Chapter 2114: The Dust Has Settled Pt.2
Liu Yao said reproachfully, “Sir Yin, please do not try to harm our morale. The current situation isn’t anywhere near as bad as what you are describing.”
Liu Guang also said, “That’s right. Our brothers control all the soldiers of this world. The palace even has the empress dowager overseeing it, so we hold the advantage. How can we talk about fleeing so easily? From here on, if anyone chooses to run, they will immediately be executed without exception!”
After all, not too long ago, he had even wanted to blame the disappearance of the reinforcement army in the Fiend races' territory on the regent. He had even ordered many of his own subordinates to denounce the regent. How could they suddenly turn around and rely on him?
That damn brat who still stinks of his mother’s milk just got some lucky opportunities. We’ve eaten more salt than he’s eaten rice! Why would we need him to save us?
The strategist surnamed Yin shut his mouth, but his expression was quite angry.
...
Then, many other strategists and military officers spoke. There were some in the Liu manor that mainly spoke words of flattery, but there were also those who really were competent as well. There were many individuals with reasonable suggestions.
Liu Guang sometimes felt that one idea was better, but then changed his mind and decided another was better. He just couldn't come to a decision.
Sir Yin sneered when he saw that.
An immature person is not to be consulted in planning.
He stood up and said, “Great general, I’ll leave to inquire about the intelligence around the Imperial Palace for now. I’ll also gather the clan’s guards to support us along the way.”
Liu Guang nodded and said, “Alright, come back quickly.”
Sir Yin smiled, then strutted out the door.
Come back quickly? What, come back to follow you all into death?
As soon as he left, there were many experienced individuals who quickly caught on. They then all found various reasons to excuse themselves too.
At first, Liu Guang reflexively agreed, but later, Teacher Zhu brought that to his attention, telling him that just under half of the hall was missing. He finally realized what was happening and roared, “Those bastards! This old one treats them quite generously normally, and yet they're all leaving me one after another at this vital time! If anyone else dares to leave, don’t blame me for being rude!”
Quite a few of the remaining people complained inwardly. They were regretting having hesitated earlier. Now, they couldn't leave even if they wanted to.
When Liu Guang finally chose a plan of action and was about to leave, a servant suddenly ran over to report in alarm, “Elder, a huge army of men suddenly appeared outside. They have completely surrounded our Liu manor with layer upon layer of men!”
“What?!” Everyone in the room was horrified, especially Liu Guang. He regretted not making a decision sooner.
Teacher Zhu suggested, “We need to hurry and gather all of the Liu clan’s disciples. The moment of life and death has arrived!”
“Fine!” Liu Guang waved his hand and struck a bell in the main hall.
An ear-piercing peal spread throughout the entire Liu manor; it was their highest-level alert. Not only would it inform every single person in the manor to prepare for battle, it would also contact the Liu clan’s friendly forces inside and out, and summon them to come to their aid. The Liu clan still had more than a thousand men in total, including the guards and servants. Together with the Liu clan’s defensive structures and high-level formations, they would still be able to hold on for some time.
“The rest of you will follow me. This old one wants to see who dares to behave poorly in front of our Liu clan!” Liu Guang also brought out his imposing manner as the War Chariot General. Everyone present who had been a bit shaken up now calmed down.
Right, the Liu clan has the greatest authority in the capital. We have so many troops, and we even have the reliable empress dowager. Why do we need to fear anyone?
Soon after, Liu Guang’s group arrived at an observation point by the entrance. When they saw the one leading the enemy, they were shocked and furious. Liu Guang exclaimed, “King Wu, do you know that moving troops inside the capital in the middle of the night can be considered treason?!”
“Treason?” King Wu seemed as if he'd heard the funniest joke and burst out laughing. “Liu Guang, perhaps you still haven’t fully understood the current situation?”
Liu Yao was furious, saying, “Zhao Yan, you actually dare to treat the War Chariot General with disrespect!”
King Wu sneered and didn’t pay him any attention. He took out a yellow silk-wrapped imperial edict and declared, “Liu Guang, Liu Yao, receive this edict!”
Liu Guang and Liu Yao’s expressions changed. The other side had clearly come with bad intentions, but the special runes and power the imperial edict gave off could not be falsified. They could only kneel, saying, “We subjects will receive the edict!”
