Chapter 109.1
Lin Beifan, leading the civil and military officials, made his way to the city walls of the capital city.
Looking down from the city ramparts, one could see the rebel forces led by An Lushan and Shi Siming, along with the Great Yue army, approaching the city gates in a vast and mighty throng, dense as a forest, a sea of people.
Gazing upon his former comrades-in-arms who now showed no gratitude for the emperors grace and dared to rebel, Chai Yuxin could no longer hold back and stood up to roar angrily.
An Lushan! Shi Siming! You two traitorous officials!
Search your hearts! When has His Majesty ever wronged you? You were able to become generals, commanding hundreds of thousands of troopswas this not thanks to His Majestys support? Is this how you repay His Majesty?
Have your consciences been devoured by dogs, or have you never known what shame is?
The other civil and military officials joined in the scolding.
General Chai speaks well! These are two conscienceless beasts!
As the saying goes, Receive the rulers bounty, bear the rulers worries. These two with hearts of wolves and lungs of dogs, having received the emperors grace and trust, show no gratitude and lead the rebellion. They are worse than beasts!
Even a dog will wag its tail and beg pitifully when you feed it a bone! But you two treacherous officials, they think of devouring their master!
Truly without manners, shame, or moral loyalty!
Such thieving scoundrelss, everyone should be executed!
Even if I cant kill you, I will curse you to death, let your infamy linger for a thousand years!
An Lushan felt a pain in his chest as he was cursed.
No matter how he tried to explain, as a subject who led a rebellion, this was a stain he could never wash away!
Shut up! What do you know?
An Lushan bellowed angrily: The emperor you guard is a universally acknowledged foolish emperor! He indulges in debauchery, lives in extravagant luxury, and for his own pleasure, he initiates grand construction projects and throws lavish feasts!
He is ambitious and blinded by self-interest, waging relentless wars for his own ambitions!
All these actions have long since caused public resentment to boil over!
Therefore, I am acting on behalf of heaven to punish the foolish emperor, to kill the treacherous officials, to strike against the unrighteous, to return a clear and just world to the people, and to bring a peaceful and prosperous era to all the common folk!
Even if thousands point at me, I shall still go forth!
The more he spoke, the more impassioned he became, hypnotizing himself in the process!
Chai Yuxin was furious, Nonsense! Youre clearly spouting lies and inverting right and wrong! I
Just then, Lin Beifan coughed, Enough, stop arguing. These quarrels are meaningless. Let me say a few words!
Yes, Your Majesty! Chai Yuxin stepped back reluctantly.
Lin Beifan stood up, and the whole room fell silent.
Even the two rebel leaders, An Lushan and Shi Siming, became solemn, waiting to see what wisdom Lin Beifan would impart.
Lin Beifans gaze swiftly swept over the rebel forces and he said, General An, have you been embezzling my military pay and provisions?
The officials were stunned, and both An Lushan and Shi Siming were also taken aback.
At this critical moment when the two armies were engaged in battle, why would Your Majesty ask such an irrelevant question?
You foolish emperor, what are you talking about? An Lushan shouted loudly.
General An, cant you see for yourself?
Lin Beifan said with a smile, pointing to his soldiers, Look at your men. How come they all look so pale and emaciated as if theyre at deaths door? I really cant understand it. The military pay I provide isnt low, and Ive given enough food, so why do your soldiers look even worse than refugees?
The civil and military officials carefully observed and were immediately shocked!
Because the soldiers brought by An Lushan were all thin as rails, their bodies frail and weak.
There were also many whose faces were as white as ghosts, unable to stand steadily, barely supporting their bodies with their weapons.
So frail did they appear, it was as if a gust of wind could blow them over.
Could it be true, as His Majesty had said, that the soldiers pay and rations had been embezzled by An Lushan, leading to their current state?
Such exploitation was extreme, enough to make even landlords weep!
General An, do you really think you can overthrow my rule with these sickly soldiers? You must be dreaming! Lin Beifan burst into hearty laughter.
Haha The officials joined in the laughter.
They laughed so unreservedly, so exuberantly!
An Lushan, infuriated and embarrassed, bellowed, Foolish emperor, what do you know? When the rebellion first started, our provisions were stolen by some damned thief! Without food, the soldiers naturally ended up like this! Tell me, was it you who arranged this?
He had always suspected that it was Lin Beifan who had sent someone to do it, as only the other party had the motive.
Lin Beifan clicked his tongue and shook his head, General An, you really know how to shirk responsibility! Its clear that you couldnt guard the food supplies yourself, yet you push the blame onto my head! Even if it was me who did it, so what? I took back my own food supplies, is there anything wrong with that?
I An Lushan was at a loss for words.
Ah~ I know why you have become like this, its because you have committed three grave sins!
Sin one, unfilial conduct!
Lin Beifan exclaimed loudly: Heaven and earth, ruler, kin, and teacher! You soldiers were originally refugees, living in uncertainty, it was my benevolence that recruited you into the army, providing you with military pay and food. I am basically your provider of clothing and food!
