Chapter 148 The Emperor Arrives
You Xiu walked to the center, cupped her hands, and said, "May I ask, Alliance Leader, are you familiar with Lu Jinlan's character?"
Lu Jinlan smiled slightly, "I came from the capital, so I should know more than you all."
You Xiu sneered, "No matter how much you know, it's probably just from rumors. Everyone should know that rumors from the streets are not credible. Someone like Lu Jinlan, who slaughtered the palace to ascend the throne, must be ruthless and cold-blooded."
"The alliance leader keeps saying he's thinking of us and is doing everything he can to get us to submit to the court. Doesn't he know the saying 'the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked'? As the alliance leader, why are you leading us to our deaths?"
Before Lu Jinlan could even get angry, Ji Yunyao couldn't stand it anymore.
She slammed her hand on the table and angrily rebuked, "You Xiu, what do you mean by this? The Alliance Leader has worked tirelessly for the Alliance for days, finally securing a pardon from the Imperial Court. Everyone is overjoyed to have abandoned darkness and embraced the light, so why are you spreading these alarmist rumors?"
"That's right! That's right!" Ji Yunyao's confidants cheered loudly. Ji Yunliu shouted, "Is this how you speak to the Alliance Leader? It was already agreed on the day of the martial arts competition that all matters of the Alliance would be decided by the Alliance Leader. You were there that day, why didn't you dare to say a word then?"
"If you are not convinced now, you should fight a few rounds under the Alliance Leader. If you win, we will honor you as the Alliance Leader."
You Xiu immediately retorted, "I admit I am no match for the Alliance Leader, but whether or not we submit concerns the life and death of all members of the eighteen tribes. Is it really up to us to decide based solely on martial arts prowess?"
At this moment, someone chimed in, "Yes, Elder You has a point. After all, we've become rebels. How can the imperial court let us off so easily? They say they won't pursue the matter, but once we leave the mountain, whether we live or die is entirely up to them."
Some conservatives lamented, "At that time, we will be at their mercy. Rather than being slaughtered, we might as well hold on on the mountain and live a few more days."
"Nonsense!" The third leader, with his fiery temper, retorted angrily, "Are you all even women? You're all so hesitant and cowardly, what kind of women are you?"
“Before the imperial court granted a pardon, you were afraid every day that the court would come to annihilate you. Now that the court has granted a pardon, you are afraid that the pardon is fake.”
"Our leader has worked tirelessly for us, yet you all act like you're suffering from paranoia, doubting this and that. What do you mean by saying our leader led us to our deaths? Wasn't the day we rebelled precisely on our way to our deaths?"
"Now that we finally have a way to survive, you're causing trouble again. What exactly do you want?"
"If you're afraid on the day we descend the mountain, I'll be the first one down, okay?"
The third leader stood up as he spoke, and those on the other side who disagreed with surrendering also stood up.
Both sides, accompanied by their respective followers, were arguing and shouting. Hundreds of mouths were speaking at the same time, and the entire council hall was like a boiling pot, filled with uproar.
Lu Jinlan remained calm and composed, unmoved by any external influences. He calmly picked up his teacup, skimmed off the foam, and took a sip of tea.
You Xiu is quite eloquent and can almost single-handedly debate with a group of women.
Most of the members of the alliance were rough-and-tumble martial artists, and their conversation nearly escalated into a fight. Suddenly, someone threw a teapot, which flew through the air and smashed against the wall with a loud crash, shattering into pieces everywhere.
Xu Lin immediately crawled under the table and hid herself properly.
Amidst the noise, only Lu Jinlan's cold laugh could be heard, "Have you all had enough?"
The voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
The arguing abruptly stopped, and the hall fell silent. Everyone fell silent, with only various gazes locked in a tense standoff.
Everyone was waiting for Lu Jinlan to make a statement, but just then a loud bang came from outside, and the ground beneath their feet trembled.
Everyone turned to look outside the hall. Those guarding outside scrambled towards them, shouting, "It's terrible! The government officials have stormed the mountain!"
Everyone was startled and filed out of the hall, rushing to the courtyard to help the person up, anxiously asking, "What happened? Tell us quickly!"
The messenger, breathless and flustered, cried out, "Xiang Ruzhen and Yan Wuxin have personally led their troops; the government soldiers have already entered the mountain gate!"
"Ah, Xiang Ruzhen and Yan Wuxin actually came in person!" Someone's vision went black, and they were so frightened that their legs went weak and they almost fell to the ground.
Greatly alarmed, You Xiu quickly rallied the crowd, "Gentlemen, what did I say? The government officials are not to be trusted! Our leader was determined to have us submit to the court, but now the court has turned its back on us. Who can save us from this dire situation? Who can turn the tide and prevent the collapse of our empire?"
"I can."
The two words weighed as heavily as a thousand pieces of gold, making everyone's hearts sink.
Everyone stiffly turned around following the sound, only to see Lu Jinlan standing at the hall entrance, outside the crowd, looking down upon all living beings with an air of supreme authority.
