Chapter 186: The Common Enemy
Han Ruzi had never felt so nervous before. Despite being surrounded by thousands of people, their allegiance was uncertain. They could become powerful allies or suddenly turn against him with weapons raised. The outcome might hinge on a single word, a single action, a single sound, or even a single snowflake…
Han Ruzi looked at the three corpses on the ground, unsure of what to say first.
Inside the central military tent, a dozen generals slowly emerged. They had previously hidden in the furthest corners out of fear of those who wanted to avenge Chai Zhi, and only now dared to show themselves.
Liu Kunsheng, the Captain of the Northern Army, hesitated repeatedly. When he made eye contact with the Northern Protection General, he knelt down for the second time. The young man had appeared at the most unexpected moment.
The other generals also knelt, even those who had previously supported Chai Zhi.
Han Ruzi accepted their kneeling calmly, not asking them to rise as he usually did. He turned around, removed his cloak, and began to take off his armor. Cai Xinghai had already dismounted and stood by, stepping forward to help the Northern Protection General remove his armor.
Han Ruzi’s movements were slow, and no one knew what he was doing. Liu Kunsheng and the others glanced at his back and quickly lowered their heads again.
Chai Yue led a group of people over and knelt on either side of the Northern Protection General. Han Ruzi still said nothing, nor did he ask the generals to rise, continuing to remove his armor piece by piece.
The surrounding soldiers were initially confused but gradually felt fear. Drawing weapons in front of the central tent was a capital offense, and disturbing the army’s morale in the face of the enemy was even more unforgivable.