Switching Sides

Xu Yuan's self-introduction did not cause much of a stir among the ranks below. To say nothing of recognizing Xu Yuan, most of the soldiers lacked even a clear concept of the Prime Minister's Manor itself. The imperial court of Di'an was simply too high and too distant for soldiers fighting on the Western Border. Their sole avenue for learning about the Prime Minister's Manor was likely hearing rumors brought by traveling merchants—tales recounting the towering, boundless power wielded by that traitorous chancellor. With a scion of that traitorous chancellor appearing before them now, they felt no real sense of reality. However, just because the foot soldiers did not understand did not mean the officers were equally ignorant. Muttered discussions quietly filtered from their lips down into the ranks. "The legitimate son of the Prime Minister's Manor... Is that Xu Changge?" "A relative of mine in the Imperial Capital sent a letter some time ago saying Xu Changtian seemed to have died last year. It must be him." "In that case, the Commandery Princess's information came from the Prime Minister's Manor?" "If the news of the Saints assaulting the city came from the Prime Minister's Manor, that would explain the whole affair." "What kind of fools are you being?! The Prime Minister's Manor harbors treacherous ambitions! Xu Changge coming here is definitely to tie Zhenxi Manor to their pirate ship!" "Company Commander Hou makes sense. Back in Di'an, the Commandery Princess already had close private ties with that profligate Xu Changtian. She was most likely used by the Chancellor's Manor." "Then what about the Linlang and the Divine Maiden of the desert that Commander Lu spoke of earlier?" "Commander Lu had good reason for doing what he did." "We've gone through life and death with Commander Lu for decades, and you doubt him?" "Didn't you see it just now when the Commandery Princess activated the array? That white wolf that killed Military Strategist Wen—if it's not the Linlang, what is it?" "This Xu Changge is truly brazen..." "..." "..." Upon the Xuanwu Platform, Listening to the rustle of conversation drifting up from below, Xu Yuan imperceptibly narrowed his eyes. That fellow surnamed Wen hadn't lied to him after all: the entire Zhenxi Prefectural City truly seemed to be filled with their people. *Oh, wait, that isn't quite right...* Zhenxi Manor had been infiltrated, that was a fact. But if it had truly reached the point where every last person was a traitor, the Marquis of Zhenxi would likely have succumbed to illness long ago. With these thoughts in mind, Xu Yuan's gaze swept over the military ranks below, and he gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. The vast majority of the people down there were likely just fence-sitters. He turned his gaze back to the heavily armored elder before him. As their eyes met, Xu Yuan had expected to see something akin to smugness and contempt in Lu Baizou's eyes. After all, the officers below overwhelmingly supported him. As long as he delivered a few righteous, high-sounding words right now, this farce of a palace coup would carry on. Yet, unexpectedly, Lu Baizou did not blindly speak out. Instead, the gaze he directed at Xu Yuan was brimming with wariness and gravity. After holding his gaze for a second, Lu Baizou sent a raspy, low voice transmission: "I knew a high-ranking figure from the Prime Minister's Manor was within this prefectural city, but I never imagined they would be so highly placed—much less that you would show yourself in person." "..." Hearing this, Xu Yuan could not help but think a bit higher of the man. This Lu Baizou was quite clear-headed; he hadn't allowed those fools down below to cloud his judgment. This coup targeting Li Junwu had never been about discerning right from wrong from the start; it was a clear-cut division of sides to seize power. Yet the essence of power was violence. And once the Linlang and Xu Yuan appeared together, the party possessing absolute violence was no longer Lu Baizou, nor was it the ten-thousand-odd elite armored soldiers down below. With a faint smile, Xu Yuan replied via voice transmission: "Junwu's identity isn't equipped to deal with the show you cooked up, so I had no choice but to step forward and take the blame myself." As he spoke, Xu Yuan glanced down at the military array, which was growing increasingly restless. Under the instigation of those officers, the soldiers below had already developed a shared hatred toward an aloof outsider like him. Lightly shaking his head, Xu Yuan said in an unhurried voice: "Commander Lu, cooperate with me now, and I'll give you a dignified chance to die in battle on the sands." Hearing these blunt words, the wrinkles on Lu Baizou's face twitched. He said: "This old man thought you