Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 833 Capture
Upon hearing the general's words, the King of Qin wanted to rebuke him, but ultimately suppressed his rising anger.

Having served the emperor for a long time, he knew how the emperor won over his officials. So, in private, he also pretended to be kind and gentle. The officials who followed him often said these days that he was the most like the emperor, and if the emperor made a decision, he would undoubtedly make him the heir.

These words were even written into the manifesto.

Therefore, he cannot expose all of this before he has taken that position.

"What do you all think we should do now?"

The officials looked at each other. In the past few days, they had been rehearsing tactics and had all anticipated that the battle would take place after the bridge was crossed. Who knew that problems would arise so quickly?

“Your Highness,” a trusted aide to the King of Qin said, “we don’t have many troops left, so we can’t act rashly.”

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

When it comes to the crucial moment, no one wants to go forward and die. Civil officials of the Great Liang Dynasty can command military generals, but they must never risk their lives on the front lines, and this is the case now as well.

"Why don't we protect the prince and leave first?"

Once one person started speaking, the others followed suit.

"Whether we win or lose a battle is irrelevant; our priority is to protect the prince."

"The safety of the prince is a matter of national importance, and we cannot be careless."

"Even if we want to help, we should at least wait until dawn to figure out the situation before making a decision."

"With so many troops, including military generals like the Duke of Wei and the Marquis of Changyuan, there shouldn't be any major problems. If we go forward recklessly, we might cause trouble."

Surprisingly, not a single one of the many officials around him stood up to oppose him.

The King of Qin breathed a sigh of relief, but a chill ran through him. If something really happened, could he still rely on these people to risk their lives for him? In any case, at least one of the Duke of Wei or the Marquis of Changyuan had to return.

The King of Qin frowned and hesitated.

Seeing this, the others tried to persuade him again.

"Your Highness, the greater good is at stake."

The King of Qin then sighed, "Then let's take cover for now."

Without further delay, the King of Qin immediately mounted his horse and had someone escort him forward.

They are safer the farther they are from the battlefield.

Behind him were the sounds of battle, but ahead lay a smooth road. The King of Qin kept urging his horse on, and seeing that he was about to leave his army behind, he felt much more at ease.

As dawn broke and the surroundings became clearer, the King of Qin reined in his horse, took a breath, and casually instructed his men, "Go ahead and scout out the situation. Don't..."

Avoid encountering anyone from the imperial court.

Before the King of Qin could finish speaking, a cloud of dust was kicked up on the official road.

The general who was following him immediately changed his expression and hurriedly ordered his soldiers to step forward and protect the King of Qin in the middle. Sure enough, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar.

The King of Qin felt his legs go weak, and when he tried to turn back, it was clearly too late.

"Quickly, archers!"

The archers in front drew their longbows, and the general stared intently at the troops until... until he saw the large "Zeng" banner. The general was overjoyed and felt like crying tears of joy.

"Could it be the Zeng family army of Marquis Changyuan?"

He didn't know which military general in the imperial court with the surname Zeng could still fly such a large banner.

Hope rekindled in the King of Qin's eyes. Marquis Changyuan couldn't be here, but... there was another member of the Zeng family who would also lead troops, namely the wounded Zeng Jiqing.

"He is the heir of the Marquis of Changyuan."

The general recognized him.

Hearing this, everyone's faces lit up with joy. Zeng Jiqing's arrival was perfectly timed; with these troops, the King of Qin would be safer, and even if pursuers came, they could handle them.

"Put down your bows and arrows," the general ordered. "They're on our side."

After speaking, the general spurred his horse forward, intending to explain things to Zeng Jiqing.

"Your Highness!" the general shouted, "Prince Qin is here..."

The Zeng family's cavalry did not stop. Zeng Jiqing, at the forefront, carried an iron spear, and the hooves of his horse seemed to be moving even faster than a sudden downpour.

The general thought Zeng Jiqing hadn't heard him, so he turned to his soldiers and ordered, "Where is Prince Qin's banner? Quickly, raise it!"

The soldiers rushed to retrieve the hidden banner, but before it was fully unfurled, they heard a whooshing sound, and the next moment, a spray of blood splattered over, landing right on the banner.

The soldier looked up in a daze, only to find that the general beside him had been pierced through the chest by a spear that had been thrown at him.

The general stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief, until he fell from his horse, and the surrounding soldiers were still not fully recovered.

The King of Qin also witnessed this. He opened his mouth wide, his mind a complete blank, as if in a dream.

This is indeed Zeng Jiqing.

But...why did Zeng Jiqing kill his people?
The enormous changes even gave him a sliver of hope that it was all a misunderstanding, but Zeng Jiqing shattered his illusions the next moment.

Zeng Jiqing looked at the Prince of Qin: "The evidence of the Prince of Qin's treason is conclusive. By order of the Emperor, the Prince of Qin and his party shall be escorted to the capital. Anyone who resists arrest with weapons shall be killed without exception."

Before anyone could react, Zeng Jiqing took the long sword handed to him by his deputy and slashed at the soldiers in front of him.

In a matter of moments, the archers fell one after another, and those who were not dead dropped their longbows and scrambled to avoid them.

"Prince Qin, Prince Qin."

The guards pulled the King of Qin's horse backward. It was already too late before, and now Zeng Jiqing was right in front of them. How could they possibly have a chance to escape? In just a moment, they were blocked by the cavalry brought by Zeng Jiqing.

"Young Master Zeng...you must be mistaken. Even Marquis Changyuan knows that the Prince of Qin was framed. The Empress Dowager and Wang Bingchen forged an edict to establish the Prince of Huai...they..."

Zeng Jiqing said coldly, "My father has always been loyal to the Emperor and has never served any rebels or traitors. Perhaps the Duke of Wei has already been brought to justice."

The officials were even more panicked, and only now did they fully realize that the chaos just now was related to Marquis Changyuan.

But everything is too late.

"What do you want?" King Qin feigned composure. "We can discuss this properly."

Zeng Jiqing said, "The only thing the Prince of Qin could offer from beginning to end was your head. In fact, even your head... was given to us, father and son, by the Commander-in-Chief."

After saying that, Zeng Jiqing looked around and said, "Your second son is not here. It seems that if you die, the master will support your son. So to the master, you are just a pawn."

Before the King of Qin could think about his master, he heard his guards shout, "Fight your way out for the King of Qin!"

However, apart from the troops brought by the Prince's mansion, the rest of the people showed no intention of fighting.

Upon seeing these officials who were practically paralyzed with fear, Zeng Jiqing immediately lost interest in taking action himself. He waved his hand and said, "Take them down."

As soon as he finished speaking, the King of Qin's banner was thrown to the ground, and then the soldiers knelt down to surrender.

Zeng Jiqing almost spat. Sure enough, among this so-called rebel army, the King of Qin was just a worm, while the real dragons and snakes were the Duke of Wei and the mastermind hiding behind the scenes.

……

Across the river, the Duke of Wei had already seen through the battle situation, but unfortunately, he was powerless to reverse it at the moment.

In fact, to turn the tide, they should join forces with the rear army, eliminate Marquis Changyuan first, and then face the imperial court. However, Wang Yan had gone to great lengths to lure him here, so he must be here to trap him.

really.

A scout rushed in to report: "My lord, the imperial army has surrounded us."

(End of this chapter)