Evolution - Chapter 42
Chapter 42
The Princess-Commander was dead.
The court officials were stunned.
The Princess-Commander of Zhenbei had been shot and killed within the palace. What a monumental event this was.
Even though many were at odds with her, and plenty wished to see her fall from power, her sudden, unexpected death felt surreal, like a dream.
It felt ethereal, dizzying, unbelievable.
The one known as the God of War of Great Zhou, who held immense power, was only twenty-six years old, and a royal princess-commander, had suddenly died in such a farcical manner.
This was an event that shook the court and the country even more than the emperor's death would have.
After all, if the emperor died, they would hold a funeral, enthrone a new monarch, and after a period of turmoil in the court, things would settle down.
But the Princess-Commander of Zhenbei was different.
A general's star had fallen. This was undoubtedly the beginning of turmoil.
Once news of her death in this manner spread, never mind how the barbarian tribes would react, or the two hundred thousand strong Jingbei Army, even the other border armies would grow restless and chaotic.
Since the founding of the Great Zhou dynasty, the principle had been that a ruler should respect his ministers, and ministers should be loyal. If a ruler treats his ministers like dirt, the ministers will see him as an enemy. Now, His Majesty had openly ambushed and killed a high official in the palace without reason. Who would dare pledge loyalty to such a monarch?
Was he afraid he wouldn't die in a sufficiently creative way?
Therefore, when the high-ranking officials received the news and rushed to the scene, the sight of the ground littered with arrows and crossbow bolts made their vision darken. A single thought flashed through their minds simultaneously:
Great Zhou is finished!
Although they couldn't see eye to eye with Ji Changqing, engaging in open and secret struggles, always trying to trip her up behind the scenes and seize her military authority…
…no one had ever wanted her dead.
Or rather, if they did want her dead, she couldn't die so suddenly, not at this moment.
At the very least, it should have been after they had successfully consolidated control over the Jingbei Army and a new generation of generals had risen.
After all, her existence, and the Jingbei Army she commanded, were not just a deterrent to foreign enemies.
They were a deterrent internally as well.
This matter was impossible to hide. They could only try their best to cover it up, delaying the inevitable for as long as possible.
The high officials cursed the emperor's stupidity in their hearts, almost driven to tears by his foolishness.
The emperor himself was also panicking, but upon learning that the Princess-Commander of Zhenbei was confirmed dead and seeing the grim expressions on his ministers' faces, a sense of satisfaction couldn't help but rise within him.
The high officials exchanged glances and quickly made a decision: “Someone attempted to assassinate His Majesty in a rebellion. It happened to coincide with His Majesty summoning the Princess-Commander. His Majesty is gravely injured, and the Princess-Commander died protecting him.”
They really couldn't tolerate this foolish emperor any longer. After a while, they would just let him “succumb to his grievous injuries” and die.
The emperor's face changed. He seemed to understand the implication and shouted, “How dare you?! I am…”
“His Majesty is gravely injured. Men, escort His Majesty back to his bedchamber and have the imperial physicians treat him well.”
At a signal from the officials, someone immediately stepped forward, covered his mouth, and dragged him away.
Their actions showed not a shred of reverence for the so-called monarch.
Perhaps the last vestiges of respect had vanished the moment he had the Princess-Commander shot.
The emperor's face was ashen, the secret satisfaction from moments ago completely gone. He finally realized he had done something monumentally stupid.
While their minds raced with various schemes, the high officials quickly made arrangements.
“Investigate who was involved and where these crossbows came from.”
Everyone present had a good idea of who was involved. The problem was, the families behind these individuals alone couldn't possibly have pulled this off so covertly.
It seemed some people would have to be sacrificed to quell the matter.
The Grand Tutor mused, looking at Prime Minister Yu. “Prime Minister Yu, what do you think? During the recent strict investigation into hidden assets, some noble families grew resentful. Could it be they who assassinated the king?”
Prime Minister Yu understood immediately. “The Grand Tutor's words are most astute. We should dispatch men to arrest and thoroughly investigate them.”
Prime Minister Yu felt a pang of worry. He was a little afraid. In recent years, he found it increasingly difficult to understand his daughter. Now, he wasn't sure how Yu Zhiyao would react upon learning of this.
The high officials sealed the palace gates. Squads of the Yulin Guard went out to surround mansions and confiscate property. For a time, the imperial capital was gripped by panic, and everyone feared for their own safety.
Three days later, the news gradually spread: someone had assassinated His Majesty, who was now gravely injured, and the Princess-Commander of Zhenbei had died protecting him.
In private, everyone scoffed. What a joke. That story could only fool idiots. Security in and out of the palace was strict; did they really think an assassination was so easy to carry out?
The martial law in the imperial capital continued. Several noble families implicated were swiftly convicted. Their properties were confiscated, their members beheaded or exiled.
Those unaffected watched cautiously, in no hurry to divide the cake that had suddenly appeared.
The funeral arrangements for the Princess-Commander of Zhenbei were prepared in an orderly fashion. To appease the Zhenbei Royal Residence, she was to be buried with the rites of a prince, and her posthumous title was “Zhong” (Loyal).
