The emperor would naturally benefit from this.
Yu Yong's move will likely provoke public anger and cause widespread fear and unease among the feudal lords.
In the end, he would be pushed out by the emperor as a scapegoat and executed.
Lu Youting frowned and said urgently, "If he kills me, he will be even less likely to hold onto the throne!"
In a life-or-death situation, probably no one would remain calm.
Who would like a cruel tyrant?
If Lu Youting were killed, the regional princes would likely be restless.
Lu Xingjian remained as calm and composed as ever, and simply instructed his attendants:
"Go ask the Shuntian Prefecture soldiers why they have come."
Then he looked at Lu Youting: "Thirteenth Uncle, what's the rush?"
"Sit down, the night is still long, let's watch the show slowly."
Having said that, he took the seat of honor with his long legs, as if strolling leisurely.
Seeing this, Yu Yong silently sheathed the knife he had drawn.
Lu Youting's pupils contracted sharply.
Lu Xingjian's composure made him uneasy.
It was as if Lu Xingjian, not the one who was ambushed, was not the one who was attacked.
This kid is much more cunning than his father.
The five battalions remained stationary.
He transferred the Shenji Battalion and the Three Thousand Battalion to Changping Prefecture for defense and they cannot come over for the time being.
The Five City Garrison Commander was his father-in-law's man, and they had already taken control of the main transportation routes within the capital.
The Shuntian Prefecture troops were the main force sent to capture him.
Where else could he conjure an army?
With this thought in mind, Lu Youting felt a little more at ease.
The outcome of a long-planned scheme will finally be revealed tonight; it would be a lie to say I'm not excited.
Hopefully, tonight's game will decide the outcome, and his sacrifice will not have been in vain.
The sound of synchronized footsteps came from outside.
The sound was so powerful that the teacup that had just been served wobbled slightly on the table.
Everyone in the room held their breath, waiting for the scout to report.
Lu Xingjian gently scraped the lid of the teacup and slowly blew on the tea leaves floating on the surface of the water.
A misty vapor enveloped his face.
The sound of porcelain rubbing together seemed particularly jarring in the tense atmosphere.
After a long while, a guard came in to report:
"Prefect Li Han of Shuntian Prefecture has personally led the prefectural guards and rear guards to protect Your Majesty!"
Lu Xingjian paused, holding his teacup, and turned his head slightly, looking sharply at Lu Youting with a very imposing gaze.
Lu Youting happened to be looking at him, and their gazes clashed in the air, neither of them backing down.
Everyone else remained silent, terrified.
Whether Li Han's arrival was to protect the emperor or to plot something sinister, no one could say for sure.
Su Wanwan gripped the armrests of the chair tightly, her whole body tense, and she was covered in cold sweat.
Having recently experienced the Xiao Bin case, she knew that Li Han, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, was a student of the Grand Secretary Li Dongqian.
If Li Han pledges allegiance to Prince Rong, Lu Youting, will Li Dongqian also secretly support Lu Youting?
Would Lee Dong-gyeom do such a thing?
Lu Xingjian had just promoted him to a higher rank a few days ago.
He held the highest position in the court.
Why would he take such a huge risk to support Prince Rong, Lu Youting, in his plot to murder the emperor and rebel?
In the annals of history, his shame as a "traitor" will be recorded in endless detail.
However, his only son had just passed away not long ago.
Li Zhaoxian's death, the Xiao Bin case, and the "kneeling punishment at Jinshui Bridge" incident all created irreparable rifts between him and Lu Xingjian.
Ultimately, the reason still stems from her.
To be honest, she really does have some of the qualities of a "jinx".
Lu Youting spoke first: "What, does His Majesty not intend to summon Prefect Li?"
Lu Xingjian smiled gently and looked at Su Wanwan: "Wanwan, what do you think?"
Su Wanwan's throat tightened, and she tried her best to calm her voice:
"The oil mill over there is on fire. Prefect Li should lead people to help with the disaster relief first."
"The people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important; this is a principle passed down from sages."
Lu Xingjian laughed heartily a few times: "What a fine saying, 'The people are the most important, the ruler is the least important'!"
"Li Rong, go and convey the imperial decree. Tell the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture these two sentences, and instruct him to take saving the people from suffering as his top priority."
Chief Steward Li went as ordered.
Whether Li Han is willing to obey the imperial decree is another matter entirely.
Lu Youting's face was extremely ugly.
He gave Su Wanwan a deep look.
No wonder she was raised by the Zhou family for many years and helped them review memorials.
With the simple phrase "The people are the most important, the ruler is the least important," Li Han was put on the hot seat.
If you don't put out the fire, then you've wasted your time studying the classics.
If you're putting out a fire, you can't use the pretext of "protecting the emperor" to control him.
Scholars value their reputation and image above all else.
That Li Han, he's so damn indecisive!
No wonder it is said that "a rebellion by intellectuals will not succeed in three years."
If he had led his troops in without saying a word to "protect the emperor" and take control of Lu Xingjian, it wouldn't have been a problem.
At worst, we can just say the emperor died of a serious illness.
Being ordered to put out a fire in front of so many soldiers like this, and disobeying the order, would likely shake the morale of the troops.
After all, those soldiers were paid by the emperor, so it wasn't impossible for them to defect on the spot.
Su Wanwan was so nervous that her body trembled slightly.
Whether Steward Li can return after this trip depends entirely on Li Han's decision.
Lu Youting stared sharply at Lu Xingjian, his eyes seemingly spitting fire, almost drilling holes into Lu Xingjian with his gaze.
My mind was racing.
Lu Xingjian's calm and composed demeanor suggests he already knew there would be an ambush on his way back to the capital.
Although he had been preparing for a long time, the overall plan was formed hastily.
Those involved were all given orders on short notice.
Lu Xingjian could not possibly know.
Where exactly is the problem?
He slowly reviewed the whole process from beginning to end.
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