Guo Kai cursed in fear.
The Qin soldiers ahead showed no restraint whatsoever, recklessly shooting arrows as if Zhao Ji's existence meant nothing to them.
This enraged and terrified Guo Kai.
If Zhao Ji were to die even at the hands of the Qin soldiers this operation would no longer be a success but a colossal failure.
If Queen Dowager Zhao Ji died and Guo Kai was deemed responsible, Qin would have an irrefutable pretext to attack Zhao. Even if Guo Kai managed to return to Zhao, he would face severe punishment.
Such thoughts caused Guo Kai to panic.
He rushed to Zhao Ji's side, shielding her with his own body.
The remaining guards hurriedly drew their swords, blocking the arrows raining down from the Qin forces. A few attempted to fire back with crossbows, but against the Qin elite soldiers clad in full armor, their efforts were futile unless they hit a vulnerable area like the head or other unprotected parts.
As Guo Kai's ships drew closer to collision with the Qin ships
"Attack!"
Zhao Feng unsheathed his Dragon Spring Sword and gave a loud command.
Without hesitation, he leaped onto Guo Kai's ship.
The Qin soldiers followed, swords drawn, charging after Zhao Feng with unrelenting vigor.
To them, this was an opportunity for merit on the battlefield, and they were eager to seize it.
"We've been strengthened by the Bone Refinement Powder gifted by our lord. My strength has doubled!"
"Same here! I feel like I could take on ten men at once!"
"Let's slaughter these enemies! It's a stroke of luck to have such easy merits handed to us!"
The Qin soldiers shouted in excitement, their eyes fixed on the enemy as they began their merciless assault.
Despite their reputation as elite troops, Guo Kai's guards were no match for Zhao Feng's forces. They fell one by one, their bodies and blood scattering across the ship and the river.
"Are the Royal Guards of Zhao not the most formidable elite troops of our state? How can they be so weak?"
Watching his soldiers, who were supposed to be evenly matched with the Qin troops, get utterly crushed, Guo Kai was in complete disarray.
Even the commander of the guards was bewildered.
"Our Royal Guards are unparalleled in combat power. How could this happen?"
The Qin troops overwhelmed them with absolute dominance.
Zhao Feng charged forward, his Dragon Spring Sword cutting through any resistance with ease.
"Defeated a Zhao Royal Guard. Gained 5 Strength points."
"Defeated a Zhao Royal Guard. Gained 5 Speed points."
"Defeated a Zhao Royal Guard. Gained 5 Constitution points."
The notifications echoed in Zhao Feng's mind with each enemy he struck down.
Before long, he reached the cabin.
Seeing Zhao Feng approach, Guo Kai's face turned pale with fear.
"Attack!"
The commander of the guards shouted, brandishing his sword at Zhao Feng.
However, his speed was a joke to Zhao Feng, who easily dodged and retaliated with a swift thrust.
With a sickening squelch, the Dragon Spring Sword pierced the commander's chest.
"Don't come any closer!"
"If you take another step, I'll kill her!"
Panicking, Guo Kai grabbed Zhao Ji and pressed his sword to her neck.
"Kill her, then. What does it have to do with me?"
Zhao Feng gave him a cold glance, clearly unbothered.
Using a woman to threaten him?
As if Zhao Feng would care.
"I am Guo Kai, Prime Minister of Zhao! This is your Queen Dowager! If you dare harm her, you'll pay with your life!" Guo Kai yelled desperately.
Hearing this, Zhao Feng's expression turned odd, as did the expressions of his soldiers.
"My lord," one of the soldiers exclaimed, "have we just stumbled upon a great merit by sheer luck?"
"Our Queen Dowager has been captured by these people?"
"If they had made it into Wei territory, wouldn't the Queen Dowager have fallen into foreign hands? This is a matter of national importance!"
"If we hadn't stopped them, they might have escaped!"
The soldiers were astonished.
Originally, they thought this group was just a team of saboteurs sent to disrupt Qin. But now, it was clear they had captured Queen Dowager Zhao Ji.
If not for Zhao Feng and his men, they might have succeeded.
"What are the odds?"
"Talk about being in the right place at the right time!"
Zhao Feng muttered to himself, his attention shifting to Guo Kai and then to Zhao Ji.
"Guo Kai, the so-called 'God of War' of Qin."
"This man has lured Zhao's two top generals to their deaths. He's too valuable to kill. Without him, countless Qin soldiers would die before we could conquer Zhao. He's worth keeping alive."
