Chapter 123

【Witnessing this scene, the Empress Dowager's eyes gradually dimmed.】

【The strength in her body seemed to be pulled away by an invisible hand, and she finally slumped powerlessly onto the dragon chair, her eyes full of exhaustion.】

【The phoenix carriage swayed gently, the bead curtains brushed lightly, inlaid with gemstones and intertwined with gold and jade; amidst the brilliance, it was hard to hide the desolate sorrow that could not be dissolved in the old woman's heart.】

【The old woman gave a bitter laugh, her gaze fixed on Zhou Zhen's corpse lying quietly on the steps, helplessness and sorrow intertwined.】

【The Son of Heaven's bones were not yet cold!】

【The people around all bowed to the rebellious ministers and thieves; this scene appeared even more desolate!】

【She had lost, and Great Qing had lost too.】

【In the Empress Dowager's heart, a surge of resentment rose quietly.】

【Her cold eyes were like frost, sweeping over Lu Lu and Zhou Jinyu, her voice like cold ice, every word piercing the heart:】

【"Do you think that by escaping today, you can be safe and sound? It is truly a fool's dream!"】

【"Will there be any good ending? Will Lu Chen let you off? Don't daydream!"】

【"Lu Lu, you betrayed your old master and sought glory from the enemy. Since ancient times, how many people like this have been able to have a good end? When your name is recorded in history, it is destined to become a disgrace."】

【"Zhou Jinyu, you woman of the Northern Wind, do you still think the Lu Family Army will give you a way to live?"】

【"Ridiculous, ridiculous."】

【Hearing this, Lu Lu's heart shook violently, his hands clenched into fists, his fingertips almost embedding into his palms; he wished he could draw his sword and let this old woman die forever.】

【But reason told him that regicide at this moment would lead to eternal damnation.】

【The life and death of the many people present were all in the hands of that Lu Family Shaobao, who had always been indifferent—a single thought from him meant the lives of ten thousand people!】

【Lu Lu did not dare to be careless; every word and action at this time concerned his life.】

【Lu Lu lowered his head even further, touching the ground, with only the sound of his own heartbeat "thump, thump, thump" in his chest.】

【Between life and death, there is great terror!】

【Zhou Jinyu was indifferent, but in her heart, she didn't care; she had long felt "life is like duckweed, fate is like a mayfly!"】

【She did not fear life and death.】

【You looked at the crowd, finally landing on Zhou Jinyu's face.】

【"I remember, back at the foot of Mount Zhongnan, you once asked me how I viewed the Northern Wind's peace talks."】

【Hearing this, Zhou Jinyu slowly raised her head.】

【For a moment, she was dazed!】

【It seemed she had returned to that Mount Zhongnan, when she had just married into Great Qing, in the prime of her youth!】

【At that time!】

【Behind Zhou Jinyu were the inner courts of the palace, the warbling of the women, slowly shaking their fans, whispering among the families of the officials amidst laughter.】

【Lu Chen was welcoming guests on the steps!】

【Zhou Jinyu, as the Princess of Han, was among the crowd back then, pressing Lu Chen.】

【Back then, she thought she had won!】

【Lu Chen, whom countless men of the Northern Wind feared, had been forced by her to lose his edge.】

【Bringing up the past again!】

【Only she knew the taste in her heart.】

【To the side, Lu Lu saw that the time was right and rushed to say:】

【"If it weren't for the muddle-headedness of the Shun Emperor, the Shaobao would have already led his troops to the Huang Long Prefecture; how could the Northern Wind have run rampant until now?"】

【Lu Lu's words were sincere, as if he were speaking up for you:】

【"The Hui Emperor was weak, the Shun Emperor was lawless, and Zhou Zhen even apologized to the world with his death; naturally, it was the Zhou family's fault—what fault could the Shaobao have?"】

【"The matter of Huang Long Prefecture was the Zhou family's fault; the Shaobao is righteous."】

【The Empress Dowager's face turned even more livid because of Lu Lu's words, calling the Son of Heaven Zhou Zhen by his name in public and discussing several emperors of the dynasty.】

【"Lu Lu, you... you dare!"】

【"Discussing the emperor should involve the nine clans, beheading and showing the public."】

【Such behavior had undoubtedly violated the laws of Great Qing and was a capital crime.】

【Hearing this, Lu Lu finally could not suppress the anger in his chest—what time was it now?】

【Facing that old woman who had long been bossing him around, under the heavy pressure of life and death, his long-suppressed emotions erupted.】

【He stood up abruptly, pointing his finger directly at the Empress Dowager, his eyes wide with anger, his voice trembling with excitement:】

【"The Hui Emperor was captured by the Northern Wind, the North fell, and the common people suffered; how could such a monarch sit securely on the dragon throne? If the Shun Emperor hadn't received the Shaobao's help to change the situation and stabilize the Northern Wind, how could he have continued his dream of imperial power?"】

