SWDnovel Chapter 136: Defeat is rebellion, victory is called purging the court of corrupt officials.
Chapter 136: Defeat is rebellion, victory is called purging the court of corrupt officials.
Seeing Yang Guang waving at him, Lü Xiao turned to Zhao Chong and said in a deep voice, "We'll talk about Wagang later."
He strode up to Yang Guang, bowed, and asked, "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"
Yang Guang, holding Lü Zhen in his arms, slowly spoke:
"You little rascal, you've got a quick name-gathering knives. I haven't even had a chance to return to the Eastern Capital yet, and you've already decided on Zhen'er's name."
He was satisfied with the name; it had a very good meaning.
If Lü Xiao dares to choose a vulgar or offensive name, his maternal grandfather will definitely force him to choose a different one.
"Father, it was I who asked him to go first. You were too slow to return, so you can't blame him!"
When Yang Ruyi saw Yang Guang bringing up her name, she immediately jumped out and grabbed Yang Guang's arm, acting coquettishly.
Yang Guang then slowly raised his eyes, caught sight of his daughter, and feigned surprise on his face:
"Hey, Ruyi, when did you get here?"
"..."
Yang Ruyi was speechless for a moment, her cheeks puffed up with anger, looking just like a sulking little toad.
She felt she had been deeply insulted.
Isn't she the emperor's beloved darling since childhood?
How come in the blink of an eye, Father Emperor's attention has been completely focused on his son, and he can't even see her standing right next to him?
"She's already a mother, yet she's still jealous of her own son, her cheeks puffed out like a toad."
Lu Xiao stepped forward, gently put his arm around Yang Ruyi's shoulder, and whispered a teasing laugh in her ear.
"You're the one who looks like a toad!"
Yang Ruyi's face fell, and she retorted angrily.
Yang Guang, holding Lü Zhen, glanced at the two of them without turning his head, his tone tinged with impatience:
"Why haven't you two left yet? You're blocking my way from playing with my grandson."
Lu Xiao smiled helplessly and tugged at Yang Ruyi's hand: "Alright, we're just superfluous here. Let's each go about our own business."
He finally understood, ever since Yang Guang met Lü Zhen.
Not to mention his son-in-law, even Yang Ruyi, his own daughter, has become dispensable.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this family met through a forum.
However, this also shows that Yang Guang truly loved Lü Zhen to the core.
Yang Guang had no time to pay attention to the couple; he was only focused on teasing Lü Zhen in his arms.
Lü Xiao then led Zhao Chong to a side hall and said in a deep voice, "Tell me, what exactly happened to Wagang Village?"
He had already anticipated that, given the internal conflicts within Wagangzhai, things would definitely descend into chaos after he left.
When he was in Wagang Village, the village was divided into two factions. The two sides were on the surface harmonious, and it was only through his mediation that the balance was barely maintained.
Now that he's gone, without any checks and balances, the two sides are bound to clash.
Especially given Xu Maogong's shrewdness and Wang Bodang's ruthlessness, Zhai Rang's lack of ambition and indecisiveness would certainly put him in a very difficult situation.
Zhao Chong stood bowing and solemnly recounted the news:
"Your Highness, a fire has broken out within Wagang Village, and Zhai Rang has been killed by Wang Bodang's troops."
"Oh."
Lu Xiao chuckled lightly, showing no surprise in his eyes; everything was exactly as he had predicted.
In fact, this ending was already destined when Qin Qiong and others joined Wagang Village.
Even though they fought to the death, none of them were a match for Luo Shixin and Qin Qiong; they were killed sooner or later.
Zhao Chong quickly added, "According to reports from spies, Zheng's men once secretly went to Wagang Village."
"The Zheng family?" A cold glint flashed in Lü Xiao's eyes.
He also thought that Zheng had become completely obedient after Zheng Ji's death.
They even dared to pull some dirty tricks behind the scenes, getting involved with Wagangzhai. It seems they're planning something big.
He was just worried about not having a chance to thoroughly settle scores with the Zheng family, his enemy, when they unexpectedly delivered themselves to his doorstep.
"Let the spies continue to gather intelligence."
"Yes, sir!"
Zhao Chong bowed and accepted the order, then turned and quickly left.
Lu Xiao turned and walked out of the side hall, returning to the courtyard, only to find that Yang Guang still showed no sign of leaving.
"Zhen'er, how about going back to the palace with your maternal grandfather?"
Yang Guang lifted Lü Zhen high above his head, watching the little guy wave his chubby little hands, and giggled, his eyes filled with even more joy.
Lu Xiao stepped forward, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke, "Your Majesty..."
There were some things he didn't know whether he should say or not, but he really didn't dare let Yang Guang bring Lü Zhen back to the palace.
If Yang Ruyi found out, she would definitely explode, and then there would be a huge uproar.
"Hmm?" Yang Guang turned his head and looked at him with suspicion. "Why are you stammering? Just say what you have to say."
Lu Xiao took a deep breath and forced himself to say, "Your Majesty, what I mean is... this is my son."
He phrased it tactfully, but in reality, he was subtly refusing.
"What? Your son?" Yang Guang immediately frowned, hugged Lü Zhen tightly, and stared at Lü Xiao as if guarding against a thief.
"This is my grandson! I wish to bring him back to the palace; who dares to stop me?"
"...You're right."
Lu Xiao was speechless for a moment, then shook his head helplessly.
He finally witnessed what it means to be possessive of one's food today.
"Alright, I won't waste any more words with you. I'm taking Zhen'er back to the palace."
Yang Guang carried Lü Zhen, turned around and left in a hurry.
Not long after Yang Guang left, Yang Ruyi came looking for him from the backyard.
Looking around and not seeing Lü Zhen, he immediately frowned and looked at Lü Xiao: "Where's my son?"
Lu Xiao scratched his head and said cautiously, "His Majesty... took him back to the palace and said he would take him to stay in the palace for a few days."
"oh."
Yang Ruyi nodded calmly, her expression serene and showing no sign of anger, as if she had expected it all along.
"You...aren't angry?"
Lu Xiao was stunned, hardly believing his ears.
He originally thought that Yang Ru would be furious if she couldn't see her son, but he didn't expect her to be so calm.
"Why should I be angry? It's Zhen'er's good fortune that Father Emperor dotes on her so much. I'm overjoyed."
Yang Ruyi had already devised a two-step plan in her mind to help her son seize power.
The first step was to launch a rebellion immediately after Yang Guang's death.
Although it was a rebellion, there's a saying that goes something like this.
Defeat is rebellion; victory is called purging the court of corrupt officials.
The second step is to follow the orthodox path of inheritance.
Yang Guang's fondness for Lü Zhen could potentially allow him to break the age-old rules of succession.
This would not only save them from the calamity of war, but also allow Lü Zhen to firmly sit on that supreme position.
However, the difficulty of breaking the age-old rules is unimaginable.
Lu Xiao smiled and leaned closer, his tone slightly teasing: "Since you're not angry, how about we create another alt account?"
Yang Ruyi rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't help but smile, her tone carrying a hint of coquettishness: "You can practice."
She also felt that having only Lü Zhen was somewhat insufficient.
Having more children not only consolidates power but also allows the children to support each other in the future.
After saying that, she turned and walked towards the backyard, the implication in her eyes was self-evident.
Lu Xiao chuckled softly and quickly followed.