Gao Qiqian had barely finished shouting when another army appeared in the distance, and this time the leading general did something completely unexpected the moment he caught sight of Jinzhou, he let out a howl and burst into tears like a man whose soul had been ripped open.
Gao Qiqian blinked, genuinely confused, and muttered, "What is going on now?"
From atop the city wall, Wang Er leaned forward and shouted, "General Zhao, what happened to you?"
The man rode straight into the city without acknowledging anyone, not even sparing Gao Qiqian a glance, then rushed up the stairs to the tower at full speed, his footsteps echoing with urgency and something heavier than mere haste.
That single act of being ignored made Gao Qiqian's expression turn cold at once, because nothing irritated him more than being treated as if he did not exist, a habit born from years of groveling that had twisted into arrogance the moment he gained power, leaving him constantly paranoid that others looked down on him.
He sneered quietly, "Another rude one. Fine. I will remember every single one of you who dares to slight me, and when I return to the capital, I will deal with you one by one."
Meanwhile, the man named Zhao had already reached the top of the tower, and he stood there looking left and right before suddenly breaking down completely, his voice trembling as it echoed across the walls.
"During the Battle of Ningjin, my father defended this very place. I was still a child then, standing right here beside him, playing around, completely unaware of how desperate the situation was…"
His voice cracked, then turned into a hoarse wail.
"Father… later… he sent me back home… and I did not even realize that was the last time I would ever see him…"
There are moments in life that pass without warning, moments that seem ordinary at the time, yet years later, when memory circles back like a blade, you realize that was the final meeting, the last shared breath between you and someone who mattered.
Zhao stood there crying uncontrollably, his grief raw and unfiltered.
Only then did Lu Xiangsheng understand, his gaze sharpening as recognition settled in.
"So it is him," he said quietly. "One of the Liaodong Three Heroes, Zhao Shuaijiao's son, Zhao Guangyuan."
Gao Qiqian froze for a moment, then forced a dismissive snort as he processed the name, though inwardly he had already begun tallying another grudge.
So this was Zhao Guangyuan, General of Hanzhong.
He dared to arrive in Jinzhou and run straight to the tower to cry instead of reporting to the supervising officer.
Fine.
Another name on the list.
While Gao Qiqian busied himself with silent vengeance, Zhao Guangyuan finally finished crying, wiped his face, and suddenly sprang to his feet with a ferocious energy that felt like a blade unsheathed.
He roared, "I am the last reinforcements, right? Now that I am here, we can begin the attack. Come on, brothers, let us go, let us march straight into Shengjing and avenge my father."
Wang Er walked up behind him, hooked an arm around his shoulders, and started dragging him down the tower like a man handling an overexcited bull.
"Stop talking nonsense. We are still waiting for equipment and supplies."
Zhao Guangyuan struggled, his voice rising again, "What are we waiting for? I do not want to wait. I want to attack now."
A dull thud rang out.
Wang Er knocked him flat with a single punch and continued dragging him away without ceremony.
That brief exchange, however, struck Gao Qiqian like a sudden flash of lightning, and for the first time, something clicked into place inside his mind.
He turned sharply toward Lu Xiangsheng, his voice tightening.
"You… Lu Xiangsheng… you even summoned Zhao Guangyuan. You never intended to just defend Jinzhou. You are planning a full counterattack against the Jurchens."
Lu Xiangsheng only smiled coldly and said nothing.
Gao Qiqian's voice rose, edged with anger and disbelief.
"The Emperor has not yet decided. The court is still debating war and peace, and yet you have already made your move. Tell me, if the Emperor orders a pacification instead, what will you do? Will you defy the imperial edict and attack anyway? Do you intend to ruin the Emperor's grand strategy?"
Lu Xiangsheng finally spoke, his tone calm yet immovable.
"The arrow is already on the string. It must be released. This matter is no longer in my hands, and it is not in the Emperor's hands either."
That answer snapped something inside Gao Qiqian.
His face twisted as he shouted, "Outrageous. This is rebellion. Guards, seize Lu Xiangsheng at once."
He turned, expecting immediate action.
No one moved.
The imperial guards stood there awkwardly, glancing sideways, because on both sides of them, Lu Xiangsheng's personal troops had already stepped forward, their expressions hard and their stance unmistakable.
If the guards made a move, the Tianxiong Army would respond instantly.
And everyone present knew exactly how that would end.
The imperial guards were few.
The Tianxiong Army was not.
As for the so called capital elite troops under Gao Qiqian, they would struggle to defeat even a single Tianxiong soldier three against one.
Gao Qiqian's lips trembled with anger.
"Fine. So this is how you want to play."
He suddenly turned and shouted toward Cao Wenzhao, his voice sharp with forced authority.
"General Cao, you are known for your loyalty. I hold the imperial sword. Seeing it is as seeing the Emperor himself. Come here immediately and arrest Lu Xiangsheng."
Cao Wenzhao blinked, scratching his head with exaggerated confusion.
"Arrest him? How exactly? Should I use my left hand or my right hand?"
Cao Bianjiao coughed beside him, barely holding back a grin.
"Uncle, that is not the point. The point is to arrest him. How you do it does not matter."
"Ah," Cao Wenzhao nodded slowly, as if enlightened.
Gao Qiqian felt a chill creep up his spine, because the tone was wrong, the rhythm was wrong, and the air itself seemed to shift as if everyone present was sharing a joke that excluded him.
Cao Wenzhao turned back, smiling widely.
"High Eunuch, why should I arrest Lord Lu?"
Gao Qiqian snapped, "He is plotting rebellion. He intends to ignore the imperial will and attack Liaodong regardless of the Emperor's decision."
Cao Wenzhao nodded thoughtfully.
"Oh, so it is about that."
Then he grinned.
"In that case, you misunderstood something."
Gao Qiqian narrowed his eyes.
"What did I misunderstand?"
Cao Wenzhao chuckled, his voice light yet carrying across the entire space.
"You did not misunderstand the situation. You misunderstood the person."
He pointed at himself.
"The one committing insubordination is not Lord Lu. It is me."
A voice rang out immediately.
"And me."
Wang Xiaohua, alias Bai Mao, stepped forward, pointing at himself with a fierce grin.
"And me."
Xing Honglang strode out without hesitation.
"And me."
Old Nanfeng followed, laughing.
One after another, like a revolving lantern of defiance, generals and commanders stepped forward, each pointing at themselves, each claiming the same crime without a trace of fear.
The air thickened.
Gao Qiqian's eyes darted from face to face, his confidence collapsing into something closer to panic.
"What is happening? What is going on here?"
Lu Xiangsheng let out a long breath and spread his hands.
"I already told you. The arrow is on the string. It must be released. This is no longer something I control."
He paused, then added quietly,
"I am not the one in charge."
Silence fell.
A strange, suffocating silence.
Then Gao Qiqian suddenly screamed, his voice shrill and cracking.
"If you are not in charge, then who is? Who is in charge here? Who exactly is in charge?"