DLWAV CH148

A few minutes later, broadswords were pressed directly against the necks of Emperor Jianzhao and his entourage.

Looking at the menacing, cold gleam of the blades right before their eyes, Emperor Jianzhao and the others felt their vision go dark.

At almost the exact same moment, the voice of the leading Wu army general rang out once again:

“Officers and soldiers on the city walls, listen up! Your emperor has fallen into our hands. We advise you to lay down your weapons and surrender immediately. Otherwise, once we storm the city walls, only death awaits you.”

Hearing this, Emperor Jianzhao was the first to react. His eyes opened wide with fury, shouting hysterically: “No surrendering! Whoever dares to surrender, I shall execute their nine clans!”

Then he declared without hesitation: “Where is the Crown Prince? Today, I pass the imperial throne to the Crown Prince! You must dedicate every ounce of your heart and soul to restore the Great Yang and avenge me—”

Although he had already made up his mind to depose the Crown Prince before this,

at this moment, he had no choice but to entrust this heavy burden to the Crown Prince. Simply because he was one of his only two adult sons left—originally, he had better choices among his brothers, but don’t forget, they had all long been eliminated by Ao Ruize through his own hands.

What he never expected, however, was that three breaths passed, then five breaths passed, yet not a single reply came from the Crown Prince along the city walls.

“What is going on?”

Everyone was momentarily bewildered.

Until someone said hesitantly: “When I came over, I seemed to see His Highness the Crown Prince’s carriage heading toward the Chongyang Gate.”

The Chongyang Gate happened to be on the complete opposite side of the Xuantian Gate where they were currently located.

These words made it abundantly clear that the Crown Prince had already fled.

Emperor Jianzhao’s face froze solid.

Just what kind of beast had he sired to commit such an act at a moment of supreme national peril—abandoning his own imperial father and subjects to simply run away?

Yet he quickly rationalized it to himself.

“It is good that he fled; it is good that he fled.”

He could only console himself in this manner.

This way, even if the Wu army breached the capital right now, their Ji family would still retain a bloodline, sparing them from total annihilation.

As long as a single root remained, the Ji family still had a chance to rise again, and Great Yang had not truly perished.

Who could have known that in the next second, a series of urgent hoofbeats would echo from afar—reinforcements from the Wu army had arrived.

Most critically, as they galloped toward the gates, they shouted: “Your Crown Prince has already fallen into our hands! We advise you to lay down your weapons and surrender immediately, or we will have his head roll right now—”

Hearing this, Emperor Jianzhao’s expression froze completely.

What did this mean? It meant the Crown Prince had been captured the moment he fled outside the capital.

Emperor Jianzhao’s eyes turned bloodshot. He should have known long ago that the Crown Prince was utterly useless. Rather than placing hope in him accomplishing anything great, it would be better to hope for the heavens to strike down a bolt of lightning to blast Wu Ruize and these rebels to death.

The leading Wu army general couldn’t help bursting into hearty laughter once more.

Yet in the next second, his laughter abruptly ceased.

Immediately afterward, he waved his hand with a broad sweep: “Those who surrender shall not be killed!”

All at once, the army of over a hundred thousand behind him roared in unison: “Those who surrender shall not be killed!”

“Those who surrender shall not be killed!”

Hearing this, many imperial officers and soldiers, both above and below the city walls, began to waver.

Someone was the first to cast down their weapon, and soon, the clattering metallic sounds of swords and spears hitting the ground echoed throughout the entire Xuantian Gate.

Witnessing this scene, Emperor Jianzhao’s eyes nearly tore open: “Do not surrender! Whoever dares surrender, I will execute their nine clans, execute their nine clans—”

Yet no one listened to him anymore.

Because his own meager life was currently held in the palm of the Wu army’s hand.

Only then did Meng Heyi and the others snap back to reality.

Great Yang was finished!

Their dynasty had fallen!

At this thought, their bodies swayed, nearly collapsing where they stood.

Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, their expressions instantly hardened with resolute determination.

They turned to look at Emperor Jianzhao, declaring with unwavering finality: “Your Majesty, that Great Yang has fallen to this state is ultimately due to our failure as your subjects. Only through death may we atone for our sins.”

“Your Majesty, your subjects shall lead the way.”

With that, they craned their necks and threw themselves forward onto the blades before them.

Fortunately, the soldiers of the Wu army were already prepared. They promptly pulled back their broadswords and knocked them all unconscious with swift hand-chops to the neck.

Emperor Jianzhao, on the other hand, received no such courteous treatment.

He was bound up directly; likely fearing he might bite his tongue to commit suicide, a soldier casually pulled off his own sock and shoved it straight into his mouth.

When had Emperor Jianzhao ever suffered such humiliation? His eyes rolled back into his head, and before he could even utter a few threatening words, he fainted dead away.

Great Yang was finished!

More and more soldiers realized this truth, subsequently casting down their weapons and squatting on the ground with their hands over their heads.

