Chapter 8: Waiting for an Opportunity (Part 2)

  The old man was silent for a moment, shaking his head silently, and after a long time he said: "We don't believe in Emperor Tang Ming, he should not believe us either. This time you go back to Menes, he must be playing tricks, just talking good words, deceiving you on the road. Hopefully there are some good things, we need more substantial things."

  Yang Shuangfen hesitated for a moment, seemingly thinking of something else. He gently shook his head: "Don't expect anything from the Emperor's side. The fact that he can let me out is already a great favor. I almost suspect that I will die in there."

  The old man glanced at his sword and said coldly, "The Emperor is now at a dead end. Even if he doesn't trust us, he can only try his luck. After all, Menis has already been abandoned by him. But he's really good at acting, thinking you'd fall for it easily! However, we're not fools, and everyone knows there are many twists in his mind. This trick of borrowing a knife to kill won't fool you or me. To go back to Menis and help him stabilize the place just for an Imperial Lieutenant General's sword is too easy, might as well send a head like Sargon's directly!"

  Yang Shuang said faintly: "In any case, we have obtained unprecedented power and strength in a legitimate way, which is indeed very important for us."

  The old man sneered and said indifferently, "I don't see the power and strength that Tang Ming has given you. He didn't tell you to go back and quell the rebellion, but rather to go back and die. The rebellion in Menis has been going on for five years and is now at its peak. The Light Empire and Peng Yue's rebel army are so arrogant that even the Central Army can't quell them. Do you think you can handle it alone? Does he think he's fooling a child? He wants to eliminate us lords, but can't find a legitimate way to do it, so he uses this despicable method of killing with a borrowed knife to achieve his goal. We won't let him succeed in his conspiracy."

  Yang Shuang said coldly: "But our only chance to get rid of the Emperor is in Menes!"

  The old man was slightly stunned and said in doubt: "Maple..."

  Yang Shuang said faintly, "I know what the old emperor is playing at, I also know he's not up to any good, and I'm even more aware that he's deliberately trying to put us to death! However, have you thought about it? If we don't go back to Menis, he can immediately use disobedience of the imperial edict as an excuse to behead all of us. And in the interior, we have no power whatsoever, how can we resist him? Our only option is to pretend to obey his orders and return to Menis obediently, then look for opportunities to break free from his control. This is the best strategy. Even if the situation in Menis is chaotic, we can still find space to survive. However, I don't know much about the real situation in Menis, you tell me carefully."

  The old man let out a faint sigh and said in a desolate tone, "Perhaps you are right, our only way out is indeed in the Menis region. Emperor Tang Ming will definitely not be able to reach Menis, he has the heart but lacks the strength. The imperial court no longer has the extra power to interfere with Menis' affairs, as the situation between the empire and the southern country of Marsha is becoming increasingly tense, both sides are making final preparations for the 13th battle for control of the Lona Kingdom. The military must be concentrated and cannot be dispatched again. In the northwest of the empire, the situation in the Aisen Corridor is also very tense, the military command level of Crown Prince Tang Ju is clear to everyone, repeatedly defeated, repeatedly fighting, a famous general who always loses, there are rumors that the throat of the Aisen Corridor, Benning City, has been lost, but it has not been confirmed whether it is true or false. If it is true, the Aisen Corridor will have to concentrate a large amount of military force in order to have hope of retaking Benning City. With the empire's current military strength, being able to keep Lona and the Aisen Corridor is already very good, as for Menis...

  Yang Shuangfen nodded slightly and said thoughtfully: "It's best if he doesn't interfere."

  The old man paused, took a sip of wine, and said with emotion: "Maple, I know what you're thinking. You've always wanted to break free from the Emperor's control, and so do I. Our whole family thinks that way. However, although the Empire no longer has the heart or ability to continue paying attention to the Minis area, from our perspective, our relationship with the rebel army is not good either. After all, we were also big landlords and slave owners in the past. Honestly, our hands are stained with the blood of many ordinary people, especially your grandfather back then..."

  Yang Shuang said slowly, "Let's not talk about these things for now. I'll deal with them when I get back to the Minas Tirith region. But as you said, the rebellion army in the Minas Tirith region has become corrupt. They are now fighting for their own interests rather than for the happiness of the common people. We still have a chance."

  The old man listened silently.

  Yang Shuangfeng thought for a moment and said somewhat bitterly, "Mistakes can be made up for, and the common people are also very forgiving. As long as we can make them feel that we are indeed fighting for their happiness, they will still be willing to support us. However, in this regard, we must also make some efforts. By the way, what about the situation of other lords? What is their current situation?"

  The old man sighed and said, "As for the other lords? They're all gone, basically. When the unrest began to rise, they organized some troops to suppress it, with great fanfare, killing many people. Later, as the rebel army's momentum grew stronger, their private armies were defeated one after another. Seeing that things were not going well, they fled with their money. However, Emperor Tang Ming gave them all a crime of failing to defend their territory and had them all killed. Just a few days ago, he had the entire Tian family executed and confiscated all their property."

  Yang Shuangfen frowned and said: "How can Tianjia be so stupid? He actually escaped to the Niluo Divine Capital?"

  The old man shook his head and sighed, "The Qingchuan Road where the Tian family is located has long been occupied by Peng Yue's rebel army. All their property has been looted, what can they do with empty hands? Are they waiting for the rebels to behead them? They fantasize about escaping to Niluo God's capital, using money to bribe their way out and seeking a way to survive, but they don't know that Tang Ming is very wary of us lords. As soon as he hears news of them, he immediately issues an order to kill them all."

  Yang Shuangfen didn't say a word, her face gloomy as she said: "A bunch of fools!"

  The old man looked outside with a deep gaze and said in a hoarse voice, "Alas, the imperial court is also intimidated by us lords. Think about it, from the Eight Alliance to the Sima family, the Dugu family, and now the Fenghuo Yunlong family outside Shanhai Pass, which one didn't rise from being a lord? Which one didn't make the imperial court's politics tremble with fear and uncertainty? The court is like someone who was once bitten by a snake and is afraid of the rope for ten years. Emperor Tang Ming now wants to take the initiative to strike first and absolutely not give us another chance to rise again."

  Yang Shuangfeng coldly said: "He should first reflect on his own sins! The empire has fallen to today's state, he and his father Tang Rong, as well as his grandfather Tang Rui, all bear inescapable responsibility!"

  At this moment, the carriage slowed down and came to a stop. The old coachman's voice said, "Sir, young master, we've arrived at the city gate, inspection is required."

  The old man smiled coldly, put away the imperial edict, carelessly rolled it up a few times, and roughly stuffed it into Yang Suofeng's bosom. With a tone full of sarcasm, he said: "Take your sword and the imperial edict down from the carriage and go! Say that you are carrying out the will of the highest and most sacred Emperor of the Tangchuan Empire, and order them to open the city gate immediately. Those who hesitate will be beheaded without pardon. This is the only time when your Imperial General's sword can show off its might! If you don't use this power, it will expire, so go!"