Chapter 1973: Zhang Shougui in Danger! (2/2)

”Bastard, bastard, bastard! Yeon Gaesomun, such audacity! To dare to attack Youzhou and oppose this old man!”

A tiger-like roar came from the Andong Protectorate headquarters, but this roar quickly dissolved into a fit of coughing.

”Lord Protector-General, please, calm yourself.”

”Milord, please remember your health!”

In the hall, all the Andong generals had gathered, looking at Zhang Shougui, whose rage had prompted a coughing fit, his face turning red. Some of the Andong generals came forward to assist Zhang Shougui onto an armchair.

”All of you, out of the way! Do you all think I'm getting infirm? This old man has never required the help of others!”

A thunderous bellow erupted, and the generals backed away in fear.

They all knew that the Protector-General was proud, and after the heavy losses suffered in the attack of the coalition army, there was no way the Protector-General would be in a good mood.

”Foster Father, please calm yourself. Yeon Gaesomun was not able to gain anything from this attack, and a feckless scoundrel like him is not worth Foster Father's anger. He simply managed to find a gap this time. If Foster Father was healthy, would he have been so daring as to attack the Andong Protectorate headquarters?”

A plump figure came forward. The appearance of this man made all the generals fall silent and yield to the sides, expressions of extreme respect on their faces.

In all of the Andong Protectorate, the only person who had this status was Young Commander An Yaluoshan. In this war, if not for his hastily-gathered Hu army attacking at the crucial moment, defeating Yeon Gaesomun and saving Zhang Shougui, the results would have been unimaginable.

But a moment later, boom! Zhang Shougui kicked An Yaluoshan in the chest, sending him flying into a wall.

”Out! You're all mocking this old man! Can I not even suppress a single Yeon Gaesomun?”

Zhang Shougui was exploding with anger.

”This general would not dare!”

All the generals kneeled, fear on their faces.

In this war, the Andong Protectorate army's most elite force, the Roaring Tiger Army, had been completely wiped out. This army had been the product of decades of the Protector-General's sweat and blood. Moreover, he was now sporting a new defeat at the hands of Yeon Gaesomun, a monumental humiliation.

The Protector-General was at his most furious, and the generals were doing their utmost to not provoke him, not discussing the battle just now, particularly the Roaring Tiger Army and the other losses suffered by the Andong Protectorate army.

But An Yaluoshan's comforting words had clearly achieved the opposite effect.

The hall was silent, everyone with their heads lowered and mouths shut. Zhang Shougui sat on the armchair, his chest heaving, his appearance like a furious lion.

”Foster Father, your child had no such intention. If it will make Foster Father feel better, An Yaluoshan is willing to cut off a hand!” At this moment, An Yaluoshan's voice broke the silence. He was prostrate on the floor, and his expression was extremely meek and respectful.

The blood trickling from the corner of An Yaluoshan's lips and the saber wounds on his body caused a ripple of emotion in Zhang Shougui's eyes, and that seething anger receded somewhat.

”Come over!”

Zhang Shougui reached out a hand while at the same time leaning forward. An Yaluoshan immediately understood and shuffled forward on his knees, pressing his fat face against Zhang Shougui's hand. Zhang Shougui said nothing as he used his thumb to wipe away the blood on An Yaluoshan's lips, his expression softening.

”Little slave, you did well in this war. Your father saw all your actions clearly, and your father did not misjudge you. You lived up to the favor I showed in you, and it was not in vain that I took you from the steppe and took you in as my adopted son!”

”Your child only did what should have been done!”

An Yaluoshan lowered his head, and while his plump figure was rather comical, his expression was extremely pious and sincere.

And after witnessing the young commander throw his life into fighting Yeon Gaesomun, no one would dare say that their young commander was laughable!

”Good! That you can say these words means that your father did not misjudge you!”

After saying this, Zhang Shougui slowly stood up, his eyes much calmer. His body once more began to exude the wise and composed aura of the Asura of Youzhou.

”Yeon Gaesomun's savagery is truly contemptible, to suddenly attack Youzhou while I was ill. This old man swears to kill him one day. But what we should be worried about the most is not Yeon Gaesomun, but the Imperial Court.”

Everyone was taken aback by Zhang Shougui's words, and raised their heads. Even An Yaluoshan did so, a look of faint 'surprise' on his face.

”Although we were victorious in this war, this is not how the Imperial Court will see this. That savage Yeon Gaesomun proclaimed that this old man attacked his Imperial Palace and killed his daughter. That denouncement has probably already reached the Imperial Court. Moreover, the Andong Protectorate army suffered heavy losses, and even the Roaring Tiger Army was wiped out. There's no concealing this matter, and the Imperial Court needs someone to take responsibility.

”In addition, this old man made many enemies in the court over the years. This might have been fine at any other time, but with this old man's wounds flaring up, there will be many people in court planning to use this incident to seize my military authority. I worry that this will be the end of the good days for our Andong Protectorate army!”

Zhang Shougui had done many things during his time in Youzhou, both good and bad. And some of the things he had done had made a significant number of civil officials detest him.