Because he had already begun preparing for this rebellion half a month ago.
The news that the northern border was in turmoil and that Emperor Xiao Sheng refused to provide support spread to everyone.
Then it was revealed that in the case of the Left Prime Minister, Emperor Xiao Sheng ordered his ministers to fabricate false evidence to frame the Left Prime Minister.
He then ordered the Ministry of Justice to hastily investigate the case, and without clarifying the facts, he ordered the execution of the entire Left Chancellor's family.
It also points out that Emperor Xiao Sheng sent Xiao Lin to the northern border and found someone to impersonate a foreigner to assassinate his own son, all in order to eliminate the Left Prime Minister's lineage and remove his greatest threat.
As a result, the public opinion immediately shifted to one side.
In addition, Emperor Xiao Sheng himself was incompetent and tyrannical, which had long accumulated public resentment.
This led to Xiao Lin, who had made great contributions in repelling the enemy in the northern border, instantly becoming the people's favorite.
When he led his troops to the gates of the capital, it was the combined efforts of the common people and the city's garrison that opened the city gates for him.
This was a surrender without a fight that surprised everyone!
The army marched unimpeded straight to the palace.
The imperial guards stationed outside the palace gates, directly under Emperor Xiao Sheng, were so frightened by the tens of thousands of northern troops that their legs went weak upon seeing them and feeling the overwhelming murderous aura.
They knew that if they dared to resist these soldiers who had truly experienced the baptism of war, they would surely face certain death!
Finally, they knelt down and bowed their heads to Xiao Lin, daring not to make a single presumptuous move.
Xiao Lin glanced at them with disdain, chuckled, and stepped inside.
It was just dawn, and the sky was barely getting light.
The ministers who were attending the morning court session had already gathered in the main hall, but they were not waiting for Emperor Xiao Sheng, but for Xiao Lin.
Liu An, the Minister of Revenue, took the lead and bowed to Xiao Lin.
"Welcome, Your Highness, Sixth Prince!"
The court officials behind him all knelt down, saying, "Welcome, Your Highness the Sixth Prince!"
Xiao Lin nodded, drew his longsword, and led his troops to the inner palace.
Sure enough, they found Emperor Xiao Sheng sleeping soundly in the woman's bed.
Xiao Lin's arrival startled the concubine, who screamed in panic and hid in the bed.
Emperor Xiao Sheng woke up groggily, and the first thing he saw was Xiao Lin's chilling sword tip.
"Xiao Lin?! How dare you treat me like this!" Emperor Xiao Sheng's eyes widened as he shouted towards the door, "Guards! Guards! Take him away!"
Unfortunately, no one responded.
A sudden, sharp pain shot through her arm, and the woman screamed piercingly.
Emperor Xiao Sheng watched helplessly as his arm fell onto the bedding, soaking it with blood.
"Ahhhh—"
He belatedly screamed in terror, realizing he was afraid.
He tumbled off the bed with a thud, shrinking back towards the wall: "Xiao Lin! I am your biological father! You cannot kill me! This is patricide! You will be cursed for eternity!"
Xiao Lin said, "This sword is for my mother's clan, which you wiped out entirely."
After he finished speaking, he raised his hand.
With another sword strike, Emperor Xiao Sheng's left arm was also severed.
Blood splattered all over the ground. The man was in so much pain that he couldn't speak. He collapsed to the ground and crawled to the side with his legs.
"This sword is for my mother, who died with resentment."
Xiao Lin swung his longsword down expressionlessly, this time at his right leg.
"This sword is for the refugees who died because of your laziness in governance."
After saying that, he cut off Emperor Xiao Sheng's only remaining left leg with another sword stroke.
"This sword is for the soldiers who died defending the northern border when the enemy army pressed in!"
Every word he spoke made the soldiers and courtiers standing behind him grit their teeth, overwhelmed with mixed emotions.
Looking at Emperor Xiao Sheng on the ground, he was barely clinging to life, his screams barely audible, his entire body submerged in blood, his eyes unfocused.
At this moment, Xiao Lin held his long sword high, his face cold, and slowly recited.
"And this sword..."
He didn't say anything more, but instead, his sword fell, and Emperor Xiao Sheng's head fell to the ground.
The boy bent down, picked up the head, and strode out.
Liu An glanced at him once, then knelt down again in shock.
A loud voice proclaimed, "Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome the new Emperor!"
