Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

"The imperial decree states that Pan Jun is also a rebel. He is to be executed on the spot!"

Not only was Zhu Zhi frightened by Pan Jun, but the soldiers he had already arranged also became somewhat timid. Zhu Zhi only hesitated for a moment, and when he saw Pan Jun swing his sword at him, he instinctively used his armored left arm to block it. His right hand then drew the sword and thrust it forward, and the blade pierced into Pan Jun's chest and abdomen. Under the torchlight of the night, dark red blood slowly flowed out, and Pan Jun instantly lost his strength, collapsing to the ground with a groan.

"Chengming!!!"

Xu Xiang cried out in anguish from behind, but dared not come forward to help. At this moment, Xu Xiang stood with thirty soldiers who were unaware of what was happening. To him, these thirty men were the last line of defense, and behind him was Emperor Sun Quan himself.

From the moment Pan Jun heard the sound to the moment he rushed out barefoot, and then to the moment he was killed by Zhu Zhi, it all happened in the blink of an eye, less than half an incense stick's time.

Seeing that there was no other way out, Zhu Zhi shouted sharply to his left and right, "Follow me inside to catch the thief!"

Zhu Zhi rushed into the courtyard first, followed by four trusted confidants who knew the inside story. They led two teams of a hundred men and squeezed past the twenty-odd people guarding the gate, swarming inside.

Xu Xiang felt a wave of despair.

Tonight's events were so sudden.

He also recognized Zhu Zhi. He came from a collateral branch of the Zhu clan of Wu Commandery. His elder brother, Zhu Zhen, was the official in charge of official documents, and his cousin was Zhu Ju, the son-in-law of Sun Quan and the former Left General. He was of the same clan as Zhu Huan, who had died in battle earlier.

How could such a person, who had long been favored by the state, possibly rebel? Xu Xiang simply couldn't understand it. If Zhu Zhidu was deliberately plotting rebellion, what about Zhu Zhen, the Imperial Seal Envoy? What about Yu Qin, the Right Commander of Wunan? And what about Bu Chan, the Commander of the Envoy's Camp?
Even though Xu Xiang was well-versed in classics and history, at this point in the Three Kingdoms period, unlike the chaotic era hundreds of years later when warriors ran rampant, the Imperial Guards rebelled without powerful ministers or external enemies. Xu Xiang didn't know why!
Zhu Zhi rushed into the courtyard, drew his sword, and pointed it at the thirty soldiers inside: "Don't you recognize me? You are all soldiers of my unit. Obey my orders and get out of the way at once!"

A squad leader, forcing himself to muster his courage, asked, "Why did Sima kill people tonight? His Majesty is inside, why did you do this?"

"Yes, His Majesty is inside. What is Sima doing?" another squad leader asked.

The squad leader who started the questioning was called Zhou Huan. Zhu Zhi recognized him and beckoned him over: "Zhou Huan, Feng Qiang, and Wei Ping'an, the three of you come here."

Zhou knew, of course, that Zhu Zhi was his superior. He hesitated for a few moments, then took a few steps forward with his two squad leaders and stood in front of Zhu Zhi.

Zhu Zhi patted the three men on the shoulders and pointed to the left corner: "I am here on imperial orders. The three of you just listen to my command and stand there."

"Yes..." Although the three sensed something was wrong, they followed their instincts honed from years of obeying orders and waved their hands, leading their men to the left side of the courtyard.

Xu Xiang's legs were shaking so badly that he collapsed to the ground. Before he could even speak, the main gate of the courtyard behind him finally opened from the inside.

"The Emperor is here! Who is causing trouble!"

Sun Quan was already fifty years old, but his voice was still as loud as a bell. His angry words, once uttered, were particularly striking in the night.

Whether it was Xu Xiang, who had already fallen to the ground, or Zhu Zhi and his accomplices, or the soldiers still pouring in through the courtyard gate behind them, all of them looked in the direction of Sun Quan.

At this moment, Sun Quan, fully armored and carrying the Emperor's sword, slowly walked forward from behind, each step deliberate and hesitant, seemingly drawing the attention of everyone in the courtyard. Sun Quan was filled with rage, and he roared, "Is Zhu Zhi there? I am the Emperor! You all should see who gave you the audacity!"

Upon seeing Sun Quan's arrival, Xu Xiang, seemingly summoning strength from nowhere, flipped himself up from the ground. As he got up, he grabbed a torch from the ground, took a few steps to Sun Quan, and brought the torch close to Sun Quan's face.

The torches crackled and burned, emitting an unpleasant smell and black smoke that dissipated into the night. Xu Xiang was so close that the torches were almost burning Sun Quan's long beard, and Sun Quan's cheeks began to feel hot almost instantly.

