The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 327 Chang'an Toast: Farewell, Pang Nuan
Early spring in Handan city is almost as cold and chilly as that in Xianyang.

The moonlight poured down like water on the bluestone-paved streets, and the city of Handan, which had no curfew, was crowded with women.

Pang Nuan pushed open the wooden door of the tavern, and a gust of cold wind mixed with frost and snow blew into the room, causing him to tighten his fox fur coat.

The old man is nearly 80 years old, and his temples are already gray.

Although he has not been a general for many years, his eagle-like sharp eyes are still bright and lively.

After the Shaqiu Palace Rebellion, several Zhao generals who had followed King Wuling of Zhao in his campaigns and gained fame in the battles left the Zhao court.

Ju Xin and Pang Nuan are among the best.

"General, you want to go back home so late? Why don't you rest here for a night?" The owner of the tavern chased him out of the door and respectfully handed him a cup of warm millet wine.

The owner of the tavern is called Feng.

It was very windy on the day his mother gave birth to him, hence the name.

In his early years, Feng served as a soldier under Pang Nuan, and was highly valued by Pang Nuan and was promoted to the rank of colonel.

When Pang Nuan left, he left with Pang Nuan.

There is definitely an emotional component to this, but more importantly, even if he didn't leave, he would still be liquidated.

There were no military merit titles in the State of Zhao, and the appointment and dismissal of officials were all decided by the people above. The rights and interests of the Zhao soldiers who had fought bravely were not protected.

General is the title used when leading troops to fight outside. Not to mention Pang Nuan, even Li Mu and Lian Po who returned to Handan were not generals.

Feng always called Pang Nuan "General" in private.

To put it in a nice way, there is no general who doesn't like to be called a general.

He also hoped that one day this title would come true, and the general he mentioned would really become a general, and would take him back to the battlefield and appoint him as a captain.

Don't be fooled by the fact that he now owns a tavern, as if he has a family business.

If Pang Nuan had not come here frequently over the years and put his own label on this tavern, Feng's family business would have gone bankrupt long ago.

In the land of Qin and Zhao, the merchants were the lowliest.

Pang Nuan took the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. He sighed with satisfaction, patted his old subordinate on the shoulder, and said with a smile:
“No rest.

"Li Mu recommended me. I will go back to check the intelligence on this birdman Ju Xin and see how he has been fighting recently."

"Really?" Feng was overjoyed, his no longer young face showing the youthful vigor: "General, if you really want to fight Yan, don't forget me!"

"Even if we don't fight, I won't forget you." Pang Nuan laughed and pushed him gently: "Go back and wait for me to call you. Don't be reluctant to leave this tavern when the time comes!"

"General Feng is waiting!" Feng Lian took two steps back and stood at the door of the tavern, shouting loudly, with the corners of his mouth raised so high for the first time in more than 20 years.

Pang Nuan didn't look back, but raised his hands above his head and waved them vigorously.

When the old man moved, the sword at his waist collided with his armor, making a crisp metallic sound.

Four bow-legged pedestrians walked around the old man, in front, behind, and on both sides, with their hands always on the hilt of the sword.

They were Zhao border soldiers dressed as pedestrians and were the most elite personal soldiers under Li Mu. Their horsemanship was as good as that of the Hu people, but their bow legs were a problem caused by being on horseback for many years.

Pang Nuan smiled and didn't take it seriously, thinking that this was really unnecessary.

He has been out of office for many years.

Apart from Li Mu, who didn't know why he was remembered, who else would remember him? Who would attack an old immortal who was useless? His name was not Lian Po.

Li Ji is really a person who is meddling in other people's affairs!
It would have been fine if he had to wear armor when traveling, but he also specially transferred four of the best soldiers from Li Mu to serve as his personal soldiers to protect his safety.

These four elite horses fell to the ground, what a waste of their two legs!

Like most military generals, Pang Nuan did not like Li Mu's father, Li Ji, a civil servant who had never been on the battlefield.