Just like that, the Wu army claimed the capital without expending the slightest effort.

Half an hour later, Emperor Jianzhao woke up once again.

Except he had been splashed awake by Wu army soldiers using cold water.

Because Ao Ruize was about to enter the city.

As the vanquished monarch of a fallen dynasty, Emperor Jianzhao naturally had to lead his ministers to kneel outside the city gates and welcome Ao Ruize into the capital.

He was naturally unwilling.

He wished for nothing more than to skin Ao Ruize alive and pull out his tendons.

Seeing his ferocious expression, Ao Ruize laughed outright.

Sitting high upon a tall, reddish-bay steed, he looked down at Emperor Jianzhao below and said: “Do you still remember the oath sworn by your founding Emperor Taizu back then?”

“He said that our Wu family would be eternal benefactors to your Ji family, and that your Ji family would treat our Wu family with kindness for all eternity… otherwise, may your Ji family die without descendants, and may Great Yang perish within a hundred years.”

“I fear he never dreamed in his wildest reveries that his oath would actually come to pass one day.”

“Furthermore, he was daydreaming far too much, actually believing that after your Ji family committed such sickening atrocities, the heavens would ever let your dynasty survive past a hundred years.”

Then he gave Emperor Jianzhao no opportunity to speak whatsoever.

He stated flatly: “However, he can no longer hear these words, so I will trouble you to go underground and deliver them to him yourself.”

With that, he commanded directly: “Men, escort Emperor Jianzhao, his imperial sons, and grandsons to the Prince Wu Mausoleum, and bury them alive on the spot to appease the spirits of my imperial grandfather and imperial father in heaven.”

“As for the rest of the Ji family, banish them all to Lingnan to serve as slaves to the exiled convicts, forbidden from ever marrying for the rest of their lives.”

“Understood!”

Immediately, a squad of soldiers stepped forward, grabbed Emperor Jianzhao, the Crown Prince, and the others, and dragged them toward the outskirts of the city.

Because Meng Heyi and the other stalwarts were currently locked up in the imperial prison, practically none of the court officials present dared to utter a peep upon hearing these words.

Even those who wanted to voice objections were promptly held back by their peers.

After all, those who feared death were always in the majority in this world.

Ao Ruize didn’t care about these matters either way.

He announced again: “Issue an imperial decree: order all prefectures, counties, and vassal states of Great Yang to submit letters of surrender to Great Qian within one month; otherwise, Great Qian will not hesitate to dispatch troops to quell them.”

“The world has just been pacified, and I have no desire to embark on grand construction projects. Therefore, I have decided to relocate the capital to this city on the third of next month, using the imperial palace of Great Yang as my residence without need for renovations.”

“At the same time, confer Jiang Zimo the title of Imperial Consort, and establish the Eldest Princess, Wu Chuyao, as the Imperial Crown Sister.”

Yao Wenju and the others instinctively replied: “By your imperial will.”

Only then did they properly process the words.

What did His Majesty just say?

Confer Jiang Zimo as Imperial Consort?

Establish Wu Chuyao as the Imperial Crown Sister?

How were they unaware of any noble daughter whose maiden name was Jiang Zimo?

Though they certainly knew that their Eldest Princess’s tutor was named Jiang Zimo.

Yet that wasn’t even the most startling part.

The most startling part was that he had named the Eldest Princess as the Imperial Crown Sister—

Inheritance of bloodline had always centered on males; throughout antiquity, there had never been a precedent for naming a woman as heir to the throne. How could this be permissible?

Yet in front of so many people right now, they naturally could not openly contradict Ao Ruize. Then, struck by a thought, they turned to look directly at the officials of the fallen Great Yang kneeling on the ground.

They thought that these individuals were all scholar-officials steeped in the sacred classics; they would surely voice objections to Ao Ruize’s decree.

Those officials of Great Yang naturally could not agree to Ao Ruize appointing a woman as heir to the throne either.

Don’t forget, however, that their present status was not that of Great Qian officials, but that of condemned ministers of a fallen dynasty.

Again, those who valued their lives were always the majority.

How would they dare defy Ao Ruize at such a critical juncture?

Most importantly, in their view, the officials of the Great Qian court had certainly read the classics as well, so they would definitely step forward to object; there was no need for them to muddy themselves in these waters.

As for Wu Chuyao, she was completely dazed.

Only two thoughts remained in her head.

First, those scandalous rumors back then truly couldn’t be considered an unfounded slander against Prince Wu’s manor.

Except the one having an affair with Jiang Zimo wasn’t her, but Ao Ruize.

Second, when Ao Ruize went through all that trouble to find her a tutor, wasn’t it to groom her into a qualified assistant?

As a result, until Ao Ruize cheerfully declared: “Then the matter is settled as such,”

not a single person on the entire field uttered a voice of dissent.

