knife

Chapter 822 The End of an Era
Yan Su squeezed into the crowd outside the city gate and saw the army slowly approaching.

Danyang City was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and a red carpet stretched for miles. From the emperor down, all the civil and military officials arrived at the city gate to welcome Jiang Qian's return.

The young emperor looked worried, and Xiong Yi and Zhou Zheng behind him also looked serious. Only Zhu Chi had a big smile on his face. Among the important officials of Danyang, only he had managed to play both sides to the very end.

Choosing sides is a skill.

His father paid a heavy price for choosing the wrong side, but this time he did not make the same mistake. Although it would be virtually impossible for him to regain his current high position after the country was unified, the Zhu family would still enjoy decades of wealth and prosperity.

Suddenly overwhelmed with grief, Yan Su burst into tears.

Jiang Qian's victory is Li Dachui's victory. The anti-Jiang alliance that Linghu Ye personally built before the Northern Expedition, with Chang Lei's surprise attack and efforts to contribute to Linghu Ye's Northern Expedition, have now all vanished.

It's not that we didn't work hard, it's just that the enemy was too ruthless.

In the Battle of the Han River, allies betrayed Chen Yan, and hundreds of his warships were burned to the ground.
The Battle of Liyang saw tens of thousands of soldiers die mysteriously, a fact that still sends chills down one's spine to this day.

Chang Lei's final, desperate counterattack ultimately proved insufficient.
Now that generals such as Chang Lei, Kou Wenhai, Linghu Yong, and Chang Wei have all died in battle, and tens of thousands of troops have been routed, what has been lost is not only the southeastern half of the country, nor just the Pengcheng, Donghai, and Langya that have been lost and then recovered. Next, the Southern Army will inevitably regroup and march north, and the empty Jiangbei region will face a difficult situation.

One wrong move and it could lead to total defeat.

"Brother, why are you crying?" A middle-aged man beside him patted the serious man and asked with some curiosity, "Could it be that you also received favors from the Empress Dowager in the past, and you couldn't help but cry when you saw her return today?"

He wiped away his tears and said solemnly, "Maybe we won't have to fight anymore, which is a good thing. We can finally live in peace, so I'm happy."

He couldn't bring himself to agree with the man that he was crying because of Jiang Qian's return.

The man nodded excitedly: "Yes, yes, when the Empress Dowager was alive, everyone's life was quite good. But ever since they drove her away, life has gotten worse day by day. They can't even get enough to eat. Now that the Empress Dowager has won again, good days are coming back!"

Regardless of whether the people in Danyang City support or oppose Jiang Qian, everyone agrees on one thing: during the years Jiang Qian has been in power, the situation in Chu has indeed improved.

A carriage slowly drove up and stopped at the end of the red carpet. Lin Yunqi was on the left and Kang Zhen was on the right. With these two guarding him on either side, it was obvious who was in the carriage.

The emperor hesitated for a moment, but finally, at Xiong Yi's prompting, he took a step forward. However, his slightly trembling body betrayed his inner fear.

Finally reaching the carriage, the emperor knelt down amidst the watchful eyes of the crowd.

"Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome your return from your southern hunt!" The Emperor's voice trembled slightly.

Although he was older than Jiang Qian, he was of the same generation as the previous emperor, Xiong Kuo. In terms of seniority, he should indeed call Jiang Qian "Empress Dowager".

There was no response from inside the carriage, and the emperor grew increasingly frightened, touching his forehead to the ground and kowtowing repeatedly.

Even as the emperor, his life and fortune are now in the hands of others.

"Your Majesty, please rise!" Lin Yunqi said gently.

"If Your Majesty does not forgive your son, your son dares not rise!" the Emperor said.

Kang Zhen reached out and lifted the carriage curtain.

Everyone looked up and was astonished. Inside the carriage, there was only the Empress Dowager's attire; where was Jiang Qian herself?

