Chapter 573: The People's Hearts

Removing their tall hats, letting their hair hang loose, and changing into plain white robes, Linghu Qingqing and Gongyang Sanlü led countless civil and military officials, as if paying respects at a tomb, a sea of white‑clad people knelt in the square outside the southern gate of the Imperial City.

Even more speechless and shocking to the world was the suggestion Gongyang Sanlü gave: these top‑rank nobles of the Great Jin Divine State each held three lit incense sticks, thin blue smoke curling straight up to the heavens.

This scene made them look ever more like a group of filial sons and grandsons who had come to offer tomb‑sacrifices for Sima Fei inside the Imperial City.

Linghu Qingqing, the Left Minister, and Gongyang Sanlü, the Right Minister, two figures who held the greatest power in the Great Jin Divine State—one had secured the allegiance of seventy percent of the military aristocracy, the other had gathered seventy percent of the court officials—these great men likewise let their hair hang loose, wore white robes, stood ramrod straight kneeling outside the gate, holding incense sticks and constantly muttering loudly.

"Your Majesty, this old subject requests an audience."

"Your Majesty, this old subject requests an audience."

"Your Majesty, this old subject requests an audience."

Linghu Qingqing and Gongyang Sanlü acted as if they had lost their minds, endlessly repeating the same words. Their voices shook the air, trembled the floating clouds, and made countless roof tiles in Anyang City clatter "clatter‑clatter," frightening countless citizens inside the city into trembling fear.

Behind the tightly shut palace gates of the Imperial City, at intervals of the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, a thin, shrill voice of an old eunuch rang out: "His Majesty has issued an order: please, the two senior ministers, return to your mansions to rest… His Majesty is unwell and will not receive outside officials."

Linghu Qingqing and Gongyang Sanlü ignored the old eunuch, merely bringing countless civil and military officials to kneel outside the palace gate, clamoring loudly.

At the same time, orderlies from the military department kept galloping madly, delivering one urgent military report after another into Anyang City. No one knew who had ordered it, but when these orderlies rode straight into Anyang City, they shouted along the way, broadcasting the military intelligence they carried to the city's citizens.

Apart from Huozhou, the first to rebel, and the few prefectures that followed suit, in the surrounding area of Anyang City, among the roughly one hundred prefectures that are the birthplace of the Great Jin Divine State's rise, more than fifty prefectures' troops have successively risen under the banner "Purge the court, kill the treacherous."

These prefecture troops all act in the same way: first they breach the prefecture city, loot its treasury, then they turn on the powerful clans inside the prefecture and county seats, smashing their compounds, slaughtering and plundering, sweeping away all movable wealth, abducting all beautiful women, then gathering large forces and summoning outlaws.

The prefecture troops whose commanders had been ordered slain by Wu Tie quickly elected new leaders, who then led them to run rampant in their respective prefectures.

Meanwhile, the prefecture troops that had not yet been purged by Wu Tie's Imperial City Army Command simply rose in revolt under the leadership of their own commanders.

These well‑equipped, not‑weak prefecture troops, with a complete command system, in cooperation with some civil officials in the prefectures, raised recruitment banners and swiftly gathered countless outlaws and bandits.

According to the Great Jin military system, in prefectures spanning tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of li, or even larger, the prefecture forces normally number about a million. But once the rebel troops join together, with fugitives and bandits continually flowing in from everywhere, the scale of these rebellious prefecture forces rapidly swelled to three‑ or five‑fold, even ten‑ or more‑fold…

Huozhou, the first to raise the rebel banner, whose original prefecture force numbered a million, expanded to a hundred times that size in an extremely short time.

Even more chilling is that no one knows where these rapidly expanding rebel troops got their supplies and weapons; they armed themselves with lightning speed. Setting aside their cultivation and battle‑array drills, let alone their true combat strength, judging solely by equipment, they are already a force armed to the teeth.

