"Boss, has the Duke of Duke of Ying really rebelled?"
Among the Imperial Guard who had already left the city, the deputy at the East Gate quietly asked his superior, "..."
"How would I know?" The one being questioned was the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard at the South Imperial Guard.
"You didn't know?" The other side was taken aback. They didn't know the troops had withdrawn so easily?
"What?" The lieutenant turned to look at his subordinates. "You still want to take this opportunity to interfere in that situation?"
"No, that's not it."
"Isn't that right?" The other person tapped him on the head. "Our Imperial Guard act according to military orders. When the Duke of Duke of Yan issued his order, we had no choice but to bite the bullet and enter the city. Now that the Duke of Ying is dead, what are you still insisting on? Why do you have to get involved in this deadly matter?"
"Didn't you see? Who is that Duke of Ying? He lost his head so easily, right under our noses. And who was that person who made the move? Taking the heads of two dukes from among ten thousand soldiers wasn't just a piece of cake for them, it was as easy as eating and drinking. Do you think we can afford to mess with them?"
"They offered a way out and you just accepted it, but you're blind enough to want to get involved and court death?"
The subordinate was taken aback, but still hesitated, saying, "But what if His Majesty returns and sets things right, blaming us?"
"Why blame us?" The lieutenant sneered. " The Duke of Yan summoned us to the capital to besiege the Ghost Temple without cause, which was unreasonable to begin with. Who knows if he was telling the truth? Even if His Majesty returns and truly restores order, it won't be our fault. And if we had died for His Majesty just now, do you think he would remember you?"
"Forehead"
"How much are our pay? What are our ranks? We just need to do our job. Why risk our lives for nothing? Is it worth it?" The lieutenant patted the other man on the shoulder. "Go back to camp peacefully. Don't even look at the capital. Whatever the powerful figures there do is none of our business. It's all about the victors and the vanquished. We are the Imperial Guard. Whoever becomes king, we will serve him. What's wrong with that?"
"My lord, you are right."
"Is that so?" The lieutenant said smugly, and led his three thousand men in a grand procession to leave the south gate.
But just as they reached the entrance, they saw a man and a horse galloping towards them.
The deputy general frowned. He was about to safely evacuate the capital and didn't want anything to go wrong.
"Is that Lieutenant General Zhang Hao?" A deep voice came from afar, startling Zhang Hao. After a moment's hesitation, he dismounted and bowed, saying, "So it's Lord Yuchi. What brings you here, sir?"
" The Duke of Ying has been killed, why do you all sit idly by?" Yuchi Peng questioned directly.
" The Duke of Ying falsely issued military orders, tricking the Imperial Guard into entering the city to rebel. Fortunately, a wise man stopped them. Does Lord Yuchi not know this?"
Yuchi Peng's face darkened. " Zhang Hao, you're not stupid, you really believe that?"
"I am but a lowly person, my words carry no weight. Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant. The Imperial Guard only obey orders," the lieutenant Zhang Hao said coldly, looking at the other man. "If General Yuchi has any orders to command, show them now, and I will naturally obey you. Does General Yuchi have any?"
Upon hearing this, Yuchi Peng's face darkened. Only His Majesty and the Imperial Guard the Imperial Guard could issue military orders. His Majesty was currently far away in Cloud City, Imperial Guard, the Duke of Yan, had just died. Where could they possibly obtain military orders?
This guy in front of me is clearly trying to shirk responsibility, but according to my father's deduction, this Imperial Guard is the most likely to be clean!
Zhang Hao was born into a small family. He had made Xiaojun in the north with his father. Although he was not from a vassal family of the Yuchi Household, his father appreciated his talent and recommended him to join the Imperial Guard, where he became one of the four deputy generals.
His Majesty went along with it, appreciating the other party, and also placed a large number of young men from small families into the Southern Gate Imperial Guard, forming an independent Imperial Guard force that did not rely on large families at all.
Because this is a direct force that His Majesty has intentionally cultivated, breaking away from the powerful families, the selection of personnel is extremely cautious. Therefore, if that force wants to plant people in, the Imperial Guard at the South Gate are the most at risk of exposure and are unlikely to be considered. Of course, they are not absolutely safe, but at this juncture, it is impossible to pursue complete security. Some things can only be taken on a gamble.
