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One has to admit, Zhang Song, that fellow, with his dignified appearance, indeed seemed like a loyal and seasoned statesman, yet behind the
One has to admit, Zhang Song, that fellow, with his dignified appearance, indeed seemed like a loyal and seasoned statesman, yet behind the scenes, he was still practicing nepotism! One can only say that Zhang Song's acting skills were far superior to his good-for-nothing nephew, Zhao Ji!
Seeing Zhao Ji's smug expression, Ning Yuanzhou instead restrained his pretentious demeanor and nodded: "Yes! But now I just want to know the whereabouts of Chai Ming and the others!"
"Were they sent by you to guard His Majesty?"
Of course, Ning Yuanzhou's words were also ridiculous! Because he was in Emperor Wu's army at the time! With his status, even if he were conscripted, he wouldn't be an ordinary soldier. How could he not know if his former Six Paths Hall brothers were with the Emperor?
"Once you've accomplished what Chancellor Zhang ordered, I will naturally tell you!" Zhao Ji smiled smugly again upon hearing this, then looked at Ning Yuanzhou and said. In his opinion, he had finally grasped Ning Yuanzhou's weakness! Now the mission could be successfully completed!
"Oh!" Ning Yuanzhou nodded upon hearing this: "What does this Zhang Song want me to do?"
"His Majesty is in the north, disgraced and held captive; Chancellor Zhang needs someone to rescue His Majesty!" Zhao Ji's expression became serious at this moment, and he looked at Ning Yuanzhou before him, saying, "Among the Six Paths Hall, only you are most familiar with Anguo!"
"Yes!" Ning Yuanzhou couldn't refute Zhao Ji's words and could only nod, but his expression remained one of indifference.
"Chancellor Zhang has declared that as long as you succeed, all your crimes will be forgiven, and you will be reinstated to your former position!" Zhao Ji frowned upon seeing Ning Yuanzhou's expression, but still continued, "What do you think?"
"Master Zhao..." However, Ning Yuanzhou's eyes darted, and he looked at Zhao Ji again, saying, "You tell me the whereabouts of Chai Ming and the others first, then I'll tell you if I'm willing!"
Upon hearing Ning Yuanzhou say this, even Ren Ruyi couldn't help but frown. From that single sentence, it was clear that this man didn't genuinely care about the so-called Chai Ming and those missing sworn brothers he mentioned! He was purely just toying with Zhao Ji! After all, Zhao Ji wasn't a fool; how could he agree to such a request? So, doing this would bring no benefit other than angering the other party!
And as Ren Ruyi expected, Zhao Ji's expression indeed turned fierce, and he glared at Ning Yuanzhou, saying, "Don't try that with me!"
"Begging your pardon!" Ning Yuanzhou, of course, was not surprised by Zhao Ji's reaction. He merely smiled faintly and then said, "Master Zhao can come here in the middle of the night; Chancellor Zhang must have given you a death order!" After speaking, Ning Yuanzhou didn't wait for Zhao Ji to react, turning directly to fiddle with his incense burner. He remained completely indifferent to the sworn brothers he had just inquired about.
This scene, let alone Ren Ruyi, even Yuan Lu, who had always admired Ning Yuanzhou, couldn't help but frown directly. Zhao Ji immediately sighed helplessly, because Ning Yuanzhou was right; he had indeed received a death order from Zhang Song and had to make Ning Yuanzhou agree no matter what. Now, seeing that the lives of those sworn brothers couldn't be used to threaten Ning Yuanzhou, he could only soften his stance and say directly, "Chai Ming and the others accompanied His Majesty on the expedition; half died on the spot, and half were captured with His Majesty."
"As long as you go to Anguo, you can rescue them all!"
Upon hearing Zhao Ji's words, Ning Yuanzhou didn't react, but Yuan Lu's eyes lit up with joy, as those so-called sworn brothers of Ning Yuanzhou were also very important companions to him. Even the Six Paths Hall warriors who came with Zhao Ji showed hopeful glances in their eyes. Because they were once comrades and brothers who worked together! Now at least half of them were still alive, which instantly eased their sorrowful hearts. In everyone's eyes, Ning Yuanzhou, the former Hall Master of the Six Paths Hall, would certainly not abandon these brothers!
However, the turn of events once again harshly slapped the faces of those who trusted Ning Yuanzhou. He paused for two seconds, then a scornful smile appeared on his lips, as if the half of the people Zhao Ji had just spoken of, who were still alive, had nothing to do with him.
"If that's the case... no interest!" Ning Yuanzhou thought for a moment, then decisively spoke his answer, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "I am no longer their head! Asking about their life and death is merely out of consideration for past camaraderie!"
"Please, Master Zhao, go back and tell Chancellor Zhang... I will not go to Anguo!"
After speaking, he continued to lower his head and fiddle with the incense burner in his hand. And this answer directly stunned everyone present except Wei Tingyu. Zhao Ji even widened his eyes, because he originally thought that by threatening Ning Yuanzhou with the whereabouts of his so-called sworn brothers, the matter would surely be accomplished. He just didn't expect this guy to be so disloyal, which even shocked him!
