The imperial court is ceding territory from our northern border? Then we'll rebel!

Just as Xiao Jingchen's army silently stepped into Youzhou territory, a war without gunpowder had already begun fiercely from Shuobei City towards the entire Great Yan Dynasty.

In Su Mou's study at the Wuwei Prince's Mansion, the lights were on.

The chief steward of the North had not slept for three days and three nights. In front of him was a huge sheet of Xuan paper, on which he had made countless revisions with a vermilion pen.

This is the weapon that Xiao Jingchen gave him, more lethal than an army of 100,000—the "Proclamation Against the Wu Clan".

"No, the wording here is not strong enough to resonate with scholars across the land."

"Here, we should add another point: the Empress favored treacherous officials and persecuted loyal ministers, leading to a major defeat in the Eastern Frontier, with a million soldiers buried far from home. This is her fifth crime."

"Furthermore, in order to suppress the prince, she disregarded the lives of the people in the northern border and cut off their food supplies. This is unrighteous and immoral, constituting the seventh sin!"

Su Mou muttered to himself as he wrote furiously with his pen.

Every word he uttered was like a sharp knife, determined to nail Empress Wu Mingkong firmly to the pillar of historical shame.

He knew full well that Xiao Jingchen's uprising was nominally to "purge the court of corrupt officials and punish traitors," but in reality, it was a rebellion.

Throughout history, rebellion has always been an extremely risky undertaking, and the most crucial element is to have the moral high ground.

Moral support from many, scant support.

What he wanted to do was to align himself with all the "reasoning." He portrayed Empress Wu Mingkong as a wicked empress who brought disaster to the country, while Xiao Jingchen was a hero who saved the people from suffering.

Finally, on the morning of the fourth day, as the first rays of sunlight shone into the study, Su Mou put down his pen and let out a long sigh of relief.

A lengthy manifesto, thousands of words long, has finally been finalized.

In the article, he listed the ten major crimes committed by Empress Wu Mingkong since her ascension to the throne:

First, a hen crowing at dawn signifies a woman usurping the throne, violating ancestral rites and laws.

Second, the emperor favored his relatives and practiced nepotism, which led to the corruption of the court.

Third, his ambition for quick success and his aggressive military campaigns led to an empty treasury and widespread suffering among the people.

Fourth, he was suspicious of meritorious officials and slaughtered loyal and virtuous people, chilling the hearts of the people.

Fifth, the poor personnel management led to a disastrous defeat in the eastern frontier, resulting in the cession of territory, payment of indemnities, and loss of sovereignty and national humiliation.

Sixth, they suppressed dissent and blocked channels of communication, so that scholars throughout the land dared not speak out.

7. He was narrow-minded and disregarded the lives of soldiers on the frontier, cutting off their supplies and destroying their Great Wall.

8. They levy exorbitant taxes and engage in large-scale construction projects solely for their own selfish gain.

9. He lived a life of extravagance, indulging in pleasure and ignoring the suffering of the common people.

10. Acting perversely and against the will of Heaven and the people, he is truly a great traitor to the nation!

At the end of the manifesto, Su Mou, speaking in Xiao Jingchen's voice, uttered a resounding cry:

"Today, Xiao Jingchen, the King of Wuwei in the Northern Territory, cannot bear to see the Great Yan Empire fall into the hands of the wicked empress, nor can he bear to see the people of the world suffer further misery. Therefore, he has led an army of 400,000 righteous men southward to purge the court of corrupt officials and vows to kill the traitor Wu Mingkong, so as to bring peace to the world and comfort the hearts of the people! I hope that all heroes and valiant men of the world will join me in this great undertaking and work together to punish this villain!"

"Let this proclamation spread throughout the land, let us unite to save the Great Yan from collapse!"

After writing the last word, Su Mou felt as if all the strength had been drained from his body.

But he knew what a huge uproar this manifesto would cause once it was sent out.

"Someone come here!" he shouted.

Several "Hive" leaders immediately slipped into the study.

"Spread this proclamation throughout every prefecture, county, and district of the Great Yan Dynasty as quickly as possible, using all available channels!"

