12dz Chapter 1918 Those who follow me will prosper, those who oppose me will perish
Chapter 1918 Those who follow me will prosper, those who oppose me will perish
Inside the Anping Marquis Mansion.
After a moment of silence, an old but resolute voice came from inside the mansion gate. Through the heavy door panel, it carried an almost tragic and heroic resolution:
"Go back and tell the traitor Chu Ning! I, Liu Bei, am a descendant of Emperor Gao and a member of the Han dynasty! My family has been blessed by the Han dynasty for generations. How can I bow down to this traitor and live in disgrace?"
"The Imperial Palace is a vital place for the nation. Now that it has been defiled by you, I, Liu Bei, would rather die than set foot in it!"
"You can kill me or chop me up, it's all up to you, but if you want me, Liu Bei, to bow to the usurpers, I'll have to wait for the sun to rise in the west!"
These words were sonorous and resounding, and were clearly heard by every Chu soldier outside the door. They were also heard clearly by some neighbors who were brave enough to peek in from afar.
The captain's face turned ashen in an instant.
Before he set out, he received an "invitation" order, but he also received an additional instruction that was ice-cold and tolerant of no compromise - "Anyone who does not come will have their entire family killed."
Liu Bei's flat refusal was tantamount to pushing himself and the entire mansion directly into the abyss.
A complex emotion flashed in the captain's eyes. There was some admiration for the old minister's integrity, but more of it was the ruthlessness in executing military orders and the indifference to the impending bloodshed.
He said no more and slowly raised his right hand.
As he swung his right hand down, the cold command sounded like a death knell:
"Anping Hou Liu Bei, disobeyed the imperial order and defied the majesty of Heaven!"
"By His Majesty's order—kill! Everyone in the palace, no one, not a chicken or a dog, shall be spared!"
"promise!"
The soldiers behind him responded in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles.
The next moment, the heavy battering ram was lifted and slammed into the vermilion gate that symbolized dignity and resistance.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Huge crashing sounds came one after another, like heavy hammers, hitting not only the door, but also the hearts of everyone in the mansion, shattering the fragile tranquility of Chang'an City in the early morning.
The screams, cries, and curses from inside the door suddenly merged into one, interweaving with the shouts and banging of doors outside to form a tragic song of troubled times.
"boom--!"
With a loud bang and flying wood chips, the door of the mansion was finally violently kicked open.
The Chu army soldiers rushed in like a tide, like Shuras from hell, waving their sharp weapons.
In an instant, inside the mansion, swords flashed and blood and flesh flew everywhere.
The pavilions and towers that once symbolized wealth and comfort were instantly transformed into a hell on earth.
The resistance was weak and powerless. Servants and guards fell in pools of blood one after another, and screams and pleas were heard everywhere.
Liu Bei was wearing the formal court robes of a marquis, holding a symbolic ceremonial sword, and standing on the stone steps in front of the main hall.
He looked at the bloody scene in front of him, his eyes bloodshot and his gray beard trembling violently with excitement.
He tried to rush towards the enemy with his sword, but he was old and weak, so how could he be a match for the elite Chu army that was as fierce as wolves and tigers?
A Chu soldier was stepping forward quickly, the spear in his hand was like a poisonous snake out of a hole, easily deflecting his weak sword, and then mercilessly piercing his chest.
Liu Bei's body shook, and he looked down at the spear tip that pierced his body. Blood quickly dyed his gorgeous court robes red.
He raised his head and looked in the direction of the palace, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground with his back to the sky. His wide-open eyes were filled with endless anger, unwillingness and despair.
The massacre continues.
Regardless of gender, age, or status, master or servant, everyone became a target to be eliminated under this cruel order to "exterminate the entire family."
The blood dyed the bluestone slabs in the courtyard red, gathered into a trickle, and slowly flowed out of the house through the crack of the door. The strong smell of blood drifted in the wind and filled the entire street.
When the last scream stopped abruptly, the entire Anping Marquis Mansion fell into complete silence.
The captain walked into the mansion with an expressionless face, stepping on the pool of blood. After confirming that Liu Bei, his family members, and servants were all dead, he ordered the house to be set on fire.
The raging flames quickly engulfed the magnificent mansion, and the billowing smoke rose into the sky like a wolf's smoke.
It showed the entire Chang'an City the fate of the rebels and the absolute authority of the new dynasty's rulers that could not be questioned or challenged.
Almost at the same time that the fire broke out in Anping Marquis' Mansion, in the square in front of the Xuanzheng Hall in the imperial palace.
Chu Ning did not enter the main hall, but just sat casually on a large rosewood chair brought by the eunuch.
He was wearing a black cloak and looked lazy, but his sharp eyes were scanning the dark crowd below like an eagle - those former ministers of the Han Dynasty and representatives of aristocratic families who were "invited".
The square was so silent that you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to look the new master in the eye. The air was filled with fear, uneasiness, and a sense of desolate grief.
Many of them had vaguely heard the commotion and faint shouts of killing coming from the southeast.
Some people even saw the black smoke rising into the sky, and an ominous premonition, like a cold poisonous snake, entangled in everyone's heart.
At this moment, a black-armored guard quickly walked to Chu Ning's side, knelt on one knee, and reported in a low voice everything that happened in Anping Marquis' Mansion.
From Liu Bei's fierce disobedience to the final massacre and burning of the mansion, the story is concise and to the point, without any embellishment.
Chu Ning listened quietly, with no expression on her face, neither pride nor anger, as if what she heard was just a trivial matter.
He didn't even look at the faintly visible black smoke in the southeast, but just nodded slightly to show that he understood.
However, the next moment, he slowly stood up from the chair.
His simple action made the hearts of all the officials below rise to their throats, and the atmosphere instantly became extremely tense.
Chu Ning's gaze swept across the entire audience again. This time, there was something more in his eyes. It was a naked, undisguised warning and intimidation.
His voice was not loud, but it was like the sound of shattering ice, clearly reaching everyone's ears, carrying a power that could decide life and death:
"I know that some of you harbor resentment towards your former masters, some harbor hidden discontent, and some... are waiting to see which way the wind will blow."
He paused, and every word he spoke was like a heavy hammer hitting the hearts of his old ministers.
"Liu Bei, the Marquis of Anping, is ignorant of the current situation and has disobeyed orders. I have ordered his entire family to be sent on their way."
Such a simple sentence, but it was like thunder exploding over the square!
Despite having a premonition, when this bloody fact was announced so bluntly and so coldly, everyone still felt a chill running down their spine to the top of their head, their whole body was cold and they could hardly stand.
Destroy the whole family! It was actually the destruction of the whole family!
Such cruel means completely shattered the remaining hope and hesitation in some people's hearts.
Chu Ning took in the fear, shock, and despair of the people below, which was exactly the effect he wanted.
He needed to establish his authority and use the most brutal means to crush any possible will to resist, so that these people would understand that those who obey me will prosper, and those who defy me will perish, and this was not just empty talk.