mtl008 Chapter 925 The Rong Family's Son-in-Law
Chapter 925 The Rong Family's Son-in-Law
The powerful and influential people in Yanjing were not as eager for this great battle as they had imagined.
Over the past few decades, they have been victorious in countless battles against the Great Zhao, so they look down on the weak soldiers of the Great Zhao from the bottom of their hearts.
The Great Zhao is no match for the Great Yan in terms of military strength and the fighting power of its soldiers. Even if the Great Zhao were to conquer Qin Prefecture, it would be a pipe dream to try and capture Yanjing.
In their view, the worst outcome of this great battle would be heavy losses for them, but they would certainly be able to defend Yanjing City.
As long as we hold onto Yanjing, we can reclaim the lost territories.
Therefore, after the news of the defeat in Qinzhou came back, not many families actually left Yanjing.
Discussions within the court regarding this matter have mostly focused on peaceful negotiations.
Even if the Great Zhao does not agree to peace talks in the short term, they will definitely agree to peace talks if they cannot conquer Yanjing in a long time.
Therefore, no one expected that the city gates would be breached on the very first day that the Zhao army besieged the city.
Almost from the moment the city gates were opened, Yanjing City descended into chaos.
Upon receiving the news, families of all sizes scrambled to escape, and those without connections begged and pleaded to find a way to pack their belongings and flee the city.
The palace was far from the city gate, but the news arrived quickly. The arrival of the Zhao army was different from their approaching the city. If they hadn't entered the city and were holding out, they still had a chance of winning. But once the city gates were opened, morale would collapse, and the Yan dynasty would undoubtedly lose this battle.
By this time, even the princes and ministers who were usually so vocal couldn't come up with any ideas, and they decided to move back to Shengjing almost as quickly as possible.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Empress Dowager Dugu gave up her insistence and immediately ordered the capital to be moved back to its old location.
The palace was thrown into chaos and turmoil.
The emperor was older than Empress Dowager Dugu. Over the years, with Empress Dowager Dugu controlling the court, he had devoted all his attention to eating, drinking, and having fun. He was still drunk from last night when he was surrounded by palace servants and began packing his bags, preparing to flee.
Empress Dowager Dugu was powerless to look at the scene in the palace. She summoned her confidant to Wanguo Temple to inform Lin Wuji: "Have the young prince take the Dugu family's private army and set off with us."
The trusted confidant accepted the order and left, but before he reached the palace gate, he was killed by a single sword.
The palace maids scattered in fright, and the guards who came to intercept them were sent flying before they could even get close. Even the archers' arrows could not get near them.
They could only watch helplessly as the newcomer entered Empress Dowager Dugu's palace carrying a blood-dripping sword.
Empress Dowager Dugu sat in her chair, looking at the newcomer with surprise, and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"
Sheng Junyi didn't speak. He swept his sword past the guards who blocked his way, and in a flash, his sword was pointed at Empress Dowager Dugu's neck.
"Many people want to kill me. State your names, and I'll leave you a whole corpse." Empress Dowager Dugu had ruled the Northern Yan regime for many years, and her aura was naturally imposing without anger. Even with swords pointed at her, her expression did not change in the slightest.
Dozens of guards quickly surrounded the hall and closed the doors.
Seeing that Sheng Junyi remained silent, Empress Dowager Dugu sneered, "With just one order from me, you will not be able to leave this hall."
Sheng Junyi met her eyes and sneered, "Is that so? Then why don't you try and see if they can kill me faster, or if I can kill you faster?"
Empress Dowager Dugu had held a high position for many years, and this was the first time someone had dared to point a sword at her and threaten her like this.
"Seize this traitor for me!" Empress Dowager Dugu ignored Sheng Junyi's pointed sword and coldly gave the order.
Dozens of cold arrows flew towards Sheng Junyi.
Sheng Junyi pointed at Empress Dowager Dugu's long sword without moving an inch, and with her left hand, she threw out a handful of silver needles, accurately knocking down the incoming cold arrow.
He thrust his longsword forward half an inch, the blade slicing through Empress Dowager Dugu's skin and leaving a trail of blood.
"Is the Empress Dowager able to speak properly now?" Sheng Junyi asked.
