Shocked, everyone except Master has a vest

Chapter 118 I Lied to You for My Brother 2

On the battlefield, He Zhen led the Xihuang Camp. They were like ghosts in the night, moving silently across the battlefield.

The battle broke out in the darkest hour before dawn. There was no starlight in the sky, only the burning fire in the distance reflected the outline of the military camp. He Zhen and his generals approached the Hou Tu Kingdom camp silently.

Suddenly, the female general of Hou Tu country, as if sensing the lurking danger, rushed out of the tent, holding the spear tightly in her hand, flashing a cold light under the weak firelight. Her eyes were as sharp as stars, she was dressed in silver armor and red clothes, and her figure was as tall as a man.

It is indeed the unique female body shape of Hou Tu Kingdom.

The loud shout, like thunder, awakened the sleeping soldiers. They rushed out of the tents and threw themselves into the upcoming battle without even putting on their armor.

He Zhen stopped and could feel the powerful aura emanating from the female general, which was an indomitable will to fight. He knew that this female general was no ordinary opponent, and her will and strength should not be underestimated.

Their eyes met in the darkness. Although there were no words, they could feel each other's determination.

In the darkness before dawn, the confrontation between the two armies was like the calm before the storm, tense and depressing.

The two leaders, He Zhen and the female general of Hou Tu Kingdom, exchanged glances, silently conveying their determination and respect for each other.

Suddenly, at the command of the female general, the soldiers of Hou Tu Kingdom rushed out like a tide. Their shouts broke the tranquility of the night sky. The trumpets sounded long and the entire battlefield was instantly ignited.

He Zhen was not to be outdone, he swung the long sword in his hand, and the soldiers of the West Wasteland Camp followed closely behind him, like ghosts in the night, blending into the battlefield silently. Their movements were swift and orderly, and every step was full of murderous intent.

The two armies intertwined on the battlefield. The sound of iron and blood colliding, the shouts of soldiers, and the neighing of war horses were endless.

The firelight illuminated the soldiers' faces; some showed determination, some fear, some anger, and some despair.

He Zhen led the way, his figure shuttling across the battlefield, taking a life with every swing of his sword.

His swordsmanship was both brutal and precise, and every strike was aimed directly at the enemy's vital points.

However, the female general of Hou Tu Kingdom was equally not at a disadvantage. The spear in her hand was like a swimming dragon. Every time she stabbed out, it was accompanied by a sound of breaking through the air, and she took the lives of several people.

The battle intensified, soldiers from both armies fought on the battlefield, some fell, some continued to fight. Blood dyed the ground red, the firelight reflected their figures, and every corner of the battlefield was filled with the breath of death.

However, in this melee, the figures of He Zhen and the female general were always the most conspicuous. They were like two storms on the battlefield, causing blood and rain wherever they went. The fighting skills and strength of the two were fully demonstrated in this melee.

As the battle progressed, the sky gradually brightened, and the first ray of dawn sunlight penetrated the smoke of the battlefield, illuminating the tired faces of soldiers from both armies.

Finally, the battle slowly came to an end under the shining sun, leaving countless corpses and wounded on the battlefield.

Although the female general did not win against He Zhen, her soldiers were not enough to sustain another battle, so she led her troops to break through, abandoning the camp and running away.

He Zhen expressionlessly commanded his men to collect the bodies. He knew that no matter how many times he won, the number of people in Western Wilderness was not as large as that of Hou Tu Kingdom. He won this border, but the counties in the country were lost one after another. However, his father was still stubborn and still led the army in person, relying on the magic of the national teacher to save his life.

A month later, a celebration banquet was being held in the royal palace of the Western Wilderness Kingdom. The banquet was brightly lit and the music was melodious, but the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.

Emperor Xihuang sat on the main seat at the banquet. His face was serious, with wine hanging on his beard, and he looked a little absent-minded.

He Zhen accepted the toasts from his ministers, but his father never praised him once. To be honest, it was good that Emperor Xihuang did not take the opportunity to preach that pride comes before a fall and taught him to be humble.

He Zhen has always found it unbelievable that there are fathers in the world who are jealous of their sons' talents.

At this time, a minister walked up to the side of the Western Emperor and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Second Prince has won another victory. Do you want to say something?"

Emperor Xihuang nodded slightly, but there was not much joy in his eyes. He replied in a deep voice: "He Zhen did a good job indeed, but after he came back, he didn't care about Yun'er's condition at all, and even refused to toast me. How can such a person who has no respect for his brother, father, or monarch be so disrespectful!"

