Chapter 271: Changing Flags and Banners

The world was in an uproar.

Just as the Emperor Xie Tianyao's holy wrath spread across the world, Xie Fang simultaneously announced to the world that the matter of Chen Ping colluding with the Xiongnu Chanyu and launching troops toward Liangzhou had also been exposed.

He put on a look of profound grief and indignation, even issuing a Self-Accusation Edict, stating that he should not have trusted Chen Ping, this greedy and profit-driven fellow!

To think that he had gone behind his back to commit such a mad and monstrous act!

Who could forgive him?

How could one not be angry at this?

This already constituted an act of treason!

After receiving this news, people all over the world voiced their anger. The scholars, in particular, began producing endless poems and various scathing articles.

Liangzhou Inspector.

This was a high-ranking official guarding the frontiers!

By the standards of later generations, this was a ministerial-level cadre! The downfall of such a high official was no small matter. Feudatory Kings across the world all sighed endlessly over it.

Finished.

Chen Ping was truly finished this time. Since ancient times, traitors have never had a good end, and he, of course, could be no exception.

Tremors.

The Liangzhou officialdom was in tremors.

When the announcement reached Liangzhou, Chen Ping had just finished reorganizing his troops, intending to launch a campaign against Changzhou.

However...

He was destined to never walk out.

The first to stir up trouble were the civil and military officials of the Liangzhou Prefecture; they had long been paying lip service to Chen Ping while secretly defying him. To use a phrase often used in later generations—they had long since sewn red flags overnight, waiting for the arrival of the Yinzhou army so they could change their allegiance. At this moment, with Chen Ping convicted, they had long since taken the edict and, leading their private soldiers, surged forward.

"What are you doing?"

When Chen Ping saw them, he was furious: "The great army is about to set off, yet you..."

"The Emperor's edict is here! Chen Ping has committed treason and colluded with the enemy; seize him at once!"

The white-haired old man shouted loudly.

The entire army was in chaos.

Chen Ping was stunned on the spot, but before he could react, the private soldiers who had been prepared long ago rushed over, and in a few swift moves, dragged Chen Ping off his horse and bound him tightly. Liu Chang, who was by Chen Ping's side, was also beaten to the ground.

"What are you doing? How dare you... I am the Liangzhou Inspector!"

Chen Ping struggled violently, roaring incessantly.

The white-haired old man gave a cold laugh: "Inspector Chen, the edict is here, don't think of denying it! The Emperor has ordered that Chen Ping is guilty of Great Evil and shall have his nine generations executed. He is to be detained for now; the Emperor will personally come to Liangzhou to oversee his execution!"

Boom!

Chen Ping felt as if he had been struck by a thunderbolt.

Personally come to Liangzhou?

At this moment, he stood agape, unable to utter a single word. The Emperor was personally coming to Liangzhou! One must know that the old Emperor, Xie Tianyao, had not left the Imperial Palace for many years! This showed how much importance he placed on this matter; the greater the importance, the greater the issue... which meant the Emperor already possessed conclusive evidence.

Knowing his own affairs...

Even if he denied it, what good would it do?

At this moment, he instead looked up to the sky and laughed, laughing incessantly. He laughed so miserably, so desolately.

"Liu Dahao, you won!"

"You won!"

"It is because you gave birth to a good son!"

"Otherwise, you wouldn't be worth a fart!"

He roared like this on the street, and by the end, his hair was disheveled. As he walked through the streets of Liangzhou, the commoners, who had long since received the news, all ran out. They spat and beat him all the way. However, Chen Ping was already delirious at this point, turning a blind eye to the spit on his body and the fists and kicks raining down on him...

He was still laughing like that.

Execution of nine generations.

In ancient times, this was already the greatest of crimes. As for the nine generations of an Inspector, that went without saying. The Liangzhou officials soon arrested everyone in the Liangzhou Prefecture, top to bottom! Even the servants and slaves were not spared.

"My lord... it seems one person is missing?"

Someone came to report to the white-haired old man.

The old man frowned and said: "Chen Ruoshi?"

"Find her!"

"Find her for me immediately!"

"The Emperor is about to personally arrive in Liangzhou; you must find her no matter what! There can be no mistakes!"

"Yes!"

These past few days.

The nerves of almost everyone in the entire Longyan Dynasty were tightly strung.

Why?

To watch the drama!

The drama in Liangzhou was one after another, making people never tire of watching it.

Chen Ping's monstrous crime had just been announced.

On the Crown Prince's side, a good show was staged, lamenting his own failure to judge people correctly and how he had been kept in the dark by Chen Ping all along.

This was not over yet.

That very night.

Wen Yang, the Prefect of Changzhou, hanged himself in his prison cell, leaving behind a blood-written letter. And so, another huge scandal emerged!

In the blood-written letter, Wen Yang wrote that he had always lived in the cracks between the Liangzhou Prefecture and the Liangzhou Army, struggling at every step, walking on thin ice, and so he had acted as a double agent, catering to this side and catering to that side...

And this act of deliberately releasing the refugees was something he had done on the orders of Zheng Yuxing, making no preparations that day and allowing others to blow open the West Gate of Changzhou, letting the refugees begin to flee.

The whole world was in an uproar.

How did this end up dragging Zheng Yuxing into it? But upon careful consideration, the current situation in Liangzhou was indeed exactly like that. Sure enough, the onlookers soon received news via carrier pigeon from the front lines.

What a coincidence.

Zheng Yuxing was just about to dispatch troops to Changzhou, aggressive and menacing, and was already on the way.

It was getting interesting. It was about to get interesting again!

"Absurd, simply absurd! This Wen Yang is spouting nonsense and making false accusations!"

Zheng Yuxing looked at this military report, his face turning black.

He had guarded the Northwest border for over thirty years; when had he ever had such a foul reputation? Having this bucket of filth splashed onto him still made him feel very uncomfortable.

The Third Prince, Xie Ling, also frowned: "Uncle, this Crown Prince has started biting people indiscriminately! This matter cannot withstand scrutiny at all! That Liu Chang was sent by Chen Ping; what does it have to do with you?"

Zheng Yuxing said angrily: "Who is to say it doesn't!"

He had a clean reputation his entire life; how could he withstand such slander!

But...

At this time, who in the world cared who actually sent Liu Chang? The Emperor had not yet arrived in Liangzhou, so the interrogation had not begun. Without an interrogation, anything was possible.

Therefore, at this moment,

Should Zheng Yuxing's great army go to Changzhou or not!

If he went!

It would confirm his collusion with Wen Yang; you didn't go when it was time to fight the epidemic, but you went now—could it be that you were afraid the matter would be exposed?

If he didn't go?

If he didn't go...

Then this Liangzhou would truly become the world of the Liu Family father and son!

A dilemma!

This move by the Crown Prince was truly too ruthless!

The Third Prince, Xie Ling, also fell into deep thought.

His expression suddenly changed: "Uncle, you must not go to Changzhou!"

Zheng Yuxing asked: "Why?"

Xie Ling said: "This scheme could absolutely not have been thought up by Xie Fang!"

Zheng Yuxing's face turned livid: "Is His Highness saying that this is the scheme of the Magistrate Liu?"

Xie Ling nodded.

Zheng Yuxing clenched his fists tightly, gnashing his teeth.

A faint, imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of Xie Ling's mouth.

He was indeed a bit surprised by the speed of Liu Zheng's reaction; it was unexpectedly fast...

But since the matter could no longer be pursued, it was better to first plant a thorn in Zheng Yuxing's heart. He believed that this thorn would sprout one day.

Zheng Yuxing gritted his teeth fiercely: "Turn back!"

"Yes!"