Sima Sheng knew he had no way out.
His previous incitement of public opinion and denunciation of the Imperial Family were merely part of a strategy to obtain the Imperial Decree to Protect the King.
Now that his image as a righteous man who spoke out for the people had crumbled, and even aroused public anger and suspicion, he steeled himself and gritted his teeth, thinking to himself:
"Since that's the case, I might as well switch sides and support the emperor."
First, gain Zhang Yu's trust and save your life; then you can plan your moves more slowly later.
Having made up his mind, Sima Sheng made no further attempt to conceal his intentions and decided to pursue the cause of supporting the emperor to the very end.
He took a deep breath and retorted sarcastically:
"Your Prime Minister is mistaken."
The Sheng Family Ancestor unified the southern region, ending the chaos and protecting the people. This is an indisputable historical fact, known to all. How can it be considered a "myth of fooling the people"?
Can such achievements in expanding territory and laying the foundation for the nation be so easily erased?
This time he learned his lesson and stopped making hasty judgments, instead presenting only irrefutable basic facts in an attempt to gain a foothold.
"Absurd!"
Zhu Wuyuan sneered from inside the sedan chair, his voice coming through the curtain, cold and sarcastic:
"How can the achievements of our Ancestors be used by their Heir Apparent to create chaos in the country?"
In recent years, the Sheng Family has been extravagant and dissolute, squandering national funds and waging endless wars, resulting in an empty treasury and widespread suffering among the people.
Even worse, some people, driven by selfish desires or for the sake of a woman, recklessly resort to violence, committing countless atrocities—this is an indisputable fact!
"How can someone who behaves like this be worthy of being an emperor?"
He understood people's hearts well, knowing that they cared more about their immediate interests—taxes, corvée labor, and the suffering brought by war—than about the distant achievements of their Ancestors.
His words immediately resonated with many people below, especially those families where someone had been drafted into the military or were burdened with heavy taxes.
"That's right! My son died in Northern Frontier!"
"Taxes are getting heavier every year; we can't even get enough to eat!"
"Exactly, Ancestors made contributions, does that mean they can do whatever they want?"
Seeing that public sentiment had been stirred up again, Zhu Wuyuan became even more vehement, throwing out the most vicious argument, one that would most shake the very foundations of the Imperial Family:
"Moreover, the Sheng Family bloodline is born with bad luck and weak bodies; they are a clan abandoned by heaven."
"What virtue or ability, what qualifications, does a Lineage that cannot even protect its own Fortune, and may even bring misfortune upon itself, have to sit on the throne and rule over hundreds of millions of people in East Sheng?"
These words immediately sparked a buzz of discussion in the square.
Bad luck, weakness, abandonment by heaven... these words have deeply stung many people.
In this era that worships power and reveres Mandate of Heaven, an Imperial Family considered ominous is indeed difficult to convince the public.
Sima Sheng was somewhat embarrassed by Zhu Wuyuan's barrage of questions and harsh words, but he knew that he could not back down at this moment, otherwise all his previous efforts would be in vain.
He immediately retorted, raising his voice several decibels:
"The Sheng Family are of average talent, have little Fortune, and even occasionally encounter setbacks."
It was because their Ancestors had consumed too much of their bloodline power and damaged their own Fortune in order to suppress the Demon Grotto.
They dedicated their Fortune to the peace of the Eastern Sheng Kingdom.
Although this matter is kept secret, it is by no means unfounded.
Their misfortune is proof of their sacrifice.
"The concept of Fortune is Void and merely an excuse for incompetence."
Zhu Wuyuan sneered, his tone becoming increasingly sharp:
"Even if there truly is Fortune, it was a voluntary offering by the Sheng Family Ancestor. What does it have to do with us, the East Sheng?"
They themselves chose to suppress this Demon Grotto. Should we, generation after generation, be grateful and use the people's hard-earned money to support a bunch of incompetent people plagued by bad luck?
"That's right! We didn't force them to sacrifice their Fortune!"
They deserved it!
Why should we bear the consequences?
Some of the incited crowd immediately joined in the commotion, making harsh remarks and completely forgetting their previous awe and gratitude towards the Imperial Family.
The selfishness and callousness of human nature are laid bare at this moment.
Sima Sheng that his face turned pale, and his finger trembled as he pointed in the direction of the sedan chair:
"You... you all."
