Shuhan

The Han Emperor Liu Gongsi was attacked by an assassin during a court meeting. The news spread like wildfire and instantly reached every corner of Jianye.

Although Emperor Liu Gongsi was lucky enough to escape this sudden disaster without suffering any harm thanks to the timely response of his guards, this incident undoubtedly threw a huge rock into the calm surface of the imperial lake, causing ripples that spread far and wide.

The common people and powerful people in Jianye, whether they were in the market or in the upper classes, were all talking about it, trying to uncover the truth behind this shocking assassination.

"I heard that it was done by Wu Wang Sun Deng!"

Inside the teahouse, an old man lowered his voice and spoke mysteriously to the people around him.

"The State of Wu was annexed by the Han Dynasty, and his wife, children and beautiful mother were all insulted by the Han emperor. As a man, how could he swallow this? Maybe he wanted to take revenge and let the Han Dynasty know the pain!"

"Humph, that's wrong."

A scholar in gorgeous clothes beside him shook his head and retorted: "Although Wu Wang Sun Deng has a desire for revenge, how could he be so stupid as to do such a blatant thing? I think this is more like the work of Wei Guo's school affairs office.

In recent years, there have been constant frictions between the Han and Wei countries, and war is imminent. If something happens to the Han emperor, wouldn't the Wei Kingdom be able to win the war without any effort?"

"You are all wrong."

At this time, a well-traveled scholar joined the discussion.

"Behind this matter, there may be more complicated power struggles. Don't forget that the Han Dynasty is not a monolithic entity. Who can guarantee that those princes and powerful officials who are dissatisfied with the emperor have not made secret plans? Perhaps this is a carefully planned palace coup, the purpose of which is to shake the foundation of the country and make the Han Dynasty lose its footing."

"Alas, no matter who did it, this is not a good thing." An old woman sighed, "The assassination of the emperor is a misfortune for the country. I'm afraid the lives of us ordinary people will be even more difficult. I hope the government can find out the truth as soon as possible and give the people of the world peace."

"That's right." A middle-aged man next to him nodded in agreement.

"Although we are common people, we also hope that the country will be stable so that we can live our lives. I hope the emperor can take this opportunity to rectify the government and make sure those who have evil intentions have nowhere to hide."

As time passed, no imperial edict came out of the palace. Everyone was worried that the Emperor of Han would take the opportunity to cause trouble. The atmosphere in Jianye City became increasingly tense and subtle.

People were filled with fear, anger, and suspicion, and all these emotions intertwined together, making the entire Jianye seem shrouded in an invisible haze.

And under this undercurrent, the future of the Wu State seemed to become even more confusing.

Outside the hall, the wind was freezing. King Sun Deng of Wu had been kneeling for a long time. The stone slab under his knees had long been warmed by his body temperature, but it could not warm his cold heart.

The emperor was assassinated at a court meeting. This incident penetrated his bones like a cold wind, making him feel unprecedented chill from head to toe.

He knew that he was the most suspicious, and it was even possible that the assassination was carefully planned by the emperor to deal with him.

After all, Marquis Jianchang was named the crown prince just a few days ago. How could an assassination attempt come so soon?

Sun Deng's heart was filled with fear and anxiety. He only wanted to be a rich King of Wu and enjoy wealth and glory. He never had any other thoughts.

At the very least, now that he has been hit repeatedly by the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, he no longer dares to have any other thoughts.

I absolutely wouldn’t dare to do that.

The emperor wanted to play with his women, wanted to play with his mother, but he gritted his teeth and endured it, not daring to have the slightest resentment.

But now, this sudden assassination has pushed him to the forefront.

"I, Sun Deng, have absolutely no second thoughts. I just want to be a rich and powerful king of Wu. I have no other thoughts."

Sun Deng kept muttering to himself, hoping that the emperor would hear his voice and believe in his innocence.

However, the door of the hall was closed and the emperor did not summon him.

Sun Deng became more and more frightened. He didn't know what the emperor was thinking at the moment, and whether he had already regarded him as the mastermind behind the assassination.

Time passed minute by minute. Sun Deng had been kneeling outside the hall for more than an hour. His knees had long been numb, but he did not dare to move at all.

He hoped that the emperor could see his sincerity and his innocence.

However, the emperor did not summon him, but instead a eunuch came slowly.

"King Wu, stop kneeling. His Majesty will not see you." The eunuch's voice was cold and ruthless, like a knife stabbing into Sun Deng's heart.

"Please meet me. This assassination has nothing to do with me!" Sun Deng was frightened and quickly raised his head, looking at the eunuch pleadingly.

He hoped that the eunuchs could pass on a message for him and ask the emperor to see him.

