sovbooks Chapter 405 Han Zhong was shocked. What was His Majesty doing here?!
Chapter 405 Han Zhong was shocked. What was His Majesty doing here?!
Han Zhong lifted the tent flap, bent down, and went inside.
Then he froze!
It felt like someone had hit me on the back of the head with a stick; my vision went black and my ears were ringing.
There was no sign of Liu Bai in the camp.
Instead, a figure he couldn't believe and didn't want to see here was sitting in the spot where Liu Bai had just been.
That figure was none other than Qin Mu, the emperor of the Great Qin Dynasty.
Han Zhong's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints, his mouth opened, and a "hoarse" sound came from his throat.
His eyes were wide open, almost popping out of their sockets.
He couldn't believe it, couldn't believe it, and didn't want to believe it.
He blinked frantically, once, twice, three times.
He rubbed his eyes hard until they turned red and tears streamed down his face.
But that figure was still there, in a moon-white robe, with a languid and composed demeanor, and a half-smile playing on his lips.
It's not an illusion, it's not a dream, it's real!
Han Zhong's legs suddenly buckled, and his knees almost hit the ground.
He held onto the edge of the table beside him, his fingernails digging into the wood, barely managing to keep from kneeling down.
He still harbored a last glimmer of hope: perhaps the person before him was just Liu Bai in disguise, joking with him, and not the real Emperor.
His mouth trembled a few times, his lips like two withered leaves blown by the wind.
He forced a dry laugh, which sounded worse than crying.
"Mr. Liu... what are you doing? Why have you turned into His Majesty's likeness? This... this joke is not funny."
Qin Mu looked at him, and the smile on his lips deepened.
He spoke, but his voice was no longer the deep, steady tone of Liu Bai's.
Instead, it was a voice that Han Zhong knew all too well—the lazy and composed voice of the Qin emperor.
"What? You've come out to fight a war and you don't even recognize me anymore?"
Han Zhong's body jerked violently.
The trembling started from the back, like a frozen iron rod, spreading from the tailbone all the way to the back of the head, even making the scalp numb.
This oppressive aura, this voice, these deep, all-seeing eyes—no one but His Majesty could achieve this.
The last glimmer of hope in his heart vanished like a candle blown out by the wind, leaving no trace of its smoke.
His knees finally gave way, and he crashed heavily to the ground with a thud.
The floor was icy cold, and the chill seeped in from his knees, spreading along his bones, making him shiver all over.
His mind was blank, with only one thought echoing wildly within him.
What is Your Majesty doing here?! How could you be here?!
Han Zhong raised his head, his lips trembling, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.
"Your Majesty! What brings you here?! Where is Mr. Liu... Mr. Liu Bai?"
He was still trying to remain calm, still making a last-ditch effort.
His mind raced:
Even if His Majesty comes in person, so what? His Majesty is still unaware of their plans. His Majesty is also unaware of the agreement between him and Xu Longxiang.
He even has merit so far, after all, he has already breached the second line of defense of the Moon God Cult and killed several high-ranking members of the Moon God Cult.
As for what to do with the Moon Goddess and Xu Longxiang lying in ambush outside the door, he hadn't thought about that much for the time being.
As long as he doesn't smash the cup, Xu Longxiang won't rush in.
It's not too late.
Even more rebellious and audacious thoughts suddenly flashed through his mind:
If Qin Mu had come alone, they could have even kept him under control here.
This pledge of loyalty was enough to ensure that Xu Longxiang would bestow upon him the highest possible reward in the future.
The success rate of Xu Longxiang's rebellion will also be increased to its highest level.
Of course, the thought only flashed through his mind.
Han Zhong's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly suppressed it.
He dared not think about it anymore.
Qin Mu smiled, picked up the wine glass on the table, and took a small sip.
As the wine went down his throat, his voice drifted over softly, like a withered leaf falling on the water's surface, without stirring up any ripples.
"Mr. Liu Bai? Mr. Liu Bai has already been poisoned to death by you. And now you come to ask me about Mr. Liu? That's really laughable."
A thunderous explosion erupted in Han Zhong's mind, as if a fiery thunderbolt had been thrown into it, shattering his soul and tearing his heart apart.
His eyes widened, his pupils filled with extreme fear and disbelief.
Poisoned to death? Liu Bai was poisoned to death? How could this be? That can't be!
That poison will only greatly reduce one's power, weaken one's limbs, and cause one's true energy to dissipate; it won't kill one!
Fan Li clearly stated that it was not a deadly poison.
Moreover, how did Your Majesty know that Liu Bai was poisoned?
Did Liu Bai tell His Majesty himself?
Or has His Majesty been secretly watching all of this?
His body trembled slightly, cold sweat poured down his back, and his undershirt was instantly soaked through, feeling icy cold.
His lips trembled violently, and every word seemed to be forced out of his throat.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty! What does this mean? This humble servant... this humble servant doesn't quite understand! How could Mr. Liu... Mr. Liu Bai have been poisoned to death? And what... what does it mean that we... administered the drug?"
His voice trembled so badly it cracked into pieces, and he couldn't even hear what he was saying.
Qin Mu smiled, put down his wine glass, raised his right hand, and waved it gently.
His expression suddenly changed.
With high brow bones, deep-set eyes, and a jawline as sharp as if carved by a knife, he reverted to Liu Bai's face as a middle-aged man.
Then he spoke, his voice low and steady, without a trace of a smile.
"Now, don't you understand?"
Han Zhong's pupils suddenly contracted into a thin line.
His mouth was wide open, and his jaw was almost dislocated.
His eyes were wide open to their limit, bulging out and bloodshot.
His mind went blank.
He had made countless guesses, but he never expected this.
Liu Bai and His Majesty are actually the same person! Liu Bai is actually His Majesty in disguise?!?