King Wu then opened it and said, “By the grace of the heavens, the emperor issues a decree... War Chariot General Liu Guang and Guard General Liu Yao have colluded with the Fiend races and sold out the human race’s army, resulting in the deaths of a hundred thousand elite soldiers. They have plotted a rebellion and betrayed the empire. All of the Liu clan’s people are to be stripped of their official positions and thrown into the imperial prison to be tried by the three departments...”
When they heard the imperial edict, everyone in the Liu clan felt as if they had been struck by lightning. All of them felt as if the sky was collapsing on them. “We’re being wrongly blamed! We brothers have already reached the highest official positions; why would we need to commit treason?”
“There must be a misunderstanding somewhere here! We wish to meet with his and her majesty!”
Liu Guang and Liu Yao were overwhelmed with distress.
The disdain in King Wu’s eyes grew even stronger. These men who occupied the highest positions were actually such weak-willed fools! They should’ve given up their positions to more competent individuals a long time ago. He said, “Any grievances can be spoken to the three departments later. Men, arrest them.”
Teacher Liu grabbed the Liu brothers while shouting at the same time, “That imperial edict is fake! The empress dowager is still in the palace, so why would this kind of decree be released? It is definitely a forged document King Wu made to eliminate his majesty’s loyal ministers and set his hands on the throne!”
For better or for worse, Liu Guang and Liu Yao had sat in high positions for many years and weren’t stupid. When they were reminded by Teacher Zhu, they immediately reacted. This was already a moment of life and death. Forget about whether or not King Wu could forge an imperial edict, even if it was real, they had to treat it as fake. They quickly said, “That’s right! The successive generations of ancestors have instructed that kings are not permitted to enter the capital for no reason. King Wu’s visit to the capital is clearly filled with evil schemes. Soldiers, arrest this traitor for the sake of his and her majesty!”
The Liu clan's men, whose faces were completely disheartened, immediately seemed to have grabbed onto hope again. All of them erupted with astonishing fighting spirit. They all knew that once this matter was decided, their entire clan would be destroyed. They could only go for one final gamble.
King Wu’s expression changed. He cried, “Preposterous! You actually dare to go against an imperial edict? That’s another crime added to the list. Men, arrest Liu Guang and Liu Yao! All who stand in the way are to be killed. Eradicate the entire clan!”
His subordinates were already eager to fight. When they heard that, they all charged at the main gates. The Liu clan’s formations also swiftly activated. Both sides immediately clashed, resulting in an extremely intense and bitter battle. Countless individuals died almost as soon as the fighting broke out.
...
Meanwhile, in the capital’s outer city, the Central Protection General Yuan Zhou sensed that there was something happening in the capital. He immediately summoned his subordinates to provide the Liu clan with aid. However, it was already late at night, so the city gates were already shut. The amount of forces he could transfer was limited.
Even so, he didn’t care. All of the remaining thousand or so troops were all elites. Furthermore, the Liu clan controlled various critical positions in the military. Gao Ying was the Left Guard General and Li Mian commanded the Palace Guards. There were also Liu Guang and Liu Yao’s respective troops. They had an absolute advantage. That was let alone the fact that all of the barracks outside the city were under their Third Elder’s control. He could bring the main force and quell the capital’s unrest at any time. He was curious just which little clowns dared to start a rebellion in the capital!
Yuan Zhou was speeding along when his expression suddenly changed. He quickly pulled on his reins. The army that was speeding toward the capital came to a sudden stop. He looked all around him amd saw that the windows and doors of the homes around him were tightly shut. Not the slightest bit of light leaked out. Only a cold wind blew some leaves along the street, making this place seem extremely quiet and somber.
Suddenly, the houses opened their doors and windows. Rows and rows of archers were hiding inside, and many soldiers rushed out from various alleys too.
“As expected of General Yuan, a veteran of the battleground. You were actually able to see through our ambush. Unfortunately, it is already too late,” a voice called out, as a figure in the distance slowly walked closer.
“Zhao Anming!” Yuan Zhou recognized who it was. His entire body immediately became cold.
Zhao Anming was the son of King Liang, Zhao Yi’, but that wasn’t the most important part. He was an incredibly high=ranking military officer who managed one of the capital city outskirts' six field armies! Normally speaking, he should have been under the administration of the Third Elder, but why was he able to silently appear inside the capital with his army? Did that mean something had happened to the Third Elder’s side?
