"If we surrender, the country will be in danger!"

Zuo Qiulong took a step forward and insisted on fighting. He knew that this battle was related to the fate of the empire. If he surrendered this time, other warlords would definitely follow suit. At that time, the empire would really be doomed.

Seeing the teacher coming out, Ao Ye also showed a happy expression, and followed him out, determined to fight.

After that, nearly one-third of the people came out. With so many advocates of war, the emperor on the high seat finally breathed a sigh of relief. The emperor who could support the prime minister's reforms was naturally ambitious. In this way, the army gathered again. With Zuo Qiulong as the commander-in-chief and Ao Ye as his deputy, they suppressed the rebels.

Thirty miles outside the capital.

In the rebel camp, the armored rebel leader sat in command and spoke to his men with full confidence.

"This time we are going to Beijing, to let the old emperor know how hard our brothers have worked. I promise that as long as we achieve our goal, all the brothers will be happy."

The rebels came with great force, but in reality they were not as confident as they appeared. They were able to defeat the defensive army in front of them because they had been operating for many years. But it was different in the capital. If they really had to fight with swords and guns, they would definitely be defeated.

These rebels who followed him on his adventures were not loyal people. They gathered around him just to gain more wealth and glory, and this goal happened to coincide with his.

"Report!"

A soldier quickly entered the camp, half-knelt in the general's tent, and quickly reported what happened in the court that morning.

"You bastard! How dare you ruin my good deeds? I swear I will kill you!"

The rebel leader was extremely angry. He punched the table and chair with murderous intent in his eyes.

"Someone come!"

In the capital, the empire began to operate after deciding to send troops to quell the rebellion. Zuo Qiulong, Ao Ye and other pro-war factions gathered together to discuss war strategies, and everyone was full of confidence. Chen Luo was also nearby. He could feel the calamity energy appearing on his body again, and it was getting stronger and stronger. The same was true for Ao Ye and Zuo Qiulong on the opposite side.

After the discussion, everyone dispersed, leaving Ao Ye and Chen Luo alone. The three of them cooked wine in the courtyard.

"This is the letter my third brother sent me this morning."

Zuo Qiulong put the letter on the table, and the two of them looked at it and found that it contained the negotiation conditions of the rebels. They promised that as long as Zuo Qiulong was willing to recommend them, the rebels would give him countless wealth and honor and ensure the prosperity of his family.

"What is the teacher going to choose?"

Ao Ye couldn't help but ask.

If it was just him, Zuo Qiulong might be able to insist, but when it comes to his family and children, any normal person would be shaken. What is the purpose of being an official for a lifetime? To ennoble his wife and children, and benefit his descendants. Now, Zuo Qiulong can get all these by just nodding his head. It harms the interests of the empire, and benefits him and his family.

"In life, there are things you should do and things you shouldn't do. If everyone only cares about themselves, the country will be finished."

Zuo Qiulong threw the letter into the stove beside him and watched the words on it being burned to ashes by the flames. He was as stubborn as a rock and was not shaken at all by wealth and fame.

“I’ve already turned down the lobbyists.”

He didn't say who the lobbyist was. Now that the army was approaching and people in the city were in unrest, the lobbyist must be a familiar friend, otherwise the other party would not have been able to deliver the letter to Zuo Qiulong's mansion.

Chen Luo looked at the two people in front of him and remained silent.

The choice was made so quickly.

Ao Ye was the 'superior demon species' that he was optimistic about, but Zuo Qiulong was a little surprised. This person had a very firm mind and character. Once he made up his mind about something, he would not look back and would not be influenced by external things at all.

early morning.

Long street.

Zuo Qiulong and Ao Ye went to court together, making final preparations before the battle. Chen Luo walked behind, looking at the two people in front, and he clearly felt that the calamity energy was getting stronger and stronger. Suddenly, a black shadow rushed out from the door, holding a long knife, and chopped Ao Ye on the right. Ao Ye, who was not paying attention, was immediately chopped to the ground by the knife and lost the ability to resist.

"presumptuous!"

Zuo Qiulong was furious. He rushed forward, knocked the assassin away and started fighting with him. Chen Luo behind him was also besieged by three assassins.

The two sides fought.

Zuo Qiulong was not a professional warrior. In the Heart Demon Tribulation, he was just an ordinary person. After struggling for a while, he was finally defeated by the assassin and fell to the ground. The long knife was placed on his neck. The assassin deliberately pulled off his face scarf and asked with a smile.

"Master Zuo, I'll give you another chance. Have you decided what to choose?"

"I will kill the traitor!"

Zuo Qiulong was covered in blood, but his will remained firm.

“Okay, okay!”

The assassin was furious and cut off Zuo Qiulong's head with one knife.

Then he stained his face with blood and wrote a line of words on the wall to intimidate those who advocated war. Then he left with his head in his hand.

Seeing this, the three assassins behind him also quickly withdrew, leaving Chen Luo and several officials who were going to the court with him to watch the tragedy in front of them.

“Hurry up and save them!”

I don't know who shouted.

Chen Luo looked up at the front, he stretched out his hand, and a dark demon seed flew into his hand from the dead Zuo Qiulong. Another mature demon seed, this is the second complete demon seed Chen Luo has collected since the blood knife tribulation. From it, he felt the rich power of "heavenly tribulation feedback". It can be regarded as a way to steal the power of heavenly tribulation, but I don't know if there are any sequelae.

'I am'

"Finally I saw a second living person."

Blood Blade Tribulation Cultivator floated by like a ghost, looking at the bewildered Zuo Qiulong, and couldn't help but say something.

