Chapter 740: Colluding with the Enemy 2

Once, Zhao Junyao had thought that as long as he didn’t go this time, he would feign ignorance about everything that had happened. They could remain good brothers, just as before. He wouldn’t pursue any investigation. It would be as if those incidents had never occurred. But now...

Zhao Junyao watched Zhao Junqi walk away. No matter how much his heart ached with regret, he could no longer afford to be lenient.

At that moment, he shouted a command.

"Men! After him!"

"Yes!"

General Xiao and General Liang surged forward from behind, carrying torches and leading mounted soldiers in the direction where Zhao Junqi had vanished.

Zhao Junyao nodded in satisfaction.

"I shall go ahead first; follow me later!"

After speaking, he turned and vanished into the night.

...

By the seaside at night, the scenery was bleak yet beautiful. The cool, white moonlight shone on the sea surface. It was instantly shattered by the waves into countless fragments, leaving only specks of shimmering white light. With the CRASHING of the waves, one after another slammed onto the sandy shore. The sea breeze, salty and slightly cool, gusted again and again.

Zhao Junqi, dressed in his Night Clothes, arrived at the waterfront.

In accordance with their agreement, he whistled toward the sea several times.

The sound traveled outward, and soon, a small boat approached the shore from across the sea.

The man who disembarked from the boat was Min Tu, the second prince of the Southern Ocean Kingdom. This man, accustomed to arrogance, couldn’t help but become irate the moment he landed!

"Princely Heir Zhao, what’s wrong with you! Making this prince wait for so long!"

"And the strategy you gave last time was wrong too!"

"It led to my defeat, and my Royal Father scolded me fiercely!"

"If there’s another problem with our arrangement this time, we’re all done for!"

Zhao Junqi hurried forward to apologize.

"It’s all my fault!"

"I didn’t know the Emperor was so cunning!"

"Since that incident, he’s had people following me constantly. I only delayed until now because I was afraid of being discovered!"

Min Tu glared in disbelief.

"Afraid of being discovered?! Nonsense!"

"You’re not thinking of backing out, are you?"

"Hey, Zhao Junqi! You were the one who came to me asking to borrow troops. You want to back out now?!"

Zhao Junqi quickly stepped forward, covering Min Tu’s mouth.

"Min Tu! Do you damn well want the whole world to know?"

"I’m telling you, I will never back out!"

"I went to great trouble to sneak out tonight to deliver this message."

"If you don’t want us to be finished, then you damn well better keep quiet!" Zhao Junqi said fiercely.

Min Tu saw that Zhao Junqi genuinely didn’t seem to be backing out. He said no more, impatiently shoving Zhao Junqi’s hand away.

"The strategy? Hand it over quickly! If we don’t start the war soon, my soldiers will starve to death!"

Zhao Junqi looked around cautiously. Noticing no one, he stooped and began searching his person. It was a piece of paper, hidden inside his clothes.

Huh?

He searched every part of his body but couldn’t find what he had brought.

"How is this possible? I wrote everything on it!"

"How can it not be found!"

The more he searched, the more frantic he became. He nearly stripped off his clothes but still couldn’t find it.

Min Tu grew even more impatient.

"I see you just want to back out!"

Zhao Junqi snapped, "Back out? My ass! If I were really going to back out, I wouldn’t have come! Letting all of you starve to death would’ve been far simpler!"

Min Tu thought he had a point. Still dissatisfied, he continued to curse under his breath, though Zhao Junqi couldn’t understand him.

Just as the tension between the two solidified, a voice broke the awkward silence.

"Are you looking for this?"

Zhao Junyao extended a silver-gray pouch towards Zhao Junqi.

"Junqi, are you looking for this?"

Zhao Junqi’s face lit up with delight at the sight of the pouch. He was about to affirm it, but when he looked up, his joy turned into horror.

"Imperial Brother..."

"Do not address me as Imperial Brother, Zhao Junqi!"

"Don’t blame me. After this, I will no longer be your Imperial Brother!" Zhao Junyao said coldly.

Min Tu, sensing that something was amiss, immediately turned to flee. But Zhao Junyao, quick-eyed and deft-handed, severed his Achilles tendon with a thrown dagger.

"AH!"

He cried out in agony and fell to the ground, unable to stand again.

"You Dog Emperor! You only know how to use dirty tricks!"

"If you have the guts, kill me! See if my Royal Father will let you off!" Min Tu, sprawled on the ground and clutching his leg, yelled loudly.

A chill flash sparked in Zhao Junyao’s eyes. He walked slowly over to Min Tu, towering above him, his gaze filled with murderous intent.

"You think I wouldn’t dare?"

After speaking, he looked behind him.

"Guards, take them all away!"

General Xiao and General Liang, with their men, emerged as if from nowhere, swarming in to surround them. Soldiers bearing torches quickly secured the area.

Everyone was caught with no escape.

Zhao Junqi glanced at the carefully arranged surroundings and suddenly understood everything. Those Hidden Guards who had fainted were just a lure to draw him in.

"Imperial Brother, you plotted against me!" Shock filled his eyes. In his memory, his Imperial Brother had never stooped to such scheming. Whatever he did, it was always open and aboveboard, fair and square. But now, he actually...

"You actually plotted against me! You did it on purpose, didn’t you!"

Zhao Junyao narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly smiled.

"Yes! I plotted against you!"

"Not only did I plot against you, but I also intend to kill you!"

Zhao Junqi’s face was filled with disbelief, his eyes turning bloodshot.

"Why! Why would you do this?!"

Zhao Junyao couldn’t be bothered to say more, simply leaving him with a cold phrase.

"Because you committed treason!"

After saying that, he strode away.

The surrounding soldiers closed in, quickly binding both Zhao Junqi and Min Tu.

A conspiracy thus came to an end. The note with the battle plans never made it out.

Zhao Junyao had wanted to burn it, but as evidence, he had to keep it.

"Heh! All the better!"

"This note, these words, prove exactly... some people are simply not worth trusting!"

With that thought, Zhao Junyao found a place to store the pouch, still sealed.

He wanted it as a memento! Let it serve as a warning to himself!

「The next day,」

News came from the frontlines that the Southern Ocean Kingdom was preparing for war.

After hearing the news, Zhao Junyao’s eyebrows raised slightly.

"Oh? Can’t wait any longer?"

General Xiao chuckled at his side.

"Your Majesty, they’re probably coming because they found out their prince is missing!"

Zhao Junyao nodded thoughtfully.

Arubasi’s son is missing, so why attack the Great Chu Dynasty? Besides, I haven’t even seen him!

he thought shamelessly.

From that moment on, General Xiao held the Emperor in utter admiration for his talent in shirking responsibility.

He even imagined a dialogue:

’Emperor of Great Chu, hand over my son!’

’Your son? This is the Great Chu Dynasty. We don’t have your son here!’

’Someone saw with their own eyes your men taking my son to prison!’

’Oh? Is that so? What was your son doing in the Great Chu Dynasty anyway?’

Arubasi: "..."

Just like that, speechless! Because his son had committed treason!