Chapter Ten: Madness

"What do you think you are doing? Mutiny? Put down your weapons at once!"

Zhu Chunchen strode to the front of the guards and barked a stern command. The Duke’s temples throbbed with bulging veins, and he trembled with rage. Outside the city walls, Li Zicheng’s relentless siege had pushed them to the very brink of destruction. To have his own backyard catch fire now—with his own guards turning against him—was a catastrophe that left him beyond furious.

"Let me tell you, Li Zicheng hasn’t breached these walls yet. I am still the dignified Duke of Cheng, your master. If you dare to commit treason, you will all lose your heads!"

"Exactly!" Zhu Wang chimed in, his tone sharp and vicious. "My Lord, you have always been too lenient with these ungrateful wretches. They have no sense of their place, daring to loot your private collection! In my opinion, they must be punished severely. Especially the ringleaders; they must not be spared."

With that, Zhu Wang pointed at Gu Zhenhua, Lu Yong, Sun Cheng, and the others, then added with a sobbing whimper, "My Lord, it was this brat! He held a dagger to my throat—look, it’s even bleeding! You must seek justice for your servant!"

Zhu Wang threw himself to the ground, wailing like a mangy dog seeking his master’s protection and vengeance.

Zhu Chunchen snorted, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Gu Zhenhua. "Brat, if I’m not mistaken, you’re that young man Lu Yong and the others brought back?"

"Indeed. The Duke has a sharp eye," Gu Zhenhua replied with composure.

"You bastard!" Zhu Chunchen’s eyes widened in fury. He roared, "A nobody with no background, daring to beat the commander of the Duke’s guards and seize my armaments? Are you tired of living?"

Zhu Chunchen’s sharp interrogation sent a wave of fear through the crowd. The weight of his long-standing authority was not easily shaken, and many guards instinctively bowed their heads, unable to meet his enraged gaze.

Lu Yong couldn't help but step forward. "My Lord, Brother Gu is a man of remarkable skill. In these desperate times, we need every capable hand we can get. It was I who asked him to come and collect weapons. As for why Zhu Wang got beaten, he brought it upon himself. We came to collect weapons to protect this mansion and fight the rebel army, yet Zhu Wang tried to fob us off with a pile of junk."

"You lie!" Zhu Wang scrambled to his feet. "My Lord, the weapons were distributed exactly as you ordered; there is nothing wrong with them. It is Lu Yong who is at fault. I heard he swore an oath of brotherhood with this little savage. They have been colluding to frame me. I beg you, My Lord, look through their deception!"

"Lu Yong, what do you have to say for yourself?" Zhu Chunchen barked.

"I... the brotherhood is true, but as for framing him, I would never admit to that."

"Is that not enough?" Zhu Wang shouted. "My Lord, ever since Lu Yong and his men returned, they have been busy with suspicious movements. I heard they have already sent their families out of the capital..."

"What?" Hearing this, Zhu Chunchen’s hair seemed to stand on end with rage. He kicked Zhu Wang squarely in the shoulder and demanded, "You dog of a servant, why didn't you report this to me sooner?"

"My Lord, I only just heard, and you were summoned by His Majesty—I had no time to tell you."

"Hmph!" Zhu Chunchen let out a cold grunt, his gaze shifting to Lu Yong like two blades piercing through him. "Lu Yong, I have treated you well. Why would you betray me? Tell me the truth: is this boy one of the rebel's men, trying to sow chaos in the capital?"

"My Lord, I would never dare betray the Duke. Brother Gu is not one of the rebels..."

"Dare not? It seems to me there is nothing you don't dare to do. Men! Seize them and interrogate them thoroughly!"

At Zhu Chunchen’s command, Zhu Wang scrambled up, eager to pounce, but after taking two steps, he realized something was wrong. Not a single guard moved. They stood like statues of wood and clay, completely ignoring the Duke’s orders.

This terrified Zhu Chunchen. In normal times, these guards were nothing more than ants to him, to be crushed at will. But now, his survival depended on them. Seeing them remain motionless, a flicker of genuine fear crossed his eyes.

Just then, Gu Zhenhua let out a loud laugh. "Duke, it is time you face reality!"