"As for Zhao Ji…"
Zhao Feng glanced at her, studying her features.
The famed historical figure before him had piqued his curiosity more than Guo Kai had.
"The legendary Zhao Ji," he mused. "Even at her age, she's still so elegant. No wonder she was called one of the most beautiful women of her time."
"She gave up her son for a lover like Lao Ai, even siding with her illegitimate children over her flesh and blood. What a woman…"
"But she seems utterly terrified right now. Is she in shock from the Lao Ai incident?"
Zhao Feng pondered for a moment before dismissing the thought.
Drawing his sword, he slowly advanced toward Guo Kai.
"What are you doing?"
"Stay back! I'll kill her if you take another step!" Guo Kai shouted, his voice trembling.
"Go ahead."
"It's not like I know her personally. For all I know, you're lying."
Zhao Feng's tone was calm, his steps unyielding.
Seeing Zhao Feng's indifference, Guo Kai panicked further.
"You're insane! If I kill Zhao Ji, the Qin King will wipe out your entire family!"
"Her death wouldn't be on me, though."
"If you kill her, I'll kill you. That's still a huge merit for me."
"A dead Queen Dowager is far less problematic than one captured by another state. I'm sure the king will understand which option is better."
Zhao Feng's words made Guo Kai freeze in fear, his grip on his sword faltering.
In that instant, Zhao Feng surged forward, grabbing Guo Kai's hand and disarming him effortlessly.
"Ahh! Let go!"
Guo Kai screamed in pain, his face contorted in agony.
Zhao Feng, however, had no intention of killing him.
This was Guo Kai the man whose betrayal would pave the way for Qin's unification. Killing him now would be counterproductive.
After disarming Guo Kai, Zhao Feng tossed him aside, where two soldiers restrained him.
Even with Guo Kai subdued, Zhao Ji remained frozen, standing as if in a daze.
"Did the Lao Ai incident drive her insane?" Zhao Feng wondered, puzzled by her behavior.
Still, he didn't dwell on it.
"My lord," Zhang Ming reported, "all enemies have been eliminated. Eight of our brothers were injured, but none are in critical condition. These foes were indeed elites."
"Good."
Zhao Feng nodded, scanning the aftermath.
Except for Guo Kai, everyone else had been dealt with.
"Brothers!" Zhao Feng called out with a smile.
"This was a stroke of luck. Do you know who we've captured?"
"Who, my lord?" one soldier asked, curious.
"That's Guo Kai, the Prime Minister of Zhao," Zhao Feng replied.
Hearing this, the soldiers' eyes widened.
"Guo Kai? The Prime Minister of Zhao?"
"You're kidding, right?"
"We just stumbled upon the Prime Minister while out on a mission? That's insane!"
"Hahaha!"
"This is incredible! We've just earned ourselves a major merit!"
"We've captured the Prime Minister of Zhao!"
The soldiers erupted in excitement, knowing that this accomplishment would elevate their status and bring them rewards.
In Qin's meritocratic system, achievements like this were never overlooked.
"Do you know who this person beside me is?"
Zhao Feng smiled again, his gaze falling on Zhao Ji standing nearby.
The personal guards still wore expressions of confusion.
Their duty was to kill enemies, not to know who they were.
"She's the Empress Dowager of Qin, the birth mother of our current king," Zhao Feng said with a faint smile.
As soon as these words fell, shock rippled through the guards.
They looked at Zhao Ji in utter disbelief.
"Am I dreaming or what?"
"We thought running into the Prime Minister of Zhao on the Wei River was already a stroke of luck, but rescuing the Empress Dowager too?"
"No wonder those men fought so fiercely. Ordinary soldiers would've suffered heavy casualties against them. Turns out, they were trying to abduct our Empress Dowager from Qin!"
"Good thing we encountered them. If the Empress Dowager had been captured by another country, the consequences would've been unimaginable."
...
The guards couldn't help but be astonished.
The capture of an Empress Dowager by a rival nation would be a catastrophe of unprecedented scale.
"Pay respects to the Empress Dowager," Zhao Feng ordered loudly.
The guards exchanged glances, then bowed in unison. "Greetings to the Empress Dowager."
However, Zhao Ji remained expressionless and unresponsive under their salutes.
Zhao Feng discreetly observed her reaction.
"No reaction even to this? It seems Zhao Ji has truly lost her mind."
