Chapter 266: Surrender!

The Minister of Justice instantly grew stern: "National Teacher, what do you mean by this?"

You, Minister, should understand.

"I don't understand!" The Minister of Justice glanced aside.

"Do you think Prince Jia is more fit to inherit the great lineage or to be the current emperor?" The prince named in the last edict is already dead, so only Prince Jia, the people's choice, remains.

The Minister of Justice said nothing.

"The emperor shelters criminal ministers of the Ministry of Punishment, surrenders without battle, cedes land and pays indemnities, seized the throne unjustly and harms his kin, and now would bring suffering upon the people. As a veteran of two reigns, Minister, would you betray the late emperor's trust in you?" The National Teacher's every word struck the Minister's heart.

The Minister of Justice clenched his jaw, stared at the National Teacher for a long time without speaking, then finally snorted: "National Teacher, you're surprisingly eloquent; I thought you only knew how to play mystic tricks."

The National Teacher asked again: "If you, Minister, just nod, we can spare the people from suffering."

"What good would my nodding do? Bringing the Ministry's troops to force the palace? How can you guarantee the Palace Guard and the Forbidden Army will all rebel? Five hundred thousand troops are poised to clash at Weicheng; can you guarantee the Crown Prince and Lu Yiming won't launch an attack?" the Minister of Justice pressed aggressively.

The National Teacher wore a confident expression: "Now, both court and populace secretly favor Prince Jia in countless numbers; the aristocratic clans will support him. Once we produce the late emperor's edict, the main gate will fall without a fight."

The Minister of Justice finally made up his mind: "Very well, tonight I will do one last thing for the late emperor!"

Weicheng.

The imperial court's five-hundred-thousand-strong army and Prince Jia's Jia army formally prepared for battle; both sides faced off in the night, a murderous atmosphere spread, and war was imminent.

Pei Shangyan personally led the campaign; opposite Prince Jia stood Qi Shihuai, General Mo Xi, and Prince Zhenbei—just this lineup made the imperial troops' hearts tremble.

Mu Yuanzhi did not follow the army; she and Gu Rongjin stood on Qi Shihuai's high point—the Bell and Drum Tower.

"Rongjin, do you think we can actually fight?" Mu Yuanzhi gazed at the dark mass of soldiers, furrowing her brows.

"The Cloud Mirror Tower has obtained crucial evidence; the capital should now feel the wind filling the tower before the storm." Gu Rongjin said.

Qilin: "What if the Crown Prince, heedless of everything, fights to the death?"

Now military authority lies in the hands of the Crown Prince and Lu Yiming; if they want war, they can decide it themselves.

Mu Yuanzhi: "Pei Shangyan doesn't have that kind of courage, and besides, he probably doesn't want war either."

Although she disliked Pei Shangyan, she also knew he was not a murderer.

Gu Rongjin was more optimistic: "He wouldn't dare, and Lu Yiming has even less courage; if the capital changes, he'll be the first to surrender!"

In fact, Gu Rongjin guessed completely right; the capital suddenly changed, the Minister of Justice led the Ministry's troops to storm the palace, the late emperor's edict appeared, and the openly defecting aristocratic clans seized the main discourse, while some senior court officials began to side with Prince Jia.

Seeing the situation turn bad, the Forbidden Army and the Palace Guard also defected en masse.

In an instant, the palace gates were overturned!

The news reached Lu Yiming's ears; he was restless, for the emperor now held no real power, nor did the military, and the prevailing trend meant he had no need to fight to the bitter end here.

Even fighting to the death couldn't resist Prince Jia's great army; if he died, he'd surely be tossed onto a straw mat and thrown into a mass grave!

No, it's not worth it.

Lu Yiming quickly reckoned and decided to surrender!

Half of the tally was with Pei Shangyan; he couldn't gamble on what attitude Pei Shangyan would take, so he didn't care—those willing to follow him would go, just to see how many he could bring over to show his sincerity!

The imperial troops' morale was already low; now Lu Yiming held half of the tiger tally, asked if they wanted to join him in defecting, and instantly many soldiers responded.

At that moment, the city gates opened, already showing welcome to Prince Jia's great army; Lu Yiming firmed his choice and fled with those troops!

Pei Shangyan still didn't know his army now had only the ten thousand at the front, while the forty thousand reinforcements in the rear were all set to defect!

Report!

A soldier stumbled over and cried: "Report!"

Mounted Pei Shangyan said: "Speak."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, General Lu has taken the reinforcement troops and fled!"

"What?!' Pei Shangyan stared in shock.

The nearby soldiers, hearing this, began to stir.

Pei Shangyan directly whipped his lash as a warning: "Anyone who dares to desert will be killed without mercy all the way!"

After issuing the order, he then asked that person: "What exactly happened?"

"The capital has changed; the Minister of Justice led troops to storm the palace, the Forbidden Army and Palace Guard rebelled, they produced the late emperor's edict, claiming the emperor usurped the throne and murdered the heir, forcing him to abdicate!"

Pei Shangyan's body trembled, and he could barely stay in the saddle.

What late emperor's edict? What usurpation and murder of the heir?

Is this also a rebel plot?!

"Surrender, Pei Shangyan!"

Qi Shihuai rode forward energetically, waving his whip at his own formation: "Xiao Shoufu, your brother, these people have already found the right path; you too should not cling to delusion!"

Pei Shangyan hated so much his chest felt ready to burst; how could he possibly surrender?

If they surrendered, they'd have nothing left; the late emperor's realm would be handed over!

A true man fears nothing even if he dies on the battlefield!

Yet just as he made up his mind, his troops threw down their weapons and smashed their helmets!

"You?!" Mounted Pei Shangyan turned in disbelief, looking at each soldier, each rank, lacking the will to fight; his head buzzed, and he felt dazed.

Why?

Why!

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, surrender!"

"We won't fight this campaign!"

"Right! We won't fight!"

"We shouldn't have fought in the first place!"

"We're not fighting foreign enemies but our own people—what kind of logic is that?!"

Pei Shangyan looked at the surging crowd, yet felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Is this the prevailing trend?

How did it come to this?

Pei Shangyan gripped his spear tightly.

The opposing Prince Jia shouted: "Attack, surround but do not fight!"

As you command!

The Jia Army, mighty as a rainbow, surged in from all directions; seeing this, the previously hesitant court troops all threw down their arms and surrendered.

In just a moment, only Pei Shangyan remained on horseback; he had not a single soldier left under his command.

Only he, this temporary general, still held firm.

"Take him down!" ordered Prince Jia.

Mu Yuanzhi on the Bell and Drum Tower finally relaxed completely.

It's over!

"This Pei Shangyan is really stubborn; I originally thought he'd surrender sooner." Gu Rongjin looked down at the scenery, filled with emotion, "I didn't expect Old Qi to really pull through."

Mu Yuanzhi: "Heaven's timing, earth's advantage, and human harmony—none can be lacking."

"I have to say, the Cloud Mirror Tower is truly a great weapon sent by the enemy; without it, we would likely have to fight a decisive battle here today." Gu Rongjin said.

Mu Yuanzhi nodded: "Thanks to him arriving in time."