AI Model: gemini-2.5-flash
Lü Lu's expression was gloomy, completely devoid of the high spirits he had shown in recent days. He whispered, "I've already convinced a small portion of the Northern and Southern Armies. Tonight, with the rain as cover, we will enter the Palace to remonstrate!"
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he resembled a monster lurking underwater.
"At that time..."
"Heh heh—"
He didn't finish his sentence, instead letting out a sudden laugh that held a hint of mockery: "I've also checked on Guandu Marquis. He hasn't made any preparations so far. We can completely take down the Imperial Palace with the speed of lightning!"
He clenched his hands tightly, his sharp and pointed nails almost piercing his palm.
Lü Tai, however, didn't care. He merely nodded, then looked at the other Lü Clan members beside him: "Are you all prepared?"
"Rebellion is no child's play. If there's even the slightest mistake, if we're discovered and the rebellion fails, then the only path left for us is the Five Punishments."
From the Qin Dynasty until now, only one person who failed in a "rebellion" suffered execution: Li Si. Li Si's fate was the Five Punishments.
What kind of punishment were the Five Punishments?
It was the combination of the five most cruel punishments, executed one by one.
People died in the most agonizing state.
It was even more brutal than the punishments of the ancient Jie and Zhou.
Lü Tai's words made the other Lü Clan members a bit nervous, but Lü Lu merely let out a short, mocking laugh: "The Five Punishments?"
"Such a punishment won't befall us."
He sat there, his expression grim, and said, "Besides, what we're doing isn't rebellion. We haven't prepared to pull that little Emperor off his horse. We just… we just want that little Emperor to be more obedient, and we want Guandu Marquis and the others to be more obedient, that's all."
Lü Lu said quite casually, "Today's matter is only about loyalty. Why think too much?"
The other Lü Clan members looked at each other, the fear on their faces completely vanishing.
And after these people left, Lü Lu raised his head, looking at Lü Tai as if complaining: "Brother, why tell them so clearly? You and I knowing these matters is enough."
"They've enjoyed so many years; it's time they contributed something to the Lü Clan!"
Lü Tai's expression remained unchanged: "You shouldn't deceive them like that. When those in power use schemes and deception, it will eventually make those below them feel cold and fearful. This is not the way of an emperor, nor the way of a king."
His face held a look of reproach: "I told you to go see Aunt in the Palace. Did you go?"
Lü Lu's expression flickered, but he said, "I… I went."
Went?
Watching Lü Lu, whose gaze and expression were evasive, a hint of gloom instantly flashed across Lü Tai's face. He suddenly took a step forward and stared intently at Lü Lu: "You didn't discuss it with Aunt? You didn't get Aunt's permission?"
"Then what did you tell me earlier?"
"Speak!"
Lü Lu was grabbed by the collar by Lü Tai, his face showing fear and dread. Others might not know how ruthless this elder brother's methods were, but how could he, as a younger brother, not know?
So he could only grit his teeth and say, "Brother! You're confused!"
"No matter what, Aunt is just our aunt. But she has her own son, her own daughter! How could she let us be Emperor?"
"She can't give up her son!"
"Moreover, Aunt is such a smart person. Could she not see that my words about letting Ying'er continue as Emperor were a lie? Would she believe what you said about her ruling from behind the curtains?"
"Give up on that idea!"
Bang—
Lü Lu was directly thrown to the ground by Lü Tai, his cheek scraping against the ground, leaving some bloodstains. He gritted his teeth and said, "Brother, it's come to this. If we give up now, it's truly over!"
"Once the arrow is shot, there's no turning back!"
As soon as these words fell, a thunderous roar echoed from afar, shaking heaven and earth. As a mighty clap of thunder sounded, lightning tore through the sky, illuminating the grim faces of the two men on the ground.
"Dong—"
"Dong—"
Repeated rumbles of thunder sounded, accompanied by the beating of large drums.
"Brother! The Northern Army has already begun! If you don't go preside, it's truly over!"
Lü Tai looked at Lü Lu, gritting his teeth and sighing deeply. At this moment, the wind and rain were raging, and the strong gusts suddenly blew the door open, with some wind and rain falling onto Lü Tai.
"Bang—"
He threw his hair ornament to the ground.
"Fine, fine."
Lü Tai gritted his teeth and headed outside!
Lü Lu was wrong in countless ways, but one thing he said was right: the Empress Dowager would not allow them to truly threaten the Emperor's position just because she wanted to wield power!
Because although in Lü Zhi's heart, power came first and her son second, her son was indeed second!
These nephews of theirs couldn't compare!
.... ...
Guandu Marquis Residence
Chen Cheng stood silently in the courtyard, with soldiers and house servants all helping him get dressed.
The heavy rain slowly trickled down the lines of his armor, falling to the ground, then washing away this ordinary night. This was just the most ordinary night!
Chen Yun stood to the side, holding a black umbrella over his head.
"Grandfather, please be careful."
Listening to his grandson's concern, Chen Cheng merely smiled slightly. He reached out and took the "Overlord Halberd," which required three people to lift, and lightly brandished it.
This weapon, weighing several hundred catties, was like a toy in his hands.
Careful?
Although there had been no wars in these years, the amplification effect that Chen Cheng's "descent" onto Chen Xi brought had not ended. By the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu, his strength had already surpassed Xiang Yu's, and now more than ten years had passed...
No one knew what extent his strength had reached.
"Bang—"
The Overlord Halberd struck the ground, shattering the entire blue brick pavement.
"Take good care of the household!"
Saying this, he mounted his horse, then led the soldiers behind him towards Weiyang Palace!
At this moment, in Weiyang Palace.
Liu Ying sat before the main hall, reaching out his hand to catch the raindrops falling from the sky. His gaze was calm and serene as he looked at everything in the distance.
