strictlysupreme Chapter 106 The Substitute Bride 22
Chapter 106 The Substitute Bride 22
"A god has appeared in the world! It must be a divine manifestation!"
The chief strategist finally realized that his resistance was futile; in the face of absolute power, everyone is but an ant.
Since that's the case, and he doesn't want to die, he might as well spread the word that he encountered a god, which is why he was ultimately defeated.
Such a reason is far more convincing than the argument that even with tens of thousands of men they couldn't capture the Eastern Palace.
Besides, by submitting to the gods, the emperor might be able to give him a way out.
The leading strategist steadied himself, took a deep breath, and knelt down with a thud. He raised his hands high and slammed the long sword in his hands onto the ground with a dull thud.
He cried out at the top of his lungs, his voice trembling with sobs, "We were foolish and offended the gods! Today, witnessing the divine might of the Crown Princess, we realize that human strength is but an ant before divine power. We are willing to lay down our weapons, submit to the fairy, and beg for your mercy!"
His kneeling was like a domino effect, with other strategists and soldiers following suit. In an instant, a dark mass of people knelt on the ground, and cries of pleas for mercy echoed through the ruins.
Another strategist hurriedly removed his helmet and kowtowed heavily to the ground, his forehead instantly swelling and turning red. His voice trembled as he said, "Your Majesty, we were blind and foolish to attempt to contend with the power of a god. We were all deceived by the King of Wu and committed this grave error. Now we only beg Your Majesty to have mercy and forgive us this time. In the future, we are willing to go through fire and water for Your Majesty without hesitation!"
The soldiers were terrified, their weapons scattered on the ground, their bodies trembling like leaves, kowtowing incessantly, their foreheads hitting the ashes-covered ground until they were covered in blood.
They looked at Ji Xiaosong in horror, as if they were seeing a judge who controlled life and death.
Ji Xiaosong's face was cold as he looked down at the group of people. The long sword in his hand trembled slightly, and spiritual energy flowed through the blade, emitting a chilling light.
She said coldly, "You have committed the heinous crime of treason, which is unforgivable. But if you truly submit to the royal family today, lay down all your weapons and await your fate. If you harbor even the slightest disloyalty, we will surely annihilate you!"
The strategists nodded hastily, frantically directing the soldiers to throw their weapons into a pile while vying to pledge their loyalty.
"Rest assured, Your Highness, we would never dare to have any disloyalty. From now on, we will be the most loyal servants of the royal family. We will obey any order from the royal family, even at the cost of our lives!"
"Yes, yes, we were all awestruck by the fairy's divine power. We will definitely turn over a new leaf and start anew."
Just then, the gates of the Eastern Palace slowly opened, and the Emperor walked out, surrounded by Chu Qingyun and others.
The emperor looked at the mess before him, then at the kneeling crowd, his expression dignified and imposing.
Upon seeing this, the leading strategist immediately scrambled to the emperor's feet, kowtowed several times, and cried out, "Your Majesty, we deserve to die for our crimes and have betrayed your trust. But we were misled by the King of Wu and had no choice in our actions. Only today, seeing the fairy's divine intervention, have we realized our mistakes. We beg Your Majesty to spare our lives in recognition of our sincere repentance. We are willing to atone for our sins with meritorious deeds!"
Other advisors also gathered around, kneeling at the emperor's feet, kowtowing repeatedly, and uttering various words of pleas for mercy and expressions of loyalty.
The emperor looked at the group of people at his feet who were kowtowing like pounding garlic, his eyes as cold as a deep pool in the cold night, devoid of any warmth.
He slightly raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet. The previously noisy pleas for mercy instantly ceased, leaving only heavy breathing that permeated the deathly silence.
"You have committed the heinous crime of treason, attempting to overthrow the royal family and disrupt the peace of the world. Do you think you can atone for your sins with a simple claim of being misled or a genuine expression of repentance?"
The emperor's voice was deep yet powerful, each word striking the hearts of the crowd like a heavy hammer: "This empire was built by generations of my Chu family with painstaking effort; how dare you trample on it so wantonly?"
The leading strategist was deathly pale, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He trembled, wanting to speak again, but something seemed to be stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.
The other strategists and soldiers were so frightened that they dared not even breathe, and could only bury their heads even lower, as if this would allow them to escape the impending punishment.
"Somebody come!"
With a command that echoed across the ruins, the emperor declared, "Imprison these traitors for now, and I will interrogate them thoroughly before executing them!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers from the northern suburbs surged forward like a tide. Holding long spears and with resolute eyes, they quickly surrounded the surrendered strategists and soldiers.
Although the soldiers were terrified and their bodies went limp, under the escort of their officers, they could only obediently get up and drag their heavy steps toward the place of imprisonment.
"Your Majesty, spare us! We truly know we were wrong!"
"Your Majesty, please have mercy! We are willing to serve the court like cattle and horses to atone for our past sins!"
Desperate cries and pleas for mercy could be heard from the crowd being escorted, but the emperor remained unmoved, his gaze firm and resolute.
Anyone who attempts to betray the royal family will pay a heavy price.
Ji Xiaosong withdrew her spiritual power and retreated to the side.
She's already made enough of a splash today; there's no need for her to continue.
This world will belong to her husband and her son sooner or later; she doesn't need to be a hard-working laborer.
Being an emperor and holding a position above the royal family is too tiring.
Not only do they have to worry about approving memorials every day, but they also have to handle various important national affairs.
This is not something a blade of grass would want to think about.
So far, all the strength she possesses is merely for self-preservation and to make her life a little better.
"Your Highness, we owe you so much for today's events."
The emperor originally wanted to ask her what reward she wanted, but then he realized he didn't have much money to give her, so he decided not to ask any further.
"I am getting old, and Qingyun's health has improved. In that case, after you have a legitimate eldest son, Qingyun will succeed to the throne."
Upon hearing the emperor's words, Chu Qingyun was first taken aback, then his eyes flashed with surprise and determination. He knelt on one knee and spoke in a loud and respectful voice: "Your subject will certainly live up to your father's trust and do everything in his power to protect this country and ensure that the people of our dynasty live in peace and prosperity, and live up to the century-old foundation of the royal family."
He has been raised as the heir apparent since childhood, so there is no need for him to act coy now.
Upon hearing the news, the Second Prince and the Third Prince stepped forward to congratulate him, saying, "Congratulations, elder brother! You will surely become a wise ruler in the future, and we will do our best to assist you."
"Alright, let's set off back to the palace."
Now that today's matter is settled, the emperor should go and deal with the follow-up matters.
He wanted to clear all obstacles for his child so that he could have the opportunity to create a prosperous era.