" Zhang Hao, you've been highly regarded by His Majesty over the years. So many powerful families were vying for the Ghost Temple's quota, yet His Majesty hasn't forgotten you. Now that the capital is in trouble, are you really going to stand aside?"
Zhang Hao was taken aback. When did Yuchi Peng become so clever? He even knew to deliberately stay out of it?
"Did General Yuchi send you?" Zhang Hao sighed.
"My dad believes you."
"Don't give me that!" Zhang Hao rolled his eyes at the other man. "The old general should know my character. I only do what I'm paid for; that's always been my style. His Majesty has indeed treated me well, but that's all—not to the point of complete trust. I can fulfill my basic duties, but I won't risk my life for him!"
"While self-preservation may offer safety, it's not always feasible in chaotic times," Yuchi Peng said in a low voice. "Even my father could see you were doing this on purpose. Don't His Majesty and those scheming against the capital see it too? If you don't participate this time, you might save your life, but no matter which side wins in the future, you won't be given important positions. You've fought your way to where you are today step by step. My father said you were incredibly brave on the battlefield back then, but now you're too afraid?"
"But you still need to have a chance of winning." Seeing that the other party had already gone this far, Zhang Hao didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "In the past, we fought on the battlefield because we had at least a 40 or 50% chance of winning. Soldiers on the battlefield were living a life of constant danger and uncertainty. Without risking everything, they might not even survive."
"But this time is different. I, Zhang, am not going to do business with suicide squads!"
"We have a chance of winning," said Yuchi Peng as he rode over on horseback.
"What chance do we have of winning?" Zhang Hao asked, puzzled.
"Lord Muye, who killed the Duke of Ying, just now... died!"
"What?" Zhang Hao was stunned. He had heard that this Muye killed Marquis of Anqing in the blink of an eye. The other side not only had a monster who could kill Duke of Ying in the blink of an eye, but also Lord Muye who could kill a marquis in an instant. With this kind of power, he didn't think the Imperial Guard could solve any problems.
How did he die?
"Suicide!"
"Suicide?" Zhang Hao was taken aback, but then immediately realized. " Wei Gongxing?"
Others may not know Wei Gongxing's abilities, but he does. Several years ago, during the Northern Expedition, he was the deputy general by the side of the Yuchi Household head. At that time, in a desperate situation, his group relied on Wei Gongxing's command to turn defeat into victory.
If it were that kid, he might have the guts.
"But there's an even more terrifying guy."
"I know!" Yuchi Peng nodded. "The remaining red-eyed guys are all very powerful, but you should have also noticed something's wrong. Those red-eyed guys are all newcomers. Those newcomers, including Wei Gongxing, were only at the Fifth Rank rank a few days ago. In just one or two days, they have gained such abilities. You also have Martial Soul spirit. Do you think that's possible?"
Zhang Hao remained silent. The evil spirit within him was also puzzled, because in his view, it was unreasonable for Muye to be able to kill Marquis of Anqing instantly. Now, Wei Gongxing's body could not even exert one ten-thousandth of Muye's power. Logically speaking, he could not possibly have defeated Marquis of Anqing!
"The other side must possess some terrifying power."
"It's terrifying, but this power is absolutely illogical!" Yuchi Peng said quietly, "If it didn't have such severe side effects, the opponent would have already swept across the world with this power. Why would they have waited until now?"
"Does General Yuchi know what the side effects are?"
"I don't know," Yuchi Peng honestly shook his head.
Zhang Hao was speechless. "Then what the hell are you talking about?"
Furthermore, the side effects are significant. What can we do without intelligence? We're not going to be foolish enough to fight him head-on.
"But Wei Gongxing definitely knows!"
"He's dead, where are you going to find him?" Zhang Hao stared at the other person in astonishment.
"Go search along the road of the dead." Yuchi Peng patted the magnificent black horse beneath him. Only then did Zhang Hao realize that the horse Yuchi Peng had ridden was actually Ghost Horse!
"Even if you had that thing, are you sure you could find Wei Gongxing? And even if you did find him, are you certain Wei Gongxing discovered their side effects?"
" General Yuchi," Zhang Hao said firmly, "I won't be betting with my brothers!"