This was the first time Empress Dowager Dugu's expression had changed since Sheng Junyi entered the palace.
"Go back!"
The guards stepped back, and the palace doors that had just been closed were reopened.
"What do you want to say to me?" Empress Dowager Dugu asked in a calm voice, her gaze falling on Sheng Junyi's excessively beautiful face, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.
"Your Majesty need not be nervous, they are just asking some questions." Sheng Junyi looked at the extremely nervous old nanny behind Empress Dowager Dugu, "Have someone bring pen and ink."
The old nanny subconsciously looked at Empress Dowager Dugu, who instructed, "Go, do as he says."
The brush and ink were quickly brought up and spread out on the table.
"From now on, write down every single word I ask. If you get even one word wrong, I'll break a bone from your Empress Dowager's body," Sheng Junyi said coldly.
The old nanny was sweating profusely. She hurriedly grabbed a palace maid who usually served her with writing brushes and ink, and stuffed the brush into the maid's hand.
"Ask away," Empress Dowager Dugu said.
Sheng Junyi said calmly, "Lin Wuji, your current Prince Dugu Ji of Great Yan is your illegitimate son with Emperor Zong Lin of Great Zhao, isn't that right?"
Empress Dowager Dugu's face was gloomy. The fact that Lin Wuji was her illegitimate son was no secret in the Great Yan royal family. She had ruled Great Yan for many years. If she couldn't even acknowledge her own son, then she was not worthy of sitting in this position.
But very few people know that Lin Wuji is her illegitimate son with Emperor Zong Lin of the Great Zhao Dynasty.
This young man is from Da Zhao.
Or rather, it's not hard to guess that he was a man of the Crown Prince Zong Que of the Great Zhao Dynasty.
"I underestimated your Crown Prince. I knew he was cunning and difficult to deal with. I didn't expect that the Great Zhao army would arrive so soon after entering the city, and the messenger arrived before the messenger even got there. Even if you had wings, you couldn't have arrived this quickly, unless you had already entered the city." It had been less than an hour since Zong Que breached the city gates. The messenger was still on his way. The news received in the palace came from their swift hawks. If they hadn't already been lying in ambush in the palace, this person couldn't have arrived here so quickly.
"Your Majesty only needs to answer my questions," Sheng Junyi interrupted her.
Empress Dowager Dugu closed her eyes briefly. At this point, there was really no point in hiding these things anymore.
"Yes," Empress Dowager Dugu replied.
"Twenty-five years ago, when the two armies were at war, the Great Yan proposed peace talks, but it required Crown Prince Chongwen as a hostage. Was this something you and the Emperor of the Great Zhao jointly arranged?" Sheng Junyi asked again.
Empress Dowager Dugu looked at Sheng Junyi with a probing gaze, "Yes."
"Eighteen years ago, in the Battle of Chenzhou, it was Emperor Zonglin of the Great Zhao who instructed you to cooperate from within and without, which led to the defeat of Rong Che, the Great Zhao General Who Conquers the North, in Chenzhou, and the massacre of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians, is that right?"
"Yes."
Sheng Junyi's hand, gripping the sword, finally trembled slightly, leaving a bloody gash on Empress Dowager Dugu's neck.
"Is it finished writing? Give it to me!"
The palace servants tremblingly took the written list of crimes and placed it in front of Empress Dowager Dugu.
"Stamp your Great Yan state seal and your personal seal on it." Sheng Junyi stared coldly at Empress Dowager Dugu.
Empress Dowager Dugu did not move.
"You're pushing your luck! So what if I stamp it? Do you really think that this so-called charge can convict me? I am the Empress Dowager of Great Yan. Do you think it's your place to judge me?"
“You’re wrong,” Sheng Junyi said, looking at her calm and unrepentant face. “I’m not here to make you confess. Your confession is meaningless. I’m just here for revenge.”
"Revenge? Many people want revenge against me, but who do you think you are?" Empress Dowager Dugu sneered. "Don't even mention your Crown Prince, even if the Emperor of Great Zhao came, you wouldn't be able to punish me! Seeking revenge against me is utterly laughable!"
"Then remember to tell the King of Hell when you're gone that the person who killed you was," Sheng Junyi said, plunging his sword through her throat.
"The Rong family's son-in-law."