Chapter 649 – The Grief and Song of Relatives and Others (2/2)
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The Black Mountain Camp was the force of the Great Zhou Army most skilled in defense. They were famous for their arrays and were particularly skilled in the use of magical artifacts. Normally, they guarded the capital, and they were deeply trusted by the Divine Empress.
Earlier, because the Demon Lord left Xuelao City and invaded Mount Han, the situation in the north was abnormally tense, so the Black Mountain Camp was transferred to the front by the army, setting up defenses on the frontline of Huayang County. However, they were still not far from the capital. This was because of the several armies returning to the capital tonight, although the cavalry of the Black Mountain Camp were few, they had been the quickest to set off towards the capital.
Until they had been forcefully stopped, by the rain or some other reason, at the heights of Red Pine Valley, thirty li north of the capital.
The pouring rain fell upon the hastily erected tent, banging away, not like war drums, but like a sack full of wine falling against the ground.
The tent was filled with the scent of strong wine, but this did not mean that at this tense moment, there was still someone in the mood to drink and feast. Rather, it was become some bodyguards had suffered significant injuries and were currently being treated.
The commander of the Black Mountain Camp was Divine General Wu Shuang. This Divine General's background was unusual, his bearing elegant and graceful. He commanded his troops strictly, but not harshly, made a clear distinction between punishment and reward, and did not go overboard with either. He was deeply revered and loved by the troops under his command. If a person meant him harm, let alone injury, those bodyguards at his side would even be willing to lose their heads to keep him safe.
But tonight, the situation was different. Those bodyguards could put their life on the line against their opponents.
Divine General Wu Shuang's face was as white as paper, his complexion as frigid as ice. It was clear that he had suffered significant injuries.
His gaze flitted past those Guardians in the tent who he had grown up with, and ultimately rested on his father. His emotions suddenly became agitated and he wanted to stand, yet under the restriction of magical artifacts, he could not move.
He angrily yelled, ”The Empress has always treated me with the greatest generosity. Father, by acting this way, are you not making me commit a great injustice!”
The Wu clan head looked at his own son and replied, ”The Empress truly does trust you, but has she ever given your clan even an iota of trust?”
Wu Shuang's expression did not change as he said in a deep voice, ”The Empress has not treated me unkindly. I cannot turn my back on her.”
The Wu clan head's expression also did not change. He indifferently answered, ”So your father will not allow you to have any heart of betrayal. Right now, you have the heart, but not the power.”
Wu Shuang thought of how his father had led these several Guardians in an ambush and taken him prisoner, and his complexion became even nastier.
The Wu clan head calmly said, ”Just accept it...the Empress saving Chen Changsheng at the Mausoleum of Books has directly led to the Tianhai clan's betrayal...could she not even think of this point? But why did she insist on doing this? Because she is Chen Changsheng's mother. Then, could I possibly harm you?”
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The troops returning from the Han Province Army had experienced fierce combat. For the moment, they had paused beyond the rain clouds by the Chenggong Mountains.
Tian Chui, sixth-ranked Divine General of the Great Zhou, stood on the corpse-filled battlefield, his two hands gripping his spear.
Ten-odd streams of blood seeped out of the chinks in his armor. His eyes were open extremely wide, brimming with fury.
He stared at those gradually approaching subordinates that he had once fought alongside on the battlefield, those who were once his schoolmates, and sternly yelled, ”Even if you lot can kill me, how can you possibly convince the rest? Of the seven armies returning to the capital, even if you kill all of us generals, how can you make the officers and soldiers obey your orders!”
The several dozen soldiers encircling him suddenly parted, and Chen Guansong, Principal of Star Seizer Academy, slowly walked down from the mountain slope.
”Teacher...when did you leave the capital?”
Divine General Tian Chui stared at Chen Guansong and his expression suddenly changed. ”Even Teacher...has also rebelled?”
Chen Guansong gazed at him and said, ”The Great Zhou Dynasty was never surnamed Tianhai, it was surnamed Chen. The word 'rebel'…as your teacher, I cannot accept it.”
This extremely senior member of the Great Zhou Military, who was so low-key that he had almost been forgotten by everyone, gazed at the terrible plight this disciple of his which he had most admired two hundred years ago had ended up in. His face revealed an expression of suffering as he said, ”In resisting the demons in the north, you have achieved enormous merit for the sake of humanity. That the Great Zhou has been able to barely keep a balance of power in these past few years is all because of you. As long as you are willing to surrender, His Holiness the Pope, Principal Shang, and the princes would all be elated. You would be able to choose any army in the north to command.”
An expression of slight disappointment appeared on Divine General Tian Chui's face. After a moment, all of it dissipated, a tinge of ruthlessness flashing across his face as he asked, ”Just why did you do this?”
He did not respond to the advice of his beloved teacher. He only wished to know the reason.
When Chen Guansong left the frontline, he returned to the capital and took the reins of Star Seizer Academy, helping the Great Zhou Imperial Court raise countless outstanding generals. He was assuredly someone deeply trusted by the Divine Empress. Moreover, he understood his teacher and knew that it was impossible for Chen Guansong to endure for two hundred years for the sake of tonight's undertaking. So just what matter had made him stand opposite the Divine Empress?
”I said just before, you are the reason the Great Zhou has been barely able to keep a balance of power in the north with the demons...Xue Xingchuan never leaves the capital, Xu Shiji is incompetent. Crucially, just what is the Divine Empress thinking? Correct, in the end, I became disappointed in the Empress. This is the reason.”
Chen Guansong gazed at Tian Chui and said, ”I hope that this reason can convince you.”
Divine General Tian Chui fell silent for a very long time. Then, he began to laugh, revealing his full mouth of white teeth. His laugh was very miserable, yet also filled with ridicule and scorn.
”And just what do you people know?”
The rain clouds in the sky finally drifted over the Chenggong Mountains.
Torrents of rain fiercely descended, yet they could not wash away the blood on Divine General Tian Chui's armor.
He stared at Chen Guansong, stared at those soldiers who were once his schoolmates and compatriots, his face one of absolute contempt as he declared, ”Come.”