Nine out of ten gamblers lose; I've run into a jerk!

Chapter 239 I predicted your prediction

At the sound of the order to kill, Song Yuan's pupils contracted slightly, and then his vision blurred. He then saw Jiang Se and Wei Chao standing on either side of Shen Qing, and the soldiers' offensive paused. Clearly, they had received prior orders not to harm the Xuan envoy.

Shen Qing looked up in surprise at the two figures that suddenly appeared in front of her. Were they really that loyal? They weren't even that close, just nodding acquaintances at most.

"What does Marquis Changyi mean by this?" Kuang Ji narrowed his eyes, his expression unfriendly.

Jiang Se said solemnly, "What the Lantai Commander said is indeed true. The purpose of my trip is to investigate the truth of Anguo's border incursion. How about this, I will first issue an order for the three armies to withdraw from Anguo's territory, and then escort Commander Lu and General Shen back to the capital."

"Heh~"

Before Kuang Jie could even sneer, one of the onlookers jumped out and sarcastically remarked, "Does the Marquis of Changyi regard us as three-year-old children?"

Shen Qing recognized the man as Physician An Huai. Before Jiang Se could respond, another minister chimed in, "Even a three-year-old child knows the principle of never letting a tiger return to the mountain!"

This is because they believe Shen Qing is doomed, and every coup is a power reshuffle, so they want to seize the initiative and make their stance clear in advance.

Kuang Jie nodded in satisfaction. Seeing that Yao Guang, Yang Xuan, and the others were still standing still with sullen faces, he did not force them. They would understand how to choose after the matter was accomplished.

"Marquis of Changyi, step aside."

"It is my duty, how can I shirk it lightly? Even if Marshal Lu and General Shen are guilty, it is up to His Majesty to decide!"

Wei Chao, who was a step behind Jiang Se, moved closer to Shen Qing. Taking advantage of Jiang Se's confrontation with the others, he turned to Shen Qing and whispered, "Third Sister, think of something quickly. If they really fight, the Marquis and I can retreat..."

Before he could finish speaking, Kuang Jie said calmly, "Is that so? Lu Zhen harbored rebellious intentions and assassinated the imperial envoy. We are deeply saddened by this and will kill Lu Zhen and Shen Qingxi to avenge them..."

"Wait!" Jiang Se raised her hand to stop Kuang Jie from finishing his sentence, and she and Wei Chao stepped aside in unison. "The Imperial Secretary can do as he pleases."

"..."

"..."

Shen Qing's lips twitched. So you two just came here to stall for a few seconds? Thank you so much!

"kill!"

The soldiers rushed forward, but the scene that Shen Qing was expected to be hacked to death did not occur. Instead, a large number of them fell to the ground.

Shen Qing straightened up and dusted off her sleeves. Although the hem of her robe was slightly dirty, she remained calm and composed, showing no trace of the swaying figure she had just displayed.

"You are not poisoned!"

"I'm sorry, Magistrate of Lantai~" Shen You tucked his hands behind Shen Qing and said righteously, "I have endured humiliation and hardship just to drag out you treacherous officials with disloyal intentions!"

"Pah!" Kuang Jie spat.

An Huai and the others' expressions changed drastically. Oh no, they jumped too early!

Although Shen You's demeanor disgusted Kuang Ji, he remained calm. "Gentlemen, don't panic. Taking down Lu Zhen is the same. We haven't lost yet!"

"Oh~" Shen Qing raised an eyebrow, "Why does the Commander of the Imperial Guard think you were able to take over the Northern Camp?"

Kuang Jie sneered, "Naturally, it's because General Shen deliberately let us off the hook, making us think we had an opportunity to lure out the forces that weren't truly loyal to Xuan Kingdom and wipe them out in one fell swoop."

Shen Qing was now somewhat surprised. "You knew?"

"Shen Qingxi, you are too arrogant. If you can come up with a plan to lure the snake out of its hole, I can naturally turn the tables on you."

Shen Qing frowned slightly, wondering if Kuang Jie had other tricks up his sleeve, when he heard Kuang Jie continue speaking.

"Marshal Lu is nearing the end of his life; do you think he can still personally lead the troops into battle?"

Shen Qing was truly shocked. Only Lu Zhen's personal guards, military doctors, and he himself knew about Lu Zhen's physical condition. These people would never betray him, so there must be a problem with the upper echelons of Xuan Kingdom!

who is it?

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I just realized today that my replies to reader comments are visible for a couple of minutes, then disappear. After looking through my replies, I found that they're invisible to both the original poster and other readers for at least the past month. No wonder no one replies to me! (???皿??)??3??

Isn't this a classic case of tragic fiction coming to life? Readers think I'm a cool and aloof author, but I think the readers are cool and aloof (“▔□▔)