The Prodigal Son

Just as the imperial edict was about to reach the Prince of Chengyang, Cao Yuan suddenly made his move.

With a flick of his wrist, an invisible force bound the two imperial edicts, carrying them into Cao Yuan's hand.

"Cao Mangfu, you have indeed joined the ranks of grandmasters!"

Zhao Po narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Cao Yuan.

They had long suspected that Cao Yuan had already reached the level of a grandmaster, but it had never been verified!

Cao Yuan's feat of retrieving objects from a distance just now is enough to prove that he has advanced to the level of a Grandmaster!

"Zhao Mazi, I've wanted to fight you for ages! If you want to fight, I'll be ready to fight to the bitter end!"

Cao Yuan looked coldly at Zhao Po, then handed the imperial edict to the Prince of Chengyang.

Cao Yuan and Zhao Po not only knew each other, but were also very familiar with each other.

In the past, when Emperor Xiaowu was fighting in the south and the north, one of them was Emperor Xiaowu's personal bodyguard, and the other was the commander of the personal army of the father of the Prince of Chengyang.

They fought side by side when they were young!

But now, they are each serving their own masters.

The Prince of Chengyang ignored the two men and quickly unfolded the two imperial edicts to examine them.

Two imperial edicts, two outcomes!

If he surrenders, Zhao Luan will change his title to Prince of Liyang and grant his lineage a lifetime of wealth and honor.

If he resists stubbornly, he will be a traitor and a rebel. The entire Chengyang Prince's lineage must be eradicated, leaving no one alive!

The Prince of Chengyang gripped the imperial edict tightly, his knuckles turning white and his bones creaking.

He clearly commands an army of 100,000!

But before he could even put his 100,000 troops to use, he fell into the trap set by the mother and daughter!

How could he accept this?

"Do you guys think you've already won?"

The Prince of Chengyang roared, his voice filled with resentment: "I still have an army of 100,000! If I die, my troops will surely rise up to avenge me!"

"Your Highness, stop resisting!"

Zhao Po remained calm. "Yun Zhao, the commander of the Golden Armored Imperial Guards, has secretly entered Yinzhou with two generals and His Majesty's decree. He is ready to take command of the troops at the Yuwang Mountain camp at any time!"

"Take over military power?"

The Prince of Chengyang scoffed, "Do they think they can take over my military power?"

"Of course!"

Zhao Po's face radiated confidence. "Either we escort the Prince to meet them and hand over military power, or we bring the Prince and your family's heads to meet them and take over military power directly!"

The Prince of Chengyang felt a sharp pain in his heart and subconsciously looked at his family.

"What arrogance!"

The King of Chengyang was extremely unwilling and sneered, "Don't forget, Fang Junji is still leading 20,000 troops to guard the front line of Xingji! If anything happens to me, Fang Junji will simply open up the defenses and let the Chu army attack!"

"Your Highness, you're overthinking it!"

Zhao Po gently shook his head, "With Fang Junji at the forefront of Xingji, Your Majesty is at ease!"

Feeling at ease?

The Prince of Chengyang's expression changed drastically as he stared at Zhao Po in disbelief: "Fang Junji is a spy for the imperial court?"

Fang Junji!

He was promoted by his father!

After he succeeded to the throne, he promoted Fang Junji several times, and even put Fang Junji in command of the 20,000 troops that were guarding the front line of Xingji against the State of Chu.

As it turns out, Fang Junji, that scoundrel, was actually a member of the imperial court?

Zhao Po did not answer, but bowed slightly to the Prince of Chengyang and said sincerely, "Your Highness, your defeat is inevitable. Please consider your family and the reputation of the old prince. Do not make any more futile struggles! His Majesty has grand ambitions, and Da Ning needs stability!"

The Prince of Chengyang's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he roared with resentment, "What if I refuse to surrender?"

"Why doesn't Your Highness understand?"

Zhao Po suddenly raised his voice, "His Majesty doesn't want the Prince to die, that's why he sent me! Otherwise, it would have been that killer who came!"

Killing material!

Ninghuang!

He is the number one expert in Da Ning today, and also a god of death. He is now a royal retainer.

