. Huang Jizhong surrendered to the Han camp and had reasons to die, so I taught him a lesson. As for you, the Grand Marshal, we have no grudges in the past or in the present, so why do you have to do this? Besides, wouldn't it be better if I just cut you with my sword?"

"Well, it certainly wasn't you." After hearing Xiang Chang's reasonable words, Chu Licuo's expression softened. He muttered to himself and turned to look at the guards who had escaped. "Who did it? Do you know?"

The guard knelt on the ground, slammed his forehead on the ground, and cried bitterly: "Sir, it is the private army of General Huang Jizhong. Although they are disguised, with black scarves covering their faces and black armor, there are a few of them that I am very familiar with. They are undoubtedly the guards of General Huang Jizhong's mansion."

"Huang Jizhong? I have no grudge against him in the past or present, why did he suddenly wipe out my entire family?" Chu Licuo's eyes widened, revealing a look of unexpected horror and anger.

Xiang Chang reminded softly, "Is it possible that seeing that you, the Great Sima, were close to the envoys of the Great Chu, drinking and eating lamb together, flirting and being intimate, they concluded that the Great Sima had defected to the Great Chu and that he was involved in the extermination of his entire family, and therefore..."

"I didn't! When did I have an affair with you? I came to see you on the order of the king. What's between you and me is pure and clean. How could that bastard Huang Jizhong think that way?" Chu Licuo jumped up and shouted as if he was bitten by a snake.

"A man whose entire family has been wiped out is so grief-stricken that he seems insane. His actions cannot be judged by common sense." Xiang Chang knocked on the corner, patiently and attentively helped Sima Chu Licuo to recognize the cruel reality in the shortest possible time and accept the brutal truth that General Huang Jizhong was his enemy.

Thinking about what Huang Baher said to him when he came to attack him, although he was not sure what misunderstanding had occurred, it was certain that Huang Jizhong had slaughtered his entire family. In that case, he could not just give up.

Chu Licuo slowly got up, without washing, and with his face covered with snot and tears, like a wooden chicken, he returned to the mansion in a daze with the support of several family guards who had escaped.

"Zhuang Rong Dianke, quickly ask Captain Meng Xia to send someone to protect the safety of the Grand Marshal. The Grand Marshal's entire family has been killed, so we can't let anything happen to him, otherwise who will avenge the family's blood feud?" Xiang Chang ordered with a kind look on his face.

Watching the Grand Marshal walking out of the courtyard in a miserable state, Zhuang Rong stroked his chin and said with a smile, "There will be something interesting to watch next. But our Grand Marshal is powerless and does not have a large number of soldiers to deploy. It will be difficult for him to find trouble with Huang Jizhong and avenge the whole family."

Xiang Chang shook his head and said coldly: "It's not difficult. The power of the Grand Marshal does not lie in his own bravery or in his control of the army, but in his deep trust in King Linjiang. If you want to take revenge, just seize this point."

Zhuang Rong became more excited after hearing this: "In your opinion, will the king agree to the Grand Marshal's request to eliminate the great general Huang Jizhong and avenge him?"

Xiang Chang smiled and said leisurely: "Our King Linjiang is very good at giving explanations."

"Young Master..." Tonight seemed destined to be a sleepless night of troubles. Another young man dressed as a servant came running from the gate of the courtyard. He seemed to have come a very long way. His hair was soaked with sweat. His heavy breathing did not allow him to calm down. He whispered quickly in Xiang Chang's ear.

When Xiang Chang heard this, his eyebrows raised and his expression changed drastically.

The general's residence.

In the main hall which had just been cleaned after someone died, General Huang Jizhong, dressed in a brocade robe, sat in the first seat, calm and motionless.

His face was not clearly visible in the dim light, but he looked very handsome, with the majestic demeanor of a general leading a large army and commanding all the troops to obey. However, if you look closely, you will find that his eyes are slightly closed, his breathing is even and long, and he has fallen asleep.