Tsuruma stood in the crowd, and although he was admired by many of the ministers, he could not take his eyes off his father's face.

He knew that his father was like a dog that could not spit out ivory. He knew that his brother was a man of both literary and military skills, but was bedridden with a broken bone. However, his father deliberately used the eldest prince to suppress him.

Wasn't it just to provoke him to commit the crime of killing his brother and bring disgrace upon himself? He Zhen just didn't do what he wanted.

He Zhen spoke calmly, unmoved by his opponent's words: "Father, the reason why I didn't toast you is because I believe that true respect is not in the wine glass, but in action. Everything I have done for the West Wasteland Country is out of loyalty to the country and you. As for my brother's illness, it's not that I don't care, it's just..."

The Western Wilderness Emperor interrupted him, frowning, "Just what? Just that you only care about your own glory, or do you think that your achievements have surpassed this king, including your care for your family?"

He Zhen felt a sharp pain in his heart. He didn't expect that the most serious internal trouble was his own father. "No, father, you misunderstood. My concern for my brother has never diminished, but..."

But the Western Emperor seemed to no longer want to listen to his explanation. He waved his hand and said, "That's enough, He Zhen. I have seen your achievements, but your attitude disappoints me. You are not suitable to be the crown prince. The crown prince should not only make achievements on the battlefield, but also care for his family and people."

Just when He Zhenqi's face turned pale, there was a commotion at the door of the banquet, and everyone's eyes turned there. He Zhen's fiancée, Jiang Yu, was standing at the door, her face was pale, and there was determination in her eyes.

"Your Majesty, I request to cancel my engagement with He Zhen." Jiang Yu's voice was clear and firm, instantly plunging the entire banquet into silence.

The Western Wilderness Emperor sneered secretly. It was a good thing for He Zhen to lose the support of the Jiang family. "Jiang Yu, what do you mean? Don't you know what this marriage contract means to the relationship between the two families?

Jiang Yu took a deep breath, her eyes revealing a trace of pain. She was dazzled by the young man who was leading a horse across the bridge. She knew that he would not be moved by all the red sleeves in the building, but she still asked for this marriage. "I know, Your Majesty. But I know more about what a man who doesn't care about his fiancée looks like. The Second Prince only knows how to fight. He passed by my Jiang family three times without entering. Jiang Yu is marrying up to the Second Prince."

"Since He Zhen is so young and ignorant, and has offended the founding elders of the Jiang family, how about I promise you to the eldest prince as the crown princess in order to make amends?"

He Zhen raised his eyebrows. Father wanted to destroy his brother again? He was not afraid of angering the sickly boy whose hobby was teaching to death.

The saying that even a tiger won't eat its own cubs is probably true, right?

Jiang Yu was silent for a moment, as if she had not expected that the Emperor of Xihuang would just give her away like an object. She looked unhappy.

Jiang Yu took a deep breath, and her voice echoed in the silent hall, clear and firm: "Your Majesty, I appreciate your kindness, but I cannot accept it. I, Jiang Yu, have loved the Second Prince, and it is impossible for me to fall in love with anyone else. I will become a nun, and I only wish to forget the world and become a monk. Please grant me your majesty's wish."

At the suggestion of the Western Desolate Emperor, the atmosphere in the banquet hall froze to the extreme. Jiang Yu's words were like a stone that caused a thousand waves, shocking everyone. The face of the Western Desolate Emperor became extremely ugly. He did not expect Jiang Yu to be so determined and actually choose to become a nun. This was undoubtedly a challenge to his authority.

He Zhen stood in the crowd, feeling mixed emotions. He felt guilty and could not give Jiang Yu the care and love she deserved, and he was also angry because his father was so disregarding of his feelings and using Jiang Yu as a political bargaining chip.

But out of respect for Jiang Yu, she would rather give up everything than go against her own wishes.

The Western Wilderness Emperor looked at Jiang Yu coldly, with a hint of threat in his tone: "Jiang Yu, do you know what the consequences of refusing the imperial order are?"

Jiang Yu did not back down. Her eyes were firm and her voice was calm: "Your Majesty, I understand. But I am not like the Second Prince who is only your sword. I also have a heart of flesh and blood. If the heart is dead, there will be no obsession."

He Zhen couldn't hold back any longer. He walked out of his seat and faced the Western Wilderness Emperor: "Father, I ask you to respect Jiang Yu's choice. She is a woman of dignity and should not be influenced by anyone."

Jiang Yu looked at He Zhen in horror, as if he was meeting this bloody, inhuman young man for the first time.