How is this possible? How is this possible!
Liu Bai is a sword fanatic and a peerless expert at the half-step terrestrial immortal realm.
This was clearly demonstrated in the battle just now.
That sword light descending from the sky, that terrifying pressure that crushed the heavens, that ruthless killing method—how could it possibly be His Majesty?
His Majesty has never displayed his military prowess in public. Rumors have always circulated that he is dissolute, neglects state affairs, and is a weak and incompetent ruler.
How could he be Liu Bai?
How could he be a half-step terrestrial immortal?
A thought suddenly flashed through Han Zhong's mind.
Rumors circulated in the capital that His Majesty possessed immense power, but had been concealing it.
He didn't believe it at the time, thinking it was just those bored people flattering him.
Now it seems that the rumor was true, and it couldn't be more true.
His mind was a jumbled mess, as if he had been stuffed into a blender, buzzing and making no sense. He couldn't think clearly or make sense of anything.
He knelt on the ground, trembling all over, like an empty shell whose soul had been ripped out.
His lips were trembling, his fingers were trembling, even his eyelashes were trembling.
With a wave of his hand, Qin Mu transformed back into his original form.
He picked up the wine glass on the table, took a small sip, put it down, and tapped his finger lightly on the table.
"What? Don't you have anything to say to me?"
Han Zhong's body jolted violently, his mind went cold, and not only his mind, but his whole body felt icy cold.
The coldness seeped from his bones, flowed from his blood, and emanated from every pore, freezing him like a corpse buried in ice and snow.
He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but his throat felt like it was stuffed with a wad of water-soaked cotton, and he couldn't squeeze out a single word.
He wanted to say "Your Majesty, spare my life," he wanted to say "This humble subject knows his crime," he wanted to say "Xu Longxiang forced me to do all this," but he couldn't say anything.
His mouth opened and closed like a fish thrown onto the shore, desperately flapping its gills, but it couldn't get any air in.
Han Zhong knelt there, head bowed, looking at his hands that had held swords for most of his life.
Those hands were trembling violently, like two withered leaves blown by the wind.
Han Zhong knew he was finished, completely finished.
He quickly analyzed the current situation in his mind.
First, Your Majesty already knows about the poisoning, and judging from Your Majesty's appearance, you are not poisoned at all.
Secondly, His Majesty is very strong, strong enough to disguise himself as Liu Bai and move freely among thousands of troops with the demeanor of a half-step immortal.
His Majesty may have even brought other powerful figures with him.
Where are they right now? He had no idea.
These are all inferences he made based on currently known conditions.
Han Zhong could only hope that His Majesty didn't know too much, otherwise he would be completely finished.
Han Zhong knelt on the ground, bowing his head deeply, his forehead pressed against the cold gold brick.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me! I know I am guilty! I deserve to die!"
His voice was hoarse, choked with sobs, and every word seemed to be forced out of his throat.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table with a soft sound.
"Oh? What crime have you committed?"
Han Zhong's heart skipped a beat.
He dared not admit that he had colluded with the Northern Border, dared not admit that he had secretly contacted Xu Longxiang, and dared not admit that he and Fan Li had conspired to kill Liu Bai.
Any one of these crimes would be a capital offense punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.
He had to choose the least serious charge, the one most likely to be forgiven by His Majesty.
He gritted his teeth and touched his forehead to the ground.
"This humble subject...should not have poisoned Mr. Liu, whom Your Majesty sent!"
He only admitted to this one crime.
In his mind, although this crime was also deceiving the emperor, it could at least be explained as disrespect for the powerful figures sent by the court, rather than treason.
As long as His Majesty is unaware of his relationship with Xu Longxiang, he still has a glimmer of hope.
Qin Mu smiled, a soft laugh that sent a chill down Han Zhong's spine.
"Then explain it to me."
Han Zhong's mind raced, and he spoke at an extremely fast pace.
"Your Majesty! It was because I suspected Liu Bai of having connections with the Moon Goddess Cult that I did this!"
Qin Mu nodded, his smile deepening.
"Then tell me, how did I collude with the Moon Goddess Cult?"
Han Zhong shuddered violently.
His Adam's apple bobbed, he swallowed hard, and forced himself to continue.
"Your Majesty! My spies reported that Liu Bai—that is, Your Majesty—had been seen at the Moon Goddess Cult's headquarters! That's why I suspected Liu Bai was colluding with the Moon Goddess Cult, and that's why I decided to poison him!"
That statement was completely made up by him.
That was all he could say at that moment.
After all, although this charge was also deceiving the emperor, it was less serious than the crimes he had actually committed.
Compared to crimes like colluding with the North or betraying the country, the crime of deceiving the king seems insignificant.
Qin Mu smiled, his voice calm.
"So that's how it is. I did indeed go to the Moon Goddess Cult's headquarters to gather information, but I didn't expect to be discovered by your spies."
Han Zhong breathed a sigh of relief.
His back was covered in cold sweat, but at that moment it felt like the cold sweat had turned into hot water.
He was extremely relieved.
Surprisingly, his fabricated story actually came true.
A look of relief, as if he had just escaped a disaster, forced a smile onto his face. His forehead was pressed against the ground, and he dared not look up.
Qin Mu picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and put it down.
"But there's one more thing. Could you explain it to me again?"
Han Zhong was stunned for a moment, and the warmth that had just risen in his heart was instantly extinguished by the ice water.
He looked up at Qin Mu, his eyes filled with confusion and fear.
"Your Majesty... is there anything else you would like to know?"
Qin Mu smiled, but the smile was faint and cold.
"Explain to me why Xu Longxiang, Fan Li, and the Moon Goddess's group from the Northern Border are currently outside your Qin army camp."