QT: The Rescue Of The Miserable Bigshots-Chapter 302 - 10.3

Xiao Jinan turned his head slightly. "What happened?"

The general of the cavalry sent by the emperor could not possibly want to kill the emperor out of nowhere. Something must have occurred, something he did not yet know about.

He had long since planted spies within the court, but the intelligence they gathered was always delivered to the Huainan King’s mansion by express courier, and it mostly concerned matters directly related to him.

Recently, he had left the mansion and come to the battle camp. As a result, he truly was not receiving news from the capital in a timely manner.

Jiang Jiamian curved his lips into a mocking smile. "It’s already too late for anything else to happen. You only need to consider my suggestion. I can guarantee that I won’t just stop blocking you, I’ll stand on the same front as you and bring down that dog emperor as soon as possible."

When the original owner of this body had been forcibly recalled to the capital, he discovered that his grandfather had already been beheaded, and his father had been poisoned to death in prison by Tuojia spies. There was no chance of rescue.

As for himself, he had been sent by imperial order to the bestowed marriage entourage, sacrificed like a pawn to force the King of Huainan into submission.

Jiang Jiamian did not resent Xiao Jinan for torturing the original owner to death.

Their positions had been different. They were mortal enemies on the battlefield. There was nothing more to say about that.

But the emperor?

The entire Jiang family had been loyal and valiant, three generations of generals who had shed blood for the court and the empire, only to be destroyed by suspicion and jealousy.

This was no longer mere heartbreak.

It was the unjust slaughter of loyal generals by a tyrannical, corrupt ruler, allowing enemies to laugh and rejoice.

Hateful and tragic.

"You.." Xiao Jinan wanted to ask more, but Jiang Jiamian suddenly turned his head and forcefully shoved him off the horse.

"I’m leaving!"

Before Xiao Jinan could regain his footing, Jiang Jiamian flung the reins and rode away, leaving behind only the receding figure in white and the cold gleam of silver armor disappearing into the distance.

That scene seemed to carve itself into Xiao Jinan’s heart, knife stroke by knife stroke.

After a long while, he finally snapped out of his daze, realizing that the other man had vanished completely. He slowly raised his hand and rubbed his fingers together in silence, as if the lingering warmth of Jiang Jiamian’s waist still remained. Then he slung the spear Jiang Jiamian had left behind over his shoulder.

He laughed loudly. "Well done, Jiang Jiamian! If I can’t get you into my bed in this lifetime, then I’ll have lived in vain!"

Seize the throne?

If he wanted to, he would do it.

Besides, even if it were only to reclaim this man and hold him firmly in his arms, he needed absolute power, power great enough that neither of them would ever have to live under another’s thumb, trembling in fear.

An emperor or a vassal king... If one could not become the former, then the latter would forever be constrained, unable to move even an inch.

There was no second choice.

Jiang Jiamian rode back toward his camp. When the Jiang family army, which had been anxiously waiting, saw him return alone on horseback, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They didn’t know why he had charged forward by himself, but this was their young general. They obeyed his orders absolutely. If he told them to wait, they waited.

Still, they were genuinely worried about his life.

"General, you’re finally back!"

The soldiers were overjoyed to see him unharmed. As for whether he had gained anything, well, that was almost laughable. He had gone alone.

Anyone else would have died long ago.

The deputy general also noticed that Jiang Jiamian was no longer carrying his long spear, the weapon he favored most in mounted combat, aside from his superb archery.

"General, are you alright?"

"I’m fine." Jiang Jiamian waved his hand. "Withdraw. Return to camp."

Seeing him return, the messenger who had rushed to deliver the imperial decree, but had been forced to wait, hurriedly spoke again. "General Jiang, an urgent imperial decree from the capital..."

Jiang Jiamian’s sharp gaze swept over him coldly. "Shut up. This is a battlefield. Any imperial decree can wait until we return."

The messenger shuddered and immediately fell silent.

He had originally thought this would be an opportunity to show his authority. After all, he came from the capital and knew very well what had happened to the Jiang family.

Jiang Jiamian was still young. He should have been easy to manipulate.

But to his surprise, Jiang Jiamian didn’t react as expected. He did not immediately obey upon hearing it was an imperial decree.

Although the messenger represented the emperor, the moment he stood there, he was surrounded by Jiang Jiamian and his army.

He was genuinely afraid that one wrong move would cost him his life on the battlefield.

"Where is that messenger?"

The Jiang family army returned to camp. Jiang Jiamian dismounted and loosened his armor as he strode into the tent, asking without looking back.

Upon entering, he immediately removed his silver armor and casually hung it behind the tent flap, leaving only a white robe draped over his body. The loose robe made his figure resemble a white moon, his aura cold as frost and snow.

He sat down at the main seat and coldly watched as the messenger hurried in and stood before the table.

"General Jiang Jiamian, receive the decree!"

Jiang Jiamian didn’t move. "Read it."

The messenger hesitated. "This is an imperial decree."

The implication was clear: Jiang Jiamian should kneel.

"A general in the field may disobey the emperor’s orders."

Jiang Jiamian squinted at him sideways. "If you make me say that a third time, your head will be smashed into the ground."

Accepting the decree at all was already giving him face. Did he truly expect him to kneel?

The messenger’s face turned pale. His eyes flicked to the faint bloodstains on Jiang Jiamian’s pristine white sleeves. Swallowing his words, he unfolded the edict and cleared his throat.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The capital is in grave danger. The General of the Valiant Cavalry is hereby summoned to withdraw his troops and return to the capital immediately. No delays are permitted."

Jiang Jiamian tilted his head. "That’s it?"

The messenger forced a dry smile and handed over the edict. "That’s all, General Jiang. Please accept it."

Once Jiang Jiamian returned, he would naturally fall under control.

The edict deliberately avoided mentioning the Jiang family’s fate, fearing that revealing the truth might provoke rebellion.

It was bait.

Jiang Jiamian sneered inwardly.

No wonder the original owner had accepted the decree and returned.

So this was how it was written.

The dog emperor wanted to lure him back first.

Ha.

Unfortunately, the consequences of Jiang Jiamian’s return were not something that the emperor could afford.

"Guards!"

Jiang Jiamian snatched the edict from the messenger.

"General!"

Zhang An, the deputy general, rushed in immediately.

Jiang Jiamian pointed lightly at the messenger. "Take him away. Fifty strokes of the cane. Whether he lives or dies afterward depends on fate."

"Yes, General!" Zhang An obeyed without hesitation.

"This!?" The messenger’s face drained of color. "Why?!" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Why?"

Jiang Jiamian stood up abruptly, eyes blazing. "You dare ask why? How did you deliver the decree earlier? Who gave you the audacity to ignore battlefield formations and charge straight behind me? Do you know that life and death are decided in an instant here? Your intrusion could have affected the entire army! What kind of ridiculous decree delivery was that? This is a battlefield, not the capital. Here, my words are the decree!"

The messenger tried to speak, but the killing intent in Jiang Jiamian’s eyes froze his blood.

Only when Zhang An seized his arm did he recover enough to struggle wildly.

"You dare flog me?! Jiang Jiamian, are you insane?! I am here on the Emperor’s orders! There are five hundred Royal Golden Armor Guards outside your camp! Aren’t you afraid the Emperor will punish you?!"

Jiang Jiamian sneered. "Whether the Emperor punishes me is none of your business. But whether you are punished, that depends entirely on me. What are you waiting for? Take him away!"

"Yes!"

Zhang An dragged the messenger out without another word.

The messenger struggled desperately, but how could a eunuch compare to Zhang An’s strength?

In the end, he was dragged out of the tent like a sack of mud.