During the day, he was nervous as he planned traps and ambushes. He was filled with grief over the massacre of his entire family. He was also planning a conspiracy to carry out cruel revenge... The general's emotions fluctuated greatly that day. His life was more colorful than the entire first half of his life combined. Although he was strong enough not to go crazy, he could no longer hold on late at night. Fatigue surged up and he could not help but fall asleep.

He was having a great rest. In the dimly lit and dark main hall, more than a dozen nobles of Linjiang Kingdom, big and small, who were invited by Huang Jizhong, sat there like stupid geese, silent and not daring to fart.

They had come to pay their respects during the day and had expressed their deep sorrow for the general's misfortune. As for the general's invitation at night, all the nobles instinctively did not want to come. However, the soldiers sent by the general to invite them politely had harsh words and even harsher swords and spears in their hands, leaving them no choice but to be half-forced and half-invited one by one.

After arriving, they were arranged to sit in the main hall, far away from each other. The general in the upper position was majestic and silent. In the empty hall, everyone had nothing but a mat. It was inexplicably weird, and all the nobles did not dare to act rashly. They sat there like statues of gods in the country.

Finally, the general moved slightly and woke up from his long nap. He turned around and looked at the dozen or so statues sitting in the hall. He suddenly remembered why he had invited them here, and then endless grief and hatred surged in his heart again.

"My children, my mother, you don't have to wait much longer. The hearts and heads of our enemies will soon be offered as sacrifices in front of your coffins." Huang Jizhong muttered to himself.

"Boom!"

The main hall door was heavily pushed open from the outside, and Luo Dian, the Lieutenant General, wrapped in armor and filled with a strong smell of blood, strode in under the dim light. His huge figure swayed around like a dancing mountain ghost.

The general sat up straight and looked at Luo Dian with a hint of nervousness in his eyes.

"Sir, everything went well. All the members of Grand Marshal Chu Licuo's family were slaughtered, and only a few clever guards escaped." Luo Dian Zhonglang Jiang whispered in Huang Jizhong's ear.

Huang Jizhong looked excited and said decisively: "Very good! Well done. Did you bring back all the heads?"

"Master Shusun Tong has already started to place the coffin in the backyard, waiting for you to come over and pay your respects."

The general was even more satisfied, his eyes reddened, and he immediately stood up and left. After walking a few steps, he seemed to remember something, and asked casually in a low voice: "The resistance in Chu Licuo's mansion was fierce, right? Were they prepared in advance? How many casualties did we suffer?"

Luo Dian looked at him in surprise, "There was no defense. I led the family soldiers to raid in. Except for a few guards on duty, everyone else in Chu Licuo's mansion was fast asleep. It can be said that it went very smoothly. Many people lost their lives in their sleep. Only three of the six hundred soldiers I led died and more than twenty were injured, which is negligible."

Huang Jizhong stopped in his tracks. After being comforted by sleep, his grief and hatred were not as strong as they were during the day. His clear mind gradually regained its footing. At this moment, he finally realized that something was wrong. Thinking back to the evidence that Shusun Tong had collected during the day, a conspiracy called "fraud" came to him.

"It's over. I've fallen into that kid's trap again." Huang Jizhong's face was filled with resentment and he slapped his thigh hard.

Shusun Tong then arranged the offerings and came to ask General Huang Jizhong to offer sacrifices. Seeing Huang Jizhong's expression, he knew that he had thought it through completely.

"You old thief, are you so loyal to Liu Bang? I will not stop until you force him to rebel against me." Huang Jizhong turned his head, glared at Shusun Tong, and cursed him viciously.

Shusun Tong refused to admit it. He shrugged and spread his hands, looking appropriately surprised: "Could it be that the wrong person was killed? If it wasn't Chu Licuo who did it, who else could it be?"