“Isn’t the young master a bit too overconfident? Do you really think you can defeat my war-hardened army?” Yuan Zhou replied, seeing that Zhao Anming didn’t have that many subordinates with him. They were almost evenly matched. It seemed that if he wanted to enter the capital silently, Zhao Anming couldn't bring too many soldiers with him. In that case, since they were even in numbers, it didn’t necessarily mean he would lose.
Just then, someone spoke up from behind him with a sneer. “Then what if you add me to the mix?”
Yuan Zhou’s expression changed again. He quickly turned around and said through gritted teeth, “North Central General Zhao Huang!”
This man’s father was King Yi, and he himself was the East Defense General Zhao Huang. Could it be that the royal family’s elders were revolting together?
Zhao Huang’s army quickly joined Zhao Anming’s men. They now had several times as many men as Yuan Zhou, and the enemy surrounded his forces. The situation looked grim.
Yuan Zhou clenched his teeth and drew his long blade, saying, “Soldiers, follow me. We will break through!”
Zhao Anming and Zhao Huang both coldly issued their orders. “Kill them!”
When he saw the enemies all around him, Yuan Zhou’s heart sank to rock bottom. Everything pointed toward disaster. However, he was still a war-hardened veteran general and quickly adjusted his mindset. He roared, “Everyone, hold on! Once the Third Elder outside the city, the empress dowager inside the city, and General Gao realize the situation, they will definitely come to our aid!”
“Understood!”
His soldiers immediately gained a huge morale boost. Too often, despair was only present because there was no hope. As long as there was a shred of hope, no matter how difficult the situation was, there would always be people who would risk their lives.
Zhao Anming roared with laughter and retorted, “Those guys? Their heads might have already left their necks.”
Yuan Zhou’s subordinates were immediately shaken up. However, Yuan Zhou roared, “Don’t let the enemy confuse you!”
The soldiers snapped out of their daze. It was the enemy saying these things, so how could they believe it? As such, they began to fight with their enemies ferociously. Blood and flesh flew everywhere in the alley.
...
Some time later...
The Liu clan’s Third Elder Liu Ji was processing military affairs when he suddenly got up. He picked up the teapot next to him and drained it in one gulp. For some reason, he just felt ill at ease today.
He said to a soldier, “Send someone to pay the capital’s Liu manor a visit. Check to see if anything has happened over there.”
“Yes, sir!” Even though the soldier was a bit confused, he still obeyed the orders and left. It was already late into the night and the city gates were already closed. But with the Liu clan’s authority, sending a person or two inside wouldn’t be too difficult.
Not long after that guard left, someone quickly came to report, “Reporting to the general, Left Guard General Lu He requests a meeting.”
Liu Ji was stunned.
Why did he run all the way here in the middle of the night? Don’t tell me that something really did happen in the capital? “Quick, invite him in!” he replied; naturally, he didn’t dare to show any negligence here.
Even though his military rank was higher than Lu He’s, Lu He managed half of the Imperial Palace’s Palace Guards and was a fiercely independent individual who wouldn’t listen to any of his orders. Lu He was also Eunuch Lu’s very own brother, and Eunuch Lu was the empress dowager’s most trusted eunuch. That level of relationship made him feel a bit closer to Lu He.
“What brings General Lu’s visit so deep into the night?” Liu Ji welcomed Lu He enthusiastically upon the latter's arrival.
Lu He chuckled and said, “It couldn't be helped. The empress dowager has something she needs Third Elder for, and has invited you into the palace. This officer had no choice but to personally make a visit.”
“The empress dowager is looking for me?” Liu Ji asked, stunned. He hadn’t heard a thing about that before. “Does General Lu know the reason why?”
Lu He shook his head and replied, “How can the empress dowager’s thoughts be something us lowly subjects can guess at? Third Elder, please hurry so that the empress dowager doesn’t become too anxious while waiting.”
Liu Ji thought to himself, Could it be what the empress dowager spoke of a few days ago? She was worried that something might be happening in the capital and wanted me to pay closer attention.
When he thought of that, he cupped his hands and said, “Please wait for a brief moment, General Lu. I’m going to make some quick arrangements in the army camp before leaving.”
“But of course,” Lu He said unhurriedly. He tactfully returned outside to wait for him.