Bear in mind, if these rebel prefecture troops were transmitted through a spatial gate, they could reach the outskirts of Anyang City in just a quarter of an hour; even without a spatial gate, using the military's standard warships, they could arrive in as little as three to five hours and at most seven or eight days, enough to lay siege to the city.

Scout horses kept arriving with nerve‑wracking news, while Anyang City's defense forces… remained utterly still.

The four gates of Anyang City stood open; inside the military bureau, officials and officers of all ranks went to kneel outside the Imperial City, and the commanders and officers of the city defense forces likewise went in crowds to kneel outside the Imperial City.

Anyang City had made no defensive preparations whatsoever; now any random standard army of ten thousand could easily storm into the city.

Within Anyang City, dozens of frights occurred each day, and the populace was stunned into dazed silence by the incessant stream of bad news.

Inside the Imperial City, Sima Fei remained completely still.

Linghu Qingqing and Gongyang Sanlü continued to bring civil and military officials to kneel in the square, and the entire administrative operation of Anyang had come to a total standstill.

Countless rumors circulated in the streets and markets.

Basically all the rumors were about Wu Tie; some had a grain of truth, such as the claim that Wu Tie was an evil demon who had infiltrated the Great Jin Divine State from the underworld.

Some rumors were pure gossip, and vulgar and shameless to boot.

For example, someone said that the reason Duke Yu Zhou "Huo Xiong" earned the trust of two successive divine emperors and was granted such authority in such a short time was precisely because "Huo Xiong" was the illegitimate son of Sima Xian and Princess Jing Sheng!

And what is the relationship between Sima Xian and Princess Jing Sheng?

Some say Princess Jing Sheng is Sima Xian's niece.

Others say Princess Jing Sheng is Sima Xian's biological daughter.

Some say Princess Jing Sheng is of legitimate imperial lineage, while Sima Xian is the product of a certain royal prince's defiled‑chaotic‑harem‑palace.

Furthermore, some say the identity of the present Divine Emperor Sima Fei is doubtful; perhaps he is not a direct lineal descendant of the Sima clan… his origins might be linked to Duke Yu Zhou "Huo Xiong".

In short, countless rumors and gossip spread wildly, frenziedly smearing the Sima clan and frenziedly smearing Wu Tie.

Moreover, "city righteous scholars" took to the high ground and shouted the slogan "Kill the traitor, save Great Jin!" Their speeches were highly stirring; they said that Great Jin was at war with Wuguo, originally a life‑or‑death crisis for the divine state, but the foolish emperor's favoritism toward treacherous courtiers threw state affairs into chaos and neglected the military—a calamity that could overturn heaven and destroy the nation and its people.

Civil and military officials of sufficient rank all went to kneel in the square outside the Imperial City.

In some civil bureaus, there were also the lowest‑rank clerks on duty.

These clerks were far from idle; the relay‑station and bulletin systems of the Great Jin Divine State sprang into action with unprecedented super‑high efficiency, transmitting everything that happened in and around Anyang City and the roughly one hundred surrounding prefectures—rumors and gossip, reliable or not—at the fastest speed throughout the realm.

On the second day of Linghu Qingqing and Gongyang Sanlü kneeling in the square outside the Imperial City gate, Linghu Qingqing suddenly slammed her forehead hard against the tightly shut Imperial City gate, crying out hoarsely, like a cuckoo bleeding blood: "Your Majesty, please grant this old subject an audience! For the sake of Great Jin, please rally, Your Majesty, destroy the traitor and save Great Jin!"

Though her cultivation was terrifyingly high—half her body had already stepped into the Divine Manifestation Realm, needing only the Heavenly God's Order to easily pass the Divine Tribulation and attain that realm—Linghu Qingqing now resembled a frail, delicate‑skinned young girl; after just a few heavy kowtows, her forehead split open and flesh tore, spraying a great spray of blood two or three feet away.

After Linghu Qingqing's forehead bled from kowtowing, he then slightly turned his head and glared at Gongyang Sanlü.