However, the eunuch looked at him expressionlessly and continued, "I've already said that His Majesty won't see you."

"What did His Majesty say?" Sun Deng was even more frightened, and he hurriedly continued to ask. He hoped to get some news about the emperor from the eunuchs, some news that could prove his innocence.

The eunuch felt a little impatient when he saw Sun Deng's anxious look.

He just wanted to get rid of this troublesome King Wu, so he said reluctantly: "Your Majesty said it himself, whoever is guilty will not escape. He doesn't want to see anyone today!"

Sun Deng was devastated when he heard this. He felt that his life was in danger, and the emperor's words had undoubtedly made him a suspect.

He didn't know how to prove his innocence, let alone how to escape this disaster.

"I, Sun Deng, really did not assassinate the emperor!" Sun Deng shouted in his heart, but no one could hear his voice.

He could only watch the eunuchs leave and the door of the hall close tightly, separating him and the emperor from two worlds.

The cold wind continued to blow, and Sun Deng's body was frozen stiff.

His heart was filled with despair and helplessness. He didn't know what his future would be like, and he didn't know how to face this sudden disaster.

After a long time, he had to leave the palace with a sad heart.

Just as the figure of King Sun Deng of Wu disappeared around the corner of the palace, a burst of hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor again, and King Sun Lu, the younger brother of King Wu, hurried over.

His heart was burning with dissatisfaction towards his brother and desire for power, and every step he took seemed so decisive and powerful.

Compared with Sun Deng's desperate request, Sun Lu's request for an audience seemed to be smoother, as if fate had paved a shortcut for him.

When he reached the front of the main hall, Sun Lu stopped, straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and a look of determination flashed in his eyes.

He knew in his heart that at this moment, he had to perform more perfectly than ever before, not only to win the emperor's trust, but also to take this opportunity to push Sun Deng into an abyss of no return.

hiss~
Take a deep breath.

Sun Lu walked slowly into the hall, and every step he took seemed so solemn and respectful.

"Your Majesty, Sun Lu, the younger brother of the King of Wu, pays homage to the Emperor of the Han Dynasty. Long live His Majesty, long live His Majesty, long, long live His Majesty!"

Sun Lu's voice echoed in the hall. His posture of saluting was meticulous, and every movement revealed his awe for Liu Chan.

His forehead almost touched the ground, his hands were clenched into fists with veins bulging, and he looked quite nervous at the moment.

Liu Chan sat on the dragon throne with a deep gaze, as if he could see into people's hearts.

He raised his hand slightly, motioning Sun Lu to stand up, "Please excuse me, my brother the King of Wu. What urgent matter do you have to report?"

Sun Lu stood up, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly concealed. He said firmly: "Your Majesty, I have made a major discovery about the assassination at the New Year's Day meeting. The mastermind behind it must be Sun Deng, the King of Wu!"

When Liu Chan heard this, he frowned slightly, but he already understood in his heart.

Assassin Assassin.

Who sent this assassin?

Liu Chan knew it a long time ago.

But now I still have to pretend.

He shook his head and sighed, "Brother Wu, I know this is strange, but how can I convict you without any evidence?"

Sun Lu's heart tightened, but he soon came up with a plan. He took a step forward and said more urgently, "Your Majesty, the assassin is still alive. As long as you hand him over to me, I will find out who is behind it. Even if I have to use some tricks, I will make him reveal the real culprit!"

Liu Chan's eyes flickered, and he had something in mind. The feud between Sun Lu and Sun Deng was exactly what he wanted to see.

So, he pretended to hesitate for a moment, then nodded slowly: "Since you have such confidence, I will leave this matter to you. But remember, you must be fair and not resort to lynching."

Sun Lu was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately bowed and saluted: "I will obey your order and will not let you down!"

. . .

That night, it was dark and windy. Sun Lu, along with a group of trusted men, hurried to the secret room where the assassin was imprisoned.

The candlelight in the secret room flickered, illuminating the assassin's scarred face.

Sun Lu looked at him coldly, a cruel smile on his lips.

"Tell me, who ordered you to assassinate His Majesty? If you tell me, perhaps I can spare your life." Sun Lu's voice was low and threatening.

A hint of fear flashed across the assassin's eyes, but then they became determined again.

How can we survive today?

No matter what you say, your fate is already determined.

"Hmph, are you trying to be stubborn? I have plenty of ways to make you talk." Sun Lu sneered and picked up a thin iron needle from the torture rack next to him.

He walked up to the assassin and gently scratched the assassin's cheek with an iron needle, leaving a thin blood mark.

The assassin's body trembled slightly, but still no sound came out.