Ren Ruyi, upon hearing this, sneered inwardly. It wasn't that she thought Ning Yuanzhou absolutely had to go and save these people. It was just that if he wasn't going to save their lives, and these people were insignificant to him, then he shouldn't have put on that act in the first place. What was the point of making such a tense inquiry about their whereabouts, even falling out with Zhao Ji on the spot, and putting on such an anxious display? Now that the whereabouts of his sworn brothers have been revealed, he doesn't want to save them anymore? This fickle face is truly more heartless than a courtesan! Even Yuan Lu, Ning Yuanzhou's little fanboy, lowered his head directly at this moment, his eyes rolling, seemingly pondering what exactly was going on.
Only Wei Tingyu was not surprised by this turn of events. Because he had long known that Ning Yuanzhou's nature was precisely this way. The reason why those who previously worked with him in the Six Paths Hall thought he was very loyal was simply because, at that time, when he was in charge of the Six Paths Hall, he was at the peak of his prestige and hadn't encountered any major setbacks. Did they think that gathering friends, eating meat, drinking wine, and carrying out Emperor Wu's orders together truly made them sworn brothers? It is only when encountering a crisis that a person's true character and reliability are truly revealed! Ning Yuanzhou's solitary escape from the defeated battlefield was enough to show that he was a coward who feared death! Now, to ask him to venture alone into Anguo to rescue Emperor Wu and the other Six Paths Hall members, how could he possibly agree? If he truly possessed such loyalty, he would never have secretly returned alone to feign death and avoid disaster!
"Ning Yuanzhou!" Zhao Ji naturally understood what kind of person Ning Yuanzhou was at this moment. Seeing that the lives of those Six Paths Hall members couldn't threaten him at all, he angrily kicked over the incense burner on the table in front of Ning Yuanzhou, then glared at him and roared! "Don't force my hand!"
Zhao Ji, of course, knew that Ning Yuanzhou was a very dangerous person, but since he had received a death order from Zhang Song, if he couldn't complete this mission, he certainly wouldn't have a good outcome himself, so he simply tore off his pretense. And Ning Yuanzhou's eyes sharpened. He looked at the overturned incense burner, his expression changing several times in an instant, but he quickly concealed it.
"Why so angry, Master Zhao!" Ning Yuanzhou said indifferently, and then, as Zhao Ji relaxed his guard, he suddenly twisted his wrist, and the metal handle he used to scrape incense ash directly stabbed into Zhao Ji's neck. The entire action was incredibly swift; Zhao Ji had no time to react, and blood from his neck sprayed out along with Ning Yuanzhou's withdrawing hand. Ning Yuanzhou's clothes and face were even covered in blood! However, this guy showed no hint of disgust; instead, a satisfied look appeared in his eyes. Seeing this expression, Wei Tingyu felt as if he had seen a psychopathic killer!
Of course, this sudden turn of events startled the Six Paths Hall warriors outside and Yuan Lu. No one had expected Ning Yuanzhou to suddenly attack Zhao Ji, especially since the latter was not only the Hall Master of the Six Paths Hall but also Chancellor Zhang Song's nephew. Does this mean Ning Yuanzhou is truly going to tear down all pretenses with the entire Wuguo court? However, intimidated by Ning Yuanzhou's martial arts, the other Six Paths Hall warriors could only watch helplessly as Zhao Ji, clutching his neck, stumbled and rolled from the mourning hall into the courtyard. During this process, no one dared to stop Ning Yuanzhou, or even attempt to save Zhao Ji.
Zhao Ji, seeing his subordinates all lower their heads and remain silent, then actually turned his gaze towards Wei Tingyu. At the same time, from the gradually dimming desire to survive in this guy's eyes, Wei Tingyu could tell that Zhao Ji wanted him to save him! However, he naturally wouldn't meddle in such affairs, especially since Zhao Ji deserved to die anyway! From Wei Tingyu's perspective, the conflict between him and Ning Yuanzhou was nothing more than a dog-eat-dog situation.
Ren Ruyi also stood with her arms crossed, looking down at Zhao Ji before her! At this moment, she remembered the scene a few days ago in the Yang residence in the capital! At that time, Zhao Ji was immensely powerful, able to casually wipe out the lives of several courtesans with a wave of his hand. He surely would never have expected to meet his end today! And this retribution came so quickly!
And Zhao Ji, seeing the coldness in Ren Ruyi's eyes, immediately understood that Wei Tingyu and she would definitely not save him! Now that he was meeting his demise here, it truly was retribution! Thinking this, he finally stopped struggling, relaxing as if resigned to his fate, and the light in his eyes completely vanished. Zhao Ji, the Hall Master of the Six Paths Hall, who once dominated the Wugu court, died silently in Ning Yuanzhou's courtyard!
"I have just dealt with Zhao Ji, this criminal!" However, the matter had only just begun! Ning Yuanzhou looked around at everyone present and said directly, "Does anyone have any objections?" As he spoke, his gaze was fierce, sweeping over everyone present. All the Six Paths Hall warriors, including Yuan Lu, nervously lowered their heads; no one dared to meet Ning Yuanzhou's eyes. Especially with his face and body covered in blood, just looking at him was terrifying enough!
