Chapter 686: Counterattack (2)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After he ascended the throne, Xu Chuqi would be a carefree king. Perhaps Chu Qi could live a few more years and fulfill the title of brotherly respect.
The Great Jin Dynasty would thrive in Chu You’s hands!
The Emperor raised his eyebrows noncommittally. His gaze faintly passed through Chu You and landed on the 500 soldiers of the Tiger Army he brought behind, revealing a deep and serious expression.
The 500 soldiers temporarily stopped outside Long’en Gate and waited for orders. They looked at the Emperor and Chu You with burning gazes, blocking Long’en Gate like an iron bucket.
The Emperor slowly put his hands behind his back, his face expressionless. He called Chu You by his name indifferently and said, “Chu You, this is the army left to you by the previous emperor?”
“That’s right.” Chu You nodded calmly.
From the moment he was born, he knew that the late Emperor’s preference for him far exceeded that of his other brothers.
The previous Emperor personally enlightened him, personally taught him how to ride and shoot, taught him how to judge people, taught him how to scheme… These were all preferential treatment that his brothers didn’t have.
In fact, the previous Emperor had given him far more than what was on the surface. This hidden Tiger Army was the most precious wealth left behind by the previous Emperor.
He had hidden it for so many years, and today, he could finally tell the Emperor this secret personally!
Chu You’s thin lips curled up as he looked at the Emperor proudly. He deliberately said in a slow tone, “This is the Tiger Army left to me by my father!”
He didn’t mind letting the Emperor know this. He wanted the Emperor to be jealous, to feel indignant, and to show defeat on his face from failing to get what he wanted.
He only wanted to hit the Emperor fiercely and destroy his will.
The Emperor in the hall looked at Chu You steadily with a faint expression. He let out a long sigh and asked, “Nine years ago, your real goal in going to Yangzhou was to accept this Tiger Army, right?”
The Emperor’s expression looked very calm. Even in the current situation of swords facing each other, he was still neither anxious nor impatient. He was neither sad nor angry, as if he had given up struggling, or as if he had seen through the mortal world.
“That’s right.” Chu You nodded again.
He smiled smugly, not thinking about why the Emperor would ask this at all. He only wanted to vent the suppressed depression and frustration of the past year.
No… No, it was the depression that had been suppressed for nine years.
Nine years ago, the previous Emperor issued a decree to give Yangzhou to him as a fiefdom and let him personally take over the fiefdom in Yangzhou and choose a place to build his residence. In fact, it was also to let him start to gradually take over the Tiger Army and let the Tiger Army recognize him as its master.
At that time, he was only an eleven or twelve-year-old young man. He was young and energetic. He traveled thousands of miles south and wholeheartedly wanted to lead the Tiger Army to contribute.
Sometimes, he felt that what happened back then seemed very far away and very vague. Sometimes, he felt that everything was still yesterday.
Under the blowing of the mountain wind, emerald green ripples appeared on the pine trees on both sides. The fragrance of the pine needles in the mountain wind blew over.
The Emperor raised his hand and brushed away a few pine needles that had landed on his sleeve. He sighed again and suddenly changed the topic. “So, the previous Emperor couldn’t tolerate Gu Ce?”
With just a short sentence, Chu You’s expression changed. His pupils constricted, and he blurted out, “How dare you! The previous Emperor was your father!”
The outside of the hall exploded like a drop of cold water falling into boiling oil.
The expressions of the civil and military officials also changed drastically, and there was an uproar.
The Emperor’s words just now were pointed at the previous Emperor, as if he was saying that Gu Ce’s crime of “submitting to the enemy” was the previous Emperor’s crime, making people not dare think further!
The Emperor didn’t care about the reactions of the surrounding people at all. His dark eyes darkened, and his gaze nailed onto Chu You’s face like a nail.
His usually gentle eyes were so sharp at this moment, as if he wanted to see through Chu You from the outside to the interior. He continued, “After thinking about it, it’s really a little strange for Gu Ce to surrender in the battle of Tailing City in Yangzhou back then.”
“According to Yu Cunzheng, although the situation in Tailing City was difficult, it wasn’t to the point where we had to open the city gate to defeat the enemy.” Chu You’s face was ashen. He said angrily in a low voice, “What’s so strange!! It was clearly Gu Ce himself who was timid and afraid of battle, forgetting the respect of monarchs and ministers, the righteousness of his country…”
Chu You’s voice subconsciously raised a little. His whole body tensed up, and he almost shouted in a hoarse voice.
His loss of composure was obvious.
“So, Gu Ce’s death was actually because the previous Emperor wanted to cover up something for you?” The Emperor interrupted Chu You coldly. He used a questioning tone, but his expression was quite certain..