Yao Wenju and the others: “…”

The officials of the Great Yang court: “…”

Upon receiving this news, Jiang Zimo’s subordinates: “…”

What happened to Ao Ruize merely playing around with Jiang Zimo?

What happened to Ao Ruize turning cold and ruthless the moment he became Emperor?

They turned their heads in unison to look at Jiang Zimo.

“Ninth Brother, how do you still have the mood to cook?”

“Did you not hear the news that Prince Wu… His Majesty has conferred you as the Imperial Consort?”

Jiang Zimo, who was currently kneading dough, replied offhandedly: “Isn’t that what he ought to do?”

His subordinates: “…”

Was this the love between two men?

Their worldview had truly been too narrow.

Then again, wasn’t this a wonderful thing?

Jiang Zimo’s devotion had yielded its reward.

And they were entirely free.

“Wonderful!”

“What else does His Majesty wish to eat? We will help you prepare it!”

They gathered around enthusiastically.

On the other side.

Meng Jiao had finally arrived at the imperial prison.

Seeing Meng Jiao, Meng Heyi shot straight up from the cot and rushed to the cell door: “Ah-Jiao! Ah-Jiao! Had you not already departed? How were you captured as well…”

Yet in the next second, his voice cut off abruptly.

Because if Meng Jiao had been captured by the Wu army, her hands would undoubtedly be bound just like his.

Not only were her hands unbound, but the jailers were also treating her with unusual reverence.

Seeing this scene, how could he not understand that the suspicion he was most unwilling to confront had come true?

He had spent all this time wondering how Great Yang had lost so catastrophically.

Yet no matter how he pondered it, he could arrive at only one conclusion.

A traitor had emerged within the court; the Wu army had known their ambush plan all along and prepared well in advance.

Otherwise, how could it be explained that the moment their men charged into the Wu camp, the Wu army pulled off a sleight of hand—thousands of Wu soldiers wearing imperial armor, posing as imperial forces, marching grandly to the foot of the capital?

Yet those involved in formulating that plan, aside from himself and the few generals who later sought death alongside him, consisted solely of Emperor Jianzhao.

It couldn’t possibly be Emperor Jianzhao who betrayed them, who betrayed Great Yang.

It wasn’t until he was missing Meng Jiao that he suddenly recalled certain occurrences.

Namely, during that period, Meng Jiao had frequently inquired about the court’s situation.

Could this traitor truly be Meng Jiao?

He had quickly dismissed this suspicion at the time.

After all, how could his own daughter commit treason and betray her household?

Furthermore, as a sheltered maiden, where would she find such daring audacity?

Only now did he realize that he had drastically underestimated Meng Jiao.

Most crushing of all, Great Yang had met its demise at his own hands.

He had failed Great Yang; he had failed the Emperor.

At this thought, before Meng Jiao could speak, he turned his back directly, tears streaming down his face.

“Leave. I, Meng Heyi, have no such daughter who commits treason and colludes with the enemy.”

As for himself, though the Wu army had severed his means of slitting his throat, he could still starve himself to death.

Meng Jiao: “…”

Although she had long known Meng Heyi was an old fossil, she hadn’t anticipated he could be pedantic to such a degree.

Fortunately, she had already devised a countermeasure.

“Committing treason and colluding with the enemy?”

“How have I committed treason and colluded with the enemy?”

Meng Heyi: “…”

Now it was Meng Jiao who gave him no chance to speak.

“Do you mean to say I betrayed Great Yang?”

“The Ji clan were the emperors of Great Yang, that is true, but was the realm of Great Yang conquered by the Ji family?”

“The realm of Great Yang was conquered by the Wu family—”

“It was stolen away by the Ji family through despicable underhanded means.”

“That Great Yang enjoyed today’s stability, and that you had the opportunity to realize your ambitions, was all paid for with the fresh blood of the Wu family.”

“Therefore, what I did was clearly setting things right, leaving the darkness to step into the light.”

“On the contrary, search your own conscience: by upholding your loyalty to the Ji family, are you doing right by the Wu family? Are you doing right by the hundred thousand soldiers who perished in the southern lands back then?”

“Furthermore, while you are here throwing a fit seeking life and death for the Ji family’s realm, the Ji family themselves already ran away before anyone else.”

Hearing this, Meng Heyi opened his mouth, suddenly struck entirely speechless.

Meng Jiao nodded in satisfaction.

She knew that having spent so many years in officialdom, even if Meng Heyi lacked concrete evidence of the disgusting deeds committed by the Ji family, he undoubtedly had a good idea in his heart.

Using these points to question him would certainly convince him.

“Alright, reflect on it slowly yourself.”

She was off to meet her idol—

Having said that, Meng Jiao left with bouncing steps.

Meng Heyi: “…”

I am still grieving, regretting, and torn apart by inner turmoil, and you’re skipping off so gleefully—is that appropriate?

He suddenly felt that he shouldn’t die just yet.

At the very least, he needed to give Meng Jiao a good beating first.