She glanced down at Xu Lin, who was peeking out from under the table. Xu Lin belatedly realized what was happening and hurriedly announced, "The Emperor has arrived!"
Although everyone was in shock, some people instinctively knelt down upon hearing those four words.
A grand and majestic ceremonial music filled the air, and dozens of imperial guards in yellow jackets, steel swords in hand, scaled the wall and entered the courtyard. The leader strode to Lu Jinlan and led the others to kneel, saying, "Your Majesty, we pay our respects!"
The emperor and his entourage were as if in a dream, utterly horrified.
At this moment, the imperial procession in bright yellow had already entered from outside the courtyard. The Grand Eunuch Xi Mo, holding the dragon robe and crown, stepped forward quickly and said loudly, "Greetings, Your Majesty. Please change your clothes."
Lu Jinlan turned her back and stretched out her arms. The palace men on both sides rushed forward and quickly and methodically tied her dragon robe and put on her crown.
Before anyone could react, another series of footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. Everyone's minds raced, looking in front and behind.
Before Lu Jinlan could finish, Xiang Ruzhen led her officials into the courtyard. "Your Majesty, I, Xiang Ruzhen, along with all the officials of the seven prefectures and thirty-eight counties of the Northern Border, have come to pay homage to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
Hundreds of officials knelt in unison, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"
Everyone was completely stunned. When they turned around, they saw that Lu Jinlan had changed into a dragon robe and was sitting on a dragon-carved chair carried over by the guards, looking majestic and imposing.
Upon hearing of the incident ahead, Ji Yunyuan rushed over. Just as he passed through the side gate, he saw Lu Jinlan raise his hand to the assembled officials, saying, "Rise."
"She is the Emperor!" Ji Yunyuan staggered and immediately fainted.
His uncle quickly helped him up, both surprised and delighted, saying, "She's the Emperor! She even called me 'uncle'! This is wonderful news! Yuanzhen, wake up! This is wonderful news!"
*
After exchanging greetings, Xiang Ruzhen stood up and said, "The General of Yaozhou is waiting outside with 20,000 troops. Please give your instructions on how to deal with these rebels, Your Majesty."
Lu Jinlan said, "You must not harm my allies."
Xiang Ruzhen hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, it was just an accidental detonation of the mine; there were no casualties. Your Majesty has repeatedly emphasized the need to quell the internal rebellion with zero casualties, and we have kept that in mind and dare not disobey."
Everyone was deeply moved by these words, and Ji Yunliu couldn't help but cry out, "Alliance Leader... no, Your Majesty, you are truly a good person!"
Lu Jinlan smiled, "I promised beforehand that I would lead you to a way out, why would I lie to you?"
"This internal strife was caused by a misunderstanding due to poor communication and flawed policies. Now that the imperial court's policies have been improved, you should all move down the mountain and live with the locals. Regardless of your ethnicity, those who live within the territory of our Hua Kingdom are Hua people. We must share the same language, the same thoughts, and the same virtues, and must not harbor any disloyal thoughts."
Ji Yunyao's face lit up with joy the moment Lu Jinlan uttered the word "朕" (Zhen, meaning "I, the Imperial Emperor"). She had secretly worried that, as the leader of the rebels, she might be beheaded after descending the mountain.
But since Lu Er was actually Lu Jinlan, she no longer needed to be afraid. Just now, she saw Ji Yun Tieshu paying homage with Xiang Ruzhen and the others, and guessed that Ji Yun Tieshu knew the inside story all along. This time, Ji Yun Tieshu must have made a contribution by leading the troops into the mountain.
Her daughter had rendered meritorious service, and her son had married the emperor. What did she have to fear? Everything was settled!
Lu Jinlan instructed the allies, and Ji Yunyao hurriedly led them to plead guilty, "Your Majesty is kind and benevolent, and we are ashamed to accept such praise. We, the common people, know our sins and from now on, we will never have any disloyal intentions. We swear to follow Your Majesty and be loyal to Your Majesty for generations to come. Otherwise, we will be punished by Heaven and Earth, torn apart by five horses, and never be reincarnated."
Everyone expressed their stance to each other, and Lu Jinlan said: "As long as you sincerely repent and follow the arrangements, I will not hold you accountable for your past actions."
Ji Yunyao and the others then swore an oath and passionately confessed their crimes, saying a whole cartload of words of thanks to the Emperor for sparing their lives, except for You Xiu.
You Xiu remained silent from beginning to end because she wasn't stupid; she knew that no matter what she said, it would be useless—she was doomed.
After Lu Jinlan finished his speech, the first thing he did was to order the imperial guards to lock up You Xiu and You Sang's confidants.
Xiang Ruzhen said that tents had been prepared at the foot of the mountain, so Lu Jinlan ordered the people on the mountain to move today.
The soldiers brought a lot of gunpowder up the mountain, intending to blow up the pass once the supplies were carried down. This was to prevent anyone from returning to the mountain and establishing a new regime.
