Three Kingdoms: Wolong's brother-in-law, tricking Liu Bei into seizing Jingzhou

"Gentlemen, please wait a moment. Let's move to a quiet place and discuss this in detail."

Just then, as the group was about to leave, Cao Rui quickly spoke up and stopped them from leaving.

The group looked at each other, and although they had doubts, they followed Cao Rui as instructed, passing through winding corridors and arriving at a quiet and secluded place.

Once everyone had stood still, Cao Rui's gaze swept over them, his expression solemn, and he slowly began to speak:

"You are all nobles of the Yuezhi, enjoying unparalleled honor and wealth in your daily lives. Your status is lofty and worthy of respect."

"However, the situation is now critical. The Empress is actually planning to submit to Xiao Fang and willingly let the Yuezhi become a vassal of Han. Are you all willing to give up your noble status and become Han slaves who are at the mercy of others?"

Cao Rui's gaze was sharp, his words incisive, as he questioned him.

Upon hearing this, Sai Jianlu felt a surge of anger ignite within him. His eyes widened, and he roared furiously:
"We are Yuezhi sons, with noble blood flowing in our veins, and naturally we do not wish to be lowly slaves!"

"But the Empress has made up her mind and is determined to surrender to the Han. Even if we are unwilling, what can we do?"

Should we disobey her orders?

Sai Jianluo looked helpless, and the ministers beside him also shook their heads and sighed, their expressions somber.

Seeing this, Cao Rui's expression grew even more solemn, and he said sternly:
"As nobles of the Yuezhi, you bear the heavy responsibility of protecting the Yuezhi people and upholding the dignity of the nation. How can you give up so easily?"
Now that the Empress is so foolish, she is leading the Yuezhi towards an abyss of utter destruction. As the pillars of the Yuezhi, how can you blindly follow her and jump into the fire?

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked, as if struck by lightning, their faces showing astonishment and contemplation.

Sai Jianlu frowned and asked in a deep voice:

"Emperor Qin, what do you mean by this? Do you already have a plan in mind?"

Cao Rui cupped his hands slightly, his gaze firm, and said:

"None of you wish to become slaves of a conquered nation, and I, Cao Rui, am unwilling to sit idly by and await my death. Therefore, I sincerely invite you all to join hands with me to launch a coup, seize power from the Empress, and regain control of the Yuezhi Kingdom!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Yuezhi ministers' expressions changed drastically. Some were terrified, some hesitated, and some fell into deep thought.

A moment later, a resolute glint flashed in Sai Jianluo's eyes, and he said coldly:

“I’ve said it before: Pinu is a narrow-minded and short-sighted woman who is not fit to be the emperor of the Yuezhi.”

"Now she is determined to lead the Yuezhi to destruction. As a senior minister of the Yuezhi, how can I stand by and watch our ancestral legacy be destroyed and let her do as she pleases!"

"Yes! We can't sit idly by any longer. Let's launch a coup and seize power from her!"

Ganesh stepped forward resolutely, his eyes wide with anger, and roared loudly.

"We will fight the Han army to the bitter end and defend the dignity of the Yuezhi to the death!"

Other ministers also raised their arms and shouted, and the crowd was in high spirits.

Seeing the high morale of the crowd, Sai Jianluo turned to Cao Rui and said:
"Your Majesty, please speak frankly. What should we do next? We will obey your orders!"

At this point, the Yuezhi ministers all expressed their willingness to work together with Cao Rui to launch a coup and seize power in the Yuezhi Kingdom.

Cao Rui's lips curled up slightly, a cold smile playing on his lips, as he secretly plotted his next move.

As time passed and night fell, the Yuezhi royal palace was enveloped in tranquility.

Empress Pinu, however, could not sleep peacefully. She leaned against the railing alone, gazing up at the bright yet slightly cold moon, her heart filled with melancholy.

"Ugh……"

She let out a long, helpless sigh, which echoed in the silent night sky, sounding particularly desolate.

At that moment, a wave of regret welled up in her heart.

She regretted that she had been blinded by the supreme imperial throne and rashly launched a coup to ascend to the throne as empress. She regretted even more that she had ignored the advice of her ministers and insisted on waging war against the Han Dynasty, which had led the Yuezhi into their current predicament.

"Forget it, what's the use of regretting it now that things have come to this?"

Vinu shook his head helplessly, sighing inwardly.

"I just don't know if Xiao Fang will keep his promise and spare the innocent people of the city. Will he be so enraged that he will slaughter my entire Yue clan and massacre Blue Moon City?"

The more Vinu thought about it, the more alarmed he became, and he couldn't help but worry about his fate.

After all, emperors who lead their countries to surrender rarely meet a good end; there are countless examples of this in history.

"I hope he will spare my life for Usasu's sake."

Vinu clasped his hands together, praying silently, his eyes filled with pleading and helplessness.

Just then, a deafening battle cry suddenly erupted outside the hall. Shouts of battle and the clashing of swords mingled together, as if tearing the silent night sky apart.

At the same time, flames roared from many places within Blue Moon City, illuminating half the sky.

Empress Vinu's expression changed drastically in an instant, and she asked in horror:

"What happened? Why was there such a commotion?"

The guard rushed in, flustered, and loudly reported:

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"
Marshal Sai Jianluo and Cao Rui have betrayed us; they have led their rebel army to attack!

Vinu felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, his body swayed violently, and he almost fell to the ground.

She forced herself to remain calm, but in her heart she already understood everything.

Sai Jianluo already harbored resentment towards her and had always resisted her rule. Now that he saw her about to surrender to the Han Kingdom, he was even less likely to follow her in bowing down.

As for Cao Rui, he was the mortal enemy of the Han emperor and had an irreconcilable hatred for the Han state. How could he willingly surrender to the Han with her?
These two opposing factions secretly joined forces to launch this coup, intending to seize power from her and control the fate of the Yuezhi Kingdom.

"How hateful! How could I not have imagined that they would unite and launch this coup?"

Vinu was both angry and annoyed, his heart filled with resentment and regret.

"What should we do? The rebel army is already at our doorstep. Is our Yuezhi Kingdom really going to be destroyed?"

Vinu was extremely anxious, pacing back and forth in the palace, but couldn't think of a solution.

Just then, the old minister, Valuna, rushed over, panting and trembling, and said:
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Seventy percent of the ministers in the city have rebelled. Blue Moon City is on the verge of collapse and cannot be defended."

"Your Majesty, please retreat immediately to the east gate and lead the Han army into the city to relieve the crisis facing the Yuezhi!"

Vinu was awakened by Varuna's words and immediately ordered his personal guards to retreat towards the east gate.

Along the way, the shouts of battle were deafening, and the rebel army surged in like a tide, making the situation extremely critical.

Having finally reached the top of the city wall, Vinu forced himself to remain calm and ordered the reconstruction of the defenses to block the rebel army's attack.

At the same time, she sent Valuna out of the city immediately to the Han camp to ask Xiao Fang for help.

The city gates slowly opened, and Falouna spurred his horse out, galloping towards the Han camp like a bolt of lightning.

Inside the Han camp, Xiao Fang was preparing to retire for the night. Just as he was about to lie down, he suddenly heard Xu Chu's loud voice coming from outside the tent:

"Reporting to Prime Minister Xiao, the Yuezhi Kingdom's important minister, Faluna, requests an audience with me on urgent business!" (End of Chapter)