Ungrateful."
Zhu Wuyuan sneered, "To bestow favors without expecting anything in return is the virtue of a gentleman."
Even if the ancestors of the Sheng family did indeed do favors for the Dong Sheng Kingdom, they must have done so with a heart full of gratitude and without expecting anything in return.
How can you expect us to repay their descendants?
The two engaged in a heated exchange, going back and forth.
Although Sima Sheng's rhetoric became more pro-emperor, his sudden shift in allegiance was completely unexpected.
Clearly, he was inferior to Zhu Wuyuan was well-prepared and had a deep understanding of the art.
Moreover, behind Zhu Wuyuan stood a vast populace, stirred up and eager to change the status quo.
Sima Sheng, on the other hand, was almost all alone, facing skeptical, disdainful, and even angry gazes.
He couldn't hold the line alone and gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.
Zhang Yu watched with great interest, as if what was happening before him was not the eye of the storm that would determine the fate of him and the entire Sheng Family, but rather a magnificent drama.
Zhang Lingyun, however, remained highly vigilant throughout.
She vaguely sensed a gaze, faint yet unsettling, that seemed to be fixed on her.
Your Highness!
Suddenly, a deep, resonant shout rolled across the square like muffled thunder.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw the side gate of the Imperial City suddenly burst open, and a group of elite Armored Soldiers escorted a middle-aged general dressed in heavy black armor, rushing towards them.
The general rode an Exotic Beasts resembling a Qilin with a single horn on its head. The sound of wind and thunder could be faintly heard as its four hooves pounded the ground, and its aura was astonishing.
What's even more striking is that behind this general are dozens of figures with solemn auras and different attire.
These people are the core force of the Four Great Families —Murong, Bai, Li, and Wang—who are the true masters of the Imperial Authority.
Since the elite Alchemy Legion directly under the Imperial Family was rendered useless due to resource depletion, the private soldiers and experts of these Four Great Families have become the last cornerstone supporting the Imperial Authority.
The middle-aged general rode his beast over, and only clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhang Yu on the Raised Platform, his voice booming. "I am late in protecting Your Highness, please forgive Your Highness!"
His gaze, sharp as lightning, swept over Sima Sheng and Zhu Wuyuan's sedan chairs and the dark mass of people below, carrying an undisguised warning.
Then, he turned to Zhang Yu and said in a deep voice:
"Your Highness, there is no need to waste your breath on these ungrateful people."
The matter here will be judged by public opinion.
"I have not yet summoned the elders of the four Lineage and the Personal Guards. Your Highness, please return to the palace immediately to ensure everything is in order!"
His arrival, along with the dozens of clearly Cultivation experts from the Four Great Families behind him, instantly changed the situation on the field.
The previously one-sided public opinion was slightly curbed by the sudden appearance of this force, representing the last military and Aristocratic Clan power of the Eastern Sheng Kingdom.
Many of the clamoring crowds unconsciously lowered their voices and their eyes showed a hint of fear when faced with these obviously formidable cultivators and elite Armored Soldiers.
Zhu Wuyuan's face grew even more somber as he sat in the sedan chair.
"General Wang, using your power to intimidate others is not a good habit."
A valiant Female General rode up on horseback and stood beside Zhu Wuyuan.
Behind him was a squad of elites whose aura seemed no weaker than that of the Four Great Families.
Zhang Lingyun glanced at them secretly and transmitted her voice to Zhang Yu: "They are all at the Feathered Realm and the Heaven Ascension Realm, not Celestial Person. I can handle them all by myself."
But as soon as she spoke, she felt herself locked onto by a strange aura and instinctively wanted to escape.
Zhang Yu noticed something was wrong with her:
"Do not act rashly. The Azure Cloud Sword, the most powerful Divine Artifact of the Sheng Family Ancestor, has been suppressing the Demon Grotto beneath the Imperial City and protecting the people of the Imperial City at the same time."
"Any outsider who attempts to use force here will be attacked."
"Just what Cultivation of the Sheng Family Ancestor? How could a single sword be so terrifying, almost comparable to Immortal?"
Zhang Lingyun couldn't help but sigh.
"Do you like it? I'll give it to you in a few days."
Zhang Yu was confident that he wanted both the Fortune and the Divine Artifact of the Sheng Family Ancestor.