Upon seeing this, the people around immediately knelt down.
A deep, resonant sound echoed throughout the palace.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Xiao Lin looked down at the kneeling crowd, his heart unmoved.
I looked up and my gaze settled on the gloomy sky.
Suddenly, I felt a slight coolness on the tip of my nose.
The pure white snowflakes melt into water when heated and drip down.
Then, as if in an instant, snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
It fell down in a soft rustling sound.
The longsword and the head crashed to the ground, and Xiao Lin used his blood-stained hands to catch the snowflakes.
All light had vanished from his eyes; they were terribly empty.
"It's snowing..." His voice was low, but Zhao Lin, who was sitting close to him, heard it.
The new emperor murmured as if in a dream.
"General, where are you?"
Chapter 42
Died for the fourth time for the villain ⩨100023456789⩨
Xiao Lin fell ill.
Without warning, after the court officials had dispersed, Zhao Lin and he left the Mingzheng Hall and collapsed in the snow.
New Year's Eve, the most joyous day for the people of Xiao Kingdom.
Everyone was celebrating the death of the tyrannical emperor and the arrival of the new emperor in the capital.
Xiao Lin clutched the wooden hairpin and sachet Yu Tang had given him, trembling all over, huddled under the covers, coughing incessantly.
The palace bedrooms all had underfloor heating for winter, making them much warmer than the frigid northern border. Yet, Xiao Lin was still shivering like a leaf, his violent coughs echoing throughout the room, interspersed with a few dry heaves.
Zhao Lin dared not reveal his illness, but secretly summoned the accompanying military doctor. Pushing open the palace door, he saw Xiao Lin spitting out a mouthful of blood under the bed.
"His Majesty!"
Zhao Lin and the military doctor were both in a panic.
Because they had all watched Xiao Lin come all the way here.
When the general led his men into the enemy camp, they somehow managed to burn all of the enemy's supplies overnight, and the fire burned for several hours.
Later, the enemy attacked the city in a fit of rage, and they had no time to grieve and could only fight back.
Sending Xiao Lin away at that time was also to prevent him from being sad and to protect his safety.
But to their surprise, Xiao Lin returned to continue defending the city and remained so calm. They assumed that Xiao Lin was prioritizing the overall situation and had pulled through.
Later, Xiao Lin successfully orchestrated the plan in less than a month, leading them all the way to the capital.
He also ruthlessly executed the tyrannical emperor, shocking the court officials, and it seemed he was about to become the next emperor.
How did it suddenly turn out like this?
Xiao Lin's eyes were bloodshot, and he gripped the object in his hand tightly, breathing heavily.
“Zhao Lin…”
"Your subject is here!" Zhao Lin quickly stepped forward, followed closely by the military doctor, who opened his medicine box, pulled up a chair, sat down by the bed, and took Xiao Lin's pulse.
"Don't tell anyone I'm sick..." Xiao Lin's voice was hoarse, and his vision was blurry. "There are still many things to do, I need to get better as soon as possible... cough cough get better..."
"A golden age..." He murmured, his mind hazy, "The golden age the general desired has not yet arrived..."
"I have to live... to live..."
"His injuries are severe, and his grief is overwhelming. His Majesty's health is severely depleted..." The military doctor sighed, "I really don't know how he managed to hold on for so long."
Since the start of the war, Xiao Lin has suffered several times more injuries than ordinary soldiers.
Later, when he heard the news that Yu Tang had penetrated deep into the enemy camp, he forced himself not to think about it and forced himself to calm down. The pain was building up in his heart, and if he continued like this, it wouldn't be long before it took his life!
Zhao Lin looked at Xiao Lin and heard what the other said. He pursed his lips into a thin line and held back for a long time, but still couldn't hold back.
The tall man covered his eyes with his hands, breathing heavily, and tears seeped through his fingers.
He replied "yes" and quickly went out.
I dare not stay here any longer.
He was afraid that his emotions would affect Xiao Lin and make him sad.
The military doctor administered acupuncture to Xiao Lin and prescribed medicine for someone to get it. Fearing that the news might leak out, he took care of him himself.
It was late at night, and the snow outside the window had not stopped, covering the palace with a clean layer of white.
Xiao Lin huddled under the covers, trembling again.
His voice choked with sobs, trembling with tears: "Don't...don't go...don't leave..."