Three days later, Lan Yan City was exceptionally quiet in the height of summer. The cool breeze swayed the willow trees outside the city, giving out rustling sounds. There was an endless stream of merchants and travelers outside the city. Lan Yan City was different from the Five Valleys City. Even after the city was massacred, it was still very prosperous. In addition, a large number of people from Yun Zhong Province and Seven Seas Province had migrated over, which made this imperial capital not lose its former prosperity.
Lin Muyu and Qin Yan were already stopped when they entered the city wearing their armours. When the Centurion on duty brought them to Zhang Wei, Zhang Wei was already stunned.
"Daren … You are finally back!"
Zhang Wei jumped up and directly hugged Lin Muyu and laughed out loud, "Old Zhang had always been worried that you would be killed by the Demon Race!"
Lin Muyu hurriedly pushed him away and asked, "Lord Zhang Wei, have you received the Yu letter that we sent back from Cangnan Province?"
"En, long received it. Let's go. We will go to Ze Tian Hall now. It is currently the afternoon meeting time!"
"Good!"
Even though the entourage that Xiang Yu sent was filled with enmity, but as Zhang Wei was the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Army, they could not defy him and could only follow him up to the hall.
…
Lin Muyu didn't even have time to change her bloodstained armor before she walked into the Ze Tian Palace Hall. There weren't many officials in the Ze Tian Palace Hall, but they were all important ministers who held great power. Su Muyun, Tang Lan, Xue Ling, Tang Lu, Tang Tian, Su Yu, and the others were all there. In addition, there was also the Minister of Revenue, and a large group of civil and military officials.
"Temple Great Deacon Lin Muyu requests an audience!"
The shouts of the officials were incessant, "Little Prince Qin Yan requests an audience! Lord Zhang Wei requests an audience! "
On the Emperor's throne, Qin Yin was wearing a long robe embroidered with golden purple flowers. She suddenly sat up and dark blue tassels hung down the side of her skirt. Her hand held onto the hilt of the purple sword as she looked into the distance. Suddenly she could not bear it and stepped down the king's steps.
"Your Highness!"
Su Muyun coughed and said, "Please maintain your dignity."
Qin Yin stopped in her tracks and stood a few meters away from Lin Muyu. Her starry eyes were filled with nostalgia as she looked at him. She moved her red lips and murmured, "Big Brother Yu, are you alright?"
Lin Muyu took a step forward and knelt on one knee in front of Qin Yin. She said in a low voice, "Lin Muyu greets Your Highness! Xiao Yin, I'm fine. However, except for me and Ah Yan, the rest of the Yangwei Legion has been annihilated. "
"En, get up …"
Lin Muyu stood up. After looking around, she discovered that the atmosphere wasn't quite right. Feng Jixing, Wei Chou, and the others were looking at her with anxiety in their eyes. As for Tang Lan, Su Muyun, Tang Lu, and the others, their eyes were filled with ridicule.
"Min Yulin died in battle. Isn't that right, Grand Deacon?" Tang Lu suddenly asked with a smile.
"Yes."
"The Marquis of Wei, Min Yulin, who commanded fifty thousand elite soldiers, died in battle in Winter Frost City. Why was Grand Deacon able to return to Lanyan City unscathed? Could it be that it was really as Xiang Yu's letter said? Grand Deacon fled at the last moment and abandoned the dignity of a soldier of the empire, abandoning Min Yulin and the others?" Tang Lu's eyes were filled with ruthlessness as he asked in a low voice, "Lin Muyu, as the Grand Deacon of the Holy Temple, have you forgotten the dignity of a soldier of the empire?"
"I didn't flee at the last moment." Lin Muyu looked at him indifferently and said, "Xiang Yu is one of your people. There's no need to echo each other and pour dirty water on me. If I wanted to flee, I would have done so long ago. Why would I wait until Winter Frost City was breached?"
"Is that so?"