Gongyang Sanlü's old face twitched; he glared back at Linghu Qingqing, then likewise slammed his forehead onto the ground. With a "crack!" a palm‑sized chunk of flesh and blood exploded from his forehead, the blood spraying across the mirror‑smooth stone slab floor with a "hiss‑slither" seven or eight feet away, even splattering onto Linghu Qingqing's pant leg.

Thereafter, Gongyang Sanlü violently drew in his vital energy, a mighty, pure yang surge shooting straight up, shaking the very ground of Anyang City with violent tremors: "Your Majesty, this old minister begs with his life that you see us… Great Jin stands on the brink of ruin; please, Your Majesty… diligently attend to state affairs, favor the virtuous and keep away the petty, and devise many plans for the eternal foundation of my Great Jin Divine State."

On the square, countless individuals with disheveled hair, faces full of grief, clad in plain white robes, wept softly like young widows at a tomb—these loyal ministers and brave generals of Great Jin each simultaneously knocked their heads hard to the ground.

As for these officials—many of them civil cultivators, need not be mentioned—these generals, each one thick‑skinned and tough‑fleshed, could not be cut by ordinary immortal weapons. The stone slabs laid in the square outside the Imperial City were top‑grade white jade, yet how could such white jade possibly compare in hardness to immortal weapons?

Yet astonishingly, each general knocked his head hard, and then their foreheads all burst with blood at the same time.

Instantly the square in front of the Imperial City turned a crimson blotch, nothing but the "vermilion‑azure blood" spewing from the loyal hearts and righteous gall of the faithful ministers and worthy generals.

Beside the square, many city righteous scholars raised their voices in unison, leading countless common folk to kneel in the streets and alleys, ceaselessly praising the Great Jin Divine State's heaven‑supporting white jade pillars for their lofty integrity, magnificent achievements, red‑loyal hearts, and righteousness that towers above the clouds.

Furthermore, some lower‑level clerks of the civil official system, moved to tears, set up writing desks beside the square, and with splendid diction and exquisite calligraphy swiftly composed splendid eulogies for the senior officials and incisive proclamations denouncing the foolish emperor and treacherous courtiers, then quickly disseminated them throughout the realm via every channel.

"The foolish emperor misrules the state!" finally a city righteous scholar shouted this slogan.

"The foolish emperor misrules the state!" countless commoners raised their arms and shouted, their faces flushed red, bodies trembling incessantly. They seemed to have broken some taboo; amidst panic and fear, their hearts filled with an inexplicable pleasure.

"Treacherous courtiers throw the state into chaos!" again a city brave fellow hystericly bellowed at the top of his lungs.

"Treacherous courtiers throw the state into chaos!" countless commoners roared, shaking the heavens, stamping their feet and emitting a thunder‑like dull boom.

"Purge the court……kill the treacherous……save Great Jin!" a literatus in a long robe shouted amid the crowd.

"Purge the court……kill the treacherous……save Great Jin!" countless commoners shouted in unison, each feeling fervent and convinced they were doing something utterly right.

"The treacherous courtiers are none other than Duke Yu Zhou!" a ragged, blood‑covered old man stumbled out of the crowd, hysterical in his accusation: "Treachery is Duke Yu Zhou 'Huo Xiong'… poor my son, who shed blood fighting in the army for decades, finally earned enough merit to become a fourth‑rank Commandant, commanding a great army to garrison Daxing City in Luoluo Prefecture……"

"My son served diligently, managed military affairs, earned the troops' esteem and affection, swept out bandits, purified the locality, never dared to slacken in the slightest, nor to commit any violation of law or discipline… yet for no reason he was charged with the grave crime of 'colluding with bandits, raping and murdering civilians,' and his head was cut off… unjust, unjust indeed!"