"Though her scandal with Lao Ai was universally condemned, the two children she bore with him were her flesh and blood. Watching them being dashed to death must've been too much for her to bear, driving her to madness," Zhao Feng mused to himself.
He stepped forward, bowing slightly toward Zhao Ji. "Your Majesty, please rest in the cabin for a while."
It was unclear whether it was his voice or his presence, but Zhao Ji suddenly snapped out of her stupor. Her eyes met Zhao Feng's, and her expression shifted to one of sheer terror.
"You… stay away from me."
"It's my fault. I wronged you back then. Even if I die, I can't blame you."
"Stay away…"
Zhao Ji backed away in fear as if she were seeing a ghost.
Zhao Feng was utterly baffled.
"She's truly gone mad, treating me like some nemesis out to kill her," he thought, confused.
"Han Xi!" Zhao Feng called.
"This servant is here!"
Han Xi scrambled over from another boat.
"Look after her," Zhao Feng instructed.
"This servant obeys," Han Xi responded immediately, stepping forward to assist Zhao Ji. Zhao Feng, on the other hand, moved aside.
Oddly enough, as soon as Zhao Feng left, Zhao Ji's fear subsided, and she returned to her dazed, lifeless state.
"She has turned into a madwoman," Zhao Feng sighed.
Just then
"General!"
"May I propose a deal with you?"
"You've already rescued Zhao Ji. Let me go, and I'll reward you with ten thousand gold coins. Name your price, and I'll meet it," Guo Kai, the Zhao minister, pleaded earnestly from where he was being restrained.
Guo Kai was a seasoned politician and recognized this as his only chance at survival.
If Zhao Feng let him go, he could escape to Wei. Even though the mission had failed, he would at least keep his life. Once back in Zhao, King Zhao wouldn't punish him severely.
But if he fell into Qin's hands, it would be the end.
Guo Kai could already imagine the fury of the Qin king upon learning that his mother had been abducted. The punishment would undoubtedly be horrific.
Hearing Guo Kai's offer, Zhao Feng walked over and gestured.
The two guards restraining Guo Kai immediately hoisted him to his feet.
Seeing this, Guo Kai thought Zhao Feng was considering his proposal and a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes.
"Minister Guo, truth be told, I should thank you," Zhao Feng remarked, a hint of genuine gratitude in his tone.
"Th-thank me? For what?"
"If the general lets me go, I'll provide gold and wealth in abundance. It'll be a win-win," Guo Kai quickly flattered.
He no longer bore the demeanor of a dignified prime minister but instead resembled a cowardly opportunist.
Of course, this behavior aligned with Guo Kai's historical reputation.
"No," Zhao Feng shook his head. "I'm thanking you for delivering two great merits to me on a silver platter."
"One is for rescuing the Empress Dowager."
"The other is for capturing you, the Prime Minister of Zhao."
"To be honest, I only came here to inspect the Wei River border. Never did I expect to run into you."
"I must've been incredibly lucky this time," Zhao Feng said with a mocking smile.
He waved his hand. "Bind Minister Guo tightly. Make sure he doesn't die."
"Understood!"
A guard immediately brought out ropes and tied Guo Kai securely.
Guo Kai panicked, struggling wildly.
"General!"
"I'm sincere! I have vast wealth in Zhao! Ten thousand gold isn't enough? I'll give you twenty thousand! No all my assets! Just spare my life and let me return to Zhao!" Guo Kai pleaded desperately.
"What use is wealth compared to power?"
"Give up," Zhao Feng said with a faint smile.
At that moment, hoofbeats echoed from the distant Wei side of the river.
Looking up, they saw thousands of Wei soldiers converging on the riverbank.
"Minister Guo is here! Save me!"
"Help…"
Seeing the Wei soldiers on the opposite shore, Guo Kai shouted as if he had found his savior.
"So, you had all your escape routes planned out," Zhao Feng said with a smirk, eyeing the approaching troops.
Had it not been for his intervention, Guo Kai might have succeeded in bringing Zhao Ji into Wei territory.
On the Wei side of the river, the soldiers took in the scene several boats in the middle of the river and clear signs of battle.
The leading Wei general hesitated, unsure of what to do.
"General," one of his men asked, "what should we do? It seems Minister Guo has been intercepted by Qin soldiers."
"We're too late," the Wei general sighed.
"Minister Guo has fallen into Qin's hands. If we act now, it will be seen as an act of war. That would give Qin a pretext to attack Wei. We can't risk that," the general decided after a brief internal struggle.