Liu Ji thus gathered his trusted commanders and had them watch over the barracks, warning them to be mindful of various things.
When they heard that Liu Ji was going to enter the palace so deep in the evening, they all advised, “General, please be careful of potential schemes!”
“Indeed, even if the empress dowager had anything she needed to summon you for, why does she have to do it so late at night?”
“There are all sorts of suspicious points here. You absolutely must be careful.”
...
Liu Ji said with a smile, “I actually already felt these misgivings when I first heard that, but the one who came was General Lu He, so my misgivings disappeared. There is no one more loyal to the empress dowager in this entire world than Eunuch Lu. Lu He and Eunuch Lu have always been extremely close, so why would he harm me?”
When they heard what he said, the others couldn't really continue arguing about that.
Eunuch Lu was known to be a loyal hound who always remained by the empress dowager’s side. The Lu and Liu clan had always had an excellent relationship. Since Lu He had come personally, that meant there was indeed nothing to be worried about.
As such, Liu Ji quickly brought some of his trusted men and followed Lu He to the capital. Along the way, he and Lu He chatted happily in good spirits.
A while later, however, Liu Ji suddenly looked around him. He saw that the surroundings were completely empty. They were clearly off the main road and away from where the people lived. He remarked, “Hm? This doesn’t seem to be the way back to the capital.”
“The city gates are already closed, since it's nighttime. There's a small path that is a bit faster on this side,” Lu He replied.
Liu Ji didn’t continue forward, and instead began thinking to himself. He wasn’t stupid; it was just that he had trusted Lu He too much. Now, he realized that something wasn’t right.
Lu He couldn't help but sigh, saying, “The Liu clan’s three brothers only have a Third Elder who is a genius after all. If it weren’t for me personally coming, it would have been very difficult to deal with you.”
Liu Ji’s expression changed. He asked, “Lu He, why would you betray the empress dowager?”
“That’s something the Third Elder can slowly think about in hell.” There was still a smile on Lu He's face, but it was already extremely cold. He roared, “Attack!”
His subordinates had long since prepared. They all drew their weapons and struck at Liu Ji’s subordinates.
Liu Ji didn’t have many people with him to begin with, and the enemy had been actively plotting. How could they react in time? More than half of them were killed almost immediately.
...
Soon after, Liu Ji’s entire body was covered in blood. The only way he could remain standing was by leaning on the blade he had stabbed into the ground. He stared hatefully at Lu He, saying, “You traitors... Once the regent returns, there's no way he'll let you all go.”
He knew fully well that if Lu He had rebelled, there was most likely something wrong with Eunuch Lu too. That meant the empress dowager was in grave danger. The enemy definitely had other schemes at play. The Liu clan could really be done for this time. The only thing he could still hope for was now the regent Zu An. What was laughable was that his eldest and second brother had even thought of cutting ties with the regent. He really wondered what they were thinking.
“Regent? It has already been so long since we heard from him. He’s probably long dead by now in the Fiend races’ sealed land,” Lu He said, seemingly unbothered. With a slash, Liu Ji was decapitated.
Even if they took ten thousand steps back, if the regent really returned, there was nothing to fear. They had the empress on their side. With her relationship with him, wouldn’t Zu An only be able to accept reality?
It was just that at that moment, no one in the capital knew that these developments formed the prelude to a country-wide rebellion.
...
“Achoo!”
By the shore of the eastern sea, Zu An rubbed his nose. He muttered to himself, “Just who is thinking of me?”
He already had an appearance-altering mask on his face. It wasn’t that he feared the Ocean races, but rather that he was now the regent of both the Fiend races and the humans. If he suddenly appeared in the Ocean races' territory, that could cause quite the disturbance. Then, all of the officials of the Ocean races would come to welcome him along the way. He was here for the Divine Dragon Immortal Medicine to save Honglei, so he didn’t want to take the risk of wasting any time.
He arrived at a small island surrounded by coastal waters. There was a restaurant there that he had heard the Second Empress and Shang Liuyu mention before. If he wished to head to the Ocean races' territory, that restaurant had to be be visited first. Then, at a certain time, a ship would arrive to take the visitor into the sea.
He looked up at the restaurant in front of him. Compared to the capital, or even Brightmoon City’s dazzling and splendid restaurants, this restaurant really was a bit too simple. It was hard to even call it a restaurant. Strictly speaking, it was more like a small wine shop.