A trace of pride flashed through Tang Lu's eyes as he said, "I knew you would deny it. Fortunately, we still have a witness. Someone, bring the witness to Ze Tian Palace Hall."
Lin Muyu's gaze was grave and stern as he looked at Tang Lu calmly. He didn't know what the so-called witness was. Qin Yan, on the other hand, was incomparably furious as he gnashed his teeth.
Qin Yin was somewhat displeased as she frowned slightly and said, "Marquis of North Ridge, you clearly know that Lin Muyu is my sworn brother. Why do you have to make things difficult for him?"
Tang Lu cupped his fists and said respectfully, "Your Highness, this general isn't trying to make things difficult for you. This is the truth. Your Highness, just watch. The truth will come to light very soon."
"Oh?"
The corner of Qin Yin's mouth rose as she said indifferently, "Marquis of North Ridge, if you don't have sufficient evidence to say that Lin Muyu fled at the last moment, then don't blame me for stripping you of your noble title."
Tang Lu was startled. Tang Lan, who was beside him, frowned and didn't say anything. As one of the two dukes of the empire, Tang Lan held half of the empire in his hands. It was unknown when he had started to hide behind the scenes, but all the decrees were completed by Tang Lu and Tang Tian.
…
A few minutes later, under the protection of a group of Ze Tian Palace Hall's warriors, a general wearing broken armor walked into the main hall. When he arrived in front of Lin Muyu and Qin Yan, Lin Muyu almost crushed his steel teeth.
"Shi Huo!?"
"Lin Muyu!"
Shi Huo's face was full of anger as he said, "You didn't expect that I would be able to fight my way out of the Winter Ridge Province alive, right? You're a cowardly rat who doesn't dare to cross swords with the devil race. Do you still have the face to return to Lanyan City? "
As he spoke, Shi Huo suddenly turned around and cupped his fists toward Qin Yin, saying, "Your Highness, on the 12th of August, Winter Frost City was breached by the devil race. A hundred thousand armored devils besieged the Yangwei Legion. The Marquis ordered us to fight to the death, but I didn't expect that Lin Muyu would lead his troops and retreat from Winter Frost City early on. He took the opportunity when we were fighting the devil race and escaped without a trace. There are even rumors that he colluded with the leader of the devil race. Your Highness, please investigate this!"
"You're talking nonsense!"
Qin Yin's gaze was like a sharp sword. "Big Brother Yu isn't that kind of person. Someone, drag Shi Huo away and behead him!"
Tang Lu hurriedly said, "Your Highness, General Shi Huo is reasonable and not talking nonsense. Shi Huo, why don't you take out your evidence?"
Shi Huo gnashed his teeth and looked at Lin Muyu. He took out a broken battle flag from his bosom, which had a faint "Min" character on it. He also untied the sword at his waist and wrapped it in the battle flag. He said, "Your Highness, before Marquis Min Yulin died in battle, he entrusted me to pass this to Your Highness. In addition, the Marquis also asked me to pass on some words to Your Highness."
"Speak." Qin Yin said indifferently.
Shi Huo said, "The Marquis said that Lin Muyu recruited soldiers without authorization and was very autocratic in the army. She had long had the intention to be a disloyal subject. Moreover, the Yangwei Army's rations had always been personally planned by Lin Muyu, but they were easily attacked by the Armor Demons of the Demon Race, causing their rations to be cut off. Someone must have snitched on her. On the 30th day of the seventh month, Lin Muyu brought people out of the city to pull out the poisoned arrows from the Demon Race and brought the plague into Winter Frost City, killing tens of thousands of the empire's troops. On the 9th day of the eighth month, the tunnel that Commander Chai Hong was digging was also discovered by the Demon Race. The only people who knew about it were the few commanders and Lin Muyu. Someone must have snitched on her. The few commanders have already died in battle, and only Lin Muyu is still alive. Everything has proven that Lin Muyu colluded with the enemy and long ago colluded with the leader of the Demon Race. Your Highness, you can't tolerate him just because he's your sworn brother.
