The Marquis of Pingyang had clearly calculated everything. His several thousand troops had all entered the city last night, and there hadn’t been any slip-ups whatsoever.

Nor had he received any bad news.

How could it be that in the blink of an eye, those several thousand troops had become someone else’s?

Where exactly had things gone wrong?

He couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard he thought, even suspecting that Gong Chi was merely putting on a show of strength!

Gong Chi looked at his half-believing appearance and said, “You don’t need to be so surprised! I can only say you were meticulous in a hundred ways but overlooked one thing.”

“…” “You surely never imagined that the group you secretly sent out of the city to mobilize troops… had already been killed halfway there! The message to enter the city never reached Shili Slope at all! I had people disguise themselves as your men, carrying your token to tell them to keep their troops stationary. Now, those several thousand troops are being blocked outside the city gate by you yourself. And the troops that entered the city last night… were all our people.”

Ugh!

The Marquis of Pingyang was as if struck by lightning.

Severely stunned!

His complexion deathly pale.

His mind buzzing.

The blood throughout his body seemed to have frozen, his body rigid.

What had originally been a thorough plan, only lacking the final push, had unexpectedly been intercepted by someone, and he had been viciously tripped up.

Now, the Marquis of Pingyang had completely lost his composure, only knowing that like the King of Huyi, he could only be at others’ mercy.

And Zhu Yuan, who had been in charge of the troops entering the city last night, was even more shocked. He recalled the red mud he had seen all over the ground at the city gate last night.

Only now did he suddenly understand. Full of regret, he said to the Marquis of Pingyang, “Marquis, it was… it was my oversight!”

“…” The Marquis of Pingyang turned his head to glare at him. “Oversight?” “Last night, the shoes of those soldiers were almost all stained with red soil. Coming from Shili Slope, it would be impossible to get that mud on them. I questioned it once—they just said they had changed routes, so I didn’t think much of it. Originally… we fell for the trap!” Zhu Yuan’s face was deathly pale.

Truly meticulous in a hundred ways but overlooking one thing!

Child, your reaction was a bit too late.

The knife was already at the neck.

The Marquis of Pingyang’s eyes were filled with hateful fury, but unfortunately, he was now a caged bird.

Even if he spread his wings, he couldn’t fly out.

Then Gong Chi looked around at the guards in the hall. “Do you want to surrender your weapons? Or die?”

The Marquis of Pingyang’s men looked at each other.

But none were foolish.

One after another, they threw their long swords to the ground.

Choosing to surrender!

The Marquis of Pingyang was burning with fury. “You all…”

Gong Chi ordered, “Seize them.”

Soldiers came in and captured them all.

The Marquis of Pingyang was also restrained.

However, he was unwilling to suffer this humiliation. He struggled with all his might, on one knee, refusing to kneel no matter what.

Gong Chi stepped forward with a kick, slamming his knee to the ground.

Making him kneel properly.

The Marquis of Pingyang ground his teeth. “Gong Chi, oh Gong Chi, I truly underestimated you.”

“This is all thanks to the Marquis secretly arranging this scene. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had such a good opportunity.”

“So you’ve long harbored thoughts of revenge.”

A fierce intent flashed in Gong Chi’s eyes. He raised his hand and slapped him across the face.

A red mark appeared on the Marquis of Pingyang’s face, blood at the corner of his mouth. “If you hadn’t forced me, why would today have come to pass? You, Li Wenshi, kept saying you and my Gong family were in the same boat, but in the end, your son led people to storm my manor and arrested Shilin. You even conspired with the Third Prince to put on a good show, causing this old man to send off his son in death. Such a great enmity—how could I possibly swallow it down? You understand how to assess the situation and sacrifice pawns to save the king. I also understand reciprocity!” Gong Chi roared hoarsely.

“…” The Marquis of Pingyang’s cheeks twitched, his whole body filled with fury that had nowhere to vent.

When had he ever suffered such humiliation?

Not only kneeling but also being slapped. He struggled with all his might, suddenly looking toward the Marquis of Nanguo to the side, saying loudly, “Chake, don’t forget—among those who besieged the palace back then was also this Gong Chi. Now choosing to cooperate with him is undoubtedly asking for humiliation! In the end, he will kill you just the same. Your fate will be just like the former king’s! If I were you, I would kill him with one sword stroke.”

Sowing discord!

The Marquis of Nanguo’s face showed no ripples. Narrowing his eyes, he looked coldly and said, “Li Wenshi, haven’t you heard that the enemy of my enemy is my friend!”

Heh!

One sentence deflected it right back.

The Marquis of Pingyang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, finally seeing the situation clearly.

So the Marquis of Nanguo would stop at nothing to get revenge!

Even at the cost of his life.

“I never imagined that I, Li Wenshi, would end up falling into your scheme. Kill me or cut me up as you please!”

No longer having any desire to survive.

Gong Chi sneered coldly. “I won’t let you die so easily!”

“…” The Marquis of Pingyang said nothing more. Gong Chi’s eyes were bloodshot, tears welling up. He looked at the King of Huyi whose life was nearly over, advanced a few steps closer, and said with hatred, “Back then, it was I who led troops to conquer this territory for you, allowing you to sit peacefully as King of Huyi for over twenty years. But in the end, you absolutely refused to spare Shilin’s life! If that’s the case, why should I remain loyal any longer? You forced me to this. Everything today—you forced me to it.”

His voice boomed like thunder.

Extremely agitated!

His eyes filled with murderous intent!

The King of Huyi lay half-reclined on the couch, gasping incessantly.

As if someone had seized his chest.

As the saying goes, as you sow, so shall you reap.

The current situation was created by his own hand!

Various scenes from years past rushed into his mind.

He remembered leading troops to surround the former king in the hall, personally severing his head in that moment!

He had been like a terrifying leopard whose mind was clouded by power, focused only on slaughter.

That had been his own blood brother!

Blood relations, yet not even worth as much as grass!

Scene after scene pressed down on him until he could barely breathe.

At this moment, he felt some regret!

But it was already too late.

He looked at the Marquis of Nanguo, moisture in his eyes, speaking with difficulty, “These past twenty-some years, you’ve finally waited for today. This revenge, you can finally exact.” From beginning to end, the Marquis of Nanguo maintained a stern face. He appeared very calm. Meeting the King of Huyi’s haggard eyes, he said, “Back then, you personally severed the former king’s head before the hall and threw his corpse into the wilderness, causing my younger sister to have no choice but to flee Huyi with her young prince, their lives uncertain! I could only endure in order to survive this life! As you said, I was waiting for today!”

The King of Huyi laughed bitterly. “What a pity… the former king’s heir is already dead. After today… my Na clan will also perish!”

“No! You’re wrong!”

“…”

“The former king’s heir still lives in this world.”

Ugh!

As soon as these words were spoken, they shocked the King of Huyi, and also shocked the Marquis of Pingyang and Gong Chi.

Gong Chi thought he had heard wrong!

Because in their plan, there was no such thing as the former king’s heir.

He had planned that after today, he would take Gong Shilin’s ashes and return to his hometown, handing the realm of Huyi over to the Marquis of Nanguo.

But now, suddenly hearing this statement, he simply couldn’t react.

He furrowed his brows tightly and asked, “Marquis, what are you saying? The former king’s heir? What does this mean exactly?”