But this time Li Ji had good intentions.

The old man was not ungrateful, and having just been recommended by Li Ji's son Li Mu, he thanked him for the kindness.

The old man, who didn't like traveling by car, walked a hundred steps or so and his heartbeat inexplicably quickened. His sense of danger from the battlefield decades ago had not yet completely degenerated.

He frowned slightly and looked around, but found nothing unusual.

So, the old man who had lived freely for decades did not believe his own perception and secretly laughed at himself for being frightened by Li Ji.

"Be alert!" The border soldier who was walking in front of him and pretending to be a pedestrian suddenly shouted without caring about being exposed.

Pang Nuan, who had lived in comfort for decades, doubted himself, but the border soldier who had just come off the battlefield did not doubt himself at all.

"Gather!" The border soldier behind Pang Nuan was the leader of the four soldiers and gave the order in a deep voice.

He didn't smell any danger, but he absolutely trusted his comrades.

Before they could make any move, a piece of silver snow fell rapidly from the top of the wall, casting a thick shadow on both sides.

The pupils of the soldier on the left suddenly shrank, and before his brain could react, he had already drawn his sword and slashed.

There's no way the snow could be falling that fast!
With a light "ding" sound, Zhao Jian hit something and made a metallic sound.

It definitely can’t be snow!

"There's an ambush!" shouted the personal soldier who accurately shot down the unknown hidden weapon.

Almost at the same time, several black shadows jumped down from the wall, and the weapons with flashing cold light went straight for Pang Nuan's vital points.

The personal soldiers quickly retreated and formed a battle formation, intending to protect Pang Nuan.

But the assassins were obviously well-trained and worked in pairs with perfect coordination.

Just as the front soldier blocked the frontal attack, the assassin who was originally running towards Pang Nuan on the side suddenly turned around and stabbed with a dagger, directly piercing the throat of the front soldier from the side.

The elite Zhao cavalry, who were able to compete with the Hu people on horseback and not be at a disadvantage, were just average on foot.

Blood splattered on the bluestone slabs, appearing an eerie dark red in the moonlight.

Pang Nuan, who was slow to react, finally reacted, drew his sword from its sheath, and with sharp sword skills, he went straight for the throat of the murderous assassin, showing his simple battlefield skills.

The murderous assassin fell backwards strangely, and a hidden arrow shot out from his sleeve.

Pang Nuan dodged by turning his head to the side, and the arrow just grazed his cheek, leaving a trail of blood.

His attack did not stop, he continued to thrust forward with his sword without any pause.

There is no leverage in the air, you can twist your body, but it is absolutely impossible to avoid it completely!
Blood splattered twice, and blood gushed out of the killer's throat.

He who kills others will be killed.

The assassin holding the double blades in front of him saw no companions, only Pang Nuan.

The double-edged dagger in his hand was like a poisonous snake spitting out its tongue, attacking Pang Nuan with every move being deadly.

Pang Nuan fought with him for several rounds and killed the assassin at the cost of blood gushing from his forehead.

His face was solemn. He raised his sleeve to wipe his forehead to prevent blood from getting into his eyes, and then joined the battle again.

The old man knew it clearly.

This is not an ordinary assassin, but a death warrior. Ordinary people in the martial arts world would not act so decisively.

It is not common for people in the underworld to exchange injuries for injuries, let alone exchange lives for injuries.

The first assassin the old man killed was evasive.

The second assassin, however, was able to dodge the deadly sword and instead of dodging, he was about to chop off the old man’s head!

The two sides fought fiercely. In a blink of an eye, three of the four personal soldiers had fallen, leaving only one who leaned against Pang Nuan, struggling to hold on.

Pang Nuan suffered heavy casualties, and the assassins suffered even more.

Eight of the eleven assassins died using the life-for-life strategy, leaving only three.

The remaining three people still fought for their lives.

Pang Nuan killed another assassin at the cost of a deep cut on his left arm that exposed the bone.

