Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 29 My great-grandfather has already made me suffer all the hardships!

When the barbarians attacked the pass, they captured three cities in succession, but they were still thousands of miles away. The powerful and wealthy officials in the capital watched from the sidelines, feigning fear but not really feeling anything, and some even took the opportunity to profit from the national crisis.

But this time is different.

The urgent military report, delivered with blood on every 800 li, read: "Barbarian cavalry have swept in, and the garrison along the way have surrendered at the mere sight of them. Their advance is already aimed at the capital!"

This caused an uproar throughout the entire capital.

Just a few days ago, the court officials were living in fear because of the Moon-Treading Thief, but now they truly felt what it meant to be a sign of national ruin.

Inside the palace, Emperor Yang Zhao, who had just been furious at not being able to catch a single thief, now had a livid face.

He slammed the military report to the ground, pointed at the Minister of War below, and roared, "Where are the military towns along the way? Where are all the troops I've raised? Are they all dead? Are they just going to stand by and watch the barbarians march to my doorstep?!"

The Minister of War knelt on the ground, his old face contorted in a bitter expression, his heart filled with grievance: "Your Majesty, it is not that we have failed in our duties!"

"The military towns along the way have long since stopped obeying the imperial court's orders. They are more eager than anyone else to ask for money and grain, but when it comes to actually sending troops, they all claim to be sick and refuse to come out. They are outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant. Your Majesty... Your Majesty, we are at a loss!"

These words extinguished most of Yang Zhao's anger as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, leaving only a bone-chilling cold.

He knew that the Minister of War was telling the truth.

The Great Zhao Dynasty had been established for over two hundred years, and the land had enjoyed a long period of peace. The local military garrisons had long since become too powerful to control and had gradually slipped out of the court's grasp. But he never expected that these garrisons, who had received imperial favor for generations, would dare to stand idly by during the nation's time of crisis!

Their intentions are now crystal clear.

They simply wanted to wait for the barbarians to breach the capital, for the emperor to die without a burial place, and then they could seize the opportunity to rise up and each become king and tyrant in this shattered land!
“They’ve rebelled…they’ve all rebelled!” Yang Zhao slumped back onto the dragon throne, utterly dejected, his heart filled with endless sorrow and despair.

But now is not the time to dwell on these things; protecting the capital and saving our own lives are the most important things.

"Issue my decree." Yang Zhaoqiang mustered his strength and ordered in a hoarse voice, "Order the Imperial Guards protecting the capital to immediately intensify their combat preparations and set out to defend against the enemy!"

The imperial edict caused an uproar throughout the Imperial Guard camp, and a massive wave of desertion ensued in this force known as the emperor's personal guard.

The Imperial Guard is no longer the formidable and battle-hardened force it was at the founding of the dynasty.

More than two hundred years of peace have long since eroded its very essence. Today, the Imperial Guard has become a comfortable haven for members of the imperial family and the sons of powerful nobles to retire and gain prestige.

If it's about walking birds in cages, cockfighting, dog racing, enjoying tea and music, or indulging in prostitution, these people are all experts. But when it comes to going to war, they'd rather just slit their own throats.

Currently, the military patrols and the arresting officers are truly responsible for maintaining order in the capital, while the Imperial Guards are Yang Zhao's most elite private troops.

This team has always selected good young men from the common people, and they are also regarded as Yang Zhao's favorites, so they are quite capable.

But Yang Zhao knew in his heart that the Imperial Guard was his last trump card, meant to save his own life, and he absolutely could not afford to lose it outside the city.

Otherwise, if the city hadn't fallen but the Imperial Guards had been wiped out first, he might have died an even more gruesome death.

Therefore, even though he knew that the Imperial Guards were a bunch of useless people, he still fantasized that these spoiled brats could restore the glory of their ancestors when the country was in crisis.

To this end, he even offered a high reward and sent his trusted generals to supervise the battle.

As a result, when the general arrived at the camp, he was met with a scene of chaos and disarray.

Some were packing their belongings and preparing to flee, some simply gathered together to slack off, and some even taunted the generals who came to supervise the battle.

"Send us to our deaths? Why should we?" a member of the imperial clan said with a sidelong glance. "Back in the day, when my great-great-grandfather was fighting alongside the founding emperor, he made us, his descendants, suffer all the hardships he had endured. We're here to enjoy the good life, not to risk our lives!" "Exactly! If you want to fight, go fight yourselves, don't drag me into it!"

Faced with such clamor, the supervising officer didn't dare utter a single word.

He knew that this group consisted of either imperial relatives or descendants of founding nobles, none of whom he could afford to offend.

A grand mobilization for war preparedness ultimately turned into a complete farce.

This farce was also observed by countless observant people in the capital.

Lin House.

In the stillness of the night, the study was brightly lit.

The patriarch, Lin Hong, sat in the main seat, his face ashen. Below him on either side sat the core members of the Lin family.

Even his good-for-nothing son, Lin Rui, the young master of the Lin family and the former master of Chen Ye, was allowed to attend for the first time.

This was Lin Rui's first time attending such an important family meeting. He stood up straight, his face full of pride and excitement.

Lin Hong's gaze slowly swept over everyone present before he finally spoke, "I'm sure everyone is aware of the situation outside."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, or perhaps giving everyone time to process what he was saying.

"I believe the fate of the Great Zhao Dynasty is sealed. The Yang family will not be able to hold onto this empire."

These words shocked everyone in the room, and even the sound of breathing stopped.

Lin Hong seemed oblivious to everyone's reactions and continued, "As the saying goes, when the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact? If my Lin family wants to survive in this chaotic world, we cannot put all our eggs in one basket."

His eyes sharpened: "What I mean is, send someone to make contact with the people of the northern steppes..."

"Father!" Lin Rui's elder brother, Lin Qian, the eldest son of the Lin family, exclaimed in shock, "This...this is treason!"

"Shut up!" Lin Hong snapped, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes. "What do you mean by treason? Since ancient times, history has been written by the victors. To us aristocratic families, does it matter whether the person sitting in that chair is surnamed Yang or Yelü?"

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the deep night outside.

"The important thing is that no matter who rules the world, my Lin family must continue to exist for generations. Therefore, it is necessary to place our bets in advance to achieve this goal."

For someone like Lin Hong, who regards the survival of his family as his highest belief, loyalty to the emperor and patriotism are nothing but a joke to fool the common people. Hedging his bets and being shrewd on all sides are the fundamental rules for survival in chaotic times.

"This matter is a top secret of the Lin family. Heaven, earth, you, and I know it all." Lin Hong turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife, and warned, word by word, "If even a single word is leaked, don't blame me for... showing no mercy to my family!"

Everyone fell silent, nodding in agreement.

Lin Rui was so excited that his face turned red. He felt that his father was really too wise and farsighted!

He had already begun to fantasize about how glorious his Lin family would be as the earliest and most meritorious people to surrender to the steppe people when they came to rule the Central Plains.

But at this moment, they had no idea that behind the roof ridge directly above the study, a figure was quietly lying in the shadows, as if it had become one with the darkness.

A night breeze blew by, ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead and revealing a pair of clear, bright eyes.

(End of this chapter)