Reborn Together: The General and I Reach for Power-Chapter 493 - 490: Siege

Zhang Chi was taken aback. Prince Lu was clearly unable to escape, so why didn’t Du Zhuo capture him but chose to kill him instead?

Zhang Chi quickly walked over to Du Zhuo, about to inquire. When he led troops to attack Prince Lu, the Emperor had instructed that it would be best to capture him alive and escort him to the Capital City for trial.

The Emperor wanted to announce Prince Lu’s crimes to the world, letting everyone know the fate of rebels, and also to have Prince Lu confess that the charges in the official documents were fabricated.

This was the method the Emperor favored, using it to humiliate Prince Lu, making Prince Lu’s followers regretfully watch as the Emperor trampled him underfoot.

But now...

Zhang Chi watched as Prince Lu fell, blood seeping from his mouth, clearly beyond saving.

Du Zhuo said, "General Zhang, go forward and see if it is indeed Prince Lu."

Zhang Chi set aside his thoughts for the moment and stepped forward.

Prince Lu’s eyes were wide open, panting heavily, his eyes full of pain and resentment. Upon seeing Zhang Chi and Du Zhuo, his expression twisted.

"It’s him." Zhang Chi checked Prince Lu’s wounds. They were inflicted by him, and he was certain this was Prince Lu’s true body.

Du Zhuo used his sword tip to peel back the damaged armor on Prince Lu, finding two moles on his chest.

Prince Lu still wanted to speak. He stared at Du Zhuo and suddenly opened his mouth: "You are Song..."

Du Zhuo swiftly beheaded Prince Lu.

Zhang Chi was surprised again; Du Zhuo was undeniably efficient.

"What’s the matter?" Du Zhuo looked at Zhang Chi. "Does General Zhang think what I did was wrong? Since it is indeed Prince Lu, all we need is his head to announce to the world that he has been executed."

Zhang Chi pressed his lips together. "When we left the Capital, the Emperor said it would be best to capture Prince Lu alive."

"The orders have changed," Du Zhuo said. "No need to be so constrained. The situation is already troubling enough. Killing one will make things clearer."

Kill one? Does that mean another one needs to be killed next?

When he says the orders have changed, is he referring to the Emperor?

Zhang Chi asked, "Was it Master Li You who brought you this message?"

Du Zhuo did not deny it.

Zhang Chi asked, "So are we heading directly back to the Capital now?"

Du Zhuo shook his head, "Prince Qi is rebelling; we still need to attack Prince Qi."

So the second one is Prince Qi.

Zhang Chi hesitated a bit. He hadn’t received any official documents from the court. To lead troops like this to attack Prince Qi seemed inappropriate.

Du Zhuo looked at Zhang Chi. "The Emperor is gravely ill, Prince Qi is rebelling, and the court has long been engaged in battle with Prince Qi. This war should not be delayed any longer. Master Li You has already taken troops ahead, aiming to quell the battle within half a month. Is General Zhang prepared to lead his men back to the Capital or join us in the fight?"

Du Zhuo had just helped him take down Prince Lu. If he were to return to the court just like that...

Zhang Chi sighed internally. "How do we deal with Prince Lu’s head?"

Du Zhuo replied, "As we proceed, we will hang Prince Lu’s head on the flagpole. Passing through states and counties, we will deliver documents to the government offices, informing everyone that Prince Lu is dead."

With the urgency of the situation, Zhang Chi nodded; it seemed the only option.

Du Zhuo patted Zhang Chi’s shoulder. "Even if you send a message to the Capital, there won’t be an immediate response. After all, the chaos in the Capital stems from the two princes. Without addressing the root cause, the strife won’t end. As military generals, it is our duty to quell the conflict and protect the people, thereby fulfilling our responsibilities."

Du Zhuo’s words made sense. These days, the messages Zhang Chi sent to the Capital always went unanswered. Moreover, Prince Qi’s rebellion was a fact. Zhang Chi truly despised Prince Qi. His father-in-law’s life ended in depression after being framed by Prince Qi for impeaching him.

It was also because his father-in-law opposed Prince Qi that he gained the Emperor’s trust.

Zhang Chi looked again at the documents Li You brought.

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Chi made up his mind. He would first follow Du Zhuo to assess the situation and meet Li You in person to clarify things. He would also have someone send documents to the Capital. If the court had other plans, he would act according to their orders at any time.

"Let’s go." Du Zhuo energetically mounted his horse. Having swiftly killed Prince Lu and swayed Zhang Chi with his men, he had achieved both of his goals.

Du Zhuo and Zhang Chi pressed on to confront Prince Qi. Even though Du Zhuo was eager to proceed, Zhang Chi noticed that Du Zhuo was very confident about this battle.

...

Prince Qi’s days were difficult. Ever since his call for aid went unanswered, he had been locked in a bitter struggle.

While Prince Lu had indeed depleted the court’s forces, the Emperor had foreseen the plot and was determined to eliminate him. After engaging with the Capital Camp, the Secretariat dispatched another fifty thousand elite soldiers.

The Secretariat, controlled by Uncle Xu, with that despicable Xu in charge, aimed to eliminate him and empower her eldest son.

The Empress and the Emperor agreed on this matter. Prince Qi gritted his teeth. His brother truly was a foolish monarch, surrounded by the venomous Xu. With Song Xian and Prince Guangyang’s descendants in the North, his throne was no longer secure. It would have been better to issue a decree allowing him to inherit the throne earlier, avoiding today’s carnage.

Even allowing Prince Lu to take the throne would have pacified him.

Thinking of this, Prince Qi harbored intense hatred for the Emperor.

"My lord," Prince Qi’s trusted aide Cao Wei came forward, "We have discovered troops on the route southward."

Prince Qi frowned. The current battle was unfavorable, and he had planned to retreat south for recuperation, but someone sought to cut off his escape route.

Prince Qi asked, "Do we know who the commander is?"

Cao Wei replied, "It’s not someone from the Xu Family. Our scouts tried to capture a soldier to inquire but almost got captured themselves."

Cao Wei paused. "Those people are very vigilant. Our scouts were detected as soon as they got slightly closer. Out of ten, only one returned."

Who could it be?

If it’s really as Cao Wei says, then aren’t they surrounded?

Prince Qi said, "Immediately take two thousand men and go. No matter who they are, they must be captured."

Cao Wei received his orders and immediately set out without delay.

After Cao Wei left, Prince Qi gathered his generals to discuss the battle.

Those people had made Prince Qi wary. He could not remain here any longer, or he would be attacked from both sides.

Prince Qi could only hope for Cao Wei’s success.

"My lord, my lord."

Just as Prince Qi was resting in his tent, anxious cries resonated.

Prince Qi opened his eyes to see the deputy general: "What happened?"

"General Cao has been killed, and the accompanying troops have been captured."

"What?" Prince Qi was fully awake. Cao Wei was his most effective general, leading elite soldiers. How could they be wiped out so easily?

In such a short time no less? Cao Wei left at 1:00 PM, and it wasn’t even nightfall yet. Such a round trip would naturally take time unless Cao Wei was defeated soon after reaching there.

Prince Qi asked, "Do we know whose troops these are?"

The deputy general shook his head, "We still don’t know."

Losing so many without gaining insight. Prince Qi’s mind was racing, trying to piece everything together, wondering which military general in the Daqi Court had such capability.

Before he could figure it out, another scout came to report.

"Those troops are heading this way."

Prince Qi gripped his sword, realizing there was no more need to wonder, as they would soon meet face to face.