Keyboard Immortal - Chapter 2955

Chapter 1468 Unexpected Joy

The ground was littered with the corpses of government soldiers, each riddled with arrows; half of them had likely been killed in a single exchange.

The escorting men, numbering only thirty or forty, were elite Northern Army soldiers, but they were no match for the sneak attack of two hundred cavalrymen.

The cavalrymen, clad in black, were clearly well-trained, and with the force of their charge, the attack quickly turned into a one-sided massacre.

Lu Zhi, restrained by the formation on the prison cart, was unable to use his skills, but he stood upright within the cart, showing no fear as he looked at the leader of the black-clad men: “Was it Jian Shuo or Zhang Rang who sent you?”

The black-clad man did not respond, but instead spurred his horse forward, his long sword aimed at Lu Zhi’s head.

Lu Zhi did not close his eyes; he refused to show any fear in his death.

Just as the long sword was about to fall, a golden sword aura shot from the side, cleaving his sword in two.

At the same time, countless golden sword energies descended from the sky, pinning the men in black to their horses.

The aura of a mere hundred or two men had negligible impact on Zu An.

The men in black hadn’t expected the tide to turn so quickly; almost instantly, most of their comrades lay dead on the ground.

Zu An flew to the prison cart: “Teacher, are you alright?”

“Xuan De!” Lu Zhi was both surprised and delighted, never expecting him to appear here.

Zu An was about to break down the prison cart when Lu Zhi hurriedly stopped him: “Xuan De, don’t put me in such an unjust position.”

Zu An immediately realized that Lu Zhi had voluntarily entered the prison cart; without a pardon, leaving would be tantamount to treason.

For someone as reputation-conscious as Lu Zhi, this was unacceptable.

He didn’t think the other was being stubborn; everyone has their own values.

Seeing this, the remaining men in black scattered and fled. They weren’t idiots; they had clearly sensed in their first encounter that their opponent was far beyond their capabilities.

Zu An snorted coldly, casually activating the Gluttonous Devouring Heaven Technique, a powerful suction force pulling the men back.

“Leave them alive!” Lu Zhi hurriedly shouted.

Zu An grunted, already throwing the remaining dozens to the ground.

He ripped off the leader’s mask, revealing a fierce face.

Lu Zhi was startled, then said, “I recognize you, you’re Xia Mou’s adjutant in the Western Garden Army.”

“General, we’re just following orders,” the man in black bowed.

Lu Zhi sighed, “You may leave.”

The men in black stared at him in shock, Zu An also somewhat puzzled, “Teacher?”

Lu Zhi glanced at the corpses scattered on the ground, “They were all warriors of the court. Now that the Yellow Turbans are rampant, they should be fighting to serve their country. Many have already died in infighting; how can we kill more now?”

The men in black bowed to him, “General, your righteousness is admirable!”

Seeing that Zu An didn’t object, they all left.

“Xuande, help me treat the wounded in the escort team.” Lu Zhi looked at Zu An.

Zu An nodded and quickly gathered the survivors, treating their injuries.

“There are 12 survivors in total.” Zu An returned to Lu Zhi’s side.

“It’s a pity they didn’t die on the battlefield, but died from the power struggles at the top.” A trace of sorrow flashed across Lu Zhi’s face.

“Those people were also Imperial Guards?” Zu An understood roughly from their conversation.

Lu Zhi nodded: “Those were from the Eight Schools of the Western Garden under Jian Shuo. I didn’t expect that they wouldn’t stop after dismissing me from my post, but actually wanted to take my life.”

In addition to the Five Schools of the Northern Army, the court also established the Eight Schools of the Western Garden, headed by the eunuch Jian Shuo, as a check on the enemy.

“If Xuande hadn’t come, I’d probably be here to die.”

Zu’an cupped his hands in greeting. “I was worried about you, Master, so I came to escort you, but I never expected things to almost go wrong.”

Lu Zhi was somewhat worried. “But you’ll probably be punished for escorting without the court’s permission.”

“Don’t worry, Master, I’ve resigned from my official post and am no longer bound by the relevant laws.”

Lu Zhi was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter. “Xuande is so public-spirited and righteous, he has the spirit of ancient times. I really misjudged him back then.”

When he taught Liu Bei, the latter disliked studying, preferred fine clothes, and spent his days cockfighting and dog racing, so he didn’t consider him a favorite disciple.

But since their reunion at Guangzong, the changes in the other man had made him look at him with new respect.

“I have kept your teachings in mind all these years…” Zu An said modestly for a few moments, then asked, “Teacher, since you knew those were Jian Shuo’s men, why did you let them go? Why not escort them back to the capital? Then those eunuchs wouldn’t be able to deny it.”

Lu Zhi sighed, his smile quickly fading.

After his explanation, Zu An finally understood what was going on.

It turned out that the eunuch faction and the scholars had been fighting fiercely for years. In previous years, the eunuch faction had gained the upper hand, and many scholars were permanently banned from employment by the court, a period known as the “Disaster of the Partisan Prohibitions.”

The reason the eunuchs were able to gain the upper hand was because they represented the emperor’s will.

If it weren’t for the recent outbreak of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and Emperor Ling’s lack of options, fearing that the scholars would join forces with the Yellow Turbans, he would have had no choice but to lift the Partisan Prohibitions.

But now that the Yellow Turban Rebellion had just shown signs of being quelled, the capital had already begun to betray them.

“Xuande, do you really think that just because I don’t give gifts to the eunuchs, and they go back and say a few slanderous words, I can be dismissed from my post?” Lu Zhi sighed repeatedly. “In the end, it’s because the Emperor doesn’t trust me and is always wary.”

Zu An knew that Lu Zhi already considered him one of his own, otherwise he would never have spoken to him to this extent.

Throughout the journey, Zu An took great care of and protected Lu Zhi. Lu Zhi didn’t hold back, teaching him everything he knew, and in his spare time, he would tell him about the various forces in the court and the secrets of their families and their origins.

Zu An felt that his understanding of this world far surpassed what he had before. Whether it was military campaigns or governance, he had countless inspirations. He even had a feeling that if he had the opportunity to lead troops into battle or govern a region, he would inevitably awaken the corresponding talent.

Lu Zhi was particularly gratified: “King Zhuang of Chu was known for his silence, but when he spoke, he amazed everyone. I never expected Xuande to be the same. My life has been worthwhile.”

Zu An was naturally modest. Lu Zhi suddenly asked, “Xuande, I remember you are not married, right?”

Zu An was taken aback: “Teacher, although I am not married, I already have a confidante.”

“Those two young ladies behind you in Guangzong City last time, right?” Lu Zhi smiled knowingly. “They are indeed exceptionally beautiful and top-tier experts. It’s just a pity their family backgrounds are too poor, making it difficult for them to help your career. If you trust your teacher, how about I introduce you to a marriage?”

“Thank you, teacher!” Zu An was both surprised and delighted. He had originally come to cultivate Lu Zhi’s favor, hoping to use his connections to establish himself in the capital.

He never expected his favorability to have reached this level. Lu Zhi was a renowned scholar and one of the leaders of a prominent family. A woman who could inspire such confidence in him must have an extraordinary background.

He wasn’t pedantic. Now, with heavy responsibilities on his shoulders and a True God watching him closely, if he could gain the assistance of a powerful family, he could avoid many detours.

He just didn’t know which family the other party was referring to.