"Your Excellency is wise!" The Six Paths Hall members were naturally practical; they knew that daring to utter a single word of dissent now would lead to the same fate as Zhao Ji, so they quickly bowed in unison. Wei Tingyu also found this scene amusing. Using coercion to make these people afraid to speak, Ning Yuanzhou's methods at this moment were not much different from Zhao Ji's earlier! But would such coerced people truly be loyal? Wouldn't their actions after Zhao Ji's death reveal the answer?
However, Ning Yuanzhou felt nothing was wrong with this! Seeing everyone yield to him, his heart immediately filled with satisfaction. He took a deep breath, nodded slightly, then adopted a very troubled expression.
"My brothers! I am no longer your leader!" Ning Yuanzhou gently shook his head, looking at the crowd and saying, "I am now just a weary soul, tired of court affairs!"
"If you still remember our past camaraderie, then pretend you didn't see me tonight!"
"After I bury my adopted father, the old Hall Master, tomorrow, I can leave the capital and retire into seclusion!"
However, as soon as his words fell, everyone present's eyes secretly shifted, and their brains quickly processed what he meant. Did Ning Yuanzhou truly want to retire to the mountains and forests? Certainly not! He was a very politically ambitious person; otherwise, he wouldn't have returned to the capital after faking his death. He certainly wouldn't have revealed himself to meet Zhao Ji just now, and then killed Zhao Ji in the end. To say he did this to save Yuan Lu, no one in the room would believe that claim at this moment. Didn't Ning Yuanzhou similarly disregard the lives of Chai Ming and those brothers who had experienced life and death with him? So, his appearance was solely to kill Zhao Ji, merely feigning being coerced and having to act. Thinking about his actions just now, wasn't he deliberately provoking Zhao Ji, that dim-witted fellow? It was clear that Zhao Ji was destined to be killed by Ning Yuanzhou today, regardless of whether he controlled his temper and overturned the incense burner in Ning Yuanzhou's hand! And Ning Yuanzhou's goal was to eliminate Zhao Ji and then gather the Six Paths Hall for his own use!
Looking at it this way, Ning Yuanzhou's ambition might not be confined to just the Six Paths Hall! Perhaps, taking advantage of Wuguo's damaged military strength and unstable government, he might also be interested in that highest seat of power?
Wei Tingyu's mind instantly connected many dots. While others weren't as perceptive as Wei Tingyu, they could still understand that Ning Yuanzhou was currently practicing a strategy of feigning humility to later assert authority!
"You will always be our Head! We can't bear to lose you!"
"Ever since you left, the Six Paths Hall hasn't been the same!"
"Please come back and continue to be our Hall Master!"
Understanding this, the Six Paths Hall warriors spoke one after another, earnestly pleading with Ning Yuanzhou to stay and continue leading the Six Paths Hall. Yuan Lu, however, stood still, his eyes filled with suspicion as he looked at Ning Yuanzhou before him, not saying a word. Because today's events had completely shattered his previous perceptions! He even doubted how much truth there was in Ning Yuanzhou's current actions and words?!
"Cough, cough..." Ning Yuanzhou was clearly pleased to hear the words of the Six Paths Hall members, but he still pretended to be weak and coughed twice. However, his pretense once again made Ren Ruyi inwardly scoff. When he had acted to kill Zhao Ji just now, he was precise, swift, and ruthless; where was any hint of this sickly appearance now? Speaking of pretending, you truly take the cake!
"The Zhu Yi Guard Wudu branch has been completely destroyed!" And after seeing Ning Yuanzhou's performance, the Six Paths Hall warriors naturally knew that his silence meant acquiescence. The leading warrior immediately said, "Master Zhao went out of the city to pursue remnants and we don't know when he'll return!"
"At least three or four days, I'd say!" another warrior quickly chimed in. These words were clearly intended to cover up Ning Yuanzhou's crime of killing Zhao Ji. No matter how much Zhao Ji deserved to die, he was still the Hall Master of the Six Paths Hall! And he was Chancellor Zhang Song's nephew! Now that he had died an unnatural death, if this matter were to leak out, it would inevitably cause another bloody storm. And the Six Paths Hall warriors had already thought of an excuse: they would just announce that Zhao Ji had gone out of the city to pursue remnants, then lost contact. If he didn't return later, they would simply report him missing, and that would be that. The court would be busy for a while, and seeing that they truly couldn't find him, the matter would become a cold case, gradually forgotten!
Ning Yuanzhou was naturally very satisfied with this, but after nodding slightly, his gaze suddenly shot towards Wei Tingyu and Ren Ruyi! After all, compared to the entire courtyard of Six Paths Hall warriors, these two could be considered outsiders, and they had personally witnessed everything before them! How best to handle uncontrollable witnesses? Ning Yuanzhou naturally had his own ideas, and then, as he looked at their faces, his expression gradually became ferocious...