Once the funeral specifications, posthumous title, and other details were settled, a mentally and physically exhausted Prime Minister Yu returned to his residence, wanting to see Yu Zhiyao. To his astonishment, he discovered she hadn't returned home at all.
His heart leaped. He had a bad feeling.
Upon further inquiry, he learned that Yu Zhiyao had been at the Zhenbei Royal Residence for the past few days. His heart pounded even harder.
Surely she wasn't planning to hold a vigil as a widow, was she?
Of course not.
Ji Changqing wasn't really dead.
Yu Zhiyao just wanted more people to die along with the Princess-Commander of Zhenbei.
The Princess-Commander's golden seal, along with the secret guards and escorts in the capital, as well as the royal residence's secret contacts and backup plans, had been given to her by Ji Changqing when she first left the capital, allowing her to act as she saw fit.
She now had the Jingbei Army's military tally in her hands as well.
Ji Changqing truly had immense trust in her teammates. To prepare for the possibility that she might die at any moment, ensuring her teammates could still complete the mission and carry her to victory, she always made sure to communicate these important matters in their team channel.
The military tally was one of them.
The moment martial law was declared in the palace, Yu Zhiyao found Zhong Lan, told her something had happened to Ji Changqing, asked for the tally's location, and retrieved it immediately.
Therefore, when the high officials later discovered that the Princess-Commander of Zhenbei hadn't been carrying the military tally, they sent people from the palace to the royal residence to search for it and questioned the military officers who had accompanied her to the capital, but they found nothing.
No one could have expected that the military tally had fallen into Yu Zhiyao's hands.
After all, not even a play would dare to stage such a plot.
A military tally, more important than one's own life and fortune, would either be kept safe by oneself or entrusted to a capable and trusted subordinate. Never mind that the two were only rumored to be involved; even a legitimate married couple would rarely do such a thing.
About a month after the Princess-Commander of Zhenbei “died protecting the emperor,” Yu Zhiyao, who was quietly making moves, received a guest at the Zhenbei Royal Residence.
The third young master of the Grand Tutor's residence. He was a legitimate son, but not the eldest. It was said he was devoted to painting and calligraphy, had no interest in a political career, and was famous in the capital for his elegance—one of the renowned Four Gentlemen of the Capital.
Yu Zhiyao had always treated such rumors as a joke. Every person willing to cooperate with her claimed to have no interest in a political career. But this was not by their own choice; it was because they were born at the wrong time.
Every family poured its efforts into cultivating the eldest legitimate son. The other sons were meant to support the eldest. They could be doted on and pampered, but resources would not be skewed in their favor for intensive cultivation.
Unless they were exceptionally outstanding, so much so that the eldest son, cultivated for years, couldn't even hope to catch up.
But someone that outstanding wouldn't choose to cooperate with Yu Zhiyao.
These ambitious individuals, whose talents couldn't keep up with their ambitions, were often very useful.
“His Majesty is too gravely injured to recover. The regents are already considering recommending a new monarch.”
“Among the imperial relatives, the sensible ones have declined on the grounds of distant blood ties. The senior lords are inclined towards the Prince of Liang's heir.” After all, he was a closer relative, and also a simpleton who would be easy to manipulate. That family was the only choice.
“The Prince of Liang's heir intends to choose you as his consort.”
Yu Zhiyao listened impassively.
Some of this news she already knew; some of it was new to her.
For instance, the novel idea of choosing her as a consort.
“He has always held a grudge over how the Princess-Commander of Zhenbei stood up for you back then. Now that the Princess-Commander is dead, Prime Minister Yu might not be willing to defy him for your sake alone.”
That was true. She didn't quite believe it either.
“Why don't we settle our engagement before this matter is decided?”
Yu Zhiyao finally looked up at him. “Aren't you worried about your future career?”
The third young master thought this meant he had a chance and grew even more delighted. He had never taken a primary wife, hoping that one day his wish would come true.
“That idiot? The Grand Tutor's residence isn't afraid of him.” Although no one was nearby, with servants and guards standing at a distance, he still lowered his voice, his excitement barely contained. “If our families are joined by marriage, our two residences can unite… At that time, you will at least have the position of a princess consort.”
The position of a princess consort. Was that so rare?
Yu Zhiyao politely refused.
The third young master's expression changed instantly.
What was the meaning of this? He had just revealed and confirmed that the Grand Tutor's residence harbored treasonous intentions, and Yu Zhiyao immediately rejected him?!
He said threateningly, “Prime Minister Yu might not refuse. Besides, men of suitable age and status in the capital are already married. Rather than becoming someone's second wife, I am your best choice, am I not?”
“No,” Yu Zhiyao replied with a smile, quite unconcerned. “Look at the families in the capital now. Who doesn't have their own little schemes?”
“With the Princess-Commander dead, the decline of the Zhenbei Royal Residence is inevitable. For you, Prime Minister Yu is not as reliable as Ji Changqing. Where does your confidence come from?” He was somewhat puzzled. The second-generation scions had initially gathered around Yu Zhiyao for mutual benefit; he himself was one of them.
