The Demon Lords-Chapter 621 - 106: Death of the Emperor_3
The two young men's faces trembled, their eyes tinged red.
The eldest son then shouted, "The Situ Family and the wild people cannot coexist!"
Having said that, he swung his sword down.
"AAAAAAAGH!"
The second son also closed his eyes, swinging his sword at his own father.
This was a human tragedy, but no one present wept, for there was no time for grief.
The Situ Family's ancestors were once mighty generals under Lord Jin, repeatedly achieving military exploits in the great undertaking of establishing the Three Jin territories. Their family had since branched out and prospered to this day.
The Jin Dynasty had long since declined, while the three great families had grown powerful. Here, the descendants of the Situ Family were, in essence, bearers of the imperial surname.
The glory of their ancestors seemed to have long dissolved into the distant river of history; the annual sacrifices at the Grand Temple alone were hardly enough to sustain or recall it.
Among the current Situ Family members, apart from a few who still held positions in the imperial court, most were wealthy and idle individuals.
In Ying Capital City, the men seen strolling with their pet birds and dogs almost invariably bore the "Situ" name. Even those who had fallen from grace could still make ends meet, relying on their ancestral influence and connections. At the very worst, they never had to worry about food or clothing.
In Ying Capital City, if a Situ Family scion committed an offense, the Zongren Mansion handled it; the ordinary government offices had no authority to interfere. Over the years, each generation of Situ prodigals had committed no shortage of vile acts—bullying men, tyrannizing women, and dominating the markets. It was no exaggeration to call them a scourge of Ying Capital City.
And now, these young masters and youths had unearthed ancestral armor, worn by their forebears countless years ago. They took down family heirlooms—weapons that had been enshrined and left untouched for many long years.
Any family elders entertaining other ideas were slain outright by their own kin; those who dared to obstruct were also cut down.
In the teahouses lining the streets and alleys of Ying Capital City, tales still circulated of His Majesty's youthful escapades in the capital—his time as a ringleader among a band of young tyrants, engaging in mischief and wrongdoing.
Back then, Situ Lei had deliberately tarnished his own reputation to protect himself.
Only after joining the army in the south did his truly distinguished life begin. Upon his return to Ying Capital City, the former young tyrant of Ying revealed his true fangs. He not only had his two elder brothers exiled but also seized control of most of the imperial court's power.
This story constantly circulated among the second generation of Ying Capital City's prominent families. Whenever their elders scolded them for their own outrageous behavior, they would invoke His Majesty's past deeds, craning their necks to retort, "I am merely a young phoenix deliberately soiling itself!"
The younger generation idolized Situ Lei.
As for the middle-aged generation, the vast majority of them had once drunk with Situ Lei, joining him in bullying men and tyrannizing women. At the very least, they had cheered him on from the sidelines.
Later, with Situ Lei's rise and as they themselves aged, they became fathers; some even became grandfathers.
Those days of roaming the streets with His Majesty, calling each other brothers, would only resurface after a few too many drinks.
But now, when that man issued his edict, many were stirred to action.
Increasing numbers of Situ clansmen began to appear on the streets; among them were even white-haired old men.
Some of the armor hung loose and ill-fitting. Some men, unable to lift their swords, could only drag them along the ground, their faces flushed red with exertion.
To call them a disorderly mob at this point would have been an overstatement.
Yet, a murderous aura clung to every man's brow.
Demonic beasts often prized bloodline heritage; the more formidable the demonic beast, the more readily its bloodline preserved innate talents and abilities.
Humans, in truth, were the same.
The legacy of their ancestors, dormant for unknown ages, was now awakened.
Within Ying Capital City, thousands of Situ clansmen marched out of the east gate, white mourning bands tied around their right arms. Upon seeing the war chariot bequeathed by their ancestors and the ancestral tablets of generations of the Situ Family, they all slowly knelt.
A grim, murderous atmosphere emanated from this assembly.
Situ Lei pushed away a eunuch who tried to support him and shakily rose to his feet.
"I have failed the state, failed my ancestors, and failed the people of Jin land."
Initially, Situ Lei's voice trembled slightly, but it soon grew sonorous, the flush on his face deepening. At this moment, he seemed completely uninjured; he was still that same young phoenix of the Situ Family who had risen through military merit.
"The ancestors of the Situ Family were vanguard generals under Lord Jin. They followed Lord Jin into the Three Jin territories, expelled the wild people, and expanded the domain for all Zhuxia. It is by these merits that our family has enjoyed glory to this day! 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
"It is by these merits that our state was founded this year, allowing us to claim the dignity of sovereigns!
"Scions of the Situ Family, never forget the origins of our family's legacy! People of Jin land, never forget whence came this homeland where you were born and raised!
"The previous emperor sought to ally with the wild people—so I killed him!"
A reigning emperor, in full public view, before thousands of Situ Family scions and all the soldiers of his army, had just admitted to the rumors of patricide.
"Now, the wild people have breached our borders, plundering our lands! Traitors are rampant and treacherous, aiding the enemy! Our nation is shattered, our lands broken! At such a time, what must we, the descendants of the Situ Family, do?!"
Beside the war chariot, thousands of Situ Family descendants roared in unison:
"Fight to the death!"
"Fight to the death!"
"Fight to the death!"
Situ Lei raised the banner in his hand, his voice truly like thunder, echoing in all directions, "People of the Three Jin, what shall we do?!"
Around them, the soldiers of Cheng State smashed their wine bowls and threw their recently distributed spoils to the ground. They struck their armor with their weapons and bellowed:
"We fight to the death!"
"We fight to the death!"
"We fight to the death!"
Situ Lei, shouldering the banner in his right hand, swept it forward and roared, "If we are to fight to the death, then the scions of the Situ Family shall die before all others! Sound the drums! Advance!"
「...」
The central army, led by the Eldest Prince, had already entered Cheng State. They did not advance rapidly; instead, they first liaised with the local Cheng State authorities to secure provisions and fodder.
Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.
Then, that day, an urgent military dispatch arrived from Ying Capital City.
Inside the command tent, the Eldest Prince read the military report and placed it on the table.
Seated before him were the two commanders, Li Bao and Li Fusheng.
"Your Highness, has something happened in Ying Capital City?" Li Fusheng asked, a hint of worry in his voice.
If the Situ Family couldn't even hold their capital, the situation they faced would instantly become exceedingly difficult.
The Eldest Prince shook his head, clenched his jaw, and said, "Situ Lei took personal command of the army, crushed the allied forces of rebels and wild people, and pursued them for eighty li."
"HISS..."
"Heh..."
Li Bao stroked his chin with his one hand, remarking with some surprise, "This Situ Lei... he's actually got some substance after all."
No one wanted their allies to be complete deadweights, and until now, Cheng State and the Situ Family had given precisely that impression—utterly useless.
Li Fusheng also nodded. "This will give us much more breathing room."
The Eldest Prince then ordered, "Li Bao, hear my command!"
Li Bao immediately rose and knelt. "Your subordinate is here!"
"I order you to lead thirty thousand iron cavalry, riding day and night, to encamp outside Ying Capital City. There must be no delay!"
"Your subordinate accepts the order!"
Li Fusheng immediately asked, "Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?"
The situation has eased now; this is a perfect opportunity to proceed cautiously with our established strategy.
The Eldest Prince replied, "After the battle, that very night... Emperor Mao Tzedong of Cheng State passed away."
