Started out getting scumbags, but then invested in the invincible Empress.

Chapter 257 Internal Strife in the Liang Dynasty

Soon, the hall fell into a deathly silence, and the ministers all paled.

"boom!"

An old minister's court tablet fell to the ground, its sound particularly jarring in the silent hall.

"The Great Yu... has changed hands?!" the Minister of War exclaimed in shock.

"To have power usurped by a teenager... this..."

The courtiers were caught off guard and were filled with doubt and uncertainty.

"The true disciple of the Xuantian Sect... Li Wudao..."

Emperor Liang Lu Siyuan murmured the name, his eyes shifting uncertainly.

When Lu Cong uttered the three conditions proposed by Li Wudao in a trembling voice, the entire court erupted in chaos!

"Hand over His Highness the Crown Prince?!"

"Cease fifty cities?!"

"Arrogant! Utterly arrogant!"

The courtiers were furious, their spittle flying.

The military officers glared angrily, while the civil officials beat their chests and stamped their feet; chaos reigned within the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

"quiet!"

Lu Siyuan gave a cold shout, which was not loud, but it silenced the entire room instantly.

His gaze swept over the assembled officials, finally settling on Lu Cong, whose face was deathly pale: "Are you sure... that Li Wudao is backed by the entire Xuantian Sect?"

"Absolutely true! I saw it with my own eyes!"

Lu Cong said in a deep voice, "The Xuan Tian Sect mobilized more than two hundred people, all of whom were at least Martial Grandmaster level, and there were more than thirty Martial Kings! That old bastard Shen Huaimin knelt down on the spot!"

He recalled again the black iron palace gate that had been shattered by a single punch, and his voice trembled:

"Your Majesty... that Li Wudao is not bluffing. If he truly leads the Xuantian Sect to attack, our Great Liang... is in grave danger!"

"Alarmist!"

A cold shout came from the side of the hall.

Everyone turned their heads and saw Crown Prince Lu Minxuan striding out.

He was about thirty years old, with a sinister face and a pair of hawk-like eyes that revealed a fierce edge. At this moment, he was staring coldly at Lu Cong: "Uncle, are you perhaps scared out of your wits and trying to boost the morale of others?"

As he spoke, he bowed deeply and said, "Father, I believe this is a scheme by the new Emperor of Great Yu to establish his authority, and he is deliberately exaggerating the situation."

The Xuantian Sect is far more righteous than any other sect; how could it possibly interfere in the rise and fall of a secular dynasty for the sake of a single disciple?

After a pause, a cold glint flashed in Lu Minxuan's eyes:

"Moreover, Prince Rui and his wife are now in my hands. If they dare to attack, I will first cut off their heads and hang them on the city wall as a sacrifice to the flag!"

"No!"

Lu Cong said urgently, "Your Highness! Li Wudao said that if Prince Rui and his wife lose even a single hair, he will slaughter the entire capital of Liang!"

"Then let him come!"

Lu Minxuan sneered disdainfully: "Our Great Liang boasts a million-strong army and a vast territory spanning thousands of miles. How could we fear a mere brat?"

Lu Cong frowned, about to say something.

At this moment, Fang Yan, the Minister of Revenue, stepped forward, trembling.

The old minister in charge of money and grain turned pale:

"If what Your Highness says is true, then Li Wudao can kill a peak Martial King with a single sword strike, and he also has the Xuan Tian Sect backing him up... What can our Great Liang use to stop him? Are we going to use the lives of our soldiers to pay for it?!"

He looked around at everyone, his voice bitter: "Fifty cities are certainly painful, but if war breaks out, lives will be lost, the national treasury will be emptied, and the losses will be far more than just fifty cities!"

"Is Lord Fang going to cede territory and sue for peace?"

The Minister of Personnel sneered, "If we cede fifty cities today, and he demands another fifty tomorrow, what will we do? How can we so easily surrender the territory of our Great Liang?!"

"That's better than the country being destroyed!"

"Foolish! You're boosting the enemy's morale while diminishing your own!"

The argument escalated.

The court quickly split into two factions—

The hardliners, led by Crown Prince Lu Minxuan, Minister of War Li Zheng, and Marquis of Zhenbei Zhao Mang, advocated assembling a large army to fight a decisive battle against the Great Yu.

The pro-peace faction, led by Prince Zhaoxian Lu Cong, Minister of Revenue Fang Yan, and Left Censor-in-Chief Chen Guan, believed that a compromise should be made, handing over the crown prince and the city in exchange for peace.

There was also a group of neutrals, such as the Minister of Rites and the Minister of Works, who kept their heads down and remained silent, their eyes darting around as they observed the winds of change.

Lu Minxuan stood in front of the hall, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

His gaze swept over the pro-peace ministers, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

Among these people were his former political enemies, the forces secretly supported by his younger brother who was vying for power with him, and simply fence-sitters who were terrified.