Later, when Yu Zhiyao became involved with the Princess-Commander of Zhenbei, everyone, being pragmatic, saw the benefits of cooperating with her and naturally continued to do so.
In his view, Yu Zhiyao's intellect and methods were indeed formidable. If she were a man, she would surely have a place in the imperial court. But as a woman, she was destined to rely on others, hidden behind the scenes.
When cooperating with her no longer yielded significant benefits, those shrewd people would naturally distance themselves from her.
Moreover, he added meaningfully, “It's quite something that you dare to stay in the royal residence. If the people of the residence knew you had a hand in their Princess-Commander's death…”
He knew. Whether it was inciting the court to strongly advise the Princess-Commander to come to the capital, or the arrangements made after that foolish emperor decided to ambush and kill her, her shadow was behind it all.
“One's confidence has always come from within. As for me having a hand in the Princess-Commander's death?” Yu Zhiyao smiled, completely unfazed by his veiled threat. “Mm, you wouldn't understand. When the world has lost its way, one sacrifices oneself for the Dao.”
Choosing to answer the summons and return to the capital was her Dao; choosing to have more people buried along with her is my Dao.
The third young master looked at her and belatedly sensed that something was wrong.
The guards and secret guards the Princess-Commander had brought back must still be here. For this woman to dare speak of this matter so freely meant that the entire power of the Zhenbei Royal Residence was under her control.
Sure enough, Yu Zhiyao raised her hand and gestured. Secret guards hidden in the surroundings appeared before them.
“Take the third young master to the guest courtyard and entertain him well. And send a message to the Grand Tutor. The third young master has given us some information. If he doesn't want the entire court to know, then have the Yan clan be sacrificed for the Princess-Commander.”
Forty-nine days later, the Princess-Commander of Zhenbei was interred in the imperial mausoleum.
Before that, the Yan clan was exterminated.
Not long after the Princess-Commander's burial, the emperor, “too gravely injured to recover,” passed away.
Before the late emperor's memorial tablet, the Grand Tutor and other regents resolved to recommend the Prince of Liang's heir as the new monarch, with the enthronement tentatively set for seven days later.
On the third day after the emperor's death, chaos erupted in the Western Capital Garrison. Nearly one hundred thousand troops guarding the imperial capital rebelled and attacked the city.
In just four days, the imperial capital fell.
All adult males of the Ji imperial clan were slaughtered.
On the eighth day after the emperor's death, the day originally scheduled for the new monarch's ascension, the prepared ceremony was not wasted. It was just that the new monarch who took the throne was a different person.
Amidst a storm of blood, under the complicated gazes of the various high officials, Yu Zhiyao ascended the throne as emperor, establishing the Qin dynasty.
The three who had just learned the truth, realizing she was the mastermind who had ruthlessly eliminated Ji Changqing, shivered while complaining internally. Did this mean she was planning to skip the chaotic era and directly unify the world?
The thought that their main quests might not be completely aligned, and that they had been so foolishly tricked, made them weep silently in their hearts.
They were still stubbornly hanging on because they hadn't received a “mission failed” notification yet and wanted to give it one last try.
They wondered if, in this kind of instance world, teammates who were eliminated early could still get rewards if the team completed the mission.
When the trusted subordinates of the high officials led their armies into the capital under the banner of “quelling the rebellion,” they discovered the Jingbei Army had silently appeared behind them, perfectly encircling them.
After that, the turbulent imperial court, with its surging undercurrents, instantly became calm.
After all, this new ruler was highly skilled, came with her own team, and had everything she needed. Even her only weakness had been shored up for her by the Princess-Commander of Zhenbei.
Having cleared the path forward with violence and blood, she promulgated newly established land and tax laws, no longer permitting scholar-officials to be exempt from taxes. The empress began to focus on developing her domain.
During the empress's reign, the government was clean, and the people lived in peace. Although there were successive years of natural disasters, the great noble families had been mostly crushed. The common people, with enough land, could plant extensively for a meager harvest, but at least they wouldn't starve.
Neighboring countries, also affected by the natural disasters, made frequent moves. But the Qin dynasty's military was powerful, causing their invasions and plundering to fail. Instead, they were gradually annexed by Qin, becoming part of the Great Qin.
The territory of the Qin dynasty nearly doubled in size compared to the Great Zhou.
Ten years later, the climate gradually began to warm up.
The few people who had been carried by the expert player all saw the same message appear before their eyes: “Reversal Value 100%. Exit?”
Of course, exit!
This instance world was too terrifying!
They originally thought it was an “exes meet by chance” battlefield of drama, but it turned out to be a sweet story of “old lovers fighting side-by-side with occasional sweet moments.” Just when everyone thought the sweet story would stay sweet until the end, the tone suddenly shifted. It was all a conspiracy, all a facade. In essence, it was still a battlefield of drama where exes sought revenge and were locked in a love-hate struggle.
Thinking about how all the adult males of the Ji imperial clan were slaughtered, they understood that Yu Zhiyao's main quest must have required her to get Ji Changqing killed.
The three of them felt very hurt.
Give me back the feelings you scammed from me!
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