lcionline Chapter 241 If one person is missed, I will slaughter the entire capital of Liang!
Chapter 241 If one person is missed, I will slaughter the entire capital of Liang!
He moved with the speed of a ghost, appearing instantly in front of Li Jing.
He held the other person firmly with both hands, his arms about to bend, and said with a wry smile, "Father, what are you doing? Are you trying to shorten my lifespan?"
Li Jing suddenly raised his head, widened his eyes, and carefully examined the boy who was standing close to him.
Those familiar eyes and brows, that helpless smile...
It really was his "good-for-nothing" son!
"Wu Dao?! It really is you, you brat?!"
Li Jing cried out in disbelief, his voice trembling, "What...what on earth is going on?!"
Shen Huaimin, who was standing to the side, then realized what was happening.
He shouted sternly at the two prison guards who were still kneeling on the ground trembling, "You bastards! What are you standing there for?!"
"Hurry up and remove the shackles from the Emperor Emeritus! Do you want to lose your head?!"
"He...is...the...Emperor Emeritus?!"
The two jailers were terrified and scrambled to their feet, frantically pulling out their keys.
Because of extreme fear, the keychain jingled and it took several tries to fit into the keyhole.
When the heavy, cold shackles fell to the ground with a clang, the sound was exceptionally clear in the silent hall.
It was as if, in an instant, the invisible shackles on Li Jing's body were also removed.
"Immediately fetch a set of the finest princely attire..."
Shen Huaimin then quickly instructed the attendants waiting outside the hall: "No, bring the new clothes made according to the Emperor Emeritus's regulations! Be quick!"
Li Jing stood there blankly.
He allowed the servants to come forward and remove his filthy, musty prison clothes.
When the soft, smooth, luxurious evening gown embroidered with dark gold dragon patterns and trimmed with gold and silver threads was draped over his shoulders.
The warm, smooth touch and the faint fragrance were a world apart from the cold, rotten smell of the prison cell in his memory.
He subconsciously touched his sleeve, the delicate texture on his fingertips making him even more dazed, as if he were in a bizarre and absurd dream.
Li Jing once again surveyed the blood-soaked hall, the kneeling officials, the dragon throne, the imperial robes... in a daze...
The sheer volume of information was overwhelming, and the impact was so intense that his brain momentarily shut down.
Wasn't he brought in to stand trial?
How come the moment I walked in, my son became the emperor? And I became the retired emperor? And I even changed into this outfit in public?
Seeing her father's shocked, almost stunned expression, and clearly uncomfortable look.
Li Wudao suppressed a laugh and summarized it in the simplest terms:
"Well... to put it simply, your son, I, overthrew the original royal family and, incidentally... ascended the throne. As for you, you are naturally the retired emperor."
Li Jing: "..."
He stared at his magnificent clothes, then at his son, then at the grand hall, and remained silent for a long time.
The idea he thought was "crazy" and "absolutely impossible" has actually... come true?!
Moreover, the speed at which his identity changed was faster than the speed at which he changed his clothes!
Subsequently, with Li Wudao's personal support and Shen Huaimin's guidance, he was able to continue.
Still in a state of great shock and disorientation, Li Jing was respectfully invited to a specially designed rosewood chair to the side of the dragon throne.
He sat down somewhat stiffly, his hands unconsciously rubbing the smooth armrests, feeling their real texture.
He slightly raised his eyes and looked down at the dark mass of people kneeling below, many of whom were former officials who had coldly watched or even kicked him when he was down.
The officials all had their heads bowed, but Li Jing seemed to be able to sense the glances in their eyes, which were filled with disbelief, fear, and then rapidly shifting awe.
There was a time when their lineage was deliberately marginalized, and they were not even allowed to enter the imperial city without summons, suffering endless cold treatment.
Who would have thought that I would be sitting here today, dressed in fine clothes, looking down on my ministers?
Suddenly, a complex and indescribable emotion welled up inside me—
There was a sense of exhilaration, a feeling of unreality as if from another world, a mix of pride and bewilderment at his son's astonishing transformation, and a hint of unease about this bloody start.
I was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.
"My beloved subjects, rise."
Li Wudao sat back on the dragon throne, his voice regaining its calmness, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The officials, as if granted a pardon, rose to their feet, stood with their hands at their sides, and remained respectful.
However, just as the Liang Dynasty delegation stood up and before they could even breathe a sigh of relief, the cold, rebuking voice from the dragon throne rang out again:
"How dare you! Did I command you 'unruly subjects of Liang' to rise up?!"
Lu Cong froze, his facial muscles twitching. He forced a smile and awkwardly defended himself:
“Your Majesty, the Emperor of Great Yu, just now…didn’t you say ‘All my beloved subjects, rise’? We…we thought…”
"Heh!" Li Wudao's lips curled slightly, revealing a mocking yet cold smile: "'My beloved ministers' refers to the subjects of my Great Yu."