The Palace was silent at this moment.
Lü Lu and the others controlled the Imperial Guards in the Palace, but it was not so easy for them to rebel, because there were still some personal guards around the Emperor, and the power of these personal guards was not to be underestimated.
This was also the last safeguard for successive emperors.
A small girl, Zhang Yan, sat beside Liu Ying.
Zhang Yan's face showed some curiosity: "Uncle, what's happening outside?"
Liu Ying smiled and patted Zhang Yan's head, saying softly, "It's just a group of people making a desperate stand."
He stood up, gazing into the distance. At this moment, the dark clouds in the sky were like furious, ferocious black dragons, wanting to devour everything.
"A desperate stand? What does that mean?"
Liu Ying's lips curved into a smile. He didn't look at Zhang Yan, but rather at the distant raindrops, then stepped into the heavy rain, moving slowly within it.
This was Lü Zhi's favorite dance in years past, and he naturally knew it too.
His elder sister, Princess Luyuan, also loved this dance in the past, but she rarely danced it later on.
"It's Mother's favorite dance!"
Eight-year-old Zhang Yan sat there, clapping her hands.
At this moment, she had already forgotten her grandmother's, or rather, her paternal grandmother's, teachings. She clapped her hands, calling her mother "Mother" and her uncle "Uncle."
Instead of calling her mother "...Sister Luyuan" and her uncle "...Husband."
Liu Ying moved, letting the purest water from heaven and earth fall on him, washing him clean: "Trapped beasts, they are a group of madmen trapped in a prison, trapped in the filthiest place between heaven and earth."
"These madmen, in order to seize what is theirs, have long forgotten that they are human, forgotten the so-called seven emotions and six desires."
"They... are filthy beasts, and also... madmen among beasts."
This explanation was too vague, and Zhang Yan didn't understand, but Liu Ying stopped his movements at this moment, standing in the heavy rain.
Faint sounds of fighting came from the distant palace gate.
Liu Ying waved his hand: "Send the Empress back."
His voice was calm and serene.
The Inner Attendants serving him had already stepped forward, opened umbrellas, and lifted the small soft sedan chair, heading towards Changle Palace, where Zhang Yan resided.
Only after everyone had left did Liu Ying turn his head and speak to someone in another direction: "How long has Mother been here? Why are you just standing there, looking so dry?"
Lü Zhi emerged from the shadows, her face extremely grim. She stared fixedly at Liu Ying: "Is all this your preparation?"
Liu Ying smiled nonchalantly: "Yes, Mother."
"This is all my… preparation."
He looked at Lü Zhi, and it was precisely under the disturbance of such wind and rain that Lü Zhi saw Liu Ying in the rain through her rain-blurred eyes, and also saw the side of him that resembled herself... and Emperor Gaozu.
They were all a group of madmen.
Lü Zhi's lips twitched slightly: "Since when?"
Liu Ying looked at Lü Zhi: "Since Mother forced me to marry my niece."
His face carried a calm yet dangerous expression: "Mother only cared about vying for power and profit, thinking about consolidating her status and authority, wanting the Lü Clan to become even stronger."
"But in your madness, Mother, do you still remember that this is an act of incest?"
"An uncle marrying his niece, such a thing would even lead to being drowned in a pig cage among common folk, yet Mother spoke of it so casually."
Liu Ying looked at Lü Zhi and said with great disappointment: "My Mother has already died, died in countless nights. What remains is just a beast greedy for power, disregarding everything, having long forgotten human ethics, the seven emotions, and six desires."
He turned his head, no longer looking at the sounds of fighting in the distance, nor at Lü Zhi here, and slowly walked back into Weiyang Palace.
Leaving Lü Zhi, soaked in rain and utterly disheveled, with only one last sentence.
"I have not consummated my marriage with the Empress, nor have I performed the rites of Duke Zhou, and I have no other children."
"With my frail body, this heavy rain today is enough to take half my life. In this way, Mother, your ambition to seize power will be constrained."
He turned his head and smiled slightly.
"Rinu, bring the person over."
An Inner Attendant beside him took the order and brought over a person who looked like a house servant.
"Tell the Empress Dowager, what did Lü Tai tell you to say to the Empress Dowager?"
The house servant stammered, "Reporting to Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, Lord Lü… Lord Lü asked this humble one to tell the Empress Dowager that since Your Majesty currently has no heir, if one day you were to pass away, wouldn't the power of our Lü Clan vanish like smoke?"
"It would be better to first imprison Your Majesty, and then have a palace maid feign pregnancy, followed by a premature birth, and then... swap Lord Lü's child into the Palace, pretending he is Your Majesty's posthumous son!"
"At that time, assist the young Emperor to ascend the throne, and the Empress Dowager can still rule from behind the curtains and wield power. And after this young Emperor comes of age, tell him his true identity. This way, the Lü Clan's power can remain unbroken."
After saying these words, everyone present was astonished.
Only Liu Ying stood there, his expression unchanged, and said softly, "Mother, I've left the person for you."
"At this moment, Lü Tai and Lü Lu have already led the Northern Army into the Palace, wanting to accomplish this matter. Lü Tai had someone tell Mother, but Lü Lu dared not come to say it, wanting to commit an act of rebellion."
"There are no other troops in the capital at this time. Their probability of successful rebellion is very high."
Liu Ying looked deeply at Lü Zhi: "Mother, it's time for you to make a decision."
After speaking, he walked into Weiyang Palace, leaving behind Lü Zhi, soaked in rain and utterly disheveled.
.... .....
Outside the Palace Gate
Chen Cheng held the great halberd, a smile on his face. He looked at the people in the distance and gave an order.
"Kill!"