The old man shrieked with trembling, his triangular eyes flashing with vengeful malice: "Unjust, a heaven‑sized injustice! My son's subordinates truly rose up in 'soldier remonstration' to redress his grievance…"

That Duke of Yu Province, with such a vicious heart, such cruel methods, he actually framed those good young men in the army for rebellion… saying they stormed the prefectural capital, looted noble houses, slaughtered countless innocent civilians… Where could such a thing happen? Where could such a thing happen?

It was the forbidden troops of his Imperial City Military Command that did it, it was them that did it!

Just think, the troops of each prefecture are all sons and daughters of the local populace—how could they possibly inflict such cruelty on their own elders and fellow villagers? Only these outsider troops could possibly do such a thing. ah

The old people hysterically accused Wu Tie, accused the crimes of the Imperial City Military Command.

There are many such old people, many.

The elderly, weak, women, and children—all kinds are present.

Outside the four gates of Anyang City, millions of weeping, wailing elderly, weak, women, and children have entered the city; they were sent with extreme efficiency to every corner of Anyang City, facing countless civilians, they accused their own grievances, accused their own injustices.

Meanwhile, Linghu Qingqing and Gongyang Sanlü continued to kneel on the Imperial City South Gate Square, kowtowing until they bled, shouting slogans like 'For the Great Jin' that occupied the absolute moral high ground.

Their voices wave after wave spread in all directions, stirring the townsfolk to ever greater fervor.

Thus, the next day also passed.

Finally, when the daytime of the third day arrived, Sima Fei appeared on the gate tower of the Imperial City South Gate, wearing a thin black gauze robe, looking exhausted.

Leaning his hands on the battlements, Sima Fei weakly looked at Linghu Qingqing and Gongyang Sanlü: "Gentlemen, please return to your mansions to rest; in the Great Jin, where is there a foolish ruler? Where are there treacherous officials?"

Ah, ah, those rebels, I know they are genuine rebels; Left Minister, I entrust this matter to you… good, take people and slaughter them, I grant you authority to act on the spot… whoever dares to rebel, slaughter them all.

Linghu Qingqing's body tensed slightly, then he raised his head, looking at Sima Fei with indignation: "Your Majesty, this is a disorderly command; this old subject dare not receive your edict!"

Sima Fei's face instantly darkened, and he shouted angrily: "Rebellious command? Linghu Qingqing, do you think that without you I truly have no recourse? And you, Gongyang Sanlü, you two old fogeys… just wait and see… Where is Duke of Yu Province Huo Xiong?"

Wu Tie, who had been hovering in midair with a cold gaze at Linghu Qingqing and Gongyang Sanlü's performance, slowly descended and bowed his fists to Sima Fei: "Your Majesty?"

Sima Fei directly threw a jade seal, one foot square, engraved with various dragon patterns all over its surface, to Wu Tie.

"Take my jade seal, go, suppress the rebellion, the Four Gardens Twelve Guards Forbidden Army… remember, the Four Gardens Twelve Guards Forbidden Army, all mobilize!" Sima Fei's eyes flickered with a sinister gloom; he coldly stared at Wu Tie and loudly shouted: "I will make certain people know, those who follow me prosper, those who oppose me perish… if they dare to rebel, they must be prepared to die!"

Wu Tie foolishly grabbed the jade seal in one handful.

He looked at this jade seal—ah, it's true, although it is not the imperial heirloom jade seal of the Great Jin Divine Kingdom, it is indeed the jade seal used daily by the divine emperors of the Great Jin Divine Kingdom to handle state affairs, the one stamped on imperial edicts—ah!

Sima Fei gave the jade seal to himself? This…

Linghu Qingqing and Gongyang Sanlü's eyes flickered with a gloomy light; they simultaneously raised their voices and screamed: "Ancient emperors ah… open your eyes and look! Great Jin, Great Jin… foolish ruler, treacherous officials, you… will not die a good death ah!"

Sima Fei's eyes flashed with a fierce light; he pointed at Linghu Qingqing and Gongyang Sanlü and sternly rebuked: "Slandering the holy emperor… seize them, beat them!"