would promise to spare my life." Xu Yuan glanced sideways with a soft chuckle, teasingly remarking: "If Zhan Xian'an hadn't been killed, there might have been some credibility to such a promise. But now, even if I dared to promise it, would you dare believe it?" "..." After a long silence, Lu Baizou finally spoke in a measured tone: "This old man has never betrayed the Marquis—" "Spare me. You were just afraid the Marquis of Zhenxi had a hidden card up his sleeve, so you didn't dare place your bet." Xu Yuan cut him off directly, speaking with a touch of impatience: "Besides, this young master has no interest in hearing your personal journey. Will you give yourself dignity, or shall I help you find it?" *Creeeak—* The subtle grinding of clenching gauntlets sounded. Lu Baizou glared at Xu Yuan, a trace of fury seeping into his voice: "Under the watchful eyes of all these men, if you execute this old man, Li Junwu will never be able to inherit Zhenxi Manor in her lifetime!" Hearing this, Xu Yuan smiled, though a murderous edge crept into it: "There is no one my Prime Minister's Manor cannot prop up, not to mention Junwu holds the moral high ground to begin with. It would merely be a bit more troublesome, that's all." With those words, amidst the growing clamor of voices from the soldiers below, Xu Yuan casually hooked his finger toward the high tower. Following his gesture, the white wolf with fur like snow appeared beside him like a ghost. Right at that moment, a deep voice rang out quietly from the front ranks of the military array below: "Xu Changge! Though you hold the rank of viscount, you dared trespass into a restricted military camp to slaughter our military strategist, collude with Dachao, and summon the Linlang into the city! What punishment do you deserve?!" "..." Pausing, Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow and looked toward the speaker. It was the veteran general surnamed Jin who had saved Li Junwu. As their eyes met for an instant, a flicker of hesitation crossed Xu Yuan's mind. Then he laughed aloud: "Just moments ago, you suspected your Commandery Princess of colluding with Dachao. Now you're suspecting this young master?" The veteran general surnamed Jin drew his blade, pointing it straight at the Linlang on the platform. A colossal surge of military array power began to coalesce above the drill grounds as he said in a heavy voice: "This old man never believed the Commandery Princess would collude with Dachao. Now it appears you were the one pulling the strings behind the scenes! Now that the Linlang has revealed itself, what excuses do you have to offer, Master Xu?!" Hearing words that amounted to a blatant cue, Xu Yuan confirmed the man was playing straight man for him. Narrowing his eyes, he chuckled: "First of all, you've got one thing wrong. I am not Xu Changge, but the current imperial consort, Xu Changtian. "With the war on the Northern Border dire, I was with the Princess right up until I came to the Western Desert. Are you trying to claim that Qingyan and I have both betrayed Great Yan?" "..." Hearing this, Lu Baizou instantly realized what the two were planning. He opened his mouth to disrupt their coordinated act, but before he could utter a sound, he caught the smirk playing on Xu Yuan's lips, and saw the Linlang, which had been licking its paw, suddenly strike toward his leg armor. Having already circulated his military array cultivation technique, Lu Baizou sensed the impending strike and attempted to mobilize the array's power to resist. But he discovered that the veteran general surnamed Jin had already drawn the vast majority of it into himself— *Buzz—* With a faint ringing sound, his vocal cords and meridians were both sliced cleanly through with pinpoint precision. Suddenly suffering such catastrophic injuries, Lu Baizou was not panicked; rather, he smiled inwardly. With the military array's power gathering overhead, the ordinary foot soldiers below might not notice, but those senior officers would certainly detect something amiss. Yet very soon, Lu Baizou realized that the senior officers who had originally stood by his side were now choosing to turn a blind eye to his injuries. When his gaze crossed with one of them, he even caught a glimpse of loathing—as if looking at a harbinger of plague to be avoided at all costs. *With that wolf demon watching from the side, who would be tired of living to dare speak up for you?* *It's over...* The impending assault by the Saints had originally struck fear into these men, driving them to side with him. But now, the entry of the colossus that was the Prime Minister's Manor and the appearance of this wolf demon gave them the backbone to fight back against the threat. These fence-sitters had abandoned him just as they had abandoned Li Junwu earlier.