“You are people of Liang, unruly scoundrels from poor and remote places. At best, you are ‘troublemakers.’ How dare you call yourselves ‘beloved ministers’?”
He paused, then, amidst the ashen faces of Lu Cong and the others, slowly added:
"By the way, you should address me by my full name—Your Majesty the Supreme, Invincible, Civil and Military Master, Blessed by All People... Your Majesty the Great Yu Emperor."
"Remember this well, if you miss a single word or mispronounce it... I'll chop off your dog heads!"
Li Wudao naturally wouldn't give the Liang Dynasty people who detained and intended to harm his aunt the slightest bit of kindness.
Not killing them on the spot was already a great act of restraint.
Lu Cong and the Liang Dynasty delegation members twitched violently at the corners of their mouths, their faces turning pale and then red, filled with shame and indignation.
This is clearly a blatant act of targeting and humiliation!
Besides, who the hell can remember such a long and tongue-twisting title?!
This is clearly a deliberate attempt to make things difficult!
However, no matter how resentful or aggrieved they were, they dared not speak out in the face of absolute power and the authority over life and death.
Lu Cong took a deep breath and almost squeezed out the words through clenched teeth: "Yes... Your subject... Your subject obeys the decree."
After saying this, he led the delegation members to kneel down in humiliation once again.
"Cool!"
The courtiers saw the Liang Dynasty delegation, which had been so arrogant just moments before, forcing the Great Yu to cede territory and pay reparations, now kneeling on the ground like stray dogs, completely at the mercy of the new emperor.
Suddenly, I felt all the pent-up anger in my chest being released, and I felt incredibly relieved!
Compared to Li Jing, that incompetent ruler who only knew how to back down and seek peace, this new emperor's methods, though forceful and domineering, truly made people feel proud!
At this moment, the ministers' awe and respect for Li Wudao deepened even further.
Just as the Liang Dynasty delegation members' knees touched the ground, still in shock...
The voice from the dragon throne, like a death knell, rang out coldly once more:
"You audacious scoundrels...do you know your crimes?!"
"......"
Lu Cong's heart skipped a beat, and he almost fainted from fright.
His face was contorted with grief as he strained to recall that damned long string of titles, stammering:
"Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Yu Dynasty, supreme, invincible, a man of both literary and martial prowess, whose blessings extend to all living beings!"
"Your humble servant has already knelt as you commanded, but I... I don't know what I have done to offend Your Majesty this time?"
He was so frustrated he wanted to cry, he was driven crazy by the torment.
"I don't know?"
Li Wudao's eyes suddenly turned as cold as ice.
His voice suddenly rose, booming like thunder, and reverberated throughout the hall.
"You even dared to kidnap my aunt! You even threatened to cut her down as a sacrifice to the flag! Tell me, are you not guilty?! Don't you deserve to die?!"
This angry shout contained the new emperor's fury and overwhelming pressure.
Not to mention the Liang Dynasty delegation led by Lu Cong, who were terrified.
Even the ministers of the Great Yu Dynasty felt a tremor in their hearts and their legs went weak; none of them dared to look directly into those cold eyes.
"What?! Prince Rui and his wife are... are yours..."
Lu Cong was struck dumb, his face instantly turning deathly pale, devoid of any color. His eyes rolled back, and he even fainted from fright.
Fortunately, the deputy envoy, who was equally terrified, caught him in time, preventing him from falling over.
He was completely limp, as if his bones had been removed.
This is truly a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple!
They originally thought they had just kidnapped a prince to blackmail the weak Yu royal family and gain maximum benefits.
Who would have thought that this act of binding would unearth a terrifying monster!
They kidnapped the close relative of a terrifying figure who could easily overthrow an imperial power and was backed by the Xuantian Sect!
With the destruction of the Great Yu royal family imminent, he did not want the Great Liang to follow in their footsteps!
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
The deputy envoy, barely supporting the unconscious Lu Cong, trembled violently himself, and forced a defense:
"We...we truly had no idea of the relationship between Prince Rui and his wife and you!"
"Otherwise... even if we had a thousand or ten thousand lives, we would never dare to offend them in the slightest! This, this is purely a misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding!"
"Misunderstanding?" Li Wudao sneered, directly interrupting his sophistry, "I don't want to hear this nonsense!"
His gaze, sharp as a knife, swept over the entire delegation, and he declared, word by word, with unwavering certainty:
"I have only three requests for you!"
"First, within two days, deliver Prince Rui and his wife to me unharmed and safe!"
"If they lose a single hair or suffer the slightest injustice... I will personally lead the disciples of the Xuantian Sect to raze your Great Liang Imperial City to the ground, leaving not a single chicken or dog alive!"
"Second, hand over to me all those involved in the kidnapping, coercion, or even those who knowingly failed to report it, whether they are princes, nobles, or border generals!"
"I want them... to be torn to pieces! If even one escapes, I will still slaughter your entire Great Liang Imperial City!"
"third......"