"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!" the Zhenxi Beast King pleaded repeatedly.
"When we were in Jiangnan City, I did not intend to defy your imperial decree. It was because I was truly angered! I have lived for over fifty years and have never suffered such humiliation!"
"That scoundrel Zhang Yang snatched the Ninth Princess, who was betrothed to me by Your Majesty, and also killed many experts from my Beast King Army. Anyone in my position would have been unable to restrain themselves!"
"With so many eyes watching at the time, and the Beast King Army present, as the War King of the Beast King Army, if I had chosen to obey the decree and remain silent, there would have been no way to quell their anger."
"They might not have said anything, but they would have harbored resentment in their hearts, and would have been insubordinate to my commands. Who would have defended the Western Frontier then?"
When the Zhenxi Beast King finished speaking, let alone the Emperor, even the Second Prince and the others were shocked.
Since when had the Zhenxi Beast King become so eloquent?
Or had his mind opened up after his setback in Jiangnan City?
"Hmph! This is still no excuse for you to defy my imperial decree!" the Emperor snorted coldly.
"Zhenxi Beast King, have you thought about how you want to die?"
The Zhenxi Beast King shook his head frantically, a look of terror on his face.
"Your Majesty, this subordinate does not wish to die! I have no intention of rebelling. If I did, I would not have suffered a blow today and would not have rushed to the Imperial City to beg for forgiveness with thorns on my back!"
"Moreover, I have not come alone to beg for forgiveness with thorns on my back today. I have also brought a plea for forgiveness written in the blood of the ten thousand Beast King Army soldiers."
After speaking.
The Zhenxi Beast King took out a long strip of cloth from his embrace, which was a full fifty meters long.
When the cloth strip was unfolded, it was covered with dense names.
"Your Majesty, this is the Beast King Army's plea for forgiveness. They also deeply understand their mistakes."
"Originally, they wanted to follow me to the Imperial City, but I feared that a large army approaching would cause Your Majesty's misunderstanding, so I ordered them to wait for my news in the Western Frontier."
"We truly know our mistakes. If Your Majesty still refuses to forgive us, we are willing to commit suicide to atone for our sins!"
After speaking.
The Zhenxi Beast King lowered his head and kowtowed heavily on the ground.
The Emperor glanced at the blood-written plea from tens of thousands of Beast King Army soldiers, and was very surprised!
This move.
The Zhenxi Beast King played it masterfully!
"Did you think of this yourself?" the Emperor asked.
"Your Majesty, I have sincerely come to beg for forgiveness. Please punish me, Your Majesty," the Zhenxi Beast King replied.
Instantly.
The Second Prince and the others also became curious.
They wanted to know how the Emperor would decide.
If he did not spare the Zhenxi Beast King, it would be equivalent to severely punishing the entire Beast King Army.
But if he spared the Zhenxi Beast King.
Then the Emperor's plan specifically aimed at the Zhenxi Beast King would have to end here.
The Emperor's face was grim. In the end, he could only sigh with unwillingness.
"You may rise. This time, it is forgiven. If you disobey my imperial orders again next time, do not blame me for being ruthless."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The Zhenxi Beast King quickly stood up.
"Return to the Western Frontier and recuperate from your injuries."
The Emperor waved his hand impatiently, urging the Zhenxi Beast King to leave quickly.
This.
Coincidentally, it suited the Zhenxi Beast King's intentions. He quickly got up and left the Imperial City.
In fact, coming to the Imperial City today, the Zhenxi Beast King was quite apprehensive.
He was afraid that the Emperor would kill him.
He never expected that Zhang Yang's prediction would come true, and the Emperor chose to let him go.
...
At the same time.
Inside the Grand Hall of the Imperial City.
The Emperor sat with two other War Kings.
"What do you think of what just happened? Do you find the Zhenxi Beast King very strange?" the Emperor asked.
"More than strange, it's simply absurd. That brute, the Zhenxi Beast King, could never have come up with such a way to break the deadlock. There must be a wise person behind him strategizing!" said the Northern Frontier Wolf King.