But what alarmed him the most was...

Even those who are usually neutral are now showing signs of leaning towards the peace faction!

"Imperial Censor Chen!"

Lu Minxuan suddenly spoke, her voice as cold as ice, "You just said 'better than the fall of a country'? In your opinion, how many cities is my head worth?"

Left Censor-in-Chief Chen Guan trembled, but forced himself to speak:

"Your Highness, please calm your anger. This old minister... this old minister is merely stating the facts. If Li Wudao is truly as Your Highness claims, capable of single-handedly defeating an entire nation, then our Great Liang is indeed..."

"Really what?"

Lu Minxuan interrupted him, walking down the steps one by one, "Is it really time to hand me over in exchange for your peace and wealth?"

He stopped in front of Chen Guan, looking down at him:

"Lord Chen, I covered up your cheating in the imperial examinations back then; I also helped you settle the matter when your son forcibly took a woman and killed someone!"

"And now, is this how you repay me?!"

Chen Guan's face turned deathly pale, and he knelt down with a thud: "Your Highness! This old minister...this old minister had absolutely no such intention!"

"Absolutely not?"

Lu Minxuan sneered, his gaze sweeping over the other pro-peace faction members, and said sharply:

"And what about you? Minister Zhang, you embezzled 300,000 taels of river construction funds, and it was I who covered up the hole for you."

General Liu, you lied about your military achievements, and I covered for you... Now, everyone wants to send me to my death?!

He grew angrier as he spoke, his voice almost roaring: "How much benefit have you all gained by relying on me all this time? Now that disaster is upon us, you want to kick me while I'm down?! There's no such thing as a free lunch!"

These words were like a knife, tearing away the veil of warmth and affection in the imperial court.

Many of the peace-loving ministers lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.

But just then, an old voice rang out: "Your Highness, you are mistaken."

Everyone looked over and saw that the speaker was Zhou Wenyuan, a veteran of three dynasties and Grand Tutor.

The elderly minister, his hair and beard completely white, slowly stepped forward, his expression calm:

"Your Highness's personal relationships with you are personal, and state affairs are state affairs. Now that the Great Liang is facing the danger of national annihilation, how can you let personal matters interfere with public affairs?"

He bowed to Emperor Liang and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister believes that what the prince said is true."

Li Wudao was able to easily overthrow the Great Yu Dynasty; his power is beyond the reach of any secular dynasty. Our Great Liang… cannot afford to gamble with that!

"Grand Tutor Zhou!"

Lu Minxuan turned her head sharply, her eyes bloodshot. "Even you want to force Father to hand over me?!"

Zhou Wenyuan sighed, "Your Highness, this old minister is thinking of the millions of people of Liang. If war breaks out, millions will die and blood will flow for thousands of miles... Can Your Highness bear to do that?"

"Then you want me to die?!"

Lu Minxuan completely lost control, pointing at Zhou Wenyuan's nose and cursing: "You old bastard! Don't forget, your Zhou family's success today is all thanks to my promotion!"

Now you're turning the tables on me? You dare call yourself a veteran of three dynasties?!

"enough!"

On the dragon throne, Lu Siyuan slammed his hand on the armrest.

The sound wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the entire hall.

The Emperor of Liang slowly rose, his gaze sweeping across the assembled officials like a knife, finally settling on Lu Cong, whose expression was one of restraint.

"Second brother, tell me the truth—why did Li Wudao specifically target the Crown Prince? What deep-seated hatred exists between them?"

This is something that no one can understand.

Lu Cong trembled and told the truth:

"Your Majesty... I heard from the palace of Dayu that Li Wudao and Princess Rui have a very close relationship."

The princess was his aunt, and they had been close since childhood. This time, His Highness the Crown Prince captured Prince Rui and his wife, which was tantamount to touching his sore spot…”

"A sore spot?" A cold glint flashed in Lu Siyuan's eyes. "So, this matter really did originate with the Crown Prince?"

He stepped down from the steps and stopped in front of Lu Minxuan, looking at his most beloved son with a complicated expression.

“Father…” Lu Minxuan’s voice trembled.

Lu Siyuan ignored him and turned to Lu Cong: "Second brother, in your opinion... is there any room for negotiation regarding the conditions proposed by Li Wudao?"

All eyes were on Lu Cong.

The prince, who had just escaped from the Great Yu, was deathly pale. His lips trembled for a long time before he said bitterly, "Your Majesty... there is no room for maneuver."

He looked up, his eyes filled with fear:

"When my brother left, Li Wudao asked me to deliver a message: 'If you fail to accomplish any of these tasks within three days, he will personally lead the Xuantian Sect to raze the capital of Daliang to the ground, leaving no one alive!'"

Lu Siyuan's eyes darkened as he pressed, "If we hand over the Crown Prince and cede cities, will he really give up?"

Lu Cong was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "At least... it can save the Great Liang from destruction."