Chapter 254.1: Hello Chang’an
Chapter 254.1: Rules Are Dead, But People Can Be Too (Part 1)
Li Yi was shocked and terrified.
How could it be Wei Shuyi?!
And Yu Zai?!
He instinctively glanced at Wei Shuyi’s sides, yet saw no familiar faces… Where had all his men gone?
The answer was not hard to guess, but Li Yi could not accept it. He murmured in panic, “Impossible… how could this be!”
How had the imperial envoy bypassed his line of sight and reached the place where Yu Zai and the eighty-thousand-strong army were stationed?
That army was under Yu Zai’s control; all key positions were manned by his men. How could a mere civil official like Wei Shuyi, in such a short time, quietly bring those eighty thousand soldiers under control?
He could not figure it out, and there seemed to be no way to imagine it—but the fact was right in front of him.
The young man rode forward and looked down at the kneeling, bloodied, disheveled man in ordinary military attire. He was slightly surprised and asked, “…Li Yi?”
With this appearance, it was hard to recognize him.
Chang Suining nodded. “It’s him.”
Wei Shuyi followed the sound of her voice and was somewhat surprised as well. “Miss Chang?”
Even though he had seen her in male attire many times before, seeing her now in military uniform still caught him off guard.
Chang Suining nodded again. “It is me.”
Wei Shuyi then dismounted.
His official robes were spotless, untouched by dust, and his face retained the clarity and refinement of spring mountains. At a glance, he seemed the type born for office: to write reports, appreciate poetry, or enjoy flowers—but not to appear amid the crude, steaming, and blood-soaked chaos of a battlefield.
Yet, here he was.
Seeing him approach, Chang Suining raised a hand. “Minister Wei.”
“It has been a long time, Miss Chang,” Wei Shuyi said, a faint smile in his clear eyes as he looked at her. Then, he glanced at Li Yi. “I never expected that when we met again, it would be under such circumstances.”
But this was no time for pleasantries.
“I have been sent by imperial decree to apprehend the rebel Li Yi,” he said. “You have already captured him through your efforts. I shall report your merits to the Holy Emperor. Therefore, please hand him over to me, Miss Chang.”
Those holding Li Yi did not immediately release him, instead looking to Chang Suining for permission.
Even Deputy General Jin and others instinctively looked to her, waiting for her to speak.
Wei Shuyi did not mind. His eyes, always faintly smiling, also turned to her. He realized she now commanded the loyalty of the people.
Apparently, the reports he had heard about her were true.
This loyalty was earned through her own abilities.
Chang Suining paused briefly before speaking: “I can hand him over to you, Minister Wei, but I need to kill him first.”
Wei Shuyi was slightly stunned. Did she mean to hand him a corpse?
“You cannot kill me!” Li Yi immediately changed his expression and quickly looked at Wei Shuyi. “I have surrendered! I know my mistake! My father, Li Tong, Prince of Huainan, has contributed so much to the court! You cannot execute me without authority! I must return to the capital to face the Holy Emperor… I will confess my crimes in person!”
He hurriedly added, “Also, I know Xu Zhengye’s secrets… I will report them personally to the Holy Emperor once I return!”
Chang Suining found it amusing. This man was not skilled in anything else, but he knew exactly how to try to save his life.
She looked at Li Yi and asked Wei Shuyi, “Does Minister Wei believe him?”
Wei Shuyi remained noncommittal, as if wanting to say something but holding back.
Still, Chang Suining said, “I must kill him.”
Wei Shuyi asked, “What do you mean by ‘must’?”
“Previously, my father should have led one hundred thousand troops to support Hezhou. After he left camp, Li Yi unilaterally altered the route of the remaining eighty thousand soldiers. Using the excuse that a single general could not watch Hezhou fall, he intended to besiege the city—”
“Though he held a mighty army, he acted selfishly, disregarding the lives of Hezhou’s citizens, letting countless innocents die—”
“To seize command, he attempted to assassinate He Wei through deceit. Generals can die on the battlefield, face danger, or fall to cunning tactics; this is understandable. But to die at the hands of such a foolishly malicious person is unacceptable in my eyes.”
Wei Shuyi looked at the eyes filled with indignation for He Wei.
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