Even though Shangguan Yan was unwilling, she understood that the situation was hopeless!
If they still don't know what's good for them and continue to hold out in Jiangling Commandery, they might completely enrage Lin Yi. If that happens, they'll lose even the last bit of their kinship, which would be a huge problem.
Now that Lin Yi has established the Great Liang Dynasty with an army of over 1.5 million, the few men he has are simply not enough to even touch him.
If we really anger him, the consequences will be unimaginable.
Shangguan Yundun nodded repeatedly, still shaken, and said, " Lin Yi is truly hiding his strength. With an army of 1.5 million, who in the All Under Heaven can stand against him?"
"Let alone the former Great Ning Dynasty, the entire East wouldn't be enough for him to conquer."
This guy is on a completely different level. If I continue to oppose him, things will probably get tough.
However, a problem arises: with his elder sister being the Empress, does the Shangguan Family Clan still have a chance to surrender? This is a major question.
" Great Ning is gone, completely gone!"
Yang Dongyu and Zhao Dezhu, on the other hand, had their eyes gleaming. Although their military power had been taken away, they were not without power to fight back. Now that the situation was clear, they should probably make plans as soon as possible, otherwise they might not have another chance.
"Brother, we need to think this through early; Great Ning is completely doomed."
"The Crown Prince is clearly no longer capable, perhaps..."
Their gazes turned to Crown Prince Li Qiankun, who now shone brightly in their eyes, practically a living testament to their loyalty.
The next moment, Shangguan Yan's gaze locked onto the two of them, a strange light flashing in her eyes. She said in a deep voice, "You two go and make the arrangements first. If Lin Yi doesn't agree, we'll fight to the death!"
The two men trembled at that glance, forgetting all about being impolite, and immediately turned and ran. They needed to go back and discuss their escape route.
Not only them, but even some of Li Qiankun's generals were starting to have their own ideas. This clearly showed that Xiliang was on the verge of collapse, and they now had to make plans for themselves.
Watching their retreating figures, Shangguan Yundun a grim face, "Sister, these people harbor malicious intentions; they might ruin things!"
He saw them whispering to each other just now, and it definitely wasn't anything good.
"Of course I know!"
A cold glint flashed in the Empress's eyes. She then produced a token and handed it to her younger brother, saying in a low voice, " Yundun, go and make the arrangements. Tonight, clean up all the aristocratic families within the jurisdiction. Make sure it's done thoroughly!"
"Purge all the aristocratic families?"
Shangguan Yundun's pupils shrank, his face filled with disbelief. Had his sister gone mad?
He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Sister, why are you targeting the powerful families? You should know the risks involved."
The power of aristocratic families is no joke; if there is even the slightest mistake, the Shangguan Family will be doomed.
"If we don't kill them, even if we surrender and Lin Yi forgives us, we'll probably still die. After we left, the Emperor wiped out all the powerful families in the capital, and the only one to escape was my Shangguan Family!"
After glancing at him, Shangguan Yan said with a meaningful look.
Holy crap!
Shangguan Yundun's face stiffened, and he felt a chill run down his spine. This was like stirring up a hornet's nest!
No wonder my sister wanted to wipe out these powerful families in the south; it was to eliminate future troubles and avoid retaliation.
It's important to understand that although the aristocratic families were stationed in the capital, they never put all their eggs in one basket. So, although the aristocratic families suffered heavy losses, their foundation remained intact.
If this news were to spread, the Li Imperial Clan would be devoured alive by the remaining forces of these powerful clans.
Now, the only option is to strike first and eliminate these powerful families. This will not only remove future threats but also give Lin Yi a good impression, and perhaps the Shangguan Family can escape this calamity!
He nodded and said in a deep voice, "Okay, I'll get on it right away, and I'll make sure everything's spotless!"
Grunt!
Li Qiankun's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a chill run down his spine. Fortunately, the news hadn't leaked out, otherwise all the powerful families in the south would probably come after him.
That's fucking terrifying!
Looking at the imperial edict in his uncle's hand, he couldn't help but complain, "Mother, why didn't Father come south with us? If Father's 500,000 troops came along, we would have 800,000 troops. We wouldn't be afraid of Lin Yi, would we?"
Is my father stupid? He knows he can't win, yet he still fights. Half a million troops have been wasted.
If you keep it for yourself, you have every chance to make a comeback.
An army of 800,000 is enough to sweep across the south; if you gather them together, you'll have a million-strong army, which is no match for Lin Yi at all.
Shangguan Yan glanced at her son, her eyes filled with disappointment, and couldn't help but sigh, "Son, do you think your father isn't as smart as you? There's still a chance to move south, but there has to be an opportunity to move south. Do you think Lin Yi as naive as you?"
They had already anticipated that Great Ning would migrate south, so the Xiliang Brocade Sail Battalion marched south along the Tianshui River, with 100,000 Xiliang Iron Cavalry on the side. You're trying to move under their noses? What a joke!
They're clearly highway robbers. If we get intercepted halfway, we're completely finished; a never-ending army will be coming our way!
After seeing the movements of the Brocade Sail Battalion, her husband gave up on moving south, as the risk was too great.
It's laughable that he can't even see his own son's problem, yet he wants to compete with Lin Yi. The gap between them is just too big.
"Ah, so that's how it is. Lin Yi really went too far!" Li Qiankun couldn't help but grit his teeth and say.
At that moment, he completely lost hope.
Now that Guan Yu has cut off their escape route, there is no way to escape, so they have no choice but to surrender to Lin Yi.
Just as Yang Dongyu and Zhao Dezhu left, they heard a rapid clatter of hooves approaching them from behind. This caused their expressions to change drastically, and they quickly looked back.
"The Empress's personal guards!"
Upon seeing these people, the two felt a chill run down their spines. They disregarded all etiquette and immediately turned and ran.
Unfortunately, it was too late!
Shangguan Yundun glanced at the two men, a flash of murderous intent crossing his face, and sneered, "Men, these two are colluding with the rebel Guan Yu! Seize them!"
" Shangguan Yundun, are you crazy? You still dare to attack us at a time like this?"
Seeing that he was about to be caught, Zhao Dezhu simply stopped running and gave up the fight. The enemy was on a warhorse; he couldn't possibly outrun them on foot.
Yang Dongyu sneered, " Shangguan Yundun, you'd better think carefully about what you're doing. Great Ning has already suffered a complete defeat, and you still want to offend my Yang Clan? I think you don't want to live!"
"Heh heh, it's precisely because I want to live that I can't let you leave!" Shangguan Yundun sneered and slashed at them with his sword.
It's either you die or I die, so let's not talk about friendship.