Chapter 1638 – Seizing Nan Sheng, Killing An Huan (Forty-Nine)
Everyone thought the insider was on Yang Tao’s side, even Yang Tao himself was worried about it.
Who would have guessed that it turned out to be Jiang Ji’s problem? The insider bought off by the Nan Family was neither a trusted minister nor even a mid-level official—just some insignificant bureaucrat who could grasp certain whereabouts of Jiang Ji.
Upon learning this news, Jiang Ji didn’t know whether to be furious or relieved.
Furious about the betrayal and deceit of this person, relieved that the one who messed up wasn’t one of her trusted senior officials.
When Wei Ci found out about this, he also let out a sigh of relief.
Though the former emperor and the current leader were different in many ways, their essence was the same: they both detested betrayal the most.
If a small fry betrays, then let it be; handle it as it comes. The leader’s anger would be like a torrential storm—quick and fierce, but it would pass just as fast.
If the insider had been a familiar face, this situation would have dragged on indefinitely, and her methods of handling it would have been particularly ruthless.
A prime example was Xu Ke’s rebellion after two or three years of feigned loyalty; nobody saw that coming.
The repercussions were profound, to the point that the emperor brought up Xu Ke even in his twilight years with gritted teeth, ready to dig his grave and whip his carcass.
In his previous life, the emperor had a tough time raising an army, yet suffered minimal losses—he could count them on one hand.
One memorable incident was Qi Guanrang assisting his old master Changshou Wang while the emperor was floundering at the front and nearly destroyed the emperor’s stronghold. Another time, Xu Ke secretly seduced several middle-ranking generals, and while the emperor was trapped in a stalemate with enemy forces, he tricked the emperor into leading five hundred soldiers into Jin Qichuan, where seven thousand ambushed them. Xu Ke planned this meticulously, with a seamless layout. By the time everyone discovered the rebellion and sent reinforcements to the emperor, a full day and night had passed.
<Tsk, if it weren't for the Liu Thief being foolish and overestimating himself, you wouldn't have taken so long to realize something was off.>
Xu Ke’s scorn was not without merit.
After crying wolf too many times, when the wolf finally came, nobody dared to believe it.
In the same vein, the emperor commanding the vanguard and frequently using unconventional tactics led everyone to become complacent over time. When she was ambushed by the betrayal of her trusted confidant, none of the esteemed officials reacted in time.
Xu Ke thought she was doomed, and even her people did. The military camp was preparing for mourning.
Nobody expected the searchers for her body to stumble upon the emperor sitting dazed amidst a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
Wei Ci had never seen that scene, but he could imagine it from others’ descriptions.
From the valley to her feet, a mere hundred steps were piled high with countless severed limbs, with blood pooling into a crimson stream.
The blood collected in one area, unable to be fully absorbed by the yellow clay below.
The ever-spirited emperor rarely showed such a despondent expression, her eyes red-rimmed, filled with tiny blood vessels.
<Xu Ke betrayed me?>
Qi Guanrang whispered, <Yes.>
<Skinned alive, I suppose.> The emperor took a deep breath, adding flatly, <I'll handle it myself.>
Qi Guanrang asked her, <Shouldn’t the leader interrogate Xu Ke first… about his betrayal? >
<Betrayal is betrayal; the moment he did this, he became a dead man.> The emperor rasped, mocking, <I have no interest in his backstory. What he did, what he experienced—does that excuse his betrayal? >
Qi Guanrang fell silent.
<Even without interrogation, I can guess why he did it—most likely for his old master.> The emperor sneered, <He was so loyal to his old master; I’ll grant him that. If he’s willing to plot against me for years, he should also be ready to face being skinned alive, right? >
Of course, in the end, Xu Ke did not die that way, but the emperor personally ensured his corpse was hung in Jin Qichuan, exposed to the elements.
The commanders who were with Xu Ke were not so lucky; nearly all were wiped out in one fell swoop by the emperor.
Anyone who pleaded for them faced the emperor’s wrath, and during that time, everyone was on edge. Even when strategists urged consideration, reasoning that executing so many commanders would leave the emperor severely weakened, they couldn’t sway her resolve.
The emperor was willing to take a massive hit to her own strength just to wipe out those traitorous scoundrels—her will was firm.
Wei Ci remembered that after Jiang Zhao was established, several officials connected to Xu Ke attempted to plead for leniency, hoping for a moment of goodwill so Xu Ke’s bones could rest peacefully, but each one was chastised by the emperor, ordered home to reflect for two months.
Even years later, when Wei Ci took his own life with a sword, Xu Ke’s corpse was still hanging in Jin Qichuan.
This illustrates just how vengeful the emperor could be against the betrayal of her trusted officials—she remembered these grudges for a lifetime.
Therefore, Wei Ci felt fortunate that this time, the betrayal came from a small character.
The Nan Family and the allied clans were thoroughly cleaned out by Yang Tao’s troops, while the insider was publicly executed by lingchi.
The shockwaves of this event lasted over half a month before settling down.
It truly didn’t feel long, yet everyone sensed an uncanny gap, as if years had passed.
The clans of Nan Sheng, especially in Fan and Jiang states, were now like deflated eggplants, quiet and cowed, not daring to stir for a while. They discovered that their so-called superiority meant nothing in front of Jiang Ji, the bandit tyrant.
She was like a hard, foul-smelling rock in a latrine, and the noble families, akin to precious goose eggs, stood no chance against her reckless methods—she could commit murder and looting with no second thought.
She was a smelly stone too tough to crack, while the noble families were like tender eggs trying to avoid harm—it was a net loss.
Run away, just run away; cannot afford to mess with her, no way!
Just as Jiang Ji quelled her unrest, two new storms were brewing elsewhere, affecting the entire political landscape.
One storm involved Qi Guanrang and Sun Wen at Zhanjiang Pass, two schemers joining forces with notorious black hearts, plotting against whoever they wanted.
The other storm was closer to An’s side; his beloved concubine, the Xichang Princess, was diagnosed with over a month of pregnancy right as the New Year approached!
With the New Year coming, An, who had long suffered from hidden ailments, was finally welcoming a child with his beloved concubine—what a double joy! An was practically over the moon!
In his jubilation, An rewarded the army as a celebration, and the atmosphere was filled with joy.
Meanwhile, in Zhong Zhao, Nie Qing was far from festive.
The gloom of the Nie Clan starkly contrasted with An’s joy.
Nie Qing had suffered the deaths of his father, father-in-law, and the betrayal of his cousin Nie Yang, forcing him to mature rapidly within just one year.
Sadly, Nie Qing’s growth rate couldn’t keep up with the rapidly changing circumstances within Zhong Zhao.
It was somewhat lamentable; back when Nie Liang was alive, Nie Qing was the apple of everyone’s eye.
Yet just one or two years had passed, and he was now in this dire state.