If it were Ning Huang, he wouldn't waste so much time talking to them!

"Stop talking nonsense!"

The Prince of Chengyang, enraged, sneered, "You think you can make me surrender? Dream on! Do you think I don't know that even if Zhao Luan doesn't kill me today, once she successfully seizes military power, she will find a way to put me to death!"

Zhao Luan is definitely not a kind-hearted person!

In terms of cunning and hypocrisy, she was no less cunning than the late emperor!

In terms of ruthlessness, she was no less ruthless than Emperor Xiaowu!

As a woman, she could only sit on the throne with peace of mind if she slaughtered all the Zhao clan members who could threaten her throne!

"I believe His Majesty would not do such a thing!"

Zhao Po frowned, his voice suddenly turning cold: "If Your Highness remains obstinate, we will have no choice but to send you on your way!"

As he spoke, a powerful aura erupted from Zhao Po.

"Zhao Po! What are you pretending to be, acting all high and mighty? You think you're some kind of grandmaster?"

Cao Yuan leaped into the air, his body transforming into a streak of light to block Zhao Po and Guo Yang's path, his face flashing with intense fighting spirit.

Zhao Po held his breath, his expression complex as he looked at his former comrade-in-arms. He sighed softly, "Brother Cao, including you, Da Ning now only has four Grandmasters! I don't want to kill you; I hope you retain your strength to serve the country!"

Grandmaster: The foundation of a nation's military strength!

Emperor Xiaowu spent his life on conquest, and although he conquered vast territories for the Great Ning, the large number of his soldiers died in battle, leading to a shortage of skilled warriors in the Great Ning.

Many exceptionally talented individuals die on the battlefield before they can truly mature.

The youngest grandmaster in Da Ning today is Guo Yang, who is nearly fifty years old.

Among the middle generation, there are probably only a dozen or so who have the potential to reach the Grandmaster level.

The sudden emergence of a Grandmaster in Da Ning should have been a cause for celebration.

He really didn't want to kill this grandmaster!

Moreover, this man had also followed the old prince across battlefields, serving the country.

This shouldn't be happening between them!

Don't try to intimidate me with your moral high ground! We're just serving different masters!

Cao Yuan glanced at him coldly, his tone unfriendly: "I have received great kindness from the old prince. If you want the prince's life today, you'll have to get past me first! I also want to see just how strong you really are after all these years!"

Seeing Cao Yuan's resolute expression, Zhao Po sighed again, "Brother Cao, don't you want to complete the great cause that Emperor Xiaowu and the late Emperor failed to accomplish?"

As he spoke, Zhao Po pointed to the soldiers in the forest on both sides of the mountain, "Half of them are from the Golden Armor Imperial Guards, and the other half are from the Treasure Mirror Division!"

"With Grandmasters Guo Yang and I joining the fray, do you think you have a chance of survival even if you fight to the death?"

"I know you have received great kindness from the old prince, but if his lineage were to end, you would truly have failed him!"

"Listen to my brother's advice, go and persuade the prince!"

Cao Yuan looked at the two men in front of him, then at the menacing soldiers in the mountains on both sides, and fell silent.

Yes!

This is a carefully prepared trap; how could we possibly give them a chance to escape?

If the lineage of the old prince were to end, how could I face him in the afterlife?

Cao Yuan hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at the Prince of Chengyang, who was surrounded by layers of guards. "Your Highness..."

"Uncle, you may leave! I will not blame you!"

The Prince of Chengyang raised his hand to stop Cao Yuan, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes. He burst into wild laughter: "Zhao Luan has already killed two of her own uncles, so what does it matter if she kills one more! Even if I die, I will make her bear the infamy of slaughtering her entire clan for eternity!"

uncle!

The single word "Uncle" had already eliminated any possibility that Cao Yuan would abandon him.

Seeing the Prince of Chengyang feigning madness, the concubine stepped out of the carriage and pleaded with a tearful voice, "Your Highness, let's surrender!"

The Prince of Chengyang didn't speak, but instead drew his sword with a "clang".

brush!

A sharp flash of light sliced ​​across the concubine's neck, raising a cloud of blood...