"Pang Gong, run away!" The last personal soldier suddenly jumped up, hugged an assassin at the cost of being stabbed through the chest, and stabbed another assassin in the lower abdomen with his long sword.

Two assassins, one dead and one being embraced, and there is still one assassin.

The last remaining assassin approached quickly with a sharp blade in his hand, with only death in his eyes.

The target will die, and so will he.

Pang Nuan did not advance rashly, but retreated repeatedly. He had heard the shouts of reinforcements. "How dare you, thief!" The wind came.

The assassin's eyes were filled with anxiety and he ran quickly, leaving his defenseless body wide open.

Pang Nuan, who had been retreating, suddenly rushed forward and stabbed the assassin in the abdomen with a sword!
The old man was like a ferocious tiger. He rushed towards the assassin with his aged body. The powerful force pushed the assassin flying five or six steps and crashing into the wall.

The old man kicked the dagger out of the assassin's hand and shouted:

"Tell me! Who sent you here?"

The assassin had an ordinary face and a strange smile in his eyes.

"Kill...kill...kill Pang Nuan." The assassin spoke intermittently, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, and he shouted at the end: "Jinzhong!"

"Jin, you bastard! Who sent you here?" Pang Nuan was furious and slapped the assassin in the face. The dull and loud slap sounded painful.

The slap caused the assassin's face to tilt to the left and he spat out a mouthful of black blood.

When Pang Nuan saw this, his face darkened.

These assassins actually took poison when they arrived!

Knowing that time was running out, the old man looked grim and twisted the long sword that was stuck in the assassin's flesh.

The meat turned into scraps and the blood turned into lines.

The dying assassin screamed, but it couldn't cover up the old man's questioning:

"Hurry up and tell me! Tell me!"

The long sword minced the flesh, causing unbearable pain.

"It's your mother!" the assassin cursed, "It's your father!"

A moment.

"General!" When Feng arrived with the servants from the shop, he saw Pang Nuan standing with his head held high, his sword stuck in the body of an assassin, and corpses lying all around him.

"Thank goodness!" Feng Da took a breath and said, "The general is fine."

Before he could finish his words, the general he was talking about collapsed like a golden mountain or a jade pillar and fell to the ground.

"General!" Feng rushed forward like the wind and picked up Pang Nuan.

When he saw the general's purple-black face, he was shocked and sad, and ran to the nearest clinic with the general in his arms.

"People from the Qin State." Pang Nuan raised his head with difficulty, coughed out a mouthful of black blood that was the same as the assassin's, and shouted with his last bit of strength: "Take me into the palace! I want to see the king!"

The old man finally understood the assassin's last look and last words.

An assassin does not exchange life for injury, but life for life.

The blade is poisonous.

The Zhao State's Imperial Medical Bureau urgently sent an old man in armor.

Pang Nuan, a veteran general who had been out of office for many years, had just returned to the Zhao court because of the recommendation of General Li Mu.

The old man had fought many battles, his blood and energy were running wild, and he had been delayed on the road for so long that the poison had spread throughout his body.

All the doctors of Zhao State, under the leadership of the Chief Physician, expressed their opinions and tried every possible method, but they were still powerless to save the patient.

They could only delay the onset of the poison temporarily to give the veteran time to complete his final words.

The old general did not leave any last words and wanted to see the king.

Upon hearing the news, Prince Yan of Zhao rushed there overnight, and important officials such as Li Ji and Guo Kai gathered in the Imperial Medical Bureau.

"Investigate! Investigate it thoroughly for me!" King Yan of Zhao was so furious that he was shaking with anger.

He hasn't even gotten familiar with the name Pang Nuan in his mind yet, and Pang Nuan is about to die?
Who did it?

What are you doing!
Although he had always been hesitant about whether Pang Nuan was old and qualified to be a general as Li Mu said.

But who dared to make the decision for him! How dared to kill Pang Nuan right under his nose!