"Indeed. The Zhenxi Beast King's move, while appearing to be begging for forgiveness with thorns on his back, is actually a strategic retreat. Furthermore, bringing the blood-written plea from the Beast King Army made it impossible for the Emperor to act against him," said the Dongjiang Dragon King.
The Emperor narrowed his eyes and nodded in agreement.
The Zhenxi Beast King's move was truly brilliant.
He immediately defied the decree and then rushed to the Imperial City to beg for forgiveness.
He adopted the lowest possible stance, lamenting the abduction of his wife and detailing the killing of the Beast King Army soldiers, placing himself in the position of a victim.
At the same time, he brought the Beast King Army along to beg for forgiveness.
This made it impossible for the Emperor to kill him.
Otherwise, the ten thousand Beast King Army soldiers stationed in the Western Frontier would absolutely not agree.
When their War King had adopted such a low posture, why would they still be ruthlessly killed!
At that time.
The Beast King Army would definitely not submit to the Emperor.
They might even seek a new path and defect to another country.
"Do you think it's possible that Zhang Yang helped the Zhenxi Beast King devise this plan?" the Emperor asked.
"Zhang Yang?" The Northern Frontier Wolf King and the Dongjiang Dragon King frowned, then shook their heads.
"The possibility is likely slim. When Zhang Yang knew that the Second Prince held the imperial decree, our two great War King Armies had already made their move. In such a short period, Zhang Yang should not have been able to conceive such a brilliant scheme."
"Moreover, he has no reason to help the Zhenxi Beast King. Rather than thinking that Zhang Yang helped the Zhenxi Beast King, we are more inclined to believe that He Guan came up with the plan. After all, the Zhenxi Beast King's strategist is also quite extraordinary."
"For so many years, the Zhenxi Beast King has been victorious in countless battles in the Western Frontier, and ninety percent of the reason is due to He Guan."
After listening to the analysis of the two War Kings, the Emperor also felt that Zhang Yang's involvement was unlikely.
"Then it must be He Guan. Find a way to kill him. With someone like him by the Zhenxi Beast King's side, it is difficult for us to succeed."
The two War Kings nodded quickly, indicating they understood.
"Now let's talk about Zhang Yang. This child has gone to Linhai City and has become uncontrollable," the Emperor said.
"He concealed a lot from us, and went to the Far West with the descendants of King Ming, accidentally releasing the five ministers of the Five Dragons of Huaxia! We must find a way to eliminate him now!"
The two War Kings frowned.
"Your Majesty, Zhang Yang's talent is excellent. Do we have a way to subdue him? Perhaps what he did after leaving Linhai City was not concealment, but a fear of us misunderstanding."
"Impossible. Zhang Yang is clearly very close to Zhu Zhi. Otherwise, Zhu Zhi would not have sacrificed the ten great families to create merit for Zhang Yang! This is to deceive us," the Emperor immediately retorted.
He was that kind of person!
He would rather kill the wrong person than let anyone go!
The two War Kings fell silent upon hearing this.
They were well aware of the Emperor's personality. As long as someone was not cultivated by him, once they grew, they would only meet a dead end.
"Your Majesty is worried about the Five Dragons of Huaxia, those five ministers?" the Northern Frontier Wolf King asked.
"Precisely. Zhang Yang has a deep connection with these five ministers, and he is also the son of Zhang Yingxiong. These five people must have discovered my secret, otherwise they would not have escaped from the Far West and would have left secretly."
"Therefore, Zhang Yang absolutely cannot be subdued! Otherwise, it would be equivalent to raising a venomous snake by one's side," the Emperor said.
If he could not be subdued, then he could only be killed.
However, Zhang Yang was clearly more difficult to deal with than the Zhenxi Beast King.
In the eyes of the world.
Zhang Yang had just returned from Linhai City, achieved great merit, and massacred the ten great families of Linhai City.
If the Emperor were to punish him now, there would be no crime to prosecute; instead, he should be rewarded.
This.
The Emperor was clearly aware of it.
However, he had already thought of a way.
"Wolf King, I heard that the place in the Northern Frontier has been restless again recently? Are there frequent anomalies appearing?"