HCB Chapter 406 Wen Yanzhao scolds Lu Ting'en awake, Xiao Ruojin plots to take the throne!
Chapter 406 Wen Yanzhao scolds Lu Ting'en awake, Xiao Ruojin plots to take the throne!
Wangdu Inn, on the southern outskirts of Tianqi City.
"Still can't get over it? What, are all the people of Yunzhou like you, like an old water buffalo?"
"Stubborn to the end, refusing to turn back even after hitting a brick wall? You surnamed Lu, if it weren't for my intervention, your head would already be in that dead eunuch Zhuo Qing's hand. And you're still here arguing with me about national sentiments?"
Wen Yanzhao sat at the tea table in the guest room with a smirk on his face. In front of him was Lu Ting'en, who was tied up like a rice dumpling.
Lu Ting'en's imposing bronze helmet had been lost somewhere long ago when Wen Yanzhao took him away from Tianqi. At this moment, he sat at the table with disheveled hair and a serious expression.
"This humble general thanks you for saving me, young master. Lu Ting'en's life is yours now, but no matter what, I am still a subject of the Great Li. As the sage said—"
“A ruler treats his subjects with courtesy, and subjects serve their ruler with loyalty; if a ruler commands a subject to die, the subject dares not disobey. My title and salary were all bestowed by His Majesty. Now that I have been defeated by the Marquis of Zhenxi, I am already guilty. If His Majesty wishes to kill me, then so be it!”
"Snapped!"
A cup of hot tea was splashed hard on Lu Ting'en's face. He shuddered and glared at her angrily, saying:
"Young Master Wen, a scholar can be killed but not humiliated. Although Lu Ting'en is a prisoner, his integrity remains. What do you mean by this?!"
Wen Yanzhao looked at Lu Ting'en with a helpless expression and said:
"No wonder Xiao Chongjing called you an idiot, you really are incredibly stupid!"
"Uncle Baili spared your life and even treated you with courtesy, allowing you to come to Tianqi to explain the battle situation to that dog emperor in person. But did the old emperor give you that chance? Didn't he just send his eunuchs to take your life?"
"You don't repay those who are good to you, but you treat the dog emperor who used you and was about to kill you like a god?!"
"Don't talk to me about the words of sages. Confucius and Mencius are both ancient relics. Their fallacies about rulers and subjects, fathers and sons should have been thrown into the trash heap long ago!"
"If you want to die, I can grant your wish!"
Having said that, he tightened his grip on the teacup slightly, and the teacup turned into dust.
Lu Ting'en had witnessed Wen Yanzhao's abilities in front of the Pingqing Hall and knew that his cultivation was unfathomable. He lowered his head and said:
"My life was saved by you, young master. If you want to take it away, feel free to do so!"
Wen Yanzhao was almost laughing in exasperation at Lu Ting'en. He shook his head helplessly and smiled:
"Fine, fine... I give up!"
"Your life is worthless to me, but I want to convey a message to you on behalf of the Marquis of Zhenxi—"
"The world belongs to the virtuous. The Great Li Dynasty has lasted for over a hundred years, and Xiao Chongjing is now the fifth emperor, yet the people's lives are getting worse day by day!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Ting'en retorted, "The Marquis of Zhenxi is also a subject of Dali. Didn't his rebellion also bring disaster to the people of Beili?"
Wen Yanzhao was furious. Facing the unyielding Lu Ting'en, he slammed his fist on the table and shouted angrily:
"Yunzhou spans a thousand miles and has a population of millions. How many of them can actually have enough coarse rice and wild vegetables to fill their stomachs every day?"
"As the governor of Yunzhou, what kind of life do the people under your jurisdiction live? What kind of life do the people in other prefectures and counties in the north live?"
"Since the war in Yunzhou began, the imperial court has not been able to provide you with enough food and military pay. You have had to increase taxes in Yunzhou. As a result, the number of Yunzhou people who have fled their homes due to famine is more than 100,000."
"Don't even mention the Marquis of Zhenxi's rebellion. Have you forgotten how Xiao Chongjing, full of suspicion, instructed his eunuch Zhuoqing to collude with his纨绔子弟 (playboy son) Xiao Xie to frame General Ye Yu's family?"
"Although the Marquis of Zhenxi has the reputation of being a 'god of slaughter,' the elderly in Qiandong City under his rule are cared for and the young are well taken care of. Every citizen in the city praises him highly."
"Lu Ting'en, you keep saying you are a subject of Beili, and that you are doing this for the country and for the people of Beili. But in my opinion, you are just one of those who have caused the people of Beili to suffer!"
"What kind of loyal minister and general are you? You have hundreds of thousands of people under your own jurisdiction who have abandoned their homes and fled the famine. If you don't believe me, go to Snow Moon City and open your eyes to take a good look. There are still seventy or eighty thousand people from Yunzhou there!"
"If it weren't for my cousin Baili Dongjun's kind heart and his efforts to raise food to help them survive, these poor people would have frozen and starved to death long ago between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake!"
"The one you should apologize to is not Xiao Chongjing, but Baili Dongjun, the Lord of Snow Moon City, and the hundreds of thousands of people from Yunzhou who have been forced to leave their homes!"
Wen Yanzhao's words were piercing and incisive, and Lu Ting'en dared not raise his head again.
He knew all too well the suffering of the people of Yunzhou, but whenever he thought of it, he would use high-sounding reasons such as "Now the Marquis of Zhenxi is rebelling, and only by ending the war quickly can the people live a good life" to brush it off.
