69novels Chapter 794: Suicide failed, Gongzi Gao was sent to Nanjun!
Chapter 794: Suicide failed, Gongzi Gao was sent to Nanjun!
“Hmph!” Gongzi Gao sneered, and pressed the sword a little tighter to his neck. Blood dripped down the edge of the sword. “Don’t pretend! If you dare to take another step forward, I would rather commit suicide here! I must let the world know that you…”
"Shh-!"
Gongzi Gao’s words came to an abrupt end!
An extremely slight but sharp sound that made one's scalp numb suddenly sounded from the dark corner behind him without any warning! Fast! So fast that it exceeded Gongzi Gao's reaction limit! He only felt an unimaginable pain in the humerus of his right arm, as if a red-hot iron rod had instantly pierced through him! A huge force caused his entire body to lean forward!
"Ahhh!" The severe pain made his eyes go black, and his right hand holding the sword instantly lost all strength. The long sword, which symbolized his last dignity and resistance, fell to the ground with a clang, splashing a few drops of cold dust.
Almost at the same moment when the long sword fell to the ground, two black shadows pounced on Gongzi Gao from both sides like ghosts! The strong and powerful arms were like iron clamps, fiercely locking his injured arm and the other intact arm! The huge force held him down tightly, and his knee was kicked hard. The whole person fell forward involuntarily and knelt heavily on the cold mud ground!
Severe pain and complete despair instantly overwhelmed Gongzi Gao. He struggled to raise his head, only to see the general's cold eyes and countless silent and cold unfamiliar faces around him.
"take away!"
The enemy general's order was like a bolt of cold iron falling to the ground, cold and resolute, instantly cutting off all possible maneuvers. He didn't waste any more words, and with a glance, several wolf-like soldiers immediately stepped forward and roughly twisted Gongzi Gao's arms.
Gongzi Gao's body trembled slightly, but there was not much fear on his face. Instead, after the initial stiffness, he showed a calmness that was almost resigned to his fate. However, deep in his deep eyes, there was an indescribable complex light - there was anger, sadness, and a hint of imperceptible, cold calculation.
Gao Yao's promise? It was nothing but arsenic wrapped in honey. Young Master Gao was clear-minded and knew that he had long been marked as a chess piece that must be erased in the chess game of this "ally". Death was the inevitable outcome. However, Gao Yao's promise of "prosperity and wealth" was not empty talk. It pointed to a cruel truth: Gao Yao promised to bury him with a new and glorious identity after his death, and it might even benefit his family who were "protected" tightly. This was more like a carefully packaged transaction, using his life in exchange for the nominal survival and superficial glory of the family.
Let Prince Gao die silently like this? How could they possibly squeeze out the last bit of his value? As early as the beginning of the plan, when Gao wanted to reveal his intention to get rid of Prince Gao directly, Li Si, Xiao He and other shrewd confidants had already strongly advised against it.
Their reason was very realistic: as long as Prince Gao died at Gao Yao's hands, whether he died in a sneak attack by "bandits" or revenge by "Wu Can", Gao Yao would never be able to clear himself of the blame for the murder of his emperor. The public's gossip and the pen of history are like a knife. A ruler who carries the stain of killing the Qin king's bloodline will always have cracks in his foundation.
In order to preserve Gao Yao's reputation of being "benevolent and righteous" or at least "forced to fight back" to the greatest extent, a more perfect scapegoat is needed.
Wu Can, the old enemy of Gao Yao's southern army, who has no chance of turning back, is the perfect choice. Only Wu Can can make a move, which is logical. Letting Prince Gao "just happen" to die under Wu Can's butcher knife is the most favorable scenario for Gao Yao.
This would not only allow Gao Yao to "legitimately" take over the power under the banner of revenge for Prince Gao and stabilizing the Qin Dynasty, but also stop the criticism of the world. Most importantly, it could be used as an excuse to openly send troops to Nanjun and completely take this strategic location. Prince Gao's blood would become the cornerstone for Gao Yao to ascend to power, expand territory, and wash away his bad name.
The heavy footsteps and the friction of armor gradually faded away, and the team escorting Prince Gao disappeared at the end of the dark forest path, leaving only suffocating silence.
After a while, several figures emerged quietly from the depths of the dense tree shadows like ghosts. Gao Yao was in the middle, with Xiao He and Zhang Liang on his left and right. Around them, there were several guards with sharp eyes like hawks and calm and restrained auras. They blended silently into the shadows around them and scanned every corner vigilantly. The cold moonlight shone through the sparse branches and leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on Gao Yao's calm face.
"Your Majesty," Xiao He was the first to break the silence, with a hint of genuine surprise in his tone, twirling his beard, "I really didn't expect that this Young Master Gao would be able to show such... the courage to die calmly?" In his impression, Young Master Gao had always been a member of the royal family who was kept in a gorgeous cage, seemingly docile and harmless. His attitude of waiting to be killed today was indeed beyond his expectations.
"Normal," Gao Yao's voice was low and gentle, as if he was stating a trivial matter, but his eyes were still fixed on the direction where Gongzi Gao disappeared, deep and unfathomable, "Don't underestimate him." He had never really let down his guard against Gongzi Gao.
Otherwise, he would not have been placed alone in the heavily guarded Qin Palace, nor would he have placed countless spies around him. He knew Gongzi Gao's background very well - in the original historical trajectory, facing Hu Hai's butcher knife, this young man could judge the situation and take the initiative to put down his dignity and ask for death, just to save his family. This calmness that can clearly judge the enemy and ourselves and weigh the pros and cons in desperate situations is definitely not something that mediocre people can do. Gongzi Gao is not ignorant of resistance, but he knows when and how to make the most "appropriate" choice in exchange for the greatest possibility of survival.
"What he wants most is to confirm with his own eyes that his family members are absolutely safe." Gao Yao raised his lips with a cold arc, with a mocking look that knows everything. "How can I let him have such wishful thinking? So, he wants to use his life to plant a root of disaster for me. As long as he dies here, no matter who kills him, the dirty water of 'regicide' will eventually be thrown on my head, Gao Yao, and this stigma will become a hidden wound under my authority like a maggot on the tarsal bone."
He shook his head slightly, and that arc carried the indifference of a superior who controls everything: "It's a pity that he takes himself too seriously and is too confident. In this chess game of the world, he is just a lone piece after all. If he wants to plot against me, there must be a cost, but his cost is too small after all!"
The night wind blew through the forest, making a whimpering sound, as if it was whispering for the tragic ending of Master Gao. Gao Yao's last words disappeared in the wind, leaving behind a conspiracy and murderous intent that was even thicker than the night.