gnovel Chapter 20 Chenqiao Mutiny
Chapter 20 Chenqiao Mutiny
"Eh? Master Wang and Young Master Wang are here too, what a coincidence, hahahaha."
Zhao Kuangyin was as cheerful as ever, bursting into laughter upon meeting him. He immediately opened the paper bag, revealing a roast chicken, and said:
"Come on, we're all family here, let's eat and drink together. But one roast chicken isn't enough for the four of us. Han Dengyan, go tell the cook to make two more dishes."
"snort!"
Han Tong snorted angrily: "You're not an official yet, but you're already ordering me around. You came uninvited, an unwelcome guest, and you expect me to cook for you."
"ha."
Zhao Kuangyin wasn't angry. Instead, he spoke casually, "Han Dengyan, I understand that you're not convinced by me, and I also understand that you're loyal to the Great Zhou. But you're a sensible person. Could it be that I had ulterior motives and deliberately orchestrated things to this point?"
"Brother, things have come to this point. I was pushed up by those big hands. I can't get down even if I want to. Brother, now that things have come to this, can you just give me a break?"
"Just to save me some face, don't make a fuss. After I go up, we'll be the same as before, everything will remain the same. You can still be your servant, how about that?"
"No!"
Han Tong suddenly slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Zhao Kuangyin! You traitorous scoundrel who disregards the kindness of the late emperor and the founding emperor, you ungrateful villain!"
"Give you face? How can I give you face? Do you expect me to be like that spineless Fan Zhi, a traitorous rebel? Dream on!"
"father in law!"
"Grandpa!"
Wang Jun and Wang Lu happened to be there and quickly tried to stop him, but Han Tong yelled at them, "Shut up! Do you two have the right to speak here?"
Seeing that Han Tong was completely uncooperative, Zhao Kuangyin stopped smiling, his face darkening. He said, "Brother, I came here today with sincerity. Things have developed to this point, and even I couldn't stop them."
"I have 130,000 troops at my command. If you refuse, what good will it do besides making us look bad? It's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. It'll only make us look bad, brother..."
"What, you want to kill my whole family? Go ahead and kill them! There are no cowards in the Han family!"
Wang Jun and Wang Lu exchanged a glance: "…………"
They seem to be part of this family now as well.
"How do you want it to look good, huh? Without bloodshed? So what if you're like a mantis trying to stop a chariot? I'm going to block you today, even if I die, I'll splatter your blood all over you!"
I, I, will use my death to tell the world, to tell future generations, that my Great Zhou Dynasty is not without loyal ministers and generals, that the great kindness and righteousness of our founding emperor and the late emperor are not lacking, and that there are people willing to die for the sake of this Great Zhou empire!
Zhao Kuangyin was also stunned. He never expected Han Tong to have this attitude, and quickly softened his tone, saying, "Brother, why go to such lengths?"
"Yes, Grandpa, why did it have to come to this? You must think it over!"
"Shut up!"
Han Tong suddenly turned around and roared at Wang Lu, "Guards! Take my son-in-law and grandson away! Today, I, Han Dengyan, am determined to stand my ground!"
"Bro!"
"Shut up, you traitor! Do you think I wouldn't dare kill you right now? This is my home!"
Zhao Kuangyin looked astonished, but he really didn't dare to speak.
"Hmph! Zhao Tiegun, listen to me, I'm not killing you now because I know that the current minor official can't hold onto this country."
As for the Empress Dowager, she had absolutely no affection for the Emperor. He had no intention of protecting this empire. If you didn't take it, someone else would have. Your taking it was already the best outcome for the Great Zhou Dynasty and its people.
"But you want me to surrender to you and then not resist? Absolutely not! I have been deeply indebted to the Guo family for two generations. Faced with such a momentous event, I have no other choice but to repay them with my life. Anyway, I can't stop you."
But I, Old Han, must use my life to cover up the shame for the late emperor and for the Great Zhou Dynasty, understand? I cannot live to share the spoils with you after the change of dynasty!
"Brother Han..."
"Now, get out of here!! Get out before I change my mind! If you don't, I'll really kill you!"
Zhao Kuangyin opened his mouth, shook his head and sighed, then clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Han Tong before leaving dejectedly.
Wang Jun and his son Wang Lu were both dumbfounded.
Han Tong, is he really that loyal?
But then Han Tong saw that Zhao Kuangyin's figure was still watching him walk away, so he quickly helped the father and son up, saying, "Good son-in-law, good grandson, get up, get up quickly, you've been wronged."
"ha?"
Wang Jun stamped his feet in frustration: "Father-in-law! Why are you doing this?!"
Wang Lu, on the other hand, seemed to be deep in thought.
"Heh heh, men, men! Summon all the personal guards and soldiers of my household."
A short while later, more than thirty of Han Tong's closest confidants entered. Han Tong addressed them:
"Tomorrow or the day after, within the next few days, Zhao Kuangyin will rebel. He'll most likely be forced to wear the yellow robe again. This has happened more than ten times in recent years; it's nothing new. I've decided that when the time comes, I'll fight him to the death!"
The group of confidants looked at each other in bewilderment.
"And you!" Han Tong pointed at Wang Jun: "When the time comes, you'll all listen to my son-in-law. You must capture me alive and stop me from mobilizing troops, understand?"
The guards: "Huh?"
Wang Jun: "Huh????"
"What? You really want me to die?"
Wang Jun: "…………"
"Remember, capture me alive, you must capture me alive, don't hurt me. Later, I'll find you an unsharpened knife. Come on, let's practice first, and see how you capture me properly."
"No, father-in-law, why is that?"
"Why? Why else? Thanks to you, I'm not the same as before. I have the morale of the army now. I'm going against Zhao Tiegun. What can he do to me?"
"If I rebel against him, can he kill me? If he kills me, will he kill you all too? If the three of us are all dead, who will build houses for the Imperial Guards?"
"Now that I am in a very high position, I am higher than Zhao Kuangyin in rank. Can he let me retain my original position and continue to lead the Imperial Guard?"
"We've never been on the same side. No matter how well he treats me, even if he grants me a title of king outside the imperial family, will he give me real power? Will I still have actual military power? Whether I rebel against him or not, I'll probably end up with a high position but little power, retiring to Luoyang in my old age."
"I, Lao Han, only have one son. He... well, let's not talk about it. Since I'm definitely going to retire, why not just send you up instead?"
"You're my son-in-law, not one of his trusted men. How can I guarantee your future? It's better to use myself to give you a chance to rise to power. I won't die anyway, and after Zhao Tiegun becomes emperor, he'll need you to build houses for his soldiers."
As he spoke, Han Tongchong clasped his hands in greeting to Wang Jun and Wang Lu, saying, "My dear son-in-law, I know that I was a bit harsh in taking you as my son-in-law back then. We have a debt of gratitude between us, but there is also a distance between us."
"No, no, I would never dare to complain about my father-in-law."
"You see, you said you dared not, not that you never did."
"father in law……"
"Alright, that's enough. Whether you've been kind to me or harbor resentment, you're now my son-in-law. I'm using myself to give you a chance to rise to power, as my way of apologizing to you."
Please don't blame me. My son is good-for-nothing. In the future, when I retire, or even after I die, this whole family will depend on my good son-in-law.
As he spoke, Han Tongchong, Wang Jun, and Wang Lu gave each other a slight bow.