SWDnovel Chapter 298 Only by living can one have a chance to overthrow Qin Mu? It's just a self-deceivin
Chapter 298 Only by living can one have a chance to overthrow Qin Mu? It's just a self-deceivin
The morning light poured in from outside the palace gates, illuminating the entire Tianqi Palace in a golden glow.
Twelve golden pillars with coiled dragons stand majestically in the sunlight, the five-clawed dragons on the pillars are lifelike, as if they are about to burst out of the pillars at any moment.
The floor, paved with gold bricks, was so shiny it reflected the red candles inside the hall, each as thick as a child's arm.
The candlelight flickered gently in the morning breeze, illuminating the entire hall as bright as day.
Civil and military officials were arranged on both sides according to their rank.
Civil officials were on the left and military officials on the right; purple robes, scarlet robes, and blue robes were clearly distinguished by color, and the order was impeccable.
But beneath this order lies a deathly silence.
No one speaks.
No one whispered. Even breathing was kept to a minimum.
All eyes were fixed on the open palace door. They waited.
Liu Hongyan stood outside the palace gate and took a deep breath.
The morning light shone in from behind her, making her slender figure stand out clearly.
She stood there like a wounded, caged beast released from its cage.
Behind her, Zhao Qingxue stood three steps away.
Her moon-white dress fluttered gently in the morning breeze, her long hair was loosely tied up with only a white jade hairpin.
She just stood there quietly, without urging or saying a word.
Liu Hongyan closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
When she opened her eyes again, the fear was still there, but beneath that fear, there was something else.
That was a desperate, all-or-nothing decision.
That was the unwavering determination to survive no matter what.
She stepped across the threshold.
"Splash—"
The shackles on his feet clattered against the threshold, making a crisp metallic clanging sound.
The sound echoed in the empty hall, like a stone thrown into a still lake, creating ripples.
All the officials, both civil and military, turned their gazes to her.
Those gazes contained scrutiny, indifference, curiosity, and a barely perceptible hint of pity.
But Liu Hongyan didn't look at them.
Her gaze passed through the twelve golden pillars with coiled dragons, through the long sandalwood table, through the mountain of documents and memorials, and landed on the high throne.
Then, she paused slightly.
A person sat on the throne.
A moon-white robe, a handsome face, and a languid and composed demeanor.
Qin Mu leaned back in his chair, propped his chin on one hand, and looked at her with a smile.
The smile was gentle, as gentle as a spring breeze. But the moment Liu Hongyan saw that smile, a chill ran down her spine.
She stood there, looking at the man sitting on the throne, at the position that should have belonged to Empress Li Yang, which he now sat there as if it were his right.
An indescribable sense of absurdity welled up in my heart.
This is the Liyang Dynasty.
This is the Tianqi Hall.
This is the place where emperors of Liyang have held grand ceremonies, received envoys, and issued edicts over the past three hundred years.
But at this moment, sitting on that throne is the Emperor of Qin.
Empress Zhao Qingxue of Liyang stood behind him, no more than three feet away, with her hands at her sides, her posture respectful, like a maid.
A thought suddenly flashed through Liu Hongyan's mind.
It was effortless.
Six words, like four cold iron nails, were driven deep into her heart.
Qin Mu did not deploy a single soldier, did not launch a war, and did not even leave the palace.
He simply stood here, sat there, and the Empress of Liyang stood behind him; the three pillars of the Liyang Dynasty bowed their heads in submission; and the entire court of civil and military officials fell silent in fear.
Without lifting a finger, they swallowed up an entire dynasty.
Liu Hongyan's fingers clenched tightly inside her sleeve.
My fingernails dug deep into my palm, sending a sharp pain through me.
But that pain was nothing compared to the turbulent waves churning in her heart.
What can the North possibly use to fight against such people?
His Highness the Crown Prince is still plotting in the Northern Frontier, believing victory is assured.
They thought that as long as they joined forces with Li Yang, waited for the right opportunity, and seized Qin Mu's weakness, they could overthrow the Great Qin in one fell swoop.
But His Highness was unaware that Li Yang was already gone.
The ally he thought he had was already Qin Mu's.
His perceived chances of winning were nothing but a joke.
And he, Liu Hongyan, was the envoy on whom His Highness the Crown Prince placed high hopes.
Standing here in this palace that now belongs to Qin Mu, he is like a prisoner, waiting to be judged.