"But are we just going to watch him get taken away?" a Wei officer asked, clearly unwilling.
They had come here on Guo Kai's promise of rewards.
Before they could act further, dozens of Qin boats appeared upstream, each carrying nearly a hundred soldiers bristling with weapons and exuding a menacing aura.
"There's no chance now," the Wei general muttered bitterly.
On the river, Zhao Feng noticed the reinforcements.
"Look upstream," Zhang Ming pointed out.
"They must've been chasing Guo Kai," Zhao Feng said with a smile.
"Without your intervention, they'd be in serious trouble," Zhang Ming remarked.
"Let them come over," Zhao Feng instructed.
Meanwhile, on the leading Qin boat, Tu Sui also spotted the situation ahead.
"Commander," a soldier reported excitedly. "It seems our troops have intercepted the kidnappers of the Empress Dowager."
"I see," Tu Sui replied, his previously tense expression easing.
"Thank the heavens. We're safe this time," he murmured, relieved.
"Slow down and approach carefully," Tu Sui ordered.
When the boats docked, Tu Sui wasted no time leaping onto Zhao Feng's vessel.
Seeing Zhao Feng in his deputy general's armor, Tu Sui bowed and asked, "May I ask the general's name?"
If he were a captain of the Xianyang Imperial Guard, his rank would be comparable to that of a general. However, in Yongcheng, his status was not as high.
"Zhao Feng."
Zhao Feng clasped his hands in return.
Hearing Zhao Feng's name,
Tu Sui was taken aback. Then, with a look of disbelief, he gazed at Zhao Feng. "Could it be General Zhao Feng, the one who defeated the Han's top general, captured the Han capital, and seized the King of Han?"
"Indeed, it is I." Zhao Feng smiled faintly.
The decree of the Qin King truly commanded the entire nation.
Now, the entire Qin army knew Zhao Feng's name and his achievements were widely recognized.
"Greetings, General Zhao."
"General Zhao, your reputation precedes you. I have long admired you," Tu Sui said, bowing deeply with reverence.
Before Zhao Feng could ask him to rise,
Tu Sui turned to his subordinates aboard the ship and shouted, "Why are you not saluting General Zhao at once?"
"General Zhao is a hero of Qin, the one who captured the Han capital and seized the King of Han."
"The King's decree has spread his name throughout the army."
Upon hearing Tu Sui's words,
the Yongcheng Imperial Guards also looked at Zhao Feng with awe. One by one, they bowed deeply and said, "Greetings, General Zhao."
"Please, brothers, rise," Zhao Feng said with a warm smile, raising his hand.
Around Zhao Feng, the hundred elite guards at his side all wore expressions of pride. This was their master, a man revered by the entire army.
"Thank you, General Zhao," Tu Sui replied immediately, straightening his posture.
Looking at Zhao Feng's ships, surrounded by bodies some already carried away by the river's current Tu Sui couldn't help but comment.
"General Zhao, it seems your men suffered considerable casualties."
"These bandits came from the Zhao state, calling themselves the Wang Guards. Each one is among the most elite soldiers."
"We pursued them and also suffered significant losses," Tu Sui said, probing for details.
"These men were indeed skilled fighters. Several of my subordinates were injured," Zhao Feng acknowledged.
This was the truth.
With equal numbers,
the Wang Guards, numbering a hundred, had matched Zhao Feng's elite guards. If they had been ordinary soldiers, Zhao Feng's men would have easily overwhelmed them. It was only because of the Wang Guards' exceptional skill that his men suffered injuries.
"Only a few injuries?"
Tu Sui looked at Zhao Feng in astonishment, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Feng's guards.
Indeed,
apart from a few men bleeding or lightly wounded, the rest were unscathed, and in perfect condition.
"General Zhao's guards are truly formidable."
"These Wang Guards from the Zhao state cost me many brothers not just my men, but also the county soldiers involved in the pursuit. We suffered heavy losses," Tu Sui said bitterly.
"So there were more than just these hundred Wang Guards?" Zhao Feng asked in surprise.
"Altogether, five hundred Wang Guards infiltrated Qin territory. Their leader commanded four hundred men to create diversions, leaving us confused and unable to prioritize. This group here nearly escaped. If not for General Zhao intercepting them, I and my men would have been condemned to death."
"If the Empress Dowager had fallen into Zhao's hands, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
"General Zhao, you are the savior of me and countless brothers," Tu Sui said, his face still showing lingering fear.