Chaos ensued. Li Yi led his soldiers to escort You Xiu and the other members of the You Sang tribe to the Xinping Prefecture prison. Not long after, they rushed in to plead guilty, "Your Majesty, please forgive us! We have fallen into a trap, and the prisoners have been kidnapped."
Lu Jinlan frowned. "Who kidnapped them?"
Li Yi said, "They are a group of Yusang people, and the leader is a man wearing a veil."
Lu Jinlan understood. You Shun hadn't shown up all day, so he must have seen this situation in secret and run away in advance, even leading his clansmen to meet the prisoner on the way.
Yan Wuxin hurriedly said, "I'll take men to chase after them."
Zuo Sui said, "I went with the Grand Commandant, but I don't know which direction to pursue them in."
Lu Jinlan: "I know they will definitely leave Yaozhou, pass through Wucang Kingdom, and head towards Julong Mountain. This group of people are true rebels. We must not let them go, otherwise it will be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains, which will surely sow the seeds of future troubles."
At this point, she said to Zhang Siyuan, "I'm leaving everything here to you. Lord Guan will be here soon. You two will handle it together. I'm going to personally go and capture the rebels."
*
You Shun and You Xiu led two or three hundred of their clansmen, not daring to stop for a moment. They left Yaozhou City and headed straight for Wucang Kingdom.
Only when the horses were exhausted and stopped to water did they have a moment to catch their breath.
Once back on the road, You Xiu appeared exceptionally light and agile.
You Shun couldn't help but worry, "Why is Aunt so happy? I once revealed this route to Lu Jinlan. She knows that we are descendants of the royal family and have the ambition to restore the country. I'm afraid she won't let us go. She might even lead an expedition in person to take us away."
You Xiu laughed and said, "It would be even better if she came in person. When she gets here, she will definitely pass by Luoyan Mountain. I have already ordered people to plant gunpowder on the only way to Luoyan Mountain. As soon as she arrives, she will surely die."
You Shun was taken aback. "Aunt, why didn't you discuss this with me?"
You Xiu said unhappily, "What's there to discuss with you? I'm afraid you're too soft-hearted. She lied to you and got us into this mess. Doesn't she deserve to die?"
You Shun stared at her blankly. "I never wanted her to die."
You Xiu frowned and said, "With so much gunpowder, she'll be half-dead even if she doesn't die. Forget what she's doing, let's get going!"
She urged her horse forward, but You Shun did not follow.
You Xiu sensed something was wrong. She turned around and saw You Shun watching her from afar. Suddenly, he changed direction and headed towards Luoyan Mountain.
"Shun'er!" You Xiu shouted, but You Shun ignored her.
She hurriedly took down her bow and arrow, gritted her teeth, drew the bow, and shot an arrow into You Shun's back. The arrowhead pierced through his chest, but You Shun, clutching his wound, still refused to stop.
Yu Xiu gritted her teeth and was about to shoot a second arrow when the clansmen around her couldn't bear it and quickly surrounded her to dissuade her, "Elder, the clan leader will surely not survive if he goes there. Let's go quickly."
Yu Xiu angrily threw down his bow and arrows, and led his men away.
*
Lu Jinlan led his men in pursuit, with Zuo Suizhi as the vanguard. He came to report: "Your Majesty, Luoyan Mountain is just ahead. They have just come out of the pass and should not have gone far."
Lu Jinlan glanced at the terrain and said, "This place is narrow; be careful of ambushes."
Zuo Sui said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will send scouts to explore the area first."
Before the words were finished, a shout came from afar: "Lu Jinlan, don't go into the mountains!"
The echoes in the valley amplified the urgent shouts, turning them into cries of anguish.
Lu Jinlan sensed something and looked around. She saw a man and a horse approaching from the mountain gate. The white figure on horseback was none other than You Shun.
As the figure drew closer, Lu Jinlan realized that his front was already stained red with blood.
Just as Lu Jinlan was about to urge his horse forward, You Shun shouted anxiously, "Don't come any closer!"
He urged his horse on desperately, and with a loud bang, You Shun's horse stepped on the fuse, causing the gunpowder to explode.
Suddenly, rocks flew everywhere, and yellow sand billowed. The crowd hurriedly shouted, "Protect the Emperor!"
However, the swirling sand blinded them. When the dust settled, Xiang Ruzhen, Yan Wuxin, and the others gathered around and saw Lu Jinlan holding the dying You Shun, gently wiping the dust and blood from his face, softly complaining, "How could you be so foolish?"
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Author's Note: I originally wanted to add You Shun to my collection, but today I got attacked by a jerk on a forum who said I was writing a female-centric story, blah blah blah~ I'm really annoyed. I'm happy to indulge myself, and when I'm really into it, I'll randomly pick a male character and throw in a whole clan's elimination game as a bonus. I'll just write! I'll just write! To make those bastards furious! To hell with them!
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