【Zhou Zhen's father, after his death, had the temple name Shun Emperor.】

【Between the words.】

【Lu Lu's emotions became more and more impassioned, every word like a knife, every sentence like a sword, piercing the deepest part of the heart.】

【"How can the ancestral foundation be easily handed over? What virtue or ability does such a monarch have to continue this rule of ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers?"】

【His words seemed to want to pour out all the suppression and grievance of many years at this moment.】

【"The Shun Emperor's policy of marriage was merely an expedient measure to ensure the stability of the throne, not hesitating to sacrifice the interests of the family and country. He feared that the Shaobao would welcome back the Hui Emperor and shake the foundation of his rule."】

【"And you, Empress Dowager, actually wanted to harm the Shaobao—without the Shaobao, Great Qing would have perished long ago. Isn't such behavior a huge joke?!"】

【Lu Lu's emotions were completely out of control, and his past demeanor as a Confucian general was replaced by a near-crazy roar.】

【"You, and you still have the face to blame me?"】

【His voice resounded through the entire hall, carrying endless mockery and anger.】

【"Look at those descendants of yours; which one of them isn't cowardly and incompetent, having the status of royalty but no responsibility or courage? You raised a group of wimps, yet you still dream of controlling the situation of the world—it is simply ridiculous and absurd!"】

【Lu Lu's words were like sharp blades, every word accurately piercing the Empress Dowager's heart.】

【The Empress Dowager's face instantly became uncertain, and a flash of shock and disbelief crossed her eyes, which had seen all the vicissitudes of life.】

【She lived at the peak of power, accustomed to praise and flattery; now, this sudden "truth" was like a bolt from the blue, making her almost unable to accept it.】

【Especially!】

【The sentence "raised a group of wimps" almost made her collapse.】

【The Empress Dowager trembled, covering her ears tightly, trying to isolate this jarring sound.】

【Zhou Jinyu smiled coldly after hearing this; the facts were indeed so.】

【Without Lu Chen's appearance, the Northern Wind would have long since entered the capital of Great Qing and captured the Emperor.】

【Lu Lu turned his target to Zhou Jinyu, scolding angrily:】

【"You, a woman of the Northern Wind, dare to question the Shaobao? You really don't know the height of the sky and the depth of the earth, and you don't know how to write the word 'death'!"】

【After saying this!】

【He no longer cared about anything and knelt on the ground.】

【"Today, fortunately, the Shaobao has come in person, and I, Lu Lu, can finally abandon darkness for light; we swear to follow the Shaobao to the death!"】

【"Lu Lu, pays respects to the Shaobao."】

【He spoke grandiosely and with certainty.】

【Zhou Jinyu only sneered after hearing Lu Lu's words.】

【The Great Qing court rarely had the spirit of a man!】

【She just looked at you, as if waiting for this question that had probably passed ten years ago!】

【The answer that the Shun Emperor of the previous dynasty wanted to know until his death.】

【How does the Shaobao view the peace talks?】

【You said lightly: "I originally had no intention of chasing the deer; I only wished to be an old man in the mountains."】

【Zhou Jinyu seemed to have known the answer long ago.】

【Regarding the affairs of the North, perhaps the Shaobao had never had any regrets!】

【She raised her neck and asked slowly: "Then what about the Shaobao now?"】

【Lu Chen had been cultivating the Dao for fifteen years, yet there were still people in the world who didn't believe it; he was just cultivating the Dao, not nurturing his reputation in the world.】

【Fifteen years had passed now; has your state of mind turned upside down?】

【You no longer answered, looking at the people before Fengtian Hall, the Lu Family Army behind you, and the common people of the North in your memory.】

【The garment of ten thousand people sewn stitch by stitch by the common people of the North that you were wearing.】

【The further a person walks and the higher they stand, the more they no longer carry just themselves behind them, but the expectations and fates of countless people.】

【All you sought in your life was just a small hut in the mountains, waking up to the bright moon and getting drunk in the spring breeze.】

【Just a pot of wine is enough to comfort the dust of the wind.】

【Alas!】

【When the true great era arrives, it cannot be avoided, nor can it be hidden from.】

【At this time!】

【Dou Gu looked at Lu Lu, who was kneeling honestly, with a cold smile:】

【"General Lu, you seem to have forgotten that back in front of the Shun Emperor, you also once had such ambition."】

【"In the seventeenth year of Yongxiang, many old soldiers of the Lu Family Army were eager to return home, but were intercepted and killed by you, with one hundred and four lives innocently lost."】

【"In the nineteenth year of Yongxiang, you secretly memorialized the Son of Heaven, requesting to behead them on the grounds that the world had received the Junior Guardian's grace. Do you remember these?"】

【Dou Gu's words became more and more sharp, continuing to expose Lu Lu's past:】

【"And in the twenty-third year of Yongxiang, when General Lu was suppressing a rebellion, he innocently killed twelve old men of the Lu Family Army. They had already taken off their armor and retired to Jiangnan, living a peaceful life of farming and tilling, yet they could not escape this unprovoked disaster. General Lu, what do you say should be done about such behavior?"】

