"Guards, lock him up and take him back to the capital!"
Jiang Jiamian had only just left the battlefield grounds with the Golden Armor Guards when the ssenger, still slumped in the carriage due to his injuries, finally seed to find his chance for revenge.
Although the Emperor had not explicitly ordered Jiang Jiamian’s arrest, the ssenger understood perfectly well what this journey back to the capital would entail.
Even if he took it upon himself to imprison Jiang Jiamian and escort him back, the Emperor would not punish him. On the contrary, doing so would ensure that Jiang Jiamian could not escape midway. Locking him up would only make the trip safer.
"Yes!"
The Golden Armor Guards normally answered only to the Emperor, but before this journey, they had received instructions that they could temporarily follow the ssenger’s orders while traveling.
"What are you trying to do?"
Jiang Jiamian sat astride his white horse, looking indifferently at the Golden Armor Guards as they suddenly reined in their mounts and turned to surround him. His tone neither rose nor fell.
At this mont, he was unard, wearing only a plain white robe.
This was precisely why the ssenger felt emboldened. Now that they were far from the battlefield, he finally believed he had Jiang Jiamian under control.
After all, this was no longer Jiang Jiamian’s territory, nor that of the Jiang family army.
This place was filled with Golden Armor Guards.
The guards, clad in cold armor, advanced slowly.
"By order of Lord Fang, we are to imprison you and escort you back to the capital."
A mocking smile tugged at Jiang Jiamian’s lips. "You? And since when does a re eunuch delivering imperial decrees, who overstepped his authority, get to call himself ’Lord’?"
"Watch your mouth!" The ssenger snapped. "I am an imperial decree bearer appointed by His Majesty. Of course I may be addressed as ’Lord’!"
Behind the guards, the ssenger ordered the carriage forward and abruptly lifted the curtain. His eyes glead with malicious triumph. "What do you take the Golden Armor Guards for, useless fools? You’re unard now. No matter how strong you are, I refuse to believe you can escape so many of them! Don’t hesitate, go! Lock him up!"
"Yes!"
At the command, the Golden Armor Guards surged forward like waves, surrounding Jiang Jiamian and his horse.
"Tsk!" Jiang Jiamian murmured softly. "Why must you throw your lives away?"
In the next instant, he leapt from his horse. His body spun lightly as he seized the longsword from the nearest guard. With a flick of his wrist, blood burst forth.
The guard’s head fell to the ground.
The ssenger’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Seize him!"
It was already too late.
The matters had escalated beyond retreat. If Jiang Jiamian escaped, the ssenger would be finished.
He had to capture him. No matter what.
Jiang Jiamian gave him no such chance.
His figure moved like a swift swallow, cutting down several more guards in rapid succession. With a cold flash of his sword, he leapt into the air, lightly touching down across the guards’ helts before landing firmly atop the ssenger’s carriage.
Before the ssenger could even scream, the blade was already pressed against his throat.
"You... what do you want?!" His voice shook violently.
Only now did he realize that he had provoked soone utterly rciless.
"Nothing." Jiang Jiamian replied calmly.
He did not kill him. Instead, he glanced at the surrounding guards, who hesitated, terrified to move with the ssenger in his grasp.
"Step back!" Jiang Jiamian said. "It’s not that I can’t kill you, I simply don’t want to kill you one by one. If you’re smart, you’ll behave on the road and stop provoking . I will return to the capital. But if you cause trouble again, I can’t guarantee you’ll see your n alive."
"Step back! Step back!"
The ssenger no longer dared question his sincerity. He only wanted to live.
The guards imdiately retreated, sheathing their weapons.
Jiang Jiamian withdrew the sword from the ssenger’s neck and, in the blink of an eye, leapt back onto his horse.
"If you don’t want to disappear on the road and leave you unable to report back, then behave."
The ssenger’s face was deathly pale. He nodded frantically. "Yes. I wouldn’t dare. Never again."
What else could he do?
If Jiang Jiamian truly wanted to leave, none of them could stop him.
If he complied for now, perhaps Jiang Jiamian would obediently return, and there would be plenty of chances to deal with him later.
After all, the Emperor would never spare him.
Let him be arrogant for a little longer. So what if he was powerful? He was still ignorant.
The ssenger had already made it clear through his actions that sothing was wrong with this journey. Jiang Jiamian had the chance to flee, yet he still chose to return.
He probably sensed danger, but he didn’t understand how severe it truly was.
There would be ti to watch him die.
The procession continued.
Less than half a mile behind them, a group of shadow guards concealed among the trees silently withdrew after confirming that the Golden Armor Guards could not restrain Jiang Jiamian.
To the ssenger’s surprise, Jiang Jiamian followed him all the way back to the capital.
That surprise soon turned into anticipation and cold laughter.
Back in the capital, the man who had ordered fifty strokes of the cane would finally et his end.
The Jiang family’s affairs there would surely be a ’pleasant’ shock for him.
Hmph. Let him be blind and arrogant, daring to offend him, one of His Majesty’s favorites. This ti, Jiang Jiamian will be imprisoned and torn apart by five horses, along with his good father!
"Jiang Jiamian!"
As Jiang Jiamian approached the capital gates with the Golden Armor Guards, the Capital Guards suddenly surrounded him.
Both groups had received the sa order: Once Jiang Jiamian returned to the capital, arrest him on the spot and escort him to the Grand Tribunal prison.
Jiang Jiamian was not surprised. Everything unfolded exactly as in the original owner’s mories.
The only difference was that the original owner had known nothing on the way back. He had obediently accepted the decree, endured the journey, and arrived confused and exhausted, only to be arrested imdiately.
The shock and despair he must have felt were unimaginable.
Now, seeing Jiang Jiamian stand motionless and calm, the guards assud he was stunned. They waved their hands.
"Arrest him!"
Jiang Jiamian did not resist.
He did not move.
He needed to enter the prison.
The sooner, the better.
If he was fast enough, he might still be able to save the original owner’s father.
And the quickest way to enter prison was to allow himself to be arrested.
According to the charges and the original mories, he would be imprisoned together with Jiang Qingshan.
As for the original owner’s grandfather, Jiang Chong...
Jiang Jiamian sighed silently.
It was too late.
He had already been executed three days ago.
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