As soon as Lü Tu arrived, the 100,000 troops stationed there shouted in unison, "General!"
The momentum was deafening!
Lu Tu nodded solemnly and continued to urge his horse forward. Sun Kuang kicked out a bound general: "Brother, this is Hu Ce! This old bastard was just trying to have the archers ambush you."
When Hu Ce saw Lü Tu, he arrogantly turned his head to the side.
Lu Tu sneered, "I didn't realize you were so loyal."
"That's right! My Hu family has been loyal to the emperor and loved our country for generations, so naturally we are not comparable to a rebellious villain like you!"
"How dare you!" Nie Yun and the others shouted in disapproval.
Lu Tu waved his hand dismissively: "Then I'd like to ask you, are you loyal to the emperor or someone else? You don't need to answer me, you know the answer in your heart. Take him away and execute him!"
Upon hearing this, Hu Ce stared at Lü Tu in disbelief: "You want to kill me? What right do you have to kill me? His Majesty hasn't even said to kill me, yet you..."
Hu Ce had considered many possible outcomes, but he never expected that Lü Tu would kill him right at the gate of the imperial city. After all, he was the Left Protector of the Shence Army, a high-ranking official of the third rank. Lü Tu's official rank was even lower than his, and he could kill him just like that.
Sun Kuang had long disliked him, and upon hearing Lü Tu's order, he immediately drew his knife and walked towards him.
Hu Ce panicked. The fear of death made him lose his previous toughness. He roared, "Lu Tu, I was just following the imperial decree. You can't kill me!"
Sun Kuang loudly proclaimed, "Falsely conveying the imperial edict, according to the law, one should have their entire family executed!" As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Kuang slit Hu Ce's throat with a single stroke, separating his head from his body, leaving him without a trace of life.
This scene unfolded right before the eyes of the many imperial guards in the capital. They were terrified to see Lü Tu take action in front of all the civil and military officials.
The imperial guards present were no pushovers either. The moment they saw Lü Tu step through the city gates, all the guards in front raised their heavy shields, and a shout came from afar: "Lü Tu, don't take another step forward, or else..."
Lu Tuyi walked fearlessly to the front of the battle, with Tie Hang standing beside him, shield in hand: "You have no right to speak to me. Let the emperor come out and see me!"
"How dare you, you traitor!" a civil official shouted from behind the Imperial Guards.
Lu Tu's gaze swept over the Imperial Guards and across all the civil and military officials, his eyes filled with utter contempt.
"You clowns adorned in gold and silver, all of you are fat and bloated, while countless people in the capital are starving and destitute. You bastards have committed acts of treason, what right do you have to rebuke me, Lü Tu? Guards!"
With Lu Tu's furious roar, the 100,000-strong army shouted in unison, "Kill!"
Nie Yun stepped forward and shouted, "Everyone, drop your weapons, or you will be killed without mercy!"
The commander of the Imperial Guards surveyed the surrounding situation, then made a difficult decision that went against the wishes of his ancestors. He stepped forward first, threw his weapon to the ground, and bowed, saying, "General Lü, I, Zhao Bo, am willing to surrender!"
"What? Zhao Bo, don't forget you're a member of the royal family! You actually betrayed your ancestors and want to surrender?"
Faced with those questions, Zhao Bo turned a deaf ear. When it came to saving face and saving his life, he still followed his heart. At this moment, he took the initiative to clasp his hands and kneel down. After all, he was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of troops, and resistance would only lead to death.
Lu Tu nodded: "General Zhao's move was wise. In that case, all the Imperial Guards shall be spared!"
After receiving Lu Tu's affirmative reply, the 3,000 Imperial Guards, as the last line of defense for the palace, no longer hesitated and immediately handed over their weapons.
Those who managed to infiltrate the Imperial Guard naturally had more knowledge than other soldiers. After all, the closer they were to the center of power, the more they understood that they were merely pawns in the game of power, and who became the emperor made little difference to them.
Anyway, it's just a job. After all, who doesn't have a wife, children, and an elderly mother? Besides, Lu Tu isn't a foreigner, nor is he one of those rebel armies. He's a legitimate government army, and his reputation is impeccable.
It's not shameful at all to make them surrender to the God of War of the North, Wuchuan!
Upon witnessing this scene, all the civil and military officials present were truly shocked, especially the civil officials, who were inherently sycophants, and at this moment, they no longer put on airs as before.
The moment the Imperial Guards surrendered, they became even more obsequious, kneeling on the ground one by one, not daring to raise their heads.
Lu Tu's gaze fell on the remaining military officers. These officers, who remained in the army, proved that they did not have much military power and had no bargaining chips to negotiate with Lu Tu. Seeing this, they could only throw away their weapons and choose to surrender.
With his overwhelming power, Lu Tu's mere glance was enough to silence everyone in the entire imperial city.
After Nie Yun led his men to take control of the entire imperial city, Lü Tu rode his horse with righteous indignation onto the white marble path leading to the supreme center of power in the Great Yu Dynasty.
The surrounding civil and military officials had no choice but to kneel on both sides and let Lü Tu lead his troops away, feeling an indescribable humiliation.
Nie Yun, Tuoba Yue, Xiang Ze, the Sun brothers, and others followed closely behind Lü Tu. Everyone was unable to hide their excitement. This was the imperial palace! To break into the imperial palace was a glorious thing for their ancestors. They were only one step away from achieving their life goals!
When Lü Tu arrived in front of the Golden Palace, he saw a handsome man with a pale face and dark eyes walk out quickly. The man's eyes fell on Lü Tu in a panic, and he quickly forced a smile: "Minister Lü, you've finally come. I've been waiting for you for so long!"
Lu Tu dismounted, at least to maintain appearances in front of the civil and military officials.
He didn't kneel, but instead cupped his hands to Zhao Qihong and said, "General Lu Tu of Anbei pays respects to Your Majesty!"
Zhao Qihong quickly stepped forward and helped Lü Tu up, saying, "My dear minister, there's no need for such formalities. Please come into the palace quickly!"
Lu Tu stood still, staring coldly at him. Zhao Qihong tugged at him several times, but how could his body, ravaged by wine and women, possibly budge Lu Tu in the slightest?
He looked at Lü Tu awkwardly: "Minister Lü, what's wrong?"
Lu Tu glanced at the civil and military officials kneeling on the white marble slab: "Let them come in too, we can talk things over."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qihong's face stiffened, and he had no choice but to let Lü Tu call the person in.
Lu Tu followed Zhao Qihong into the Golden Palace, stood beside the throne, and let Zhao Qihong sit down. All the civil and military officials were also held hostage by their own elite troops.
At this point, Zhao Qihong would never dare to play any tricks on Lü Tu. Even if he was unwilling, he had no doubt that Lü Tu would kill him with a single blow.
"By imperial decree! Lu Tu has rendered meritorious service in defending the emperor in the capital; he is hereby granted the title of Duke of Wei!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