"It was a fortuitous encounter. There's no need for such praise," Zhao Feng replied with a faint smile.
"May I ask, General Zhao, who informed you to intercept them here?" Tu Sui inquired respectfully.
"No one. My being here was purely coincidental," Zhao Feng replied.
"I happened to see them sailing downstream. Noticing they were armed, I decided to intercept and investigate, as this is within Qin's waters and under my jurisdiction. Before I could even question them, they prepared to attack," Zhao Feng said, smiling lightly.
Tu Sui was shocked, even more astonished. "General Zhao, was it truly by chance that you encountered them?"
"If it weren't a coincidence, I wouldn't have come with just my elite guards but with an entire army," Zhao Feng said with a chuckle.
Tu Sui's gaze swept the scene.
Including the three boats the fleeing Wang Guards had used, Zhao Feng only had three vessels.
It was evident this was entirely a matter of chance.
"Back in the day, I heard that General Zhao rose to fame from the logistics corps by killing the son of Bao Yuan and later slaying Bao Yuan himself. There was some luck involved. Now it seems General Zhao is truly blessed. Even a casual trip along the Wei River leads to great contributions for Qin," Tu Sui said with heartfelt emotion.
At this moment, he genuinely felt admiration.
It wasn't a planned interception but sheer coincidence that Zhao Feng had saved the Empress Dowager.
"Do you know who orchestrated this plot to abduct the Empress Dowager?" Zhao Feng asked with a faint smile.
"The Wang Guards are Zhao's most elite covert operatives. Without an order from the King of Zhao, they would never act."
"This was orchestrated by the King of Zhao," Tu Sui said without hesitation.
"Then do you know who this man is?"
Zhao Feng pointed to Guo Kai beside him.
"He looks frail and scholarly. He doesn't seem to be one of the Wang Guards," Tu Sui observed.
"He is Guo Kai, the Prime Minister of Zhao."
"He is the mastermind behind the abduction of the Empress Dowager," Zhao Feng said with a smile.
"Guo Kai, the Prime Minister of Zhao?"
Tu Sui stared at Guo Kai with wide eyes, his gaze filled with murderous intent.
This was the man who had nearly cost him his head.
If Guo Kai had succeeded, Tu Sui's life would have been forfeited.
"I'll kill you!" Tu Sui drew his sword, ready to end Guo Kai, who trembled with fear.
Zhao Feng immediately stepped in front of Tu Sui. "Commander, it is best to hand him over to the King. Killing him here would be a crime."
Hearing this,
Tu Sui's anger gradually subsided.
"General Zhao is right. I was reckless," Tu Sui said, sheathing his sword and bowing in gratitude to Zhao Feng.
"Where is the Empress Dowager?" Tu Sui asked respectfully.
"She is in the cabin," Zhao Feng said, gesturing toward the ship behind him.
Tu Sui quickly walked over. Upon seeing Empress Dowager Zhao sitting there, unharmed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Your servant pays respects to the Empress Dowager," Tu Sui said, bowing deeply.
But Empress Dowager Zhao did not respond, her expression vacant as if she were lost in thought.
"Commander, I leave these two to you," Zhao Feng said to Tu Sui.
Hearing this,
Tu Sui immediately replied respectfully, "Please rest assured, General Zhao. The credit for this success belongs entirely to you. I will report everything truthfully."
"If not for your interception, I and many of my brothers would have been guilty unto death."
Zhao Feng waved a hand dismissively. "There is no need for such formality. As a general of Qin, how could I allow our Empress Dowager to fall into the hands of another state?"
With that,
Zhao Feng signaled to Zhang Ming.
The latter immediately led several elite soldiers to hand over Guo Kai to Tu Sui. Han Xi supported Empress Dowager Zhao as she stepped out of the cabin.
Meanwhile,
Tu Sui's men, the Imperial Guards, quickly took Guo Kai aboard their ship.
When it came time to escort Empress Dowager Zhao, as she passed Zhao Feng,
"It wasn't me… It wasn't me who killed you… It wasn't me…"
"Stay away from me…"
Empress Dowager Zhao looked at Zhao Feng in utter terror, retreating as if trying to distance herself from him.
"The Empress Dowager is startled."
"Quick, escort the Empress Dowager onto the ship," Tu Sui ordered.
Several guards immediately stepped forward to assist her onto the ship.
Zhao Feng, however, was left feeling puzzled.
Why was Empress Dowager Zhao so afraid of him?
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