A sheet of Xuan paper, about the size of a quarter sheet, was pasted on the Empress Dowager's robe.

Kang Zhen reached out and took the sheet of Xuan paper, handing it to the emperor.

The Xuan paper, with its dragon and phoenix calligraphy, bore four large characters: "Past events will not be blamed," and below it was Jiang Qian's private seal. The emperor clutched the Xuan paper tightly to his chest, overjoyed.

He was just an ordinary member of the imperial family, but by a twist of fate, Na Wei forced him to become emperor. During his time as emperor, he did not enjoy any of the rights and dignity that come with being an emperor. On the contrary, he lived in constant fear and had to worry about his life, not only his own but also that of his entire family.

Other members of the Xiong clan might be able to live, but someone like me would almost certainly die.

Now, he has obtained something that can save his life.

The emperor wept with joy, but Xiong Yi behind him burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

Jiang Qian did not return.

If Jiang Qian had returned, perhaps the Chu Kingdom could have continued, because if she had appeared today, she would still be the Empress Dowager of Chu! But she did not return; she only returned with a set of clothes, which was to tell Xiong Yi that the position of Empress Dowager had been returned to the Chu Kingdom.

From then on, she was simply Jiang Qian.

She was no longer the Queen Dowager of Chu.

When she was expelled from Danyang, the Danyang court publicly declared that the Empress Dowager was dead, and the so-called Empress Dowager Jiang Qian in the eight towns of Jiangnan was just an imposter.

Now, this boomerang has returned and pierced the heart of the State of Chu.

This also means that the reign of the Great Chu Kingdom has come to an end today.

An era has come to an end.

Zhou Zheng also hung his head in disappointment.

"I am old and frail, please allow me to take my leave!" Xiong Yi bowed deeply to the carriage.

"Please go ahead, Master Xiong!" Lin Yunqi returned the greeting with a smile. "Miss said that the Xiong family is safe and sound. Master Xiong can inform all members of the Xiong clan to put their minds at ease, and also warn them not to cause any further trouble!"

Xiong Yi turned away silently and walked away with faltering steps.

Zhou Zheng bowed deeply, but before he could speak, Lin Yunqi said, "Prefect Zhou, don't think about resigning and living an easy life. You are still the Prefect of Danyang. We still have a lot to do, and we don't have time to argue with you!"

"I..." Zhou Zheng wanted to say more, but seeing Lin Yunqi's undeniable expression, he finally sighed and nodded: "I understand."

Seeing Zhou Zheng yield, Lin Yunqi smiled with satisfaction. "Prefect Zhou, the young lady is tolerant, but she also detests betrayal the most. Whether you get away with it or not, it will ultimately depend on your performance in the days to come. Brother Zhou, you are never alone!"

Zhou Zheng exhaled a breath of stale air, knowing that Lin Yunqi was threatening him with his entire clan. It was direct, but very effective.

He wasn't Xiong Yi, and he didn't have enough influence to make Jiang Qian forgive him. If he wanted to live, he had to earn merit.

Kang Zhen stepped forward and said, “Brother Zhou, although the war in the country has basically ended, the situation remains fraught with crisis. Years of war have left the people destitute. With the fall of Na Wei, the southwestern policy of replacing native chieftains with centrally appointed officials has reached its most crucial and opportune moment. Furthermore, the northern expedition to cut off Linghu Ye's rear, assisting the Northern Protectorate in attacking Linghu Ye from both sides, and ultimately unifying the country is of paramount importance. Each and every one of these matters is of national importance. If handled well, the past can be wiped clean. How about I vouch for you? But you must show your sincerity!”

Zhou Zheng clasped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Thank you very much, Brother Kang!"

Kang Zhen smiled slightly: "For the sake of the country and its people, we must be tolerant and forgiving of each other!"

The carriage curtains fell again, and with a crack of the whip, the horse snorted and slowly made its way into the city.

(End of this chapter)