The Western Wilderness Emperor laughed in anger: "Well, well, even you dare to disobey me. Come, take the Second Prince away. Don't you want to be a hero? Then take three hundred lashes. After that, I will allow Jiang Yu to become a nun!"

Under the order of the Western Emperor, He Zhen was hung on the execution pillar in the execution ground, and his naked back was torn into a bloody mess by the ruthless whip. Every whipping was a trampling on his dignity, and every drop of blood was a testimony to the pain in his heart.

His skin was torn and blood flowed from the wounds, but there were no tears in his eyes, only coldness and silence.

Jiang Yu rushed to the execution ground and witnessed this scene. Her heart was cut by a sharp blade. She knelt down in front of the Western Emperor, her voice choking with sobs: "Your Majesty, I am willing to ask to be expelled from the Jiang family, just ask you to let He Zhen go. I can accept any punishment, just ask you not to hurt him again."

The Western Wilderness Emperor watched coldly, his voice carrying a hint of pride and pleasure: "Jiang Yu, your love and sacrifice are worthless here. The Second Prince disobeyed me, and he must be taught a lesson."

The whip did not stop because of Jiang Yu's plea, but fell on He Zhen more viciously. He Zhen gritted his teeth and endured every minute and every second of pain. His eyes revealed his deep disappointment with his father.

Jiang Yu couldn't bear the tragic scene before her, so she rushed forward and tried to block the falling whip with her body.

The whip fell mercilessly on her body, her clothes were torn and deep marks were left on her skin.

The next moment, the girl was dragged away by the guards. Jiang Yu still wanted to protect the boy regardless of the consequences, but he could not overcome the brute force of these people.

He Zhen's consciousness gradually became blurred. His body felt like it was burning, but his heart was cold.

How pitiful, He Zhen thought in a daze: her love was like a raging fire, but until now, he was not willing to be moved by her at all.

After the three hundred lashes, the Western Wasteland Emperor sneered and waved his hand to signal the guards to take Jiang Yu away: "That's enough, Jiang Yu, you will only make the Second Prince less interested in serving the country and the people. From today on, you are no longer the daughter of the Jiang family, but a nun of the Western Wasteland."

When Jiang Yu was taken away, her eyes never left He Zhen, and her eyes were full of endless attachment and reluctance. He Zhen closed his eyes in pain, his heart seemed to be torn apart, full of hatred for his country and unable to let go of his love for his children.

He Zhen was put down from the execution stake, his body fell limply to the ground, and his consciousness began to blur.

Half a year later, a million-strong army of Houtu surrounded Xihuang and cut off all grain imports and exports. Xihuang surrendered to Houtu, and Houtu signed a ceasefire agreement in exchange for handing over its second prince for marriage.

He Zhen was certainly unwilling to accept such a ridiculous marriage. Emperor Xihuang could not bear the complaints of the hungry people in the city, so he took the second prince out of the palace.

All the people in the city knelt down and petitioned the Second Prince to sacrifice himself for the country. He Zhen's heart was finally completely dead.

In the capital of Western Wilderness, on this day, the entire city was immersed in an atmosphere of liberation.

He Zhen, as the second prince of Xihuang Kingdom, is about to marry into Houtu Kingdom and become a symbol of reconciliation and alliance between the two countries.

In the early morning, before the sun rises completely, the city is already full of busy figures.

Colorful flags fluttered on both sides of the streets and garlands decorated every corner.

He Zhen stood on the high platform of the palace, wearing a luxurious wedding dress. The dragon and phoenix patterns embroidered with gold and silver threads sparkled in the sun. He turned around and walked into the sedan chair without any reluctance.

As the ceremonial music played, He Zhen's wedding procession began to move forward slowly.

He Zhen sat in a gorgeously decorated carriage, which was pulled by four snow-white horses and was surrounded by flowers and ribbons. The carriage slowly drove through the streets of the capital, and people on both sides stopped to watch.

When the wedding procession passed through the city gate and set foot on the road to Hou Tu Kingdom, He Zhen looked back at his hometown, the land he once protected.

A gleam of tears flashed in his eyes, but was quickly blown away by the wind.

He Zhen was in the carriage, feeling hopeless, knowing that he was about to embark on a road of no return. He was once the pride of the Western Wasteland Country, but now he became a victim of a marriage alliance. All these changes made him feel extremely ironic and powerless.

The carriage team traveled for a month and finally arrived at the border of the Western Wilderness.

Suddenly, smoke and dust rolled up on the horizon, and a team of cavalry swept in like a storm.