The two of them fell silent at the same time, looking at Chen Luo in the distance, they felt that this person was like a big devil, manipulating the inner demons and tampering with life. However, this was also an opportunity for the two of them. If they could survive the catastrophe this time, their minds would be much stronger. If they had the opportunity to break through the Jindan stage one day in the future, their success rate in overcoming the inner demon catastrophe would be much higher than others.

Good fortune and misfortune are interdependent, nothing is more true than this.

The prime minister was killed, and the court was shocked. The court meeting originally scheduled for the early morning was postponed.

A few days later.

The incident was settled, and several of the prime minister's disciples gathered at Ao Ye's home.

"Where's the teacher?"

Ao Ye woke up from the sickbed. Although he saw some images vaguely, he still wanted to confirm it. He was lucky. The assassin only stabbed him once and then ignored him. He successfully escaped. The wound from that knife looked scary, but it didn't hurt the root.

"He was killed by thieves and has been buried." An official said reluctantly.

Everyone knew that the prime minister liked Ao Ye the most, and they had the best relationship. The prime minister's death was the biggest blow to him. After that, several people comforted him, and even the palace sent people to comfort him. When the crowd dispersed, Ao Ye leaned his head against the wall, his eyes slightly closed, his hands clenched, and he swore secretly in his heart.

"I will avenge this!"

"Got a choice?"

Chen Luo asked him.

"Yes. I want revenge and I will never compromise!"

Ao Ye opened his eyes, looked at his former brother, and said with a firm look in his eyes. After this incident, he seemed to have grown up overnight, and his whole spirit and energy were completely different from before.

The power of the inner demon calamity began to be fed back into his body, and the amount was greater than that of everyone else.

The morning court remains the same.

But the death of the prime minister had a huge impact. Half of the original one-third of the pro-war faction chose to compromise. They knelt in the hall with the surrender faction, talking about the country and the people, and hoped that the emperor would put the country first and dismiss the villain.

Several people who spoke up for justice were all kicked out of the court by this group and demoted to remote places, where they were no longer an eyesore.

Internal and external collusion, external military coercion, internal collusion of powerful officials, interests are like a net, gluing these people together tightly. Zuo Qiulong, who tried to tear up this net, has been killed by them, and the bloody words left on the long street are their warning.

"I believe that General Li is a loyal minister of the empire. He has guarded the border for the country and shed blood and tears for more than ten years. Your Majesty should not let the words of a villain chill the heart of a loyal minister."

"Mr. Huang's words make sense. I think we should dismiss Ao Ye, Zhang Zheng and other villains who are trying to sow discord between the monarch and his subjects, and appoint General Li as the commander of the Northern County."

A group of surrenderist ministers talked about their own goals.

Each of them has a face of a loyal minister, with "loyalty to the emperor and patriotism" written all over their face, and they talk about benevolence, righteousness, and morality. However, what they do makes the emperor on the high throne feel chilled.

The Prime Minister was killed in the street.

The powerful ministers threatened the capital, and it was such a great humiliation, but these people turned a blind eye. Everyone was blaming the dead prime minister, as if it was all his fault.

"We'll discuss this later."

The emperor stood up tiredly, ending this boring court meeting.

He was fed up with these people's faces.

After returning to the palace, the emperor summoned Ao Ye and Chen Luo who had just recovered. Both of them were loyal ministers recommended by the prime minister during their lifetime. In the current situation, these are the only people he can rely on.

"Would you like to help me eliminate these traitors?"

The emperor who saw the two of them did not put on any airs at all. He held Ao Ye's hand with a tired face, his eyes full of sadness.

"I will not let your majesty down!"

Ao Ye's eyes flashed with the image of his mentor who was making tea with him in the yard a few days ago and talking about the way of being an official. He spoke in a firm tone.

"The thieves are powerful and have colluded with important officials in the court. You should protect yourself first." The emperor tightened his grip on Ao Ye's hand, and his words were full of concern. Chen Luo stood quietly aside, and everyone was used to his silence.

"Advance without retreat, die without regrets!"

Ao Ye responded with a resounding voice.

"good!"

The king and his minister discussed and jointly formulated a plan.

Chen Luo was also among them, but his job was to assist Ao Ye in fighting the rebels. Those loyal to the emperor began to exert their strength, and the undercurrent in the court that had been suppressed by the surrender faction surged again, but this time it was no longer Prime Minister Zuo Qiulong who stood at the forefront, but his disciple Ao Ye.

The next day.

The morning court continued as usual, but this time the emperor did not give the surrenderists a chance to speak. Instead, he stood up and spoke to the people in front of the hall.

"I thought about it all night last night, and I think what you said yesterday makes sense. But, after dismissing Ao Ye, Zhang Zheng and others, will General Li really retreat outside the city?"

“It’s natural.”

"Is Minister Huang willing to use his life as a guarantee?"

"this"

"Or can you guarantee it, Sun Diankui?" The emperor's gaze fell on another surrenderist.

The "loyal ministers" were speechless, and no one dared to speak. They just accepted the benefits of the rebels and did not want to guarantee their lives. They had no way of knowing what the rebels outside the city were thinking.

"If Ao Ye, Zhang Zheng and others are all dismissed, how should we deal with the rebellion that follows suit in the future?"

This time no one spoke, and everyone saw the emperor's purpose.

"I am willing to go to the front line and 'persuade' General Li to withdraw his troops." Ao Ye stood up at the right time and said in a deep voice. (End of this chapter)