Zhao Qingyao scolded, "Someone, tell Commander Yun to calm down and not let him hurt Prince Duan."
"Yes!" the Imperial Guards responded in unison.
But this sentence infuriated Yun Tian. He was clearly the captain of Wuchuan, so why was the second princess targeting him in every way?
Without waiting for a reply, he shouted, "Second Princess, your actions are so biased! You won't let anyone capture Lü Tu, so why are you capturing me?"
Zhao Qingyao coldly shouted: "It's because of useless captains like you who hold their positions without doing any work that Father Emperor appointed you to guard the northern border, yet it is plundered every year, and most of the people are killed or injured. If it weren't for the Great Wall built by our ancestors when they founded the country, the Wuhuan people would probably have already besieged the capital!"
After she finished venting her anger, Lü Tu finally understood.
Zhao Qingyao's angry outburst at Yun Tian was not without reason. She was naturally blaming Yun Tian and the other commanders of the six northern garrisons for not doing their jobs. If they were more capable and could keep the Wuhuan out, why would the Great Yu send her to the Saiwai for a marriage alliance?
This also made Lü Tu understand why Zhao Qingyao hadn't killed him; it must be because she valued Lü Tu's record against the Wuhuan.
If Lu Tu can't even seize this opportunity, then he might as well just smash his head against a tofu block and die.
Lu Tu declared with righteous indignation, "The Second Princess is wise, Prince Duan is wise! We have finally found the reason for Wuchuan's ruin!"
"To be honest, when the smallpox epidemic broke out in Wuchuan, I discussed treatment plans with Doctor Zhang Miao in the city. However, when I visited Yun Tian, he refused to let me in because of our previous disagreement, and I missed the best opportunity to control the epidemic."
Zhao Qingyao stood there, stretching out her hand: "Bring me the Imperial Sword!"
A maidservant carrying a sword quickly presented it with both hands. Zhao Qingyao drew the sword from its sheath, gripped it tightly, and shouted sternly, "Yun Tian, I ask you, is this true?"
When they saw the sword, not only was Yun Tian dumbfounded, but even Lü Tu was stunned.
How come the Great Yu Dynasty has all sorts of problems? First, there was the emperor indulging in pleasure, the court being corrupt, land falling into the hands of powerful clans, peasant uprisings, and so on. Then there was the border almost falling, the princess being sent to a foreign land for a political marriage, and now they've even brought out the imperial sword.
Although Lu Tu didn't know the situation in the court, the fact that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had come out meant that eunuchs were definitely in power in the court. It was truly a combination of all the evils of previous dynasties. He wondered what the founding emperor of the Great Yu Dynasty was thinking.
How could Yun Tian admit it at this moment? He had never even heard of the Shangfang Sword in this dynasty, but given Zhao Qingyao's status, even if it was fake, it was real in her hands at this moment. Moreover, her current status was that of a princess sent for a political marriage, and even the current emperor had to accommodate her.
"Your Highness, I was simply unwell that day and instructed my servants to refuse all visitors. Who knew those scoundrels would be so ignorant of the importance of things and fail to report such crucial information to me? I am truly innocent!"
Lu Tu sneered. Another temporary worker being used as a scapegoat? Was this guy a city management officer in his past life?
Zhao Qingyao's expression softened slightly after hearing this: "But you must handle this plague properly. If the plague is not dealt with in a day, I will stay in Wuchuan City for a full day!"
Yun Tian knelt down with a thud and pleaded, "Your Highness, please think it over! Your life is crucial to the war on the border, and the lives of countless people are in your hands. If you stay in Wuchuan for too long and unfortunately contract smallpox, what will happen?"
Zhao Qingyao snorted coldly: "Sacrifice myself to save the world? I, Zhao Qingyao, was born into the royal family, this is my destiny, I accept it! But now I see so many people infected with smallpox because of you, I am not convinced! Why should the people I sacrificed myself to save die at the hands of a fool like you?"
These words were spoken with such conviction that even Lü Tu couldn't help but release Zhao Xiao and clap his hands.
Zhao Xiao had never seen his second sister speak like that before, and he was so moved by Lü Tu's applause that he joined in.
The other Imperial Guards present also sensed Zhao Qingyao's compassion and righteousness in her words.
They had escorted Zhao Qingyao all the way from the capital and had witnessed her perform countless acts of kindness along the way. They had previously thought that Zhao Qingyao was deliberately stalling for time, but now it seemed that they had been too naive.
Lu Tu exclaimed in a loud voice, "Your Highness speaks well! For the millions of men of the mighty Great Yu Dynasty to need to sacrifice a mere woman like a princess to save the common people is a disgrace! I oppose this marriage!"
"Huh?" These words shocked the entire audience!
Even Zhao Xiao, who had just been released after being held hostage by Lü Tu, turned back to look at Lü Tu with shocked eyes, even forgetting to run away.
Zhao Qingyao was surprised that Lü Tu could say such generous and righteous words. Based on what she knew about Lü Tu's actions, she nodded to him secretly.
Then he shook his head and sighed, "If all the men of my Great Yu had your ambition and passion, why would I need to go through the trouble of a political marriage?"
As she spoke, her eyes, which had been filled with dejection, suddenly brightened with a fierce light: "But I've said my piece. If the plague in the six border towns cannot be quelled, I will stay here until I die, and I will not care even if an imperial decree comes!"
Good heavens! Everyone exclaimed, "Good heavens!"
The only person in the world who could say such a thing is probably Zhao Qingyao. She is not only the second princess of the current dynasty, but also the elder sister of Emperor Zhao Chen. It was Zhao Chen who resorted to this tactic in order to win over the ministers who advocated peace.
If Zhao Qingyao really refuses to give us face and insists on dragging this out for several months, who in Wuchuan would dare to petition us? Perhaps when the letter arrives, Zhao Qingyao might actually go to Wuhuan, but the imperial sword in her hand would also cut off the head of the informer.
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