I Possess a Scroll of Demon-Subduing Records

"Have you forgotten how you got here? Demons harm people, and so do government officials. Are you just going back like this, without any way back? Aren't you afraid of being caught and sold again?"

Hearing Wu Sheng say this, everyone present felt even more desperate.

It cannot go north, nor can it return south.

"Is there really no place for us in this vast world?"

Some people sighed pessimistically, saying that Wu Sheng had been waiting for this moment. He hadn't made any arrangements with anyone, but at every step, someone was there to support him. Wasn't this heaven helping him?

"In such chaotic times, if we want to survive and find a place to sleep, we can only rely on ourselves. You might as well think about it, can our situation be any worse than it is now?"

"Going to the Northern Wei is death, going to the Southern Liang is also death. Since death is inevitable anyway, why not risk it and try to find a way out?"

Lin Yi had been watching from the shadows the whole time, and upon hearing this, he was even waiting for Wu Sheng to shout, "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

If the other party needs it, he can also cooperate by imitating a fox's call.

Unfortunately, Wu Sheng lacked the cultural literacy to utter such a classic line.

History always repeats itself in a striking way, because rulers never learn from history, and there will always be people who are forced into a corner and ultimately have to make a choice.

If we perish now, we will die; if we launch a great undertaking, we will also die. Is it not better to die for our country?

Many people present were swayed by Wu Sheng's words. There was indeed no other way out at the moment, but if they were to risk their lives, how should they do it?

All eyes were on Wu Sheng. Before he spoke, Wu Sheng had already made his plans, and now he was quite composed.

"I have heard that the current emperor of Liang was originally an important minister of Southern Qi. He was deeply favored by the late emperor and commanded an army of a million. Instead of serving the court, he raised an army to rebel."

The late emperor was forced to abdicate, and his wife was tragically sold into slavery. Such an outrageous act would surely make the world a laughingstock.

Why don't we rise up in rebellion? Heroes from all over the land will surely respond!

That made sense, and everyone couldn't help but look at the forty people who seemed out of place in the crowd.

There really are imperial concubines and princesses here. Their identities were confirmed by the demons at the auction, and they have an extraordinary air about them, so it can't be faked.

It's a pity there were no princes, but it's easy to guess that all the princes must have been killed. Only some princesses and imperial concubines who posed little threat were sent out to be sold.

Among the others were some children of disgraced officials, who were immediately filled with patriotic fervor upon hearing Wu Sheng's call to action.

"Brother is right, we can raise an army and punish the Liang traitors!"

"Rise up, sir, and punish the traitor Liang!"

The slogans were practiced until they became a chorus, their sound echoing through the mountains and forests, startling away many wild birds.

The imperial concubines and princesses had different feelings. Some felt that they had encountered a loyal minister and that they had someone to rely on.

Some of the more timid ones felt that Wu Sheng was very ambitious and might not necessarily be on their side.

Some were simply worried about the uncertainties that lay ahead, but one person's expression didn't change much, though his eyes gradually brightened.

Her name is Xiao Yue, the girl who recognized Shi Yu's true identity earlier. She is Xiao Zhao's eighteenth daughter and is seventeen years old this year.

In the palace, her birth mother was of low status, and she was neither the oldest nor the youngest among her sisters. She was neither respected for being the oldest nor pitied for being the youngest, and she could not rely on her mother.

She had witnessed the coldness and warmth of human relationships in the palace many times over, and she had her own way of protecting herself.

She used to know how to please Xiao Qian, discuss philosophy with him, and gain some favor to establish herself in the palace. But today, Xiao Qian abandoned her and her daughter without hesitation, which made her realize that she would really have to rely on herself from now on.

The current situation also presents an opportunity for her.

If she succeeds in her rebellion, she will never have to be subservient to anyone again, nor will she have to please anyone.

So, before the other princesses and imperial consorts could react, she stepped forward first.

"Thank you all for your patriotism. I am Princess Tianxuan, personally appointed by His Majesty. Today, I swear here that when the chaos is quelled, I will ensure that those who have made contributions enjoy wealth and honor."

Xiao Yue stepped forward to speak, leaving Wu Sheng dumbfounded.

Because everyone's emotions had been stirred up by his words, the princess took the opportunity to promise them wealth and honor, and everyone then turned to her as their leader.

He had schemed for a long time, only to have Xiao Yue take the peach. The frustration in his heart was indescribable.

The plot twist also amused Lin Yi. If Xiao Yue hadn't taken the initiative to step forward, reveal her identity, and offered her great benefits, the team would definitely have followed Wu Sheng as their leader.

But with a princess, everyone naturally revered her.

Although Wu Sheng was the initiator, he was of low status, while Xiao Yue, though in distress, was a true member of the royal family.

People in this era still valued noble lineage.

Xiao Yue didn't overlook Wu Sheng either. After asking his name, she granted him the title of general. She also selected a few people with outstanding temperament from the crowd and appointed them as civil officials, and a few people with strong physiques and appointed them as captains.

Afterwards, she took out the treasures and weapons that Xiao Qian had left her and rewarded some of the officials she had appointed.

Such investiture may seem like a joke and not in accordance with the law, but it is a good medicine for these people in dire straits.

When someone receives a reward, others become envious and naturally have something to look forward to.

For Xiao Yue, it meant turning his otherwise useless money into loyal subordinates.

These people were appointed by her, and of course they would support her in order to gain more benefits.

After completing the first step of winning people's hearts and minds, the next thing to consider is how to start an uprising.

To rally heroes across the land to join the rebellion, she needed to create a major upheaval, but her subordinates alone wouldn't be enough.

Since we have no power to control, we can only rely on external forces.