Liu Hongyan's eyes were slightly red.
It is not for the North that I grieve, nor for His Highness the Crown Prince. It is for myself that I grieve.
I feel sorry for Liu Hongyan, who stood in the snowstorm of the North, believing she was fighting for justice.
That Liu Hongyan is so foolish.
They were foolish enough to think they could actually change anything.
They were foolish enough to think that as long as they were loyal enough and worked hard enough, they could wait for the day when the clouds would part and the moon would shine.
But what is the reality?
The reality is that the strong rule.
The reality is that whoever has the strongest fist is right.
The reality is that Liu Hongyan is standing in this palace right now, like an ant, waiting for that powerful figure to pronounce her life or death.
Liu Hongyan's eyes flickered slightly.
The sorrow, resentment, and struggle in those phoenix eyes had all faded away.
All that remains is a cold, clear sky.
She wants to live.
No matter what, we must survive.
It wasn't for the Northern Territory, it wasn't for His Highness the Crown Prince, it wasn't for those vague and ethereal "righteous causes."
It was all for her own sake.
For Liu Hongyan, who grew up in the snow and wind of the North, endured so much hardship and suffering, and finally managed to survive to this day.
She wants to live.
Even if it means living like a dog. Even if it means kneeling before that man, wagging its tail and begging for mercy.
Even if from now on, he will no longer be that proud Northern strategist.
She had to live.
This thought burned like a fire in her heart.
Burn that sorrow, that resentment, that struggle, all to ashes.
All that remained was a burning, scorching will to survive.
Liu Hongyan took a deep breath, stepped forward, and continued walking towards the center of the hall.
"Splash—splash—"
The shackles on his feet dragged on the gold bricks, making a dull metallic sound.
All the officials, both civil and military, followed her gaze.
But Liu Hongyan no longer cared.
She walked to the center of the hall and stopped.
Then, she raised her head and looked at the man on the throne.
Qin Mu remained leaning back in his chair, his posture languid.
The morning light streamed in from outside the palace gates, illuminating him and casting a half-light, half-shadow on his handsome face.
Those deep eyes were fixed on her, a smile playing on their lips, conveying a profound meaning.
When Liu Hongyan met that gaze, a bitter, self-deprecating feeling rose in her heart.
What can the North use to fight against him?
Your Highness, what can you do to fight him?
She suddenly felt so tired.
It's not physical exhaustion, it's mental exhaustion.
It's that kind of despair where you've persisted for a long time, given so much, and thought you were finally about to see hope, only to suddenly realize that you were destined to fail from the very beginning.
But that despair only lingered in her heart for a moment.
The desire to keep living became even stronger.
The North was doomed to defeat.
She didn't have to die for the North.
His Highness may lose, or he may die, but what does that have to do with her?
She did so much for him, risking her life for him, venturing into the lion's den for him.
But where is he now, as she stands in this palace, facing a life-or-death decision?
In the northern border. In the Zhenbei Prince's mansion, he plotted his great undertaking.
He didn't know her situation, her fears, or that she was paying the price for his past ambitions with her own life.
not worth it.
It's really not worth it.
Liu Hongyan's eyes were slightly red.
But she gritted her teeth and didn't let the tears fall.
In comparison, she should save her own life first.
Then look for opportunities.
Perhaps, we can make contact with Xu Fenghua of the Great Qin Dynasty.
Then they would coordinate from the inside and outside.
That's right, Liu Hongyan was using this reason to comfort and convince herself.
She wasn't just trying to survive; she was enduring humiliation and hardship.
She wasn't betraying the North; she was preserving the last spark for the North.
She wasn't afraid of death; she chose to live for a greater purpose.
What a great reason.
Flawless.
It was so perfect that she couldn't find a single word to refute it.
The self-deprecating smile on Liu Hongyan's lips deepened even further.
Of course she knew that this was just an excuse.
It was just a high-sounding excuse she made up for herself in order to survive.
So what? As long as we can live, excuses are fine too.
She took a deep breath, raised her head, and met Qin Mu's gaze.
Just then—
Qin Mu spoke.
"Liu Hongyan, do you know your crime?"
Liu Hongyan slowly knelt down.
His knee slammed into the gold brick with a dull thud.
She kept her head down, her forehead almost touching the cold ground.
The lake-blue dress spread out around her, wrinkled and covered in dust, like a flower about to wither.