Seeing this, Sun Lu's smile became even more cruel.

He picked up a thick wooden stick and hit the assassin hard on the knee.

With a "crack" sound, the assassin's kneecap shattered and he let out a shrill scream.

"Ahhh~"

However, this is just the beginning.

Sun Lu had no intention of stopping, and continued to torture the assassin with various cruel punishments. He clamped the assassin's fingers with tongs and burned them one by one; he whipped the assassin's body with a whip until the assassin's body was covered with bloodstains and bruises; he even poured salt water on the assassin's wounds to double the assassin's pain.

Under Sun Lu's cruel torture, the assassin's will gradually collapsed.

"Spare my life!"

"Give me a knife and let me die, please!"

He began to scream and beg for mercy, but Sun Lu turned a deaf ear to him.

Soon, the assassin, unable to bear it any longer, finally gave the answer he wanted.

Sun Lu smiled proudly. This was exactly the result he wanted.

He personally recorded the assassin's confession.

The next morning, Sun Lu came to the hall again and presented the assassin's confession to Liu Chan.

His face was filled with a smile of victory, as if he had already seen the moment when Sun Deng fell and he would become the new King of Wu.

Liu Chan took the confession, reviewed it carefully, then looked up at Sun Lu with a barely perceptible smile in his eyes.

The fight between the brothers has just begun, and he only needs to sit back and watch the fight.

"Thank you for your hard work, Prince Wu. You have handled this matter very well. Now that the mastermind has been found, I will leave it to you to decide how to deal with Prince Wu Sun Deng."

Liu Chan's voice was calm and deep, as if everything was under his control.

When Sun Lu heard this, his breathing suddenly became rapid.

I handle it?
That's not easy!
dead!
"Since Your Majesty has entrusted this matter to me, I will definitely not let Your Majesty down!"

Sun Lu selected a group of loyal imperial guards, and holding the emperor's edict, he set out for the Prince of Wu's palace.

The atmosphere in the Prince of Wu's mansion was solemn. Although everyone from top to bottom were Han people, they were all terrified by this sudden change.

Sun Lu and his group did not encounter any substantial resistance when they arrived, as if everything was already destined and only waited for the final ending.

They successfully passed through numerous courtyards and arrived at the deepest part of the palace, where was the study of King Sun Deng of Wu.

The door of the study was gently pushed open, and a depressing atmosphere hit me in the face.

Sun Lu's gaze fell on Sun Deng, who was sitting at the desk. His face was haggard, like ashes, but his eyes flickered with complex light.

When he saw Sun Lu, Sun Deng's face miraculously turned a little rosy. It was a kind of relief, but also a kind of helplessness.

"Brother, you are here. Does His Majesty want to kill me?" Sun Deng's voice was low and calm, as if he had expected all this.

Sun Lu shook his head, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes: "Your Majesty did not want your life, I wanted your life!"

As soon as these words came out, the air seemed to freeze.

"Hahaha~hahaha~"

Upon hearing this, Sun Deng burst into laughter, his laughter was a bit sad and sarcastic: "You are indeed from my Sun family, you are cruel and ruthless!"

His laughter echoed in the study, sounding particularly harsh.

After laughing, Sun Deng's eyes became deep, as if he had penetrated the mist of time: "But the Emperor of the Han Dynasty caused my Sun family to be destroyed, my father is dead, and now I am dead too. Soon, it will be your turn."

His tone was full of predictions about the future, and also revealed his helplessness about the fate of his family.

The Sun family of Jiangdong is truly about to be destroyed.

Sun Lu snorted coldly, trying to cover up his inner wavering with a firm tone: "As long as I serve Your Majesty loyally, have no ambitions, and enjoy wealth and honor, how can Your Majesty deal with me?"

However, there was a barely perceptible tremor in his voice.

Sun Deng laughed again, even more wildly: "You will know in the future. I will not be lonely on the road to the underworld."

There was a flash of determination in his eyes.

Qiang~
Suddenly, he drew out the long sword at his waist, and with a flash of sword light, he slashed towards his neck without hesitation.

Blood gushed out, staining the lapels and Sun Lu's vision red.

Sun Deng's body slowly fell down, but there was a look of relief in his eyes.

Rather than being humiliated, he would rather commit suicide. This was his last pride.

Sun Lu stood there in a daze, looking at his brother lying on the ground, feeling mixed emotions.

He had never expected that Sun Deng would choose such a drastic way to end his life.

There was dead silence in the study, with only Sun Deng's gradually weakening breath.

Sun Deng murdered his father.

And I, Sun Lu, killed my brother.

Ha ha.

Is this the retribution for my Sun family? (End of this chapter)