Suddenly, Xiao Yue recalled the figure from last night who single-handedly fought against a group of demons and monsters. Even though he was outnumbered, he dared to utter the bold words that all the demons would die.

Such a hero would never speak lightly.

He said he would make the thief monk beheaded within three days, and he would definitely keep his word.

A righteous and upright gentleman, after killing the monk, would surely be able to find out that these human trafficking activities were inextricably linked to the military camp and the prefect.

Xiao Yue didn't have any concrete evidence, but you can understand this by thinking about it.

With so many demons in Hanzhong Commandery and such a grand auction being held, how could the commandery governor and the stationed border troops be unaware of anything?

Moreover, the fact that she was sent from the palace and ended up in the hands of demons speaks volumes.

Xiao Yue thought about it more and more and felt that she could give it a try.

Although all hopes were pinned on Lin Yi, fortune favors the bold, and life is rarely smooth sailing. To control one's own destiny, with such a humble body, one can only gamble with one's life!

While Xiao Yue was deep in thought, Wu Sheng was not idle either.

Although he was given the title of General Who Subdues Rebels, it was merely a nominal position.

Although Xiao Yue gave him some rewards, he was still resentful. He had a chance to be the leader, but Xiao Yue had taken it away, and he had become a subordinate whose ranking he didn't know. He was very unhappy about it!

He knew that the group these people had formed was actually very fragile. The fact that they were able to unite was primarily due to his instigation, and only secondarily due to Xiao Yue's promises.

Only by letting everyone know that Xiao Yue is not trustworthy will he have a chance to rise to power.

Taking this opportunity, he stepped forward and asked Xiao Yue, "May I ask Your Highness, now that we have each been granted official positions, what are your plans next?"

When should we raise an army, and where should we attack?

If Xiao Yue can't answer, the morale of the army will immediately fall into chaos; but if Xiao Yue makes a reckless decision and sends people to their deaths, the morale of the army will also fall into chaos.

Xiao Yue looked at Wu Sheng, still feeling somewhat guilty.

However, despite feeling guilty, she had no choice but to do it.

If Wu Sheng were to truly become the ruler, she, her sisters, her mother, and the other imperial concubines would likely become his tools.

Of course, the other party may not do anything to them, but if they, a group of weak women, do not hold their power in their own hands and leave their lives and deaths to others, their fate will certainly not be good.

So, even though she knew it was unfair, she had no other choice but to do it.

The generalship given to Wu Sheng was her apology, but it seems that Wu Sheng was not willing to be subordinate to anyone.

Very well, after it's done, I'll give him a sum of money to ensure his lifelong wealth!

Xiao Yue had already made up her mind. Facing Wu Sheng's question and the concerned looks of everyone, she confidently and calmly uttered the astonishing words: "We will raise an army in Hanzhong and proclaim it to the world!"

Wu Sheng was shocked, but at the same time, he was overjoyed.

This woman from the palace is indeed unaware of the dangers of the world. Hanzhong has a formidable pass and elite troops. Even if they only had nine hundred men, or three hundred capable fighters, or even thirty thousand, they would not be able to conquer Hanzhong.

Attacking Hanzhong would only lead to certain death.

"Your Highness must be joking. How could we possibly take Hanzhong with our numbers?"

Wu Sheng's attitude was also the attitude of others; even the imperial concubine came to persuade Xiao Yue.

They didn't initially undermine Xiao Yue because they were all indecisive. When Xiao Yue took the lead, they waited and saw. Now that Xiao Yue was leading them to their deaths, naturally some people stood up to oppose her.

Little did they know, Xiao Yue was also taking this opportunity to test who could be on her side and who she wanted to get rid of.

Having both come from the palace and suffered together, Xiao Yue naturally wanted to take care of them if possible.

But those who are stupid are unacceptable, and those who have too many ideas are also unacceptable.

Faced with the questions, Xiao Yue calmly stated her reasons.

"The right time is not as important as the right place, and the right place is not as important as the right people. I advocate fighting in Hanzhong. We do not have the right time or the right place, but we have the right people, which is enough to win."

The sorcerers of Hanzhong Prefecture have imprisoned us; how can we not avenge this? This is the first reason. Hanzhong Prefecture is governed wickedly and will surely be punished by Heaven. If we act in accordance with Heaven's will, we will surely receive divine assistance. This is the second reason. There are wise men in Hanzhong who will eradicate demons and eliminate treacherous officials. If we act in accordance with this trend, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort. This is the third reason.

With these three things, what great things cannot be accomplished?

Besides, we are determined to start a rebellion. With our meager forces, even if we travel far to seek opportunities, we can only find barren lands with few soldiers guarding them. What use would it be to seize such territory?

Why not seize this opportunity that's right before our eyes? If we succeed, we'll become rich overnight. Was your earlier determination to risk your lives truly just a pretense?

Xiao Yue's explanation of the advantages and disadvantages, followed by a provocation, immediately stirred everyone's emotions, making them eager to immediately go down and attack Hanzhong.

Hearing Xiao Yue say this, Wu Sheng couldn't think of any reason to refute her, and could only sigh in the end.

His talent is ultimately no match for that princess!

Hidden in the shadows, Lin Yi witnessed Xiao Yue's series of actions and had to admit that this girl was truly a talent.

Although taking advantage of Wu Sheng's efforts is somewhat morally questionable, in a life-or-death situation like this, such a minor flaw is insignificant.

Being able to seize and control the overall trend is a skill in itself.

As long as she does more good deeds in the future, she will be considered a good person.

What truly surprised Lin Yi was that she dared to plot against herself.

All of this demonstrates her wisdom and decisiveness. Since that's the case, I might as well give her some opportunities and see if she can seize them.