She spoke, her voice hoarse, yet each word clear: "This humble woman... confesses."
She did not ask what the crime was.
There was no explanation.
He did not beg for mercy.
He simply pleaded guilty.
She confessed to a crime she had no idea what it was.
Because she knew it was her only option.
Inside the hall, all was still deathly silent.
The civil and military officials looked at Liu Hongyan kneeling on the ground, at her humble and undignified appearance.
A hint of reluctance flashed in some people's eyes, while others lowered their heads, unable to look any longer.
But no one spoke.
No one dared to speak.
Qin Mu looked at her kneeling figure and her slightly trembling shoulders.
The smile on his lips deepened even further.
He didn't rush to speak.
He simply leaned back in his chair, his gaze shifting from Liu Hongyan to the lowered heads and the silent figures in the hall.
Finally, the blame fell on those old ministers in purple robes.
He spoke, his voice still soft, yet carrying an undeniable authority:
"This woman is a spy from the Northern Frontier. According to the laws of Li Yang, what should be done with her?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the hall froze.
The civil and military officials exchanged glances, each seeing the complexity in the other's eyes.
Northern spy?
Just three days ago, Liu Hongyan was clearly still an envoy from the Northern Border.
The difference between "messenger" and "spy" is as small as one word, but the difference is like heaven and earth.
The envoy was protected by the alliance between the two countries.
Spies should be killed by everyone.
Qin Mu is trying to ruin her.
But what can they say? What dare they say?
Silence spread throughout the hall.
That silence, like an invisible tide, engulfed everyone.
No one dared to be the first to speak; no one dared to step forward at this moment.
Finally, a voice rang out from the queue.
The voice was old and hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor.
"Your Majesty, according to the laws of Liyang—"
He was an old minister wearing a dark purple robe embroidered with cranes.
He kept his head down, not looking at Qin Mu, nor at Liu Hongyan, but staring at the gold brick at his feet, uttering each word slowly and deliberately:
"He should be executed."
Liu Hongyan's body trembled violently!
The trembling started in the shoulders, spread down the spine, to the hands, and to the whole body.
She knelt there, her whole body swaying precariously like a leaf in the wind.
He should be executed.
These two words were like a cold knife held to her neck.
She felt the blade touch her skin, and the cold sensation gave her goosebumps.
She could almost see her head hitting the ground, blood gushing from her neck, and her body slumping down onto the cold ground.
Fear surged in like a tidal wave, engulfing her.
Liu Hongyan immediately raised her head and looked in Zhao Qingxue's direction, her eyes filled with pleading.
Standing behind Qin Mu, Zhao Qingxue sighed inwardly, then spoke:
"Liyang is now under the control of my Great Qin."
Zhao Qingxue slowly walked out from behind Qin Mu.
The moon-white dress shimmered softly in the morning light, its hem trailing on the ground with a soft rustling sound.
She walked to one side of the long table, stopped, turned around, and faced the assembled officials.
Those deep purple phoenix eyes calmly swept over the figures in purple, scarlet, and green robes within the hall.
She spoke, her voice calm and utterly devoid of emotion:
"The law naturally follows the Qin Dynasty's precedent. How this matter should be punished depends on the Qin Dynasty's laws."
The moment the words fell, the expressions of all the civil and military officials in the hall changed simultaneously!
Every word Zhao Qingxue said was like a knife, piercing the hearts of these veteran officials of Liyang.
Liyang is governed by the Qin Dynasty. Therefore, the laws and regulations are also governed by the Qin Dynasty.
This is clearly a declaration that from now on, the Liyang Dynasty will no longer have its own laws.
From now on, these veteran officials of Liyang will no longer have to abide by the laws of Liyang, but by the laws of the Great Qin.
The laws of Liyang, which they had studied for half their lives, knew by heart, and were so proud of, were now null and void.
From that moment on, even when they broke the law, they didn't know which law to apply to their judgment.
Because they did not understand the laws of the Qin Dynasty.
The laws of another dynasty that they had never studied, knew nothing about, and that belonged to.
Zhao Qingxue looked at them, at those aged faces filled with confusion.
There was still no emotion in those deep purple phoenix eyes.
There was only peace.
It was as calm as a stagnant pool.
It was as if what she had personally ended was not the three-hundred-year-old legal legacy of Liyang, but just a trivial matter.
"Spies must be killed, of course."
At this moment, Qin Mu suddenly spoke up calmly.