"Besides the king, there are only three people in Jiangling City who can conceal nearly a thousand fierce soldiers from entering Jiangling City without anyone noticing. It's not me, nor is it Chu Licuo. There is only one person left - Great Pillar State Bo Pi!" Huang Jizhong spoke word by word, and at the end, his words were as cold and sharp as a sword that chooses its target to kill.

"Bo Pi has always been low-key, how could he get involved in such muddy water?" Shusun Tong frowned.

Huang Jizhong ignored Shusun Tong's question and turned to the nobles who were invited to testify in the hall and asked loudly: "Has anyone of you visited the Great Pillar State Bo Pi recently?"

Feng Changlicai, the head of the Nine Ministers and in charge of sacrificial affairs, stood up and bowed, saying, "In recent days, the gates of the Great Pillar State's mansion have been kept closed. All those who went to pay their respects were persuaded to leave because Bo Pi was ill."

"Are you okay? You're really like a barking dog." Huang Jizhong gritted his teeth, his eyes ferocious.

"Sir, you mean that it was Xiang Chang who joined forces with the Great Pillar State Bo Pi, not the Great Marshal Chu Licuo, who wiped out our entire family?" Luo Dian was shocked and angry, and then said, "In that case, what are we waiting for? I will immediately go to the Great Pillar State's mansion and kill his entire family."

Huang Jizhong's face was pale and full of pain. He shook his hands and murmured, "It's too late... My poor Huang Baer..."

Shusun Tong and Luo Dian were shocked and understood instantly that if all this was deliberately framed by Xiang Chang, then the guesthouse where he was staying must have been turned into a dangerous place by him. Huang Baer's rashness in rushing in like this was like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth, seeking his own death, wasn't he?

Luo Dian still held on to a glimmer of hope: "My Lord, have you already convinced Meng Xia? With Meng Xia's support, even if Xiang Chang cannot be killed, his life will not be in danger."

After experiencing the shock of his entire family dying in broad daylight, and now the possibility that his only surviving son might also meet with an accident, Huang Jizhong miraculously found that he actually had no extra sadness to give, and could actually remain sober and rational. He shook his head and sighed: "If I can convince Meng Xia, why can't Xiang Chang do it?"

"Then what are you waiting for, sir? First, rush to the guesthouse and kill Xiang Chang's son, then kill everyone at Bo Pi's mansion and avenge Huang Baer and his whole family."

"We are indeed going to kill them, but we are not going to kill them in these two places. Meng Xia is leading thousands of soldiers to protect the guesthouse. The gate of Bo Pi's mansion has been unusually closed recently. No one is seen. We are afraid that the soldiers of the Great Chu are hiding inside, waiting for us to kill them." Huang Jizhong said in a dark tone, "Since the arrival of Xiang Chang, we have been at a disadvantage. The reason is that we have fallen into his calculations. Therefore, we can't let him lead us by the nose in the next 'killing'. We have to do the opposite."

When Luo Dian and Shusun Tong heard it, they both thought it made sense.

Shusun Tong's small eyes shone brightly: "In your opinion, General, where should we choose to attack?"

"Bo Pi has a manor several dozen miles east of Jiangling City. Ten days ago, I saw his eldest son, Bo Li, driving a carriage, escorting his mother and sister, Bo Yan, saying they were going to autumn hunting. I was confused at the time, but now it seems that they have settled their family in the manor in advance to facilitate work in the city. Since the Yingbin Mansion and the Dazhuguo Mansion have become dangerous tiger dens, let's go straight to the Bo family manor and let Bo Pi also have a taste of the old and the young being slaughtered."

When Huang Jizhong finished speaking, murderous aura rose up like a substance, and he strode out of the hall like a ferocious monster.

Since Huang Baher's surprise attack on the guesthouse was doomed to fail, he was probably dead now. These nobles who were invited to prove their innocence were no longer valuable and were abandoned in the mansion by Huang Jizhong and no longer cared about.

(End of this chapter)