Su Mou's eyes became incredibly sharp.

"I want it to be a sight to behold in the imperial court of the capital the very next day!"

"I want every teahouse, tavern, and storyteller in the world to be talking about it!"

"I want all the powerful clans and local generals who harbor resentment towards the Empress to receive a copy!"

"At all costs!"

"yes!"

Several officials took the manifesto, quickly copied it, and then turned into streaks of black shadows, disappearing into the morning light of Shuobei City.

A media storm that swept the nation was thus set in motion.

……

Seven days later, in the capital city.

Inside the imperial city, in the Zichen Palace.

Empress Wu Mingkong was lounging lazily on her dragon throne, listening to the tedious reports from her ministers below.

Ever since she made up her mind to eliminate Xiao Jingchen, she had been in a bad mood. The bad news coming from the Northern Border was like a series of slaps to her face, burning with pain.

But she maintained her imperial dignity. She believed that as soon as Zhao Kuo's 500,000-strong army arrived, the ignorant Xiao Jingchen would be crushed to dust the following spring.

Just then, a eunuch tumbled into the hall, his voice shrill and filled with fear.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!"

Wu Mingkong's brows furrowed instantly.

"What a flustered and disorderly manner! Drag him out!" She hated it most when someone behaved improperly in the court.

"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me!" The eunuch knelt on the ground, holding up a copied document. "Rebellion! Rebellion! Xiao Jingchen... he's rebelled!"

"What?!"

The entire hall fell into a deathly silence in an instant.

All the ministers looked up in astonishment, unable to believe their ears.

Wu Mingkong's face also turned ashen instantly.

"Bring it here!"

The head eunuch beside him hurriedly ran down, retrieved the document, and handed it to Wu Mingkong with trembling hands.

Wu Mingkong snatched it away, and after only glancing at the title—"A Proclamation Against the Wu Clan"—her breath caught in her throat.

After she suppressed her anger and read the entire manifesto, she was so angry that she trembled all over.

"Traitor! Traitor!!"

She ripped the manifesto in her hand to shreds, her fingernails digging deep into her palms with the force.

"Ten major crimes? What a fine list of ten major crimes!"

"Purge the court of corrupt officials? He wants to purge me, not me!"

"Execute a traitor? He called me a traitor!"

An unprecedented surge of humiliation and anger rushed to the top of her head. She felt as if Xiao Jingchen was pressing her face to the ground and rubbing it repeatedly with this scathing critique.

"Investigate! Investigate for me! How did this proclamation reach the capital?! Arrest everyone who has seen or circulated it, and execute their entire family!"

Wu Mingkong let out a hysterical roar.

The civil and military officials below were all silent and trembling, their heads bowed low, afraid of being affected by the Empress's wrath.

But their hearts were already in turmoil.

The contents of the manifesto were truly shocking.

Although some of the language was too harsh, many of the charges listed were undeniable facts.

Especially for those former officials and powerful families who harbored resentment towards the Empress, this proclamation truly expressed their innermost feelings.

For a time, the hearts of people in the imperial court were unsettled.

What terrified Wu Mingkong even more was that this proclamation was not only displayed in the imperial court.

Almost overnight, the "Proclamation Against Wu Zetian" was circulating in the streets and alleys of the capital, in teahouses, taverns, and even brothels.

Countless storytellers have woven it into catchy tales and spread it far and wide.

"Lord Xiao, acting on behalf of Heaven, your 400,000-strong army has already crossed Black Wind Pass!"

"The Empress is tyrannical, incurring the wrath of Heaven and the resentment of the people; the Great Yan dynasty is on the verge of collapse!"

Rumors spread rapidly, like a plague.

The sentiments of the people in the capital city began to undergo subtle changes.

Just as the capital was plunged into chaos and panic by a proclamation, an urgent military report from Youzhou arrived at Wu Mingkong's desk.

When she saw the contents of the military report, she was struck dumb and collapsed onto the dragon throne.

The military newspaper contained only one short sentence:

"Xiao's army has breached Black Wind Pass and is advancing directly towards Youzhou City. Our army... is in grave danger!"