"His Majesty is here! The Emperor is here!" Xu Xiang shouted loudly, "If you dare to rebel, your entire clan will be wiped out!"

Zhu Zhi gritted his teeth, looked fiercely to his left and right, exchanged glances with his four trusted confidants, then unfolded the forged imperial edict in his hand and shouted loudly, "I have the Emperor's decree! This man is impersonating His Majesty, and tonight is the night to arrest him! Follow me and capture him!"

Having said that, Zhu Zhi threw down the fake imperial edict, drew his bow, and shot an arrow at Sun Quan. The two were only ten paces apart, but perhaps due to nervousness or the pressure, he lost his aim. Ten paces was the distance at which Zhu Zhi was a crack shot, yet this time he only managed to hit Sun Quan's left arm. The arrow had pierced through him, but remained embedded in the flesh. "Kill!" Zhu Zhi threw down his bow, drew his sword, shouted, and charged forward. His four trusted followers on either side also charged forward, swords drawn.

Following these five people, Zhu Zhi's confidants also rushed forward in a swarm.

Xu Xiang trembled violently, almost collapsing again. Just as Xu Xiang's face turned ashen and he trembled like a leaf, thinking that all was lost and that he and the emperor were about to perish here, Sun Quan beside him made a move.

"How could a mere arrow possibly harm me!" Sun Quan roared, breaking the arrow lodged in his left arm, and then drew his sword and charged forward!

Sun Quan, already fifty years old, charged forward as emperor. Zhu Zhi, witnessing this, was utterly horrified.

In just a few steps, Sun Quan rushed to Zhu Zhi's side. The ring-pommel sword clashed with the Emperor's Sword in Sun Quan's hand. In just an instant, Zhu Zhi felt a great force surge towards him, and his ring-pommel sword was almost knocked away. His tiger's mouth also felt sore, numb and weak.

Before the other four could surround Sun Quan, Sun Quan swung his sword again. The Han sword was powerful and heavy, and Sun Quan's sword was made of the finest materials and craftsmanship. In just two or three blows, Zhu Zhi's ring-pommel sword was knocked out of his hand.

"How dare the thief!!"

Just as Zhu Zhi was lost in panic, the ring-pommel sword in his hand fell to the ground. Fear instinctively took over his mind, and he was conflicted for a moment, not knowing whether to turn around and run away or to forcefully step forward and restrain Sun Quan.

In that instant, just that instant, Sun Quan turned sideways and thrust the sword forward. With a mere flick of the blade, the tip of the sword sliced ​​across Zhu Zhi's neck in a flash.

More and more torches were lit in the courtyard, and with the light of the flames, everyone saw Zhu Zhi fall to the ground, blood spurting from his neck.

Apart from Zhu Zhi's four accomplices, the rest of the group were stunned and dared not move.

Xu Xiang's legs went weak, but he still struggled to hold the torch and walk forward, swaying from side to side. At this moment, Xu Xiang only hoped to take a blow for Sun Quan.

The other four were on the offensive, but their martial arts skills were inferior to Zhu Zhi's, so how could they compare to Emperor Sun Quan himself, who was much stronger than Zhu Zhi?

In the blink of an eye, while everyone was stunned, Sun Quan forcefully kicked one person to the ground, chopped another's neck, and severed another's wrist. The last person, seeing this scene, was as if he had seen a ghost. He dropped the knife in his hand, knelt on the ground, and howled loudly. His mind had completely collapsed.

Sun Quan, clad in armor, suffered no other injuries except for the spot on his arm where Zhu Zhi had just shot him. As the others retreated in fear, Sun Quan, carrying the blood-dripping Emperor's Sword, slowly walked forward.

When he reached Zhu Zhi again, he thrust his sword downwards with all his might, and the sword pierced through Zhu Zhi's neck from top to bottom.

"die!"

Sun Quan roared, his voice like that of a tiger, terrifying all those in front of him.

This is Sun Jian's son! Sun Ce's younger brother! An emperor who could shoot tigers!

He himself was like a fierce tiger, and his strength was unmatched.

Although he was already fifty years old, all five men who had dared to raise their swords at Sun Quan earlier were now dead. The mastermind, Zhu Zhi, was also dead, and the followers who blindly followed him dared not move again.

Sun Quan looked around, drew his sword, and shouted, "I am Sun Quan, the Emperor of Great Wu! Apart from the five men just now, I promise you all with my life and the blessings of my ancestors and future generations: as long as you remove your helmets tonight and follow me to kill the traitors, I will forgive all your past transgressions, and you will all be rewarded tomorrow morning! I pardon you!"

A thunderous shout erupted from the crowd, and everyone responded. (End of Chapter)