Otherwise … "Qin Yan was exasperated. He pointed at Shi Huo and shouted," You're slandering me! You beast! Slandering me! "
Qin Yin's gaze fell on Lin Muyu, and she said softly, "Big Brother Yu, tell me that what he said is false."
Lin Muyu's heart was filled with a myriad of emotions. It was full of bitterness, but she couldn't say it. She cupped her fists and said, "Your Highness, part of what he said is true, but there's also a part that he didn't say."
"En, Big Brother Yu, speak!"
Lin Muyu turned to look at Shi Huo and said, "The day before Winter Frost City was breached, Shi Huo and his subordinates dug up the corpses of the empire's soldiers who died in battle and cooked them. When the Marquis was about to condemn them, Shi Huo betrayed the empire. He led the five thousand troops of Seven Seas City and opened the south gate of Winter Frost City with the intention of leaving. This directly led to the fall of Winter Frost City."
Shi Huo's body trembled, and he pointed at her. "You … you're slandering me!"
Lin Muyu's eyes turned cold, and she shouted in a low voice, "Shi Huo! Winter Frost City was surrounded on all sides. You know the battle strength of tens of thousands of Armored Demons, and so do I. I only managed to escape with Ah Yan by a hair's breadth. With your ability, how could you have escaped? Moreover, you have the Marquis's sword and war flag. There's only one explanation. You surrendered to the demons and agreed to be a slave. That's why they let you go back to Lanyan City and used you as a spy to breach Lanyan City. Isn't that right? "
"You!"
Shi Huo's face turned red, and he said angrily, "Don't you try to mislead people and frame me!"
Behind Shi Huo, Tang Lu's face was also livid. He said, "Lin Muyu, the truth is right in front of us. There's no room for you to quibble. You did run away at the last moment. Don't you admit it? Shi Huo is a brave general of our Seven Seas City, and he has always been at the forefront of the army. He won't lie. I can guarantee it with my life. "
"Then your life is too worthless," Ye Zichen said coldly.
Lin Muyu sneered as she looked at Tang Lu. Suddenly, she pulled out the Dragon Spirit Sword from her waist. With a "Puchi" sound, the sword's blade pierced through Shi Huo's back, piercing his heart! "Oh my god!"
Everyone was shocked. No one expected that Lin Muyu would suddenly kill Shi Huo!
"Lin Muyu!"
Tang Lu looked at the fallen Shi Huo, and his face turned pale. "You're crazy … You're a lunatic … You actually dare to kill someone in Ze Tian Palace Hall. Do you still have Her Highness in your eyes? You …"
"Big Brother Yu, you …" Qin Yin also looked at him in confusion.
…
"Clang!"
The Dragon Spirit Sword suddenly pierced into the jade bricks in front of the palace hall. Lin Muyu raised her head and looked at Qin Yin, who was on the King's Step, and murmured, "Xiao Yin, the invasion of the devil race is imminent. Once they cross the Dao River, they will be able to sweep across the Qin Empire and destroy it. This empire will soon cease to exist. I don't want to waste a single second arguing with these sycophants. If Shi Huo was really that brave, he wouldn't have been killed by me. Time will prove everything. I will accept any punishment, but … we must quickly send reinforcements to Five Valleys City and Divine Shadow City, and set up defenses along the tributary of the Dao River. Otherwise, once the devil race crosses the river, it will be too late to say anything."
Feng Jixing murmured, "Yu, are the devil race really that powerful?"
"Yes."
Lin Muyu lightly nodded and said, "Big Brother Feng, once we face the devil race, we must be careful. They have at least a hundred thousand Armor Demons. The battle strength of an Armor Demon is equivalent to twenty elite soldiers of the empire."
"What?!" Feng Jixing turned pale with fright.
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