King Yan of Zhao was filled with murderous intent and looked among the important officials of Zhao State who had been summoned.

Only those present knew that Li Mu recommended Pang Nuan, and the murderer must be hiding among them!
Pang Nuan, who was lying on the bed, seemed to be aware of something and opened his eyes with difficulty.

Seeing that it was Zhao Wangyan, Pang Nuan, whose head was confused, suddenly regained consciousness and called out weakly:
"Kings."

"Pang Gong!" King Yan of Zhao squatted down and held the old general's hand.

The old general took in the extremely angry face of King Zhao Yan and felt relieved.

It’s no wonder that he didn’t call his offspring “king” but “king” when he died.

"Before the assassin died, he said his name was Jinzhong and mentioned Chang'an Jun." The old general left his last words.

"Lord Chang'an? Ying Chengjiao?" Zhao Wangyan was shocked at first, then shook his head violently: "Impossible, it can't be Chengjiao! He has no reason to kill Pang Gong! This is a frame-up! This is a frame-up!"

Li Ji clenched his fist and took a step forward:
"Your Majesty, it must be that Qin is afraid of Lord Pang, so they did this despicable thing!"

Pang Nuan glanced at Li Ji.

To be honest, he didn't believe that the assassin was Ying Chengjiao.

Although Chang'an Jun was a famous person, he did not know him and had no contact with him.

But I’m about to die... Is there any point in worrying about this now?

They conquered the State of Zhao by following King Wuling of Zhao... The old man nodded:

"That must be it!"

Perhaps because his tone was too harsh, the old man suddenly started coughing violently, and a mouthful of black blood sprayed onto the quilt.

The imperial physician rushed forward to rescue him, and after more than a dozen silver needles, Pang Nuan finally recovered.

"Li Ji, come here." Pang Nuan said weakly.

Li Ji walked out of the crowd and knelt on one knee in front of the couch, half a body length behind Zhao Wangyan:
"Pang Gong."

Pang Nuan coughed loudly and said:
“You didn’t save my life.

"Your son must protect the State of Zhao!"

Before Li Ji sent someone to protect him, he lived well for decades. But Li Ji insisted on sending someone to protect him, and he encountered assassins who would not stop until he died.

The veteran knew this shouldn't happen, but he did suspect Li Ji, it was such a coincidence.

Pang Nuan looked at King Zhao again:
"The one who killed me was Jinzhong.

"The one who ordered it was Chang'an.

"Your Majesty, please don't kill the wrong people!"

Before he finished speaking, Pang Nuan suddenly had whole body convulsions.

The imperial physician rushed to rescue him, but it was too late.

A famous general of the State of Zhao died in early spring.

King Yan of Zhao was extremely sad and immediately ordered Li Ji to secretly investigate the assassin's background and make sure to find out the connection between Qin Chang'an Jun and the incident.

A few days later, in the Qin State's Xianyang City.

Chang'an Jun Ying Chengjiao was in the secret room, listening to the report from the spy in the dark.

Ying Chengjiao played with the jade cup in his hand, his handsome face looking uncertain under the candlelight:
"The fact that there is no news of his death proves that Pang Nuan is dead."

"Pang Nuan must be dead, but the birdman in Jinzhong shouted his name before he died, and we may be able to track down the master..." A voice came from the dark.

"What's the point of tracking him down?" Ying Chengjiao sighed, "It's human nature to leave a name behind after death, but I didn't get this name for nothing. If you can't kill Li Mu, try to kill Lian Po."

The spy should say "Yes", bow his head and step back, hiding in the darkness.

Ying Chengjiao walked to the window and looked to the northeast, which was the direction of Handan, Zhao State.

"Pang Nuan..." He whispered to himself, walked out of the secret room, and spilled the wine in the wine bottle on the ground: "Goodbye."

The moonlight shone on his childish face, reflecting a pair of disturbed almond-shaped eyes.

(End of this chapter)