Yet, you did not remember your parents kindness, and followed a treacherous person to raise an army, to commit patricide and matricide! Even a tiger does not eat its own cubs, yet you are worse than tigers! Even beasts have more conscience than you!
Upon hearing this, the rebels secretly thought to themselves, Thats right
It was His Majesty who paid their salaries, and it was His Majesty who provided them with food!
In other words, His Majesty was like their provider of clothing and food, their second parents!
But now, they had taken up arms to commit patricide and matricide, how were they any different from beasts?
Pah! Even beasts have more conscience than they do!
Crime number two, disloyalty!
Lin Beifan opened his arms wide and continued to denounce furiously: I am the ruler of a nation, the sovereign of all under the Heaven! You bathe in the grace of your monarch, enjoy the dew of the emperor, yet you are ungrateful and not loyal to your country, and you rebel against your superiors!
Such disloyal people, even the extermination of nine generations of their families would not be excessive! The consequences are so grave, yet you do not think of your own relatives and descendants. You readily started a rebellion, blinded by the prospect of gain!
Such disloyal and unwise people, how do you even have the face to continue living in this world?
Upon hearing this, the rebels realized that His Majesty was right!
They knew that what they were doing was a matter of losing their heads, something that any sensible person would think over carefully before acting. Yet, they had followed through without hesitation, as if their minds were clouded by lard, led to their doom by their own stupidity!
Crime three, lacking in humanity and righteousness!
Lin Beifan proclaimed loudly: Since I have taken the throne, there has been peace throughout the land, and the people have lived and worked in contentment! Yet, for the sake of fulfilling your own ambitions, you have recklessly waged war, raised troops to attack in the summer, plunging the common people into dire straits!
These three great sins go against the harmonious way of Heaven and Earth; Heaven and Earth will not tolerate you! Such unfilial, disloyal, inhumane, and unrighteous people are even less likely to be favored by Heaven and Earth! Therefore, the state you find yourselves in is entirely a result of retribution!
It is you who have offended the heavens, and you have brought this upon yourselves!!!
You have defied the heavens, and you fully deserve your punishment!!!
Every word from Lin Beifan was delivered with forceful indignation, full of zeal!
In this era, the common people were inherently superstitious and feudal in their beliefs.
Reflecting on their own suffering and misfortunes over these days, it seemed as if Lin Beifans words were indeed prophetic. They ended up in their current plight entirely due to their own faults, and they fully deserved their punishment!
As they dwelled on these thoughts, they suddenly broke down in tears.
I was wrong, I really didnt want it to be like this!
It was all An Lushan who forced us to do this. We had no choice but to obey!
I really didnt want to rebel! I was forced into this without knowing anything, and now I deeply regret it!
I truly dont want to continue like this, I dont want to die!
I know my mistakes now, please, Your Majesty, spare my life!
Lin Beifan exclaimed loudly, Lay down your weapons and kneel to surrender, and you may be dealt with leniently! Otherwise, even if I could spare you, the heavens will not!
As soon as his words fell, there was a rustling sound as the rebels began to kneel one after another.
I surrender! I surrender
The whole group knelt down, extremely orderly.
And you, soldiers of Great Yue!
Lin Beifans tone carried a strong warning: Do you intend to resist me? I will accommodate you!
With a wave of his hand, the soldiers on the city walls immediately drew their bows, aiming at the soldiers of Great Yue.
The soldiers of Great Yue panicked.
We wont fight either, we surrender!
We simply cant win now!
The heavens must also punish us; to continue fighting would only lead to our self-destruction!
I want to live! Please spare my life, Your Majesty!
Lin Beifan shouted loudly, If you do not kneel now, when will you?
The sound of rustling was heard as the soldiers of Great Yue also knelt down one after another, surrendering.
All the civil and military officials were dumbfounded!
With just a few words, His Majesty convinced a million-strong army to surrender!
An Lushan, Shi Siming, and the generals of the Great Yue were all dumbfounded!
This foolish emperor had managed to declare their painstakingly nurtured army as traitors in just a few sentences!
Especially An Lushan, who watched the troops he had cultivated with great effort kneel before his enemy in the blink of an eye, betraying him so thoroughly, it was like a slap in his face!
It was a denial of all the efforts he had made in the past!
It was also the most scathing satire of his grand ambitions for imperial dominance!
An Lushan, furious and humiliated, roared: Dont kneel! Stand up, all of you! I am your true lord, if you should kneel, it should be to me, not to that foolish emperor!
However, by this time, no one paid him any heed.
Lin Beifan laughed triumphantly, Heavens mandate is with me! The will of the heavens is with me!
May Heaven bless His Majesty! all the officials shouted in unison.
Lin Beifans laughter grew even more self-satisfied.
Mwahahaha! I am the Son of Heaven, naturally, I am protected by the heavens, hahaha
***
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