Chapter 40: The Beginning of Chaos (6)

It seemed An Lushan had no intention of stopping there. He merely snorted coldly and said, “That’s why I say—so-called legitimacy and orthodoxy, the claim of being ordained by heaven, are nothing but superficial tricks used by rulers to deceive and control the people. These theories may fool others, but not me! Think of me—starting out as a mere governor with no connections or relatives. If everything had to be determined by bloodline and hierarchy, I doubt I would have reached where I am today!”
After a brief pause, An Lushan continued, “I admire Cao Cao not because he eventually seized the Han dynasty’s throne, but because he dared to confront public criticism and do what others dared not! He risked being labeled a traitor to build an empire—such courage is beyond Liu Bei and Sun Quan. So, if we’re to talk about heroes among the Three Kingdoms, Cao Cao should be ranked first!”
At this point, Lu Ji was utterly embarrassed. He desperately wanted to speak, but every word died in his throat. With An Lushan having spoken so plainly, what more could he say?
“Do you, Lord Lu, aspire to become like Guo Jia or Xun Yu?”
An Lushan asked, raising an eyebrow coldly.
“Ah!”
Seeing how clear An Lushan’s intention was, Lu Ji was speechless for a moment.
“Your Highness, your highness, I…”
Lu Ji wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke in a choked voice.
“Lord Lu, have you heard a folk song circulating among the people of Hedong along your journey here?”
Finding Lu Ji’s embarrassed expression amusing, An Lushan wasn’t in a hurry for him to respond. Instead, he shifted the topic to something else.
“I’ve heard a bit of it!”
Finally freed from the pressure, Lu Ji let out a sigh of relief.
“‘Nine treasures rise, four directions shake; flames rise in Youyan, war spreads far and wide. When the Green Dragon emerges from the sea to the southwest, the capital will fall, and order will be restored in the east!’ The person who wrote this poem has quite extraordinary thoughts. Do you think those nine treasures might end up in Youyan?”
An Lushan approached Lu Ji with a half-smile and spoke softly.
Such a gentle voice coming from a monster who killed countless people carried an unusual sense of death.
Lu Ji’s Adam’s apple moved slightly as he said, “I… I really can’t say much about these matters.”
“Oh? Can’t you, or don’t you dare? What are you afraid of?”
Suddenly, An Lushan grabbed Lu Ji by the collar and pulled him up—the envoy sent by the Tang emperor to Fanyang.
“Ah, Your Highness! What does this mean? General, what is the meaning of this?”
Panicked, Lu Ji flailed in the air, hoping to return to the ground.

An Lushan was tall and strong—how could such a frail scholar escape from his grasp?
“In your current state, you certainly lack any trace of refinement!”
An Lushan snorted disdainfully and tossed Lu Ji aside. “Someone like him could never become Xun Yu or Guo Jia.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you, General. Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you, General…”
Seeing An Lushan speak, Lu Ji kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude, ignoring all notions of propriety. Etiquette was meaningless—what use was dignity if one had lost their life?
“However, if you refuse to be my advisor and assist me in achieving great things, could you lend me something instead?”
An Lushan’s gaze turned calm once more as he spoke gently.
Lu Ji was overjoyed. He would never agree to follow An Lushan in rebellion. Not only was the likelihood of An Lushan seizing power slim, but his own family’s century-old reputation also forbade such an act!
The reason noble families had endured for millennia was their reputation, and their reputation stemmed from their unwavering principles!
Even as dynasties and emperors changed, these noble families remained active throughout the Central Plains because they were wise enough not to blindly follow any ruler.
If the rulers of the Central Plains were like this, let alone if they were barbarians—there was even less reason for these noble families to submit. If they destroyed their own ancestors for this, wouldn’t their descendants also be humiliated?
Realizing this, Lu Ji immediately bowed to An Lushan and said, “As long as Your Highness doesn’t make me your advisor, take whatever you need. I won’t complain at all.”
An Lushan smiled and nodded. “In that case, I won’t be polite. Someone, tie him up!”
An Lushan smashed the teapot in his hand, and instantly, dozens of bodyguards rushed in from outside…
Dusk, the military camp.
With disheveled hair and tightly bound, Lu Ji knelt in front of the gate, utterly confused.
He never expected An Lushan to want his head; he never imagined it would be his last day on earth.
Life was but an illusory dream.
Haha, haha…

On the execution platform, An Lushan cleared his throat and spoke in a deep voice, “Currently, the treacherous prime minister Yang Guozhong does as he pleases in the court, manipulating the emperor. Through his wicked actions, he has left the Tang Dynasty in a state of utter chaos. Now, this evil minister has sent his lackeys to Fanyang in an attempt to lure me to Chang’an to murder me. Fortunately, I saw through his scheme and captured one of his agents. Now, I will act on behalf of heaven, execute this treacherous prime minister, and clear the emperor’s surroundings of threats!”
“Execute the treacherous prime minister! Clear the emperor’s surroundings!”
“Capture the treacherous prime minister! Clear the emperor’s surroundings!”
Chants rose from the crowd below, as soldiers raised their spears and swords, venting their anger.
They had fought bravely against the barbarians at the borders, while this treacherous prime minister schemed against them in every possible way. Such a backstabber deserved to die!
“We must not spare this man who aids the tyrant either!”
Shi Siming glanced at Lu Ji and said coldly.
“Behead him and offer his head to the flag!”
“Behead him and offer his head to the flag!”
“Behead him and offer his head to the flag!”
Led by their squad leaders, the soldiers chanted even louder, their voices growing more intense with each round.
“Chengsi, what do you think?”
An Lushan raised his hand to urge everyone to calm down.
“Commander, I have no objections. Such a vile person deserves to die!”
Tian Chengsi immediately knelt before An Lushan and declared resolutely.
Thud!
A heavy weight fell on Lu Ji’s heart, leaving him numb and forcing him to sneer.
Haha, these are the so-called brothers who share life and death. Haha, I’m such an idiot—thinking he would actually come to my rescue as a brother.
No wonder people say the more people you know, the more dogs you like. Haha, haha…
“Then behead this man to strengthen our army’s morale!”
An Lushan nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand.
The executioners stepped forward, lifted the bound Lu Ji like a meat bun, and dragged him to the execution platform.
Thud!
The executioners roughly threw Lu Ji’s head onto the chopping block, took out a wine gourd from their belts, took a big swig, and sprayed the liquid on the blade.
Whoosh! The autumn wind was cold, and people’s hearts were icy.
The blade descended mercilessly.
At that moment, Lu Ji felt time moving extremely slowly.
He could clearly see the colorful sunset in the sky, and he could clearly see An Lushan’s cavalry gradually moving outside the camp.
Tang Dynasty… The Tang Dynasty probably won’t last much longer, will it?
The Central Plains were in chaos, with nine out of ten households empty, people suffering everywhere, even resorting to eating their own children…
He seemed to see the situation in the coming years and suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction. After all, it wasn’t just him who was unlucky. Haha, haha…

In the end, a splash of blood danced in the air, and everything under heaven fell into silence.
On the eighth day of the eleventh month of that year, An Lushan, the military governor of Pinglu, Hedong, and Fanyang, assembled an army of 200,000 men from these regions along with tribes such as the Tongluo, Xi, Khitan, and Shiwei to rebel against the Tang Dynasty.
The emperor was horrified, and the whole nation was shaken.
Volume 7: Manjiang Hong