novelraw Chapter 377
Chapter 377
Yan Zheng nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Meng Yang, who was following behind him, exclaimed in surprise, "Madam was actually able to guess this?"
It should be known that when Old Master Pei said those words at the time, he was completely stunned. It was as if he was certain that the young master could ascend to the throne.
Chu Ruoyan smiled faintly. "How could I not guess it? Your young master's confidant came to me and went on and on about the merits of Pei Bingqing, and your young master had such a reaction... Besides, the Pei family is a century-old clan. To be able to stand strong for so long, they naturally have foresight far beyond ordinary people. This is a good thing."
"A good thing?" Yan Zheng narrowed his eyes dangerously. The woman quickly added, "I mean, it's a good thing that he thinks highly of you!"
Yan Zheng's expression finally softened a bit. He snorted coldly, "Rather than saying he thinks highly of me, it's more accurate to say he is hedging his bets. If I win, a daughter of the Pei family can still be the empress. If I lose, they still have Empress Pei and the Second Prince. They win either way, and the Pei family suffers no loss!"
Hearing this, Meng Yang finally understood. "What a calculating scheme! Young Master, you absolutely must not agree to it!"
Yan Zheng's eyes turned cold. "What, if he wasn't scheming against me, would I have to agree?"
Meng Yang was so frightened that he quickly shook his head. Chu Ruoyan hurriedly turned Yan Zheng's face toward her. "Alright, why is your temper still so big? Guard Meng, you can go out first."
Meng Yang slipped away at lightning speed. Chu Ruoyan led Yan Zheng to sit by the bed. "Yan Zheng, actually, I think we can think of another way... You're not allowed to be angry!" She leaned in and kissed the corner of the man's lips, speaking rapidly before he could react. "The formidable aspect of the Pei family lies not only in their connections but also in their status. After all, they are the empress's maternal family. If even they rebel, what will the world think of the imperial family?"
Yan Zheng looked away and chuckled mockingly. "Whether they are willing or not, in the eyes of outsiders now, the Pei clan has already rebelled."
Chu Ruoyan sighed helplessly. "Yan Zheng, you know it's not the same. If the Pei family is willing to help, it will save us a lot of trouble."
Yan Zheng also restrained his expression and said seriously, "A-Yan, there is no room for negotiation on this matter. It is absolutely impossible for me to marry another woman."
The reason he rebelled was to protect her!
If he couldn't protect her and was coerced by so-called unavoidable circumstances, what would be the point?
Chu Ruoyan was deeply moved and stopped trying to persuade him.
She knew it would be better to have the Pei clan's help, but even without it, with Yan Zheng's abilities, he could still succeed.
And to be honest, she didn't want him to have anyone else by his side either...
"A-Yan, you are pregnant, so stop worrying about these things. Otherwise, I won't be able to explain it to my father-in-law and your second brother." Yan Zheng reached out and pulled her into his arms. The little lady naturally leaned against him. "Alright, I'll listen to you. But what about the Mei family..."
"I just told you not to worry, and you're asking again!" the man gently scolded, but he still told her, "Don't worry. The old and young of the Mei family were all secretly moved out of the city by me in advance, and that jade pendant was given voluntarily by Mei Fangru. They are currently settled in a private residence and it is not yet convenient for them to show their faces. Once the father and son of the Mei family are completely in the same boat with us, I will let them meet."
Chu Ruoyan finally breathed a sigh of relief. She knew Yan Zheng wouldn't be unprepared. "Was the messenger also arranged by you?"
Yan Zheng nodded. "If I didn't provoke Mei Sheng and his son like this, it would be hard for them to make up their minds. I originally thought that if it really didn't work, I would bring out that secret letter from the emperor, but now it seems unnecessary."
Chu Ruoyan hummed in response and yawned sleepily.
The man hooked a blanket with the tip of his foot and draped it over her. "Go to sleep."
The next day, a strange event occurred in the capital.
A massive stone stele suddenly surfaced in the Weishui River. The commoners on both banks and the patrolling officials saw it clearly. The giant stone stood upright on the surface of the river, not sinking for a long time, and eight large characters were carved onto it.
"Murong is unbenevolent, a wise ruler shall emerge... Good heavens!"
The official who read these words was so terrified that he dropped to his knees with a thud. His whole body trembled like a sieve. No matter how his superiors shouted at him, he didn't dare to get up, let alone look directly at the stone stele.
When the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture rushed over and saw this, his vision went dark. He hurriedly dispatched official boats to salvage it, but for some unknown reason, several boats sank as soon as they got close. Later on, no one dared to go anymore.
Seeing this, the commoners on both banks fell to their knees one after another. "A miracle! This is a decree from heaven!"
They raised their hands high and worshipped with the utmost reverence. In just half a day, the news spread throughout the capital.
