Seeing that Xuan Yuan Yu was unmoved by reason, Xuan Yuan Zhan's expression instantly turned somewhat ugly.
Unable to bear it any longer, Ling Lang raised his voice and said, "I am Ling Lang, the commander of the Zhenbei Army. I can testify that what Your Highness said is true. Your Highness opened granaries in the north to distribute grain, resettle refugees, provide porridge and medicine, and at the same time dug waterways and canals to divert water from the south to the north, doing everything in your power to control the drought in the north. You have no selfish motives whatsoever."
"Everything Your Highness has done in the North is for the sake of the people there. Those bandits in the North are not only bandits, but also people of the North. If it weren't for the natural disasters, why would they give up their good lives and become outlaws? If Your Highness doesn't submit a memorial proposing amnesty for forty or fifty thousand bandits, are you really going to slaughter them all? The truly evil bandits were all executed without exception. The remaining bandits didn't do any evil deeds; sometimes they even shared the stolen food with refugees. Are all such bandits to be slaughtered as well? Is this how Your Highness governs Eastern Chu for the Emperor?"
Ling Lang's resounding question instantly enraged Xuan Yuan Yu: "Ling Lang, how dare you! Do you really think you're the commander of the Northern Army? Ever since you joined Xuan Yuan Zhan in the rebellion, you've been a traitor too. What right do you have to stand here and prove anything for Xuan Yuan Zhan?"
What kind of nobody dares to question him!
He's gone too far!
Ling Lang's face was cold and stern. He raised his voice again and said, "I am the General Who Guards the North, and I am also a participant in this incident in the North. If I am not qualified, then who is!"
They are all firsthand witnesses of the North. If even they are not qualified to speak out, then who is?
Are they just powerful figures in Kyoto who only know how to fight for power?
Following behind Xuan Yuanzhan and his group, Zhang Debiao and the others couldn't help but raise their voices: "We are bandits from the North, we are also witnesses to what happened in the North, and we also testify for Your Highness that Your Highness did not plot a rebellion!"
Bai Ying couldn't help but speak up, "I am Bai Ying, a bandit from the North. Your Highness only arrived in the North for one day, yet you subdued all 40,000 of our bandit troops. Your Highness's wisdom, strategy, and care for the people have deeply impressed us. We willingly followed Your Highness, but Your Highness did not truly recruit us. It was only when those 3,000 Imperial Guards wanted to kill Your Highness that Your Highness took action to resist! Your Highness's actions were all out of desperation!"
Xuanyuan Yu stared at the bandits of Baiying and said in a sinister tone, "You still dare to say that he didn't recruit you? You were all on the battlefield when the Northern Rong invaded before!"
Seeing that Xuanyuan Yu was still making trouble over this matter, Xuanyuan Zhan was completely enraged: "It was I who sent them to the battlefield, so what?"
Upon hearing Xuan Yuanzhan's admission, Xuan Yuanyu instantly became smug, as if he had found a handle to use against him, and said, "Xuan Yuanzhan, you have long harbored rebellious intentions, which is why you secretly amassed troops with the intention of rebelling. You still say you are not a traitor!"
Enraged by Xuan Yuan Yu's shamelessness, Mu Ling Chen retorted, "Sending them to the battlefield means they have treasonous intentions? Does that mean all the people of the North are treasonous because they helped fight against the Northern Rong?"
Ling Lang retorted sharply, “The Northern Rong have invaded the northern lands in full force, and our 200,000 Zhenbei Army alone is simply no match for them. That’s why His Highness allowed the bandit army to join the battle and help the Zhenbei Army resist the Northern Rong. The bandit army, numbering only 40,000 to 50,000, has already defeated the Northern Rong’s 100,000-strong army. Such a great achievement deserves a great reward from His Highness, not a charge of treason. His Highness’s actions will only chill the hearts of all the soldiers on the border!”
Not to mention Xuan Yuanzhan and Mu Lingchen, even some people couldn't stand it anymore.
"White Eagle, you shouldn't have schemed against me. You should have truly surrendered to our Northern Rong. Look at the faces of these high-ranking officials in Eastern Chu. You risked your lives for them, but they still treat you like traitors. Why not submit to our Northern Rong? I will treat you as honored guests!"
Upon hearing the distinctly accented Dongchu dialect, everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice.
A man dressed in Northern Rong attire stood in the middle of the soldiers, handcuffed and shackled. Clearly, he was not the one being protected by the soldiers, but rather the one being monitored.
Just now, no one knew who he was, but when they heard him keep saying "I am the Lonely One" and that he was wearing Northern Rong clothing, they guessed his identity.
This person must be a high-ranking official from the Northern Rong. He was probably captured by the Holy King as a prisoner of war.
Even the Northern Rong people couldn't stand it anymore and used the Third Prince's behavior to mock the Holy King and his people. This is truly a joke that has spread to the Northern Rong.
The commanders and generals on the city wall were somewhat embarrassed.
Xuan Yuanduo leaned close to Xuan Yuanyu's ear and whispered, "Stop talking! The more you say, the more mistakes you'll make. Be careful not to make things worse!"
Xuanyuan Zhan was framed by them in the first place. Saying these things will only make things worse and make everyone see the truth. It would be better not to mention it and just start fighting. Anyway, they have the Su family army to defend the city, so they will definitely not lose.
Xuanyuan Yu also felt that he couldn't continue talking, otherwise all the things he had done would be exposed.
Xuanyuan Yu raised his hand and shouted, "All soldiers, listen to my command! Seize Xuanyuan Zhan, this traitor, for me!"
At Xuanyuan Yu's command, not a single member of the Su family army at the city gate moved.
Seeing this, the Kyoto Reserve Army and the other three branches of the armed forces did not move.
Seeing no reaction from below, Xuan Yuan Yu felt as if he had been slapped in the face, and angrily turned to the three generals of the Su family army: "What does this mean?"
Li Jinyuan was not afraid of Xuanyuan Yu's anger and replied expressionlessly, "This is what we agreed on. We will only defend the city and will not take the initiative to attack. If the Holy King attacks the city, we will naturally abide by the agreement and defend the city. However, if the Holy King does not attack the city, we cannot take the initiative to attack."
Yun Songquan and Wu Liping both wore expressions of deep agreement.
When they left, the old emperor ordered them not to participate in the internal strife of Eastern Chu. By doing so, they were already disobeying the emperor's orders!
Xuan Yuan Yu pointed angrily at Xuan Yuan Zhan below: "He's already at the city gates, doesn't that count as a siege?"
No matter what Xuan Yuan Yu said, Li Jin Yuan and the other two remained unmoved.
Xuanyuan Yu was instantly furious.
Damn it, the Su family army is so ungrateful. When I become emperor, the first thing I will do is slaughter the Su family army!
Xuanyuan Zhan was quite satisfied with the Su family army's posture and raised his voice again: "All soldiers here, listen up! The Emperor is not seriously ill, but has been poisoned by Xuanyuan Yu. Xuanyuan Yu has controlled the Emperor with a puppet poison and then forged an imperial edict to kill me in the North! My uprising is not for imperial power, but to save the Emperor. If you are still loyal to the Emperor, you should no longer obey Xuanyuan Yu and aid and abet evil!"
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