The court's inaction over the years had disheartened the people, so Lu Qingyan hardly had to exert any effort in the battles.
In the end, even with its large army, Chang'an could not stop the rebel army. Chang'an was captured in one fell swoop, the Crown Prince and the Emperor were killed, and the other princes did not survive. Da'an was destroyed.
Before the final moment arrived, Lu Zhizhi originally wanted to put on his armor and go into battle himself, but was stopped by his stepmother and the old lady of Lu, who both cried.
After the rebel army captured Chang'an, they gained the title of the legitimate rulers. Lu Qingyan issued an edict to the other prefectures and counties that had not been attacked by the rebel army: those who surrendered would be treated as before, and those who did not surrender would be killed.
Some loyal ministers chose to fight the rebels head-on, but this was tantamount to throwing eggs against rocks, resulting in heavy casualties. With such a precedent, fewer and fewer people resisted.
Some local officials, unwilling to serve two dynasties, but also unwilling to implicate the soldiers and civilians in the city and their wives and children at home, chose to commit suicide to preserve their reputation. Lu Qingyan did not angrily blame her family, but instead arranged for people to take good care of those orphans and widows.
He was immediately praised, and everyone said that the new emperor was a great man.
These extreme choices are still a minority. Most local officials choose to go with the flow and become surrendered officials. Lu Zhizhi is one of them.
He considered himself a gentleman, but he wasn't inflexible, nor was he absolutely loyal to the emperor or his country. Compared to the king, he cared more about his family. If he surrendered now, at worst he would be demoted to a commoner by the new emperor, but at least he could save his whole family by fighting to the death.
After discussing with his remaining colleagues in Chang'an, Lu Zhizhi decided to open the city gates and welcome those people into the city.
On this day, Lu Zhizhi did not go to the city gate to greet them in person, but returned to the mansion. It seemed that the old lady Lu also knew that today was a very important day, so she specially wore a noblewoman's robe, which she considered to be the best and most dignified clothes.
Lu Zhizhi smiled bitterly to himself. His mother had become confused again. It was a new dynasty now, and he didn't know how those people would treat him. His mother's wearing the official robes of the previous dynasty only made people more wary.
But Lu Zhizhi was too soft-hearted to say much. He was the pillar of the family, so he naturally had to take responsibility for everything.
The stepmother was as virtuous and gentle as ever, with one arm around her son, who had grown into a young man, and the other holding her daughter's hand. She stood up straight, befitting the demeanor of a lady of the Lu family.
She had considered sending her children away, but even her own family didn't know the current situation. The new dynasty had just been established, and they didn't know if they would be well off. How could she dare to send her two children away in a hurry?
Lu Zhizhi patted the back of her hand, "Over the years, you have done so much for the family. I have always forgotten to thank you. If you really have to go to the Yellow Springs, it is all because of me that you have been dragged down."
The second wife's eyes glistened with tears as she turned her head away. "This is what I should do, my lord. Don't think so much. Perhaps things won't turn out that way. My two children are still young. How can you bear to abandon them?"
"Okay, I will definitely live well."
As Lu Zhizhi spoke, both his stepmother and the old lady Lu couldn't help but turn away and wipe their tears.
At this moment, Lu Zhizhi missed her eldest son even more. Although she was angry with him back then, how could she not miss him after being away from home for so many years?
I wonder how Qingyun is doing now, but thankfully he's not here, so perhaps the Lu family bloodline can be preserved.
As Lu Zhizhi's mind wandered, he surprisingly felt a sense of relief.
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