When the news reached the palace, the emperor was so furious that he killed the eunuch in front of him with a single sword thrust. "Bastards, bastards! This must be Seventh Master Pei, or else it's Third Yan. It must be them playing tricks to deceive people, intending to destroy the Great Xia Empire!"
The palace servants knelt on the ground, shivering uncontrollably, and several important ministers remained completely silent.
The emperor paced around twice in frustration. "Speak! Are you all mute?"
Gu Sun braced himself and stepped forward. "Your Majesty, the most urgent task right now is to salvage the giant stone first."
Otherwise, if the commoners are allowed to continue worshipping it like this, the Great Xia Empire will be thrown into chaos even if it isn't already!
The emperor snorted coldly, "Of course it must be salvaged. Duke Zou, pass my order to the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture: if he cannot salvage it within today, I will execute his entire family!"
Perhaps because there had been too many executions of entire families recently, the several ministers were somewhat numb to it.
Duke Zou complied and left. The emperor suddenly remembered and asked, "Where is Cao Yang?"
The newly appointed Minister of Personnel hurriedly replied, "To reply to Your Majesty, Lord Cao is feeling unwell and has already requested a leave of absence..."
"A leave of absence? He is dissatisfied that I killed the entire Mei family, isn't he?" The emperor sneered. The ministers all said they wouldn't dare think so, but they knew clearly in their hearts that this was exactly the case.
Yesterday, for the sake of the Mei family, it was Vice Grand Secretary Cao—no, he should be called Chief Grand Secretary Cao now.
He had knelt outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation for a whole night, begging the emperor not to be impulsive, as such actions would force the Mei family to rebel even if they didn't want to!
But the emperor did not listen. He spent the entire night fooling around with Consort Hui inside the hall, and only when he woke up in the morning did he realize that Cao Yang had collapsed on the ground.
"He is my Chief Grand Secretary, he is not that fragile! Men, pass my decree: have him handle this matter. If he doesn't handle it well..." He paused here. If he didn't handle it well, what could be done? He already had very few capable people left by his side!
He immediately waved his hand in irritation. "Anyway, just let him go first!"
By the time Cao Yang rushed to the bank of the Weishui River, the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture scrambled over, practically rolling and crawling. "Chief Grand Secretary Cao, Chief Grand Secretary Cao! You must save this humble official! This humble official doesn't want to die yet!"
Around the giant stone stele, over a dozen official boats had already capsized. Even when the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture drew his sword, no one dared to go down into the water anymore.
He narrowed his eyes and said, "Since it is a miracle, then go to the Huguo Temple and invite Master Liaokong!"
The Governor of Shuntian Prefecture sprinted away.
When the monk Master Liaokong arrived in the evening, he merely chanted a Buddhist name and boarded a boat.
This time, everyone stared at him without blinking, watching as he approached the giant stone safely and slowly towed the stele back...
The crowd breathed a sigh of relief, but just as he came ashore, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted.
For a time, people were in a state of panic, and rumors of heaven sending down punishment spread even further. Even the court officials couldn't help but believe it.
The emperor had the stone stele smashed into pieces, but it was already useless. The rumors intensified. Some said that he wanted to capture Yan Zheng's wife and children when Yan Zheng went to war, and others said that he wanted to chop off his father-in-law's head... This was witnessed by quite a few people at the time, and it was described vividly. Some people even dug up the old accounts of the Marquis of Pingjing and Princess Ansheng, suspecting that the emperor was the one behind the scenes who ordered the death of General Yan.
Unable to contain his fury, the Emperor began arresting commoners en masse. However, right at this moment, news arrived from the outside—
Yan Zheng had rebelled.
Yuzhou, along with twelve surrounding prefectures and counties large and small, including Qingzhou and Yanzhou, had all fallen into his hands.
The rebel army was gathering immense momentum. They had already captured Xuzhou, and if they took just two more prefectures, they would not be far from the capital!
Upon hearing this news, the Emperor could not hold back a mouthful of blood, spewing it out right in the middle of the imperial court.
Inside the military tent.
Nanny Zhou sighed in awe, "Master is truly incredible. You have no idea, My Lady. Over the past two days, this old servant has heard people everywhere saying that he is the one chosen by heaven to overthrow the Murong clan's tyranny and become a wise ruler of his generation."
Chu Ruoyan chuckled lightly, picking up the soup bowl and blowing on it. "This is his true capability. He follows the will of heaven and marches with a just cause. I suppose Old Master Pei also saw his methods, which is why he genuinely surrendered and even handed over Yuzhou..."
Her voice came to an abrupt halt. Furrowing her brows, she stared at the goat milk soup in her hands. "Who made this?"
The smell was wrong!