anovelconsole Chapter 41 I Avoid His Edge?
Chapter 41 I Avoid His Edge?
Unfortunately, Gu Xiaoxiao had absolutely no agreement with General Huo Zhong's argument. At this moment, she felt only a sense of absurdity and chill deep in her heart.
"For the sake of so-called 'imperial authority and dignity,' can you disregard my life and death?"
"Is it really worth gambling with my life, the emperor, for the so-called 'intimidation of the feudal lords'?"
"If I lose... then I'll be completely finished!"
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With this thought rising in her mind, Gu Xiaoxiao immediately gritted her teeth and questioned General Huo Zhong:
"And what if... you lose this battle?"
"If we lose this battle and I die here...wouldn't the Great Liang Dynasty perish immediately?"
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"We won't lose!"
Huo Zhong's answer was resolute, carrying an almost blind confidence.
"Because I calculated correctly, Prince Su, Gu Suyue, dares not linger in battle!"
"Your Majesty, think about it... Prince Su is fighting on foreign soil, and he only has these three thousand elite troops under his command. If we can delay him for even a short while, and wait for the garrisons from all over the capital to arrive and surround him in this palace... then he and his soldiers will be completely trapped in this palace, with no way to escape!"
"So, in this battle, it would be best if we could eliminate him, but if not... all we need to do is stall him!"
"And you, Your Majesty, are the perfect bait!"
"I can guarantee that if Prince Su sees you, he will fight with all his might, and he will not retreat until the very last moment!"
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"A decoy..."
Upon hearing these two words, Gu Xiaoxiao's heart sank immediately—so, in Huo Zhong's eyes, she, the emperor, was merely bait to be used as "fishing bait"?
Looking at Huo Zhong's resolute and cold face, Gu Xiaoxiao suddenly felt a little unfamiliar with him.
At this moment, in Gu Xiaoxiao's eyes, this General Huo Zhong, who had followed the late emperor and was now assisting her, was even more terrifying than Prince Su, Gu Suyue!
"So..." Gu Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, enduring the excruciating pain in her severed wrist, while straightening her spine, "The General's plan is to gamble my life on this slim chance of survival?"
"It's not a glimmer of hope!"
Huo Zhong looked directly into Gu Xiaoxiao's eyes and slowly shook his head.
"At least in my humble opinion, this is only a slight risk, far from a lifeline... Besides, what war doesn't involve risk? Therefore, I believe that this risk is entirely worthwhile compared to the possibility of preserving the future of the Great Liang dynasty!"
Gu Xiaoxiao wanted to argue further, but General Huo Zhong, who no longer wanted to argue with her, directly swung his sword and cut off a lock of Gu Xiaoxiao's hair. Then, he looked down at Gu Xiaoxiao's eyes indifferently.
So, Gu Xiaoxiao fell silent...
Then, she reluctantly agreed to Huo Zhong's idea of attacking the Western Frontier Army.
"Alright...I...I'll listen to you!"
Gu Xiaoxiao closed her eyes, and two lines of clear tears slid gently down her cheeks...
At this moment, besides fear, Gu Xiaoxiao also felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
Gu Xiaoxiao felt that she, as the emperor, could not even control her own destiny... General Huo Zhong was really going too far!
But... what can be done now that things have come to this?
Therefore, under the coercion of General Huo Zhong, Gu Xiaoxiao had no choice but to give the order:
"Send the order! The entire army...follow me into battle!"
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Upon hearing Gu Xiaoxiao's command, a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashed in Huo Zhong's eyes—indeed, "fist" is the only truth!
Then, Huo Zhong raised his longsword high and roared, "For His Majesty! For the Great Liang! Kill!"
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Meanwhile, on the other side of the palace.
"What did you say? You saw the emperor? Are you sure?"
As Prince Su, Gu Suyue, listened to the scout's report while riding a tall horse, a hint of disbelief crept into his voice.
According to his guess, Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao, who had not appeared by this point, should already be hiding deep within the palace with her remaining troops, or she might have already fled...
Why would she appear there with soldiers at this time?
You have to understand, that was the only way he could retreat!
"This... Your Highness!" The scout knelt on one knee, his tone tinged with uncertainty. "I did see a person in that group wearing a bright yellow dragon robe... but the distance was too great, and I cannot be certain whether it was His Majesty himself!"
"A bright yellow dragon robe..."
A glint of greed and fanaticism flashed in Gu Suyue's eyes.
If it were Gu Xiaoxiao, this would be a godsend!
As long as we capture him, the throne will be ours for the taking... or at the very least, we can use the emperor to command the other lords!
But... could this be a trap?
Gu Suyue was filled with doubts.
To be honest, after getting to know her over this period of time, Gu Suyue realized that he could now overturn the image that Gu Xiaoxiao had built up in his mind over the years!
In Gu Suyue's eyes, Gu Xiaoxiao is a cowardly and timid person. Logically speaking, he should never take the initiative at this time!
"Could this be a feint by Huo Zhong?" the adjutant beside him said in a deep voice. "Is he deliberately wearing the imperial robes to lure us into a trap, just like with the imperial carriage before?"
"That's possible!" Gu Suyue nodded. "That old fox, Huo Zhong, is full of cunning!"
To be honest, through today's battle, Gu Suyue realized that many of his previous beliefs needed to be overturned!
For example, Huo Zhong—who used to be just an old dog in his eyes, actually has some skills when it comes to fighting. If it weren't for bad luck, Gu Suyue suspected that he might have been buried by Huo Zhong by now!
Besides these, there's also Emperor Gu Xiaoxiao...
In Gu Suyue's previous understanding, although this guy had this or that problem, he was at least somewhat capable. But now that he looks at him... good heavens, he's really a complete waste!
"Your Highness, shall we take a detour, or...?"
The deputy general beside Gu Suyue asked hesitantly.
"Take a detour?" Gu Suyue couldn't help but sneer upon hearing this. "I should avoid Gu Xiaoxiao's sharp edge? If I were to take a detour now, wouldn't I be admitting to the world that I'm afraid of Gu Xiaoxiao?"
After a slight pause, Gu Suyue spoke again: "Furthermore, the road they are currently occupying is the only route for our army's retreat. If we take a detour, too many unexpected factors will arise... Therefore, no matter the reason, now that they have appeared on that road, we must confront them head-on!"