Today, Wen Yanzhao's ridiculous excuses have been completely exposed. This general, who spouts profound truths, has finally realized that the saying "He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world" is not just empty talk.
"me……"
Lu Ting'en stammered, wanting to say something, but his throat felt like it was filled with lead and he couldn't utter a single word.
Wen Yanzhao snorted coldly, threw down a silver ingot, and turned to leave the guest room.
Lu Ting'en was puzzled and quickly asked, "What brings you here, young master?"
Wen Yanzhao turned around and glared at Lu Ting'en: "I'll go and rescue your men. They are all loyal and brave men. Their families and wives are still in Yunzhou City. They shouldn't lose their lives for a stupid general like you!"
Lu Ting'en was speechless, her eyes stinging.
His long-held beliefs began to waver. He had originally regarded the Baili Luochen clan, the people of Xueyue City, and even Wen Yanzhao in front of him as traitors who had rebelled against their superiors.
Wen Yanzhao's words today, and his continued thoughts about his personal guards...
The more Lu Ting'en thought about it, the more he realized how foolish he had been. He had originally held onto hope in the Pingqing Palace, hoping that if Xiao Chongjing gave him another chance, he could return to Yunzhou to gather the defeated soldiers and fight Baili Luochen again.
Now it seems that everything was just a mirage, and he was nothing more than a dog for Xiao Chongjing to rule the world!
He suddenly stood up, turned around, and knelt on one knee in front of Wen Yanzhao:
"Young Master Wen, I thank you for scolding me awake today. I also thank the Marquis of Zhenxi for treating the people of Yunzhou kindly. And I especially thank that young master Baili for saving tens of thousands of refugees from Yunzhou who fled the famine!"
"From now on, if Young Master Wen does not abandon me, Lu Ting'en is willing to serve you with his whip and stirrups!"
……
Tianqi City, Jingyu Palace.
In the main hall, Xiao Ruojin, dressed in a brocade robe, sat opposite Zhuoxin.
Zhuoxin looked around and, seeing no one in the hall, leaned down and whispered something in Xiao Ruojin's ear.
Xiao Ruojin was initially surprised, but then his expression inexplicably brightened. He clenched his hand, which was trembling with excitement, and asked:
"Is the Grand Eunuch telling the truth?"
Zhuoxin nodded, still speaking in a low voice:
"Your Highness, please keep quiet! You must not let this matter be known! Only the Grand Eunuch Zhuo Qing and a few of my spies in the palace know about this. Your Majesty is probably doomed this time!"
At this point, Zhuoxin even pretended to sob and wiped his eyes.
Xiao Ruojin's brows were furrowed on the surface, but countless thoughts were churning within her—
Firstly, he was the only close relative prince in the palace at the moment. If Xiao Chongjing were to pass away, he would have a great advantage in seizing the throne.
Secondly, his younger brother, Prince Langya, Xiao Ruofeng, was far away in Chaisang City in the southwest. Even if Xiao Chongjing passed the throne to him, based on his understanding of his brother, he would probably give up the throne.
The three corrupt hearts suddenly gravitated towards him, and with the help of one of the four great eunuchs, the Jingyu Prince's Mansion, which was originally weak, would have a much better chance of seizing the throne!
Xiao Ruojin pondered for a moment, then stood up and paced around the hall. Suddenly, he stopped and looked at Zhuoxin, who was looking at him expectantly, and said:
"Grand Eunuch, you've come here for more than just to tell me that my father is critically ill, haven't you?"
Zhuoxin's eyes darted around, and he feigned respect, saying, "Your Highness has always been known for your kindness and benevolence, and has never wanted to compete for favor with the other princes. But now the foundation of the Great Li Kingdom is in jeopardy. If something were to happen to His Majesty, the throne of Great Li would be in jeopardy..."
At this point, Zhuoxin lowered his voice and said:
"No one but His Highness is suitable!"
Xiao Ruojin was startled. As expected, that old fox Zhuoxin was still after the real deal. He quickly shook his head and said:
"Your Excellency, please don't speak nonsense. Even if Father Emperor truly passes away, he will pass the throne to the Prince of Langya. I will never compete with him. Please take back your words!"
Zhuoxin chuckled inwardly, realizing he hadn't misjudged Jingyu Wang, who appeared kind on the surface but was cunning on the inside.
His purpose in coming here was not merely to inform Xiao Ruojin of the old emperor's critical illness, but rather to test Xiao Ruofeng's intentions and see if Xiao Ruojin truly harbored any ambition to seize the throne.
To contend is not to contend; not to contend is to contend.
The more Xiao Ruojin feigned retreat, the more it revealed his ambition to seize the throne.
Zhuoxin rose and bowed to Xiao Ruojin, saying, "This old servant has finished speaking. Please make your plans as soon as possible, Your Highness! Palace affairs are busy, this old servant will take his leave now!"
Having said that, he slowly withdrew from the main hall, leaving behind Xiao Ruojin, whose heart was in turmoil.
After leaving the Jingyu Prince's Mansion, Zhuoxin immediately returned to his post in the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs. He quickly wrote a letter and handed it to his trusted confidant who had been waiting for him.
Before leaving, Zhuoqing said to his trusted confidant:
"It must be delivered to the Prince of Langya in Chaisang City within five days. If you botch the job, you don't need to come back to see me!"
The trusted aide knelt on the ground, took the lacquered letter, stuffed it into his robes, and said solemnly:
"Please rest assured, Master!"
……