【As one crime after another was made public!】

【The Lu Family Army glared with anger!】

【Hearing this, Lu Lu's heart was in chaos; those secrets buried deep in his heart and known to few seemed to be revealed one by one, making him feel unprecedented panic.】

【Sweat beads on his forehead kept rolling down; he couldn't understand how these hidden matters were known to the Lu Family Army.】

【However!】

【Lu Lu had no time to care about this; the instinct for survival made him start begging for mercy desperately.】

【"I was wronged!"】

【Lu Lu kowtowed repeatedly, his voice filled with sobbing, "Please spare my life, Shaobao; Lu Lu was previously coerced by Zhou Zhen and the others, which is why I committed those wrongdoings."】

【His crying and shouting echoed in the empty field, appearing so powerless and desperate.】

【The Empress Dowager watched from the side, a triumphant smile appearing on her face.】

【This smile seemed to carry a kind of pleasure of revenge, making her feel more satisfied than seeing her enemy die; the humiliation and unwillingness from just now were released to some extent at this moment.】

【Dou Gu looked at the Empress Dowager and said: "The Empress Dowager also approved the Eastern Depot's assassination of old men of the Lu Family Army in many places after Mount Zhongnan, and there were two times when assassins went to Mount Zhongnan!"】

【The Empress Dowager did not avoid it and said:】

【"It was indeed done by this Dowager; if you have the ability, kill this Dowager."】

【The soldiers of the Lu Family Army could no longer suppress the anger in their hearts, their faces livid, but hindered by your order, they could only endure their anger and did not act rashly.】

【They knew deeply that the crimes of killing the Lu Family Army and assassinating the Shaobao were punishable by death, no matter who committed them.】

【Zhou Jinyu had a posture of calmly facing death; she gently tidied up the messy hair on her forehead, and a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth:】

【"To be able to die at the hands of the Shaobao, Zhou Jinyu has no regrets."】

【Lu Lu, on the other hand, kept kowtowing and begging for mercy while shouting in a trembling voice: "Please spare my life, Shaobao!"】

【Around him, the city gate captains had long since put down their weapons, looking at each other, not daring to breathe loudly.】

【The Empress Dowager knew she was at the end of her rope, but she still maintained the dignity and pride of the royal family.】

【She looked at you coldly, as if telling you with her eyes: "I have lived enough in this life; come and kill me."】

【She did not forget to glance at Lu Lu and Zhou Jinyu: "With the two of you accompanying me to the grave, the road to the Yellow Springs will not be lonely!"】

【You looked at the three people before you, finally fixing your gaze on Zhou Jinyu, your tone calm:】

【"What if I told you that you don't have to die, and you can continue to be the Empress Dowager of Great Qing!"】

【Zhou Jinyu was stunned after hearing this, her beautiful eyes widening suddenly.】

【This sentence was like a thunderclap, exploding in the Empress Dowager's heart; her face, which had been calmly facing death, instantly became distorted, and she shouted in terror:】

【"No, it won't do! You cannot let a child with the blood of the Northern Wind be the Emperor of Great Qing."】

【She had originally thought you would establish Zhou Cheng as Emperor; she didn't expect you to establish Zhou Jinyu's child, who was not even a year old, as Emperor!】

【A young child becoming Emperor—the consequences would be unimaginable! This completely disrupted her original expectations.】

【However!】

【Before her voice fell, someone in the Lu Family Army understood.】

【Jia Fu was furious, rushing out on his horse, the big blade in his hand swinging down like lightning.】

【The first blade cut off Lu Lu's life, not even giving him a chance to beg for mercy.】

【The second blade fell mercilessly on the Empress Dowager's neck; her head rolled to the ground instantly, her eyes wide open, full of unwillingness and shock.】

【Jia Fu spat at the head on the ground.】

【"Stained with the blood of the Lu Family Army, no matter who you are, blood debts must be paid in blood!"】

【Jia Fu pulled his horse slowly and returned to the ranks slowly.】

【This scene happened too suddenly!】

【Outside of the group of eunuchs and soldiers kneeling on the ground who didn't dare to raise their heads, the others were even more terrified.】

【The Son of Heaven was dead, General Lu was dead, and the Empress Dowager was dead!】

【The backbone was all gone.】

【The courage of this group of people was also completely taken away.】

【Only one person remained in the field, this Empress of Great Qing dressed in noble yellow.】

【Zhou Jinyu's face was splattered with blood, and before her were two heads.】

【She touched the blood on her face blankly, as if she were in a dream, unable to believe everything that had happened before her eyes.】

【At this time!】

【In this chaotic and bloody scene.】

【You rode your horse slowly past Zhou Jinyu.】

【A sentence of yours rang in Zhou Jinyu's ears, without sorrow or joy, plain and simple.】

【But it was just such a sentence.】

【It made her heart, which had been silent for many years and was now desperate, beat suddenly.】

【"If you don't want to die, follow me."】

PS: A bit rushed today, so it's a two-in-one; there will be another chapter tonight!

(End of this chapter)