Chapter 793: Rise because of you, fall because of you!
"What, what did you say?"
Yu Dingxing could hardly believe his ears for a moment. Although Yu Mingyue had spoken nonsense in front of him more than once, and even in front of the officials and the emperor, this time, her words really shocked him so much that he was dumbfounded. For a moment, he forgot to be angry, or perhaps he was overwhelmed by a surge of anger and did not know how to vent his anger.
He laughed in anger: "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"
Yu Mingyue clearly understood the profound impact her words had on him and on the people of this era. She knew before she even uttered them how much anger they would provoke, so she remained calm and said indifferently, "What, am I wrong?"
"Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"
Yu Dingxing slowly repeated the sentence again, and finally, his eyes turned red with anger, and he said fiercely, "Do you know who said this, and who you are?"
"..."
Do you think of yourself as one of those peasants who rose up in rebellion?
"..."
"Don't forget, your father is the Duke of Wushan, personally appointed by the Emperor, which is equivalent to a 'king, marquis, general, and minister'! And don't forget, the reason you can stand here and command the soldiers below to advance or retreat, to fight or struggle for the merit of saving the Emperor, is because you are a 'king, marquis, general, and minister'!"
"..."
"And don't forget, you want to become Yuwen Qian's Crown Princess by saving the Emperor. Yuwen Qian is even above 'kings, marquises, generals, and ministers'!"
Yu Mingyue's heart skipped a beat.
Indeed, the phrase "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?" has been a slogan for ordinary people to resist tyranny and rise up in rebellion for thousands of years. She remembered this phrase as naturally as breathing and her heartbeat, but she did not realize that the reason she had such power at this moment, and that she could make people fight and struggle for her vision, was because she was in such a social class.
To enjoy the privileges of this social class while shouting such slogans is indeed somewhat self-contradictory.
Yu Mingyue's face flushed red and then turned pale, as if she had really been slapped. Seeing her still somewhat bewildered expression, Yu Dingxing gritted his teeth and said viciously, "Whether some words are pleasant or not depends on who is saying them and, more importantly, on who is listening!"
"..."
"If you continue to be so brainless and disrespectful, our Yu family will be doomed because of you sooner or later!"
After saying that, he turned and walked out of the tent.
Although she had never truly regarded him as her father and despised this "scumbag" who abandoned his wife and daughter, his reprimand still pierced Yu Mingyue's heart like a needle. She even found it strange that he was just a scumbag, so why did his words make her feel guilty?
Am I confused too?
No matter how much she denied this person, her speechlessness and guilt at this moment were real. Even when she saw Yu Dingxing angrily about to leave the tent, she said in a flustered manner, "Father, please wait a moment."
Yu Dingxing had already reached out a hand to lift the curtain, but stopped upon hearing this. He didn't turn around, only coldly asking, "How about it?"
Yu Mingyue gritted her teeth, but finally relented and said, "Daughter knows she was wrong."
Yu Dingxing still did not turn around, but his breathing calmed down slightly.
Yu Mingyue immediately said, "Please forgive my slip of the tongue, Father. But what I am about to do is not only beneficial to myself, but also to Father's position and prestige in court. Father should know this as well."
"..."
Yu Dingxing's breathing became heavy again.
He turned to look at Yu Mingyue again, his eyes completely devoid of any of the tenderness and affection a father would show when looking at his own daughter. The only thing that flickered in his eyes was self-interest and a thirst for power—in fact, he could discern this naked thought in every look his daughter gave him.
They were less like father and daughter and more like two grasshoppers tied together on the same vine in the vortex of power.
Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and said, "Then, what do you want me to do?"
Hearing that he had given in, Yu Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief and immediately said, "In short, I have made all the arrangements. Father will go to His Majesty to ask you to cross the Yellow River to meet Fan Chengen's troops. By then, Jiang Chongen's troops should be on the other side. His Majesty will be pleased and will definitely come to the ferry to meet them personally. He might even cross the Yellow River himself!"
"Will His Majesty cross the river himself?"
"If it were just Jiang Chongen or Fan Chengen returning, His Majesty wouldn't be so happy. But these two represent His Majesty's confidence in taking Luoyang, and His Majesty certainly will!"
Yu Dingxing thought about it and realized that it was indeed possible, so he asked, "Then what should I do?"
Yu Mingyue said, "Once His Majesty arrives at the ferry, ideally just as he's about to board the boat, my men will immediately report that you, Father, sent people across the river beforehand to scout the situation and ensure His Majesty's safety. They discovered the anomaly on the other side. Even if His Majesty is overjoyed and eager to conquer Luoyang, he will be cautious in such a situation and will certainly not cross the river rashly. Then—"
"Then,"
Yu Dingxing quickly understood and said, "As the Left Valiant Guard General, it is my duty to protect His Majesty. At this time, I must lead the troops across the river and capture the rebels."
Yu Mingyue nodded and said, "That's right, Father, this is all thanks to your saving the day."
At this point, she lowered her voice and said, "The best course of action would be to take advantage of the chaos and kill Fan Chengen."
Yu Dingxing's eyes widened suddenly: "You mean—"
Yu Mingyue said, "Fan Chengen surrendered to Dasheng because of the Prince of Qin. When he returns, he will be under the Prince of Qin's control. He is familiar with the troops in Song and Xu prefectures. After receiving his reward, His Majesty the Emperor may send him to guard Song and Xu prefectures together with Shen Tu Tai. At that time, the opportunity to attack Luoyang may fall to the Prince of Qin."
"..."
"Killing him is tantamount to clipping part of the King of Qin's wings."
"..."
"I'm going to achieve my goal in one fell swoop."
"..."
This time, Yu Dingxing didn't speak again, but only looked at Yu Mingyue deeply again. He didn't really doubt his daughter's arrangements in these important matters, after all, she was the one who brought him the greatest credit. However, his daughter's willfulness and recklessness made him feel an indescribable sense of mixed fortune and misfortune, as if he were walking on the edge of a knife.
He said in a deep voice, "Mingyue, I can do as you say, but you'd better think about what I just said."
"..."
"I don't want the Yu family to rise and fall because of you!"
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