As he spoke, the iron spear in his hand thrust forward with lightning speed, aiming straight for Zhu Chunchen’s throat. The movement was so fast and precise that the Duke had no time to react; the cold, sharp tip of the spear was already pressed against his windpipe.

"You..." Zhu Chunchen tried to speak, but his mind went blank. He was struck dumb with terror, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.

The guards were shocked, and even Lu Yong and Sun Cheng were stunned; they had not expected Gu Zhenhua to actually strike at the Duke.

However, a hulking man jumped out from the crowd, brandishing a saber. It was Luan Hu. "Brother Hua, well done! I’ve always thought this old official was nothing but trash. Let me chop his head off, and we can head out of the city to join the Rebel King—we might even earn ourselves an official post!"

As Luan Hu raised his blade, Gu Zhenhua’s heart wavered for a moment. Joining the Rebel King might ensure his survival. But he quickly shook his head; Li Zicheng was already doomed to fail, and he had no desire to hitch his wagon to a falling star. It would be better to start anew on his own terms.

"Hu, stop!"

With that thought, Gu Zhenhua quickly checked Luan Hu and retracted his spear with a smile. "Duke, I apologize for the fright. Shall we talk?"

"Talk... talk about what?" When the spear tip was at his throat, Zhu Chunchen had felt the chilling intent of death, and his blood had turned to ice. Now that the spear was withdrawn, he couldn't quite collect his thoughts.

Just then, Zhu Wang screamed at the dozen guards who had accompanied the Duke. "Are you all blind? This brat dared to threaten the Duke! Shred him to pieces!"

The guards seemed to awaken from a dream, drawing their blades and preparing to charge. But by now, Lu Yong, Sun Cheng, and the others had rallied. They raised their own weapons and swarmed forward.

The moment Gu Zhenhua had lunged with his spear, the fear of the Duke had been shattered. Lu Yong and his companions braced themselves, ready to stake everything on this fight.

"Fourth Brother, we have sworn an oath of brotherhood; we share both fortune and misfortune. If these scoundrels want to touch you, they have to go through us first!"

Sun Cheng and Lu Yong stood by Gu Zhenhua’s side like guardian deities, their sabers drawn. Tang Zhanxiong and the others closed in, and even Lu Shun gripped a spear, glaring daggers at the Duke.

Over a hundred guards surrounded the Duke and his dozen followers. Facing his own household men, the Duke of Cheng shook like a leaf in the wind.

"You... you all, do you intend to rebel?"

"Duke, don't be angry. Let’s talk this over," Gu Zhenhua said with a smile. He felt a surge of pride seeing his sworn brothers stand by him.

"Duke, first, rest assured that I am absolutely not one of Li Zicheng’s men. Second, these brothers have no desire to rebel against you. We do this merely for our own survival and that of our families."

"Fine words, but I am no fool. Don't think you can deceive me!"

Gu Zhenhua chuckled. "Duke, believe it or not, it doesn't matter anymore. From this moment on, you are our prisoner. If you obey our commands, you may keep your life. If not, do not blame me for being ruthless!"

With those words, Gu Zhenhua drew his saber and pressed the cold, sharp edge against the Duke’s neck. The blade bit into his soft skin, and Zhu Chunchen’s legs gave way, nearly causing him to collapse.

"Madman! Madman! If you kill me, the Great Ming army will never let you go."

"Great Ming?" Gu Zhenhua burst into cynical laughter. "Zhu Chunchen, do you even have the face to mention the Great Ming? If not for the insatiable greed of people like you, the empire would never have fallen to this state. The weapons we found in your collection are far superior to those provided to the frontline soldiers. You are nobles for generations, holding the highest offices—is this how you serve the country? You treated the soldiers like dirt, so we treat you like an enemy."

Gu Zhenhua’s words rang with righteous indignation. The guards, many of whom were veterans of the frontier and capital garrisons, nodded in agreement. If only their weapons had been of such quality, how many lives could have been saved? It was precisely because these men kept the best for themselves and left the trash for the soldiers that their anger had finally boiled over, casting all fear aside.

Gu Zhenhua grabbed the Duke by the collar and sneered, "One word: follow my orders, and you stay alive. Refuse, and you will lie as a corpse right here!"